Carmen Duran shows acrylic paintings at WOWSPACE

WITTENBERG — Art is a hobby for Carmen Duran, though you would find that hard to believe with all that she has accomplished. Her work has been purchased and hung in permanent collections in the Stevens Point Cancer Center and in the Eau Claire Cancer Center meditation room.

Dealing mostly in bright floral paintings in acrylic and mixed media, they seem to be a good fit for those in the healing process, according to Duran.

“Not long ago, a patient reached out to tell me that looking at my work brought them so much joy,” said Duran, of Stratford. “As an artist, this is the best thing to hear.”

She is represented by Gallery Q Artist Cooperative in Stevens Point. Duran was invited to join after exhibiting her paintings at New Visions Gallery at Marshfield Clinic.

It’s been an exceptional year for Duran with seven shows. She had applied for an open call at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson last year, which she did not get. But they did invite her to exhibit in two area hospitals where they provide art through their Healing Arts program. A couple of the other shows have been by invitation after seeing her work elsewhere.

That is how she ended up being a part of the “Fall Into Art” show at the WOWSPACE in Wittenberg, which is part of the Miles of Art exhibit this weekend.

“I was at Basil restaurant in Weston, and Carmen’s work was being featured,” said Elaine Diffor, Walls of Wittenberg event coordinator. “I knew I wanted her to be a part of the show.”

For Duran, the path to where she is now has been long. She took art classes in high school and college, but it wasn’t until her children were almost grown that she started tapping into her creative side again. She started sketching every day in her notebook after work and found it to be a great way to reduce stress. She still works her day job, but she continues to paint and exhibit her work as often as she can.

Duran believes it’s important to practice every single day.

“I carry a sketchbook in my bag where ever I go,” said Duran. “It is very rewarding to look back to see how far you have come.”

Meeting new people and talking about creating something from nothing is the best part of being an artist, said Duran. She feels the hardest part is that sometimes being an artist a lonely proposition. “You have to be OK with that; I try to find creative ways to collaborate with other artists on projects,” said Duran.

Her advice to people who want to be artists is three-fold: Share your work; believe in yourself; and find the people who believe in the same dreams.

Duran feels that if you start by showing friends and family what you are doing, it makes it easier to share work publicly. She encourages others to “tell yourself everyday what your goals are and that you are deserving of all the dreams you have.”

Giving back is important to Duran. Each September, she chooses a children’s program to donate a portion of her sales. This year, she donated to the Pediatric Angel Fund at Marshfield Clinic Health System.

The fund goes directly to the families who are in the midst of a lot of unknowns in their cancer journey. The money helps with whatever their immediate needs might be, such as putting gas in the car or paying some bills. The struggle is something Duran knows firsthand.

“Many years ago, my family was forever changed when one of my children got sick and later passed from brain cancer,” said Duran.

Painting has been very cathartic for Duran, and from all of that pain came so much joy.

“The response to my work has been positive, and it feels to me as if my child’s short life has expanded because of it,” said Duran. “Many families are affected forever by such a loss, and there is so much we can do. I am so grateful to be able to share my work; it is a way for me to give back.”