Bonham, Texas -- McKinney authors, Beth Fields and Andrea Holmes, were in Bonham at Creative Arts Center on Thursday, August 28 for a book signing to celebrate their recent collaboration that resulted in Art Makes Magic - Keys to Imagining a Creative Life From My Fairy Art Mother.
Bonham residents are already familiar with Andrea because of her eye-catching mural on the east exterior wall of Meade*Norman & Bayless Insurance Building located at 110 W. 5th Street in Bonham. She is also the artist responsible for several stunning murals throughout downtown McKinney. Beth has a variety of creative interests, from pottery to photography, but she is probably better known as "the door lady" in McKinney because she spearheaded a collaborative art installation of more than 50 unique, tiny doors in locations around downtown McKinney. When Beth realized that Andrea had become something of her "fairy art mother" by sharing hard-earned knowledge and answering questions about the steps to make art a higher priority in life, Art Makes Magic - Keys to Imagining a Creative Life From My Fairy Art Mother began to take shape. "Be helpful to people who may not be as far along the path to be an artist," Beth suggests. "And never underestimate the power of collaboration. When you collaborate, something magical happens." Although this book represents years of work, the final product was obviously very rewarding. "You dream of something...and then you get to hold it in your hand," Beth said of the milestone achievement. Andrea was a biology major who took an art class at night and quickly discovered that she would rather paint animals than dissent them. "I fell in love with painting," Andrea shared. "Art has made my life magical, but unlike aspiring to be a doctor or lawyer, there isn't a set path to be an artist."
"Working with Andrea on this book was so easy - we each had our own perspectives and it was exciting to come together and put down what we knew had worked for us," explains Beth. "We were writing the book that we wished we had as creatives starting out. The strength of the book is in our differences - we have each become artists in our own way, which proves there's no one right way to do it. There are a lot of messages in our culture about who is a 'real' artist and what it means to be talented, and most of those messages are wrong. We see the book as a permission slip to those who have held themselves back from pursuing their creativity and a tool to help clear a path for their next steps forward."
"My contribution to Art Makes Magic comes from more than a decade of experience in the art world," remarks Andrea. "The book offers key takeaways and practical tips on not just nurturing your creativity, but also on building a business and making a living as an artist. I want artists to know that this path is a viable and legitimate profession, and that with the right tools, they can thrive both creatively and financially."
If you missed the book signing in Bonham, Beth and Andrea have tentative plans for book signings in Prosper and Frisco.
Art Makes Magic - Keys to Imagining a Creative Life From My Fairy Art Mother is available through all major book outlets. It is also available through Ingram, so people can ask their local bookstores to order it!