Building a Creative Life That Pays, Lessons from Artist and Gallery Owner James Corwin

In this episode of Casa De Confidence, Julie DeLucca-Collins sits down with acclaimed wildlife artist and gallery owner James Corwin for a powerful conversation about creativity, confidence, and building a sustainable business as an artist.

James shares how growing up immersed in nature shaped his artistic voice, why discovering painting later in life changed everything, and how a single rhino painting sparked a breakthrough that transformed his career. Together, Julie and James explore the emotional power of storytelling through art, the importance of conservation, and how creativity can move people deeply, sometimes even to tears.

This episode also dives into the realities of entrepreneurship for creatives. James opens up about the pressures of scaling too fast, the stress of running a second gallery, and the hard lessons he learned about focus, boundaries, and staying in his lane. His honesty about burnout, anxiety, and redefining success will resonate with anyone navigating growth while protecting their well-being.

You’ll also hear how travel fuels James’ inspiration, from Africa to Costa Rica to underwater worlds discovered through scuba diving, and how he uses his art to support conservation efforts like Yellowstone Forever.

Whether you’re an artist, entrepreneur, or simply someone craving a more intentional, meaningful life, this conversation is a reminder that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of your health or joy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why storytelling and emotion are at the heart of meaningful art 
• The mindset shift creatives need to build profitable businesses 
• Lessons learned from closing a high-stress gallery location
• How art can support conservation and environmental awareness

 Learn more about James’ work, original paintings, prints, and commissions:
 https://www.jamescorwin.com

https://corwingalleries.com

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Transcript

0:02

Welcome back to another episode of Casa de Confidence. Everyone, I'm so glad that you are joining us today because in this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with an immensely talented person, James Corwin, a wildlife artist whose work is taking the art world by storm. James is a stunning painter of oil paintings. And I have to say, you know, I was looking through his stuff and it was pretty, pretty cool. And James, overall, he merges fine detail with an abstract landscape to create emotive and evocative pieces of the transport, transport you into the wildlife, which he paints about. He is a conversation, I am struggling today, people. He is a conservationist. And through his art, he is hoping that we can continue to support those wonderful, wonderful areas of the country and the world where we see some beautiful wildlife. So welcome to the show, James. Thank you so much. It's so wonderful to be here. Yeah, it's so great that you are here. And, you know, I stumbled through, I didn't stumble through your name, so I had to stumble through another word.(Both Laughing) That's me all the time. It's the name that throws me.(Both Laughing) No worries, you'd be great. Yeah, well, thank you. I wanna get into the heart of your journey and your inspirations and how, you know, again, this is shaping the future of wildlife, but most importantly, let's talk a little bit about you and your journey as an artist. I can barely make stick figures. So anytime that someone has talent and definitely draws you in is someone that I admire. And you have transitioned from various creative endeavors to wildlife painting. Can you tell us a little bit more about the shift and what is it about the painting that made you stick with it? Yeah, I grew up in this little log cabin in the mountains. It was about 30 minutes from town and down this dirt road. And there was electricity, of course, but we didn't have internet or TV. And we were on five acres, but it butted up against a bunch of extra land. So my playground was the outdoors. And that's where I spent so much of my time growing up and keeping myself interested and active by creating maybe like little fairy houses and stumps. Oh, that's so cool. Or taking like pictures of the birds or I would capture little chipmunks that were in our wood pile and I'd make my pet for a day. So I was always interacting with the wildlife and finding ways to be creative. But I didn't know I could paint until I was in high school. A lot of people think, "Oh, you probably have been doing art since you were a little kid." And actually, no, I was more music inclined. I was playing the piano, writing music, and wanted to be a composer. And also wanted to be an actor and all these other things. I was a creative person. I was a creative person, but I wasn't drawing. And I took this class of high school art class and began drawing and just really enjoyed it and found that I had a talent for it and received this art scholarship at the encouragement of my teacher to apply to, which took me to study in college. And during those four years in college, I was painting on location, doing plein air painting, connecting with other artists, taking some workshops, a lot of self-teaching. And my focus was on landscape painting. And during the summers, I would create hundreds of these little tiny paintings on little canvases and on little easels. And every single one was different, but they're like really detailed paintings. And I would set up this table at the farmer's markets on Saturday. And I would sell all these little paintings for 20 bucks a pop. And that was my summer job for a few years. So that taught me how to sell art and start creating a living off of my art. But also I believe that's what really started to hone in the detail of my work. So a lot of people are drawn to the detail, but I think that's from literally years and hours and hours of painting so many tiny paintings over and over again. And so I was still painting landscape paintings and landscapes after I graduated college, but they weren't very good. I was, I didn't think they're very good.(Laughs) Every landscape was different than the one before it. And it wasn't until I took a trip to South Africa and went on safari that it really rekindled my love of wildlife, because the wildlife over there is so different than what we have here in Montana. It's larger than life and just so inspiring, so extraordinary. So I took that inspiration home with me. And the first painting I did was a rhino painting. And back then, again, I felt like I didn't have any style or voice as an artist. And I was really focused on trying to create paintings that would sell. But at this point I was like, well, nobody's gonna buy a rhino painting. I'm just gonna paint it anyway. But it ended up being the best painting I felt I had ever painted. And it sold in less than 24 hours for more than I had sold a painting for. Really? Yeah. Now where did you put it up for sale? On Facebook. That's where I was selling all my stuff. Oh, I missed out then. I know Facebook has been, and still is today, such a great resource for being able to connect with buyers. But anyway, so that's what really triggered the shift into painting wildlife. And I still struggle to paint a good landscape. Wow. Well, again, stick figures are probably the best I get in maybe that sunshine and the mountains, because they're just wiggling on my page. But I did notice, and by the way, I think that in another life, I think I would have liked to have worked in a museum or in an art gallery. I love art and I could get lost every time I go to, well, we have a beautiful Athenaeum here in Connecticut and it's so gorgeous. And I don't go enough. But certainly one of the things that I notice is definitely that you have that precision in your art and it feels very spontaneous. You developed it over time, or did you discover that it was something that came naturally to you? Well, I believe that it stems from that creative atmosphere that I put myself in as a young kid of wanting to do music, wanting to act, wanting to make movies, be a director. And what it all boils down to is the need to tell a story that conveys in an emotion. So when I'm crafting my artwork, it's like a movie, but I have a snapshot of that story that I need to bring all these feelings into that moment. Because my job as an artist is to create something that makes you feel something. Yeah, absolutely. Otherwise, I don't wanna just create a painting that is static, and just to produce a product, to produce something. And that definitely limits the amount of work I can put out in a year. But each piece is thoughtful, and it takes me a while to come up with that idea. But I'll ponder on, if I'm painting a moose, for example, what is this moose doing? What's something that people, that people have not seen before in a painting? How is it interacting with the environment? And then what elements in that environment can I help propel this feeling, whatever that feeling is? Is it going to be misty and moody? Is it going to be spring and more happy? And are there like little butterflies that the moose is interacting with? They kind of create this more happy feeling, or are we looking for something more subdued? So it is very much storytelling, which is what I love about what I do. Yeah, storytelling is so crucial in any type of art. And I think that whether you're a musician, or a painter, or, you know, and again, art is so subjective, but it's all around us. And I joke, right, I'm not an artist, but I do believe that in whatever medium we're using, like this podcast, this is my way of putting some art in there. I was looking at the unduly curious print, and so cool, I mean, there's no other way, and especially if someone is listening. But I just kind of thought, I imagined sitting maybe in a campground, and it's misty, and then all of a sudden if you've been camping, you know that, there are little misty, magical moments where all of a sudden you see wildlife come close, and you can't help but to admire, right, the majesty of wildlife and the things around you. And we don't take enough time to appreciate it, but this is a great way for individuals that are bringing the outdoors in, you're reminding them of what is possible, what could be out there. What's been your favorite painting, or I mean, that's like choosing from your children, right? Is that true? Or is there one in particular that maybe really pulled your heart as you were creating it? Without sounding like a broken record on the rhino, that certainly was one because that rhino was poached a couple of weeks after I left. I know. So in a way that immortalized, the painting immortalized that rhino and its memory, and the title of the painting's in memory. Or sorry, there was a second one I did of that same rhino called In Memory After the Incident, the first one is Roger, Roger the Rhino. Ooh, that's a great name.(Both Laughing) But yeah, in memory, that's definitely evoking emotion. And I would imagine that that's what you're looking for when you're creating art and you're bringing that onto the world. Now, again, I believe individuals that are looking at your art are having an emotional response. What are some of the things that you hope the viewer takes away from your work? Because when you see someone standing in front of your piece, obviously, I would believe, at least for me, there's a level of nervousness. I hope they like it, but I also hope, when I put out this podcast, I also feel like I hope they like it, but I like it. And this is what I want people to walk away with it. I wonder if that's the same for you. Yes, I have moved many people to tears with my artwork. And for me personally, that is the greatest compliment. And that I know I'm being choosy on the emotional response because somebody who feels happiness is such an important emotion and just as valid as somebody who's moved to tears. But I can only relate because if I'm watching a movie or listening to music that personally moves me to tears, I feel like that was the greatest shift in my emotions and the greatest emotional response that could be pulled from me. And so when I see somebody else who stands in front of my painting and just breaks down in tears, to me I feel like I've done the greatest emotional shift to that person. Very cool. Now you mentioned that you were in South Africa and you've traveled extensively. How do your journeys really influence? Because I know that for me, traveling and experiencing other cultures and places definitely influences my frame of mind and who I am as a person. But have there been specific experiences or places that have left a lasting impression that then in turn influenced your art? Yes, yeah, absolutely. I've been back to Africa five times now and a lot of the places I choose can be centered around a specific animal that I wanna see. For example, it took me five times to go to Africa to see a leopard. Oh, okay. I still really wanna capture some images of full maned lions. I still have not painted a male lion because I like to paint things that I've actually seen. And there are places that I go to that are also to ground and center me and allow me space to think about my business and hopefully come to a more creative space again to recharge and places like Costa Rica have been really great for that, for me. Yeah, absolutely. Recently, I went to the Philippines and got SCUBA certified so that I could start exploring the world underwater. And that's been such an incredible experience because that truly opens up an entire new world of animals and things I never even knew existed. A different universe. A different universe. Oh my gosh, yes. I don't SCUBA die, but I've been snorkeling in Maine. Oh, I love it too. Bahamas and Key West. And every time I go, I think I should get SCUBA certified. My sister- That was me too. Yeah, my sister is, and then her husband, and then my other sister's husband is. But I just think that there's so much beauty underneath. And last time I went, it was interesting because there were these beautiful, and I call them beautiful jellyfish, but they were purplish. And then the sunlight, just the way that they were hitting them and kind of made them rainbow. Of course, I did get stung a couple different times, which was kind of annoying, but it was just so beautiful and worth it. So I love that. Absolutely. Now my sister's who's married to the SCUBA diver, she doesn't SCUBA die, but she is an artist and she's a painter. And I will tell you that I love her work, and not just because she's my sister. She started painting, I would say maybe seven years ago, and she's incredibly talented, but she is not willing to let other people see her work. Although her art teachers have made her exhibit a couple of times, so much so that she's gotten offers for a lot of money for her paintings, and she's his sister now. That's awesome. And I think for you, you are combining your art with conservation efforts. And I think that bringing, for instance, the wildlife or the ocean life, it's a really great way to remind individuals, right? The beauty that it's around us and how we need to conserve, protect it. And I'd love to hear how you incorporate your awareness of the importance of conservation in getting that message across to people. Yeah, it's so important. Like you said earlier, artwork allows us to bring the wildlife in and remind us of the beauty that surrounds us and the importance of protecting that in our species. And I think it, with all the digital noise that we're surrounded with every day, it can be easy to forget about the beauty that surrounds us. And as an artist, I feel very fortunate to be able to not only paint it, but also use my art as a means of fundraising for organizations. For example, I am donating this large painting to this fundraiser organization. It's called "The Yellowstone Forever" and it's Yellowstone National Parks organization for protecting the space they have there. And so to be able to be asked to donate artwork and to be able to do so, I think is a gift because these people gather, they bid on the art or they buy it. And normally it usually raises a lot of money for these organizations. And that's a way that I'm able to give. So I get a lot of requests throughout the year and it's just a great opportunity. Yeah, that's awesome. Now, would you consider yourself an activist when it comes to protecting wildlife and making sure that we have this beautiful nature that it's everlasting for our humans around us? Yeah, absolutely. And I think being able to, when I travel, I love to travel to those eco-friendly places and eco resorts and lodges because I wanna be immersed in the environment as much as possible. My travel plans are very adventure oriented.(Both Laughing) Yeah, I get it. Oh, I could travel with you. You know, one of the most interesting places I went to was in Costa Rica as a matter of fact. I stayed at the National Geographic. It's not a resort, it's a hotel, but it's at the foot of the Arenal volcano and the scientists actually stay, are in residence. So that's where they're doing a lot of their studies and as you're walking around, kind of talk to them. And that was very fun. I had a lot of fun in that trip. That sounds amazing. I didn't stay there long enough. We only stay there a couple nights because my ex-husband and I, when we traveled a lot, we liked to see a lot in the very little. So we went fast, which always tells me I need to go back for more time to these places. Me too. Yeah, there's not enough time in the days or the years to go. I know, I know. Where's your next trip? I don't have anything planned at the moment. And as I'm listening, I'm thinking,"Gosh, I used to travel so much more and I need to again, I get so busy, painting and working in the day-to-day of the business. But I have to again remind myself that the traveling is very much a big part of what I do. And my source of inspiration. Absolutely. Now you have referred to what you do, not only as an artist, but you refer to it as a business. And I know that many listeners perhaps, when they were growing up, they had a dream of being artists and were probably told like I was at one point, "You need to go into something that's stable, that makes money." But I know many artists that are sustainably and have a wonderful life. And how have you created, I guess a sustainable business too? And created something that allows you to use your gifts, but also your charge for the beauty that you create. Absolutely, yeah. I think it's a mindset. I think artists who want to create a career doing their art full-time, need to approach it as a business like any other business and apply the principles and the right tools and the strategies to grow their business. And we as artists can be emotional because we are creating a product of ourselves and putting ourselves out there. And I know like your sister, for example, who doesn't want to show their art to anyone. I can understand that aspect of art, but if you want to monetize it, it's just like really any other business, you're creating a product and then you need to create the marketing and the story and the brand behind it and then get enough eyes on it and the right people to see it to buy it. And it can be incredibly fulfilling and any artist can truly have a very successful career if that's something they choose to do. It just takes that. I think we also can underestimate the amount of effort and time it will take just like anything, but it's certainly possible. And I really encourage a lot of artists, especially even the ones that I represent in my gallery to really learn and practice the business of it. So good. Yeah, yeah. Do you teach them that? Do you teach them some of the components of making art their business? Cause that's a wonderful opportunity also to expand your business. Yes, yeah, I do. And a few years ago, I created a whole art business course online. I want to get back into it and update it because I've personally learned a lot through the last few years. And yeah, it is truly, that can be valuable. And I just moreover love being able to help people obviously and again encourage them. Yeah. Now you worked with many collectors and formed friendships throughout the art world. What is a personal connection that meant a lot in your career and how does it influence your approach to creating and sharing your pieces with others? That's a great question. I feel like these people come in and out of my life at different times. There's different people for different moments. And I also seek mentors or people at different times of my life for questions that I have. And, but I think what's so wonderful about being an artist is those relationships that you develop because the art being that emotional extension of myself, that product, I'm sharing that with somebody who has fallen in love with that art piece, that experience. And to be able to create a relationship with them around the artwork is a beautiful thing. And I really try to develop strong relationships with my collectors, but also people who are interested in my artwork, my fans and followers, if you wanna call them that. And I do my best to call them, at least several people a day as I'm painting to just have a conversation. Oh, I love that. Let them know I'm still here and creating and a real person and not just a face on a screen. Absolutely, I think that, and again, in a business relationship, we look to nurture relationships and we're bringing value to somebody else. So it's important for them to also remember and be connected and feel that connection because as humans, that's where we crave. So yeah, so good. Oh, you're gonna have to call me when you're painting. Yes, I would love to. That's so fun, that's so fun. Now your career flourished from a young age. And again, it's been something that when you're looking back, what has been the biggest challenge you've faced in building a successful career? And how did you overcome it? There's two things. There is the ability to focus. There are so many distractions as an entrepreneur that are thrown at you that seem like great ideas. And I've done a lot of them and I've taken those distractions and learned a lot through them, which has been great too. Some of them are very expensive, painful learning lessons. And so being able to focus and stay in my lane, even in the style of art I do and not trying to be distracted. Oh, I love what that artist is doing, but I love what they're doing too. And I wanna do that. And it's just like, oh, wait, hold on. You don't have to quiet the noise. And then also, I think personally too, every day I need to remind myself of where I'm at, how I got there, like what I've been through to find the happiness and the joy in my day. Because with those distractions, I don't know, I imagine other business owners or creative people can feel this way, but I get FOMO a lot. Yeah, listen, you're speaking to someone who is attention deficitable, shiny. Yeah, and I get envious of what other people are doing and I don't think I'm doing enough and I can really just go on this down-rolled spiral and I have to turn off social media a lot to not be affected by that. But if somebody isn't buying my art one day and sales have gone down and then they're up again, it's just this roller coaster and I just like, wait, hold up, look at where you are. Look at where you are, yeah. I often talk about, I did a triathlon and when I was swimming, I'm not a very strong swimmer. And it was in a pool, it wasn't even the ocean, but I got nervous watching as the more elite swimmers went first and I remember freaking out like, oh, I don't know, I can do this, I don't know, maybe I did the wrong thing. And my friend said, honey, those are the Olympic swimmers. We're not there.(Laughing) And it made me feel so much better. So then when I jumped in the water, I was going about my business and doing well until I looked over to see where somebody else was and it slowed me down. And this is the thing that we gotta remember that that's how life is, stay in your lane, don't worry about the Olympic swimmers or go back to the people coming in behind you. I know. Yeah, so that's the challenge, I think. It is, it is. And it's a challenge to, I don't know, stay happy. And optimistic, which I love nurturing a state of happiness and however that looks. I'm still figuring it out. Yeah. Did I read correctly that you have a studio in Long Island? Yes, yeah, I'm headed out there in August. Oh, so fun. It's really cute. And Long Island has the connotation of being very elaborate with the Hamptons and all that. And so it is on water. But it's been in the family literally since the 1500s. And it was a part of this larger estate, but this little cottage was built, gosh, it wasn't in the 1500s, it was later on, I can't remember when, but it was built on the most beautiful part of the property as an artist's studio for one of the daughters. And there's this little iron sign off the side of the house that says the studio. And over time, all the parts of the properties have been sold off and everything, but this perfect little cottage has been in the family for these generations. And so that's where I go. Oh, amazing, amazing. Well, you're gonna have to keep us posted. I'm not far from home. Totally. Well, really, so cool. I'm in Connecticut, I used to live in Newark, so. Yeah, sometimes they take the ferry over. Oh, you do, yeah, yep. The ferry is a good way to go. Yeah, summertime is probably one of my favorite times because I love to explore. And a lot of times, maybe I am going to the Cape or Martha's Vineyard, but I love to go to the calories and to the, because there are people who are incredibly talented that I may never come across, but yeah, I love that. That's one of my favorite things to do. Absolutely. So many things to ask. And looking back, has there been something that the biggest challenge that you face that has given you the best lesson as an artist, as an individual, business owner? When I opened my second gallery location in Aspen, I spent a long time crunching numbers and doing all my research and risk analysis to make the decision on whether or not to open this space in Aspen and run it from afar living in Montana. And everything aligned and my gut said, yes, to doing this, all the numbers worked, so I did it. And what I did not estimate or predict was the amount of stress that it would cause in managing the employees and the sales cycle and just the finances of the whole project. And I lost so many nights of sleep. I developed rashes that covered my entire body and I had to go to the doctor too. And I was start, I had to get on anxiety medications and things, all these things I've never experienced before and after running it for a year, I realized the money's not worth the pain and stress. So I closed it, but what I am so grateful for in the experience is understanding more of my character and what I am able to handle. And also having gone through that, my pain threshold went up a lot. So now when I encounter difficulties in the business, they're not as hard as anything that I experienced before. And so it really taught me a lot of what I find a need to do to be fulfilled. And that was one thing that I thought I wanted and I'm so glad I did it because I realized that I don't really actually need that.(Laughs) I hear you, I think that sometimes we make a decision, we think it's a good idea. We had a client and we, yeah, we knew from the beginning that we could help, they were great, but yeah, it was just so much with not the right fit. And I spent a lot of time being so overwhelmed, like, "Oh, how could I please this person?" And I'm not a people pleaser, but I was trying to make them happy. And then I thought it's not worth it to have a client that creates this much anxiety because I love what I do. Exactly. And I actually just said this to somebody yesterday, it's a TikTok influencer that I met in real life yesterday in my event. How cool. And we started taught, I mean, I was so excited to meet him that, I don't know if you're in TikTok, his name is Bradley on a budget. How cool, I'll look him up. Yeah, he's a minimalist and he lives very minimal in talking about always living in a budget. But anyhow, so, but he was saying how, I guess one of the videos that went viral, he really struggled because he got some really negative comments and he has over a million followers. And I said, Bradley, we're never going to please everyone. We're never gonna be everybody's cup of tea. And I think that's what we have to work at is knowing that it's okay if we're not somebody's cup of tea. But it's hard, right? It's hard to have that, oh, maybe they can like me. I know, I know. And the same thing with creating paintings. I'll create a painting that I think is amazing. And I'll put out there and like, nobody like. Nobody's commenting on it. It's not selling, like what the heck? And then I'll create something that I'm like, oh, this painting is not that great, but I'm so over it. And I just put out and people are like, oh my God, it's amazing, I wanna buy it. I'm like, wait, what? Yeah, art is in the eye of the beholder forever. It's so crazy. Absolutely, now tell me who has been the most or the strongest art influence on you? And is there a period of art that you love the most? I'm curious. I do love the French impressionist. Me too. And that whole time period is so good. And also love Caravaggio. They're seeing his paintings in Italy and with his use of light. I was just gonna say the use of light. Oh yeah, love that.(Laughing) Me too. We have actually an exhibit, they call it, it's an immersive exhibit of van Gogh and Monet going on here. And they, I guess, project the paintings as if you're walking inside the painting. So I'm going this weekend, I can't wait. I'm so excited. Because I love the impressionist, that's my fave. Me too, yeah, yeah. If only I could paint like that.(Laughing) I know, right, me too, me too. Like I said, stick figures all the way.(Laughing) James, how fun. We've had so much fun getting to know you to learn more about your art. And I'm a fan and certainly you have a home here at Casa de Confidence, anytime that you wanna come back. You have an open invitation. If someone is curious, if someone wants to check out your art, can they commission something? How do they get your art in or where they see it? Give me some more of the details. Yeah, thanks for asking. I have the original paintings and do commissions often for people if they want something specific. But I also like to keep my art affordable and available to anyone. So I do limited edition prints of a lot of my pieces and or note cards. Some people buy the cards and frame them. Me too. And my website is jamescorowin.com, C-O-R-W-I-N. And social media is jamescorowin. Just type James Corowin into Google and it'll go on. That's right, and you come up right away. I went to find you on Facebook and I did. So I'm gonna call you on Facebook. Wonderful, thank you. So exciting. Well, we're gonna have all the information in the show notes and I wanna encourage you, my friends, if you're listening, art is such a wonderful way to really immerse yourself in the beauty of what can be and is out there. And in a world that there's so much going on. Yeah, we need to find the beauty in the world and artists like James are reminding us that wildlife must be appreciated and conserve and go enjoy his paintings. I really love the work that he's doing. So thank you, James. And by the way, congratulations on the wedding in July. Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate that. All right, everybody, don't forget, go confidently in the direction of your dreams.