Today we’d like to introduce you to Rochelle Dickerson
Hi Rochelle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was always a very creative child. I started dancing on a competition team when I was 5 years old until I was 18, and that was my primary creative outlet growing up. I loved to draw and would sit in the corner drawing for hours every day, but I stopped for many years until my senior year of high school. The stress of figuring out what to do with the rest of my life started weighing on me heavily, so I started painting. I would search “easy painting ideas” online and just paint whatever I could, usually just simple landscapes or sunsets, and it gave me a sense of peace and joy that I had lost for a long time.
When I started college in 2017, I began suffering from severe depression and anxiety, to the point where I couldn’t leave my room for days at a time. I went home from school every weekend for the entire first two years of college because it felt impossible to survive being there. However, going home was my opportunity to paint and it played a huge part in bringing me out of the dark place that I was in and slowly started to make me feel whole again.
As I began painting more and more, my sister encouraged me to start sharing my work online. I didn’t take her seriously at first because I wasn’t confident in my art at all, so it took a few months before I actually posted a painting for the first time. Soon after, an organization reached out to me to participate in their art show in Baltimore and that was only the beginning. I’ve been fortunate enough to showcase my artwork at many art shows and gallery exhibitions in Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, New York, London, and Athens. I recently was commissioned to paint a portrait of Judge Mathis, partnered with Comcast on a painting, and I currently have 8 paintings displayed at Palette 22 in Washington, DC.
I’m still learning and growing as an artist and trying to further develop my career, but I know in my heart that it’s what I was put on this earth to do. The kid drawing in the corner always wanted to be an artist but never believed it was possible, and it’s so crazy that I’m living it right now.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey definitely has its ups and downs, but I have a pretty strong support system with my family, which makes the tough parts easier to push through. An art career is at times a seemingly never-ending series of “no’s” coming from every direction and can be a bit discouraging. I try to remember that when one door closes, another one opens, and I’m still blessed to be in the position I’m in today.
People say no or give their negative opinions all the time, and that will never stop. However, I know who I am and what I’m capable of, so that keeps me going. When I started pursuing art, I promised myself that no matter how hard it gets, I would never give up, and that’s a promise I intend to keep.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an oil portrait painter, and I love to paint realistic portraits with nature and floral elements or backgrounds. The floral backgrounds create an almost surreal element in contrast with the realism of the portraits. A major theme in my art is the connection between the beauty in both women and nature/floral forms. I primarily paint women because honestly, we deserve it. Originally when I was developing my artistic style, I wasn’t sure what the art I was creating was supposed to mean, I just knew I loved to paint flowery portraits and knew that they had to exist for some reason. It was about a year later that I started to see my work as sort of a break from the traditional representation of women in art and media, and just everyday life, and it had a huge impact on me at that moment because of my own experiences. My work is recognizable by its bright color palette and the vibrancy evokes positive emotions. Even when an art piece explores more serious topics like heartbreak or loss, the intention is still to portray hope, peace, freedom, or relief.
I’m most proud of how much I’ve improved since I first started painting, and even over the last 4 years since I began painting portraits. I’ve learned so much not just about painting but about myself and what I truly want out of life, which makes me so happy because there was a time when I didn’t think I’d ever be sure about who I am or who I’d become.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk-taking is sometimes a necessary step to take to move forward. The biggest risk I’ve taken was leaving my job in 2021 to pursue art full-time. I didn’t have any experience as an artist yet, I just knew I was unhappy where I was and that all I wanted to do was paint. I wouldn’t say I’m generally a big risk taker because not knowing exactly what will happen next makes me a bit nervous, but I respect it as a necessary part of growth and continue to push myself to step out of my comfort zone more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://larocheart.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laarocheart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laarocheart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtmgQBQu1qagqoP7Cqq7NoA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_rochelllle
