Meet Edie Dafoe | Artist and Art Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Edie Dafoe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Edie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In 2018 my husband and I were in our seventh year of operating two lodging properties. I was hit by a DUI driver doing 90-100 mph and received bodily injuries and a severe concussion. I was unable to do my share of the work and trying left me bedridden with back pain and suffering from headaches. Most of the burden was falling on my husband. The stress and demands were prolonging my recovery. I had also started loosing my hearing about 4 years earlier. Despite being a loss for what kind of work I could do, we left the lodging the next spring. We consolidated households with my mother to afford the changes, as she was no longer able to live alone.

In the spring of 2020, knowing it was only temporary, I tried working again, this time with the US Census. I was really enjoying getting to see so much of the beauty of the Colorado mountains and the walking was helping to rebuild my strength. Then COVID 19 hit and we were shut down. The Census gave us busy work to keep us on, in the form of online classes. It was then I discovered the availability of online art classes.

I’d been unable to find art that I both loved and could afford to decorate our new home, I’d taken a single semester of painting in college 30 years earlier and loved it, but life got in the way and I hadn’t pursued it further. It was a rough start, but I devoured every painting course and tutorial that interested me. I posted my progress on social media and eventually caught the attention of a local store owner who started carrying my work.

I was really loving painting. It was something I could do that didn’t cause flair ups with my back. It was therapeutic and helping my brain to heal. It brought me joy. I had done enough jobs that sucked the life out of me. If I had to change careers at 55 years old, I wanted to do something that I’m passionate about, that I look forward to doing, that brings me joy. I wanted to pursue a career in art.

I also remembered reading a book years ago, that included choosing careers that could produce residual income. I knew that my best work could be reproduced as giclees, notecards and other products, to provide me with income into the future.

A lot of bad things happened to me when I was hit. Beyond the pain and mental struggles from my injuries, I’d missed out on a lot of social events and fun activities. I’d really lost my self confidence and gotten very depressed. However, it had also forced me to slow down, to reevaluate my priorities, to be more careful about allowing stress into my life and to “find a new happy“. Given all of the good things that resulted from the bad thing that happened, I
decided to call my business Upside Images.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create art that’s colorful and happy and sometimes whimsical and celebrates the incredible beauty of Grand County’s wildlife, landscapes and flowers. I want it to make people smile and maybe even laugh sometimes. I am incredibly honored and humbled that people will buy my art to hang in their home or to gift to someone special.

When I do art markets, I frequently have merchants approach me about selling in their stores. I also research potential outlets when I’m at out of town markets or traveling and will pound the pavement to make contacts and secure new opportunities.

I’ve slowly been able to buy reproductions in increasing quantities for greater discounts. Joining various art groups has helped me get into additional galleries and shows and get referrals.

I believe in life long learning. I will never stop trying to improve and learn new techniques. There are tons of free tutorials and inexpensive classes and they’re a great way to start out. I’m currently in the Mastery Program with Milan Art Institute which is helping me broaden my knowledge of more mediums and techniques. If you really want to improve, you have to actively seek the tough critiques, have a thick skin and then choose the elements of the criticism that matter to you.

Diversification creates a level of security and keeps things challenging and interesting. In addition to selling paintings and reproductions, I do commissioned paintings, signs and murals and participate in public art mural competitions and juried shows. I also teach classes in painting and multiple arts and crafts at Rocky Mountain Folk School and Hatch Creative Space. As I’ve gotten older, it’s become really important to me to share my knowledge.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Cocktails at Grand Lake Lodge for incredible overview of the 3-Lakes area

Rocky Mountain National Park of course! Perhaps a ranger-led hike.

A class in traditional crafts at Rocky Mountain Folk School

Shopping at The Bowerbird’s Den and in downtown Grand Lake

Dinner (at least once) at Wolfies

In summer: Boating on Lake Granby and up the Colorado River to Grand Bay for time on the SUPs. Boating from Shadow Mountain Reservoir through the channel, under the Rainbow Bridge and into Grand Lake. Stopping off at Miyauchi’s for ice cream.

In fall: Hiking to Adam’s Falls and beyond for a picnic in a meadow. Hiking around Monarch Lake.

In winter: Snowmobiling on the trails.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Autumn Bishop, the shop owner who recognized my potential as a professional artist provides many opportunities for artists in my community. Through her stores, High Country Autumn’s Nest in Fraser, CO and The Bowerbird’s Den (with the new Hatch Creative Space) in Granby, CO, she facilitates creation, sale and sharing knowledge of art.

Instagram: Upside_Images_Edie_Dafoe

Facebook: Upside Images