Strength Through Flowers

Cover Artist Gretchen Templet

WHILE COVER ARTIST GRETCHEN Templet’s professional background is in interior design, she is a life-long drawer and painter. Her true masterpieces lie in the vibrant world she creates with her paintings, inspired by the blossoms that have adorned her life since childhood.

Gretchen Templet’s journey into art began as a young girl under the guidance of her third-grade art teacher when she discovered the power of expressing herself through art. She remembers the affirming praise she received for a plantation drawing she created. That day, she heard her teacher say, “We always know which drawing is Gretchen’s.” This simple, yet momentous statement meant everything to Gretchen then and now. With each creation, she felt more confident in her work, and a sense of pride in her art began to emerge.

Her creativity progressed, and as a teenager, she entertained herself drawing interiors inspired by her mother’s Southern Living magazines. However it was during her first college oil painting course, that Gretchen discovered a lasting love for flowers in art. She may not have known it then, but her initial masterpiece, a painting between garden and inspired by a Callaway Gardens vacation photo, became a timeless theme in her creative journey.

With her artistic dreams always a constant, Gretchen completed her degree in interior design at LSU and worked in that field for several years. Hurricane Katrina and motherhood changed her career trajectory. Gretchen was fortunate to embrace the role of stay-at-home mom to Sidney, now 14, and Reid, now 12. Regardless, Gretchen’s artistic aspirations remained undiminished. Another shift loomed on the horizon for the Templets. When Reid was 2 ½, he received a diagnosis of autism. This diagnosis would profoundly affect the lives of the entire family, with Gretchen experiencing its impact in an unexpected way.

The challenges of understanding and meeting Reid’s unique needs altered many aspects of life, at least for a while. As a mother, Gretchen embraced the challenges to guide and nurture Reid in his journey to communicate and understand the world around him. Despite the challenges, her experience with Reid would later prove to be a catalyst for the artistic dream she had never abandoned, as it came to fruition in a profound and symbolic way.

The origins of Gretchen’s artistic inspiration delve deep into her family’s gardening heritage. No stranger to gardening, the vivid memories of her great grandparents’ expansive garden and her grandmother’s sweet peas have become the building blocks of her artistic expression. For Gretchen, growing and painting flowers is not just an artistic endeavor; it’s an extension of her flower-filled state of mind. “Growing and painting flowers became a peaceful outlet for me. It was the highlight on dark days because it was the one time that I didn’t worry or think of anything else,” muses Gretchen.

The artistic process for Gretchen is a beautiful dance between her garden and her sunlit painting space. The ritual begins with selecting seeds and plants from various sources, planting them in her garden, and arranging the blooms in an array of glass vases and jars. A quick photoshoot captures the essence of her floral subject. As her husband Rance and son Reid embark on their daily drive to the lakefront, Gretchen begins her “beat the clock” painting session, working wet paint on wet paint to create unexpected and captivating details. “Some days,” says Gretchen, “the lakefront drive gets an extension...depending on how big the canvas is!”

“Beat the clock” time is equally cherished because it gives Gretchen and daughter Sydney a moment to catch up. An 8th grader at Mt. Carmel and active vocalist in two choirs, Sydney stays busy. Gretchen appreciates these daily moments when she can check-in with her daughter, whom she calls, “the strongest little chickadee I’ve met.”

Life for Reid is beginning to find its own rhythm making every day better for him and allowing Gretchen a bit more time to paint. Additionally, Reid is learning to use a promising form of communication with his spelling board, marking an important milestone in his way of expression. Ultimately, each step in his progress gives Reid and his mom something significant that each needs in their lives.

Oil painting is Gretchen’s preferred medium; she relishes the layers that build up to create a painting. The process of color mixing and the forgiving nature of oil paint captivate her. She finds freedom in the underpainting, where she looks for intentional choices in color and shape. This unintentional trick allows the first few layers of transparent color to peek through in the final piece, adding a marvelous sparkle and depth to the canvas. In recent years, watercolors have also found a place in her heart, providing a quick and beautiful creative outlet amid a busy day with Reid.

Taking on a role of their own, Gretchen’s paintings create a peaceful impact to all who encounter them. “I love to hear that my paintings make people feel peaceful. It always makes me chuckle to myself a little bit...my house feels far from peaceful, so that comment makes me think that my brushes must be magic,” says Gretchen. Despite the bustling nature of her home, the peace and joy emanating from her artwork are magical.

Gretchen is overwhelmed with gratitude for the happiness and balance that painting flowers has brought into her life. Her love for flowers and the art of painting them has provided her with a dream job and played a significant role in navigating life’s complexities.

Gretchen Templet’s artistic journey is an example of the profound impact that desire and creativity can wield. Through her blooming canvases, she invites the viewer to pause, breathe, and find solace in the beauty of the world, as a reminder that even amid life’s challenges, art has the power to cultivate joy and peace.