THE ART OF POSITIVITY

Written by Bridget Williams / Photography courtesy of Casey Page

Casey Page, founder of Cardinal House Studios, has been creating art for as long as he can remember. The Glasgow native’s passion didn’t become his profession until his son was born. “There’s no way I could tell him he could be anything he wanted and to follow his dreams if I didn’t set the example,” Page explained.

Delivering his message with the infectious enthusiasm of a child looking at a pile of presents on Christmas morning, Page is a firm believer in the power of positivity. “I still have doubts, but I always find a way to push through, and good things come out of it,” he said. When asked how an artist from a rural town goes about getting noticed, Page answered without skipping a beat: “It all comes down to believing in yourself, putting your work out there and getting feedback.”

A self-taught photographer and painter who prefers working with oils, but can excel in any medium, including spray paint, Page’s subject matter runs the gamut from portrait commissions to cardinals. The latter, he emphatically points out, is Kentucky’s state bird and not reserved exclusively for University of Louisville fans. Paramount to Page is creating art that evokes a feeling and is open to interpretation, an experience he likens to listening to jazz.

Entering the new year, Page has his sights on becoming a preeminent Kentucky artist, launching a new website, expanding his gallery representation, and continuing to be a cheerleader for creatives. “We all have an artist inside,” he said. A self-professed “lover of life and all things,” we asked Page to list 10 things that inspire him.

1. Country scenery

2. Vintage items

3. Folk art, folk stories

4. Music plays a big part in my planning process. I love to paint scenes described in songs.

5. I’m always drawn to the broken and forgotten. Rusty cars, junkyards. I look for beauty where it seems to have been forgotten

6. I love a cloudy day. Rain and snow. Those types of days always spark emotions for me.

7. History inspires me. I love to hear people’s stories about their own life.

8. I love objects. Things kept in memory. Painting those things can always keep the memories of loved ones alive, outside of a portrait.

9. Writers, poets, and storytellers inspire me. Again, it’s the spark of emotion within me that I look for in my work. Looking at other paintings for inspiration is too literal to me. Looking at art puts me in awe; the storyline pulls me in, though.

10. My own history inspires me. Maybe even the most. That keeps me in constant sight of who I am and who I want to be.