Tina Knooihuizen's Profile

From: Canada
Joined: July 05, 2011

About HomeAtLast:

** THANK YOU ALL, FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTS! ** Tina
Nearly all works available for sale upon request.

My Creative Call

I view my artistic side as a gift from God. It’s my calling. The Creator of the universe has gifted me with the desire to be a co-creator with him. The words of Matthew Fox come to mind; “ When I am operating at my best, my work is my prayer. It comes out of the same place that prayer comes out of- the center, the heart.”
Artists are a unique, complicated and often misunderstood breed and I am one of them. I once believed that to be a "real" artist I would have to be making a living selling my art. There is a reason us creators are coined "starving artists". Not many of us actually make money until after were long gone from this world and that's if were lucky. Nevertheless, we paint, draw, sculpt, photograph, write, sing, play, craft, refurbish, design build and bake. I now believe that an artist is simply someone who can’t help but to create. It’s built into my DNA. I see a tin full of paint brushes, or a tube of paint, and I’m instantly inspired. An old barn window excites me like a set of super swamper tires on a land cruiser excites my husband, Terry. In the same way, I don’t understand his love of motorized vehicles with a lift kit so high one needs a ladder to get into the vehicle. He looks over my $2.00 solid wood, dove tail joined, potential to be refurbished into a bathroom vanity, garage sale dresser, with confusion written all over his face. His once peaceful drive through the country to hunt down our next meal is now dotted with countless stops as he humours me at sights I deem scenic enough to photograph.
My personal creative outlets are painting with oils; when I get the chance having 4 kids wanting to partake in the process that is. Photographing scenery and portraits. I am blessed to live in a place where inspiration lives just outside my front door; and in an attempt to stay true to my creative self and not be one of those starving, I design interior spaces for a living. (Home At Last Interiors) I find great joy and fulfillment in all of these mediums. My family on the other hand more tolerates my need to stop three times on the way to school to photograph the two love birds we have affectionately named Romeo and Juliet; who have made a nest on the top of a local power pole; consequently making my kids late for class.
Despite all of this, I occasionally hear my family talking about one of my creations with pride in their voices and I think to myself, that's good enough for me. While I do not require others to like my work in order to create it, I draw strength out of the fact that one of my paintings drew a tear to my mothers eye.
I have come to the conclusion, that if God gave me a desire to create, that I must work on developing that ability, and be a good steward of that gift. In doing so I was blessed and encouraged to have my work chosen by jury to be in a show, where one of my well respected college professors also had his work on display.


THANK YOU MOM AND DAD FOR BELIEVING IN ME AND BUILDING INTO MY PASSION FROM AS EARLY ON AS I CAN REMEMBER!