Role model - Olivia Bennett - teen artist

Olivia Bennett

AGE: 17

HOMETOWN: Southlake, Texas

HIGH SCHOOL: Olivia is homeschooled in a K-12 program through Texas Tech University.

HOW YOU KNOW HER: Olivia has been a professional artist for almost a decade. She’s appeared in Teen People and on “Oprah.” Her book, A Life in Full Bloom ($35, International Art Publishers), chronicles how childhood leukemia led her to art.

BEFORE OLIVIA TOOK THE NEXT STEP: Olivia began painting at a young age and was quickly compared to great painters, such as Georgia O’Keefe and Claude Monet. Now she tells NSM about school, success, and what famous teen artists do for fun.

NSU: What is it like to be home schooled for high school?
Olivia: I’m still a high school student, I still go to football games. Right now, I really wanted to work on my career. It’s what I love to do.

NSU: When did you first begin painting?
Olivia: I’ve been coloring my full life; I’ve always loved art of some form. I started painting when I was 5 years old. I was 8 when I sold my first piece. I was ecstatic, I cried. It was $50, and I called my grandmother. When I was 10, I started doing local art shows. The first weekend, I sold 24 paintings. That’s what got me started. I thought, “Wow, you can make money for what you love to do.”

NSU: What is a typical day like for you?
Olivia: I opened my own art gallery two and half years ago. We’re getting ready to move to the Southlake Hilton. I’m trying to get all my schoolwork caught up. I’m painting at night.

NSU: When do you paint?
Olivia: It just depends. When I’m really in the mood, I just drop everything and paint. I love what I do, that’s what it comes down to. People are like, “Oh you have to work?” It’s not work; I get paid to play all day.

NSU: What do you do for fun?
Olivia: I shop, I go out to eat, movies, going out with friends, just regular stuff. I love to travel; right now, I’m trying to go anywhere I can. I’m wanting to go back to Europe. I went to London, that was amazing. I’m trying to go to Italy, Spain, Greece. I’m trying to find someone to go with; my mom’s like, “I’m not sending a 17-year-old to travel alone!”

NSU: How do you handle criticism?
Olivia: Everyone has their own taste. I have paintings I prefer over others. Everyone has their opinion. There are some works I appreciate, but I would never want to own. We’re all entitled to have our own opinions. A lot of times, I take criticism if it’s some other artist. I’ll look at it and take it into consideration. I’m still young, and there are people with a lot more experience. It’s how you learn.

NSU: What advice can you give students who want to be artists?
Olivia: Just make sure it’s something you love and are committed to. If it is, everything else will fall into place. It’s tough being an artist. The “starving artist” is commonly used, you have to get your work out there. If you’re going to pursue something make sure it’s something you enjoy.

Want to see Olivia's work? Images are available at her website, oliviabennett.com.

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