Helen Frankenthaler

By Camdyn Williams If you have driven downtown Allen lately, I am sure you have noticed the amazing artwork painted on many of the store front or business windows. Last Wednesday I was granted the opportunity to interview the lady responsible for this beautiful art, Ms. Destiny Graham. I had never interviewed anyone other than close friends before so I was a little nervous, But within just a few short minutes of speaking with Ms. Graham, my nerves were put to rest. She was very sweet and was the perfect person for my first interview.

A little preview about Ms. Graham is that although she works primarily in the studio, she’s retained a M.S. degree in Human Resources Administration, and is working to get a D.B.A  in Project Management. I greatly admire her ambition, college is scary and that’s a lot of school time. She’s a member of the Taste of Ada Association and completed a beautiful piece for the Autism Foundation. The piece is called “Final Stretch” and you can find a picture of it at her page www. destinygrahamfineart. com. I suggest you check it out, it’s rather stunning.

When I asked her about her personal art style, I wondered if she had taken any inspiration from previous artists. She said her style was one she found on her own and that it’s a challenge all artists must face. Then, I brought up the fact that I’ve known a couple people who create wonderful art, but when it’s suggested by their friends to pursue a career path in art, they quickly shut this suggestion down. I believe it all It comes down to their lack of confidence, so I asked her what might help. She said in quote, “The best way to build up confidence is to surround yourself with people who believe in you, and to be open to criticism, no matter how hard it is to hear. Besides, if you think about it, you might only find pride in one out of every ten pieces you work on, it’s a work in progress that takes time.”

Destiny began painting at a very young age. It just came naturally to her, and although her art wasn’t outright encouraged by those around her, she continued to pursue her passion and practice anyway. She even recalls a memory where a teacher critiqued a horse drawing of hers, motivating her to perfect horses in her works, which are now common showcases in her pieces. Her passion with art helped her find an identity as an adult.

But again, she did this all on her own with little to no assistance from others. Even though she found a way to make something of her talents alone, she thinks that any unconventional early passion shown by kids should be fostered. She’s completely right by the way. Some kids really love painting or writing or singing or band, and when given the right guidance there’s no limit to their potential. I think it’s a common misconception that you couldn’t make a successful career doing any of these things, and that’s why it’s so ingrained in us that we should put these “hobbies’ ‘ aside and find a stable job. This simply isn’t true anymore. The advances in the tech world have opened up all new careers in art.

A quote of hers I just have to add was “...it doesn’t matter where you come from, art has always been a universal language we communicate…”