AN INTERVIEW WITH EDWARD SYLVAN > Don’t waste so much time being worried about final outcomes. I > used to avoid taking chances because I would fret over negative > things that 

could possibly happen — mainly rejection. It took me > quite some time to realize that rejection isn’t all that awful. It > is just one person’s opinion and there is always the 

possibility > that the next person you contact will have the exact opposite > perspective. I’ve been turned down triple the amount of times that > I have not been. In the end, 

though, the successes are what I > remember. As_ a part of our series about “__5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist__” I had the pleasure of interviewing Juliet

canvas. Her studio is located in Baltimore, and she was trained at the famed, Maryland Institute College of Art. Juliet’s free-form style reinterprets reality on her own loose terms, showing

the world she sees as sunny, funny and optimistic. She is Influenced by an eclectic mix of styles and artists — everything from surrealism to realism, Bottecelli to Botero. Mostly, however,

she is inspired by the works of her own mother, Miriam Bransky Gilden, a respected professional artist of more than 60 years before she passed away in October 2013. Juliet’s subjects

include women at their most vulnerable and powerful, animals — both domestic and wild, astrology, and social justice._ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS WITH US! CAN YOU TELL US THE STORY OF

HOW YOU GREW UP? I grew up in an extremely artistic environment. My mother was an artist and she and my father owned an art gallery together for 47 years. My 3 siblings and I were lucky

enough to be surrounded by artwork and artists and exposed to museums from a very young age. CAN YOU SHARE A STORY WITH US ABOUT WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS SPECIFIC CAREER PATH? I loved

drawing and painting ever since I can remember. I went to art college thinking I’d begin selling my work right after graduation. Instead, I entered the field of advertising because I was

afraid my artwork would not pay the bills. A couple of years ago, several big and unexpected changes happened in my life. It was because of these life upheavals that I decided to stop

working in the corporate world and to start making my life all about my artwork. CAN YOU TELL US THE MOST INTERESTING STORY THAT HAPPENED TO YOU SINCE YOU BEGAN YOUR CAREER? When I first

graduated college, prior to getting into the corporate world, I sold paintings at art shows and festivals for a brief amount of time. I met a man at one of these shows that really took to my

paintings. He was the first person to ever purchase an original from me. He started showing up at different places where I was exhibiting and each time he’d purchase a new piece. One day,

after getting his 4th or 5th painting, I decided to ask him where he was displaying them and why he was drawn to the work. He looked at me with a very sad expression and proceeded to tell me

that his wife, an avid art lover, left him and he was buying the paintings for her in the hopes of winning her back. He planned on presenting them to her once he acquired a nice-sized

collection. Seeing the mix of pain and hope in his face as he described this to me was so touching and memorable. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING OR EXCITING PROJECTS YOU ARE WORKING

ON NOW? I just completed a very large piece for an industry magazine that commissioned me to paint 17 women who are excelling in the field of Cyber Security. The piece will hang in the lobby

of the publication that ordered the painting. During my research on these professionals, I found out all of the unique talents and perspective that each brings to the table. I am also

working on completing a collection of portraits of women in the entertainment industry for an organization that is fighting racism and antisemitism. This has been a fascinating project that

has allowed me to learn about a variety of women, what has made them successful and what each is passionate about and how that energy is revealed in the work that they do. WHO ARE SOME OF

THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE YOU HAVE INTERACTED WITH? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? DO YOU HAVE ANY STORIES? After painting portraits of both Hattie McDaniel and Hedy Lamarr, I had the opportunity to

interview family members for each of these women. This was a tremendous experience that I never dreamed would come to fruition. I gained a tremendous amount of insight on both McDaniel and

Lamarr. Growing up, I was a gigantic Hattie McDaniel fan and my mother was an equally big fan of Hedy Lamarr so to be able to discuss them both with people that are so closely connected to

these women was a dream come true. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM? CAN YOU SHARE A STORY ABOUT THAT? I draw my inspiration from people and events that make an impact on me and on society

for one reason or another. At the heart of everything I paint is strong emotions. My pieces are about feelings — good or bad — but always intense. I think strong feelings are what matters

most to people and they are what are most memorable to human beings. HOW HAVE YOU USED YOUR SUCCESS TO BRING GOODNESS TO THE WORLD? I do volunteer painting classes at older living

communities whenever I am able. These communities do not always have appropriate entertainment budgets but, I believe enjoying the arts is one of the greatest pleasures in life and central

to experiencing joy. I have also donated proceeds on different occasions to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center where my mother was treated for breast cancer. WHAT ARE YOUR “5 THINGS I

WISH SOMEONE TOLD ME WHEN I FIRST STARTED” AND WHY. PLEASE SHARE A STORY OR EXAMPLE FOR EACH. * I wish someone had told me not to worry about negative comments about my artwork. I now know

that you can’t please everyone with what you create and it does not matter. It is most important to please yourself by following through as carefully as possible on your own vision. You will

connect and communicate with some people through your creation. You don’t have to speak to everyone nor is it possible. I share all of my work on social media and I have definitely

experienced my share of both negative and positive comments. At first, the positive comments sent me into a giant high of positivity and the negative comments brought me to an equally low

place. Once it became apparent to me that what mattered most was the ability to make people stop and think, ponder, feel and maybe even consider their own perspectives, I was able to let go

of the emotional highs and lows. I now realize that what is important isn’t what people say but rather the fact that people are talking. * Don’t waste so much time being worried about final

outcomes. I used to avoid taking chances because I would fret over negative things that could possibly happen — mainly rejection. It took me quite some time to realize that rejection isn’t

all that awful. It is just one person’s opinion and there is always the possibility that the next person you contact will have the exact opposite perspective. I’ve been turned down triple

the amount of times that I have not been. In the end though, the successes are what I remember. * Paint what ignites passion in you. I create images that center around strong feelings. Even

when I approach a commissioned piece, I zero in on the aspect that is most meaningful such as strong love between two people, love for a pet, confronting hate, feeling and experiencing

heartbreak, etc. * Don’t remain neutral. As an artist, I obsess over events all around the world and I almost always have strong feelings and opinions about what goes on in current events. I

can not stop myself from wanting to paint real life occurrences — especially when the event produces strong emotions in me. It can be scary to let people in on your inner thoughts and

opinions but if you hold back then your work will reflect that you’re holding back. You will end up with watered down and wishy-washy mages. I have learned that it is better to be brave and

say what you need to say. * Be disciplined even if you’re an unstructured person. I figured out that I have to wake up each and every day with an agenda even though I don’t have a boss

mapping out my activities and goals. I have to do this for myself and ensure that I stay on top of them or else the hours will fly by and before I know it, I will realize that the day is

gone and nothing has been accomplished. YOU ARE A PERSON OF GREAT INFLUENCE. IF YOU COULD INSPIRE A MOVEMENT THAT WOULD BRING THE MOST AMOUNT OF GOOD TO THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, WHAT WOULD

THAT BE? YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOUR IDEA CAN TRIGGER. :-) I would want to influence people to see others for their inner beauty instead of for their outer identity. Hopefully, it would be a

movement that would help to eradicate mindless hate and violence and would bring people together. The arts have the ability to communicate with people in a non-threatening way and to expand

views. I would love to be a person at the forefront of making this type of change through my paintings. WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED THAT SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN BUSINESS, VC FUNDING, SPORTS,

AND ENTERTAINMENT READ THIS COLUMN. IS THERE A PERSON IN THE WORLD, OR IN THE US WHOM YOU WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A PRIVATE BREAKFAST OR LUNCH WITH, AND WHY? HE OR SHE JUST MIGHT SEE THIS. I

would love to have lunch with Sam Harris. I find him to be one of the most interesting and thought-provoking intellectuals of modern time. There would be nothing more exciting to me than to

be able to have one-on-one time with him and to get a chance to hear his in-depth views on a variety of current events and topics. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY OUR READERS CAN FOLLOW YOU ON SOCIAL

MEDIA? https://www.facebook.com/julietspaintings https://www.instagram.com/juliets_paintings/ THIS WAS VERY INSPIRING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US!