Anat Ronen's Murals Are Turning Heads In Houston   by B.L. Turek

in Art / Visual Art    (submitted 2011-01-19)

The murals of Anat Ronen are springing to life on buildings and structures all over the greater Houston area. Originally from Israel, Ronen and her family relocated to the United States a few years ago in pursuit of the American Dream, an endeavor that is hardly exclusive solely to the citizens born on U.S. soil.

For a quarter of a decade, Ronen has earned her living in the world of business and finance; however, it wasn’t until recently that the desire to utilize her creativity on an even larger platform was fully realized.

“People always told me that there’s no money in art, that you can’t make a living as an artist,” recalls Ronen. “And I believed them.”

Ronen lived her life accordingly, putting her design skills to use by designing presentations and documents as part of her work in office settings. Struck with the realization that she would prefer to be her own boss, Ronen had an epiphany: she could paint murals.

Through advertisements on sites like Craigslist, companies and individuals began to hire her to paint murals that represented the message of their business. Word of mouth quickly spread the news that a talented new artist was in town. Ronen accredits her experience as a businesswoman with putting her ahead of the curve.

“Most artists know that they want to create art, but they don’t really have a clue about business,” Ronen asserts. “Being on the other side gave me the ability to know other angles, other facts, that many artists don’t.”

Admittedly, executing a mural is not the easiest line of work, even with the promise of artistic gratification. A crane is present at nearly every large scale job to aid Ronen in accessing lofty heights.

“Making a mural is actually very hard work,” says Ronen, “but it’s satisfying and fun.”

Ronen still offers graphic and web design services to businesses, dividing her time between the office and the field. While partially educated as a graphic designer, her skills as a muralist are entirely self-taught, proving that drive and dedication are often enough to bring one’s dreams to fruition. As a result, Ronen can offer valuable advice to aspiring artists based on her own life experience.

“Just be open and listen,” she says, “And if you have questions, ask them. You may not get the answers you were looking for, but you’ll still find out something you wouldn’t have learned otherwise. Also: never say no!”

Visit Anat Ronen's website at http://www.houston-murals.com.

About the Author

B.L. Turek is a writer based in Los Angeles, CA.