dropped by a beautiful gallery on the lake, The
Little Gallery. I vividly remember visiting the
gallery and thinking maybe one day I could show
my work there. My biggest ‘wow’ moment was
when The Little Gallery offered to represent me.

Another milestone was pulling together a solo
show of 40-plus pieces at the Hylton Center in
Manassas, VA, two months after my third son’s
birth. When I accepted the show, I knew I would
have to be dedicated to creating a large body
of new work mostly during my pregnancy, but
looking back it was the daily studio sessions
during this time that helped me find my artistic
voice. What is the biggest challenge you’ve
overcome TO SUCCEED in a creative
business? The biggest challenge I’ve overcome as an artist
is internal: Discarding the preconceived notion of
selling out. I’ve learned that selling prints doesn’t
equate to selling my soul. Two years ago I decided
to delve into the print world, selling through
my online shop and being represented by a fine
art publisher. Having my work accessible to a
much wider audience has brought me so much
satisfaction, and in turn led to features in Home
Goods and Hobby Lobby. I’ve also been able to
fully pay for all supplies just based on print sales.

I love what artist Keith Haring said about this, “If
commercialization is putting my art on a shirt so
that a kid who can’t afford a $30,000 painting can
buy one, then I’m all for it.”
Tell us about your family. You have
three boys under the age of six?
Yes! I have three boys all born in November, ages
2, 4 and 6. It wasn’t planned but my youngest and
oldest have the same birthday. (We eat a lot of
cake that month!) We affectionately call them ‘the
dude pound’ because they are always up to some
sort of antics.

My husband isn’t an artist, but he is pretty much
everything else to our family. He’s a fantastic dad
and has to play Mr. Mom quite often while I’m
working either at the studio or in the office. While
I am very free-thinking, he is very structured,
12 March 2016 washingtonFAMILY.com



doesn’t qualify work as good or bad, it just means
it isn’t a good fit for the particular audience. Don’t
let the opinions of others, especially those who
question the path less taken, distract you from
continuing towards your dreams. Your persistence
will lead to a broader portfolio, clearer artistic
vision, and in turn, more opportunities.

How about some advice for other
working mothers?
Being a mother is hard work. Combine that with
jobs, hobbies and activities, and it can be quite
draining, especially in this high-paced area. My
advice is to reach out to other families and get
help as much as you can, whether it be through a
Moms Club or babysitting swap. Any opportunity
to take care of yourself is a good one and will
make you a better mother. I’m still learning that
myself. Ann Marie’s work and more information about her can be
found at www.annmariecoolick.com and on Instagram @
amcoolick and Facebook.com/annmariecoolick.

which makes him an excellent accountant for my
business. Do your kids have artistic abilities/
interests as well?
I’m trying my hardest to encourage artistry in
my kids. They occasionally enjoy drawing, but
so far would much rather build Legos and play
construction. They do love to play in the studio
while I paint though, so my hope is they see me
doing something that I love and know that they
can find a similar passion, whatever it may be. I
didn’t develop a love for art until high school, so
I’m still holding out hope!
What advice would you give your
younger self?
I don’t know any other profession where
rejection is so much a part of the game, and this
is especially true for young artists. Rejection
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