Meet Theresa Raines | Solutions Architect, Artist & Pilates Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Theresa Raines and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Theresa, what role has risk played in your life or career?

Risk is exciting! I’ve never shied away from it. In fact, I often run towards it. In high school and college, when I was a competitive diver, this meant asking the coach to do harder divers maybe even before I was ready. With my art, it means saying yes to things I haven’t done before. “Go Big or Go Home” became a mantra at some point. As did “More is More.” As I mature as an artist, and a solopreneur, I am trying to be more logical about risk, considering not just the upside but also the potential downside. I will take risks for commissions, where people pay some money up front. I mitigate the risk by working on four different versions of the commissioned painting at the same time being more conservative with some and more experimental with others. This allows me to push boundaries while still ensuring I have at least one version the clients like. Often, they end up liking more than one and may buy one of the others too. Art that isn’t commissioned is speculative by nature – you don’t know if what you are creating will sell. In these situations, I am becoming more risk averse, e.g., working smaller and spending less money until I gauge market reaction.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I still have a full-time day job as a Senior Solutions Architect for Relias. I help members of their sales team with demonstrations of our platform.

With my art, I like to work large with bold lines and bright colors that extend beyond the edges. I’m excited about the large multi-canvas murals I have created for corporate commissions. I love standing in a space, feeling its energy, talking to people who frequent that space, then creating something custom for that space to make it come alive, capture a feeling, or tell a story. I have multi-canvas murals in corporate colors that tell stories of corporate growth and employee engagement that amplify corporate culture. Working on canvas in my studio has the benefits of a controlled environment and portability. I am beginning to explore the prospect of outdoor and indoor murals too, which is exciting!

Some of my murals are 16-feet tall, spanning two stories. Working on these in my home studio presented a space challenge and I ended up taking over my living room for a few months. I moved all the living room furniture into my dining room so I could work on all three murals (36 three-by-four foot canvases) in various combinations.

My artistic process is very athletic. Working on a large scale requires reaching, stretching, lunging, and planking to ensure smooth arcs and lines. It feels great to combine movement with creativity.

I am also about to complete my 500-hour Pilates Teacher Certification through Club Pilates. I love how Pilates has improved my stability, mobility, and strength and am looking forward to paying it forward by introducing others to Reformer and Mat Pilates.

My retirement plan 10 years from now is to have a thriving Pilates Practice and Art Studio.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

The new park in downtown Cary is awesome! So well designed. The playground is perfect for different ages. My grandson loves the slides! I like the Wooden Cardinal statues/play-house nest.

There are lots of great art venues nearby including The Mayton which displays rotating exhibits by the Fine Arts League of Cary. The Cary Gallery of Artists, Pro’s Epicurean, and The Page Walker Arts Center all have rotating art exhibits. While walking in the quaint downtown, stop by Fresh for ice cream – Midnight Brownie Crunch is my favorite flavor.

The Duke Gardens are so beautiful! Someday, I’ll have to do some plein air painting there!

I enjoy the following during different seasons: in winter, ice skating at Fenton and the Chinese Lantern Festival at Koka Booth. Hiking in Umstead year round, and swimming in Jordan lake during the summer. I love watching the eagles, osprey, and herons.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I’d like to give a shout out to my husband Pat Raines for recognizing that I was going to need a hobby as my youngest was leaving for college. He told me, “Work can’t be your hobby.” That was such sage advice. It allowed me to reconnect with art before the nest became empty making it feel less so.

I’d also like to thank my daughter, Maria Esposto for supporting me when doubt creeps in or I stumble into a creative block. She has always had an old soul and knows just what to say to help me help myself or find my way again.

I’d like to thank my son Erik Esposto and his wife Celyna for helping me install paintings for different exhibits. Their home has become a temporary gallery for many of my pieces since I am running out of room in my own house to store them all. Their son Calvin inspires me with his delight in bright colors and textures.

I’d also like to give a huge shout out to my employer, Relias for supporting my hobbies and cultivating a healthy culture of work-life balance. When I first picked art back up again in 2015, I won their screensaver contest. Then, they commissioned some large works and later, bought a few more.
I also teach Mat Pilates in their HQ studio two days a week.

Last but not least, the Fine Arts League of Cary has truly lived up to its mission of promoting the growth of area artists, including me. Becoming a member allowed me to take baby steps to submit my art for local exhibition opportunities, thereby increasing my confidence. I have sold several works through their exhibits. I’m now paying it forward by serving as Membership Chair, helping new members onboard with the organization.

Website: https://www.artbytheresaraines.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbytheresaraines/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresaraines/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theresaraines

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtByTheresaRaines/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMjSjqEov0uAEkSgj71JvXg

Other: Society6: https://society6.com/artbytheresaraines

Image Credits
David Williams RTP Photo and Video took most of these. Eric Strauss took one (abstract birch trees with photo of me and couch). And I took another (green and blue painting behind conference table).