Today we’d like to introduce you to Karl Washington
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Karl Washington. I grew up in Texas and was really heavy on going to the Boys Club where I pretty much learned to enjoy the sports activities I do today. I mean, I did just about everything you can imagine when it comes to outdoor activities. Hiking, fishing, biking, swimming, camping, etc. I consider myself lucky because I had a wonderful childhood life. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I played all 3 traditional sports in high school; football, basketball and track. I was an exceptional athlete who could have easily went to college and then maybe the pros.
But there was a secret about me that most people didn’t know. I had a creative gene, which may have came from my uncle. I am really not sure. Outside of all the outdoor activities, I had a passion for drawing and painting. This is how I started in a nutshell. I was walking in the mall one day and I seen this guy painting portraits, live! The people just sat down and he just begin to draw them like you would not believe. I then took a closer look. It was just awesome! I noticed the sign he had posted that read “Classes Available” or something like that. I asked my mom, remember, I was just a kid. I asked her can I take some classes? She said sure! and that’s when the journey began. She paid for it and I went like every Saturday and practiced during the week. Eventually at a young age I became good enough to get commissioned work from my friends and I started drawing everyone. To this day I cannot remember some of the people I drew. In High School I began painting with acrylics. I was taught by a wonderful teacher, who was in my eyes the greatest artist of the outdoors I have ever known. He took me under his wing in school and showed me the road to painting landscapes in acrylic. We even competed in Art Shows together across the midwest. It was a part of my journey that I would never forget. I always wanted to be like him. he had a studio in his back yard disconnected from the house. It was perfect! and I always believed that one day I will have a studio as well. Well after years passed, I moved to Southern California, got married and had 3 children and dabbled in an entirely different career. It was another passion of mine that again was triggered from my childhood from going to the Boys Club. Magic!
It happened one day when my sister was visiting me from Texas. I thought I was big time and I would show her the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I did that and that’s when I stumbled on a place called “Hollywood Magic”. I didn’t go in but a made a mental note to make sure I come back after she’s gone. Why did I ever do that? from that day on, the childhood passion was re-born and it was fire!
Which brings us now to the present day. I have my own art studio in the backyard in which I now paint most of the time. In the Springtime, I participate in many Art Festivals throughout Southern California. I am a working Professional Magician performing for many venues in and around Southern California. I am a member of the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. I am also the Advertising Director for a sporting goods company in Southern California and I have my own graphics design firm.
I could go on but trust me, there’s a lot more to tell. I didn’t mention the names of anyone because of privacy.
Thanks
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! I have been wanting my own studio for 40 years!. Since I was a child, but life happens and those things have to wait. In order to have a studio, you have to have a house first. In order to have a house, you got to have money. In order to have money, you have to have a job that will bring you steady income. That was very difficult and it took a long time to accomplish. It was definitely a struggle. I am not a rich man by no means, but I continued to work everyday of my life and still has not stopped through all the ups and downs. Life can be a real struggle but you just have to keep your eyes on the prize, even if you don’t even know what it is.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an Advertising Director/Graphic Design by profession. I design catalogs, paper products and websites.
I have been working in the corporate world for over 30 years. At the same time, I have been painting for about 40 years. My specialty is Acrylic Landscapes and Pastel Portraits. Most people today know me as a Magician who also an artist. My proudest moments are my wife and my children. I strive to be the best father for my kids and the best husband for my wife. As for me and my house, we serve the Lord.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I am not a huge risk taker. I don’t like gambling. Everything I do, I think about it as a win win scenario.
Life itself is a major risk. We go through so many ups and downs, twist and turnabouts. Why should we add on more? It doesn’t make sense. I am a firm believer that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I believe that there are no such thing as “getting rich quick”. the Bible tells us that the “love of money” is the root to all evil. Good things come to those who wait. Or better yet I tend to go by these words found in Ecclesiastes 9:10-11
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go. Again, I observe this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge– for time and chance may overcome them all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ktwstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ktwstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktwstudios1965
- Other: https://karlsmagic.com
