Victoria Roberts (Painter, Mother of two)

Website: society6.com/victorialanieseart

Social Media: IG @victorialanieseart

What should you listen to while reading this MA story?

Music: TI “The L.I.B.R.A.”, Alicia Keys, Beyonce “Black is King”

Podcasts: Laura Horn, Hey Girl Hey, Always Evolving, Red Table Talk,

When I started Mother Art Stories, I assumed I would be speaking mostly with Mothers who also happen to be Artists. That was the unique position I found myself in and was craving connection with other Mother Artists. I never expected to speak with such seasoned professional artists who also happened to be Mothers. Don’t get me wrong; it’s been great! I realized there is a fine line between a hobby and professional endeavor, which has hopefully empowered someone out there to go for it when it comes to making art! All this to say, Victoria is the person I had in mind when I started my Mother Art Stories journey. Her story isn’t organized or curated (and to be fair, none of our stories are), but rather beautifully imperfect. I relate to her relationship with her partner, her thoughts on raising children, her experience with mental health and her motivations to embrace her Mother Artist. I relate to the fact that she’s a working artist with two young children running around. As a former teacher, I know how hard she works each day as paraprofessional and yet, she still has the motivation and energy to create insanely profound work. Today, we talk all things Victoria; a real live Mother Artist.

The Family

Victoria lives in South St. Louis with her partner, Byron and her two children, Zion (5) and Ras (4). (I got to meet both of them on our Zoom meeting and trust me when I tell you that they are delightful!) Byron and Victoria have been together for over 10 years and are constantly growing together as parents and partners. “We aren’t always on the same page but our goals are the same.” Byron is, of course, a stellar supporter of Victoria’s work. I think this may be a key ingredient, the supportive partner. I have yet to talk to someone who doesn’t have the full support of their other half; but maybe that’s a story that needs to be told…

The Early Life

Growing up, Victoria always had a knack for art. “My mom told me I would just stare out the window and draw whatever was there. I don’t even remember that, necessarily, but she says it’s what I did!” Later, in high school, she would realize her potential. “I drew a picture of a girl, a portrait, and it looked exactly like the girl. I thought ‘wow, I can really do this.” If you’re an artist, do you remember that moment when you could actually draw or paint or build something that was just as you envisioned it? What a madly cool thing to be able to do, no?

For school, she initially went down the community college route, attending Meremac CC and then Webster University. One thing that had always been on her mind was Emily Carr University in Vancouver, BC. “I didn’t think I’d get in or they’d like my stuff. One day, I just applied and as it turned out, I got in!” It was important for Victoria to have this new experience, to step outside her own bubble.

The Art

Victoria’s work focuses on African culture, aesthetics and sensibilities. Visually, this is apparent with the rich colors, bold shapes, textures, etc. She is a painter, a photographer, printmaker and a bookmaker. Throughout her history with art, she’s truly dabbled in it all! It’s important to Victoria that her own experience as an African American woman be reflected in the work she produces. There is a sense of weight, as if the work is literally heavy. The women in her paintings, who are beautifully colorful and complex, seem to bear the burden of this perceived heaviness with grace. Her work includes paintings, drawings, prints and books. That’s right, books! Bookmaking is a love of Victoria’s and excellent reflection of her respect for materials, texture and craftsmanship. Check out her Instagram @victorialaineseart for a more in-depth view of her work.

Victoria is the first Mother Artist I’ve had the pleasure to interview who also has a full time job completely and totally outside of the art world. She is a Paraprofessional in the Lindbergh school district, which requires 100% of her attention and energy when she’s there. For her, the deviation from her home life is essential. “It helps with routine and allowing me to break from mom duties and be a half way functioning human being.” Working with children with such varied social emotional standards has really helped Victoria look inward on her own life and family. “I learn so much from my job, namely all the different mental health/ disorders, trauma, how it can affect you or just teaching how handle emotions and the strategies you can use.” This is important, because as I mentioned before, mental health plays a substantial role in Victoria’s life and art. To make art, especially art that is so closely tied with your identity and personal history, is really an exercise in putting yourself out there even in the face rejection, criticism and ridicule. In her family and the Black community she’s familiar with, therapy for mental health disorders is unheard of. “They would say black people didn’t get depressed. We just deal with it and get over it.” Art quickly became a place where Victoria could sort out how she was feeling in a productive, safe way and she incorporates this struggle in her art wherever she can.

When she first had children, she struggled to pinpoint her specific Motherhood identity. “That was the part of motherhood no one speaks about. The sacrifices, the guilt. Women have so much pressure to get things done and it was weighing on me. I felt I wasn’t adequate as a mother”. Through therapy, medication and a ton of trial and error, Victoria realized art was really the thing that brought her back to herself. “And then I realized…duh stupid you cut you hair off when your dumbass just needed to get back into art.” (Also, I should mention that Victoria is hilarious and incredibly relatable. The kind of person in whom anyone can see parts of themselves.)

Victoria works out of her quintessentially Mother Artist home studio, her dining room. Victoria and Byron opted to do without a dining room so she could have a centrally located place to make work. While making art while two kids are running around is difficult, it’s not impossible. Out of necessity, Victoria has made it work! On my Zoom call with her, Zion and Ras were running in and out of the frame, very curious as to what was going on. At the same time, I breastfed my two month old and dealt with not one, not two, but THREE Netflix crises with my three year old. Neither of us apologized, which I poignantly noted. As Mothers, we get it. As Artists, we know we have to multi task and deal with the chaos that can surround us. It’s the best part of my job, getting to know other women and connecting over our shared experiences.

Thank you, Victoria, for sharing your story.