Meet Daisy Ralston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daisy Ralston. 

Hi Daisy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I always wanted to be an “artister.” My Dad was an oil painter. He was also the coolest dude ever, so of course, I wanted to be just like him. Art supplies were at my disposal and I snuck in free art lessons for decades just by doing what he did. His mentorship is one of my most valuable possessions. 

Otherwise, I have no traditional training. I got a degree in architectural engineering and designed electrical systems in buildings after graduation. I would come home from work to my tiny apartment and paint until my eyes got heavy. Then I would wake up early so I could paint before I had to go to work again. 

I was vacationing in Pucón, Chile when COVID really started. My flights home got canceled and a three-week trip turned into five months. I was living for free in a beautiful, art-inspiring, mountainous, river farm paradise with the love of my life and had nothing but time to create. I started a website with a complete portfolio and shop and it started a little upward spiral. My commission list was more than enough to keep me busy and my completed works were starting to sell on their own! 

When I finally got back to The States, my friend was starting a business and hired me to paint a 30’ mural on the side of her building at Sunny’s Marina. Since then, I’ve painted seven more murals and I’m excited to paint many more. 

I didn’t think it was possible to make a sustainable career from art. It felt irresponsible like I should be working at a “real job.” After experiencing this year of opportunities, it feels irresponsible to do anything else. 

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?
It has been a pretty rugged road actually. When I was first starting to build my business, my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer, so I moved from Chile back home to Missouri to try to help out. I hadn’t lived in Missouri for years and I didn’t imagine it would provide me much artistic opportunity. I was very wrong. 

After diagnosis, he wasn’t allowed to drive for a while. That made me his “chauffeur,” and we would drive around everywhere together. I was spending so much time in cars, while he worked and while he had treatments, that I switched over to ink on paper. It was portable and it kept me working, so that’s how my popular ink series was made. 

Later on, when I was painting murals, the disease started to really show itself. Watching someone I love go through this was pretty hard to do all the time. Art turned into something that I did to level my emotions, and I feel grateful for it. 

It was obviously an extremely emotional experience, and it still is. I think you can see that in my art, the hopefulness, the determination, the grief, and soon the healing. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I create two-dimensional art that is meant to capture feelings, fortify vibes, and tell stories. I work in many mediums from oil and acrylic paint to ink and colored pencil to gigantic murals. Most of my work has a feeling of fluidity. It can be gentle or relentless, like a river. 

Common themes that can be seen in my work are whitewater kayakers and women in water. 

I don’t think any of my work sets me apart from others. I think the whole point is to truly relate to each other. 

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that Kansas City has an overwhelming sense of community. My grandparents have lived in Old Westport for their whole lives and they have intricate and full relationships with the entire city. You can’t look at a Royals hat without seeing a friend. I least like explaining to people from elsewhere that Kansas City is in fact, in Missouri. 

Contact Info:

• Email: daisyralston@gmail.com
• Website: daisyralston.com
• Instagram: @daisyralstonart
• Facebook: Daisy Ralston Art

Image Credits:
MJ Lee Keely McCann