Kim Denice Clark Creates Art That Reminds Us It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again

At Arts to Hearts Project, The Great Book of Art Makers is a celebration of the makers themselves, not just the finished work, but the people behind it, their stories, their journeys, and the lives that shaped what they create.

Each edition brings together 100 artists from around the world in one beautifully made collectible book. For this second edition, one of the 100 artists we are proud to feature is Kim Denice Clark, whose path to the canvas is every bit as inspiring as the work itself.

Kim’s love of art goes all the way back to a seventh-grade art class, where touching the bark of a tree and studying a single leaf sparked a lifelong bond with nature. For many years, though, that creative dream stayed quietly in the background. She spent thirteen years working in corporate finance, and while it offered security, she felt herself slowly fading inside.

When her mother passed away, everything shifted. Life suddenly felt far too short to keep waiting, and so, just two years short of retirement, Kim made a brave leap, leaving finance behind and enrolling herself in an intensive art mastery program to finally pursue the life she had always wanted.

What she found there was so much more than new skills. Within her first month, her abilities grew, and for the first time, becoming a professional artist felt genuinely possible. Art became a way to heal, to rebuild her confidence, and to completely rethink what her life could be. She will happily tell you that leaving finance was the right decision, every single day, and that her only regret is not doing it sooner.

Kim describes her style as abstract realism, and nature has been her guiding inspiration ever since a childhood moment with a tree and a single leaf first drew her in.

Her creative process is where her work truly comes alive. Kim builds each painting in layers, starting with archival canvas, paper, or wood, then working through charcoal, ink, spray paint, wax, acrylic, and high-pigment oils.

Every material adds something of its own, and it is the way she weaves them together that gives her paintings their depth, texture, and glowing, vibrant energy. These materials are the heart of how she works; without them, she says, her paintings simply wouldn’t feel the same.

She paints intuitively, rarely planning ahead, and instead lets each piece unfold as she goes, embracing the surprises that arrive with every stroke. Her guiding phrase, “Discovery With Every Brushstroke,” captures it perfectly, and for Kim that discovery continues even after a painting is finished, as she keeps finding something new in her own work.

Now let’s hear from Kim about her layered creative process, the materials she loves, where she finds her inspiration, and the leap of faith that led her to the canvas.

Q1. Kim, what was it about your seventh-grade art class that first made you feel connected to art?

When I touched the tree & inspected the leaf I bonded with nature and felt the need to capture the moment through drawing and painting- knowing nature will always be my inspiration.

Q2. You spent 13 years in corporate finance before leaving just two years short of retirement. What finally made you choose art over financial security?

It was scary and not easy, but I was slowly dying inside. At this point, I decided no amount of money was worth the stress. Then my mother passed away, so I decided life was too short and sent myself to the Milan Art Master Program.

Q3. You describe art as a way of healing and rediscovering your confidence. What changed when you began taking your creative life seriously?

Within the first month of art school my skills highly improved and my confidence of being a professional artist was possible. Since then I’ve shifted my perception of what life should be like and art is a huge part of it.

Q4. You work with charcoal, ink, spray paint, acrylic, and oil. How does combining these materials influence your paintings?

I love using these materials and are a large part of my process. If I didn’t use these materials my paintings wouldn’t have as much depth or interest for me or my collectors.

Q5. Nature has inspired you since your seventh-grade art class. What continues to draw you back to the natural world?

Discovering new plants, flowers or colors and then bringing that back to the canvas whether it’s through lines, textures or shapes. It’s very exciting!

Q6. Your phrase “Discovery Through Every Brush Stroke” reflects an evolving creative process. How much do you plan, and how much do you leave to intuition?

Actually, the discovery is not only the little surprises that pop up while making it, but what is discovered after the artwork is finished. I don’t plan very much and rely more on intuition.

Q7. Your paintings aim to evoke beauty, healing, and hope. How important is emotional connection in defining a successful artwork?

I have an emotional connection while creating the art, so if someone else connects to the artwork then I’ve done my job.

Q8. Since leaving finance, has there been a moment when you felt certain you had made the right decision?

Every single day. When I look back, I wish I would have left alot sooner.

Q9. You want viewers to discover something new each time they look at your work. What do you hope they discover about themselves?

That they can do what they want in life. It’s a choice and it’s okay to love yourself and others.

Q10. How has growing more confident in your artistic voice changed the way you present yourself as an artist?

I show up and stand up proud.

Q11. Having already made such a significant career change, what new creative direction would you still like to explore?

Be kind to yourself. Decisions are difficult to make and you can always get prepared for your dream 1st.

As our conversation with Kim came to an end, we found ourselves thinking about a quiet myth the art world tends to hold onto, the idea that “real” artists always knew, always started young, and never did anything else.

Kim’s story is a wonderful rebuttal to all of that. She spent thirteen years in corporate finance before she ever fully committed to art, and far from holding her back, that whole other life became part of what she now brings to the canvas. The art world can be strangely dismissive of people who come to it later, as though a creative calling has an expiry date, but artists like Kim prove the opposite.

Some of the most honest, hopeful work comes from people who have truly lived, who left comfort and certainty behind to follow something they could no longer ignore. There is real courage in choosing yourself like that, and you can feel it in every layer of her paintings.

There is something generous, too, in what she hopes her work will do. In an art world that can feel intimidating and exclusive, Kim creates from a place of beauty, healing, and hope, and she wants her paintings to remind people of something simple but powerful: that it is never too late to begin, that pursuing the life you want is a choice you are allowed to make, and that being kind to yourself is part of the journey. That is a message far too many of us need to hear, and far too few artists are brave enough to build an entire practice around.

For art lovers and collectors, Kim’s work brings warmth, texture, and a real sense of hope into a space. Richly layered, bright mixed-media paintings, drawn from nature, that reward a closer look and reveal something new each time you return to them.

People often feel a genuine emotional connection to them, a sense of beauty, joy, and calm. To live with one of her pieces is to keep a little reminder close by, that life can always be reinvented, and that it is never too late to choose what truly lights you up.

Follow Kim Denice Clark through the links below and see her work for yourself.

At Arts to Hearts Project, few things matter more to us than lifting up women artists, and today we are so excited to announce that our Woman Artist Award has returned for its 7th edition, now open for submissions.

The Woman Artist Award was created to do something simple but powerful: to see, celebrate, and champion the work of women artists around the world, and to give their voices the recognition they deserve. Over six editions, it has grown into a true celebration of female creativity in all its forms, and this year we are opening the doors once again.

We welcome every kind of woman artist, across all mediums, subjects, and stages of a career. Whether you paint, draw, photograph, sculpt, stitch, or create in a way all your own, what matters most is the work itself and the voice behind it. It does not matter where in the world you are or how long you have been creating.

If you have been waiting for a sign to put your work forward, let this be it. Every woman we have ever celebrated once took that first brave step and submitted. This could be your edition.