Derek Fox, a professor specializing in small animal orthopedic surgery at the University of Missouri, has learned to balance his professional life with his passion for painting.
By day, Fox works as a professor teaching classes and participating in his clinical practices. But by night he dedicates his time to painting, while also making time for his wife and his dog, Dash. One can often find him outside painting scenery he finds interesting.
As a child, Fox often found himself with a crayon, colored pencil or marker in his hands. He felt a connection to art from a young age, and his father strengthened that bond.
“We did all the normal father-son things, but [also] other things that were probably a little unusual to other people, is he would take me to art museums as a little kid,” Fox said. “And so he kind of subtly introducing me to the entire world of painting, drawing and sketching,” Fox said.
As he made his way through high school, Fox decided he wanted to turn his passion into a career.
However, his father disagreed because of the struggle artists often face, so he chose a new path and graduated from Michigan State University with a veterinary license.
Throughout his time in college, Fox was constantly drawn to art history classes and even practiced with medical illustrations. It wasn’t until right before the COVID-19 pandemic when Fox began to pick up his paintbrush again.
“Something just reignited in me and I thought ‘I’m getting old,’” Fox said. “If I really want to try and improve on this, then I need to make it a regular part of my life.”
For the past five years, Fox has improved his craft and entered his work into multiple art contests and the Columbia Art League (CAL). He also created a website to sell his paintings, connecting with people internationally in the process.
Kelsey Hammond, the executive director at CAL, has also witnessed Fox’s artistic growth.
“He is just very determined to keep making work,” Hammond said. “I [thought] his artwork was great when I first saw it, and it’s even better now, so through constant work he is always improving.”
CAL is an organization that teaches art classes and supports local artists in Columbia and neighboring counties.
Hammond says that CAL tries to create an uplifting, engaged environment, which is similar to the mindset Fox has while painting.
During the pandemic, Fox tried new ways of meditating and staying calm, but nothing stuck out to him. It wasn’t until he actively painted that he realized it was what made him feel at peace.
“It’s just wonderful because it puts me truly in the moment and I get to meet the people that are around me, hear the sounds and the smells and then really focus on a subject and watch the light change on it over hours,” Fox said. “It really is a meditative practice.”
With so much stress in people’s daily lives, Fox recommends they pick up a hobby that makes them feel at ease, whether it be painting or something else.
Fox is thankful he gets to pursue his art career now, despite some disappointment in the gaps in his art journey.
“I am really grateful that I have found it now even at an older age because I’ve made so many connections with people … and the artist community here in town has been so welcoming [even though] I’m an amateur,” Fox said.
Edited by Eric Hughes | [email protected]
Copy Edited by Maggie Atkinson and Ava Mohror | [email protected]
Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]
