Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Gill.
Hi Becky, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Becky Gill, my art business is Barelybean. Art is my happy place, I love the beach, coffee, all shades of pink and I think flowers can always brighten anyone’s day. I have loved making artwork since I was a little girl; art class was always the best part of the day. Painting is my absolute favorite, but I also make felt florals, draw coloring books, and make earrings. I love to pick paint colors, design & decorate, and DIY my own home projects. My favorite thing to paint is flowers, I am known for my Barelybean florals, swirly and whimsical, you can find them throughout most of my artwork. Around 11 years ago I decided I wanted a name for my art business to start moving forward. I used to call my son Carson the nickname Bean when he was little, and wanted to have my name play off that, so that’s where Barelybean came from. I later had a second Bean, Grayson. I want to show my boys that they can do anything and to follow their dreams. I love to create artwork that people are happy to have in their homes and to gift to people. My artwork started more farmhouse but has moved to more of a Boho beach style with hand-picked color palettes by me. I feel like I’m in a good place with my artwork, I have it in a few stores, participate in events and have many loyal followers; most importantly my artwork makes me happy and so many others too.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yes and no. I love to paint and be creative, so I am always up for that. It makes me feel good, relieves stress; it’s my happy place. There have been times that I feel a bit overwhelmed, so that’s my sign to take a break and maybe try something new too. I find that the struggle is feeling like you are competing with other artists. There are so many creative people art there, you have to find a way to make your artwork stand out. It’s hard when you see others having things come so easily, and you have to work even harder just to stay afloat. I also feel like I am competing with myself, I feel like I have to up my game and create something new to bring in more followers and customers; what can I make that will top last years show or what will people be interested in for this year…? I also struggle with time. I am an art teacher full time, also a wife and a mom of 2 boys. I feel like time is hard to balance; to balance family time, to balance time to create my artwork, but I am learning as I go.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Florals are my absolute favorite, but I also paint more than just florals: beach scenes, plants, and seasonal pieces. I love having the flowers in my home, and painting them just makes me feel alive. I started with florals for my paintings and created a signature floral of mine, swirly and whimsical in boho colors. I’ve also learned how to create felt florals to add to my artwork; I feel like it adds detail and dimension. I create my own color palettes for my artwork; I choose my own colors and use them in my artwork collection. I work hard and want to make sure that I love my pieces that I create, if I don’t love something or it doesn’t feel right I work to make it something that I am proud of. I find that picking my own colors helps keep my artwork custom and then the pieces in the collection go together. My style is all my own; I tend to gravitate towards boho, whimsical, and coastal, with themes and colors. I find that my style is known; people see my florals and know that I painted them.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I feel like I have played it pretty safe, doing an event, having artwork in a store, but just floating along. I love making artwork and have always been happy with sharing it with people and hoping to grow the business a little.
Until about 2 years ago… I had a huge health concern. I had a huge surgery. They confirmed ovarian cancer and a very rare form of it. This was the MOST scary time of my life, I feared for my husband, my boys, my family…
My surgery was intense, it took hours, many decisions made, a huge scar, a devastatingly hard recovery. A large tumor was removed, and though I made it through the surgery, I had to survive hearing the results and preparing for my future. I was fortunate enough to have an amazing surgeon who saved my life by being so incredibly thorough and an oncologist who fought and continues to fight for me. I am here, and I had ovarian cancer; and will always have the fear of it in the back of my mind. I have found that it made me feel broken, but out of it made me be stronger and ready to move forward and live my life.
And now I try and take more risks, I am putting myself out there. I take the trip I always wanted to take. I’m trying new things and figuring them out as I go. Even though a bit camera shy, I went and shared my artwork on New Day Cleveland and loved it! At some point I’d love to go for it and have my own space…maybe a store or spot to share my artwork.
Pricing:
- From $5 and up
- I like to have many price points to make my artwork affordable
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Barelybean
- Facebook: Barelybean
