Hello!
Well I’ve only been talking about starting a blog since I first launched the website nearly a year ago.. so here goes.
In all honesty, I had no idea I would be writing blogs on my own website when I first started doing this.
My (condensed) story is - a beautiful beautiful friend of mine a few years back suggested that I start posting my art online. I was terrified. I thought absolutely not, how could I expose myself like that! But anyway I did it and started up an instagram.
I started creating cards, firstly using texture and then just watercolour for some of my closest friends and family, then the interest came from friends of friends and so on. I’ll have to attach some of the first work I did because it makes me giggle and it’s interesting to see how much has changed.
Then the pet portraits on cards started. I think I charged my first commission of two cats at something mad like £8 and everyone told me off for charging so little (even the paying customer doubled it because they couldn’t believe how little I was charging - live and learn hey!).
It wasn’t until I got commissioned to do my first nursery that the natural flow of creating animal paintings for little humans began. Although still painting pets in the background, the focus became more on how could I create different pieces of customised art for children or new parents, and my love for creating little friendly creatures grew. I did this as a side hustle for about 3 years, spending evenings and weekends catching up on the work I needed to do whilst working full time in my day job.
Fast forward to 2020, despite all the craziness that was thrown at us, I got to do a wall mural, land my first wholesale client(s), start doing this full time and launch the product side of the business. It wasn’t until last year that I guess I really found my proper niche, and think it’s safe to say I was always meant to create art for babies and children. My products naturally took a more educational route, with the intention of encouraging learning as well as being fun and something different that can be kept and cherished for years to come.
I can’t finish my first blog without thanking you lot, because without you it wouldn’t have been possible! So thank you to my new customers, my long-standing first customers who still shop with me today, my friend who encouraged me to start in the first place and everyone else that has just been so super supportive over the years.
Sending you all the love and positive vibes for another week in lockdown number 3.0.
Lex xx