Meet Bethany Nicholle | Artist/Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bethany Nicholle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethany, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started painting and writing as a teenager. I got serious with painting in high school. I had two advanced art classes a day my senior year, but decided to go to college for music business to be a songwriter. After college I did not go into my field being so I was in a small city and couldn’t relocate because I was raising two small children. In 2017 I was working at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center better known as HMAC. That’s when I started painting and writing again. During that time I published my first book of poetry which was comprised of music I had written in college. And then two more books in the next couple years. I started my first art collection in 2017 as well. In 2020 during the Covid lockdown I decided to get my LLC for my art and writing business. I wanted to work for myself because I was laid off due to restrictions in the bar/restaurant I was working in at the time. I then could support myself and my family with my business so not to depend on getting another bartending job right away.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a abstract expressionist artist. I create what I call “living room art”. My pieces are acrylic on canvas. The style of art I’m mostly hired for is called fluid art or pour art. I ask my clients what colors they have in their room and what size wall they have to fill. Then I get the canvas and paint and go to work. First pouring on the base color which is typically black or white. With the colors that they choose I pour them onto the wet canvas and then move the paint around with a blow dryer to create the desired effect. I also do Jackson Pollock style paintings which are also acrylic on canvas. They are created by splashing paint on the canvas with various objects such as paint brushes and and or cups. My first collection were of various birds. I had my first art show at a local gallery where I was approached by a client that wanted something to match her bedroom. That’s when I began creating the abstract art I’m known for. It kind of just took off the more I promoted the custom work I was creating. Then I started my abstract collections. Until I started to get some notoriety it was hard to sell paintings. But luckily I worked at a bar that displayed local art and that is when my business took off. I have had over a dozen art shows since. In the beginning I wasn’t sure if anybody would be into the type of art I was doing. But I kept on pushing and kept on promoting it on my social media pages. I have definitely come a long way in the art game. From being hired to do a painting, and then that said person backing out. I’ve learned to take deposits for orders upfront. I’ve learned that not everybody is into the art that I do but somebody will be! I never gave up. I started to make stickers, pins, and magnets with my art on it. Then I would go to vendor shows and sell my merchandise. During Covid I made and sold masks which was very successful. I could remember selling art from out of my car. I was very persistent getting my name recognized. In the following years I displayed my art in a few galleries. And over all have had a lot of success. The pinnacle being when I won Harrisburg Magazine’s Artist of the Year in 2021. When I started writing my poetry books, I would attend live poetry readings and events. I would go to spoken word events, and had book signings at local event spaces. I would basically just go up to people and ask them if they liked poetry and if they would like to buy my book. And I also sold my books online. Finding the right editor and publisher is key. And putting your work out there is also very important. I just recently moved to Atlanta to expand my business. There is only so far you can go in Pennsylvania as an artist and a writer. Turning a hobby into a career is not an easy feat. But with dedication and persistence anything is possible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Honestly being new to Atlanta I am not very familiar with what is interesting fun and exciting here. I just know that I love the city! We do enjoy going to Ponce City Market and hanging out at the beltline riding scooters. Fellini’s is definitely our go to spot for Pizza. And hanging out at the pool in Piedmont Park is a weekly occurrence. The city is so big coming from Harrisburg so we have so much more to discover.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Definitely would attribute my interest in starting my writing and art career to working at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (HMAC). This was the hub of creativity and artistic expression in the Central Pennsylvanian community.

Website: Bit.ly/Bethanynichollebooks

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethanynicholleauthorartist