Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Gibbons.
Hi Caroline, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I certainly never expected to pursue art as a career! It had always been one of those pipedreams; the dreams you have as a kid until someone tells you to pursue something more stable and predictable. Art has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, from finger painting as a child to competing in high school to sketching as a hobbyist. But because of its unpredictable nature as a career, was something I never actively pursued until a few years ago.
In December 2019, I stepped away from my secure, familiar job at a local non-profit to start my own art business. Boy, did I have a lot to learn! My visions of my art were big and bold, and I was walking into this new career with virtually no business experience whatsoever. From the encouragement of a dear roommate and lots & lots of trial and error, I gradually built my art business one step at a time.
I started out just selling art prints and notecards of my original designs but quickly realized I needed to diversify my product base a bit. From there, my custom watercolors were born and quickly became (and still are!) the front and center focus of what I do. Custom watercolors are such a meaningful way to commemorate special memories in life, and I paint a variety of custom watercolors for individuals and families all over the DFW area. My customs include pet portraits, home illustrations, couples portraits, and family portraits. Each of these are an honor to paint and a joy to present to my client as a finished product.
Now, nearing two years later, custom watercolors are still my most popular product offering and still one of my favorites to paint! I have also expanded my business to offer original watercolors, printed calendars, and event painting services in addition to all of my previous offerings. Having the opportunity to paint beautiful paintings to add a bright spot of joy into people’s homes is something that I do not take for granted and wouldn’t trade for the world.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I’m sure any small business entrepreneur will tell you, it has most definitely not been smooth sailing! An adventure, most definitely, and a blast to experience, absolutely, but there have been lots of turns along the way. There have been numerous struggles, but three main takeaways that I’ve learned from immensely:
1. No one will value my work if I don’t value it first.
Art is de-valued All. The. Time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked to paint something for free or to create a completely customized piece of artwork for $20 or under. Bottom line is, our society has a tendency to push for the cheapest, quickest product. But what makes art valuable? It’s a finely honed skill that brings incredible beauty into people’s lives, and it’s a skill that only a true artist can provide. I’ve learned that if I don’t remind my audience of that value by speaking of my work highly and elevating its value, then no one will value my work. Putting my work into the world in full confidence is the only way to create that value.
2. Mistakes are inevitable, and they are good.
There are a myriad of moments that I have messed up in throughout beginning stages of my business. I’ve over-estimated quantities of products, I’ve underestimated how long a custom process will take, I’ve missed countless client communications, I’ve forgotten to market certain products, the list goes on. But you know what? I will never make those mistakes again. In those moments of mistake, I have lost momentary financial gain or emotional confidence but gained such wisdom. After every mistake, I know that I am one step closer in honing my craft.
3. Creating is a practice.
This last point is my favorite, for how sweet of a learning experience creating has been. When I came back to the creative process after a long break (my first several years after college), I forgot that I had to practice being creative. As one of my favorite artists, Emily Jeffords says, “progress is quiet and slow.” That is so very true. I have to carve out creative time in my day to devote energy and focus to my paper and paints. It’s a gentle, daily push to create enough bandwidth in my routine so that my creativity can flourish. And I’ve taken immense joy in that process.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a custom watercolor artist specializing in pet portraits, family portraits, couples portraits, and home illustrations. I also offer original watercolors and printed notecards, art prints, and calendars based off of my original designs. I love painting light, whimsical paintings that convey meaning and joy to others.
Custom watercolors are some of the pieces of work I am most proud of because of the meaning that they hold for families and individuals. I paint in loose vignettes to convey the memory of a particular scene, family member, or dear friend. I find that often, what we love about the memories we hold most dear is the feeling that they convey. I try to convey those feelings of warmth and love in my paintings.
My clients’ reactions to receiving their custom watercolor paintings never cease to be my favorite part of the process! They love having a gorgeous reminder of special memories and will cherish those pieces of artwork for a lifetime. I’ve received countless words of appreciation and thanks over the past couple of years, which inspires me to continue to paint meaningful art.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success an ever moving target. I’ve learned that success varies through different seasons in life and in business. For example, initial success in my business was to sell something (anything!) and to simply have my work seen. Now, as I continue to grow my business, success is expanding my existing audience to include new spheres within the Dallas area so that I can continue to paint meaningful paintings for families and their loved ones. Success is more of a process of gradually taking one small step at a time to reach new goals. One of the new services I just started offering is live event painting, and success for that looks like booking a few events this year, which I’m so excited for! I can’t wait to see how that comes into fruition.
Pricing:
- Couples Portraits start at $109
- Pet Portraits start at $89
- Family Portraits start at $119
- Home Illustrations start at $139
Contact Info:
- Email: caroline@bycarolineanndesigns.com
- Website: https://www.bycarolineanndesigns.com/insta-links
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bycarolineann/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bycarolineann
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/bycarolineann/
Image Credits
Amber Thomas Photography
