Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Heinbaugh. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

As fas back as I can remember, I have considered myself an artist. I was always an “artsy” kid, and loved taking extra art classes on the weekend as a child. I also spent a lot of my childhood at the dance studio practicing ballet, tap and jazz, so I believe whole heartedly that when I’m able to apply creativity to my life, I’m in my right place! While in high school. I dreamed of going to New York, Chicago or Savannah (Pratt institute, Chicago Art Institute or Savannah College of Art and Design), but was ultimately overwhelmed at the thought being so far away from my home in Houston. So, I applied to several in-state Universities. When I was accepted at University of Texas at Austin, that was a no-brainer for me, I was all IN! I received my Batchelor of Fine Arts degree in 2006, and was super confident in my ability to make art, but was incredibly unprepared for how to apply my knowledge from art school to a career. From 2006 until my son was born in 2012, I worked several odd jobs and tried to fit in my painting on the side. I stayed home with my kids (I have a son and daughter) until 2016, then started working again to help provide some income for my family, again I tried to keep up my art on the side. That feeling of fitting in painting on the side has always made me feel like I wasn’t reaching my full potential. I finally decided that I should pursue my painting full-time in 2021. Having had the experience of working many “regular” jobs, I can say that it does provide a huge amount of routine and a fair amount of financial security, I can say with 100% certainty that this has been the best decision for me and my family to be an artist and see where that takes me! I’m able to get into my studio my my backyard almost daily, and while I may not actually put paint to canvas every day, I am constantly in the mindset of creation and being able to see the world around me as an artist. It’s been so rewarding to be able to create things that make me feel alive, and even more rewarding to have other people share that experience when they see my artwork. There is nothing like it! So yes, I am so happy as an artist. It’s who I was meant to be. And I think often about having a regular job again, and I would do it if I had to of course. But I’m right where I need to be in my studio.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in the suburbs of Houston, near NASA, where all of my parents (parents and step-parents) worked. I didn’t grow up with any “creative” professionals and it wasn’t until after college that I had much exposure to how people could be an artist aside from teaching. I felt in my heart that I wanted to be a painter, and it took me many years to figure out how to apply that love of painting and make it into a career. I’m honestly still trying to figure that out all the time! I started selling my paintings immediately following college, in a coffee shop where I worked in Colorado Springs. I did commission paintings for several people, and sold a few originals here and there, and had my work in a local gallery called 45 Degree in Old Colorado City. When my husband and I moved back to Texas in 2014, it took me several years to figure out how to get myself back into the art world. I joined instagram in 2019, and while scrolling, I came across so many inspiring artists that appeared to be creating art every day, and selling their artwork through instagram. I thought it was amazing that instagram could be platform to gain an audience, sell my art, inspire others and BE inspired by artists.

In 2021, I was approached by a local business owner, Kat Balmos of the Local in New Braunfels, to sell some of my work at her shop. This was a huge step in getting my art seen! Since 2021, I’ve had so much opportunity to grow and expand my reach because of my representation at the Local. I have had my work also available at Blue Sky Art on Wheels since 2021, a boutique in Spring Branch called Texas Etc., and Trends & Traditions boutique in San Marcos.

I would describe my artwork as colorful and representational, with feel-good subjects. I love painting portraits of people that I feel inspired by, or that have an interesting face. I love painting light and reflection such as bottles, glasses, rhinestones and glitter, water, a disco ball – you name it! I dabble in landscape paintings as well. It’s hard to nail me down as far as subject matter goes! I like to think that I capture people, places and things that people connect with and makes them feel happy or nostalgic. I move through life thinking about what’s beautiful and interesting, or unique to an area, and often feel compelled to paint that scene. I use acrylic and oil paint, sometimes both of them together. I typically start with a bright color such as pink or teal, knowing that most of it will get covered up in the process, but in a few areas little pops of color will still show through. This creates a really lovely experience with the paint up close as well as from a distance. I also sell beautiful giclee prints of my art, as well as vinyl stickers as mini works of art. My goal is always to provide something high quality and unique, that’s made with all my love and care, from start to finish.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is hands down when someone else feels connected to my artwork. If I create something with my hands, my skills, my mind, and time and someone else sees it and feels like they want a piece of that experience for their home, or want to give it as a gift to someone they love, that truly blows my mind every time! It’s the coolest thing in the world! I love seeing my artwork in different places. Painting is so magic, and I’m thrilled to get to share my art with people.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

First, let me start off by saying I am no social media expert, by any means! Ha ha! I started my account on Instagram in March of 2019. I posted as frequently and consistently as I could, using hashtags and tagging businesses that applied to my post. I also did a 30-day painting challenge in 2020 where I painted and posted every day for 30 days. That’s when I believe I went from only a couple hundred followers to closer to 1,000. From there, my audience grew steadily and I would say the thing that has helped me is tagging and using local hashtags that people in my area follow. Now, instagram has of course turned from still photos to being almost entirely short videos. I am still trying to navigate my way around the world of making catchy, short videos of my artwork. My advice for anyone starting out their social media account is to be consistent about posting, respond to your comments, and be yourself! Social media can easily take up all of your time- don’t let it take away from your craft!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sarahheinbaugh.com
• Instagram: @sarahheinbaugh_art
• Facebook: Paintings by Sarah Heinbaugh

Image Credits
Photos of me and my studio (not artwork) are taken by Austin Buck of CoPilot Creative