We were lucky to catch up with Brad Boyett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brad, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

My very first commission was a large, abstract diptych. My clients were a young, professional couple. Other than the preferred color pallet, they gave me the freedom to create what I felt they might like. After about 3 weeks I emailed them to let them know I was close to finishing. The husband emailed me back and said they were very excited to see what I created. He asked if I could possible send a couple of pics so they could have an idea of what to expect. I sent him the pics and heard back within a few minutes. He said that he loved it! He said that his wife was out of town on a business trip but he was going to forward the pics to her and get back with me the next morning.

When I received his email the next morning I was expecting him to let me know that his wife also loved my work and schedule a time for me to deliver the art. Instead he shared with me something that I would have never expected. He said that in one of the diptych pieces his wife saw “male genitalia” and now could not unsee it. I immediately started studying the piece trying to find “it” but came up empty! I let the husband know that I could bring the diptych over so they could see it in person to see if that made a difference. If she still saw “it” I could rework that area and make “it” go away. I delivered the diptych to their house and once she saw the large pieces in person she no longer saw “it”. They both loved my work so the story had a happy ending!

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

My name is Brad Boyett. I have called Austin Tx home since 1993. I have worked in the salon industry for 45 years and own/operate a one chair salon in Westlake, an Austin suburb. I have always been artistic but never saw a path for making it a career. When I first started my career as a hairstylist, I had a side gig working in pen & ink to create tee shirt designs. I eventually called it quits to my art so I could focus on growing my salon business. Because of my art background I was especially drawn to haircoloring services. I became obsessed with learning color theory, not realizing that one day it would be a vital tool in creating art.

In 2015 I decided to resume my love for art. Instead of working in pen & ink I decided to give painting a try. I found myself drawn to abstracts. What I love about abstract is the freedom that I have to create what comes from within. I have to be “in the zone” to create a work that I am happy with. Sometimes those creative juices just are not flowing. When that happens and I force myself to create a piece, I am never happy with the outcome.

There is nothing I enjoy more than creating a painting that will bring someone joy for years to come. I feel I am easy to talk to and I am a good listener. I feel that is an important strength. I consider great communication with clients to be the most important step in creating a successful work. I pay close attention to what clients tell me and ask a lot of questions to get more insight into what their expectations are. If I feel like I am not the right artist to meet their expectations, I will try to introduce them to an artist that I feel is the right fit. Because of the time involved for oil paints to fully cure, I work with acrylics. I sometimes use gesso to create texture on the canvas before beginning a painting. I work on both canvas and custom made wood panels. The wood panels are MUCH more work because once the painting is done I then measure and cut a wood cradle that has to be attached with wood glue and lots of clamps. I let that cure for 24 hours before removing the clamps and painting the cradle. It can be messy and is definitely a process!

Fun fact: over 80% of my clients are male and are collectors, owning more than one piece of my art. I don’t know if my art gives off a vibe that is more appealing to men or if a higher percentage of art collectors tend to be male.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I am fortunate that I can exhibit my art in my salon. When someone sees my art on my social media page and wants to see it in person, I have them meet me at the salon. On more than one occasion I have had someone come in planning to purchase one painting and end up buying two or more. Regardless of the quality of social media pics, there is no replacement for seeing art in person.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I had no capital to start my art business, only a small amount of savings. My savings is what I used to purchase art supples, promote my business, etc. When I sell a painting, I take all the net profit and put back into my business. For those that have never been self-employed, they do not realize how expensive it can be, between supply cost, self=employment taxes, federal taxes, etc. I run my business on a shoestring budget. I do not have a nice, spacious studio. When weather permits I work out of my garage. My dream is to one day be able to afford spacious studio space.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://BradBoyettArt.com
• Instagram: @BradBoyettArt
• Other: BradBoyettArt@gmail.com

Image Credits

Brad Boyett Art