Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Juanita Bellavance. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Juanita, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I had stopped teaching elementary school music and was looking for what would be my next path. While doing some “temp” work for a small business I discovered the owners wife liked going on retreats where she had week long painting workshops. I thought to myself, “Why can’t anything I love to do pay well?”
A couple of weeks later I serendipitously met someone who was a muralist and showed me her portfolio and that the work paid well. I was elated and knew instantly this was what I wanted to do. I’ve been a student of art ever since and had a wonderful income from it from the beginning.
Now, as a fine artist I’m more thrilled than ever with my choices that have led me to this.
Juanita, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I got into art initially to do decorative wall finishes. In 2008 the housing market crashed so I went back to teaching music and art enrichment classes after school at local Montessori schools. It wasn’t long before I was invited to teach art at the county Parks and Recreation Center. As integrity for teaching, I studied art with Chery Baird at Spruill Center for the Arts in Dunwoody, GA. As I began to develop some mastery over painting I began to want to make art more than I wanted to teach it. I had taught art for several years by then and decided to become a professional artist and focus more on that.
It took several years to get the hang of the industry and there is more to learn as I go along. But I’m happy to be represented by Robert Kent Galleries in Marietta, GA, 4Elements Gallery in Blue Ridge, GA and MuseCabin in Cumming, GA which will open soon at the new City Center in Cumming. I’m also quite happy to be a seller with 1stdibs.com, Singulart.com and Wescover.com
I feel like my art enhances a space as well as provides refreshing moments of solace for the viewer. Friends on social media have mentioned when they need a moment of calm they often go to my art page @artbyjuanitabellavance and look at my art. I love that my art has that sort of power.
One thing I’m most proud of is participation in charity auctions where my art has helped provide scholarships for students at Southern Massachusetts Fine Art Academy. Another example is from 2021 when Chairish had an auction to provide for Furniture Bank where people trying to get back on their feet in life are given furnishings for their homes.
In the past, my art was often much more involved and detailed than it has been of late. Currently, I enjoy starting with a complex surface but then simplifying it as I go along. I feel like there is so much “noise” surrounding us that I want my art to be quiet and give me a reprieve from all that. I feel like most of what goes on in the world is made complicated when it could have just as easily been kept simple. I made this discovery as a teacher breaking lessons down into their lowest common denominators and then building upon that. Learning is easy when steps are not skipped.
Aliveness through repetition and variation is also one of my top priorities at this point and I feel the abstract elements of my art lend themselves to awakening the senses and imagination.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When I first became familiar with the power of social media I wanted to hurry up and have followers and friends. I asked successful friends how they had achieved the success they had. Without fail, the answer was, “I’ve been at it for a few years. It just takes time to build up a following.” Now I’ve made a few of my own discoveries that are more powerful to me than the number of invisible followers and friends. I’ve discovered two things that are huge wins.
One, during the quarantine in 2020 I participated in an Artist Support Pledge that was founded by @matthewburrowsstudio. Through that, I had my first experience selling anything on my own on Instagram. As a result, I now have collectors in UK and Belgium who discovered me at that time.
Two, the most valuable discovery I’ve made has been to create a body of work that is then posted once per day for a projected number of days. This discovery came first through my participation @25daysofminis where we make 25 small artworks to release one per day from December 1-25. The idea is to make gift-size art available during that time. Posting new art daily caused an increase in my social media followers.
After that I even wanted to keep the momentum going so I created my own solo exhibition online, 24daysof24inch.com More important than the immediate selling of my new work, I made invaluable discoveries. Not only did my followers increase during the 24 days but I was discovered through hashtags as well. I was invited to participate in Southern Massachusetts Fine Arts Academy auction. I was discovered locally and invited to be represented by a new gallery which will open soon when construction is complete.
This year will be my third year creating my solo exhibition online and I look forward to the surprises that may result from it. It is truly challenging to create a full-on body of a large number of related artworks but the reward is absolutely worth it. Here are some of the benefits: 1. I now have a body of work I can submit to apply for additional gallery representation, 2. I have a body of work to draw from if I’m contacted to put art in an exhibit with friends or art centers, 3. I have plenty of related works I can publish to my online galleries.
Creating a related body of work with a large number of works has been one of the smartest moves I’ve made since becoming a professional artist. I’m very happy I pushed through it and discovered its value.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
There are many famous books and authors that have impacted my thinking, such as the principles from the Holy Bible, Anthony Robins, Brian Tracey, The Dale Carnegie Course, Law of Attraction and more. Yet the most real and significant impact that has been the super catalyst for taking action on my goals for producing and selling my own art is a person I discovered in 2020 during quarantine. That person is @theteresahaag at theunshakeableartist.com. Her approach to life coaching combined with business coaching is hands-on and powerful. Her 25daysofminis.com event is literally a learning lab where we participating artists learn and apply every step of what it takes to succeed in our own art business. This is my third year participating in 25daysofminis.com and I participate in all Teresa’s coaching modules throughout the year. I recommend it highly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://juanitabellavance.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/artbyjuanitabellavance
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/artbyjuanitabellavance
Image Credits
Juanita Bellavance