We recently connected with Angela Allen and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I started painting out of need. I had a large studio apartment outside of Washington, DC and I needed to fill the wall space. I had always been creative and loved aesthetics – both fashion and interiors, but I had no intentions of pursing it as a business to sustain my livelihood. I just needed to fill my walls. At that point, I was just becoming interested in art ,but knew very little. Nevertheless, I had two oversized frames and I decided to buy some white wrapping paper and black acrylic. I painted a city skyline and the continent of Africa – two things I loved at the time. From there, something lit up in me and I would paint small works for friends and personal spaces. It was when I moved to Nashville that I started taking painting seriously. It was a creative hotbed and I met many people who loved what I was making. I developed my perspective and started taking commissions from friends and clients.

My breakthrough into an actual business came when an up and coming interior designer, Leanne Ford, came across my Pinterest account and liked my aesthetic. She then went to my Instagram account and saw that I actually made art. She bought a few pieces that ended up in a Parachute bedding campaign in Los Angeles. After that, I started selling my pieces through Shoppe Amber Interiors. The rest is really history.

This is a great example of mindless scrolling and posting leading to bigger opportunities and the start of an art business.

Angela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Angela Allen and I’m a minimal, abstract artist based in Los Angeles, California. My body of work revolves around a neutral color palette and explores a variety of materials rather than creating a single visual image of a particular theme.

I’m heavily influenced by style and how material drapes on the body. I use those same concepts on canvas. with folds and gathers. I also explore the tension of high contrasts – black and white, matte and high gloss, dark and light.

Rather than working out of a studio, I work out of my light-filled apartment. This gives me the opportunity to experience my own work in an interior context with furniture and objects and flowers.

My process is similar to hunting. I wait and wait and wait until the right time to execute. I gather a lot of inspiration and spend time alone to hear what’s being said internally. Then I execute quickly.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2022, I noticed the market changed drastically and people weren’t buying art from me at the rate they had been. I knew the art and interior design landscapes were beginning to all look very similar. I had been making work based on what I thought would sell rather than what I actually authentic to me. It was an opportunity to reevaluate what I was creating and why.

I took a year off from making large works and collections. I looked deep into my motivation and faced any fears that came up about making work that wasn’t necessarily seen in the market. Was I going to be brave? Was I going to take risks and execute what was authentic to. me instead of what would make sense to the audience?

The answer was yes. I had a pivot out of certainty what had made me successful before into the uncertainty of my authentic voice. At the end of the day, an artist cannot betray themselves.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I sell my work on my personal Squarespace website. I like the interaction with clients and the ability to adjust the visual aspects of the website at my discretion. It’s like an extended home where I can invite clients to immerse themselves in my world.

Site like Amazon and Etsy feel too far removed from who I am.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.angela-allen.com
• Instagram: @angelaallen
• Other: Pinterest: @mrsangelaallen
  Tumblr: @angela-allen

Image Credits

Photos are all by Angela Allen