We were lucky to catch up with Bess Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Bess, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I am a self-taught artist! Other than art classes in elementary school, I have had no other professional training. I have always been a very creative person. If I ever have extended time to fill I find my self using my hands and creating and starting new projects. The idea to start painting champagne bottles came to life when I was on maternity leave with my second child. You might think that I would have had my hands full with an 18 month old and a newborn, and you would be correct! But I still found that in the midst of changing diapers and coordinating naps I needed a creative outlet. I found that outlet in painting champagne bottles! What started out as a fun hobby quickly became a passion and ultimately a thriving business. I have been painting bottles for a little over 2 years now and have come a long way since the first few bottles I painted. I have a special place in my heart for those bottles because even though they personally make me cringe, they also show how far I have come and how much I have learned as an artist. I like to say that my learning to paint was trial by fire. I would say yes to so many orders that came to my table and then have no other choice but to execute them. I remember the idea of painting dogs, houses and people was incredibly daunting, but after the first few that came through I was able to prove to myself that I can actually paint those things and them not come out terrible! My skill has been refined over a short period of time because anything that you do for hours upon hours, days on end, you’re bound to get better at. Knowing what I know now and where I have ended up, I do wish and wonder what it would have been like had I started my artistic training earlier in life. I wonder that to this day, still having no professional artistic training. The most essential skill in my opinion is the attention to detail and the time. The thing that I believe takes my work from good to excellent is the attention to detail. When I am painting a portrait or even something simple like florals, it’s the fine lines, the texture, the shading and all the other little details that will catch the viewer’s eye. Attention to detail and patience go hand in hand. Meticulously adding every little details takes incredible patience. It’s tedious work that ultimately yields a satisfying result. Having said that, the biggest obstacle that I have found, is in fact the time. I do have a family that I pour my heart into. My two kids, a 2 and a 4 year old, are not themselves obstacles, but the time that I desire to spend with them finds me not being able to spend the amount of time that my art demands as well. As a result, I will usually find myself still up and painting into the early hours of the morning several nights a week. It truly is a work of heart.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Bess Garcia and my business is Bess & Brush. I offer custom works of art. While I love to paint on all different kinds of canvases, the one that I find being the bulk of my business and ultimately my passion is champagne bottles. I got started in this creative project when I was on maternity leave with my second child and finding myself craving a creative outlet. I do have to say that I myself did not come up with the idea of painting on champagne bottles. Like so many other trends, I started seeing them on Instagram and even ordered one for myself from a local artist (not with the intention to recreate it). A while later I started thinking of so many occasions that these would be perfect gifts for! As I could not afford to buy as many as I wanted, I started to explore creating them myself. After gifting them at a bridal shower and for new baby and birthday gifts, through the encouragement of friends and family, I decided to put my craft out into the world. And the rest is history! The problem I believe I solve for my clients is this: “What do you get the person who has everything?” A painted champagne bottle is a novel gift that exudes luxury. A bottle of champagne in itself is already a great gift and to be able to elevate it with a custom painted portrait truly gives it that wow factor. I believe what sets me apart in this industry is my art itself. I am proud of how I have refined my artistic ability and I do believe that my attention to detail in the art itself and on the application to the bottle is what sets me apart. It is hard for me to say what I am most proud of, but I think I would have to say the business itself. I never imagined that I would be where I am now with this little hobby of painting champagne bottles. I am still in awe at where this little business has taken me and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I have previously worked with a branding company that will occasionally request bulk orders. I had already accepted an order of 30 painted bottles from them when they called me again saying they had an order for another 20 bottles with a tight deadline. My husband and I, having just gone under contract for a house that we knew was going to be a stretch financially, decided it was in our best interest for me to accept the order. I accepted this order knowing there were several things that were going on. We were building this new house, so in the interim we were living with mu husbands parents, which meant that I did not have my own space to paint and make a mess. I also accepted this order on top of other regular orders I already had on my schedule. As if these things weren’t enough to make things difficult, during this time, my grandma had a bad stroke that put her in the hospital. She was in her mid nineties, and we knew that this was it for her. My family, including my grandma lives about 6 hours away from us. I loaded up all my bottles and painting supplies and we made the drive. We were able to spend a very special last few days with her before we finally said goodbye. Every night after leaving the hospital I would sit down to continue my painting. I ended up completing that order with a few days to spare, and when the last coat of sealant was applied, it was a breath of relief. Thinking back on those bottles now, regardless of what was painted on them, the last days of my grandma are engrained into every brush stroke. Her being an artist herself, I know she was looking down on me with pride. Those bottles were for her.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing my work appreciated. One of my favorite parts of finishing a bottle is sending the client their finished work of art. Getting back a positive response is what makes it all worth it. Knowing that I was able to bring someone’s vision to life is an achievement in itself. I have also loved having my work appreciated by other artists. To be a part of such a supportive and welcoming community is something that I never expected and has truly been a gift along this journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bessandbrush.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bessandbrush/?igsh=eTQ3d2x2OWI2cGVp&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://linktr.ee/bessandbrush

Image Credits

Morgan English- The English Den Photography
Abby Lane