We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erica Rose Levine a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Erica Rose thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?
When your’e running your own business its very hard to step away even for a week or two. However its important to recharge and experience new things that inspire you even if it’s just a hike in a local forest or road trips exploring thrift and antique shops in Connecticut and Massachusetts. If you’re constantly overworking yourself you run the risk of burnout which is not good for yourself or your business.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have been a painter for as long as i can remember. My family is very artistically inclined, and a typical day for us meant getting out the art supplies, and making paintings and crafts at the kitchen table. I have always been interested in portraits whether painting, drawing or photography, and am currently creating oil paintings. I balance taking portrait commissions with creating my own artwork, selling prints and paintings through galleries, instagram and my website. One big reason why I am drawn to portraiture is my fascination with how emotion and meaning can be conveyed through a simple look – to have the viewer read the emotion in a portraits eyes and expressions ands find their own interpretation and meaning in it is something I aspire to create with every piece. Some people will project their own feelings onto the image and others will decide how the subject is feeling – it’s personal to every viewer, but I see it as part of my job to provide the means by which they find that unique interpretation.. I am also very interested in patterns and collections that catch my eye and provide a world for my subjects to inhabit. My most recent work explores more than the figure, incorporating antique and vintage objects and fabric patterns that form the backdrop for the subject depicted. I strive to create a space that the subject belongs in and is a part of, even if that subject is sometimes merely a mundane object in the world I am creating. As an artist, I’m continually exploring my relationship with “things”, and seeking to push the boundaries of how I depict them. Concurrent to my larger work, people reach out to me to commission paintings of their loved ones. Babies, grandparents and pets are very popular, and I am happy to provide my clients with a piece that celebrates their loved one and provides a unique, handmade heirloom to use as a gift, or for display in their home.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy in regards to getting commission jobs is to just make sure every portrait that i paint is better than the last, because each one is like an advertisement for my skills. No matter how big or small a job is i’m sure to give it 110% and exceed my customers’ expectations. When people are really happy with your product they will share it themselves, both on social media and to their own friends and family – and the great thing about art and portraiture is that you can see the quality and work behind it with a single glance. I also make sure to consistently post my completed work, and works in process on instagram and Facebook – when people see the process behind the paintings, they gain an appreciation for what goes into them, which helps justify the purchase when they are ready to make it. I find that engaging with my audience on social media can really raise interest in my work, and in the past i have done fun things like giveaways and raffles to help bring people into my process.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
i think the most important thing is to stay true to yourself. When creating my work, the paintings people relate to and resonate with most are usually the ones that I feel a deep need to make, even if I happen to feel ambivalent about the subject matter. For certain paintings, it’s something that I feel I have to create, and those are the ones that are the most special to me, and my market. Many times, the more niche and sort of strange the painting is, the more curious people are about it. While at first this might seem to narrow your audience, it becomes a matter of depth as opposed to breadth – creating a loyal community around your work that will stay with you, whatever you create, rather than flocking to the trendiest new thing. It’s also important to just be nice and relatable – a good reputation comes from interacting consistently, and building a community around yourself that feels connected to you and your work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ericaroselevine.com
- Instagram: @ericarosey
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/ericaroselevine
Image Credits
Erica Rose Levine