We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Evelyn Reátegui Zirena a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Evelyn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
When I was a kid I wanted to be an artist, I wanted to paint. But in my home country, Peru, no one really chooses that as a career. So I decided to study Biology, my favorite subject in school. I then came to the US to do my master’s and PhD in Toxicology. After graduation and while looking for jobs I used painting as a way to calm my anxiety. I then started getting commissions from friends and family. I love the creative aspect of painting and when I paint I don’t think about anything else, just being in that moment. I decided art could be my side hustle and created Zirenart. I really enjoy being part of the artistic scene and community in Austin. I love doing pop-up markets on the weekends and especially if they happen at a brewery or cidery because I bring my husband and toddler to spend the day. Selling an original painting is kind of hard; therefore, I now have available prints and greeting cards from my art. I wanted to find more ways to share my passion and I got the idea of painting earrings. I love accessories and making my own has been very satisfying. I always feel the need to repurpose things and avoid creating unnecessary waste. With that in mind I’ve upcycled jewelry and included wine cork slices as part of the process. I can play with shapes and different colors as I want. I do hope I can continue to paint and create new pieces to share with people.
Evelyn, 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?
I’m a scientist and an artist. I do acrylic and oil paintings and I have prints and greeting cards from my original work. I like experimenting with different media, tools and second hand items. I created Zirenart to share my passion for art and to raise recycling and upcycling awareness. Glass is usually not recycled properly so I make decorative lamps and vases with wine and beer bottles. I also make coasters with beer caps. My favorite jewelry to make is from wine corks because it’s easy to work with and super lightweight. I get my wine and beer materials from my own parties and from friends who know I’ll give it a good use. I also do face painting whenever I go to pop-up markets or festivals and it’s a big hit for family friendly events. I’m actually a pretty fast face painter but still keep the necessary detail on the designs, parents love that about my work. I usually get hired for birthday parties all over town because I’m affordable and I speak both English and Spanish. It’s my 6th year doing this and I love it.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
I enjoy doing art festivals and markets a lot because it allows me to connect with people. I like explaining the process behind my creations and I give out my card to people who are interested in commissions. It’s a also a good place for people to see pretty much all the items I have available and see me in action when I do face painting. I try to do at least one market a month, and I usually avoid summer outdoor events since it’s too hot for me. The good thing is that there are many markets in town that fit all likes.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I’m not an expert on social media, nor I have a lot of followers but it’s a good bunch and I always get excited whenever I share a story about a new art piece or design. I like showing short videos of how I paint a canvas or the progress on making my jewelry. I also feel people like it when I show my face and I talk to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zirenart.com
- Instagram: zirenart_ig
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Zirenart