We recently connected with Lindsey Dobbins and have shared our conversation below.
Lindsey, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
During Covid I became a stay at home Mom and was so incredibly isolated, and one day I was mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and came across an ad for a free Painting lesson of a Van Gogh style Zinnia flower and I signed up. I was really surprised at how much I loved it and was actually quite good at it for never have painted anything in my life. I almost paint everyday, which I try to encourage every artist I meet to do. I still do my online painting classes (Fresh Paint) my teacher is amazing and constantly teaches me new things. Trying to paint anything even if I’m not completely interested in the subject is vital to learning. I try and still struggle to not overly think and complicate subjects and backgrounds, which can ruin a painting. Rushing is my worst struggle since my time is very valuable and constantly being divided between my 4 year old, fiancé, dog and 2 cats. Trying to figure out ways to actually sell my art is of course every artists age old struggle.
Lindsey, 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 shared a little of my story on the previous question, but once I became a stay at home Mom I needed to find something to keep me from the mundane everyday. Thankfully I found painting and its really helped me express myself to others and even show myself a side of me that I can be very proud of. I have always been a hard working person, so naturally I put that into my painting and created a business called The Bees Knees Artistry. I mostly have done Art Festivals within an hour or so of my home and have a few pieces for sale at a Vampire Penguin ice cream shop that’s located inside of Marietta Square Food Hall/Market.
I do mostly commissions for people who have lost an animal or just really love their fur baby, but I would love to venture out of only doing animal commissions. My big goal this year is to work on portraits to get more confident that my inner perfectionist would allow me to advertise. I think one of my biggest trait/s that makes me so apparently different from other artists is how much I want to make people happy. I have only been painting for a little over a year and almost the entire time until now I’ve focused on what I see people get most excited to see and how much it warms there heart or reminds them of a person/happy memory. I shared an amazing moment with a costumer who teared up when she was purchasing a butterfly in a field I painted that reminded her of her mother that passed, which I had coincidentally painted on Mother’s Day. Its moments like this that make me incredibly grateful that I can influence a great feeling for someone with my art.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I was never really big on Shop small before until I became an artist, but now seeing how hard it is to sell even a $25 piece I humbly have converted. I try to pay it forward and when I’m not selling at a Festival, I make a point to go and support other artists and buy something from them even if its small. Plus getting to connect with other artists is so beneficial to help keep me inspired and gain knowledge or ideas, which is crucial to keep up production. I wish society could understand that the simple fact that someone is putting themselves out there and showing their artwork while also trying to sell it is such a leap of faith in themselves showing hey, I made this, please love it like me.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
In this day and age it seems if you don’t make money, you’re worthless.. Being a stay at home mom has been so incredibly hard in so many ways. I’ve seen people look down on it like I’m too lazy or something to work or maybe even I’m super lucky that I don’t even have to “work”, but that is not my reality. I feel like being a stay at home mom has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. There’s no hey, I need a 15 minute break or I cant wait until 6pm when I can clock out. But I don’t want my son to simply think I was only a stay at home mom or that he is stuck in only working a 9-5 job he doesn’t even like. Hopefully seeing both the sides from his dad working a hard corporate job and his mom trying to pursue happiness in a small business she created will show him the Ying and Yang of life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebeeskneesartistry.com/
- Instagram: @thebeeskneesartistrybylinz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsey.dobbins
