We were lucky to catch up with Meghan Rosenthal recently and have shared our conversation below.

Meghan, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

The day my youngest child went to Kindergarten in 2021, I unknowingly started my art business. It was mostly out of desperation to call something my own after being a stay-at-home parent for eight years and helping two kids with virtual school during the first part of the pandemic.

It was freeing to channel my former artistic abilities and training into a creative hobby that might make a little money. Encouraged by friends and family, I painted a few pieces, put them on Instagram, and somehow people found me.

I experimented with different abstract styles throughout the fall of 2021 and painted exactly what I’d want on the walls in my own home. I was inspired by designer wallpaper and fabrics, and often used color schemes to complement my favorites.

Up until my first official online collection release in January 2022, I would list paintings randomly on Instagram and they’d be claimed within minutes. I was hardly able to keep paintings in stock, which was amazing for someone so new on the scene.

I found my official abstract style over the holidays and hesitantly introduced it in January: a collection of 15 or so paintings with a different look than my previous works. It all sold immediately, and accidentally, a business was born.

I decided to stop commissions and focused solely on my monthly collections and stocking pieces in two local stores. I’ve been lucky enough to sell out each release within an hour or so and enjoy the freedom of painting what I’d like to paint.

Working full-time as an artist from my home studio has been a dream and I’m thankful for the confidence I had to put myself out there in the beginning.

Meghan, 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?

My artistic style is known for pairing unexpected bright color combinations with contrasting gold borders. I strive to create a natural flow of colorful shapes that fit together like a puzzle, drawing the viewer’s eye across the canvas.

I connect with my followers and clients via Instagram and feel like we are a community of people who share a love of brightly colored “happy” art. Clients often tell me they buy my paintings because they make them happy. This is a huge part of why I paint, as well.

As an artist who works independently from my home studio, and with a dog as my only co-worker, it’s thrilling to connect with clients all over the country and make their homes brighter via something that I created. I love giving advice about the best sized painting for their spaces and color schemes to tie their rooms together. At the end of the day, I feel very fulfilled.

My monthly online collections are the soul of my business, but I have also ventured into licensing my art to use on products and stocking pieces in two local stores.

I’ve partnered with 70°, a performance apparel brand, to release a capsule collection of tennis clothing featuring my designs in early 2023. One of my paintings was also used on the cover of a 2023 The Plan by Lauren Truslow day planner.

I’m also an artist partner with Framebridge and sell framed prints at a lower price point than my original paintings. I’ve found that clients will often purchase both originals and smaller prints to fill different spaces in their homes.

I also love giving back to my community. I regularly create pieces for donation to silent auctions supporting nonprofits I personally care about. I also sell pieces on my website and then immediately donate 100% of the proceeds to my charity of choice. It makes me incredibly happy to see my work benefit important organizations.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I started my Instagram account in September 2021, I had no idea that it would reach almost 16k followers a year later, and in turn establishing a very engaged, active community of colorful art lovers.

I’m often contacted by fellow artists about how I’ve grown my audience so quickly, and my first response is that I worked in digital marketing and social media in my career before becoming a stay-at-home parent. I love sharing marketing tips with other creatives and feel like they aren’t secrets. I’d love for everyone to be equally successful.

My first piece of advice is to learn how to photograph and edit your product photos close to a professional level. Use a real camera and get a lighting kit from Amazon. Creators should learn how to use photo editing software and never use canned filters. I spend hours making sure the photos of my art reflect reality, which also means styling my paintings the way they would be styled in a client’s home.

An advertising budget is key when you’re first starting your presence on social media. I utilized Instagram’s advertising to target segmented markets I knew would be interested in my art. Basically, people like myself with similar interests and shopping habits. I focused on local markets first and then expanded to the entire country as I ironed out my shipping process.

Posting consistently on social media is also key, but I strive to produce quality content that is relatable to my client base. I like to post previews of my next collections, along side reels that show the details of my paintings, and install shots of my paintings in client’s homes. I also connect with my clientele with pop culture themes for every collection. It’s fun and engaging.

I could talk about the marketing side of being a creative all day, but it really boils down to how you market your product and how many people see it. You could be the most talented creator in the world, but if no one sees your work, your client base – or social media following – won’t grow.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I’m personally fulfilled by the relationships I establish with my clients and other artist friends through the simple act of creating art and putting it out there on social media.

I hear very personal stories about why someone chose to purchase a specific painting. Most recently, a grieving mother was immediately drawn to a specific painting because it reminded her of her child who had passed away. Another painting went to a client who had just lost her entire home in a natural disaster and she was starting to decorate her new home.

I am floored by stories such as these and sometimes can’t believe that my art speaks to people on such a personal level. It’s so inspiring and gives me the energy to keep creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.meghanrosenthalart.com
• Instagram: @meghan.rosenthal.art

Image Credits
All photos were taken by Meghan Rosenthal