We were lucky to catch up with Sierra Evans recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sierra , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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?

I’ve always had a love of art, even since I was a little girl. My parents were extremely supportive and constantly signed me up for different art classes – from ceramics and sculpture to drawing and painting. This exposure to different mediums and techniques allowed me to experiment and uncover what type of visual art I enjoyed most. I try to maintain this sense of curiosity, even now, with my process. The intention is to let go of the self-criticism and just be loose with the materials to see what comes forth onto the canvas.

Continuing education classes, workshops and artist meetups have really fueled my inspiration and keep me engaged in the broader creative community. I love the partnership that is fostered in these situations as well as the the fresh perspectives gained from communing with other like-minded folks!

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?

After finishing high school, I graduated from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. Since then I’ve continued my design career in the corporate space for over 15 years, but have been building my own fine art business simultaneously in lock-step. With a background in branding and graphic design, I’ve been able to lean on those skills to help grow my own business through various channels.

My work is bold, colorful and fun while encouraging the viewer to find joy in the everyday. I rotate between abstracts, florals and animals, all in a signature palette (almost always with pink!) My mixed-media paintings incorporate ink, acrylic, house paint, spray paint and pen, and are heavily layered. I love to let the paints and inks drip and do what they may – as I try to honor the nature of each medium.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

Within my business, I have three distinct revenue streams:

1. Commissions
2. Painting workshops and classes
2. Personal work for sale

Not only does having three different streams provide variety for me, but it allows my business the flexibility to not rely solely on one category. I see it as a win-win situation. The workshops have been a fantastic way to grow my email list while attracting potential future collectors.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Exposure. Again, the painting workshops have really been a catalyst for my business. Not only do they bring in revenue, but they attract a particular audience interested in my unique style and technique. Beyond the classes, I love partnering with other local small businesses where we can cross-promote one another. It’s a great way to tap into another businesses email list and customer base. Each new event or partnership creates relationships, and relationships create rapport, trust and eventually a loyal following.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sierraevans.com
• Instagram: @sierraevans.creativestudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sierraevans.creativestudio