Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Lewis.
Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been painting ever since I can remember – some of my earliest memories are of me wearing one of my Dad’s old dress shirts as a smock and painting for hours. I then moved to creating cards for my family, and always putting on the back “made 4 u by me”. While my style has definitely changed since then, the message is still there: everything I make is created by me in my little studio, most likely with my sweet dog right next to me (no stock images here!).
I went to school for Fashion Design and while in my corporate design job I decided I wanted to make a special wedding present for an old friend, so I took out some of my old paints and created a painting for her. I posted it on my Instagram stories and had a lot of great feedback! I then painted a second piece that night and then another later that week, then I created a second business Instagram account, then signed up for a holiday show, and then fast forward a few years I’m now a full-time artist!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Overall, I feel like it has been a somewhat smooth road as I have been very lucky with some of the opportunities I’ve received so far in my business journey. One of the big adjustments has been not working with coworkers – I’m a social person by nature and it can be very lonely working in my studio space by myself all day. I’ve also made some pretty big print errors with my wedding invitations when I first started out and lost a lot of money have to re-print. I’ve wasted a lot of money trying new vendors to see how their quality is and having to re-print with others when they aren’t up to par with my standards, and I’ve also had some ideas fall flat because my customers don’t purchase them. However, it’s all part of the journey!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am primarily known for my watercolor work, although I do sprinkle in some digital work as well that I create using my Wacom tablet and either Photoshop or Illustrator. Since a little more than half of my business involves wedding/event stationery, I’ve set myself apart from other designers by creating all of my own artwork. Similar to me, most of my clients are obsessed dog parents and love to include their pets in their invitations and day-of items like signature cocktail signs, and I’m beginning to be known for that as well!
What were you like growing up?
I have always been creative and loved problem solving (however math and science were never my thing). I was fairly shy with strangers but much louder with my friends. My little brother is very extroverted so I used to bring him around to new places and have him introduce me to new people and once I felt comfortable I would tell him to leave! I’ve definitely come out of my shell since then and have become more confident, especially when presenting my work. I was also extremely lucky in that I had incredible art teachers growing up and parents who fully supported (and continue to do so) my creative endeavors.
Pricing:
- Custom invitations start at $2,000
- Greeting cards are $5
- Art prints are $16
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.slateandbrush.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slateandbrush/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slateandbrushdesignstudio
- Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SlateAndBrushDesigns
Image Credits
Christina Marie Klein Photography
Magical Photography
