Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth O’Connor.
Hi Beth, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always been involved with some aspect of making art since childhood. In high school, I started painting backdrops for plays with the theater group and that was my first intro to mural painting. I attended college at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga studying Painting and Graphic Design. While in college, I worked as a bartender at the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Chattanooga and the owner asked me and another girl to paint a mural for the back hallway by the restrooms. I think I was 20 years old, and this was a paying gig, so I was beyond excited! We came up with the theme of Alice in Wonderland and I painted a big, red surrealistic tree in a corner with the Cheshire Cat; I just remember feeling so much joy in creating something big like that and getting a really strong reaction from the patrons, it was the first time I thought that I could actually have a career in the arts. I saw it as a more practical application of the painting I had been studying and a version of art that is “for the people” more so than typical gallery work.
I later moved to the Daytona Beach area and began working with a company that produced murals and custom paint finishes. I became good friends with another artist working there, and when she decided to branch off to start her own company, I went with her. We worked together for about 10 years. In 2018, she moved back to her home state of California and I have been working solo since.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every project is completely unique, so they each pose their own set of challenges. Many of my clients come to me with their own vision of what they would like, so I see it as my job to help bring their ideas to life and add my own spin to it. Painting outdoors in Florida poses a lot of challenges, rain, wind, extreme heat. Sometimes getting to the wall can be challenging using various lifts and scaffolding. Being a female in a mostly male-dominated industry can be challenging (although I think that’s changing!) Working for yourself and handling all the admin elements of a business-like social media, scheduling, proposals with all the back-end stuff, and then having to switch into creative mode can be difficult as well, at the end of the day though, it is completely worth it and I am beyond grateful to be doing this kind of work in my community.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
For my mural work, I like to paint in a colorful, quirky but fun style. I also love vintage aesthetic and try to bring that into my work as well. I have a lot of different types of clients from residential to commercial, so I can adapt my painting style to the needs of the particular project. I also try to maintain a personal art practice and have been slowly trying to build more of that into the forefront of my work. I’ve been working on custom, small-scale murals on panels, which are really just big paintings, that I offer as a portable alternative to a full wall mural.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I can’t say that I have ever actually sought out a mentor, but I have been lucky enough to have some really amazing teachers who helped steer me earlier in life. The other muralist I worked with for 10 years was a great teacher, sounding board, and that rare type of person that can tell it to you like it is, which I definitely need in abundance sometimes. I’m also so lucky to have my husband who is my biggest fan and supporter. He is always down for a museum trip or willing to listen to me blather on about painting and the nuances in acrylic paint brands. I have also found a mentoring community of other muralists through social media and I am always happy to respond to anyone who reaches out with questions about painting murals or just wants to connect.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bethoconnorart.com
- Instagram: @bethoconnorart
- Facebook: Beth O’Connor Art
Image Credits
Enea Ceku
Beth O’Connor
