Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Brickner.
Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
We moved a lot when I was a kid and it’s never easy to make friends in a new place, but especially hard when you have bucky beaver teeth. That was me…
During our 2nd move to Virginia, I was sick and stayed home from school one day. While I was bored in bed, I had some magazines and paper and pencils to keep occupied, so I decided to draw one of the beautiful models in the magazine.
That was the first time I ever tried to draw a face and low and behold it was one of the best moments of my life. I kept drawing people in that magazine while I was in bed that day and couldn’t wait to return to school to try my hand at another challenge…secretly drawing kids in my class.
In my 5th grade English class, I should’ve been paying attention, but instead decided to draw the kid sitting across from me. I didn’t know who he was – he was just in the perfect spot. When the bell rang, I got up and handed him the drawing to get his reaction. He didn’t believe I drew it. He was totally wowed and I had the fever to keep wowing people after that day with my newfound talent.
Fast forward about 11 years…my career after college started in radio airtime ad sales which was a commission-only job. I knew nothing about commission sales at that point but had bills to pay and learned quickly that it’s a sink or swim business, so I chose to swim and did it for 2 years. While I was there, I noticed one of my colleagues and friends had a photo on her desk of her son holding their huge cat.
This was such a great composition that my artist’s eye decided that I just had to draw it for her. So I secretly took the photo home and returned it to her desk with a surprise drawing. She absolutely loved the drawing and so did everybody else in the office. As a matter of fact, I got about 3 orders after that to draw other people’s kids, wives, and loved ones. I had only ever done this for fun and for free and on my timeline, but I now had an opportunity to make money at this? What?! My life changed.
I went on to another career as a banker for 7 years (I know – you thought I was going to say Artist – but not yet) where I learned many more valuable skills about building relationships, networking, and using my natural talent as an Artist to break the ice. It was in banking that I met my mentor Jim who taught me that it didn’t matter what business you were in, if people liked you and trusted you – they would continue to give you business.
During this time frame, my sister and I were fortunate enough to get a spot on the Reedy River at Art Crossing in downtown Greenville to sell our artwork. The rent was super cheap and it was an amazing opportunity, so by day I was at the bank and by night and weekends, I was at the studio. I was there for 4 years until I gave birth to my son and had to prioritize my time.
Towards the middle of my banking career, I had taken a Branch Manager position at a bank that had a very negative management style and I got physically sick from going to work every day. By the grace of God, I was rescued with a phone call from a banker I had interviewed with 2 years prior for a position that was now open again. He wanted me to be his assistant and I was thrilled and worked for him for about 3 years.
My boss Randy was a huge supporter of my artistic ability and allowed me to show my work to customers regularly. So, even though I knew I was talented and had lots of supporters in the art business, I am very loyal to those who treat me well and didn’t want to leave my boss. It was going to take something drastic to make me go out on my own. And so it did when I was fired from the bank.
The bank’s operations department got tired of my continuous paperwork mistakes and they had to let me go against my boss’s wishes. It was a tearful yet oddly joyous occasion.
Because he was so good to me, after I was let go, Randy organized a 6-month assist job for me with one of our bank clients as a trial run. It wasn’t for me, but I had a steady paycheck while I was getting my thoughts in order about the next step.
So I told my supportive husband that I would do everything I could to build my art business to make sure our family wouldn’t suffer financially and after watching me obsess over taking this leap for years, he was on board. Once again, it was time to sink or swim and I decided to swim.
The first thing I did was plan a strict budget for our household and put our house up for sale so we could purchase something with a smaller mortgage – assuming I wouldn’t make as much money as I had been. During this period, I got a Street Performer permit so I could sketch people’ on the sidewalks downtown for tips.
I learned how to face paint and painted at parties and events, I taught drawing classes at Senior Action weekly, I stalled the newspaper for events that may be good for me to sketch at or face paint at, and I was taking commission orders in between. I didn’t sleep much always plotting the next way I could make money, so I was basically on the gas pedal at all times.
After 3 months had passed, our house hadn’t sold yet but we were paying our bills just fine. So we took it off the market and we are still in the same house.
A few years into my full-time venture as an Artist, I felt like I needed more of a community around me. Drawing is a lonely business. So, with my bank connections, I found a place in the heart of downtown Greenville and opened what is now a local art gallery with 30 artists called Open Art Studios. We will celebrate 5 years in business on New Years’ Day 2023.
I’m very fortunate to have been able to do what I love and have a support system that has helped encourage me along the way including my parents, my husband, my mentors, and my friends.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m an artist with an entrepreneurial spirit – those are some polar opposite personality traits.
The struggles are continual with a competing desire to spend my time being creative against a desire to spend my time figuring out growth and success in my business – not to mention balancing family life.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a pencil artist. I use a #2 Ticonderoga pencil for all of my commission pieces – nothing fancy. I don’t trace or use a projector – I draw freehand and use pictures as references.
Many artists that have made a name for themselves don’t draw freehand, so I’m very proud to say that I have this gift. People mostly commission me to draw pets, houses, and family members.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
According to my parents, I’ve been bossy my whole life; however, I think I was just the bossiest in my family. I was adopted and the general personality tone in my household with everyone else was to “wait and see” but I’m more of a “go and get” kind of girl.
My past time as a child mostly consisted of building things. I built an overhead projector out of a shoebox, flashlight, and magnifying glass and would show my parent’s old slides to friends in the attic, I also built a wooden scooter out of scrap wood and test drove my stuffed animals before my friends went plunging down the street in it.
It was the first of two scooters I built. I also started a neighborhood newsletter and typed it up on my typewriter and delivered them to friends’ mailboxes. And I wrote a play and had my sister and friends act it out. So… maybe I’ve always been a boss.
Pricing:
- Framed Pet & People Drawings range on average $100- $350
- Framed House Drawings range on average $125-$250
Contact Info:
- Website: www.byashleyllc.com / www.openartstudiosgreencville.com
- Instagram: @by_ashley_llc / @oasgvl
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/pencildrawingsbyashley / www.facebook.com/oasgvl
