Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Ehlen-Brekke.
Amy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a lover of all things art and have been since early childhood. Acrylic painting is especially my favorite medium to work with. Before I became the owner of For the Love of Art, I was one of its loyal customers. I would often enjoy Paint & Sip classes with my family and friends there. In getting to know the owner, I learned that she would soon be retiring and dissolving the business. After some consideration, I proposed that she let me buy it from her and take over. She quickly agreed and I officially took over in early 2019. I started out in the same building she had on Ashley River Road, but during covid my business took a huge hit and I had to step out of the lease as things were very uncertain at the time. During that time I offered free virtual paint events on Facebook Live and had hundreds of people join them from all over the world. When things started to open here in the lowcountry I started being asked to do my events at a few local breweries which then transitioned my business into solely a mobile paint party studio. I take the fun to them, I say. Currently I am doing events at 7 different venues on a monthly basis as well as kids classes and summer camps through the city at Bees Landing Rec Center in West Ashley. I also do private events for individuals, corporations, churches and other groups. I have plans to take my business more “online” as well in the near future, offering camp and homeschool curriculum, a subscription based gallery with video tutorials for other paint event businesses like myself and individuals looking to bring more art into their lives. I just launched a faith based division offering more than just acrylic paintings, but also other faith inspired projects such as prayer bowls, water color greeting cards, painting encouragement stones and more. I love art and I love bringing it to the lowcountry and seeing people enjoy creativity and finding ways to be inspired and bring more joy into their lives through art.
I am originally from Minnesota and have lived in Charleston for the past 12 years now. I was a stay at home mom for over 18 years and now that my baby is 14, it’s nice to have my business as both a creative outlet for me personally and also as a stream of income to help my family. All of my kids are creative in their own way. My oldest son is 25 and married, living in MN and he owns his own videography company (he’s done all of my promo videos as well). He is very successful and works with a lot of professionals, breweries, and sports teams, including the Minnesota Vikings NFL team for some of their video needs. My oldest daughter is a graphic design student at CSU and she often leads some of my events on a monthly basis as well. My other kids love to draw, paint, design, decorate, and just use their creativity in all sorts of ways and it makes me happy and proud. My kids are my whole world. I look forward to continue growing my business and seeing how it can flourish even more here in Charleston and beyond.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I guess I already kind of alluded to one major struggle, which was having to deal with the pandemic in the early days of owning my business. Also, I would include the transition from having been a stay at home mom for 18 years, to a self employed entrepreneur. I taught myself how to build a website, because the previous owner only used Groupon for her ticket sales and a notebook to keep her reservations in order. I wanted a more streamlined approach with a booking company to allow customers to book their own reservations online. It was a lot of learning, trial and error to see what worked and didn’t work. I also was having to find a new normal and balance still being a mom with kids at home and owning and operating my own business. I do everything. I am a one-woman-show. I maintain my website, do customer service, emails, advertising, social media posts, and the actual events themselves. I bring all of the stuff to each event which includes a trunk full of easels, canvases, paint, brushes, and sometimes my own table if needed. I have already had to get shoulder surgery a couple of years ago, probably from all the heavy lifting. It’s a lot sometimes, but for now doing things mostly solo is best until it makes sense to source out for those things. It hasn’t been until recently that I need to have my business bring in more of a consistent income, so we’ll see how things go in the near future.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am known for Paint & Sip events around town. I also have been told that I have a calming voice and that I am thorough and easy to follow along to my instructions. I believe every person at my events deserves respect and encouragement. The hardest part for me is when people are so hard on themselves with their art. They are the perfectionists and I get it, I can lean that way a lot, but I truly want them to enjoy the process and not focus so much on outcomes. I am also known for my DaVinci Kids art classes and camps with the city. I love kids (obviously, I had 5 of them myself) and I love encouraging kids with their own art and creativity. Pablo Picasso said, “all children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” I fully believe that. At my kids classes, the children will hear me repeat, “practice makes progress,” because I don’t want them striving for perfection. Art is subjective and should reflect their own emotions and creativity. Even if while I am teaching one way, I give people the creative liberty to go ‘rogue’ or add their own flare, because I don’t think people should be constrained to a set of rules with art. It should be rich with personal expression.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Oh this is hard. The most important lesson for me would be to have patience with myself. There are many ups and downs with owning a business and especially one like mine in the entertainment industry basically. I often think in “shoulds” and forget that I too need to enjoy the journey myself. I get to do what I love and enjoy watching others do it too! At the end of the day, the joy of being able to do what I do propels me to move forward and keep hope for what lies ahead.
Pricing:
- $40 per person for my public events
- $450 for my adult private parties (for up to 10 painters and $40 for each additional)
- $325 for my kids private parties (for up to 10 and $30 for each additional child ages 6+)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.charlestonpaintparty.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlestonpaintparty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForTheLoveOfArtSC
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@charlestonpaintparty0419
- Other: https://share.google/GGhSZE1jiHnefvXBC
