From Canvas to Career - How Eva Turned Her Art into a Thriving Business!
February 20, 2025Posted by:
Eva Hewitt, a talented Scottish fine artist, took a bold step into self-employment with the support of the Scottish Pathways programme. A free practical programme available to women in Scotland to upskill and support them with their self-employment goals.
Coming from an art background, business skills weren’t part of her formal training but she knew they were key to turning her passion into a sustainable career. Through the programme, Eva gained confidence in pricing her work, marketing her art, and developing a strong business mindset. Since then, she has launched a successful solo exhibition and secured a place on a prestigious artist mentorship programme.
After completing the Scottish Pathways programme Eva took some time out to talk us through her experience, her business and her journey to self-employment.
How did you first hear about the programme?
Having very recently graduated from art school, achieving both my Undergraduate and master’s level degrees in Fine Art, I began my wider job search. During this time, Gordon Gardner’s name had been flagged as an expert on all things self-employment. So, as a practicing artist who had been fortunate enough to gain some commercial success already, I was intrigued to explore and strengthen my business acumen as a creative practitioner.
Why did you decide to join?
I was keen to view a career in visual art from an entirely new perspective – in this instance, with a business mind. As previously I had very limited knowledge as to how to sustain an art practice most efficiently, and art school had merely brushed over the subject in my experience.
Can you tell me about your business?
I am a Scottish Fine Artist currently based in Glasgow. Having competed a total of five years of full-time artistic training, I specialise in the area of painting, producing work on a range of scales and catering to those who appreciate a figurative, representational style of art.
I have sold work in Glasgow, Hong Kong and Seoul, providing bespoke, original artworks to companies and individual art companies. I guarantee a high quality of service which can be tailored to art collectors, home decorators and gift givers. I regularly participate in online and in person exhibitions and have successfully launched two solo shows within the past three years.
Why have you decided to go self-employed?
In truth, the sessions acted as a point of departure in considering self-employment – this is an area I am currently still researching and discerning. This of course provided me with reassurance and confidence to delve into the world of exploring my entrepreneurial options. Due to the nature of a career as an artist, and in my case as someone who specialises in painting, I understood that in order to continue this endeavour and ultimately be able to support myself from it, self-employment was a very worthy option for my consideration.
What were you doing before deciding to go down the self-employment route?
I was a full-time student until the Autumn of 2024. Immediately after my graduation, I worked as the artist in residence at The Prado Museum, Madrid. I am at the early stage of my career and have been fortunate to have built on some extremely valuable networking opportunities. I have also noticed some modest growth in my enterprise and sales, which have increased since sharpening my aptitude and becoming more business savvy.
How happy are you with the advice and support you received?
At the end of each day, I felt truly amazed by just how much content we were able to cover within the four-hour window. In fact, I had voiced that I wished the course ran for a longer period of time due to the fact I had enjoyed it so much!
The Self-Employment Awareness Workshop was a very worthwhile investment of my time. The content covering Marketing and Pricing – areas I would have admitted as not being my strong suit - was highly beneficial.
The programme surpassed my expectations. Both the content itself and the facilitators (Gordon and Ian) brought the presentation slides to life by sharing their own personal experience and advice.
Both Gordon and Ian’s straightforward and very considered teaching approach allowed periods of time for the group to focus purely on the set presentation, and for smaller moments of dialogue within the group.
What did you find most helpful?
The emphasis on personal budgeting and ensuring it accurately aligns with my business venture was hugely beneficial. The physical templates and business plan exemplars were helpful in guiding me when creating my own. I felt very comfortable to ask any questions or points of clarification. We also had the opportunity to construct, perfect and deliver our individual elevator pitch.
What has been the biggest challenge in starting your own business so far?
Underselling. I can now see I was grossly underselling myself, especially in the earlier stages of selling work and building a portfolio. I am glad to say that I have now developed a strong pricing strategy and marketing technique which demonstrates the high quality of my work and service. The high standard of work I produce ignites a confidence in me that allows me to defend my business and its policies.
What has been your biggest achievement so far in starting your own business?
I recently launched my second solo exhibition, ‘A Spanish Odyssey’ which showcases the drawings I had created during my artist residency in Madrid. On opening night alone, I sold 25% of the entire collection on display and received exceptional feedback from the visitors and customers who had attended the event. I learned that with persistence, high levels of customer satisfaction and passion, my artistic practice could benefit commercially, and soar!
Where would you like to be in the next three years?
In the coming three years, I have been selected to be part of a brand new artist mentorship programme. I am delighted to be working with The Scottish Contemporary Collective. This will allow me to hone my practical and business skills. I will learn how to make my own wooden stretchers, my own frames and have more opportunities to publicly display my work throughout the UK and internationally.
In the longer term, my dream would be to return to Madrid and hold a permanent position in the Prado Museum. The environment of the gallery is one which inspires and influences me to a different degree. Being able to encourage the public to interact with and explore one of the finest museums in the world is an extremely unique opportunity which I would relish. Until then, I will continue to work hard and dream big and, importantly, brush up on my Spanish speaking skills!
Self-Employment Support
If you are based in Glasgow and would like some support with your self-employment goals please email: [email protected]
We also offer support to organisations and individuals across the UK. If you'd like to find out more click here.
You can find out more about Eva and her work here:
Instagram: @_footprintsoffaith
Exhibition: A Spanish Odyssey Archives - Glasgow Art Club
February 20, 2025Posted by:
