November Creator of the Month: Evelyn Henson
If someone had given Evelyn Henson a job right out of college in 2013, she may never have become the artist-entrepreneur she is today. But thankfully seven years ago, no one answered the emails of the young Furman University graduate looking to work in an art shop or museum.
Because she had not yet been hired by a company, Evelyn set up an Etsy shop after college to make a little money. Evelyn laughs thinking about it now “I don’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t have a job and I think I was a little lost.”
It turns out she began her shop in the same year that Instagram was growing in popularity. Evelyn’s bright fresh designs of flowers, perfume bottles, and maps of travel destinations were a hit with her former college sorority sisters and picture-perfect on the new social media where one photo can get hundreds of likes. It helped spread the word about Evelyn who now has over 70,000 followers and a thriving business of art, stationery, and gifts. (Evelynhenson.com)
Each day, Evelyn posts tiny works of art on Instagram and Pinterest to make people smile. But her creative vision extends also to the 40-foot murals that have become another signature of her work. There are a series of three murals now, two in Charlotte (Confetti Hearts, and Confetti Stripes) and one in her hometown of Columbus, GA (Confetti Sunshine).
Her first mural began when someone followed her on Instagram reached out about painting a wall for their new Southend Development. Evelyn created the first in the Confetti series with the idea of throwing kindness like confetti.
“I like that saying and that idea,” Evelyn says. “If you look at one piece of confetti it seems insignificant and small. But if you put them all together it turns into something big, bright, and beautiful. That is how I think about our everyday actions and how taken together what they could mean.”
The Confetti Hearts wall became an instant Charlotte hit as people captured their love of dogs, kids, babies, and friendships in front of Evelyn’s larger-than-life hearts creating the perfect background for joy. Evelyn loves seeing it all especially the proposals and engagements
“Whether it is seeing people eating ice cream or down on one knee, it makes me happy,” Evelyn says. “To know that I could put something out there in the world that can help people celebrate big moments and small moments and elevate both.”
As a child, Evelyn was always creative and a little different from her siblings. She is the oldest (by minutes) in a set of triplets and two younger siblings. Her triplet sister, Jackie, is a doctor and her triplet brother, Kenny, is a lawyer. One more sister, Nell, is also a lawyer, and her youngest brother, Ted, a statistician. Evelyn says her mind always worked a little bit differently from her siblings and her mom signed her up for all the creative camps. “Decoupage camp, cookie decorating camp, puppet-making camp, you name it I was creating.”
But Evelyn didn’t imagine she would have a career in art. “Growing up, I think the way art was presented was that it was for the kids who weren’t good at math or English. I was good at English, so art felt less important. So, I was taking the AP classes in English and art wasn’t something I valued for a long time.”
Her accidental path into an art career came only after her attempts to get a job with a museum or gallery fell through. As an Art and Communications major, Evelyn developed her love of painting as a creative outlet in college. “I didn’t see painting as an option because I didn’t know anyone who worked as an artist. Now I see so many avenues for art.”
Day to day, Evelyn creates with a process of oil, watercolors, and gauche working alone with no one watching creating whatever makes her happy. She loves painting her calendar pages where she can be a “little bit weirder” with a message hidden in a newspaper or a random dog scampering across the scene.
On her large-scale murals, however, sometimes Evelyn must paint with spectators which she admits gives her a little anxiety. “I work quickly because I don’t want someone seeing a draft and thinking it is the finished piece.”
The newest in her Confetti series is on a wall in the historic downtown district of Columbus close to where her grandmother grew up and only blocks away from where her parents live today. Her father is in development and during the spring while quarantining for COVID, Evelyn painted Confetti Sunshine.
“With everything I paint I want to exude a sense of sunshine but the mural needs to be simpler to attract a passerby. So, I start with colors and shapes that might bring joy,” Evelyn said.
While she had a rough sketch, Evelyn barely looked at it preferring to free paint on her massive outdoor canvases. Evelyn uses no painters tape or other devices to make her murals perfect.
“I want them to be imperfect,” Evelyn said. “Art is a reflection of life so it should always be imperfect.”
Before she was a working artist, Evelyn thought she might want to be a teacher. “I have a lot of love and respect for educators because of all the teachers who encouraged me and my art. I think I wanted to be a teacher because they put so much good in the world.”
Evelyn’s first illustrated book for children was A Good Night for Mr. Colemanbut this fall, she released her own book Confetti Hearts to encourage children to spread kindness in the world. It is a natural extension of her philosophy to keep spreading sunshine whether on mugs or murals.
Evelyn is a born creator making both small moment art and big moment art that will undoubtedly change the world.
To learn more about Evelyn and purchase her work visit evelynhenson.com.