saying “yes” in the dark: how fig and font evolved from small etsy orders to live gigs at luxury estates like Barnsley Gardens Resort
The Power of Small Beginnings // If there’s one thing I’ve been intentional about since the very beginning of my business, it’s this: Never let a small audience be the reason you hold back on taking action. We all have to start somewhere. For me, that meant laying one stone at a time, long before clients were knocking on my door or flooding my inbox.
I started with a simple creative outlet—a brand-new Instagram account. I chose a clean slate so that I'd have a place to unashamedly start putting my creative pursuits out into the world. A place where my old friends weren't already following me, so that one day, when my account might start gaining attention or being "suggested" to those friends, they could choose whether or not they were interested in seeing that sort of content from me. If not, they could continue to interact with me in a SOCIAL way on my personal account only. This choice removed a lot of hesitation. I didn't want to force people to witness this new pursuit of mine. It was daunting to start from zero followers, but my "side hustle" deserved its own identity.
From Pet Portraits to National Shipping // Months later, I took the next baby step: an Etsy shop. I reached back into my high school training and started offering custom watercolor portraits of homes and pets. It was the perfect low-risk venture for a busy mom of three (at the time). I already owned the watercolor paints and paper, so the only costs would be my time and energy.
Then one day, maybe a year later, a friend asked if I could paint a house on a glass ornament for her real estate client. I didn’t know how yet, but I said, "I can figure it out." With a $60 investment in glass bulb ornaments, acrylic paints, and some fold-up gift boxes from Amazon, a new product was born. By the end of that year, I had shipped nearly 30 commissioned ornaments across the country. It was my most productive year yet.
The Phone Call That Changed Everything // Fast forward another year or two down the line, the phonecall came that shifted the trajectory of Fig and Font. An old neighbor called to say her daughter was getting married. "Have you ever heard of live wedding painting?" she asked.
I hadn’t. But true to my "Yes" mentality, I committed right then and there. I bought a standing easel, toured the venue with the bride and planner (Kate Clayton of White Vine Weddings who was an absolute pleasure to work with and coincidentally an old friend/acquaintance!), fought through the "fear and anxiety" of the unknown and the imposter syndrome, and the nerves that inevitably came along with painting in front of an audience for the first time.
A Debut at The Ruins of Barnsley Resort // That first wedding took place at the iconic Barnsley Resort in North Georgia. If you’ve never been, it is one of the most romantic, historic venues in the Southeast, set on 3,000 acres and nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Only an hour drive North of Atlanta, the ceremony took place at "The Ruins"— the remains of an old prince's estate surrounded by elaborate gardens and shrubbery pathways and a fountain. The reception was held at Georgian Hall - and there was so much love, you could feel it.
Painting amidst that historic charm was exhilarating. And I became obsessed. I also learned that saying "yes" before you feel ready is the only way to truly grow.
Building a Professional Home // As the inquiries trickled in, I realized I needed more than an Etsy storefront. I needed a professional website to host an inquiry form. You see, there was more to my brand than just a list of items to sell. I focus on custom portraiture, which means we can create just about anything you can envisions. I wanted the flexibility of being able to share those facets of myself, my art, and my services. I also found that more people were trying to contact me and they have specific requests: “Can you add a red child’s bicycle and a soccer ball to the front yard of the home portrait?” “Can you add our beloved deceased family pet to the front yard please?”. Things were becoming a little more complex than simply clicking "order portrait' and "select portrait size'. People had questions and ideas that they wanted to bring to life, and I felt an inquiry form would be the best way going forward. For the cost of a single portrait, I invested in a Squarespace site, and the business began to scale.
As you may be able to imagine, in the beginning, my website was pretty unpolished and extremely basic. I am NO web designer haha, and my time was limited. I did the bare minimum only so that potential clients or brides would have an outlet for reaching me. I have since given it a revamp, but despite that, even in the cruder years, brides began reaching out to me there about painting at their weddings. You see, I had been asked by a wedding planner years earlier if I would paint faceless portraits of her team of assistants. She had also commissioned me to paint her BRIDES several times to gift them after the weddings (such a thoughtful gift idea from your wedding planner!), and I absolutely loved it. So my website showcased those small faceless portraits as well as bride and groom portraits.
After years of painting everything from ornaments to family portraits, I realized that painting brides and guests was where my passion truly lay. And suddenly, I noticed a shift. The most frequent request I was receiving through my website inquiry form wasn't for homes or pets or even live wedding paintings anymore. Now it was for live guest sketches. That really excited me. I began to think there was a strong market for these live guest portraits, and while it was a new service and unfamiliar to the general population, I knew I wanted to be a part of this growing new offering and wedding service.
As you can see, each of these developments happened slowly over time. One baby step at a time, as it became important, when it felt right. It didn't all need to happen on day one, and therefore, I didn't have to delay anything. I just BEGAN. It's almost as if I had such a deep trust in the process and an inner knowledge that one day, I would be grateful for the foundation I had laid back when I didn’t yet feel ready.
My Advice to You // Whether you are a fellow creative or a bride-to-be facing a mountain of planning decisions: Say "yes" even when the opportunity is unknown. Commit before you feel 100% prepared. Have faith in your ability to jump into the unknown and figure it out as you go. I promise you, you will not regret it.
And that my friends, is how Fig and Font went from a quiet Instagram account to painting at the most beautiful venues in Georgia. Are you ready to add live art to your wedding story? See what other Atlanta brides just like you had to say about their experience with me by clicking here!
Venue // Barnsley Gardens
Wedding Coordinator // White Vine Weddings
Photographer // Brooke Miller Photography
Live Wedding Painting // Jessy of Fig and Font