How my work ended up in Mexico!

I'm so excited to share one of the coolest things that I've ever been a part of. Most of you have already seen some of the pictures of my work large-scale in the salon in Mexico, but I'm sure some of you are wondering how on earth it came to be! So here's the story of how my work ended up all the way in Jurica Queretaro, Mexico. 

A little less than three months ago, I debuted the website for my artwork across a couple different social media platforms. I'd been working hard to give my art the proper website where it would be showcased professionally and beautifully. When it launched, my website and work were also shared on a popular art blog, widening my audience pretty quickly. About a month later, and with hundreds of new followers on my Instagram page, I received a message from a woman asking if I'd received her email regarding a mural project for a company called Wax Revolution. Truth be told, I'm not great at checking emails, so I'm so glad she reached out on Instagram. 

In her email, she explained who she was and what she was looking for. She said she owned several salons throughout Mexico, each featuring murals of different artists whose work is feminine and eye-catching. They pay the artists for the high resolution images of the artwork, which they then print on vinyl that is applied in sections like wallpaper onto the walls of the salon. 

It sounded really cool, and I was so flattered, so I agreed to work with her, but remained doubtful that all of the details would work out, even after she'd sent an initial payment to confirm the start of the collaboration. Honestly, it all sounded a little too easy...and too good to be true. Not to mention that during this time, a dear friend of mine passed away, and I was traveling back and forth from New Hampshire to be with his loved ones. I remember getting a message from the salon owner during that time saying that time was slipping away...and should she find someone else? No!! I realized I was about to lose an incredible opportunity and got busy working out the logistics. 

She'd already chosen two of my pieces for different rooms in the salon, and asked that I make a new original for the entrance of the salon. That's what inspired my Tiger Meets Snake piece! She explained the third piece should be colorful; not too busy, with a few different elements. That left a lot of creative liberty (which I LOVE) and I started with a vague idea in mind of what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted a jungle scene, and from there the piece evolved, one element at a time. Tiger came first, then snake, colors and plant forms. I absolutely loved how it came out and sent an image of it to her, hoping she'd agree. To my delight she did! She loved it. 

I sent along the images of my work and crossed my fingers that the dimensions, pixels per inch, etc etc were all exactly as they need to be. I'm a self-taught, rookie photographer and even less skilled at photoshop, both of which were required to pull this off. I reached out to her a few times, wondering if the images I'd sent would work. I started to get nervous when I didn't hear back right away. 

Finally, at the end of a few long days being a busy mom to my two young boys, I received a message from her. She'd sent the final payment, and then these pictures popped up, one after another...

Guys. I almost fell off my couch. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. After weeks of grieving the loss of our friend, traveling back and forth, and a long week mom'ing, it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. MY ART. TAKING UP THREE ENTIRE WALLS!!!! IN MEXICO!!!! It honestly wasn't until that very moment that the reality of the coolness of this opportunity set in. Up until that second, I'd been expecting an email from her saying the image dimensions weren't accurate, the photo resolution wouldn't work, on and on (I had every worst case scenario queued up). I can honestly say I never- in my wildest dreams- thought I'd see my work this large scale, in another country nonetheless! It literally took my breath away. 

A few weeks went by and another message came through....this time it was the professional pictures of the space once it was finished and open for business. And I experienced the same amazement and joy all over again. 

And that is the story of how my art ended up in a salon in Mexico!! I want to thank Bridget Rutherford, of Wax Revolution, for this amazing opportunity to share my work with a different part of the world. She stumbled upon my art on Instagram (thank you, Instagram!) and chose me to be the artist featured in her new salon. I am over-the-moon grateful that she was patient with me and gave me time to piece everything together. This all coincided with my first art show, which also exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations for my art. 

I have nothing but gratitude for the friends, family, mentors, and strangers who follow along on my journey, appreciate what I do, buy originals or prints, show up to my show to support me, share in my excitement, and share my work with their friends. I'm going to continue to work hard to keep this momentum going by continuing to make new pieces and by putting my art out into the world. Magical things happen when you stay committed to your passion and step out of your comfort zone. I am proof of this!

Thanks for reading. Love to you all. Dream big! 

Stacey Elaine