Meet Mab Lee, an 18-year-old local artist running her own small business. Originally from Ohio but now based in Port Saint Joe, a coastal town less than two hours from Tallahassee, her art is not only beautiful but also a true embodiment of the Prince lyric, “there’s always a rainbow after every rain.” Luckily, I got to ask Mab several questions to get to know a little bit about her art, her business and her background!
Her Campus (HC): What kind of art do you make and why did you choose it as a medium over other types? Also, do you have another medium you would consider?
Mab: I started off making pour paintings, as well as regular paintings. Then I moved to making resin art and jewelry which I think I like doing more than anything else because it’s challenging and versatile. I would possibly like to get into candle making some time, but for now, I think I’m content!
HC: What are your favorite things to include in resin pieces and your favorite color to use with pour pieces?
Mab: My favorite things to include in my resin pieces would be flowers and cruelty-free, real butterflies. I often think of my work as creating butterfly or fairy gardens that people can take home to admire forever and I feel like I can bring things back to life in a piece of artwork. I love to use bright and happy colors for my pour paintings. Sometimes I surprise myself with the outcome when using dark colors though because even though I don’t prefer them, the painting comes out to look like a galaxy which I find fascinating.
HC: What made you want to start selling your art, instead of making it to keep?
Mab: With my dad being a tattoo artist, I’ve been surrounded by, and making, art my whole life. After Hurricane Michael came and destroyed where we live, I was left unemployed. I used to clean beach houses and after the storm, they were all damaged or gone. I learned about pour painting through social media and decided to start experimenting. After I made my first piece and posted it on my Snapchat story, my friends—both in Florida and in Ohio—immediately wanted me to make some for them. I ended up making more and began to sell them. Then, I progressed to making a Facebook page which my dad helped me grow by sharing it with his art friends. In the beginning, I didn’t expect to sell any of it, that wasn’t the plan. My art was meant to be a stress reliever and I used it to try and make something beautiful out of the mess around me, to help me be less depressed. Once I saw that so many people wanted a piece of my art, which is like a little piece of me, I was excited about sharing it with the world.
HC: Do you have an inspiration/themes for what you make?
Mab: My inspiration for my art comes from the Earth. When it comes to resin art, I use pressed flowers and other plants, cruelty-free dead butterflies, seashells, or sand. For paintings I don’t really have any inspiration; I normally pick colors I’m drawn to that day and see how it turns out! Except for the beach paintings, of course, those are inspired by the beaches around me.
HC: How far has your art traveled and how many places has it reached? Do you have a goal you want to hit with that?
Mab: My art has traveled to 41 out of 50 states as well as a couple of places in both the UK and Canada! My goal is to reach all 50 states. I think I will definitely get there by the end of this year since we’re at 41/50 and I’ve only had my shop for around a year.
HC: What are your goals and plans for the future, both business-wise and personal if you don’t mind sharing?
Mab: My goal for the future is to hopefully, with some extra dedication, be able to continue doing my small business in addition to going to college. One of the hardest parts about running a small business, for me at least, is finding a balance between schoolwork and art. Sometimes I can get too caught up in orders and procrastinate so I’m working on finding the right balance! After I graduate college, I’m hoping to become an online English teacher so that I can still do my artwork and continue growing my business. I would love if I could become a full-time artist but that’s rare and can be difficult, so I’d rather have a “real” job as well to ensure I have a steady income. If I have the money one day, I would love to venture into making tables and huge resin pieces to hang in people’s homes.
HC: What new pieces are you planning on for the future and which one are you most excited about?
Mab: I will be making more real floral and butterfly wing resin jewelry, as well as more butterfly and flower-shaped earrings with spring and summer coming soon! I know for St. Patrick’s Day I will have a few four-leaf clover necklaces coming as well.
HC: What does art and sharing art mean to you, do you find it important, and why?
Mab: Art for me is a way to free my mind and distract myself from anything stressful or upsetting going on in my life. I put a lot of effort and time into making my art and the fact that people actually like what I come up with and want to take it home, makes me want to share it even more. It makes me happy seeing my art, a piece of my heart, making other people happy.
To see other pieces of Mab’s artwork, as well as connect with her through social media, you can use her website!
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