Acrylic Pouring Event Services

Speaker 1 0:30

My name is Julia Bay and my services are event services, so where I come to corporations, people's houses for birthday parties, even kids parties, and then I lead people through the art of acrylic pouring, Wow, and you brought some demonstrations here that you're going to be doing.

Speaker 2 0:49

This interview is going to be a little bit different today, which we're excited about. Good, you're going to be making some Christmas ornaments. I am, is that?

Speaker 1 0:55

correct, yeah, so I can show you really quick what a.

Speaker 1 0:57

Christmas ornament, so I have lots of different any of my parties. People are able to pick their colors. So I bring, you know, the whole rainbow and then people are able to pick what colors they want. So I usually have four colors. Today I'm just going to bring three, because I had pre-made paint from a LinkedIn live I did recently. So this is an example of a few colors. Today I'm just going to bring three, because I had pre-made paint from a LinkedIn live I did recently. So this is an example of a few colors. These are very patriotic colors, but isn't that beautiful? Yeah, so, yeah. So what I do is I just pour paint out on top of the ornament and then it dries and then you're left with a beautiful handmade ornament that you can either gift to people or you can keep for yourself. I love that.

Speaker 2 1:34

And the name of your business.

Speaker 1 1:36

The name of my business, thank you, is Poor Paint. Party Love it, poor Paint.

Speaker 2 1:41

Party. Yeah, it is on point.

Speaker 1 1:43

Yes, it really is Right on brand. It is.

Speaker 2 1:45

Love it and now as you do this demonstration. Would you mind giving me a backstory about yourself and how you got started in your industry?

Speaker 1 1:53

Sure yourself and how you got started in your industry. Sure, do you want the whole thing? Well, we can fit. Yeah, because that could go on forever.

Speaker 1 2:06

No, so it is interesting I have my master's in international relations and I never considered myself an artist. I never took art classes. I took a clay class, maybe in seventh grade, okay, and that was fun. But anytime that people would talk about being an artist it just never resonated with me, like it never felt right and it actually scared me. Oh, no, yeah, well, I think it's just because like you're sitting next to somebody, like to your right in elementary school, and they're doing a beautiful job with a sketch and you're just like drawing stick figures, yeah, but to be honest, like I'm still drawing stick figures, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna lie, um, anyway. So I I ended up getting my master's in international relations from the University of Oklahoma shout, shout out Sooners. And after that I was in international education for about 10 years in Oklahoma, so, where I was recruiting international students to come to the United States and processing their visas, so very far away from art.

Speaker 1 3:09

But when my daughter? So I have two kids now, a six-year-old and a three-year-old. When my daughter was three months old, my husband got a new job and a three-year-old when my daughter was three months old, my husband got a new job and we moved to Northern Virginia from Oklahoma. Wow. So we said goodbye to everybody and I found myself just in this place of one, not having a support system, not having my family, not having the friends that had before and um, and then I didn't have my job, which I loved, and so I found myself one, not getting a job right away, and I sat I kid you not in the bathtub after I fed my daughter. I would put her down for two hours. I would sit in the bathtub for two hours. The water would run. It would bathtub for two hours.

Speaker 1 3:56

The water would run, it would get cold, I'd have to add hot water. I did that for two hours and I watched YouTube videos and the videos that mesmerized me, that satisfied me. They were acrylic pouring videos. Look at that. And it took me three months I kid you not to buy the materials, because I never connected with being an artist. I never thought I could do it. I bought the materials and then I fell in love and I like it was the one thing that I had for myself, right Like here I am in the new place, being a mom for the first time, and I found something that satisfied me, that made me feel good, and so I did it for myself. And I had paintings all over the house. I had like paint all over the floors.

Speaker 1 4:46

I kid you not, you got into it. I so got into it and then one day my husband. I mean living in Loudoun County compared to Oklahoma City is a different financial situation. Sure, coming from like two, like solid incomes, to one. And so he came home one day and he's like hey, julia, I'm so glad you found something you love, but we can't afford your hobby anymore. And you know what I did? I was like hell no.

Speaker 1 5:17

We're making this happen. Yes, oh, I have to be able to do this. I love this. And so at that point I had girlfriends over to my house and I just had a free party with them, yeah, and I showed them what I'd learned, and it was so fun, they loved it. And then COVID hit, and then I was like, well, I can have outside parties. And so that's when I started my business.

Speaker 1 5:42

It was right when COVID hit. Oh, my goodness, right in the midst of that, huh, in the midst of it, yeah, and so I would have outside parties where people were wearing masks, but people loved it. It was like a way for people to come together even in the midst of, like, all of this, like turmoil, right, um, and it was, it was beautiful. And so I've gone from these parties at people's houses, you know, you know, making very small amount of money but fulfilling my soul, um, and now you know, like last month I was working with Amazon. And now you know, like last month I was working with Amazon, amazon referred me to another Fortune 500 company that I'm working with in the month of December and Amazon's hired me again.

Speaker 1 6:23

So I've gone, you know, in these six years, from free parties with friends not feeling like an artist, to now sharing this art form with people really all over the world. I even ship out internationally. So I shipped out to like. Last year I shipped out well, all over Europe, but also to Brazil and the Philippines. Okay, Wow, International.

Speaker 2 6:47

Now International it's international now.

Speaker 1 6:50

It just gives me chills because it's so much fun.

Speaker 2 6:53

It just fulfills me. I love that and part of your business too. I saw that you offer like virtual that's different.

Speaker 1 6:58

I do Yep. So what I do is I still am out of my garage, so I have all. I mean, I'm in a townhouse and so I have like a one car garage which really isn't even made for a car. You know if you have a townhouse with a garage.

Speaker 1 7:09

those aren't made for cars, but yeah, so the whole thing is filled with my artwork, all of my art supplies you should make like an etsy shop or something well, yeah, you know I have done that in the past, but it's turned out to take more time than it's worth, and my joy I have figured out it's coming from sharing this with other people. Yeah, and that's what I'm here for. I'm here to let everybody know that they're artists and give people happiness and satisfaction through performing this. This can be a form of therapy.

Speaker 2 7:42

It really can, so therapeutic.

Speaker 1 7:43

And that's what it was there for, like for me during that time of moving here. Yeah, it was fantastic.

Speaker 2 7:49

Absolutely. Do you want to start?

Speaker 1 7:49

with the demonstration. Oh sure, yeah, I completely forgot I was even doing that. Yeah, I'd love to see it. Okay, so what we do whenever I have my corporate events or in-person events, everybody goes and they're able to pick four colors. I bring hundreds of pounds of paint I kid you not to all of my events and people get to pick the colors they like and then I give them, like this whole. You know, like if you don't like any of these colors, you can make your own. So I'm like you can mix these colors up. You don't have to use any of these and you can like put white in something, you can put gold in something, make something sparkle, and so it's really a fun thing where people are able to experience um, that already looks pretty just pouring the paint like that, oh girl, yeah, it's like sand art, right?

Speaker 1 8:42

people are always like, oh my gosh, it's like sand art, yeah. And so what I'm gonna do is I I let people know at the parties, like your colors, how you pour matters. And the reason for that is because the first color you put in your cup, if you're pouring it out, it's the last color that pours out, right? And so whenever people are at parties, if they want for their ornaments or their desk organizers or whatever, if they want for them to be kind of similar you know, none of these are exactly the same yeah, then what they would do is they would put the color they like the most on the bottom yeah the more dominant one, so that way at the end you can see it more.

Speaker 1 9:27

Yeah, exactly makes sense. Yeah, so this one's going to be a very subtle one. I'm going to have white at the bottom, okay, a little bit of gold. And what kind of paint is this? Acrylic? It's acrylic paint, and then I mix it with a pouring medium. And so pouring mediums, you can get them at, you know, all of the craft stores, or you can even go to Home Depot or Lowe's.

Speaker 2 9:49

Oh, wow, okay, Good old Home Depot.

Speaker 1 9:51

Yeah, and so for my virtual events, this is what I send out. I send out, you know, containers like this I pump the actual paint into the container and then, on top of the paint, I put the pouring medium, and then I ship it out with all of the materials, including this lovely art pad. I don't know if you recognize what the art pad is.

Speaker 2 10:14

I thought of it but I was like, let me not say it. My intrusive thoughts, no, say it what do you think it?

Speaker 1 10:19

is it like a totally?

Speaker 2 10:22

like a puppy pad. That's what I thought but. I was like no, it's probably not, it's probably an artistic, it's totally a puppy pad, because it soaks up everything.

Speaker 1 10:29

Yeah right, it's perfect. It's so perfect, okay, so this is gonna be my blue dominant christmas ornament. I'm just gonna make sure it's sturdy on here, and then I start by going around in circles.

Speaker 2 10:42

Oh, wow, whoa.

Speaker 1 10:45

And I'm just going to keep going in circles here. This is called the tree ring because you're just going in circles and it does look a little bit like a tree ring. So here you can see how I layered my paints has really determined, yeah, what colors are coming out and when. And here, at the end, you see the blue making its debut.

Speaker 2 11:13

Oh, that's stunning. Oh, this is so therapeutic.

Speaker 1 11:18

Right, yeah, and so this is the bottom of the Christmas ornament.

Speaker 2 11:25

This is gorgeous Thank you, oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 11:29

And you know, what's amazing about it is that anybody can do it right If you can pour a glass of wine you can do this, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 11:37

Yeah.

Speaker 1 11:38

Isn't that so fun? It's gorgeous.

Speaker 2 11:39

This is amazing, and they're all like one of a kind too, so it's like your, it is yours, your creation, and it can't be replicated.

Speaker 1 11:47

No, so I've had people say, hey, can you do this painting? So I've done custom pieces for people, yeah, but, um, but the truth is is like no, you can't replicate it because it's fluid, and so you have to be willing to, just like, go with the flow.

Speaker 2 12:01

Yes.

Speaker 1 12:06

Um, I will tell you, some people really stress out about things like that, Like people who are type a right or who are perfectionist. This is a very difficult time for like at first, because you know some people really want to have like specific instructions on how to make something perfect, and the truth is you can't go wrong here.

Speaker 2 12:23

Yeah.

Speaker 1 12:24

There's no such thing as perfect, and you really, I have a spinner here. Do you see how?

Speaker 2 12:32

much it's spinning. Yes, I do see that.

Speaker 1 12:34

It's not usually spinning that much. I'm going to go back and forth on this one so we can get a little um, oh my gosh, that's just so incredible. So we can get some cool lines here, um, but yeah, so perfectionists do have a hard time with it. But then you know, what's so satisfying is that after they're done, they're like oh my gosh, I was so stressed out about that, but look at it, it's beautiful but you kind of learn to let go.

Speaker 1 12:59

You have to learn to let go and allow whatever happens to happen, and what a wonderful gift to allow something else to take total control. Yeah, Right.

Speaker 2 13:13

Oh my gosh, what about for marketing? Do you do anything like on TikTok? I feel like this would be like just perfect, maybe ASMR or something of that nature.

Speaker 1 13:21

Oh my gosh. So I'm still a stay at home mom with a three-year-old and six-year-old, so my time is limited. It's limited, and so I'm trying to choose exactly what I want to how I want to market and, to be honest, I haven't marketed at all. It's okay, that's why you're here.

Speaker 2 13:36

We're going to help you out, girl.

Artistic Entrepreneurship and Inspirational Vision

Speaker 1 13:38

Thank you, but all of my marketing has been organic. So my Amazon job, that was organic, from somebody who'd been to one of my parties and just talked to their boss Beautiful. And then AstraZeneca, right.

Speaker 2 13:52

AstraZeneca.

Speaker 1 13:53

AstraZeneca yeah, so a huge pharmaceutical who's having me out in December with a large party. That was because somebody at Amazon told them about me and so, honestly, like I have not done paid marketing. It's all word of mouth, because I really like, as a person who this is so new, the business side of things is so it still feels new to me. I'm just going with the flow and whatever happens, it's going to happen, literally like your paint. Yeah, like my paint. Like your paint, I'm like my paint. I say I'm type B negative.

Speaker 2 14:27

Life imitates art. You're your paint.

Speaker 1 14:28

Yeah, I love it Totally. Type B negative oh my goodness, okay. So here you have the tree rings, where you can see the tree rings, and here I went back and forth. Yeah, with this one, I am just going to flip it over. So, uh, I'm literally going to flip my cup over, okay, and then let the paint fall down. My hands might get a little messy, that's okay, we love that, okay, so I'm just going to flip my ornament over like this.

Speaker 2 14:54

Yeah, oh my gosh, I would be so scared. You're right you'd be scared. Yeah, I'm just like the paint's gonna pop all over me.

Speaker 1 15:04

Look at this. Look, isn't that so interesting there's like a big suction cup.

Speaker 2 15:08

Uh-huh, and that's so fun. Yes, um.

Speaker 1 15:12

So here I'm just going to see if I can do this at the right time.

Speaker 2 15:17

Oh my, gosh, that is stunning. I wish our walls could look like that.

Speaker 1 15:21

Right, whoa Isn't that fun.

Speaker 2 15:24

So stunning and look, they're all different. You use similar techniques pouring it in, but then when you put it on, it's completely different. Isn't that fantastic, so fantastic.

Speaker 1 15:34

So you know why I fell in love with it. Yes, it's like it's mesmerizing, and in the past I used to make things for myself and now I don't do it anymore. I don't make stuff for myself because really I get my joy from doing this, sharing it. Yeah, just to help other people feel the same way that I felt.

Speaker 2 15:52

Yeah, yeah, I love it, so let me show you some other things. Yeah, please do so.

Speaker 1 15:57

This is a vase. So in this area, whenever I have parties like vases are a really big deal for, like in February, for Thanksgiving, not Thanksgiving, valentine's Day, valentine's Day, thank you, the roses. And so you just like this art form is amazing. You can pour on glass, you can pour on wood, you can pour on plastic. Yeah, and then for my corporations, a lot of them like to do this party, which is a desk organizer, so anytime that an employee goes to reach for a pin they're reminded of the fun times that they've had. Isn't that sweet, so sweet, isn't that so sweet? And then I also have like miniature canvas parties that come with like three easels.

Speaker 2 16:41

They're so, so fun, so anyways, that's what I do the variety of stuff. What kind of events do you do, like all kinds of team building events, birthday parties?

Speaker 1 16:49

Yep. So it's everything for birthday parties and smaller parties under 15. I hired an event manager. Oh my gosh Congratulations. Oh, thank you, thank you, so she actually started this last weekend, oh wow, and she had her first party and she didn't tell anybody it was her first party until the end. And they were blown away. Of course they were. She did so good. Her name is Jade and I met her at Altitude, the trampoline jump zone here in Leesburg.

Speaker 2 17:14

I love that Because we both have kids.

Speaker 1 17:16

Yeah, and funny it's like oh, we both have first graders. Oh, where does yours go to school? Oh, what class are they in? And our kids are in the same class.

Speaker 2 17:25

The prophecy is fulfilled here.

Speaker 1 17:27

I love that yeah.

Speaker 2 17:33

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Oh, I'm going places.

Speaker 1 17:35

Oh, I love it. Talk to me a little bit about that.

Speaker 2 17:36

Let's manifest it.

Speaker 1 17:37

Okay, it is being manifested right Right now, I see big things of not only having this organization that serves people all over the world and shares this beauty with the world, but also I'm here to serve moms who want to have something for themselves, and so I see this as being like I am going to send a kit to moms all over the place who want to do this with their friends, who want to do this with other people who want to have birthday parties, and so it's multifaceted. I have the large corporate events that are happening regularly, but then also I have moms or anybody else who wants to have these fun side gigs that actually bring them joy. Yes, it's different than something else where you're selling a product. Yes, like this is experiencing happiness while you work.

Speaker 1 18:30

I have never disliked. In these six years, I've never come home and not liked something I've done. Doesn't that feel good? Yes, it just makes me want to cry. That's the dream. It just makes me so happy. Yeah, you're in the right spot. It's my me want to cry. That's the dream it just makes me so happy.

Speaker 2 18:42

Yeah, you're in the right spot. It's my little baby, you know, and you're sharing that joy with everybody. Maybe some people who start doing this are like I don't think I can do that, and then they're like I'm an expert.

Speaker 1 18:52

Move over Right.

Speaker 2 18:54

I got this Building people's about right and showing that they're capable of absolutely creating something beautiful and, yes, right. So I love it. I love it so much. Is there anything?

Speaker 1 19:11

that we have not touched on, that. You want to get out there, maybe about yourself, your business, the process. I'm open. I'm open to investors. So I'm open to having a location, because right now my garage is just not enough for all of the business. I've outgrown my garage, so if anybody's looking for an investment opportunity, we're going places and it feels good.

Speaker 2 19:29

And it's amazing that it's coming from Loudoun. Hello, represent. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I love it. And now, of course, where would be your like ideal location or what would be be your dream studio or type of place that you'd be looking for?

Speaker 1 19:46

Well, one. I love the idea of being close to a lot of people, so I love the idea of being in downtown Leesburg. I'm not going to lie. And then my husband and I have been playing with this idea. So I'm Native American. I come from a Cherokee and a Choctaw background. Okay, cool. Yeah, the Cherokee is where I get this hair from. Okay, I love the curls A lot of people don't realize that Native Americans, that there's a lot of different hair types, so this is where I get my curls from.

Speaker 1 20:12

But yeah, like having playing with this idea of like having a coffee shop like native beans and like actually using something that was very similar to what was used with native americans, like that is local, like beans that come, local beans, um. But then and then in the evening having events like and I love that idea I was like oh, chris, I love that a little wine too.

Artistic Expression Through Pouring Party

Speaker 2 20:36

Shout out, uh, husband. Yeah, shout out to you, baby, I love it, that's so cute, but yeah, that's great. And then for my final question here is there a message that you would like to leave our listeners Maybe anybody who's interested in like joining in on this? And then, if you could also leave us with an inspirational quote or saying that maybe someone told you that you would like to leave our listeners with.

Speaker 1 21:03

Oh, I love that. Can I just come up with something?

Speaker 2 21:06

on the spot, definitely Okay. Yes, we don't follow rules here.

Speaker 1 21:11

Yeah, I'm type B negative.

Speaker 2 21:13

I love it. No, embrace it girl.

Speaker 1 21:15

You did so, don't be afraid. I think is the number one thing To do something so unexpected, something that you would never have imagined yourself doing, because you never know where it's going to take you. Right? Yeah, that's it. I think that's it. I love it. That's all I got.

Speaker 2 21:38

No, I love it, and then people can check you out on your website, Instagram. Tell me what the handle is.

Speaker 1 21:44

So handle is pourpaintparty, p-o-u-r, no space paint and then party and yeah, and then also, if you're on LinkedIn, I do a weekly live. This is for our people who are in the HR realm, where I discuss a book that will help employees feel more connected. What's the book? Well, for this week, it is the Advantage Experience. Oh, my God, don't ask me that, it's Jacob Morgan. Do you change the book? I change the book every week and then, while I'm reviewing the book, I'm also pouring paint out, so it's like people get to have a little bit of an experience while they're learning some really important information.

Speaker 2 22:29

I love that You're a multitasker.

Speaker 1 22:31

Oh girl, I am. I am, yeah, and I'm also a mom, right? Yeah, you got to be a multitasker, absolutely yeah. And then Facebook, instagram. I post my parties there and you can see beautiful creations, and I know a lot of men are so hesitant to do this art form. They're so hesitant and then, when they like so many times, people will bring their men along to parties, like women will bring their husbands. Yeah, and they're the most ecstatic. I love it.

Speaker 1 23:06

I love it so much. I had a party the other day that was like 70% men. I was like this is my dream.

Speaker 2 23:15

I'm helping men release their tension, their artistic tension with themselves.

Speaker 1 23:19

Yeah, thank you, it's better, it's okay. No, I love that. Yeah, thank you, it's better, it's okay.

Speaker 2 23:22

No, I love that.

Speaker 1 23:24

Yeah, and then it is. It feels so good to see that. So if you're a man curious about this, it's okay, don't be shy. Don't be shy, she doesn't bite. I don't Come out and we pour, and it's fantastic. Yes, yeah, I love that.

Speaker 2 23:40

Well, thank you so much for coming here and sharing this joy and experience with us. These look beautiful. Thank you, I kind of want to keep one. You could keep them all.

Speaker 1 23:46

I don't take these things home. Anytime somebody has me out for a party, they keep my creations.

Speaker 2 23:50

Oh my gosh See, I should have said that earlier. Yeah, all the better to book her, See.

Speaker 1 23:55

Well.