Meet Xan Rubey | Artist. Writer. F*ckabout.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Xan Rubey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Xan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Oh, that’s sweet, you think I had a thought process. You’re giving me way more credit than I’m due. For most of my life I’ve dabbled with side businesses while I was otherwise employed, or while being a stay-at-home mom, so when I officially retired in 2019 from my position as Queen of a local developer and homebuilder company, I jumped into a huge pool of possible pursuits. I chased them all, and after a lot of trial and error, settled on the three things I want to be if and when I ever grow up: an artist, a writer, and a fuckabout.

From there, all I had to do was figure out what sort of art I wanted to create and what to write about. :). Around that time, my sister and I came across a gorgeous Braccialini handbag and she was dying to have it for her birthday. It featured two dinosaurs playing with a butterfly, and all sorts of embellishments and it was absurdly gorgeous but also absurdly pricey. I thought, “You know, I bet I could duplicate that.” So I headed to the Coach outlet, got a hot pink crossbody I knew she would like and replicated the design, swapping out the dinosaurs for her favorite flamingoes. We were both so thrilled with the results that I immediately started painting more of them as Christmas gifts for friends and relatives which prompted my sister-in-law to start commissioning them for her friends and it has just grown from there. I’ve branched out from bags to jackets and hats and boots — anything leather — and have created custom pieces for people all over the country, including a Beastie Bag for author Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess.

Not having a real job allows me to tag along with my hubby in his work travels. I pack up my art supplies and join him on the road — while he works, I paint and write a blog about my fuckabout life as an artist. It’s not ALL fun and games, I do still have a semi-real job as the Information Goddess/Marketing Gal for my hubby’s company, but overall, Artist/Writer/Fuckabout is a really great gig!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
No matter what medium I’ve worked in, and I’ve done a little of pretty much everything, I’ve always wanted to convey a feeling of whimsy and fun; I think the work I’m doing now accomplishes that. My painting style is pretty realistic and I combine it with actual 3D elements, so when someone sees a skeleton arm reaching out of a zipper pocket or a sloth’s claws wrapped around the purse strap, they do a double-take. That’s really what I’m looking for — I love to watch the initial spark of surprise turn into a smile or a laugh. That exclamation of astonishment and joy is everything.

I’m most excited about discovering new canvases so to speak. I’ve branched out from bags to jackets, boots, cowboy hats, furniture and even a couple cars, so what’s next? My clients have been the ones to lead the way, asking, “could you do this?” and I always try to answer YES even if I have no idea how I’ll get it done. Their requests continually push me out of my comfort zone so I’m always discovering new ways of meeting their challenges and I never get bored!

The most difficult part of starting this sort of very niche, artsy business is getting my work out in front of the right people. Is it best to sell through Etsy or my own online shop or through local boutiques? How do I make the most of my advertising dollars on social media like Instagram and Pinterest? I still don’t have these answers dialed in, it’s a never-ending struggle to find the right mix of promotional efforts that will reach the ideal clientele.

So far, my best strategy has been to create custom pieces as either donations to various charity fundraiser auctions or gifts for celebrities and influencers whose followers seem to be the same kind of folks as my clients. For instance, I gave author Jenny Lawson a bright red Coach tote with a painting of the Beastie from her last book. She loved it and immediately posted photos of herself holding the bag on Instagram and I got tons of new commissions.

Sadly, this tactic doesn’t always work as planned. Two years ago, I created a Coach bag with an adorable smiling sloth holding out a flower for Kristen Bell (a famously sloth-loving actress) and even gave it removable magnetic glasses to look like her Priscilla Tripletoe character in Zootopia. But after a dozen attempts, I still haven’t been able to get it into Kristen’s hands! LOL, I think her celebrity status was a grandiose overreach on my part! But I’ll keep trying. I really want to spread as much playfulness and sunshine as possible and I know she can reach a huge number of people.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Boulder is all about outdoor activities, all year round — hiking, skiing, biking, kayaking, etc. But I’ve never been an outdoorsy kinda gal so I’ve spent the last 27 years here trying to curate activities that center around art, food and drinks rather than bikes, skis and running shoes. Here’s a few things I’ve found to do: Start at Trident Booksellers and Cafe for a perfect coffee, some book browsing and a long, comfy catch-up chat in the coziest coffee house in town. Then walk across Pearl Street to Shoe Fly to pick up the coolest new kicks to wear as we meander east through the Pearl Street walking mall. Pearl Street has too many extraordinary shops to list but we’d for sure hit Peppercorn for all the kitchen and decor items we never knew we needed but now cannot live without; Savannah Bee Company (think a fine wine or gourmet olive oil shop but with honey); Into the Wind for kitschy toys and gag gifts; then make our way down the street to the Farmer’s Market and afternoon tea at the Dushanbe Teahouse and drop in next door at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. We’d wander along Boulder Creek from the bandshell to the library, enjoying the beautiful creek and people-watching. At some point we’d go to Chautauqua Dining Hall for a lunch on the patio, followed by a walkabout and tons of photo ops in front of the Flatirons and maybe a quick catnap under a tree on the Chautauqua lawn. Dinner would be a delicious chocolate martini and a creamy gorgonzola and smoked salmon pasta at the very cozy, slightly hidden, Aperitivo Bistro in Gunbarrel. On a different evening, we’d wander McGuckin’s Hardware store while we wait for our table at Efrain’s next door, because, as the saying goes, “if they don’t sell it at McGuckin’s, you don’t need it.” Besides, the wait makes Efrain’s mezcal marg and blue corn stacked tortillas that much better.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Dedicated to my sister, Heather, for being the guinea pig for my first few designs and continuing to be one of my best patrons; to my sister-in-law, Maggie, for spreading my work across Manhattan and all the way to London; to Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess, for sharing the Beastie Bag with her zillions of followers on Instagram; to my hubby, Adam, for constant encouragement and financial backing, and to each and every person who allowed me to create something personal and meaningful for them.

Website: www.xanaru.com/custom

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xanaru/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xanaru3

Youtube: https://youtu.be/-sRhLEsVT7M

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@xanaru3/video/7160770930040425774?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7193238286650820138