Meet Alana Bates | Painter & Granny Crafter

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

Hi Alana, what do you attribute your success to?
I started painting as a release, a way to relax and escape the stresses of everyday life. I never expected to make a business out of it, I just enjoyed creating art. The fact that other people can find joy in my pieces enough to own them is my biggest success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I feel like being an artist is never easy. It takes courage to share your passion with the world. With the growing success of Morbid Cuties, and my paintings being openly shared on different social media sites, I have come to see a lot of positive encouragement but with that the negative feedback. Every artist faces this in one way or another in our new social media driven society. Learning to take the good with bad and continuing to do what you love is the biggest challenge but also an artist’s greatest success as well. Morbid Cuties is where it is today because painting is what I love to do. When people buy my art, for me that is just an extra bonus. I create art because I want to, not because I need to.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Estes Park is my go to! Not only does it house the historic Stanley Hotel, but it also has the gorgeous Rocky Mountains for quite a view. I love walking through the small town and seeing what all eccentric shops have to offer and getting every flavor taffy you could imagine. Leadville is another favorite of mine. Turquoise and Twin Lakes are my fiance and I’s go to fishing spots. Belmar outdoor mall has a row of galleries like Sally Centigrade and Valkarie Galleries that display some amazingly talented local artists.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Growing up, my sister and I were always working on some sort of new craft. We were very artsy and still are today. Her and I are polar opposites, she was always the fun outgoing type and I was the quiet loner. Being creative was always the one thing we had in common. My sister has always been supportive of all the crazy things I have tried and I have always supported her many talents. Today she has a successful baking business where she creates masterpieces out of sugar. My sister and her adventures side, willing to try all new things will always be an inspiration. You can find her on Instagram @moosebunsbybrooke

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/morbidqts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morbidcuties
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morbidqts