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

Hi Heidi, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After college, I worked a few desk jobs where I had little passion for what I was doing. While I am used to being an overachiever, I found myself mentally checked out and struggling to maintain a strong work ethic. I realized quickly that in order for me to mentally show up for work, it needed to be something I was passionate about. I started making art in my free time, as a side hustle. For a few years, I built up momentum as an artist while working another job full time. Slowly, more opportunities came my way until it seemed like making a living as an artist seemed possible. It was at this point that I took a leap of faith and decided to start my own business as an artist, in the hopes that I could wake up excited about “work” each day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have considered myself an artist for as long as I remember, and it was a no brainer that I would study art in college. After receiving my BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Winthrop University, I thought I would go into arts administration, and worked at an art museum to start that career. However, I quickly decided this route wasn’t for me, which left me at a loss for what to do for a living. Making a living as an artist seemed like a very unattainable goal at the time. This resulted in my “quarter-life crisis”: I decided quit my job and thru hike the Appalachian Trail. In the six months I spent on the AT, I fell in love with hiking and the outdoors, and began creating art inspired by my time on trail. These dreamy, colorful landscape paintings were incredibly different than the art I was used to creating. Upon my return to the “real world” I began hanging these landscapes at breweries and cafes, as well as painting custom commissions for those who were interested. This is when I realized that I cold make some money off of my art, and slowly began to build the foundations for my art business. I stayed engaged with the outdoor industry, doing custom work for outdoor brands and businesses and building a reputation within the hiking community.
My artwork summarizes my adventures and serves as a love song to the landscapes I find sacred. Oftentimes, the trail itself can be seen cutting through the painting, inviting the viewer to embark on their own journey into the mountains. I root my paintings to their location and season by incorporating specific native flora that can be found there.
Leaving my full time job to transition to working as an artist has been the biggest challenge because of the inconsistency with income in combination with the expenses it takes to build a business and inventory. I am confident in my skills as an artist, but not as a business owner and navigating the challenges of the administrative and financial side of things has been an uphill battle, though I am thankful that I am slowly finding my footing. Overcoming these challenges has involved finding a way to educate myself through the resources that are available.
I am most proud of the murals I have created. I started doing murals last year when there was an opportunity to paint a wall that is directly on the Appalachian Trail in Damascus, VA. This opportunity was a dream come true and has opened the door for more public art. Creating such large scale work in public places is a huge challenge, but all the more rewarding because of it.

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.
I think this question may be in regards to Denver. I live in North Carolina, and while we visit CO often (my husband is from Boulder and still has family there), I am afraid I am still a tourist in the area and would be the one asking someone else to show me the city! I do love visiting Moe’s bagels every time we are in Boulder. Last time I visited, we had Moe’s every single day for 6 days.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Raphael, deserves all my love and thanks. For the past five years, he has been my sounding board for so many business related thoughts, questions, and concerns. He has provided sound feedback and encouragement, and provided the space for my business to form and grow.

Website: www.sketchingsummits.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sketchingsummits

Facebook: Facebook.com/sketchingsummits

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sketchingsummits7935

Image Credits
Photo Credit to Lo Makechnie for the picture of me painting the flowers on the wall. All other photos were taken by me.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.