Birdsboro >> From a young age, Carrie Kingsbury always knew she would be an artist.
While her school friends were doodling – Kingsbury was honing her craft, selling her artwork and contracting her services.
And she has never looked back.”I started doing commission work while I was in grade school. My whole family are artists. I was doing logos and portraits and landscapes when I was very young. In fact, it’s how I bought my prom dress,” Kingsbury said, adding that she was always entrepreneurial. “I had my first mural commission as a teen. I did a big hallway mural for a friend’s parents, and they still commission me to this day.”
A native of Suffolk County, N.Y., Kingsbury attended college in North Dakota before ending up at Kutztown University. She holds degrees in graphic design and fine arts, with an emphasis on painting. Since 2003, she has called Birdsboro home, working out of studio space in her home.
While Kingsbury works in a variety of artistic endeavors – it is mural work that she calls the biggest piece of her business.
Kingsbury is the owner of Promiseland Murals, and has been a full-time mural painter since 2001. She does commercial and residential murals, and her work can be seen at St. Christopher’s Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, The Children’s Home of Reading Day School, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at King of Prussia and several area restaurants.
She also has done work for Designing 4 Hope, an organization that does home makeovers for critically ill children. She also painted an external building mural in 2013 for Malvern, showing the history of Malvern.
“I submitted three designs that were voted on by the town. That was a big project,” she said, adding that the town has had her back to do some additional work, including a hand-painted “Welcome to Malvern” sign.
And in 2015 Kingsbury completed a mural project for the Pottstown Community Garden at 423 Chestnut St.
Not all of Kingsbury’s mural work is outside on big buildings. She has worked with restaurants and in private homes. She has traveled around the country and overseas. In 2008 she traveled to India where she painted a school, an orphanage and two churches. And this summer she’s headed to Vermont to complete a job for an Alzheimer’s memory care facility.
Kingsbury does work with jewelry, furniture, she does set painting and photographer’s backdrops. She illustrates children’s books, does portraiture and goes to people’s houses to conduct painting parties.
“I take details from the murals I have done and use those in the painting parties. “They are very original and not cookie cutter designs,” she said. “I try to make them pleasing visually and use subtler color palettes.” She added that attendees at the painting parties leave with some painting skills they can carry to other projects.
Like many small business owners, the economic downturn was difficult for Kingsbury.
“I survived the recession by being efficient and affordable,” she said. “It was tough. Being an artist – it’s not really a necessity.” Kingsbury said she made sure she diversified her work.
Kingsbury said she is able to work very quickly, which means less of a time commitment.
“And I can draw and paint in any style. I don’t rely on stencil or projection devices. I do use a grid system for complex subject matter,” she said. “I’m happy painting regardless of what avenue it takes. I can do anything – I can work from photo realistic style to abstract, mimicking any style.”
During a recent interview, Kingsbury talked about how it takes more than just talent to launch a business – information she shares when she meets with artists who may just be starting out.
“You have to be very good, versatile, fast – and you have to draw and paint well. But you also have to keep track of expenses, get an accountant, keep good records and get good insurance,” she said.
She adds that to get her business going, she basically worked for free for a year to build up her portfolio. She continues to work for free – volunteering for churches, non-profits and her son’s school district.
While Kingsbury always knew she would be an artist, she just didn’t exactly know the route her career would take.
“I’m excited about how I started doing kids rooms and now I’m doing large scale commercial work and a lot of exterior work. It has been an exciting journey from where I started to where I am now,” she said. “I’m very optimistic about the future and enjoying what I do.”
For information about Kingsbury and Promiseland Murals visit www.Facebook.com/carriecj5.
To reach business editor Donna Rovins call 610-850-0272. Email business story ideas to drovins@pottsmerc.com
