Meet Mindee Beaver | Mixed Media Artist

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

Hi Mindee, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been a creative person, with music as my first passion. I’ve played piano since I was 7 years old and sang since I was a pre-teen, and still do both today. In fact, when I was growing up, I wanted to be a concert pianist or music teacher. When it came time for college, my focus changed completely and I decided I wanted to pursue psychiatry, although I continued to sing in the Austin College Acapella Choir and various choirs at TCU. I only took one art class in college and barely passed. Needless to say, a career in art never even entered my mind. Eventually I ended up in the commercial insurance industry specializing in oil, gas, marine, and aerospace.

After I got married and had children, I grew very active in the kids’ elementary school PTA board where I became the creator of the school yearbook. This was the first time I indulged in a creative outlet outside music, and the artistic aspect of it quickly became a passion. When my children moved on from elementary school and I no longer was creating the yearbook, I realized how much I missed that creative outlet and the feeling of taking a blank page and turning it into something that people would cherish for years. To help fill the void, I would paint rooms in the house (which I have loved to do for years) and started refinishing and upcycling furniture. Around this time, I also attended a BYOB painting class…. which I’m sure many of you have done before for fun. After listening to the instructor give me pointers and to the direction she gave others, I started viewing pictures and colors in a very different way. This was the turning point for me, and I began painting crafty things for gifts and then took off painting acrylic angels and learning how to master palette knives. YouTube was—and is—a wonderful teacher for all things creative and I had found my new creative outlet. I loved watching the artists, trying new techniques, and even creating some of my own. Before I knew it, I had paintings drying in the kitchen, a painting table in the den, furniture I was refinishing and painting in the dining room, and canvases being worked on in my office space. I had taken over the house—thank goodness my husband was supportive and didn’t mind.

In the fall of 2021, I decided to try watercolors. This medium had always made me nervous because I’d heard how hard it was to control. Not to mention, watercolors are just so different from textures and characteristics of acrylics. I ended up taking an animal portrait watercolor course on Domestika and loved it! It was the first time I painted something that wasn’t some sort of abstract—it was an actual animal! I was so excited! From there I tried painting pet portraits on my own and things just took off from there.

It seems that no matter what job I was in, I always had to be doing something creative on the side because that was my outlet and what made me happiest. It’s no wonder I ended up in a creative career. There’s no better feeling than when something I created brings a smile to someone’s face, brightens a room, or brings back happy memories. In this way, I feel I have made a difference in someone’s life, and that means the world to me. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
If I were to describe myself, I would say I am a very versatile mixed media artist: I dabble in furniture restoration, resin, inks, but mainly deal in acrylics and watercolors. What I crave most in art is not only the creativity, but the freedom, and I find I go between mediums depending on my mood. Sometimes I want to paint very detailed animal portraits. The next day, I might be grabbing a canvas and covering it in modeling paste and acrylic paints all by hand. Currently watercolors have become my focus. What I am most proud of is my very recent dive into the art of realistic pet portraits, not just the complete recreation of someone’s beloved pet, but the emotional connection the owner has to something I created just for them.

I wouldn’t say I’ve had environmental obstacles in achieving becoming an artist because I was lucky enough to not have the pressure of making a certain amount of money to sustain my family. However, probably like many self-taught artists, my biggest hurdle has been my own self, my self-confidence. It is hard to feel validated and justified in your profession when you have don’t have that certification or diploma from an art school. However, I’ve come to take pride in the fact that I learned how to create things on my own, through the little victories and mistakes, and can now confidently tell people that I am an “artist.” But now I have also realized that art is a form of self-expression, and that means everyone is an artist in their own unique way.

The main lesson I’ve learned along the way in this journey is to follow your heart. We all have a little voice inside, and it’s very important to listen to it since it’s trying to lead us to our passion and purpose… and that always includes our happiness.

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.
The Dallas Museum of Art and Perot Museum are always good ways to spend a day. However, since I live in Plano and am north of Dallas, we normally spend most of our time in this area. The Sky Pony Gallery in The Shops at Willow Bend is a fun mix of traditional, contemporary, and eclectic art, jewelry, etc. There are many shops in the mall and wonderful restaurants surrounding it, so it’s easy to make a day of it. There are countless Mexican food restaurants around, but some of my favorites in Plano are Tino’s Too, El Fenix, and Salsa. Heading north a bit from Plano, don’t miss the Lonestar Mercantile in Allen, historic downtown McKinney, or enjoy some fresh air exploring the nature paths and animals at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney. It seems no matter if you’re in Dallas or the surrounding cities, there’s always so much to do and see. Enjoy!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am very blessed to have a wonderful husband and two great kids that are always supportive… even if it is telling me something is awful; in fact, I couldn’t have gotten this far without the support of my husband who always made sure I had every art-related tool, the right kind of studio equipment, and the space where I could explore, get my hands dirty, and just make a mess. Also, of course, are my wonderful parents, who have walked this creative path with me starting with my musical ambitions early on and their kind words about my creations now. Last but not least, I thank my amazing friends—you know who you are. Had we not gone to that painting class years ago, I never would have put a paintbrush to a canvas. That was a life-changing event for me, no matter how trivial it was for others.

Website: EnchantingArtistry.com (currently being renovated)

Instagram: Instagram.com/MindeeBeaverDesigns

Facebook: Facebook.com/MindeeBeaverDesigns