Today, we’d like to introduce you to Kallen Gavin.
Hi Kallen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I am an artist, entrepreneur, and mom of two amazing girls who have inspired all of my work. I lean into lots of color, and everything I make starts as art. I paint with acrylics on canvas, create eye-catching patterns, and design and produce girls’ clothing and accessories.
As I think back on starting “The Pink Picket Fence,” the hardest part was putting my work out there for the first time. So much can be seen through artwork – “What was she thinking then?” On top of that, exposing myself to… judgment. It has been liberating to get past this and just be… me!
Here’s my story:
In just four years,s I had two babies, moved from NYC to Nashville, and learned the ropes in another corporate America setting. We all journeyed through the COVID epidemic – but in 2020, in a land where my family and I didn’t really… know anyone in Nashville – I struggled. There was the chaos of two under two, the fast pace of my office, and all-around isolation in the journey. I turned to painting in the evenings and late into the night as “my time”.
You can have a conversation over dinner with friends in order to work out difficult situations – or — you can take a moment, think, and create as a way of making sense of “big feelings.” Painting became the time I looked forward to all day. It allowed me to process the “goings on” in a hyper-political 9-5 environment. Painting allowed me to tune out and vacation mentally in between babies crying and cleaning our “newly” messy house.
Making art was the way I recharged – I had no goal for my paintings, and I rarely went into any of my pieces with a plan or color palette. Life was fast – but painting allowed me to calm down. There is also something magical about creating something, start to finish… with your own hands and your own mind (ya know -not just managing others through it).
In a blur, four years passed, but I can time travel back to certain moments through the paintings I created then.
About reinventing and accepting myself…
I left my corporate role late last summer following a political land grab/ “mean girls” style mind battle that did not sit well with me. I was also – just never really happy working there. You have to believe in your product to sell it well, after all. As I look back, I am so thankful I had a wake-up call.
I turned my attention towards my kids and my art. I launched “The Pink Picket Fence” last August as the home of original “current mood” paintings, patterns, and merch. Taking a break from bosses, taking a break from following… or maybe chasing the society-deemed path of success.
My work is all about emotion and has expanded from flowers to include expressions: some weird faces, some dancers, some hands…go take a look! I primarily use acrylics on canvas. I transform many of my pieces into pattern repeats that can be easily transferred across mediums from girls’ clothing to bags, journals, wallpaper, and more.
I am currently working on a small collection of little girls’ clothing that, of course, my two girls inspired and even help design. We created a purple dinosaur pattern together after struggling to find “girlie” dino clothes for ages 2-5. Now, on fabric, you can see our dino pattern on our Spring/Fall hoodie, dress, and matching leggings. We are working on a penguin pattern for winter. Stay tuned for a few tutus coming soon. These pieces are sold directly through our Amazon Handmade shop. Everything, though, always starts as original art.
As for my originals – I recently joined Gallery 100 at 100 Taylor and am thrilled to be part of their early cohort of artists in the collective. Talk about a great place to grow and harness inspiration! Come see me painting at the gallery.
I am originally from Chattanooga, TN. I dabbled in politics for a few years in DC following college at American University. After a dose of lobbyists and really big problems that I felt powerless to impact, I changed course with my MBA and worked in marketing for a Fortune 100 out of NYC. Following the arrival of our first daughter in 2019, we moved to Nashville. Growing up, my grandmother gave me a foundation in creating with my hands.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
There have certainly been challenges, many of which I am still navigating. Working for myself means not having a manager to tell me “Good job” or “You’re on the right track”… and it also means not having a team to bounce ideas off of. Making real progress takes a lot of self-motivation, self-assuredness, and stamina.
Other challenges:
Maintaining face in a day job as I started this business was tricky. I wanted the office to think I was focused 24/7 on XXX… This environment drove me to keep my artistic and creative side buttoned up/out of convo/swept away by day.
After breaking from a typical “office day”, I have struggled with organizing my time/staying focused, and separating near-term versus long-term goals. There’s so much validation in completing another 30-minute office Zoom meeting, even when nothing is achieved. Cutting this 24/7 tether to the computer during the day and reprograming myself to spend daylight hours (versus night hours/side hours) on my art has been difficult.
In the case of my girls’ clothing and bags, I have struggled tremendously with finding quality vendors who I can trust and communicate easily with. After the better part of a year and about ten suppliers, I have finally found a good partner for my fabric products. Getting to this provider required a lot of trial and error, some wasted resources, and more time spent than I had anticipated (I really thought it would all fall in my lap!). I have also hit some snags regarding the required trademarks, fabric lab testing, and disclosure requirements. I still haven’t found a book on this – so I try, revise/pivot, and try again.
Even with my background in marketing, I am still working to identify the “best” marketplace to sell my products. I have cast a fairly wide net for now – physical space at 100 Taylor, digital space on Amazon, my direct website, and a test or two with Instagram Shops. Additionally, I have not pulled many traditional paid or earned levers to drive traffic. So, there is much more to do in this space now that my products are (finally) ready to go!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of using big, vibrant colors to express emotion. I am good with color – which is also magnified as I transform my originals into pattern repeats. Big color and big emotion are also evidenced in my latest work on a series of women’s faces.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My grandmother had many grandchildren, and she made each of us feel so very special – painting, creating, and crafting with us on her back porch. Art is the ultimate way to learn, understand, and connect.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thepinkpicketfence.net
- Instagram: @the_pinkpicketfence
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pink-picket-fence/?_l=en_US
Image Credits
Katie Telepak – Fields and Freckles Photography
