Anita Bice shares her work from home
Story by Leigh Pritchett
Submitted photos
When a pandemic evaporated Anita Bice’s art business and affected her creativity, she got … creative.
Normally in the spring of the year, the artist from Moody would be preparing for and attending arts festivals and outdoor shows in several states.
Educated at Samford University in Birmingham and American Academy of Art in Chicago, Anita operates an art production studio in her home. She has been an artist 35 years.
But stay-at-home orders in Alabama and elsewhere canceled one event after another.
“All my shows are being canceled. What do I do?,” she asked herself.
Because customers could not visit her studio store or attend the festivals, she would take her art to them. At times when she would have been at events, she would hold virtual art shows by digital means.
“Virtual reality is for real … yes. The surreal has become all too real!,” states her email introduction to her art show in lieu of the 2020 Panoply Arts Festival in Huntsville.
“A virtual art show is not as good as walking from booth to booth in the beautiful town of Fairhope, AL (along with 250,000 friends!) but it’s the best we can do in these crazy times,” she says in an email after cancellation of Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival.
Not only did the shutdown affect her fine arts business, but it also curtailed demand for architectural renderings, which is Anita’s full-time job. “Right now, my architectural art is at a standstill,” she said.
This is not the first time she has experienced a standstill. When the housing construction rate plummeted during an economic downturn 15 years ago, Anita focused on fine arts. And that birthed the cottage industry that has since kept Anita, her daughter Dana, and Anita’s sister, Sharon Henderson of Pell City, quite busy.
Little more than a week before the coronavirus shutdown, Anita’s mother, Sara Smith, went into assisted living. The stay-home order, the fact that the family could not visit Mrs. Smith for a while and the sudden curtailment of both art businesses seemed to stymie Anita’s creativity.
A keyboardist at Bethel Baptist Church in Odenville, she did what she has done in anxious times in the past: she played piano. From that came the idea for a video featuring an angel painting she had done; Anita would provide the musical accompaniment.
On Facebook, the video received views from Canada, Italy, Australia, India and all across the United States. The response amazed Anita. Seeing how art with music touches people, she decided to do more videos.
With newfound creative energy, Anita analyzed the possibilities in art and charted her course. “God is in control,” regardless of how uncertain times may seem, she said.
She saw this time as an opportunity to learn, to brainstorm, to plan, to branch into other areas.
“The downtime has allowed me to learn some things,” such as new features on the keyboards she plays. “… It has given me more time to think about future artwork,” one of which is a series based on music. “That is in my mind and about to be on canvas,” she said.
Being confined also gave her a craving to paint coastal scenes. Those art pieces join her other popular series of florals, cotton and Pots n Pans. Her repertoire also includes wood panel art pieces, tea towels, note cards, mini fine arts on magnet, Christmas on burlap, digital art and photo restoration.
As she paints, she posts on Facebook, which allows viewers to see her latest work. Several creations sold immediately upon completion. Anita has made available free, downloadable line art of some of her originals that people can paint or color. Her Easter download was very well received. “I am going to continue to do that,” she said.
Discounts and free shipping have been offered through her website anitabiceart.com, and she featured a grab bag of “goodies” for Mother’s Day.
Daily, she connects with followers, potential customers and prospective students through her website, Facebook, Instagram and email. (Viewers also get updates about Rayder, her dog that sits like a meerkat and has his own Facebook following.)
Art instruction videos, workshops and seminars are other projects sparked by the isolation.
The basics of art, Photoshop and tips for entering art competitions are a few of the topics she wants to cover. “If people have time now, … what a great time to offer those,” she said of the videos.
Anita added, “(Offering) online classes may be one of the next steps in my growth.”
In her three decades of art, Anita has seen “feast or famine.”
Nonetheless, each phase for her has fostered new possibilities.
“There are so many directions to go!” she said.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Through June 10, 2020, Discover readers may get a 25-percent discount on items at anitabiceart.com. Use the coupon DISCOVER25.
