Meet Pippa Fraumeni | Abstract Painter

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

Hi Pippa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My business grew very organically. I began painting as I was decorating my own house. Like so many other people, art was the final layer in a lot of my design process and just wanted it done and on a budget, so the best way for me to do that during the pandemic was to do it myself. The more I painted the more I realized how much I had been yearning for a creative outlet. Prior to becoming a mother and moving to Houston I had worked as a Stylist in New York and when I started painting I realized how much I had missed being creative and having a life outside motherhood. People began noticing my art in my home and I’m lucky enough to have wonderful friends here in Houston who encouraged me to start selling my paintings. I started by professionalizing my social media account, building a website, learning how to setup a commerce page and decided I would do one collection and if it didn’t sell I would never do it again. I was stunned when my first collection sold out in two days.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a self taught, abstract artist. I come to art from my own personal background as a clothing stylist so I always start with color, texture and pattern the same way I would an outfit. I also love interior design and try to think of how my paintings will live in a space-what are sizes that most people need? How will these colors live in a home? I’ve been told many times that my paintings are very happy which I always take as a compliment because I tend to envision my clients very much like myself-someone trying to build a beautiful, peaceful, happy home for a family and I’m always honored when people invite my work into their home to live there forever-its a great honor.

I have gotten where I am today in my business by trying to stay true to my motto of not letting the perfect get in the way of the good enough. If I had waited for the perfect website or until I had amazing packaging etc. I would have never started my business. In my business I have learned to say yes and figure it out which I think is so important. So many people have great ideas but sit on the fence for years waiting for someone to give them permission or until the perfect time arrives. For me I had a real watershed moment where I realized I didn’t need to ask anyones permission to be a painter-no degree, or accolade would make me any more or less of a painter than I am now or was at the beginning of journey. If you paint you are a painter.

My motto of “good enough” has allowed me to grow fairly easily I think because I don’t put too much pressure on myself or outside forces. I put one foot in front of the other and hang onto everything lightly. In my previous life and career I used to hang onto everything very tightly-something was my “dream job” and if I didn’t get it I would be devastated. With age and experience now I realize there are so many avenues to success and enough opportunities for everyone. If one thing doesn’t pan out I know another will. I take every painting sold as a win and try to let go of my failures quickly. It’s sort of the opposite of you only remember the one bad thing someone said and forget the 10,000 nice things. Painting is so personal that you have to learn to let go of any rejection because if you take rejection of your paintings as rejection of yourself pretty soon you’d quit because it would be too soul crushing.

I hope people are encouraged by my story, especially moms who might have a business idea or a need for creativity. The world is such a big yet small place thanks to social media and the internet that I truly believe anyone can make a business. If anyone is sitting on the fence waiting I hope my story gets them to jump in feet first and just start.

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.
Thursday Early morning walk in the Arboretum stop in at Paloma and Co. for some beautiful home goods on the way to brunch at Pondicheri and shopping at Tootsies. Get our nails done across the street at Paloma Beauty and a blowout at Drybar, dinner and dancing at Armandos.

Friday
Make a pilgrimage up to the Heights for Boom Town Coffee and wander around 19th street. Head to Mont Art House to see what they have going on and stop at Taco Deli for lunch. Go to an Astros day game (hopefully when they are playing my beloved Yankees), hit McGovern Gardens at sunset and let the kids run up the “Mountain with the Fountain” as my family calls it. Get dinner at Betsys at Evelyn Park my favorite place to take kids for dinner.

Saturday
Go for a run around the Rice stadium then snag a seat outside at Tiny’s No. 5. Peak in the window at Oyster Creek Studios on the walk home. Go down to Brazos Bend State Park for the day and try not to get eaten by alligators. If you survive head to BCN for dinner and toast yourself with G&Ts.

Sunday
Sunday is pancake day in my house so have everyone over. One of my favorite things about Houston is how you get to live in a huge city with a full on house and yard. I love to entertain at home and we really lean into it as a family with young kids. Hit golf balls at the driving range at Memorial Park and have one last amazing dinner at Kirans.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people deserve credit in my story-friends who encouraged me to go for it and sell my paintings, interior designers who have taken a chance on me for their projects especially Aryn Guillory at Oyster Creek Studios who put my paintings in her boutique, the team at Mont Art House Jennifer Monteleone and Sara Beck who have really championed my work by making me a guest artist at the gallery and placing my work with their consulting clients. Artist friends who have met for coffee and talked strategy and shared resources. Houston has a wonderful community of female entrepreneurs and I have found it to be an extremely welcoming and uplifting community for which I will forever be grateful.

Website: pippafraumeni.com

Instagram: @pippafraumeni

Image Credits
All photos by Harlow & May Studios