From successful painter to custom wallpaper designer to muralist, Heidi Oates’ career has truly blossomed, making her an artist to watch for in 2024. The Summerville native’s work is in high demand, and she owes it all to talent, dedication, passion and a fortuitous cold that helped launch her career in a new direction.
Oates has been painting her entire life, and what started as a hobby has transformed into a thriving business. She had been selling art for over 10 years from her home studio when an unexpected cold last fall propelled Oates to her new career as a wallpaper designer and muralist. While stuck at home and feeling “antsy,” Oates recalled seeing a painted wallpaper design at a local eatery and decided to try her hand at a similar project in her own bathroom. The time-lapse video of that art project hit Instagram and went viral.
Recalled Oates, “I remember thinking, ‘I can do that,’ so I went in my bathroom and painted something, posted the video on social media and people freaked out. It really blew up from that one video. It was so random. I never intended to have this become a branch for my art business.”
Oates now works with individual clients and interior designers to create custom home and business wall art projects. She works closely with each client to gain an understanding of their design goals, select color palettes, create mocks ups and provide pricing and timelines. She’s currently booking two to three months in advance for wall art requests and six to eight weeks for commissioned paintings.
Thanks to a referral from a wallpaper client, Oates recently added “professional muralist” to her list of titles. A client and local PTA member recommended Oates to complete a mural at a local middle school. That project turned into a request to create two additional murals, including a full courtyard design. She’s since painted a mural for an elementary school cafeteria, a custom abstract art wall piece for a client’s bedroom and wall pieces for several local businesses.
Murals have given Oates a little more of the creative freedom that she enjoys as an artist, rather than the step and repeat patterns found in the wallpaper. She draws inspiration from the South Carolina landscape, native floral and fauna and local landmarks.
She cherished her experience painting at local schools and interacting with the young admirers and aspiring artists who often suggested design elements for their murals. Oates said she found ways to incorporate some of those elements into the finished project, much to the elation of the children.
Oates loves the personalization and special touches she can incorporate for her clients, especially as she gets to know them through the planning process. She recalled completing a hand-painted geometric design for a close friend, adding first letters of names and numbers that meant something to the family while maintaining the design aesthetic. For Oates, being able to sneak in those little “Easter eggs” allowed her to add an elevated personal touch to the art — something she finds fun and rewarding.
Though Oates is a one-woman show in terms of her creative projects, she gets a helpful hand from husband Matt. His background in project management helps her stay on track and on schedule from a business perspective. “He keeps me grounded and organized,” said Oates, “but everything else is all me.” Her goal in 2024 is to add to her mural repertoire and to continue to grow her custom wallpaper business.
Oates cherishes the fact that she can do something that she loves for a living. She enjoys the art, the process and “adding happiness to people’s homes.”
Said Oates, “I did a room for a little girl who is an aspiring artist, and seeing her face light up when she saw her room — and encouraging her creativity and interest in art — and knowing that she might go on and become an artist is so rewarding. It’s been so cool to build relationships with these families and, on a more personal level, provide something special for their homes.”
Art: HeidiOatesArt.squarespace.com
Instagram: @HeidiOates
Email for information:
He***********@gm***.com
By Sherry Whiting