Today we’d like to introduce you to Cinthia Santos & Ben Levy.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Ours is a fun story, but I think everyone says that! I (Cinthia) had recently lost my job in fashion and was freelancing around with local designers when I received a request to hand-letter a chalkboard for a bagel shop. I had never lettered before but figured it would be no big deal (I was so wrong). I winged it, posted a photo of it online, and Instagram took it from there! Even though my dad was an artist and I grew up around sign painting in Cuba, it hadn’t really occurred to me that it was also a profession in the United States (albeit a dying one) and the minute I researched it I became enamored with the art and its techniques.
Around the same time, Atomik swung by to paint a mural at the office I was working in, and brought his friend Ben along! We started dating, and I simultaneously started receiving a lot more requests for chalkboards, which led to hand-painted logos and all of the other artistic needs a restaurant or business might have. The whole hand-crafted fast-casual trend was just picking up in Miami, and there was nobody else providing that service, at least that I knew of, so I taught myself by watching sign painting documentaries and lettering videos and really winged for a while until I felt comfortable.
Ben was working full time as a pediatric trauma ER nurse at the time (huge change, I know) and first started coming along on jobs to help me collect (something he still does today), but quickly picked up the lettering and painting techniques and started taking on our larger scale lettering and mural projects, as well as assisting me on mine! He would work 4-6 twelve hour shifts in a row, answering emails from the hospital break room while I dealt with our chalkboards and on-site projects, and then we’d paint the entire four days he was off. We did that for two years until he finally quit his job in 2016. The fact that we pulled off contracts with national brands while working out of our living room is still amazing to me.
At the present moment, we’ve got a studio and are expanding into a larger one, a couple of employees, and some awesome plans for the future!
Please tell us about your art.
I hate saying that we’re in commercial art because we are, but we do so much more! We create awesome, hand-painted signs, murals, logos, marketing material, installations, etc., for local businesses such as restaurants, gyms, boutiques, and just about anything else you can name. Our most well-known client is Starbucks, but you’ve probably seen our work in local spots such as Night Owl Cookies, Spring Chicken, Pincho Factory, and local breweries like Veza Sur and Concrete Beach.
Even though we started out with murals and signs, Chalk & Brush has really grown to be a one-stop shop for all of a kickass small business’s creative needs – we do everything from branding to content creation, murals, custom built signs, hand painted logos, social media walls, art installations, illustrations, live events – all approached from a hand-crafted standpoint and designed with lots of love. Our murals get our client’s endless social media hits and are frequently visited and photographed by our Instagram followers, which still amazes us every time.
We believe that we should approach our signage and murals with the same craftsmanship and care that our clients put into their food or services, which is why our signage is painted by hand using traditional sign painting techniques, without the use of tape, stencils, or vinyl. Unfortunately, art and signage are almost always left for last in the design and construction of a business; we’re working hard to educate our clients about the importance and value of clean, good-looking art and signage while having a buttload of fun.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
The biggest challenge facing artists today is the misconception that we are all starving and our work has no value. We still receive countless requests for immediate, next day work on the promise of little pay or exposure, and have to constantly shout our worth and educate clients on the value of a job well done. The sad truth is, though, that someone WILL accept those free jobs we pass down, which further perpetuates the idea that you can walk outside in Miami and trip on a muralist that will work for free (not that we’ve been able to find any of those, lol, seriously where you at?) – art is a commodity and difficult to price, but if we all set and uphold fair prices we’ll all be able to coexist while doing what we love.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Our most recent work, as well as endless footage of us working and goofing around, can be found on Instagram at @chalkandbrush.
Our website is www.chalkandbrush.com.
Supporting our work is easier than you think! Follow, like, and share our work – everyone in Miami knows a small business owner that can benefit from our services! We are always more than happy to extend finder’s fees for referrals that go through.
Most importantly, continue to support local art and small businesses of ANY kind, and keep us in mind when you finally decide to launch a venture of your own!
Contact Info:
- Website: chalkandbrush.com
- Phone: 305-204-1169
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/chalkandbrush
Image Credit:
Cinthia Santos & Ben Levy
@STORIAFOTOS – Personal photo
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
