Meet Becca Lane | Artist and Owner of One Lane Studios

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

Hi Becca, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is an inevitable part of life, and a necessary part of starting your own business. My entire art business is the result of taking one of the biggest risks of my life; quitting a steady job and jumping headfirst into my lifelong dreams of being a full-time artist. At the time, I didn’t have savings, but had a few commission jobs lined up; enough to keep my bills paid for about 6 weeks. From that point on, it was one risk paying off after another: doing my first art market, accepting my first gallery request despite having no work on hand, posting my first (viral) TikTok before having ever made an online sale, and the list goes on. Each of those risks have led to me achieving my lifelong dream of becoming a full-time artist. As someone who is risk-averse, each one was terrifying but also so completely worth it. I still take calculated and deeply considered risks regularly; and while these risks make me nervous, they’re also an opportunity to practice my faith in myself and my business, and they continue to help me and my business flourish.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My artwork today is born from the intersection where my love of peculiar animals meets my passion for artmaking. I am beyond lucky to have full creative freedom to chase my passions and still find success in doing what I love every day. Most folks recognize my work as highly detailed, personality-packed portraits of animals dressed to reflect their unique selves. The realism of my portrait work is given a contemporary spin with looser mark-making across my subjects’ accessories, and large flat color blocking in the background and complimentary sides. I also love to add in some of my own childhood nostalgia and often tease that every animal portrait is a subtle portrait of myself. Aside from my distinct palette and style, I think that what sets my work aside from others is that I am not just creating a visual representation of an animal, I am creating an entirely unique being with a backstory and personality and falling in love with them more and more with each brushstroke. I’d like to think my love for what I am creating resonates with those who also fall in love with my work. My collectors are not just buying a work of art, they are welcoming someone (this little Art Baby, as I call them) into their home and family. This is my greatest honor.

It would be easy to look at my business today and think I had a quick road to success. I had a video go somewhat viral in 2021 and have been full-time ever since. But the truth is, I have been selling and sharing my artwork for much longer than that; 14 years. And I’ve been working on my techniques even longer. Artmaking has been a lifelong passion, and after dropping out of school in 8th grade it became a lifeline. There were times when we couldn’t afford things most folks would take for granted like heat, food, and access to the internet, but I always managed to find a #2 pencil and some cartridge paper. In a life where I had little control, that pencil and paper were all I needed to be sucked away into a world of my own creation. It hasn’t been a smooth or easy road getting here, but even at my lowest points in life, artmaking has always been my best coping skill. Nothing lights my fire quite like it, and that passion has only grown with each new project.

One thing that has surprised me since becoming an art business owner is that my passion for running my small business is quickly catching up to my passion for artmaking. I love wearing all of the hats, learning new skills, and connecting with customers and supporters of my work. Perhaps the only thing I am more proud of than my artwork itself is the community that has built up around it. I absolutely love getting to know the folks who fall in love with my artwork in the same way that I do, and I’m forever grateful to every single person who has supported me in any way because it is entirely thanks to them that I get to wake up and live my wildest dreams. That is a depth of gratitude that cannot be put into words.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When friends and family come to visit me on the NH Seacoast I am always sure to bring them to my favorite spots in nature, such as Wagon Hill Farm in Durham, NH, and Vaughan Wood in South Berwick, ME. When it’s time to take our adventures indoors, I love going to local galleries such as Aplomb, The Art Center, and 3S Artspace (among many others). If we are shopping, it’s all about shopping small and local at stores such as Just the Thing, Erin Claire, My Country Story, and Gus and Ruby Letterpress.

I also love to show off one of my favorite downtown features in Dover, the waterfall in the heart of downtown! On hot days you are met with a refreshing mist that smells like fresh ocean spray. Across the bridge from the waterfall, you’ll find the most exciting candy shop I’ve ever stepped foot into: Lickees and Chewys. They have candy imported from all over the world and even make tons of their own candies and milkshakes! Once we’ve worked up an appetite for something more substantial, I cannot recommend STREET in Portsmouth enough, truly some of the most delicious food I’ve had the pleasure of eating in my life. I also love grabbing a bite from Sassy Biscuit Co, Tucker’s, and Katz Deli; all exceptionally delicious local spots worth a visit! And if you want to grab a locally crafted drink after it all, we are lucky to have a few microbreweries in town, such as Garrison City Beerworks and Chapel and Main, just to name a couple.

I seriously love my little city of Dover. We are sitting at a short distance from the ocean, the mountains, farmland, major cities and so much more, while still maintaining a close-knit community feel with plenty to do in or own downtown. What more could you want?!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my loving family who all believed in me long before I did; but most of all, my sister, Roni, who is my biggest cheerleader and has been by my side through everything from stressful emails to my biggest art shows. I wouldn’t be here without her love and support all along the way.

Website: OneLaneStudios.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelanestudios/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneLaneStudios/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onelanestudios

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onelanestudios