Meet Emily Shipman | Artist, Candle Maker & Mother

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

Hi Emily, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind the success of my brand is that it has grown organically from passion. My business was not something I started intentionally. When I moved back to Key West from San Diego I was very depressed and didn’t feel as if there was a purpose for me on the island since when I lived here before, I was so young and just saw this island as a party town. Then to move here as a married young mom, I honestly felt lost. There was a Nag Champa scented candle that I used to buy in San Diego but I knew it wasn’t financially possible to keep them constantly burning in my new Key West apartment, so I had the idea to teach myself how to make them. I thought candle making would be easy. Just melt some soy wax, add some oil, pour it in a jar, then voila! The part that surprised me was that I loved the challenge and growing through the hiccups, and to my surprise, this creativity was pulling me out of my depression. I had went to a local printing company to discuss possible labels and the owner, Rick, unknowingly gave me the best advice he could’ve given me, and that was to do as much on my own that I possibly could. That advice led me to hand paint each label which has since blossomed my brand to be recognizable. I started my business in my kitchen and as my daughter got older, working from home got harder. I moved into a studio space with three other local artists but since I bartended full time during the evenings, I really needed a space that I could be by myself so I moved into my own studio space within the Shops at Mallory Square. It was a cozy space upstairs and was perfect for what I needed. As my daughter continued to grow, so did my desire to be home at nights more, so I looked at a downstairs space knowing that I would need to commit more of my time to my business, but I trusted my gut and took the plunge. I ended up leaving my full time bartending position and now run my shop full time. After having my downstairs space for over a year now, it has turned into more of a boutique with handmade items from friends all over the country, and I make every single candle right in the back where customers can see. When I began making my Nag Champa candles in 2018, I never would’ve thought that it would’ve grown into what it has.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Obviously with being a candle maker, it’s not an art form that I created or discovered, so I love that my hand painted labels have set me a part from other candle brands. It always warms my heart when people come in my shop and say, “There’s those candles! We see them everywhere and recognized them by the writing.” Hand painting my labels had started out as a money saving tactic but I had unknowingly created the Bella Laine branding. The painting of the labels is definitely the most time consuming but it’s also very therapeutic. I’ve had to learn to accept that not everyone is going to want to pay the price point I have set on my products and that’s okay. When I first started out I would always second guess what I was charging and would wonder if I should be charging differently, but I had to weigh out the time and effort that goes into my products and realize that not everyone cares about the handmade and hand painted qualities that goes into them, along with the candles being all natural.

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.
Living in a tourist town like Key West I always feel like I’m a tour guide and I love it! I am always happy to steer people in the direction of local gems instead of overpriced tourist traps. One of my biggest suggestions is to rent a bike and explore the island. There’s so many quaint side streets and that’s how you can discover them. An ideal day is to head out on an early bike ride, cruise through the historic cemetery, grab breakfast at Date & Thyme with a mocha latte, then go and get some beach time at Ft. Zach. When it comes to evening, we would catch sunset at the Galleon Tiki Bar and head to Santiago’s Bodega for dinner, then go have a nightcap cocktail at General Horseplay. When looking for some good shopping, I always recommend stopping in Sacred Space which is an artist collective that houses work from over thirty Key West artists, Luna, Besame Mucho, Kirby’s Closet, Green Pineapple, and the Shops at Mallory Square which now houses many unique shops and working art studios post COVID. When looking for a delicious place to grab lunch, I always suggest Thirsty Mermaid. Their calamari salad is divine and their seafood is always fresh and delicious. I would take a day to visit touristy sites like the Hemmingway House, Butterfly Conservatory, and the Customs House, grab a lobster roll from the Lobster Shack, and get to Better Than Sex for an off the charts dessert when they open. That’s a place you do not want to go after a full meal.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My grandmother, Elaine, is who I owe my love for the arts to. When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house. My grandma had an art room where she was always working on a painting. I remember her art desk always had drawers filled with acrylic paints and I would always take them to make my own little masterpieces. She always had me creating something. My daughter, Isabella, is who fuels my drive to work hard an to always continue working hard. I love to travel with my daughter and to be able to do so, it takes a lot of dedication to work. My business name, Bella Laine, stems from both my daughter and grandma’s names. They are both huge inspirations to me. As for the growth of Bella Laine, I owe it all to my dedicated supporters and friends right here in Key West. When I did my very first Artisan Market on December 30th, 2018 I still remember that I sold one candle and I wanted to cry. I continued to stay positive and slowly but surely more Key West locals started to support me. That support is what got my brand into local boutiques, hotels, restaurants, etc. The continued belief and support from this community is what’s allowed me to grow and I cannot thank all of those friends enough for getting my business to where it’s gotten to today.

Website: www.bellalaineart.com

Instagram: bellalaineart

Facebook: Bella Laine Art

Image Credits
Iris Moore Photography