Salisbury 'Nap Time Artist' finds balance between motherhood, artwork with online business

Meg Ryan
The Daily Times

Rachel Alvarez will do almost anything to make sure her children get their nap time. 

This includes driving around Salisbury with her 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter in the back seat until they fall into a quiet slumber. Alvarez will then park and check her emails for her online art business. 

Rachel Alvarez touches up a watercolor painting at her home studio on Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

She laughs at the circumstance of her makeshift mobile office while sitting in Rise Up Coffee on East College Avenue. But, it's clear no matter where her family or her art business is, she's incredibly passionate about both. 

While the 36-year-old artist does have an independent website under her name, avid Etsy shoppers might know her better as The Nap Time Artist.

The title is fitting since Alvarez schedules her artistic time during her children's naps. When she's not driving her son and daughter around, Alvarez is usually painting in her master bedroom in front of a large window with plenty of natural light. 

“I think I’ve faithfully painted every day for two-and-a-half years," she said. 

Simple beginnings 

Alvarez is a Salisbury University alumna and was primarily trained in oil painting. However, about two years ago, she changed her medium to watercolors.

“My husband had actually been at a yard sale and he saw all this paint at the yard sale and he grabbed it for me ... it was all this watercolor paint," she said. 

She said her second pregnancy was the biggest factor in the switch to watercolors because of the less-pungent smell and easy cleanup. After her husband surprised her with the supplies, she began to experiment. The artist was a little intimidated at first since she'd never worked with watercolors. 

“That’s been a really fun adventure to learn a completely different medium," Alvarez said. 

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Watercolor and oils work in opposite ways, Alvarez said. With watercolors, she plans out her shadows and light before painting. Unlike oils, watercolors allow for no mistakes once paint is on the canvas since it can't be wiped away.

Alvarez can paint layers more quickly since watercolors have a faster drying time, allowing her to get more done in one sitting. 

Uncharted territory 

As she started to experiment with watercolors, her husband suggested she start painting regularly again. This spurred the beginning of her online Etsy business. She launched her own website about a year later, with the two sites now working hand-in-hand. 

Starting her Etsy page allowed Alvarez to get back to her artistic roots. While the mother of two loves her duties as a stay-at-home mom, working as an artist allowed her to be more social, produce something and set personal goals. 

And while she's proud of her work as a mother, she knows childrearing doesn't have instant results, since a mother's duties are never finished.  

“It really turned into a really great way to have some me time (and) have something to be proud of," she said. 

Rachel Alvarez touches up a watercolor painting at her home studio on Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

Celebrating natural beauty 

Much of Alvarez's work focuses on the natural beauty of Maryland. Her Maryland State Series includes about eight different designs depicting certain areas of the state, including Annapolis and the Eastern Shore. 

The series was inspired by the Maryland crab decals many residents stick on their cars. Now, locals can purchase Alvarez's decals to celebrate exactly where in the state they reside. 

“They’re a little bit more specific local pride," she said. 

Along with decals, Alvarez sells 8x10 prints, postcards and note cards. 

Another series includes her paintings of Dolle's Saltwater Taffy. The company now sells her work in its stores and has a print hanging in the corporate office, she said.  

While Alvarez now has contracts with some stores along the Shore to sell her artwork, she said she still sees most of her business coming from online orders. Right now, Etsy sees more traffic than her own website, but she'd like to see that change as she continues to promote her brand. 

With her 50 States Series, a collection of artwork with a painting for each state, the artist has shipped to every U.S. state. 

Balancing act 

While Alvarez wants to continue to build her business, she still wants to remember who allowed her to begin this journey — her family. 

"I tell my husband all the time, I love that business is picking up and this is a steady stream of income now, but there is a very, very fine balance between putting that ahead of the biggest, awesome priority, (my children),” she said.

The artist said being a mother and a business owner is a balancing act. She puts her children first, but wants to set an example for them to show them their dreams can come true. 

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Alvarez is already involving her children in her artwork through her Toddler Snack Series. Her son chose the topics she'd paint, like celery with peanut butter or sprinkled doughnuts. 

Her daughter likes to explore in Alvarez's bedroom, picking up paintbrushes and paint palettes. 

“I think probably growing up seeing it, she’ll be interested (in art),” Alvarez said.  

Rachel Alvarez, a local artist, poses for a photo at her home studio on Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

Continuing to grow 

With watercolors mastered, Alvarez wants to explore other mediums with her artwork. 

She said she recently picked up colored pencils. While she's used pencils before for fine detail work on her watercolors, she's interested in working solely with colored pencils for illustrations. She's also beginning to sell digital downloads of her work, so customers can purchase her designs and print them in whatever size they'd like. 

And to further grow her brand, she's also looking into graphic design artwork. 

Alvarez is connecting more with the community through local events. On Sept. 23, she'll be one of the artists attending Marsh Fest at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Chincoteague. 

At the event hosted by the Field Station and Black Narrows Brewing Co. from 12-6 p.m., visitors can enjoy music, beer, food and art. 

Alvarez calls the Eastern Shore art scene tight-knit. With events like 3rd Friday and 1st Saturday, she's seeing more growth in the Salisbury area.  

“I think we’re seeing a lot more growth in the art scene because they’re allowing the students who are so skilled and talented who are coming out of here to really permeate the area,” she said. 

But, she's always hopeful it can be pushed even further. 

“I would love to see it grow even more, but I think it’s grown leaps and bounds since about 10 years ago," she said. 

On Twitter: @The_MegRyan

Shop Rachel Alvarez's work: 

Etsy: etsy.com/shop/TheNapTimeArtist

Website: rachelalvarezart.com/