Spotlight Artist: Chanelle Jefferson

Chanelle Jefferson knows the value of her work

You know that dreaded moment when you realize it's time to put a price on your artwork... And your whole system starts to shut down?

Pricing is one of the biggest things I see artists struggle with. But here’s the thing: Truly valuing your art helps others to do the same. 

Artist Chanelle Jefferson knows this in her bones.

Before she joined the Become Internationally Known community two years ago, she was lugging her $30 prints and cards to farmers markets around Nova Scotia just to cover the cost of the table she sold them on. 

She was working paycheck to paycheck and couldn’t see the way out. 

Fast forward to this year: She celebrated her first $30,000 sales *month* and flew her first $14,000 commission from Nova Scotia to Portugal to deliver it. 

She also received a residency and grant…  And created an incredible project called the Art of Being Seen that supports people emotionally through her art… And created over 30 paper pieces, selling for more than she thought she could charge for works on paper.

What changed? 

Through her work in the Become Internationally Known program, Chanelle realized that she had taken on the belief there was one very specific way to become an artist.

A way that wasn't working for her.

With the support of the program, she did some soul-searching and found a connection with a broader group of people who supported the way she made art. 

She realized that the value of her art lies not in the cost of her materials but in what it does for people… And began pricing it accordingly.

Learning to value herself and her artwork helped others do the same. 

“Over the past six months, I have really leaned into trusting the universe; for the first time in my life, I have a real (and pretty hearty) savings account. The biggest change I see in myself is my ability to relax and remove myself from the struggle while trying to stay afloat, to trust and being on a little floating dinghy.” - Chanelle Jefferson. 

Check out her work here

You Don’t Know How Much I Love You, Charcoal and Chalk Pastel On Paper 11x17 inches, September 2023, Leaning In, Charcoal and Chalk Pastel On Paper 11x17 inches, September 2023, Summer Breeze, Charcoal and Chalk Pastel On Paper 11x17 inches, September 2023, Let Me Carry You , Charcoal and Chalk Pastel On Paper 11x17 inches, September 2023, Fork in The River, Mixed Media on canvas 24 x 28 inches, March 2023