After working as an illustrator and portrait artist, Bea Bellingham founded handmade ceramic homewares and jewellery brand, Things by Bea, to channel her creativity into pieces people can use.
“I’ve always felt like I wanted to create work that integrates with life, something you live with not just look at,” Bellingham explains. “A ceramicist friend suggested I get my hands muddy with her one weekend and it just clicked. I don’t think I’ve had clean hands since.”
The pieces are all unique and feature patterns including colourful cacti and bananas to the more abstract speckles and sprinkles designs. Bellingham says the ideas for her products, which range from bangles to vases, spark from everywhere.
“I’m never sure where an idea originates, but my little sketchbook is always full. For this reason I work in six month seasons so I can free off the page as many of these ideas as possible.
“All of the patterns are playful, either with a pop culture reference, some sort of movement, or just pops of bold colour.”
The ceramics are handmade using a method called slab rolling. “It’s essentially rolling a giant clay pancake that’s then cut into shapes and hand formed,” explains Bellingham. “This keeps each form totally unique.”
While the process can be time consuming, Bellingham says her 30 stockists across Australia appreciate the time and effort she and her studio assistants put in to creating beautiful pieces.
“I think my retailers recognise that they’re getting something that really is a ‘thing by Bea’ and are happy that it takes a little longer than mass produced items. That being said, most orders are out within three to six weeks.”
Attending her first trade fair, Life Instyle, was a big moment for Bellingham and her brand. “[It] blew me away,” she says. “The orders just flooded in far beyond my expectations. Whilst this was fantastic, it was also challenging. I immediately moved to larger studios, invested in a bigger kiln and took on people to help.”
Although she is a creative at heart, Bellingham recognises the need to be business savvy and is eager to work hard on Things by Bea.
“I’m really aware that creating is the core of me as a person, but chocolate doesn’t buy itself,” she says. “My business is my bread and butter (and chocolate).
“This means that to continue doing what I love, I have to put my all into making my business a financially viable venture. I work very hard at what I do, and to make sure others are happy with what I do to.”
Bellingham says she is always looking for more stockists and is also in the process of exploring collaborations with other brands.
“I’ve so many ideas, I just can’t wait to see what happens when they’re combined with other people’s ideas.”
By Ruth Cooper
