Meet Chris Ansell of Boho Wall Art in Redondo Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Ansell.

Chris, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Rory and I met in college and both shared a distinct love for Mario Kart, cheap beer, and great music, above all.

Truth is, I don’t think either of us ever felt comfortable living in the status quo.

After finishing a year traveling with Royal Caribbean, I found myself grounded in LA- working construction and learning to live a more sustainable, goal oriented life.

Rory on the other hand was charging full steam ahead, hitting 50+ concerts that year, including most of the major international festivals (Coachella was only in its 2nd year at the time), not to mention several trips to the Amazon rainforest to sip Ayahuasca with local shaman.

It was this contrast, I think, that launched the idea for the site. Rory’s lifestyle was so inspiring and I knew I had to help find a way to fund what he was doing.

After a year of toying with the idea, BohoWallArt.com was officially launched in 2015.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Have you ever been on the 110 freeway at 8am? Sure, it’s frustrating as hell, but you know you’ll get there eventually.

Look. the artists at the heart of our business are incredible and carry so much talent. It’s because of them that we keep pushing this ship into uncharted waters.

Top 3 challenges to date?

1. Learning to build an affordable website that looks as great as it functions. Thanks to Shopify, we were able to make it happen on a shoe-string budget. Their customer service is #1 in the game!
2. Locating the right print house for the job. We are 100% online and so ensuring a quality product arrives to our customers doorstep in a timely fashion is critical. Our current print house works with us every step of the way to keep our customers happy. They’re also local to Los Angeles which really helps us maintain a great working relationship.
3. Spreading the word! Whether curating new talent, or showcasing featured artists, Instagram has been HUGE for us. While we don’t have the largest audience, we are growing and our followers are certainly dedicated. We strive to pull artists from all over the world, and this is by far our most time-consuming task. When you do find that perfect piece though, it’s so worth it!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Boho Wall Art – what should we know?
The right photograph incites curiosity and wonder and it’s our job to capture those feelings, allowing customers to relive those moments every time they look at our art.

Each month, we release a collection of framed, original photographs from one of our internationally discovered featured artists. Through social media and online resources, we’re able to discover some pretty fantastic and creative individuals.

Did I mention that all of our products are hand-crafted and printed right here in Los Angeles?

• Printed on heavy set, acid-free paper
  • Alder, semi-hardwood frame (3/4” thick)
  • UV resistant acrylic-glass protection
  • Lightweight and a breeze to hang

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Two guns espresso and plenty of it!

We sift through thousands of photos to find the artist we feel will best represent our brand. Then, we actually have to reach out to them and get them on board- this can take us into all hours of the night.

Once our artists sign with us, we really try to get to know them on a personal level. Many of our artists are from out-of-state and international so video chat has been very effective.

We focus on learning their stories; what got them into photography and what gets them out of bed each morning.

At the end of the day however, we rely on our artists and our customers to tell us where we can improve. They are, after all, the only reason we’re in business today.

Pricing:

• Most framed prints start as low as $47.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bohowallart.com
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Rory Biller – Toronto, ON
Noah Finer – Boulder, CO
Anatole Kanevsky – New York, NY
Sayali Ghotikar – Mumbai, India
Joseph Patrick Conroy – New York, NY

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.