When Maya Ratcliff began toying with acrylic paints in her garage three years ago, she never dreamed she would soon be the founder of one of the fastest-growing franchises in the U.S. By Patty Horansky
When Maya Ratcliff began toying with acrylic paints in her garage three years ago, she never dreamed she would soon be the founder of one of the fastest-growing franchises in the U.S.
A former corporate banker in Hawaii, Ratcliff had enrolled in art classes over the years. “I was terrible at all of it,’’ she said, laughing.
One afternoon, while trying her hand at acrylic painting at home, she added water to some drying paint bottles, layering the paint into cups and pouring it onto paper plates. As she tilted and moved the plates, Ratcliff was amazed to see stunning images unfold.
She posted her “fluid” artwork on Facebook, and people started asking to buy it. Soon, Ratcliff was teaching out of her garage, where more than 1,000 students attended classes in her first six months.
To make room for her burgeoning clientele, Ratcliff opened a studio in Hawaii in 2021. A year later, she launched her franchise out of Dallas.
Today, Hawaii Fluid Art has 15 open studios, 75 onboarding this summer and more than 200 units sold. Expansion plans include the U.S., Canada, South America and Europe.
“It is all set up on the absentee-owner platform, so it is easy to own multiple locations,” Ratcliff said. Startup costs are low, and profitability is high.
Every studio features local artists’ work on consignment in front galleries, and budding fluid artists create their masterpieces in the back. Classes are ADA-compliant and have included people with brain injuries, autism and hearing and sight impairments.
“All of our art forms are incredibly simple,” Ratcliff said. “Anyone can do them, and with proper training, anyone can teach them.”
During five days at corporate headquarters, new franchisees are immersed in all forms of fluid art, including acrylic on canvas, nontoxic resin on tumbler cups, silk scarf marbling and more.
Additional training includes online videos and on-site pre-opening and post-opening assistance.
Corporate staff provides guidance with real estate acquisition and studio design, social media marketing, online platforms for job descriptions and a group medical plan.
Family members and friends make up the corporate staff; an art background is not a prerequisite for the corporate team or franchisees. More important attributes include a positive outlook, good personality and strong work ethic, Ratcliff said.
Patty Horansky