Maya Ratcliff was toying with acrylic paints at her home in Hawaii one afternoon in 2020, when she added some water to drying paint bottles and poured it onto paper. By Patty Horansky
Maya Ratcliff was toying with acrylic paints at her home in Hawaii one afternoon in 2020, when she added some water to drying paint bottles and poured it onto paper.
The former bank executive and self-described failure at art was amazed to see beautiful images appear as she tilted and moved the paper. Her discovery would soon lead her to found one of the fastest growing franchises in the U.S.
Ratcliff posted her “fluid” images to Facebook, and people started asking to buy her work and learn her technique. Within six months, she taught about 1,000 students out of her garage. To meet a growing demand, she opened her first studio in Hawaii in 2021 and launched Hawaii Fluid Art out of Dallas a year later.
Since launch, the brand has opened 20 studios, and 200 units have been sold. It’s on track to have between 40 and 50 studios open by the end of this year, some of which will begin the brand’s expansion into Canada.
“This year has been busy, fast and fun,” Ratcliff said.
She has grown her corporate team to include a brand expansion specialist, a director of construction management, an in-house ad agency and a B2B marketing director to build partnerships within communities.
The brand offers franchisees a low point of entry, recurring revenue, hands-on training, ongoing support, help with location and buildout, social-media marketing, scalability, an employee health plan and more.
“You’re not just buying an idea,” Ratcliff said. “You’re buying a built-in business.”
Her team and franchisees include former attorneys, doctors, teachers and others seeking a change from the corporate world.
“They’re looking for something more,” Ratcliff said. “They want an experience of camaraderie. They want to be on a team.”
Classes that are offered include fluid art, resin beach scenes, resin tumblers, glass painting, mosaics and more. A new class, hat decorating, will be added in January. Other new additions include a mobile studio that takes art into communities and a membership platform that offers discounts to returning students.
“We’re always introducing new things,” Ratcliff said.
Ratcliff strives to offer owners a reason to smile every day and is happy knowing that Hawaii Fluid Art brings joy to so many people.
“It really is a feel-good business,” she said.
Patty Horansky