Behind The Brush with Hot Shot
Welcome to Behind the Brush, where we offer a peek behind the curtain through the voices of talented artists within our community. This week, we’re spotlighting the fearless Chicago-based duo behind Hot Shot—Ally Braden and Beatrice Rasmussen. With roots in traditional sign painting and a relentless drive to build something that feels deeply authentic, Ally and Beatrice have carved out a name for themselves through their bold work, real-world relationships, relentless hustle, and an unapologetic personality.
Q. How did Hot Shot Murals come to life? And what made you both decide to create a business and partner together vs. venturing on your own?
A. On the patio of hexe coffee, with a note pad, we drafted up a list of names, picked Hot Shot and got to work. Before that day we had met working as apprentice sign painters. We were the only women working at the workplace where we met, and hit it off right away. Starting this together felt natural, we both knew we could go off on our own but finding someone who shares your work ethic, creative eye and values is rare. This business came to life out of that alignment. We were constantly talking about how to improve whether that meant using more innovative techniques, managing projects more efficiently, or just having more pride in the work. Hot Shot was built from those conversations. We didn’t just want to paint signs, we wanted to build relationships with our community and do authentic work that felt like a reflection of us.
Q. What’s been one of the early joys in creating your own business together and having this shared experience?
A. Having someone to bounce ideas off of, troubleshoot with, vent to, lean on and enjoy successes with makes a huge difference. Starting a business has definitely been overwhelming at certain times, but having each other to help has made a huge difference. Doing this together has made it clear how challenging it would be to face projects alone, without someone there to problem solve or even just complain to. What makes it even better is that we genuinely love hanging out and our shared sense of humor helps us turn even the most chaotic jobs into something we can laugh about.
Q. What’s been the most helpful resource to you in regards to bringing in new clients? Is it strictly social media or are you networking IRL too?
A. Social media has definitely played a big role. But cultivating real life connections tends takes precedence in our work. A lot of the work that we do comes from people seeing our murals out in the world or word of mouth from other artists, businesses, or clients we’ve worked with. We try to create connections and friendships on every project, and that energy has brought in some of our best opportunities and stories. We make friends everywhere and it definitely doesn’t hurt that we are both chatterboxes.
Q. We’ve got to say, we don’t see too many websites featuring an artist smoking a cig on a lift. It’s clear you both embrace your unique, authentic personalities. Have you found that to be an advantage when trying to earn new clients?
A. It was one of the first photos we took on a project together, so it deserves a feature. We’re genuinely running this business and having fun doing it and our clients can feel that. We bring good energy to the job, and like attracts like. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, so tend to lead with honesty and humor. The clients we attract want someone who is down to earth, easy to collaborate with and brings overall positive fun energy to a job. At the end of the day, the quality of our work speaks for itself, so we don’t feel the need to mold ourselves to fit into some corporate idea of professionalism. We’re good people, doing good work, and all we can hope is that people can feel that!
Q. How do you balance the demands of running a business with the creative side of art-making?
A. We’re both very multifaceted so wearing a bunch of hats actually suits us. In past roles, we were often just handed a design and told to paint. Most of the time without an address or proper supplies. Now we’re doing sales, design, project management, marketing, client relations, accounting, painting, and not to mention managing the hotdog grill on outdoor projects. It’s been awesome to see how much we’ve learned and grown in such a short time by continuing to practice new skillsets. It can be pretty exhausting during project weeks, but being involved in every part of the process means we can make sure everything is done to our standards.
Q. What advice would you give to other young women wanting to break into mural painting, sign painting or art in general?
A. We’ve both dealt with a lot of sexism in the field. We’ve been on construction sites where men ask where our “boss” is, or assume our male assistants are the ones in charge. Not to mention some kind of condescending comment every time we walk into a Home Depot. Within the sign painting and mural world, there’s still a long way to go. The best advice we can give is to stay affirmed in your right to a seat at the table. Your voice and presence belong here just as much as anyone else. Surround yourself with people who value your voice and growth. You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to know that you deserve to be in it.
Q. What’s your take on the general Chicago art scene and community?
A. We love the midwestern art scene. It’s full of incredibly talented and down to earth creatives without ego. We surround ourselves with other contemporary artists and makers who value old school processes in the same ways we do. The midwest has a deep respect for hardworking craftsmen and we are proud to be a part of that legacy. Some of the best sign painters in the country have come out of Chicago, and we are constantly inspired by the community around us.
Q. Have you developed any favorite industries or types of art-forward projects to execute? And what’s been a recent standout project?
A. We have found ourselves gravitating towards working with restaurants, tattoo shops,the custom motorcycle scene and mom and pop shops. The people we have loved working with the most, have all shared a common pride and excitement in having a strong and distinct visual identity, which is our M.O. We have seen what great creative direction can do for a space and business, so its cool to see that direct impact take shape.
Q. Where do you go or look when finding yourself in creative blocks? Do you have any particular practices you swear by?
A. We have had a lot of conversations about creative energy and accessing a flow state while working. We have made an effort in understanding that both of our creative energy comes in waves, and have tried to practice how to work with those fluctuations in energy and inspiration. One of the biggest gifts of working for ourselves is that we can actually honor those rhythms. If inspiration hits at 10 p.m., we can paint all night. And if we wake up the next morning and feel tapped out, we can rest. We also lean on each other a lot to balance out the workload. If one of us is stuck on a design, we’ll hand it over to the other for another set of fresh eyes on it . And that kind of collaboration has really helped us in keeping up momentum and giving ourselves grace. Creativity definitely isn’t linear, it’s about trusting the process and staying in flow however we can.
Q. Where do you see Hot Shot Murals in 2030? What’s one big step you hope to take by then?
A. We want to stay present and let the business grow naturally alongside us. We don’t have a strict plan, and want it that way. We are excited about the idea of Hot Shot changing as the years go by, and are open to the various ways it can morph into something new. Our goal is to keep honing our craft, getting better, and attracting projects that get us excited. Wherever Hot Shot is in 2030, we just want it to still feel aligned with who we are and how we have changed. The only concrete thing we envision for the future of Hot Shot is two Kei Trucks and a pizza oven at our studio.
Q. Let the people know where they can follow you and keep up with your journey!
A. Instagram is where we post most regularly: @hotshot.signs.
And you can check out our work or get in touch through our website: www.hotshotsigns.com
