From Two Years of Zero Sales to a Thriving Art Business with the Two Faced Twins (218)

Building an art business takes more than just talent—it takes determination, adaptability, and a willingness to keep going, even when success feels out of reach.

Stella and Gemma Stevens, the artists behind Two Faced Twins, know this firsthand. Their work—bold, colorful, and joyful—now has a dedicated following, but their path wasn’t always easy.

Stevens Two Faced Twins
Stella and Gemma in front of their seafront gallery.
For two years, the Stevens twins struggled to sell a single piece. They faced creative differences, self-doubt, and even a gallery robbery. But instead of giving up, they leaned into their vision, their roles as artists, and their belief in what they were building. In our conversation on The Art Biz, I talked with Stella and Gemma about:
  • How they transformed sibling disagreements into a creative advantage.
  • The strategies that helped them push through early struggles and build momentum.
  • The business mindset that keeps them going, including their marketing and expansion efforts.
  • How they inspire the next generation of artists through school visits.
One of the biggest takeaways? Determination isn’t just about working hard—it’s about believing in your work and staying the course.

Listen

What’s one thing in your art business that deserves more of your determination?

A project you’ve been putting off? A marketing effort that needs consistency? An opportunity you’ve been hesitating to pursue?

Whatever it is, commit to it. Give it the energy it deserves.

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Learn more about the twins and see their seafront gallery.

Two Faced Twins Quotes

“We do have disagreements.”—Stella

“When we first started working together, Stella actually didn’t like me colouring her drawings. She had a real problem with that, and I had to really convince her that this was a good idea.”—Gemma

“In those first two years, when we were starting the business and we weren’t selling anything, for me, I was really enjoying what I was doing anyway. I was really enjoying setting up the website, setting up the business in general, doing all of our social media. I loved all of that.”—Gemma

“We’ve both always been very into self-development … and putting into place … daily healthy habits. So, you know, we’re quite big on manifesting … and keeping a good routine.”—Stella

“It’s a very weird dynamic being your mom’s boss. So sometimes naturally we kind of go back into the dynamic of parent, child, child. That’s a really difficult balance.”—Stella

“We never really felt like creative subjects were valued in school. And so when we left school, we never could have dreamed of setting up a business and running an art business or doing anything creative.”—Gemma

Stevens Two Faced Twins
On the shore by their gallery. Photo by Murray Clarke Photography.

Mentioned

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Check out SCORE to see if they’re available for business mentoring in your area

You don’t need a PR person like the Two Faced Twins, I tell you exactly what you need to do to Pitch to The Art Biz

Known as the Two Faced Twins, Stella and Gemma are identical twin artists who create striking artwork and homeware for contemporary homes. Working from their studio on the Sussex coast, the twins collaborate on each piece of artwork. Stella creates their initial illustrations and Gemma works on them digitally, manipulating them and adding colour. Inspired by street scenery and architecture, featuring local scenes and vibrant colours, they sell their work online and in their busy seafront gallery in Worthing, West Sussex.

Follow the twins on Instagram: @two_faced_twins

Stevens Two Faced Twins
Photo by Cuttlebone Photography.

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1 thought on “From Two Years of Zero Sales to a Thriving Art Business with the Two Faced Twins (218)”

  1. Truly a delightful listen and convo, and who doesn’t ♥️ an English accent!
    Just one winning aspect of this sisterly duo’s work and biz.
    Thank you Alyson, for always bringing us fresh voices, views, tips and tales from Far and Wide.👏🏾👏🏽👏🏾👏🏽👏🏾👏🏽❤️‍🔥

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