By Lauren Stepp
Long before he opened a gallery on Haywood Street in downtown Asheville, Elliott From was a kid in the suburbs of Chicago, working intently on a painting of a boxing kangaroo. It was the first piece he remembers finishing, and it sparked something unmistakable.
“I was born with art in me,” From says. “My dad was an amazing artist and, although he didn’t pursue art as a career, he had his art studio in one of the rooms in our house. I really enjoyed making art as a kid and would always join my father in creating paintings together.”
Elliott From live painting
In the decades since conjuring up that scrappy, glove-wielding marsupial, From has built a creative career rooted in the movement and rhythm of human connection. Those sensibilities take center stage during Artbeat After Hours, a recurring Thursday-night experience where guests can watch From create original paintings in real time at his downtown studio.
“Artbeat After Hours grew from a simple desire: I wanted people to experience art the way I feel it when I create it—not just the finished product but the movement, the mess, the energy,” From says. “I kept hearing people say, ‘I wish I could see how you paint in person.’ I realized, ‘Why not open the doors and let them?’”
But From’s path to that open-door philosophy was not straightforward. After earning a BFA from Bradley University, he stepped away from the studio and built a two-decade-long career in publishing and advertising. During this time, painting took a backseat to work, marriage and raising children.
“It was not until 2007, when I was getting divorced, that I really wanted to become a full-time artist,” he says. “Art was still in me; it just needed to get out.”
Chaotic 29. Elliott From, artist
From’s “adult artistic breakthrough” came that same year when he combined two passions—visual art and music—to create Artbeat Live Studios in Chicago. As part of this venture, his Artbeat Live performances helped raise more than $5 million for more than 350 charities around the globe.
He describes the process of painting in front of an audience as “both vulnerable and exhilarating.”
“Creating live means there’s no undo button—every stroke, every decision, every mistake is right out there in the open,” From says. “But that’s what makes it powerful. When I paint in front of people, I’m inviting them into the heartbeat of the piece. There’s a shared energy that happens, almost like a conversation without words.”
Every painting he creates during Artbeat After Hours is available for purchase, with a portion of each sale supporting a local nonprofit organization. He also keeps his pricing intentionally accessible so more people can bring original art home.
“For me, painting live is a reminder that art is alive and free to view,” From says. “It’s not just a finished product—it’s a moment, an experience, a pulse. Sharing that openly is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.”
Artbeat After Hours takes place on select Thursdays from 5–7 p.m. at Artbeat Gallery & Lounge, located at 56 Haywood Street. View the full schedule at ArtbeatLive.com/pages/events.
