An unexpected pregnancy isn’t a common source of inspiration for a business idea, but that’s exactly what led Michael and Paola Dias of Hancock to create Art Bellies.

“We decided one day, as my belly started getting bigger, to try tracking it against the wall, like you might track the height of your child on the wall as the years go by. So, we put paper on the wall and traced my silhouette with watercolors,” Paola said.

I wasn’t long before the two started experimenting with different paints, dyes, calligraphy brushes and higher quality paper.

“We wanted something that was more subtle than other things we’ve seen. When you look at it, you don’t see, ‘This is my pregnancy,’ you see ‘This is art, but it is art with a deeper meaning,’” she said.

The simple yet elegant designs they created impressed them. They weren’t thinking about turning their new hobby into a business until their friends and family starting asking for materials and instructions to create their own. Completed prints were especially in demand from prospective grandparents, they said.

So, facing a tough economy, and with no real prospects for a better job, they decided they had nothing to lose.

They introduced their new artistic idea at the Greenerborough Expo & Festival in Peterborough last April, and the feedback, they said, was very encouraging.

“There really isn’t anything like this. There’s nothing I know of that someone who’s not artistic can make something beautiful to hang on the wall, but it’s also a bonding experience. It’s an activity that you can do with your partner,” Paola said.

Art Bellies sells kits with all the materials needed to make a few different unique prints. Kits with different colors are available, but all cost $45 and include art paper, calligraphy brushes, Japanese sumi-e ink and instructions.

Part of the idea’s success, and part of the reason no one has tried to capture and market it, has been a recent cultural revolution in thoughts on pregnancy, they said.

“I think not too many years ago pregnancy was hidden,” Paola said. “Clothing was made to be loose, and I think as times have changed, women have been able to feel more empowered by the physical changes of their body. Now we’re wearing clothes that don’t necessarily hide your pregnancy.”

Even today, Michael said, pregnancy isn’t always celebrated in a creative and reflective way.
“It’s celebrated by shopping, preparing the nursery. Making sure you have all the latest and greatest gear,” he said

Even after the initial success and positive feedback, the couple admits they have been slow to get the business up and running.

“Things were getting ramped up, we were poised and ready to go, and then out comes the baby. That put a stop to everything for a little while,” Michael said.

It has taken about seven months, but Michael and Paola said they, and their family, are finally ready to start making a national push for Art Bellies.

Three of their prints were recently selected for the cover of a book called “The Baby Planner” by Mary Oscategui. In December they offered a hands-on demonstration at Mother & Child Clothing and Gifts in Nashua.

The couple, who moved from California to Hancock only a year ago, said they are worried Art Bellies won’t thrive as well on a national scale as it has locally, but know the potential is huge.
“I think living here really inspired us. There’s something amazing about this area. This is a very special place and there’s a lot of community here,” Paola said.

As part of that national push, Art Bellies will have an advertisement in “Pregnancy Magazine.” They will also send out 500 mailings that will include examples of the art, to the offices of obstetric and gynecology doctors, and to birthing centers across the country.

The best part about growing the business, Michael said, is seeing completed prints in the homes of friends and family and knowing he was able to help others capture a special moment on paper.

“Even if this never develops into a serious business entity, we’ve already succeeded,” he said.