From Circuits to Canvases: How One Engineer Risked It All to Revolutionize Art Education Online
Ever wondered what happens when an engineer trades in blueprints for brushes? Meet Florence Morin — she flipped the script from crunching numbers at Canada’s Polytechnique Montréal to crafting art and building an online empire that teaches others to do the same. Launched back in 2020, Florence Art & Drawing isn’t just another online art school; it’s a finely tuned blend of digital courses and a tangible, old-school art magazine delivered straight to your mailbox. With a tight-knit 10-person team handling everything from tech to teaching, Florence has cracked the code on balancing authenticity in an AI-driven world while nurturing a passionate community of hobbyist artists who crave more than just quick fixes. Curious how she turned passion into profit, built an audience that values the craft, and why she’s hesitant to sell a business that’s 80% of her identity? Dive into her story and get ready to rethink what it really takes to create a business you love. LEARN MORE.
Florence Morin is an artist-turned-engineer-turned-entrepreneur. She graduated from Canada’s Polytechnique Montréal in 2013, only to realize she disliked engineering work. She longed to earn a living from making art.
Fast forward to 2026, and Florence Art & Drawing is her online art school, launched in 2020, selling classes and instruction. Her 10-person team includes web developers, instructors, and support staff.
In our recent conversation, she shared her tactics for course content, customer acquisition, hiring, and more.
The audio of our entire interview is embedded below. The transcript is edited for clarity and length.
Bandholz: Tell us about yourself and your business.
Florence Morin: I’m a Montreal, Canada-based artist. I founded Florence Art & Drawing to teach folks how to draw.
Teaching art was not my initial career. I was an engineer, and I was hating life. I had to figure out how to earn a living while making art. And that turned out to be an art school selling digital instruction with a physical magazine that people receive at home to learn how to draw with paper, old-style.
Online courses are hugely popular, especially after Covid. We’re passion-focused for hobbyists. My audience is a bit older. They want to have fun and develop a skill, not become professionals. It’s important to value the effort and the time it takes to learn skills, especially in an AI world where everything is easy and spontaneous.
At first I was both the face of the business and the instructor. But it became too much work. So I built a team that’s now 10 people. We have tech guys who set up and manage our website, which runs on Shopify. Plus two teachers help with instruction, grading students’ drawings, and answering questions. We also have customer support agents.
I can now focus on creating courses and expanding the brand to be more like an art school and less about me.
Bandholz: Walk me through the product.
Morin: People sign up to our courses through our Facebook ads or our email newsletter. Advertising on Facebook has long been our top customer acquisition channel. Plus I’ve built a huge mailing list.
Early on, my preferred way to make sales was to go live on a webinar and actually do drawing exercises with attendees. I pitched our products at the end of the session.
At first we offered only digital courses. Attendees could pay via a link I provided. But getting the signups depended on my doing the live webinar. So that’s when I introduced the physical magazine that folks can buy from our site. I did’t need to be there. They subscribe to the magazine, which costs $29 per month.
When it arrives in their mailbox, they can open it, draw in it, and have some fun. It doesn’t require interaction. My team coordinates it all. The magazine is easy to mail and requires little inventory. I keep copies in my basement. Team members have access and ship directly from my home.
The online courses are more expensive, roughly $1,300 per year with live support, in-depth projects, and step-by-step instruction.
The physical magazine is 50% of the business. I periodically meet with my editorial team — our chief of operations, and contractors who write, review, and design the content. The pictures in the magazine are my real drawings.
Digital classes account for 30% of the business, and the other 20% varies.
Bandholz: You champion handmade products. Do you rely on AI for business operations?
Morin: Artists are often shocked and even offended to see a machine do in 10 seconds what it took them 10 years to learn. We never use AI for art. Transparency and authenticity are very important. We respect our customers.
Yet as a business owner, I’m not opposed to using AI for repetitive back-office tasks. Still, our focus is on human connection, valuing time to learn, and bringing communities together.
Bandholz: What’s your long-term vision for the company?
Morin: Launching the company was about freedom. I’ve learned so much on the way. My goal for the next few years is to make the business less dependent on me so I can work on new projects.
Some of my current duties, such as marketing, I can delegate. Although a good marketer is probably the hardest role to hire. The person must know the product and the business and be able to generate creative ideas. A lot of artists want to be involved, too.
I’m not considering selling the business. Florence Art & Drawing is 80% of my identity. Selling the company would be like giving that identity to someone else. A lot of folks I know who have sold a business feel very empty afterward. If an owner wants to sell, she has to be clear on what to do afterward.
If I remove my business, who else am I?
Bandholz: Where can people sign up for an art course, follow you, or reach out?
Morin: Our website is ArtetDessin.com/en. We’re on Instagram and Facebook, and I’m on LinkedIn.
