In The Studio with the brains behind Beany, Ella Carroll

Go deep with the maker of murals, figurines, sculpture, and paintings, and arts curator.

There’s something inspired about bringing a character into existence; one that not only exists as your lone idea, but that becomes its own identity with its own world. That’s exactly what Ella Carroll has achieved with her signature figure Beany; a bunny who goes on adventures through the mediums of art. But Ella Carroll is so much more than the birthgiver of Beany – Carroll is a muralist, a sculpture, a painter and an arts curator with a flair for the vibrant and the uplifting.

Ella Carroll takes us into her arts practice and studio as part of our monthly In The Studio series.

Keep up to date with all things arts, exhibitions and stage here.

 

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Give us an overview of your work!

I usually cycle through different mediums and often have a ‘flavour of the month’. Lately I’ve been focusing a lot of my time on my beany figurines! They’re part of my first figurine series ‘Tomato Season’. They take a while to paint all the details and I could easily spend hours and hours painting without realising the time going by. I also regularly paint murals and canvases and sculpt – all surrounding my character ‘Beany’. Beany’s a rabbit who wears cool clothes and has fun little adventures. I also focus a lot of my energy on community events in Geelong – I’ve been running a free art club with my friend Eden Ariston for the past two years and it’s been so fantastic to get closer with Geelong’s creative scene.

How long have you been developing your arts practice?

I’ve been creating since I was tiny, but started taking my work a bit more seriously after I graduated from high school in 2018. I went to Japan with a friend, planned an exhibition and came back to Geelong to exhibit! Since then I’ve been going non stop; I feel like I can’t live my life without creating.

How did you discover your passion for this artmaking?

The fact that I was so welcomed into the arts community really fuelled my passion. I quickly realised that everyone is so supportive of newer artists; they want you to win with them. After my first exhibition in 2021 ‘Beany’ at Analogue Academy, a big beautiful studio space upstairs at what was the Hue And Cry Collective (is now Liminal Gallery) was offered to me, and I blossomed as an artist. I was surrounded by so many fantastic groovy artists who had years of experience and a wealth of knowledge to nurture me and encourage me and answer all my questions – it was a dream come true, and probably explains why I am so incredibly passionate about Geelong’s art community and lifting other artists up!

 

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What have been the biggest milestones in your arts career to date?

I am so lucky and grateful to say I have so many! My 2021 exhibition, Beany’s Home, was one of the biggest shows Hue and Cry Gallery had, which was incredible. It was a home themed exhibition; I decked out the gallery to have a lounge room, bedroom, kitchen and garden, and had around 30 local artists part of it. I’ve exhibited in Japan and Thailand through artist residencies, which were such incredible experiences. More recently, I had BeanyMart, at RUT. Gallery in 2025, which was also a huge; I had 40 artists exhibit works you’d find at the supermarket, and decked out the gallery space to emulate a supermarket, but cuter (I think.) that was such a cool one, we had a line out the door the whole opening day! Crazy. I am so grateful to have had these opportunities to work with fantastic artists.

What is your favourite artwork or series that you have created and why?

It’d have to be BeanyMart! I felt like all my hard work paid off in spades. I was working on that exhibition every single day for a year and a bit, and the turnout on the day and for the month it was showing was just insane. So many more people came than I ever thought possible! Everyone’s work was so incredible and fit the supermarket brief perfectly, it was such a spin out to see it all come together so cohesively. My dad is a graphic designer, and made the coolest catalogues ever- they were set out like a supermarket catalogue. My mum helped curate, too, so it was awesome to work with my parents and feel so supported by them during it all. The support I received from my community  was also incredible. The local newspaper reached out to me and BeanyMart ended up on the front cover, and a radio station also had me on to chat about it too. Definitely my favourite project so far!

 

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What has been the biggest challenge you face as an artist and how are you pushing through that barrier (if you can!)?

The biggest challenge has recently revealed itself to me – managing stress! I’ve found myself equating being busy and stressed with being successful, and it was only until I went to Thailand in September (right after BeanyMart) where I could slow down, pause and reflect on the things that aren’t serving me anymore. I hadn’t been letting myself enjoy the process of setting BeanyMart up or letting myself rest, and it made me constantly stressed and anxious that it wouldn’t be “good enough” or “people won’t come”. Both thoughts were proven wrong, and in turn, I was able to take a step back and realise that everything was actually great and I could’ve been happy while I was setting up instead of stressed out – felt silly – now I’m doing my best to enjoy every second of what I do!

Where has your work been, or is your work currently, displayed?

I have had my work all around Geelong – Analogue Academy, Hue and Cry (now Liminal), RUT. Gallery, Geelong Gallery, There There/Captain,  Honey Bones Fitzroy and Changing Room Gallery in Melbourne, Fukuoka in Japan, Chiang Mai and Bangkok in Thailand.  My figurines are currently displayed in Geelong Gallery and Cathartic Vintage (and on my website )

A sculpture of mine is being shown at an arts festival in Bangkok right now!

Tell us about your studio space! What are all of the elements that make your studio functional and inspirational for developing your art?

My studio is in my beautiful home! I’ve got a supermarket themed studio now, after absorbing BeanyMart, so there’s heaps of colour everywhere, heaps of fake fruit I made. I’m a very organised person, so there’s a lot of storage and labels and blah blah blah , heaps of colour and little trinkets everywhere! It’s truly the best spot to create.

 

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What does a typical day of creating art look like for you both in the studio and out of the studio?

I really love staying at home. An ‘art day’, for me, would be painting figurines, sitting out in the garden with my bird Rex. I’d get bored of the figurines after a bit so I’d come inside and listen to music, clean the house, go on a walk then come back and start something new.  My mind can’t really sit still, so I always need something lined up and on the go – at least three projects. I’ll just bounce from one to another until they’re all done, then I’ll start something new!

How would you characterise the arts ecosystem in regional Victoria?

Constantly growing! Regional Victoria is full of really cool people with incredible minds. It’s a great mix of younger and older creatives. There are a good few collectives and studio spaces, galleries etc focused on bringing the arts community together, but there could be heaps more I reckon.

How has being based in regional Victoria elevated your arts practice? What kind of support have you received?

I’ve received the kind of support which stays in your heart forever – community support! The close knit, wave to each other on a walk, stop and chat on the street, give and receive help vibe of Geelong has set me up to succeed organically. I love that people are just as hungry for connection as I am, and the ‘in it together’ attitude Geelong’s art scene has makes me never want to leave.

 

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What does the future look like for you?

I am going to take a little rest I think! I have left the end of 2025 and the start of 2026 blank intentionally. After BeanyMart and the two Thailand shows I am finding myself desiring slowness and a new routine. This time, however, I will not feel guilty in the slightest, because we need these periods of ‘absorbing’ and ‘intake’ just as much as we need the output. Beany will be back and better than ever, maybe in the new year? Whenever I get my ducks in a row, Beany will be back.

Where can we find you?

Instagram.com/beanybeanybeans 

https://beanys-shop.myshopify.com/