Posted by Tran Khue
on September 08, 2025
Bekah Hinkle is an artist whose work makes you stop and take a closer look. She’s based in Indianapolis and specializes in natural nails with hand-painted art. The topic? Anything! She made the news with a tiny portrait of Taylor Swift, but also recreates anime scenes, pop culture, and whimsical abstract art. Her brush control and eye for minutiae set her apart, but what really stands out is how she makes any client’s request come to life. She turns small canvases into storytelling pieces that shine with skill and personality. Let’s take a look at how Bekah Hinkle’s nail art is vibrant with love in every detail.
Bekah Hinkle’s Nail Art
Lisa Frank Freestyle
Do you remember this adorable 1990s brand that decorated folders and lunch boxes with neon rainbows and animal prints? Bekah says it took an hour and 45 minutes to freestyle this set. The orcas are perfect!
LAVIS Pat Pat Gel 05 - After Glow - Jelly Gel
If you love to hand-paint intricate, colorful designs like this, browse our new Pat Pat Gel palette collection. Each set of nine shades is designed especially for detailed nail art or ombre designs. The coordinated colors provide professional performance while saving you money because with these highly pigmented gels just a little goes a long way. They will save you space and cash!
Laffy Taffy Pastel Pride Princess
In just an hour, Bekah created this playful textured design that resembles Laffy Taffy rainbows in the clouds. It’s the kind of manicure that everyone wants to see close up and touch.
She didn’t mention the specific material she used but we suspect it’s builder gel as it’s excellent for strengthening natural nails and sculpting, too.
Rainbow Citrus Slices
Bekah described this manicure as the “juiciest, fruitiest nails you ever did see” and we completely agree! Each fingertip looks like a citrus slice in tasty new flavors. This March manicure is perfect for someone anxious for springtime and takes beautiful advantage of the jelly polish trend.
LAVIS C08 Glass Gala Collection
We can imagine Bekah shaping the slices with hard gel and making them irresistibly juicy with jelly gel colors like the ones in our Glass Gala Collection.
Porcelain Ghibli Birthday Nails
Amazingly, it only took an hour for Bekah to complete this blue and white porcelain-style manicure. It features Studio Ghibli characters like Haku the dragon and Calcifer the fire demon. You can also see soot sprites on another nail not pictured here.
It’s incredible to realize that she miniaturized these anime illustrations so quickly and conveyed such emotion on such a tiny canvas. What’s also interesting is that this vintage-looking style fits right in with her interest in fine art.
Pottery-Inspired Surprise Set
A client booked the maximum nail art time and even wore a blindfold, leaving the design fully in Bekah’s hands. She delivered vibrant pottery-inspired patterns with a balance of bold linework and layered color and texture. It looks like her client’s trust was well-placed!
Octopus Arms
“I really put my whole octopussy into this one”, she joked. It took her an hour and a half to complete the 3D tentacles curling across the nails. Zoom in and check out the teeny tiny suckers on each octopus arm. It’s stunning!
3D Sculpture Gel - Molding Gel
Spooky Nails
What happens when spooky season rolls around, but you don’t want something too dark and scary? What’s more, not all your nails have grown out yet and you kind of want to hide that fact. That’s when you get Bekah Hinkle’s nail art with a crystal ball predicting a successful manicure. This one has all the essential Halloween symbols like a crescent moon, a jack-o’-lantern, and a ghost, but everything is softened with floral accents and a sheer pink base. The neutral palette isn’t typical for the holiday, but it works perfectly for an autumn set.
LAVIS Gel Polish Matte Top - 0.5 oz (New)
Six Cats for a Birthday Set
Her client asked, “Hey, can you paint my six cats on my nails?” and Bekah made it happen. We can understand why, as the artist herself has cats she adores.
It took three hours to lovingly render the felines’ portraits, but it’s got to be one of the best birthday manicures ever!
A Little Bio of Bekah Hinkle
Bekah’s work made headlines when an article spotlighted the 90-minute Taylor Swift portrait she painted for a client attending the Eras Tour in Indianapolis. It was a rendition of the Midnights album cover where Taylor contemplates a lighter flame, and Bekah’s eleventh set of Swift-inspired sets.
She explained that her secret to success is letting inspiration guide her as she works. Her repeat clients understand that and let her have free rein because they trust her artistic vision. Bekah jokes that if she doesn’t have a plan, she can’t mess up. Also, her triple-fire zodiac chart (Aries sun, Leo rising, Sagittarius moon) might inspire her energetic designs.
The client who requested the Midnights cover showed Bekah a Pinterest board as a starting place since each of her nails in the set would be unique. She told the journalist that she visits Bekah’s salon once a month because one-of-a-kind nail art designs allow her to express herself creatively while dressing professionally.
Other clients also express their delight with Bekah Hinkle’s nail art. One described her as “the best, hands down,” because “her skill level and attention to detail is unmatched.” Another said she can show Bekah anything and she is able to replicate it. She added that she leaves in tears because the result “always blows me away”.
These aren’t one-off comments – in fact, there are many, many more between Bekah’s prior salon position and the new place she just opened in the Fountain Square neighborhood.
Conclusion
Bekah Hinkle’s nail art portfolio shows why she’s one to watch. Her work has technical precision amplified by a playful personality, plus a willingness to let inspiration take the lead.
We hope this nail artist spotlight inspired you to push the boundaries, learn new skills, and have a lot of fun! Give yourself permission to grow without worrying about your budget. You’ll find tempting discounts on essential nail supplies and the trendiest colors and styles in our store.
Sources:
https://www.instagram.com/magickmanis
https://eu.indystar.com/story/news/local/2024/10/29/indianapolis-salons-offer-taylor-swift-inspired-manicures-makeovers/75740126007
