She may only be sixteen, but Madelaine is already an accomplished self-representing digital artist and photographer. Born in Alberta, Canada in 1991, she currently resides in Thomas, West Virginia with her family, where the population is barely 500. Her boyfriend Critter "often stays with us in our little home here in the mountains." She doesn't drive yet, but is saving for a car with her Etsy earnings. Currently she attends Davis and Elkins College part-time, but hopes to be able to afford art school in the future.
Madelaine finds her inspiration for her dark, haunting style in words. "Always, always words. In any shape or form, as well; conversations, poetry, songs, books, letters. I can take an entire paragraph or a short line, and transform it into something visual in my mind, and then I go from there." She began her love affair with photography in the Spring of 2005, and soon started to digitally manipulate her photos into surreal works of art. "My art has evolved immensely," she admits.
Aside from Etsy Madelaine is also an assistant medic at a ski resort. "I can’t be a real one until I’m 18," she acknowledges, which means she doesn't get paid. Etsy is her only source of income. "With it, however, I am able to help support my family, so that works out great. I would really really love to be able to live on selling my art for the rest of my life, but I suppose only time will tell." She hopes to have 500 sales by her Etsy anniversary (September of 2008). "It might be a rather optimistic outlook, but I plan on introducing two new lines of smaller goods, so that might help reach more customers."
As a photographer, she knows the importance of good pictures. "There is nothing that will make me click away from an Etsy shop faster than bad photographs." She also warns her fellow sellers to account for all costs. "If you underprice in hopes of increasing sales, you’re screwing yourself over. People pay for quality on Etsy."
Please check out her shop: http://madelaine.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com
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