Meet Etsy Artist: BijousWhimsy

Mandy Saile was born in 1977, in North Bay, Ontario, Canada to a French mother and German father. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art & Design with associate & honors standing in 1999, where she minored in communication & design and majored in illustration. "Creative blocks are not usually a problem for me," the full time illustrator admits. "The only thing that slows me down is that I get too many ideas and want to try too many new techniques at once." In fact she often has 20-30 projects in the works. "The linear and research stage of each picture is my favorite part," she says, "aside from getting to play with colour." Her inspiration comes from her surroundings - nature, music, people and their spirituality. "I feel that art is just an incredible way to share ideas and feelings and I love my job as a visual communicator," she explains. "I think that there is always someone out there looking to connect, looking to feel and to be provoked into thought and that it is an accomplishment when those things happen through a visual medium." She hopes her work "takes people away from their present." Her works are primarily colored pencil and pastel, but she has also dabbled with lino-cuts and watercolor pencils - and is even experimenting with acrylic and mixed media painting. Her latest venture is a series of greeting cards. No matter what the medium, everything she creates is "100% heartfelt, sincere, original and full of wonderful energy." New Etsy, she still has sage advice: "be authentic; only put your best work forth." Please check out her shop: http://bijouswhimsy.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/