North Carolina mosaic artist Elizabeth Newton originally hailed from Augusta, Georgia. Much of her inspiration comes from fairy tales ("especially the lesser know ones with really oddball morals at the end") and her travels to "odd" places. She also has a fascination with renaissance fashion. "No, I don't hang out at Renaissance fairs," she jokingly adds. However she does dabble in many other art forms, including painting and jewelry making. "I love making really large stained glass mosaics just for the wow factor because they are quite impressive in person," she says. Although she's been honing her craft for 5 years, she's been a lifelong artist. "I guess if I can count crayoning on the walls and making my mother insane." While her art is just a hobby right now, she hopes to turn it into her career - if she can get over her shyness and start promoting herself. "I just signed up for my first (craft show) in Thomasville, NC on May 2 and I think I'm already having mini panic attacks about it," she admits. "I actually kind of miss things when they sell and I have to send them off. Please check out her shop: http://TheArtisticNewts.etsy.com and Blog: http://theartisticnewts.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Meet Etsy Artist: TheArtisticNewts
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Meet Etsy Artist: gracebaleymosaics
Brooklyn artist Grace Baley has been creating beautiful mosaics for over 12 years. She first fell in love with the art after seeing the tile designs in the NY subway system. She admits it took a lot of trial and error, but eventually she perfected her craft. "I use sheets of stained glass to create my pieces and cut them down to fit the needs of the design," she explains. Her work includes everything from the beautiful Buddha above to landscapes, floral arrangements, and portraits. Aside from being a mosaic artist, she also professionally installs bathroom and kitchen tile. "I work with interior designers to create custom pieces for their clients matching color and design style," she says, which has turned out to be very therapeutic for her. "I become very attached to my pieces when they are finished because they are usually the result of a long enjoyable journey," she admits. "I hope that Etsy will afford me the opportunity to sell my work to an audience that supports and appreciates the emotional connection an artist has to her work." Please check her out: http://gracebaleymosaics.etsy.com/, http://www.gracebaley.com/
Friday, April 4, 2008
Meet Etsy Mosaic Artist: domosaics
"No matter what I do in life I always end up back in the art world - and couldn't be happier," says the Kentucky artist. "One of the first things that people ask is where did the name Do Mosaics come from? My nickname is Shaundo or DO, which was given to me from my family. When I signed up for my first show they asked me what my business name was. At that point this was still a hobby. My sister called out my name from across the room and I quickly answered DO Mosaics. It has stuck ever since. This officially became my full time business 3 years ago. I was the poster child for the starving artist! It was an up hill battle at first but it is finally taking shape." She started out making mosaic gazing balls as a hobby, but when her sister asked her to make a mirror something clicked. "I started thinking that if I could put tile on a mirror then I could put it on anything." She moved on to picture frames next, which is still a staple in her shop. "There is nothing more gratifying than to see the look on someones face after you show them the finished piece," she gushes. "Making someone happy goes a long way." Although she's been an Etsy member since August of last year, she didn't really become active until last December. "I consider myself to be computer illiterate, so this has been a whole new experience for me," she admits. "I am truly grateful for everyone at Etsy - from the sellers to Admin - for all of their help." Initially she started her Etsy shop to assist her local customers, but didn't realize the magnitude of the site. "It's not every day that people from all over the world could be viewing your art," she says, still in awe. "I love to do art shows to get out and meet people, but you can only imagine what it's like to be carrying around hundreds of grouted pieces. It's rather back breaking. So now I only do a chosen few and this is where Etsy is quickly filling in." She is a firm believer that "you get out of Etsy what you put into it," and strives hard to make her shop work for her. "How many people can say that truly love their job. I am one of the lucky ones that can say that I am!" Please check out her shops: http://domosaics.etsy.com/ and http://etsymosaics.com
-Wendy Baylis
Posts
