Meet Etsy Artist: lenoirdesigns

The artist behind lenoirdesigns is an "introverted, laid back guy that loves art, shooting pool and a variety of genres of music." His inspiration "comes from everyday life." It can be the "intimacy and passion from (an) interpersonal relationship, the day to day surroundings from politics to spiritual views and finding beauty in small things." He describes his eclectic style as "contemporary urban flair" or "abstract figurative." A lifelong artist, he's been selling his works professionally for 10 years. He appreciates Etsy for allowing him to find an online following. Please check out his shop: http://lenoirdesign.etsy.com/ and website: http://lenoirdesigns.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: HarryBoardman

As a fellow portrait artist, this next Etsian caught my eye awhile back...

Harry is often inspired by nature and his "fairly immediate surroundings," which includes the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. "I think half of the paintings hanging for sale right now are based on the street we live on," he jokes. With an ever changing variety of styles that runs the gamut of classic to abstract, he admits, "I have the attention span of a child or tiny insect." He says people often mistake his myriad of styles for those of several artists. "To that end, I try to keep specific series going so that there is enough of each style to create a cohesive look," the life long artist explains. "Some of my earliest memories are of making fantastic colorful messes." Eventually, in 2004, he started a business for his fine art and portraits. "Etsy is an interesting creature," he says. "I try to use Etsy as a way to get my work out and be available to a wide audience for an affordable price." When asked if he had advice for his fellow artists, he joked, "I hate to influence and warp people's minds if I can avoid it." He later offered, "I would say to go with your gut and do what you think is right. This community (and it is that) is just as understanding and as weird and awesome as you are." Please check out his shop: http://harryboardman.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: Igziabeher

Michelle Rachels describes her home as "out here in the woods, 3 miles to the closest stop sign down a gravel road; wildlife abounds, and my only contact with the world is dial up." She jokes, "I can't even get DSL." After 25 years in the manufacturing business - 7 of which were 80 hour weeks -

she "(came) to a point in life of realizing your mortality and ask yourself what have I done with it?" A bit melancholy she explains that "back in the mid '70's I could have marketed my paintings." Although her art is now a successful business, it is also her life. Some of her work can be seen in galleries in Coeur d Alene, ID and she has also been selling on Ebay for several years under the user name artistforwildlife - although Etsy is her preference. Her favorite medium is a large scale canvas - 3'x4' or more. "It's too bad shipping is so costly," she jokes. "Music is my carrier," she says of her inspiration, "especially reggae music. I have been a rasta at heart since the mid 70's." She has traveled far and wide to exotic locales - and even lived in Iran for a year during the reign of the Shah. "I truly embrace the motto 'the world is my country, all mankind is my brethren, and to do good is my religion,' by Thomas Paine." Please check out her shop: http://igziabeher.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist" Sulaluna

UK artist Sue Wright stumbled upon Etsy after her son encouraged her to join. "He has a friend with an Etsy shop, and the more I looked ... I don't think I'll ever go normal shopping again," she excitedly explains. "I'm busy passing on the word." As an artist, it's important to her to support her fellow artisans and crafters. A lifelong artist, she has dabbled in many mediums, including jewelry making, although painting is her passion. "I love to mix media, employ different materials and techniques - and have a fascination with colours, shapes, textures, paint and fabrics that make me feel alive." She especially loves to paint on linen because it has a "special sexy feel to it." Her pieces often reflect her mood and life experiences. As she puts it, "What would the world be without color?" New to Etsy, she decided to start off simple with a few small paintings. Please check out her shop: http://sulaluna.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: adallasgallery

The talent behind Etsy shop adallasgallery is a fellow Libran (born October 2) - and has also recently moved out of my neck of the woods - the Pacific Northwest - after living here for 26 years. He jokes that he doesn't like to talk about himself because "(his) past hasn't been particularly fascinating." He's been a lifelong artist, but after his daughter started college at the University of Washington, he has focused more on his art. Not long after he did his first show and his new career has taken off. "Since then I've done commission pieces and have sold over half the work I've produced so far," he explains. Believe it or not his works are all done using colored pencils, but have the look of watercolors. Each piece depicts his love of world cultures. Please check out his shop: http://adallasgallery.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: SheilaTS

I discovered the following artist in her very first week on Etsy...

Sheila Tajima was born in the US, but spent her childhood in Japan. At 18 she moved back to California to attend college and put down roots. She worked through the ranks as a police officer and forensic artist - and has recently retired as a Sergeant after 26 years of public service. Now she devotes her time to art. "After seeing all that darkness, I always look for the light in people and situations," she explains. Her inspiration comes from life and "the people who choose to live it to the fullest." Believe it or not, she only leaned how to paint with oils two years ago, but has fallen in love. "I still dabble in watercolor, pastel, pen and ink, graphite and an occasional Bic pen on paper napkin," she jokes. Art has been her passion since she was four years old and watched her father draw Mickey Mouse. "I thought what he did was magical." Although her art is truly a passion, she has been forced to approach it like a job recently after a divorce left her paying her ex husband from her pension. "Do what you love and it will show in your work," she recommends. "Don't be discouraged by bids that are rejected. For every 10 people who turn you down there is going to be someone who absolutely thinks you are the best thing since sliced bread." Please check out her shop: http://sheilats.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: tamrasart

Tamra has been an artist all her life, but "was never encouraged in that area." She tries hard to encourage her own kids' abilities and talents - and anyone else who needs a little encouragement. "I have a degree in art therapy, so I have a bit of a bent toward that philosophy," she jokes. Her inspiration comes from the people in her life. "I'm a Jesus follower and I know that no one walks through my front door by accident, be it adult, kid or animal. I look for ways to serve the people God has put in my path, especially through my art." Her style runs the gamet, from realism to impressionism, but she strives to make her commisioned portraits "spot on." Although she mostly focussed on drawing and oil painting in the past, she picked up pastels about three years ago and now has "no desire to use anything else at the moment." She says "they do what colored pencils couldn't do for me." She has some of the best advice I've heard so far for her fellow Etsians: "Have a sign over (your) work table that says 'Make stuff!'" Please check out her shop: http://tamrasart.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Felter & Artist: AmeliaMakesArt

There is so much talent and creativity on Etsy that you can't help but stumble around the site and find something truly amazing and unique. That's how I ran across AmeliaMakesArt. I was searching for custom portraits to see if I could make a go of it myself and saw her listings for felted likenesses of pets. I have to admit that when I saw the pictures I thought they were real dog sand clicked on the link wanting to see what the felted version would look like. I searched her shop high and low for about fifteen minutes, disappointed that she didn't have any pictures of her work. And then it hit me - what I was looking at WERE the pictures. The dogs I saw weren't the real models, but her expertly crafted likenesses. WOW! I was truly blown away.

Amelia lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, who is also an artist, and their dogs Hazel and Oscar. Believe it or not she has only been felting animals for a year. She learned her craft from her best friend in college, who spent time in Iceland after they graduated and learned felting from his roommate. "I visited him in Iceland where the wool is abundant and the felt work is not only everywhere, but incredibly modern and progressive...I consider what I do now a combination of my deep love for dogs and my drive for making things. I am so fulfilled when I bring joy to someone with my likeness of heir dog or cat. I have quite a collection of photos of animals with their likenesses that people send to me. It is a fovorite aspect of my job and I post them on my blog (http://www.ameliamakesart.typepad.com/). About 30% of my work is memorial pieces of people's pets who have passed on and it brings so much joy to give them a physical memory to have and hold." She finds needle felting similar to sculpting. "The form is built with wool fiber piece by piece, using a special barbed needle to mold the fibers together," she explains. "It is a tedious process but the results are well worth it." Aside from her astoundingly lifelike recreations of dogs and cats Amelia is also a talented painter. Please check out her shop: http://ameliamakesart.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

My first Oil Portraits

Painter's Log, Star Date 2/6/08. It's been 12 years (gasp) since I've painted with my oils, so I thought I'd list my first and only portraits to kick start me into boldly going where I've never gone before: a second project. I'm a huge original Star Trek fan, so it was only natural I chose Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock as my fist subjects. What do you think? I bought a bunch of blank canvases of all sizes and hope to get my butt in gear this weekend...

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Yikes - I finally did it...

After a lot of prodding from friends I have finally decided to list custom portraits on Etsy. This marks the first time I've ever tried to do it professionally (OK, I admit it - I'm SCARED). Heck, I've hardly let anyone even see my art over the years. It is one of my true passions, though. I start with the eyes. They're a window to your soul - and if I can't capture someone's personality in their eyes I start over. Simple as that. Anyway, here's a few of my faves...

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Etsy portrait listing: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9313040

Meet Etsy Artist: rtisan and rtisan2

The extraordinary talent behind Rtisan (jewelry) and Rtisan2 (art) is an ethnic folk art painter and illustrator in San Francisco. With a BA in Graphic Design it comes as no surprise that she loves color and texture, which is also reflected in her earthy, nature-inspired designs. "(I) think of jewelry making as sculpture, in a way," she explains. She began making jewelry as a hobby a mere two years ago, but spent so much on supplies she soon realized she should begin selling it. Of course her first love is art, which she does exceptionally well in her second shop, and has become her passion. She advises Etsy artists have a wide range of prices to accommodate all budgets. Please check out her shops:

Jewelry - http://rtisan.etsy.com/

Art - http://rtisan2.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

My other passion: Portraits

While I focus on jewelry in my Etsy shop I have two other passions: writing on my fictional novel about a medevac helicopter crew in the Vietnam War - and pencil portrats. I have never persued it professionaly, but I wanted to share my work with my friends...These are some of my favorite pieces...

-Wendy Baylis