Meet Etsy Artist: temple7e

Ohio artist Muluc began his artistic adventures with "graffiti" and street art before eventually finding his current niche. He, too, has a love of everything Asian, which is often reflected in his urban zen creations. "I get extremely inspired by seeing what others do," he says of his fellow artists. "There is just so much amazing creativity out there and it really turns me on." Although he has been drawing his entire life, he didn't experiment with other mediums until the age of 20. "If I weren't selling on Etsy I would still be making all of this anyway." Spoken like a true artist. He does make a little money, though, although not enough to quit his day job yet, which is his goal. "Be patient and allow your shop time and space to grow," he recommends. "Keep your quality and shop appearance tight and be prompt and clear in your communication." And of course, "Love your customers." Please check out his shop: http://temple7e.etsy.com/ and blog: http://temple7e.blogspot.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: SteppingStones

Tracy Prince creates beautiful jewelry and natural cabinet pulls out of gorgeous beach stones and glass she finds with her husband and children along the Rhode Island coast. She describes herself as a "Jane of all trades" and admits that if she is not constantly creating she falls into a deep depression. "It doesn't have to be jewelry. It just has to be something I'm creating," she explains. Recently she tore out the entire downstairs bathroom - and although she doesn't have a plan for it yet, she has the drive and "constant need to make." Much of her inspiration comes from nature and she counts herself lucky to live in "such an amazing part of the country." Although her craft and passion is also her full time job - along with motherhood - she keeps a once a month position at a local emergency room as a Medical Assistant "just to talk to big people and not go out of my mind." Please check out their shop: http://steppingstones.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artists: RavenstoneTiles

RavenstoneTiles is a collaborative effort between artist Laura Reutter and web designer/glaze maker Tim Taylor. They've been working professionally as a tile team since 1999, using their personal website as their major source of income. They have also sold on Ebay, are are just now dabbling with Etsy. I was lucky enough to stumble across this gorgeous bamboo set recently. Many of their pieces reflect a zen like tranquility, but they are also inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and the Art Nouveau period. "Nature, trees, and landscapes are also sources of ideas," they explain. Laura has had a lifelong love affair with clay (35+ years), but only began making tiles 10 years ago. "This is a job, or was, until the recent economic crisis hit," she manages to joke. "Sales are really slow right now and we're looking for other work to tide us over," she admits. They are excited about the opportunities on Etsy and are enjoying the community it offers. Please check out their shop: http://ravenstonetiles.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: joanschaumburg49

Joan may have started as a painter 30 years ago, but her latest endeavors into fused glass caught my eye. Working with fellow Etsian HendersonWoodCraft, she has created a beautiful zen furniture line including an end table and matching shoji screen. Each piece showcases her gorgeous hand painted bamboo glass panels - and would make a perfect addition to any home. In fact, she sells many of her creations at a local Asian import store. She also makes glass jewelry and is an exceptional painter and muralist. Please check out her shop: http://joanschaumburg49.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis
Dharma Designs
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Photographer: Photopia

Vanessa grew up in Hong Kong, but later moved to Vancouver, BC for high school. She moved yet again t0 Berkeley, California for college and has been there ever since. "My full time job is in a field that is completely unrelated to creativity," she explains. "I am a health care finance consultant working for corporate America. Despite my career choice, I feel that deep down inside I am a creative soul." Aside from photography, she is an avid knitter (knitopia.etsy.com), but it is her ethereal photos that caught my eye. "I think because I have lived in different places and have been exposed to different cultures and the fact that I love traveling really open(ed) up my mind to new ideas and new perspectives. When I travel to new places is when my creative juices start flowing - unstoppable," she jokes. "There is so much beauty in this world. In the traditional sense, we have sunsets, natural landscapes, amazing architecture, all of which I love to photograph. But I also find beauty in the mundane, be it (the) flicker of a candle, a single rose, or even a cup. A good photographer can also turn something ugly in the traditional sense into a meaningful beautiful image capture." Photography has always fascinated her. "As a kid, without proper guidance and exposure, there were more disappointments than success," she remembers. "A big part of it was also that in the old days good quality photographic equipment was much less accessible to the general public because of price and technology; nowadays with the advent of digital photography and falling prices, it is relatively easy to get hold of reasonably good equipment, which in turns enables me to improve at a really fast pace." Surprisingly she took a break from her first love - and has only rekindled it fairly recently. "I have had my Etsy store since February of this year," she is proud to say. "Since it has not been that long, I honestly am still trying to find my own style and niche." While she experiments with a wide range f subjects, she admits she tends to gravitate toward "minimalism and simple geometry and lines within each frame." The peace and serenity of zen-like natural motifs also show up in her work. "Have confidence in your art and don't ever give up," she reminds her fellow Etsians. Please check out her shop: http://photopia.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/