Meet Etsy Artist: raycious

Rie is a Japanese transplant in Australia with an Aussie fiance, a dog, and birds. "We both enjoy being involved in our own craft," she admits. "My inspiration is coming from my country Japan. We have a lot of traditional craft/art which I love to spread all over the world!" Of course her mother and fiance are also a huge inspiration. Her Saikumono style is a "very delicate way of a hand sewn craft from time gone by in which disappeared during the period of war, but now it is revived anew." Pre WWII Japanese women used the art of Saikumono to express the beauty of nature throughout the four seasons. Please check her out on Etsy: http://saikumono./

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: MrBenWu

Ben Wu may just be a pen name, but it suits the artist perfectly: a fusion of East Meets West. "I'm a 31 year old white guy in love with all things Asian," he jokes, "and I live in the rural depths of Tennessee, dangling somewhere just southeast of the Bible Belt." He already has three "traditionally" printed books (The Macabre Alphabet, An Ivory Chopstick, and Very Naughty Figs) as well as "some privately printed and bound volumes that I sell exclusively on Etsy or just to friends/fans." He has also done illustration work for several websites, including goreydetails.net and logospilgrim.com. "My first art-love was medieval art," he admits. "Strangely enough that lead me to Aubrey Beardsley. Which lead me to Edward Gorey. That is where the bones of my art technique came from." Around the age of 20 he "fell head over hills in love with China (and Japan to a lesser extent), not just the art, but the culture." He explains, "Chinese art, calligraphy, Peking opera, Chinese classical novels and philosophy all play a part in my life and my art." His love of Asian cultures in showcased beautifully in his intricate drawings. "I rely heavily on cross-hatching," he says of the process, "and I love to fill every inch of the page with something: weird details, hidden names, and faces." He started his artistic pursuits at the tender age of 4 while in the hospital with cancer. "I'd draw dinosaurs on my father's Styrofoam coffee cups," he admits. "From then on, I never stopped doodling on any scrap of paper that I can find." While his art has been a good source of income he is eager to find something outside his own creations. "I have spent the last ten years working on my books and my art in seclusion. Now, I want to get out and reintroduce myself to the world. I've sort of missed it." Etsy has been a great place for him to meet fellow artists - and buy handmade. When asked if he had any advice to share, he joked, "No matter what group of people I'm addressing (be it prostitutes or preachers) my advice is always the same: be persistent. If you don't get any nibbles on your hook, change your bait." Please check him out on Etsy: http://mrbenwu.etsy.com/ and on his website: http://ben-wu.com/. He also has a LiveJournal for his Studio of Little Consequence, which he maintains mostly for friends, but adds, :However if anyone wants to add me (and bear the horrors of my personal ramblings), I will usually add them back." http://jade-teacup.livejournal.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com

Meet Etsy Artist & Potter: SynapseArtworks

The artist behind the hip Etsy shop SynapseArtworks is a 28 year old Salt Lake City potter and illustrator. Brian graduated in 2003 from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a BFA, majoring in Philosophy. "I haven't been able to produce much art in the last two years since I recently took a job working and studying in the field of ocularistry," he explains of his time consuming job making prosthetic eyes. "It's a crazy, wonderful job I never anticipated falling into, which only about 120 other people in the country do." His shop may not be filled to the brim yet, but his modern take on a sake set struck my fancy right away. He hopes to have a studio up and running soon, where he'll focus on designing functional ceramics. "My more conceptual work, which is very time consuming and fussy, I show at Artisan Gallery in Paoli, WI," he says. "This is mostly inspired by art history and aesthetic theory. On Etsy, I tend to showcase my more functional ceramics work like teapots and sake sets, as well as t-shirts which I do just for entertainment and the fun of graphic design." He hopes to blend the screen printing he uses in his T-shirts with the ceramics in the near future. He describes his style as "tight, tidy, and often geometrical." Influenced by minimalism, his designs often showcase clean modern lines and geometric shapes. "I love all kinds of beverages, and hope to create vessels that elevate their consumption to a more conscious aesthetic experience; one in which there is an interplay between the subtleties of the drink and the art, each complimenting the other." Although his art is not his main source of income he does take it seriously and treats it as a second job. "You can check out http://synapseartworks.blogspot.com/, my horrendously un-updated blog for additional info," he jokes. Please check out his shop: http://synapseartworks.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 Baby Boutique Artist: jkalea

I found the most unique baby gift on Etsy the other day - totally by accident while searching for "sushi." I'm not a big fan of diaper cakes (mostly because I've never seen them done quite like this), but I'm a sucker for anything Asian and JKalea's sushi gift pack is right up my alley. I don't even have kids, but her presentation is so clever and fun I'm in awe. It's everything you need for baby including diapers, blankets, clothing, and toys wrapped up like sushi. Wow. Almost makes me want to have one of my own...

JKalea is a busy Mom, who admits Etsy helped unlock her creative side - and saved her sanity. Not surprisingly she finds inspiration in her "spirited, focused, hilarious toddler Sophie and my talented cousin Heather (who introduced me to Etsy)." She describes her craft as "intricate gift wrapping," but it's so much more - designing original ways of presenting a myriad of presents in one cohesive package. I have never seen something so practical look so fun. "I find Etsy to be the most creative and inspiring concentration of artistic talent I've ever come across. I love seeing the variety of ways and things that people create," she says. I was surprised to find out that she has only been creating her wonderful treasures for just under a year as a "hobby to support my horrendous addiction to buying gorgeous ribbons and all things handmade (my feedback rating is 75% from purchases, 25% from sales)." In fact, she hopes one day her Etsy sales will exceed her purchases. "Love what you create," she advises. "The rest flows from there." Please check out her shop: http://jkalea.etsy.com/
-Wendy Baylis
http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: DharmaDesigns (me)

Wow - I am so honored! NatureAllWell did a lovely feature on me for her blog. Here's a link: http://myartyboudior.blogspot.com/2008/01/jewellery-with-asian-feel.html

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/

Meet Etsy Artist: exquisitecanvas

Thankfully the talented Cindy Conners recently broke her 25 year hiatus from painting and has since created a myriad of ethereal Asian inspired pieces. Now she paints every weekend and in the evenings as a hobby. "I'm finding that painting has been a great way to escape the stresses of my job during the day," she confesses. Like me, she is inspired by the arts and people of the Far East - and shares my infatuation with Buddhas. Her paintings are deeply textured and often incorporate pearl pigments or gold and copper leafing, which creates a mesmerizing effect. She found out about Etsy from a fellow artist and soon sold one of her favorite paintings in her first shop, which was dedicated to fine silver jewelry (cincin47.etsy.com). Please visit her shops: http://exquisitecanvas.etsy.com/

http://cincin47.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/