PS: Thanks!

To those of you, [if any of you], who came and met me at Renegade, i thank you SO SO SO MUCH!! I was so astounded that some of you, where ever you are, actually took the time to look at my jewelry and read about me. It made my week!

For those of you who signed up for my e-mail list, i generally write thank you notes too, BUT they still haven't delivered my boxes from my trip and my notebook is in there.

I am really sorry!! I shall e-mail you soon. :)

Thanks again!! <3




Rest Easy

$25.00

You know you want it!! You may have even been one of the 150 people to try it on at the show! :)

Not So Fishy Chairs.

I saw this painting below that Jill painted and thought it was brilliant!! Jill has a shoppe called J Dryer Art. [jdryerart.etsy.com] I love how she uses chairs in a lot of her artwork. I've always had a fasintation with drawing chairs as well. [although, her's are much nicer then my own] Her style is wonderful, and all of her work is really whimsical.



CRAFTING: I've always loved being artistic - and since about high school I knew I wanted to be an artist. But I got a degree in journalism instead (thinking there might be more career opportunities) and ultimately had a 15 year career in advertising sales. Looking back, I don't have regrets on the path I took since it paid my bills quite nicely and taught me a lot about the business world (basically laying the groundwork for having my own company). Now that I'm an artist full-time, my job is incredibly rewarding, I feel more balanced than ever and I look forward my work everyday.



GENRE: I've always enjoyed illustration and painting - so my medium hasn't changed much over the years. But the content varies from children's books and kid-related artwork...to corporate and commissioned pieces...to paintings that represent my own life statements.



INSPIRATION: I'm inspired by other people who are devoted to doing what they love. For instance, my friend Milton Mizenberg, a Chicago sculptor who has devoted his life to his art and to bettering the neighborhood that he lives in. It's a wonderful story of a man on the southside of Chicago who brought hope back to a neighborhood that people had given up on. As Milton will say, "he's a scrap man. He takes things that no one else sees value in and turns it into something beautiful".
There's also my friend Birger Juell who owns a high-end wood floor business in the Chicago Merchandise Mart. He's 91 and still goes to work everyday. He's lived an amazing life and always has wonderful stories to share - from coming to America from Norway on the boat when he was 17, Mackinaw Island sailing races, being a ski-jumper in the 1930's, etc. He is more excited about life than anyone I know and he lives everyday to the fullest. You really can't hang out with him for 10 minutes and not be inspired.



CHALLENGES: I think the biggest challenge is to find your niche in the marketplace and to figure out which things are working for you. For instance, I think it's important to have things at both high and low price points so you're always selling something. So for me - that means I sell prints on etsy at a lower price point and I supplement that income by selling original paintings and taking on commission projects. In general, I haven't figured out the perfect formula for making a strong living off my work just yet...but I feel like I'm getting closer to cracking the code everyday. It takes a lot of dedication and an open mind to run a small business. You have to be able to create without boundaries and still be willing to listen the realistic feedback that you get from buyers.



Most of all - I wish everyone luck on their artistic projects and would like to give a big thanks to those people who support handmade!



I just find Jill's work very joyful. I bet you'll agree! :) Head over to her Etsy Shoppe and let her know what you think! jdryerart.etsy.com

NOTE: Sorry, i'm at my family's house and thier PC won't let me link or spell check, i'll fix it when i go back home.