July 10, 2011
Today's featured artist Julie Akeman from the neighboring state of Kansas! She makes some pretty cool looking fantasy art on etsy and I'm thinking her sea turtle would look awsome in my studio on the art wall I'm planning! I met Julie through the Etsy teams and treasuries, we've featured each other a few times, and I would now like to feature her here on my blog! You can check out her awsome shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/akemanartist?ref=pr_shop_more
Hi Julie! Thanks for taking the time to stop by. Tell me a little bit about yourself and your shop.
I am Julie Akeman and I call myself Akemanartist which sounds really catchy. I mainly create oil paintings but I don't like to limit myself to just that as I LOVE to try out creative avenues. I do watercolors now and I am creating great prints from some of my artworks done in a class at Community College some years back. I love working with glass beads and lampwork beads to make bracelets and earrings. I am on Kaboodle and I get great comments and suggestions on my artworks and jewelry that I show off there. Also on Kaboodle I have a little blogazine titled Thou ART Worth It which features my favorite Etsy paintings, Fantasy works, favorite art books, art advice and prelistings of my paintings.
Your jewelry is pretty aswome and I love your Kaboodle and thanks for featuring me there! That was great. Tell me what inspires you?
I am inspired by fantasy, I watch a lot of fantasy movies and it kind of takes off from there. My favorite artist is Brian Froud who was the conceptual designer for The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth movies that I love so much. I read a lot of fantasy books to and get ideas from them. My "I don't see any Dragons" painting was inspired by a favorite scene from Dragonheart. My favorite color is blue and many shades of blue so many of my paintings have a blue and blue and purple theme to it.
Right now I am planning on starting to market some of my best looked at pieces on Zazzle and have t shirts made up and other products and sell them both on Zazzle and on Etsy. I also would like to start my OWN blog and do what others are doing, featuring other artists as well as their own works.
OOh that would be awsome if you made a book! I'd have to buy one for sure! And I would probably have to have a t-shirt or two. Keep me posted when you have those ready!
July 3, 2011
Our first featured artist comes to us from Idaho. I first met Doris when she purchased my wild hare Thackery. Since then we've become good friends through Facebook and Etsy. I asked her to be featured so here's a little from Doris. You can check out her Etsy page at http://www.etsy.com/shop/12dozen she has some cozy looking afghans!
So Doris, tell me a little bit about yourself and your shop.
I love to make people happy with things that are made and make them love to receive them!!!!!! I just started my Etsy shop and have enjoyed interacting with all the shops and people.
Where does your inspiration come from?
I have always crocheted and sewn since i was int he 7th grade. My colors and decisions on valances and quilts and afghans comes from the beauty around me in the country.
That's pretty cool. I love your afghans and quilts. Tell me, where do you plan to be in 5 years from now?
I'm writing childrens' books and creating color in afghans for people and always going to be on the Etsy shop, with new creations.
Children's books...that would be cool to see you published! I can't wait to see what you come up with next! Tell me what is your favorite item that you would like to feature?
I love my wind sock and my cream, pink and mint afghan
