Featured Artist

You are just going to love todays featured artist. She has beautiful things in her shop. She is also offering my readers some "freebies" if you mention 31Summers when you purchase.You may want to buy just for the freebies, they usually include either a mini block magnet, a card sample or gift tags. Enjoy!!!!!!!

 

Wendy of

   Wendy Conrad Art

My name is Wendy Conrad and I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia with my husband and 2 rescue dogs, Camille and Elsie. I support local animal rescue groups by donating artwork for auctions, and also have charity sections in my etsy shop. After googling myself I became aware the Wendy Conrad is also a country singer. Who would’ve thunk it?

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I’m a novice wine lover. I enjoy karoke. We love to go hiking with our dogs, even after one of them got lost for awhile on the Appalachian Trail.

How did you first get started creating things?

I can’t remember back that far… I was always making stuff as a kid, from homemade Halloween decorations for our house to pencil drawings of my dad. He’s where I get my creative spirit.

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.

It starts with an idea in my head. I get them all the time and in every direction! I have to carry around a note pad to write them all down. When I have time to spend in my studio or at the craft table, I get the note pad out and the ideas come rushing back to me. I can’t stop until I have completed the chosen idea. Sometimes they work beautifully, sometimes they are complete disasters. But at least I set them free from my imagination and into the world. I have been taking photographs since 1988 and have been painting consistently since 2007. However, I go where the ideas take me, and I have been experimenting more with mixed media and altered art, as well as making handmade cards.

I am becoming more inspired to use recycled materials in my work. I find uses for things that others might consider useless. This is what gives me the most satisfaction.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

My husband is a painter, so of course there are a few of his paintings that I adore. We also purchased this huge Japanese original painting on ebay for some outrageously low price. It is gorgeous, and whenever I look at it I am taken to another place.

Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.

Wow! That’s a tough one… These are my current faves:

Books- New Earth by Tolle, The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace, anything by Nicholas Sparks

Movies- Shawshank, Life of David Gale, Lion King, American History X

Songs- Gravity by John Mayer, Crash by the David Mathews Band, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlotte Church, Michael Buble, Joss Stone.

Web Sites- majaba.org (of course!), current.com, flickr, google

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?

Be prepared for anything. Be willing to take constructive criticism. Read the Storque. Learn how to take AMAZING photos. Be patient and don’t give up.

How do you promote your work?

Participating in blog features (hehe), flickr, myspace, business cards everywhere, Little Black Boxes, charity auctions, local art shows and festivals.

What are your favorite features on Etsy or the ACE team? What new features would you like to see on either site?

Love the etsy forums and chat rooms (maybe a little too much!). The Storque is also a wealth of information. I would LOVE to be able to schedule new listings, that way you can do an entire week’s worth at once even if you are not going to be by a computer.

In ten years I would like to be?

Doing what I love and living my life free of restrictions.

www.wendyconradart.com

 

www.wendyconradart.etsy.com

Comments

[Wendy]

Hey, thanks for the feature! The blog is beautiful...