At the age of 9 I knew I wanted to make a living as an artist when I grew up. I've been living out that vision for over 16 years now and Etsy has played a part in making it possible. All of the creations listed in the shop are made by me in my in home studio.
For my paintings I use high quality Golden brand paint. Each painting is varnished with a clear coat to protect against sunlight damage. An acrylic painting can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete. I start by making sketches of ideas and colors before I get to the canvas.
Illustrations are done with ink, watercolor and/or gouache. I use high quality Holbein gouache, Golden watercolors and Dr Ph Martin's ink along with high quality watercolor paper. I like to have a wide range of price points and illustrations are a great option for people to want to own an original piece of art on a budget.
Art dolls are the most time consuming creations I make. Starting with a sketch to figure out colors and shapes. I then make a wire armature and begin sculpting the head, feet and hands. Many times I sculpt the head in stages in order to add details like horns and textures. The clay takes up to 3 days to dry and needs to dry in between stages. After sculpting, I then sand the surface to smooth it out before painting. I use Golden acrylics to paint them and finish them with a clear varnish to protect against sunlight damage. Next comes the needle felted body and limbs. Using wool and felting needles, I wrap the armature in layers and finish with details like colors and textures. Other details, like wings, involve another step.
I take great care during every stage of the creation process to ensure that the piece is technically sound and quality controlled before listing it in the shop. I like to be sure that each piece is properly and securely packaged for shipping so it will get to it's new home safely.