BMTyson

Today my choice is BMTyson from Murfreesboro, TN- Brian does wonderful original mixed media collage artworks and paintings. He has many interesting things to say about his art and process, please read on....

What is your "real" life like?
Real life is a total blessing right now. My days are spent working on art (collage, painting, doodling), freelance graphic design work, walking the dog & hanging out with my wife of 3 years. In my free time I love playing golf & tennis, eating out, and checking out real estate.

What is your process?
My process (if you can call it that) is pretty loose & improvisational. I begin a piece by perusing through my ephemera collections or thumbing through magazines looking for colors, textures, words, or parts of whole - something to "float my boat" and get the creative flame ignited. I then prepare my support, and start the collage process - arranging and fitting the "puzzle pieces" together into a pleasing composition and attaching them to the support. Next, I add acrylics in successive layers and then photo collage transfers, all the while working in an intuitive manner until the work "feels" done to me.

What are your goals and vision for your business?
In the short term, I am working towards creating large scale collages in the same style of my small scale ones and offering those for sale. I am also working to expand the online and word of mouth exposure of my Etsy shop and my blog/website. Long term, I want to show my work in galleries and slowly/steadily expand to where I can support my family solely through my art income (what artist doesn't want that). Also, I am passionate about giving to missions/social causes from the income obtained from my art - and would love to see those proceeds increase & expand.

How and where do you market your business?
Currently I market through Etsy, my personal website & blog (www.bmtyson.com), and word of mouth.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, ezines or magazines?
I float around the web, the blogosphere, & the magazine rack at Barnes & Noble fairly often - I love to see all the wonderful art & design out there. But I don't really subscribe to much. I find it's important for me to try and stay isolated to some degree so I can keep my personal vision and aesthetic intact. It's easy for me to get distracted by other's art & success.

What inspires you?
There's a lot that inspires me: minimal/clean design & illustration, old illustrations & diagrams (especially of animals & nature), the colors and shapes of nature, color in general, texture (visual & tactile), and words/typography all inspire me to create. Also, as a musician, music is a huge inspiration for me. I often find myself trying to recreate the emotion and energy that I feel in certain songs visually in my art.

Who is your favorite musical artist?
Honestly, there are way to many to pick a favorite. Some of those in the upper echelon include: U2, Eric Clapton, Coldplay, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Miles Davis, John Coletrain, Mark Knopfler, Santana, & Michael Franks.

Right now I'm really into Jeff Buckley, especially "Last Goodbye"

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
"Bound for Beauty" - Framed Triptych Collage
"Subdivisions" - 6" x 6" Mixed Media Collage

I like to visit:
www.papierscolles.com
www.illustrationfriday.com
http://artbackwash.blogspot.com
http://acollageaday.blogspot.com
Etsy homepage

Find Me:
http://bmtyson.etsy.com
www.bmtyson.com
www.bmtyson.com/blog

Beautiful Bridget

Name
Kim Ferrugia

Location
Springfield, MO

Business Name
Beautiful.Bridget

Describe what you sell. handcrafts bright and colorful crochet items such as pure cotton scrubbies, apple jackets, coffee cozies, iPod pockets, scarves, and washcloth and dishcloth sets.

What is your real life like?
My hubby and I have been selling online across many venues for over 9 years now. I'll never forget the day we both got to give our notices at our jobs....it was so exciting but SO scary also! We had no idea what was going to happen and really took a step out in faith that everything would work out and it did. One of the greatest blessings was that we've been able to be at home with our children while they've grown up. At the time we quit our jobs and started our home business I had just had a baby about 5 months before and it was such a joy to be able to be home with both her and my older daughter. Now everything has grown into such a smooth routine and I have been able to free up time for myself to run my business on Etsy as well.


What is your process?
As you may have guessed, I absolutely LOVE to create! My hands are always busy...if I don't have something to occupy my hands, I will fall asleep in 15 minutes...so I make things ;) My creative genius (am I allowed to call it that?) usually comes out late in the evenings while my oldest daughter (missindie on Etsy) and I get together to watch our favorite reality TV shows...our "mother and daughter" time which I cherish more than anything else in life. My primary craft is crocheting, I've enjoyed doing it since my Mom taught it to me when I was a young girl and now as an adult I get ideas that pop into my head for new creations or I see things that I like and make my own crochet versions of them. There is nothing that feels better than hearing how someone else is enjoying something you created!


Business Goals and Vision...
Right now I'm still just a small potato on Etsy and so I am hoping to make it through the holiday season with plenty of orders and plenty of time to get them made. In the long term my dream is that my daughter (who is missindie on Etsy) and I can grow our businesses together and really get this thing off the ground!

How do you market your business?
I've mostly been relying on word of mouth for advertisement. I do try to participate alot in the forums and have joined many street teams on Etsy such as Etsyhookers, EtsyMoms, Christian Artists Street Team, Trade-a-Holics to name a few. I also try to leave my business cards wherever I can and use my products out in the public so that people can see them and inquire about them.

Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
Not yet but I do try to learn as much about business and my brain is constantly running trying to come up with new inventive ways of running my business.


What inspires you?
Let's see, what inspires me....my family of course, a quiet room, soft music, bright colors, the changing of the seasons, the holidays....I pretty much find inspiration in everything. I love going to my favorite craft stores and feeling and touching all of the different yarns...like I said, inspiration lies in everything.

What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
I think my two favorite things are my apple jackets: (top picture)
and my coffee cozies: (second picture)

Am a fan of these places...
www.GudonyaToo.etsy.com

www.Missindie.etsy.com
www.BubblySensations.etsy.com
www.SSSJ.etsy.com
www.MommysLittleHelper.etsy.com

Find seller at...
www.beautifulbridget.etsy.com
www.beautifulbridget.com

PalomasNest- Home Goods

I first discovered Palomas Nest on Etsy during a search for rings. I came upon one of Caroline's listings- it was a bowl similar to one pictured at the bottom of the post that reads "be the change". I think this would be a lovely bowl to have by the sink in my bathroom- a little morning inspiration and a place to put my jewelry when I am washing up. She has a unique style that is easy to recognize- casual yet modern- organic but polished- useful and exciting, always perfectly simple and well crafted. Having her shop in your favorites is a MUST- convo her if you have any special requests- she is a gem of a girl who would bend over backwards to make you happy!

Name
Caroline Colom Vasquez

Location
Austin Texas

Business Name
Paloma’s Nest


Describe what you sell.
Handcrafted gift wares and home goods made of natural materials and stamped with texts


What is your real life like?
I am a full time Mom- that keeps me plenty busy! Hobbies and interests include Art History and Interior Design, and my husband and I design furniture together.


What is your process?
My work is made of pure clays like earthenware and porcelain, wood, cotton fibers, and recycled papers. The few tools I really use, besides my own two hands, are my collection of vintage stamps and my rolling pin!


Business Goals and Vision...
My Etsy shop provides me with an international audience for my work. I love the personal interaction I get to have with my customers there, and the orders from my shop keep my production running at full capacity! In the long term, we are expanding our home-based studio space so that production and my product line can expand over time.


How do you market your business?
Online, photos are the most important part of selling your work. If your photos do not show off your product or attract attention, they will not be noticed.
I honestly feel like excellent customer service is the best way to market and grow your business…happy customers tell their friends!!


Do you subscribe to any business related blogs, zines or magazines?
I wish I had more time to keep up with the design journals! I love the community of blogging, but again, I just don’t have time to explore much beyond Etsy.
For me, the best way to improve my business is by focusing on my own work. It is easy to become distracted by other artists, or to want to modify your designs to be “more like” something you see selling elsewhere…but the most important thing is to be true to your own design sense and your own product line…in the long run, that is what will make you stand out from the crowd!

What inspires you?
Art history and ancient symbolism inspires me when researching texts and words to use in my work. I also pay attention to tactile senses like the feeling of cold stone and or the sound of crunchy leaves on a cool Autumn morning.


What are two of your favorite things from your shop?
That is like having to choose a favorite child!! I do really enjoy making custom pieces, as I love the idea that I am creating an “instant” heirloom for someone to cherish for years and generations to come.

Am a fan of these places...
www.thisisalliknow.etsy.com
www.simplijessi.etsy.com
www.fieldandsea.etsy.com
www.hijackedceramics.etsy.com
www.manimina.etsy.com


Find seller at...
www.palomasnest.etsy.com