Online art galleries are very important modern tools for artists in addition to traditional offline art displays. Uploading art images to online art galleries is a prime opportunity for otherwise little-known artists to establish a presence on the internet. Before the internet came to be widely used as it is today, art viewing and purchasing was limited to local showings of an artist's work with some exhibitions that would travel city-to-city. Aside from the in-person method, artists also have long used catalogs that show works from various artists made available to the general public. These methods are still good practice and getting out and taking your work to shows is always a positive, yet, the artists are limited in the number of people they can reach and the length of time their art display will circulate. A very important point to consider is that when using offline methods much of the control shifts into the hands of curators and gallery owners and the entire process therein is subject to be approved or rejected by them. 

Example: A Singular Creation Member Galleries

It has been over a year since our first interview, when Tanya Davis was first expanding her creative work from sculpting and painting figurines to applying the same skills onto vinyl platforms. After all this time and

Penguin Engineer by Tanya Davis

checking in regularly, there has truly been no pause in her actively making new art. In this interview I will attempt to bring our readers up to speed with her latest artistic endeavors.

How far has your experiment with vinyl platforms taken you?

It is still going and I am still trying different platforms. Most recently, I am tackling going larger. Outside of the initial MunnyWorld brand, my most successful work done on blank vinyls has been the Google Android mascot and Zukie bases. My most recent droid is a Penguin Engineer based on an illustration I created by the same name.

Penguin Engineer Droid by Tanya Davis

Illustration, that is something new.  How did you get into that type of art?

It was more about me practicing drawing and also giving my hands a break from sculpting. Aside from chiefly commission figurine work, illustrative drawing and painting is my main art form right now.

Since the beginning of 2014 which one of your illustrations is your personal favorite? 

My Penguin Engineer because it is the first original character I created that has a completely developed background. It was done free-hand from start to finish on the illustration board without any transferring. It was also the first one I did with the Derwent watercolor pencils. This illustration is currently available in limited edition signed watercolor prints done by local printer Mindzai Creative. Right now (mid-June 2014) there are 18 left. I have them on hand when I publicly show my work or you may obtain this print here.

Sample of watermark to lower value of image
source: wiki user Canoe1967 

When a potential customer lands on your site, you want them to engage, browse, click around and ultimately convert to a sale. That is pretty simple to achieve, right? Well, hang on a minute, and read this quick article to make sure you are avoiding using conversion-killers. These are some seemingly harmless things that we can unknowingly be doing to sabotage our own success online, and here they are. Read on to see if you are using anything that can kill your conversions.

Watermarks ON Your Images

When you are selling your art you do not want to obscure the actual image with your @ or .com or copyrights.  When looking at any retail sales papers, catalogs, magazines or websites do you see them watermarking all over their photos? Although there is a possibility that people would use your photos without permission, the people that do that generally don’t care whether it’s watermarked anyway. So if you must put anything on it try to include it in the image name, such as jamesculverpaintingblueturtle.jpg or maybe a website or attribution name below the image if you can include a white space around the digital. That can help with tracking for you and for people that may see it shared on social media and wonder who made that? The exception to the rule would be a watermark which was semi-transparent enough to not mar your images, and show that you are serious about protecting them. As far as what I have heard artists say, the general rule to follow when putting your images online is not to upload high-resolution. Only make the resolution high enough to look good on a computer screen, not one that looks brilliant if they were to take it to the print shop and order a professional print on their own.

Auto-Play Music

When a visitor “bounces,” that means they left from the same page they landed on. So they did not see anything else on your site!  A high “bounce rate” can be directly associated with auto-play music. It is much like trying to find a nice spot at the beach and someone next to it has a boom box blaring and therefore the search continues.  So, do your visitor and yourself a favor and avoid having a soundtrack on your website. This goes for musicians too!  Let your fans pick what audio files they want to hear by you, saves them the hassle of finding the stop or mute button when they don’t want to have the soundtrack you have chosen playing at them.

Loud / Obnoxious Color Schemes

The colors you choose for your site should not take precedence over your great presentation of your work. Important information is best represented on white or light-colored backgrounds. It is possible to be too dark, it can make your visitors automatically disinterested. If you have different galleries for series of your art offerings you may want to have complementary colors for those.  A certain level of uniformity is important though, so that your site visitors do not feel like they have left your page accidentally.

Animated GIF Images

GIFs images are fun for personal enjoyment but they do fall short of professionalism. Customers that are serious about browsing your artworks for possible purchase are not looking for a cheap giggle. This means no dancing llamas, baby sloths, or otherwise hilarious animated GIFs should be displayed on your site; unless, of course, you are an Animated GIF artist…

Some of these things, I am sure you thought "well that is simple, of course I avoid those faux pas!" Maybe there is something I covered in this piece that you did not realize could jeopardize your e-commerce art business. It is best to avoid these aforementioned things in order to make a better impression on potential customers who visit your site to view your art.  

Maybe you have some ideas that were not covered here?  If so please feel free to mention them in the comments section.

So you have done the hardest part of all - being creative and you have gotten good at it. The next part is the tricky business of presenting your work and offering it for sale on the internet. There are entrepreneurial strategies which are specific to entering and harnessing the potential of the online marketplace.  Much of it is relative to setting up shop in a real-world setting, yet here I will list eight exceptionally important things you must do to achieve prosperity with your creative work online.

Visit Online Store Example Here!

1. First of all you must have technological acuity.  It is essential for doing business online that you are comfortable with the internet and your computer. Also get used to using digital photo images. From taking the photo, to using image editing software - digital photos make the biggest impact when all a customer can see is what is online. Also keep digital photos as visual records of your completed work. This may serve as a point of reference for if you need to do something similar at a later date and also is very valuable to have on hand in case of theft. Social media will be something else imperative for you to familiarize yourself with in order to start a buzz of people commenting about and sharing links to your available online work.

   

   source: Social Engage  CC BY 2.0

   
   
2. Accept this truth - the more places you appear on the internet the more easily your work can be discovered. Of course, some places are more ideal than others and so your main focus should be on those. Just keep in mind the internet is a vast arena where many other creatives also sell their works, so get all over it.
3. Know who is your most likely customer base - you need to know who is probably going to buy your work. This data is necessary when choosing keywords and, by association, putting your items in the best online location. One way to research where to sell is to find sites where others sell a similar style of work.
4. Get used to talking about your work. Practice with friends and family, do interviewing (mock or real), participate in forums or social media groups with similar interests. Read niche articles, posts, zines etc and after a while you will get the idea of the basic language and terms - but only you can offer your story. Communicating your personal relationship with your work creates more value and appreciation. Practice this online by typing in a compelling description to accompany each listing.  This is a great way to stand out from the crowd! Learn more about how to approach doing so in this article, The Art of Selling Art.
   
   

   

   source: Anthony Quintano  CC BY 2.0

5. Go out of your way to take care of people in ways that will exceed their expectations. This makes a huge impact with online customers who already have lessened their hopes for great service due to being removed from in-person transactions. Surprise them and increase your reputation which will usually lead to referrals and repeat sales.
6. Price fairly, based on quality of materials, level of skill and amount of time put into producing work. Try not to draw a foregone conclusion that you are a celebrity and can bump up your prices just because you have had a show or won an award. Sticker shock will not do you any favors. Keep the traditional supply and demand concept in place to help determine when to push up your prices. Be ready to explain how you determine what to charge as well. 
7. Keep documentation on what you do.  This way you can easily retrace steps to repeat what works best and also identify things that do not. This includes analyzing what links are visited the most and what type of marketing and back-linking is bringing the most visitors to your store.
8. Have patience and persistence.  The best way to accomplish big things is to break the larger tasks down into simple steps. This is how you combat becoming overwhelmed, as there will always be multiple things to take care of at the same time. Your online store will require regular attention, so make sure you keep it up and and create a schedule for doing so.

Taking strides to incorporate into practice these eight factors will improve your chances for success. As an artist who has already created the products what is left is for you to master these key elements. Doing business online is rewarding and worth the effort and I hope you enjoy much success.

If you are looking for a good site to sell your creative work on then check out this article, Review: Where to Sell Online? - Comparing Etsy, StorEnvy and Big Cartel

Public Domain CC0

Image by Rexhep-bunjaku [CC-BY-SA-3.0]

Many artists begin selling online with their Etsy shop.  At its start in 2005, Etsy was the ideal place for those that have handmade items to sell who do not wish to be lost in the massive listings of eBay. And so a brand was built so strong that when you hear someone say, “I set up an Etsy” or ask “Do you sell on Etsy?” there is no need to explain what an Etsy is.  With its master-brand status it really begs the question of why so many indie artists are now using other online store-hosting sites which have come along more recently.  In this review I will go over information on the ones I have knowledge of, yet there may be a few online store sites that went undetected on my radar. Please feel free to fill me in in the comments if you would like to share.

Here are the other sites I know about. StorEnvy was founded in 2009 as a marketplace and store builder rolled into one. The other alternative-to-Etsy site I have researched is Big Cartel which has a fair following of artists selling online. Here I will offer comparisons for your consideration. Many creatives only have the time and energy to run and promote one online store for their personal inventory, so it is highly important to find out which one is the best fit.  

Every platform has positives and negatives, so you should be thoughtful about what you really need before deciding where to anchor your shop - whether it be your only shop or your main shop.  In the artist community, the Etsy brand has taken on more of a place for crafters reputation. So if you feel like you are more of a crafter, Etsy is very popular in the crafting community as it is regarded as a go-to for crafts, crafting supplies and even vintage reproductions and collectibles. It is still a bastion for budding artists who are within the first several years creating art to sell. As an artist or designer you will certainly find yourself in good company on StorEnvy.  Templates on StorEnvy have a polished look that goes well with fine art by established artists.  Often artists start out on Etsy, but as they grow and become more professional they turn to either Big Cartel or StorEnvy.

Pricing – a big factor for a little business

Etsy has a system which most that have had the experience of selling on eBay will be familiar with.  There is a $0.20 fee per listing and they take 3.5% of the sale price.  This works with a per-item listing basis and you are allowed unlimited listings.  StorEnvy does not take a commission on purchases done through a direct-link.  If your customer finds a listing through the marketplace on StorEnvy, expect them to take a 10% commission!  Big Cartel does not take a percentage of the final sale. Big Cartel gives sellers five free listings, which is fine if you never have more than five pieces to offer at a time.  Other than the five-for-free set-up, Big Cartel offers a tiered-pricing plan of $9.99/month for 25 listings or $19.99 per month for 100 listings. Here is where StorEnvy seriously outshines the competition – up to 100 listings are free.  There are no upfront fees like Etsy and you do not have to pay more for improved selling tools as you would with Big Cartel’s better stat tracker and shop editor, for example. Listings on Etsy expire after three months and listings on Big Cartel depend on your continued payment of monthly subscription dues.  StorEnvy allows all your listings to last until you take them down or delete your store. Basic listing on StorEnvy is FREE. Beyond 100 listings there is a subscription fee. 

Big Cartel and StorEnvy will allow a custom domain for $4.99/month. Etsy lets sellers change their usernames, which are the same as store-URLs. Setting itself apart from the others, StorEnvy has a “super discounts” plan option for $2.99/month which gives sellers the ability to set up buy-one-get-one-free sales.

When you are considering options with your cash flow keep in mind that there are additional costs incurred when you use PayPal which is required on all three sites.  This can really add up quickly combined with the site fees - and when you are a sole proprietor making all your work by hand, that is no small consideration. 

Design – customizing your online shop

If you know how to work with html you can use it to make changes to the appearance of your Big Cartel shop.  The layout of an Etsy shop does not allow for any changes and you are not able to add non-Etsy links except for Facebook and Twitter. StorEnvy has a basic template with html and css editing enabled. Designer templates are also available if you would rather pay someone else to work out a design for you or make improvements on the one you have.

Community – who else is here?

Etsy has a great sense of community.  If you look at Big Cartel you will see that only a few big name sellers are promoted. Big Cartel claims to be “for artists” while Etsy is for “all things handmade” so it makes sense Big Cartel has a bit more of an elitist front. The type of people that shop on Big Cartel is of a narrower demographic than Etsy by far. Etsy has a forum where sellers can participate and a blog that gives news and advice to crafters. Big Cartel lacks a way for people to mark favorites to revisit later. StorEnvy has continued to make strides to improve their community and there is a favorites system, including categories you can put your listing into for browsing.

With Big Cartel you’re going to find only the store at your link, solitary like an island. On StorEnvy if you use the link to your custom store that is all your visitors will see. If your store is searched for on the main site the top navigation on StorEnvy will allow people to browse other sellers’ stores if they look for them, but it is not encouraged. On Etsy, despite the benefits there, you will still find yourself mixed in with competitors, supply sellers, vintage and even Regretsy features - yes, even though the official Regretsy page is gone the legend lives on within Etsy itself.

Traffic – how will buyers find you?

Since Etsy is more community-oriented there is generally more internal traffic. People will actually go to Etsy to search for things and it is also well-integrated with Google. Big Cartel is generally non-existent to search engines.  You will have to promote a Big Cartel store heavily to get people to go there.  StorEnvy has some search result traffic but it seems to be stronger if you share within the sellers’ community there, so it is good to participate as much as you are able. Since StorEnvy does not draw enough attention for there to be a great deal of low quality items listed, this strengthens the reputation of the site and those that are on it. The biggest benefit of Etsy is that it is very well known so that potential customers have a high comfort level associated with the site.

Security

Another note about the level of confidence customers have regards feedback. Etsy and StorEnvy have feedback reporting systems similar to the one on eBay: positive, neutral and negative. There is no feedback ratings system on Big Cartel.  New sellers may desire feedback to assuage wary potential customers and therefore start out on Etsy or StorEnvy for that reason. Remember that a feedback system does not actually protect buyers, but PayPal does, and the use of PayPal is required on all three sites.

Rating the user interface

Each one of these sites has a very different internal dashboard for the sellers to use. Etsy gives a detailed interface with a listing process of five steps. Big Cartel’s one-page listing process is simple but lacking some features. StorEnvy has good detail in their dash, however, that can be overwhelming when you have a lot of pieces listed leading you to have to do more scrolling down the seller page. 

When it comes to sales and shipping systems Big Cartel drags behind. Etsy and StorEnvy allow you to save multiple shipping profiles yet with Big Cartel you are limited to only one. Sold items on Etsy are sorted onto a page where you can mark an item when it has been shipped, so that customers can check up on their own items. With Big Cartel what you get is only a link to the PayPal receipt which will lead a seller to repeatedly log on to their PayPal for each sale. StorEnvy puts the sold item on a new page that is private from the customers. 

Within Etsy there is a customer service feature where you can easily communicate with buyers and even other sellers via an internal inbox. StorEnvy provides a contact form between the seller and buyer, and does not require the customer to register for StorEnvy to use it unlike Etsy. Big Cartel users will need to utilize direct email with the possibility of getting intercepted by a spam filter. 

Big Cartel does allow sellers to easily mark something as “sold out” or “coming soon,” as opposed to the tedious process on Etsy of deactivating or deleting a listing which causes the “favorites” on that item to also disappear. You can also mark items “on sale” on Big Cartel. You are able to put “sold out” or “on sale” on StorEnvy and listings can be created ahead of time and save it it hidden from public view, or with an image that has a "Coming Soon" notice, a feature lacking on Etsy. All three of these sites allow sellers to have discount code offers.  StorEnvy charges $5/month to create discount codes, yet you can put any item "On Sale" for no charge, which puts a banner in the corner of the item's image to announce its reduced price status.

In my opinion if you are selling supplies, crafts or vintage or are just starting out you will find yourself at home on Etsy. Traffic brought in by other shops there and Etsy itself will ultimately benefit you so long as you keep up with your shop and set reasonable price points. If you are an artist or designer creating limited runs, one of a kind, or more unique items that will generate traffic from your own fan base, StorEnvy is probably where you will be happiest for the least cost. If you have a very limited inventory and are in high demand, Big Cartel might just be for you. Hopefully this article has helped with comparing features helping you narrow down your options.

To continue reading to learn how to shape and promote your artwork online, I suggest this article: 8 Essential Keys to Transform Creativity Into Online Success.

Once you have made a website to promote your work, how do you make sure to get noticed? SEO - Search Engine Optimization – is the key to accomplishing this, and it is not hard to get started.  

Illustration of Global Reach or the Concept of Doing Business Globally Via the Internet
By: Carol & Mike Werner  Click to Purchase Print

This article will cover five simple methods to make your website come up in search engine results such as Google. When someone searches your name, a title of one of your works, an exhibition or groups you participate with, etc. use these easy SEO tips to increase your search engine hits:

• Image File Names: Make sure that the images of your art on your website are descriptive or actual title names.  Make sure to change the default names that load from your camera such as "DSC_00123.jpg" by giving it a descriptive name instead. For example if the image is of your handcrafted ceramic horse sculpture, rename your image file to "Ceramic Horse Sculpture Art.jpg." This will make the image label readable for search engines which classify file names and the image of your horse sculpture in this case would come up in image searches.  The more specific the name is, the better the search-targeting will be.  There are meta-tags for images which are more advanced, and if you are html savvy using these to add your name or other specific information to images will improve your SEO even more.
• Keywords: Every page on your website and every post on a blog should include relevant keywords and phrases. If you have a "Resume" or “CV” page, you may wish to attach keywords such as: series, shows, exhibits, artist resume, or other keywords to describe the region you are in or type of work you do.  Other important keywords can be specific to your publisher, print master, shop, artist collective, venues or galleries you have been involved with. Every web-hosting site has different criteria for how to include keywords so look up your site’s FAQ's for details such as how to insert, or what the maximum keywords allowed per page is, etc.
• High Quality Content: With the search algorithm updates from the leading search engine Google: Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird  - you want to understand that the quality of the content of your webpages will factor in ways that go beyond just including some of your select keywords in the text. You do not want to be overly redundant using the same phrasing in every paragraph, post or caption.  Writers tend to have improved odds as compared to a visual artist with pages that include mostly media images and videos on gallery or portfolio page. Include captions for each image giving the title and medium and a short description or meaning of that artwork if possible which can help improve SEO. Search engines will target frequently used words found on every page of your site in order to determine categorization. If your website is about oil painting, be sure that word "oil painting" is in the content of multiple pages of your site.
• Linking: Social media networks that you use should be linked to your website.  Depending on the layout you may wish to isolate these to your profile page, or include it in the footer, header or sidebar. Search engine results are higher-rated for websites with links on other strong sites and social media such as Twitter or Facebook are some of the strongest. It is also wise include a few outgoing links on your website to pages that add value for your visitors in similar interest categories for example, you may have a links page with your favorite art blog, online community, group, or e-zine listed (for instance: iouart.blogspot.com). 
• Interconnectedness:  A sometimes overlooked or underutilized form of optimizing your search results is in the word-of-mouth category.  This is basically making sure to “link” the offline with the online.  Make sure that your website has in the URL words that always appear in your promotional materials which will help set you apart from other similar pages. This goes into branding a bit, but for a quick case-review: instead of “Marty’s Fine Art Photography” use instead a more succinct “Martin Smith-Jones Art Photography” on both website and business cards.  This would keep searches from pulling every Marty that has photography or fine art online and would help someone who wants to see more than your main page which would be advertised, or stick in their mind in case they lost track of the flyer or card and just Googled instead.

These are just basic ways of improving your web search results, so if you want to go further feel free to delve into advanced SEO help articles, or pursue the help of a search optimization specialist.  More than ever before the search engine is a tool many are using for everything from questions, shopping ideas, advice searches to finding things to do in their area and beyond.  And the ability to pinpoint and drive people to your artist or writer pages is in your hands.  Be specific and make sure to deliver quality content that will set you apart from the vast crowds of creatives online. With time and patience you can make your place on the web easier to find with just natural relevant content to your page and updating and adding more of it will continue to build your SEO.

© Rebecca H Knight

Miss Anchor © Stephanie Ayers
Click here to purchase as print

Since introducing Stephanie Ayers and her art back on March 28, 2013 in what was my very first artist interview, she has continued to build her art portfolio and learn new things. Recently we were catching up and realized it would be a great idea to share what is new since then in another interview session.  She is about to have another exhibition which will be at RAWartists Austin presents: ENCOMPASS  and in the midst of getting ready for the show that is less than a month away she has taken a few moments to answer some inquiries about her life as an artist at this point in time. 

Stephanie Ayers, Marvel show
 @ The Belmont, Austin, Texas

What is the most exciting artistic breakthrough you have had in the past six months since your first interview?

Artistically I have come to terms with acrylics and I'm really having a great time. I asked other artists I've met in the last six months and did a little research. Amazing how easy acrylics can be.   

Would you care to talk about your first show at The Belmont?  

My first show was a whirl wind of nerves for me. I wanted everything to be perfect. It was total chaos up to the moment the doors were open.   

  Bollywood Cat Dia de los Muertos 
© Stephanie Ayers
Click here to purchase as print

What was your favorite thing about getting out and doing the show?

I have to say my favorite thing about the entire event was all the people I met. I bartered with other artists, I got amazing advice and met some life-long friends. The exposure got my name out there and forced me to make every mistake possible from the "business" perspective. Now I'm more calm, more prepared, and have a better understanding of exhibits.  




I have noticed some art print photography available on your Society6 page, tell me about how you got into that.

Society6 gives me the opportunity to advertise some of my art and photography as well as sell it without all the hassle. They have everything from prints to frames to canvas and it's only a click away.  I choose the price and commission. Society6 allows me to focus on new art and it's an easy way for someone to order prints without waiting for me to get them made, package and mail them...etc. And it's affordable.  

Red Whale © Stephanie Ayers

What new art should we expect to see from you?

Currently I'm working on all Dia de los Muertos for my exhibit Oct 17th at The Belmont. This will be my "theme" at this showcase. I'm working with some actual skulls (paper) and acrylics. I'm doing some smaller scale things to keep it simple and affordable. 

Read more about Stephanie Ayers in this in-depth interview from earlier this year.

This article will expand on mounting options for paper artwork beyond the method using paper hinges.  If you wish to mat and frame artwork for museum-quality, with the option to change it at a later date the mounting job must be reversible.  Here I will go over some methods that are reversible. The following information on Corner Pockets, Mounting Strips, and Sink Mounts are the preferred archival mounting methods.

Matted "Sunflower" HDR print ©Tanya Davis

Example of an undesirable yet common mounting practice.

Over time, the preservation of artwork has evolved.  Previously common practices have been shown to be harmful to artwork and are no longer recommended. For example: the use of masking tape which yellows artwork due to acid burn and covering of all the edges of the artwork with tape, providing no breathing room which causes the artwork to buckle.

An option to using hinges is applying acid-free linen tape to attach the cut mat to the mounting board. When trying to choose tape look for one that says Framer’s Tape on the label.  This is a strong cloth tape with a tactile nature similar to that of duct tape and was developed for pH neutral mounting, matting, and heavy frame work. As long as it is good quality is will not be predisposed to yellowing or cracking. This type of tape can be torn by hand in one direction; no knives or scissors needed. This tape is compatible with paper, board, and most porous surfaces. It's pliable, and is ideal for use.

An art blog is self-representation for an artist.

In the past decade blogging has really come a long ways. Blogs are free, easy to create, and anyone that can write can have one. Doing so is a growing trend among the art community... and I do not just mean art lovers, reviewers, promoters etc. - the creative crowd themselves are active in the blog-o-sphere. Art blogs are a great way to put your art out there on the worldwide web.  In this article I am going to give an overview of some of the benefits blogging has for artists. 

Blogging about your art makes you clearly discuss what your art is and what it is about. This is really useful in practicing talking with others about your art in person.  Whether you are at a gallery, art show, selling at an art fair booth, having a discussion in an art class, or even during a live radio or video interview, you need to be able to articulate and express yourself as an artist in a way that concisely gives insight to your work and showcases your art expertise.  

Writing about yourself is also an exercise in that great philosophical endeavor "Know Thyself" as inscribed in the forecourt of the temple of Apollo at Delphi.  I can personally attest that once you put thoughts down into words it is a great way to look over your process of thinking and reflect on the why and how those ideas have come to be.  When you talk about your art, ultimately you are talking about yourself.  Reinforcing your ideas about creating art could inspire others and maybe you will even surprise yourself.

When you compose and publish a blog - tell your contacts.  They in turn will promote you by word-of-mouth and passing your link on to others.  Doing so will effectively utilize your blog as a tool to gather more contacts in the art world.  If there is anything to learn in becoming a better artist, once you have the tools and skills, it is to have other artists in your life that will share input and feedback with you.  Tricks of the trade which may elude you otherwise would come clear if a fellow artist was able to shed light on them for you.  Community is important whether you draw a cartoon, do photography, paint, write, play music or whatever creative work you produce.  Just because your art is such a personal thing, does not mean that it has to stay private with you and you alone.  It well could, but instead of growing and thriving it would stagnate and likely wither in isolation.

Aside from establishing important contacts with other artists, a blog can help expose you to a wider base of admirers.  Thanks to search engines, a blog will have people directed to the particular niche they are looking for, and find a website or blog that reflects their search criteria. Being found by the right people is an invaluable benefit of having an online presence.  As is predominantly a noted advantage of having your own website and building your brand as an artist, having a blog is a great supplement.  Often it can be integrated within your existing site.  Linking to and from other personal art blogs will also help with page rank which helps those searching for your art on the internet.

Use your blog to keep people in the know.  Once you have subscribers, you can put your latest news out on your blog.  A new project, a show, a contest, charity event, auction, or party - if you are involved in something worth telling your fellow artists and art fans about they will need look no further than your blog.  Blogging is a very popular and effective means to communicate to a specific audience.  Getting to a target audience that is looking for what you create is a wonderfully rewarding and enriching experience.  It may not happen overnight, but I suggest giving it a try.

I encourage any artists with blogs to comment on this article.  Please feel free to post a link to your art blog below and share how it has affected your art-life.

all images © Tanya Davis

Tanya is an artist of many talents who does not limit herself to just one medium. She produces art in polymer clay, pencil, acrylic paint, mica powder pigments, Prismacolor markers, and digital photography. Her foremost style is Steampunk and she also uses art deco lines. Tanya often just pulls designs straight from nature or from who-knows-where. For this artist-interview we will focus on her latest endeavor with DIY vinyl toy customization. 

As a newcomer Munny artist on the custom toy figurine scene, Tanya Davis’ first custom Munny - a TRIKKY figurine that resembles a steampunk anthropomorphic cat - was on display at the Guzu Gallery in Austin, Texas March through May 2013. This first piece was also featured in Jerry's Artarama 2013 Munny Show and sold three days later.  She is most pleased to have found a welcoming local custom vinyl scene.

Why so many different approaches to making art?

I use multiple art mediums because it keeps me from getting bored.  Also I find that one type of process informs the other and so I can mingle my knowledge of, for instance, architecture and painting, which I use together to create clay sculptures.

Tell me about your first experience creating a customized toy:

In 2012 I was gift-shopping for my little cousin who was twelve.  She likes arts and crafts and I figured a couple of the small munnies would be a fun project for her. So while I got a couple of  2 inch ones for her, I went ahead and got myself a 4 inch TRIKKY. The Trikky sat on the floor patiently waiting for two months before I even took it out of the box.  You see, I have this thing about not wanting to try something new until I am ready because if I mess up then I have wasted the materials and I did not want to make a crappy customization on a $10 vinyl model.  Also I was preparing to make my debut art show for my polymer clay Steampunk Buddies that winter, and wanted to give the first Munny toy my full attention.

My Trikky custom is made of polymer clay and colored with acrylic paint.  I used the typical industrial steampunk style that I use on most of my figurines.  One admirer told me it looked like a Steampunk Hello Kitty.


You have also created a Sea Creature from a Foomi form munny toy.  What inspired you make it?

I must admit, it is very different from my usual style.  It is a fantasy creature that has many elements from different marine life all rolled into one.  It was very experimental and a spontaneous creation.  The big fish mouth gives it a pouty look.  My misplacing one of the arms of the toy resulted in my first sculpting of tentacles. It is a good practice since I want to play around with an octopus like design in the near future.

The Foomi sea creature was also my first use of Super Sculpey, and I discovered it was easily malleable and less sticky than the usual polymer clays I use.  The clay was a light beige color, so all the colors you see in the photo image were added by my painting the figurine.  The painting is a thing I am learning to have patience with.  Perhaps I will need to learn to work on two at a time in order to have something else to do while waiting for one coat to dry.

Foomi form based Sea Creature

What has your experience with the Munny World community been like?

I have received wonderful support and feedback from the Munny community. There are so many creative artists working on their own custom toys.  They inspire me and also give me lots of good feedback and advice.

That is great, aside from the encouragement - do you ever get any annoying remarks about your Munny figures?

I have had someone ask me if I could make a figurine smaller and cheaper.  This is probably the most annoying remark due to the fact that for the amount of effort and the quality of materials that go into making them, they are already at the lowest price points I can afford.  It is understandable that people want to get a bargain, but they need to keep in mind that these are handmade artworks and not some kind of mass-produced item from an assembly line.

What can we expect to see from you in your future Munny customizations?

I have an original Munny form lined up to become a steampunky-Cthulhu type character; that is unless I decide to make it something else right in the middle of creating it.  I have an organic process of letting the figurine kind of decide what it will be.  Similar to how many wood carvers and other subtractive artists work, only in reverse.  I am adding to it and the process will create itself.

I have a 2.5 inch Foomi form (smaller version of the Sea Creature’s base), which I may just apply a Zentangle design to.  Also I have a robot form, which is not MunnyWorld brand but another DIY custom toy.  It is the Android mascot for Google’s mobile platform of the same name.  I haven’t decided what I will do with it yet, but it is on the shelf waiting to be transformed.

Through Kickstarter I have watched designers produce their own toys and I have been contacted by an aspiring new toy designer which I may do a collaboration project with.  If this works out, I will have my contributions displayed at a Designer Con and get my name out there along with it.  I am withholding details because this is still in the negotiation stage.  There are many opportunities in this medium, which is adding to my overall portfolio.  I may even have a few vinyl based figures at my next showcase.

See more of Tanya’s art at her official site Tanya Davis Art

And keep up with her visually on Instagram 

Read more on the Munny in this article also on IOUart 

Texas Hill Country artist Stephanie Ayers is a wife, mother of two and a self-taught painter. Painting, cooking, fishing, and gardening come naturally to her and she enjoys sharing art, food and flowers with others. Stephanie laughs, “I’d share the fish too but typically I only catch one inch perch.”

“Painting is one of my ways of clearing my ever busy mind. My passion right now is sharing my God given talent with others. When someone truly is happy with a finished piece it makes my heart smile.” “My first memory of painting had to of been when I first entered school. Then it seemed so complicated and difficult to control. I remember thinking crayons and chalk are so much easier.”    

"The very small town where she was an elementary student was one building, Pre-K through 12^thgrade, “…being one of two semi-talented kids in the entire town I thought I was the ONLY girl my age IN THE WORLD that knew how to make art”.   

With that in mind, upon moving to Waco to finish college she found herself in, as she puts it “this HUGE new school … I was like, ‘Um no… I’m the artist…  I’m the only girl that. Wait… there are other people my age that can color in the lines and make advanced stick figures? Hmm.’ it took me a while to grasp that one.” 

How long have you considered yourself an artist?

Honestly I never thought of it until recently. It has taken me 33 years to realize its ok to say you’re an artist. I don’t know why but I always felt timid to talk about my art or even admit I drew or painted something… in the last three years I've come to terms with my talents and am totally embracing it and having such a fun time in the process.  I used to always feel that the art I created was worthless and hated compliments. Wish I could have… stayed positive.

College was fun when I finished basics and got to really learn about things that interest me. My degree is still not completed; my majors have ranged from art education, elementary education, child development, animal behavior, to biology. I’ll figure out what I want to be when I grow up… someday.  Maybe I’m supposed to be a famous local Texas artist... that sounds nice. 

Turkey Vulture 

Copyright Stephanie Ayers 2010

Turkey Vulture (series)

Vultures and buzzards are probably one of the ugliest birds you'll ever see. Their wrinkled featherless head serves it purpose. I wanted to give our feathered friends a makeover and remind us that their appearance up close may be repulsive but at some point in all our lives we have gazed at them in flight... gazed and day-dreamed with that beautiful vulture soaring above.

What things inspire you to create art?

Inspiration is everywhere for me, though, it comes and goes. When I was about six or seven someone special to me said my self-portrait was nothing but trash and to never do that again. That shattered my little mind. I recall thinking it looked great to me; I did everything that guy Bob said to do on my little black and white television. So, getting my mojo back took some time and lots of positive reinforcement. Now… a simple tweet from a bird inspires a whimsical doodle. Sometimes it’s a cooking magazine. Reading to my kids has had the most inspiration on my “home” art. The silliest things come across in my mind as paintings and drawings. For example the neighbor’s cat just after a nap stretching and yawning so big, my son teaching his little sister what a octagon and pentagon are with sidewalk chalk… these things get my  artistic juices flowing. I love Day of the Dead art because I feel like it represents… lots of memories… a person, their family, it has love, loss, happiness. The art can be so simple and some so intricate, but either way it means something, to someone.

Ayers Story

Copyright Stephanie Ayers 2012

My gift to my husband.   It's a short story of our lives together…every word, number, and drawing is part of our life.  OUR Ayers’ story from the day we met to seven years later.  This is the painting I like to show to someone that is interested in creating their own "story” painting.  

What are you trying to convey through your art?

What I mean or what I’m feeling really depends on the piece I’m working on. For example, one of my kids’ books we read almost every evening has multiple short stories in it with fun illustrations. Those illustrations inspired me to do similar things for my kids. When we read the stories we relate to my version of the painting.  It’s educational for the kids and heartwarming for mommy. 

When I’m in adult mode most of my paintings truly have a story. I see and feel something when I finish a painting; it’s telling a story without all the pages and typing. It means one thing to me but I love hearing what it means to others, what they feel when they see something I've done.   

Ellie's Art Fant, Watercolor
Copyright Stephanie Ayers 2011
E for Ellie...E for Elephant, a sample of Stephanie’s whimsical/children's art.  

Tell me about artistic influences.

My Aunt Janice was my first influence. She was my dad’s sister and she amazed me at an early age. She could sing like Patsy Cline and she could draw the prettiest horses and roses I ever did see. Through the years and traveling I've come to love Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Fernando Botero, and Chagall. Mexican and Latin artists have always drawn my eyes.  I suppose it’s the brilliant colors, the way you can almost taste the passion, like in Diego’s frescoes…and the way Frida’s art was a direct reflection of her life. She inspires and influences me the most as far as famous artists go. I can relate to her life like it was my own sometimes. I took an art bus tour of Mexico once. Seeing firsthand the environment that Frida must have lived in… smelling the air… tasting the foods… from coffee shops to cobblestone roads I wanted to be like Frida Kahlo. On the outside she seemed so talented, so sexy, so confident… but through her art you could feel her physical pain.   Mangled body, inability to conceive, pain, suffering, her always cheating husband, lovers… take a look you’ll know what she felt by what she painted.  Frida Kahlo not only is a huge influence in my art but a huge inspiration in my life. 

How else has traveling itself influenced you?

Travel… lots.  All over Texas, the U.S. Israel, Kuwait, Amsterdam. There was a time when my husband and I were really into cruises. In 2009 or 2010 while living in Kuwait I entered the Harper’s Bazaar Magazine for the Middle East female artist contest. I probably created 15 watercolors, framed and ready for sale in two weeks. Though they didn't select me it was fun doing painting again and getting the hair/make-up professionally done for the photographer. This was actually when I started really painting again. I've had sort of a painter’s block for about 8 years. My art used to be very dark and depressed, as was my life at times. Reflections of my happiness and spirituality are obvious in my art now. 

Indian Woman Walking By, Watercolor

Copyright Stephanie Ayers 2010

While living in Kuwait I would take my son on a walk through the busy downtown streets. Nearly every walk we would pass the same Indian woman. We never spoke due to language barriers but she always smiled back and offered a simple nod.  She always wore beautifully adorned saris and had the most beautiful hair. It was brilliant shades of silver and white with those little reminders of the dark locks she once had.

Tell me about your creative process, from start to completion:

I work with watercolor, ink on paper; acrylic, ink on canvas; and I also use adhesive required for odds-and-ends, usually some form of organic material. Watercolor has always been easy for me and now that I've had the means and the desire I am constantly learning new tricks. If I am working with watercolor things flow rather well. Sketch, erase, agree, argue with myself, agree, mentally place colors… then paint. Once this starts I work in a color circle.  I used to paint typically on the floor; since my personal artistic revival I now have a studio space set up in my home with a proper desk and lighting. I start with one color and paint as much as I can of that one color. That dries and I do another color. I turn the paper as I go. When I’m working on multiple watercolors the same applies. I set out with… let’s say four different pieces… all watercolors. I use one color turning each artwork around until I've fulfilled that color need… then move onto the next painting with the same color and same process. By the time I've made a full circle usually it’s dry and I can start on a new color. If required this is when I cut, paste, apply, glue, adhere mixed media to a piece. Let the glue dry… then onto the next step. 99% of the time I use ink and detail each to a final happy signature. 

To be honest sometimes I've had an idea in mind and from start to finish it’s taken me only hours. Then there are those times when I’m doing something that is really emotional, personal, something that requires my full attention…  that can take anywhere from days to a month to complete. So far, a month is the longest amount of time I've EVER worked on one piece of art…. I’m pretty sure if I did not have a deadline in order to travel to Boston, MA it would have taken me even longer minus the very late nights. As my kids get older and don’t require my attention as much I hope to be able to focus my energy on taking my time. It’s great cheap therapy. 

Gloucester's Lost Pirates,Watercolor

Copyright Stephanie Ayers 2012

This watercolor was inspired by the Lost Fisherman's Memorial in Gloucester, Massachusetts, the left behind standing at on the edge of waves forever to grieve. Will they ever return?  

When I’m working with acrylic I typically pencil out something on the canvas.  I've never been very good at sketching something out first. I always jump in pencil first and end up with lots of eraser debris on the floor until eventually something sticks and off I go.  Acrylics are so new to me. I start with background typically, and then head to the focal point.  I also try to use one color at a time to waste less. I've learned that acrylics need time to dry but if ya don’t like it when it’s dry you can do it all over again. Since using acrylic is new to me I have been keeping most of my pieces pretty simple so they typically only take about a week but some have taken almost two. I have ideas that end up on canvas and get painted but once I step back I often hate them, which frustrates me because this only happens with acrylics. I will do a project over and over ending in more frustration.  I have found I don’t feel like I’m in total control of the paint. When I use watercolors I know how much water to apply for each use.  I know what brush works best for each application. With acrylics I don’t have the experience or the training yet for that type of painting to flow.  That’s the great thing about the internet I can upload some YouTube videos - Acrylic 101.  In recent months I have learned how to use mixed media better in my acrylic painting process.

What plans do you have for the future of your art?  

Right now it’s a whirlwind of excitement for me. I’m painting all the time and have ideas come to mind 24/7. This has been the longest stretch of having my artist mojo in… well forever. I hope the future brings new exhibit opportunities, increase in orders for custom work, I hope for a few sales, and I can’t wait to see what I learn. Hopefully I will be able to show on a smaller scale and maybe even put on a show myself.  

Do you have any advice for emerging artists?

Surround yourself with more artists and establish a good network in the art community.

Tell me something of an artistic quirk you have.

Whales. Either with crayon, pencil, paint, or dirt whales WILL be drawn at least once a day around here. My little ones really have a liking to them. These tend to be for fun, however, I do have one "work-in-progress" whale artwork, yet to be unveiled.  

How do you promote your art both on and off the internet?

My first sales were at TAMUCC at a small open art festival type event. Very low key but sold all my little ink drawings and cards I created for 5 bucks a pop I was stoked… being a poor college woman. Word of mouth is effective and I have enhanced this with having professional business cards to help with referrals.

This is the beginning phase of having real experience getting my name and works out there. The event, RAWartists Presents:Marvel was my debut show in Austin. It was great exposure and I learned so much. All this encourages my creative spark and I keep on painting, so much new to see, and keep looking there will be more.

Art prints of my work are available at my Paintingforyou Society6 page, a site which I have personally ordered from and approve of their quality. My official web page is not ready to go live just yet; I’m currently using social media and various internet sites and finding out what works best. 

How should people find you online?

• Artist Facebook Page:  Stephanie Ayers - Artist
• Art Prints Available at Painting For You
• Catch up with Stephanie in her follow-up interview here: Painting For You