Mexican Colors: April 2011

Since last month I've been displaying my work on some local Art and Craft Fairs.
As you know, I not only have my art business, I also own a jewelry and hair clips business.
I started first because I love bows and hair clips and some of them were really expensive. So I decided to buy some supplies and made my own for my litle ones.
I gave them also as party favors and as birthday presents of the little girls of my friends. They insisted so much that I should sell them that I thought 'Why not?', and here I'm running two business of what I love most: using my hands to make art and crafts.

http://www.socuties.etsy.com/

http://www.mexicancolors.net/

I enjoy to be at fairs where I have a close relationship with my customers and I've made a circle of crafts friends. My little assistant (my older daughter) also loves to go and she is now so well known and loved by the other vendors.

Here are some photos of my latest show

And I'm so excited because there I met a great person who invited me to this SPRING Fair this coming May 1st. I will be displaying not only my clippies, also part of my art work.

The first time I saw her art I was breathless, she reminds me a lot Joe Sorren, one of my favorite artist. I saw in her that beauty of romantic painters, she lets us into a world of inhabited creatures that seem to have their own history and fantastic places.
Hope you enjoy the journey together to this whimsycal places and explore more about this talented and pretty artist.

Name: Lisa Falzon

Location: Cork, Ireland

websites: http://lisa-falzon.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/meluseena

http://www.facebook.com/theartoflisafalzon

1. Tell us about your crafts and how you came to make them

I create digital artworks (and occasionally, traditionally-produced art pieces too) and sell prints of them. I'd been working as a digital illustrator for a couple of years, selling prints through DeviantArt when one other Deviant Art user mentioned in a very casual way that I'd sell more on Etsy. I'd never heard of Etsy before and tentatively opened my store in 2008. I began selling properly in 2009 though, and as soon as I started tking it seriously it started taking ME seriously, and now it is my fulltime job. I also create custom one-of-a-kind headpieces through my other brand, Moth And BayLeaf. www.mothandbayleaf.etsy.com :)

2. What do you enjoy most of being an artist?

I enjoy the act of creating and communicating. To me, art is an act of expiation. I can tell through paintings things I am too embarassed or that would cause me to feel too fragile to say. I can also say very subtle things that there are no words or expressions for.

What I like about being an artist for a living is the fact I am master of my own time schedule, I can take a holiday when I want/need, and I am part of the movement that breaks the myth that you cannot be an artist for a living :)

4. Which artist inspire or influence you?

I am very inspired by historical artists like the Pre Raphaelites, art of the renaissance and rococo/baroque period and medieval gothic artwork. In a sense though ALL art inspires me. My favourite artist is probably Balthus, whose moody pieces influence my work very much.

I am also inspired by modern fashion and trends. It's no surprise to you perhaps then, to see a girl with a bow in her hair when bows are in fashion in stores and streets. I try to mix and match the old and the new - the medieval and the high street couture. It's subtle but the influence of both is there.

5. Which is your favorite color and which colors do you use most in your work?

My favourite colour is primary red, the reddest red you can get. I don't use it more than other colours but I love to use it as an accent. So in a sea of greens and blues, you'll see a dash of red and this dash is what I'm all about. I also like other reds like vermillion and magenta, that veer to the cold range as well as the warmer cadmium reds. I don't discriminate when it comes to colours though - I am sincere when I say I love them all, earthy browns, electric blues, lemony yellows - I love the way they all make me feel, think and taste something different. Colours are amazing :)

6. How you promote your work?

I promote my work via my Facebook page and blog. Second to that too, I also have a deviant art page which keeps me close to a younger art community. It's not promotion as much as it is 'staying part of an artistic community'.

7. Can you share your #1 tip for success?

I believe that you have to approach the business side of your art exactly like that - as a business. Most of us start out on Etsy in a kind of hotch potch 'oh maybe I'll sell something' way but even if you had the best items in the world, if you treat it as an artist would and not as a business person would, you'll not be efficient.

I think working out how much you want your business to make per month then checking out item sales and working out profit per item then calculating how many items you need to sell per month is a good target. This gives you concrete numbers. Then set about reaching those customers to secure those sales! A hard step too.. but the first one is an important step often missed, and this is my number one tip therefore :)

8. List 5 of your favorites blogs or etsy stores

My favourite blogs are:
http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com/ : Maggie Stiefvater's blog. She's so funny and clever

http://elsita.typepad.com/thehiddenseed/ : Elsita's sense of style cheers up any morning before I've had my coffee!

http://intothehermitage.blogspot.com/ : Rima is so inspiring - her words, art and photos are dreamy :)

http://littlearrowireland.blogspot.com/ : A blog I love by a writer I love

http://madameguillotine.org.uk/ : I adore history and this writer has taught me about so many nteresting people I never knew existed!