Today’s the big day, one big step for this little self-taught artist. It’s been over two months of hard work on building this website, taking high-quality images of almost every single piece of my art, editing photos, ordering test prints from multiple companies, re-editing photos, and even taking the first steps towards print-on-demand apparel. It’s been a long, hard two months, but I’m so excited to finally start doing something with my art!
Back in 2020, I tried my hand at selling my art through Etsy, and while I had a good handful of sales, all in all I ended my shop in disappointment. I found it hard to rank in Etsy’s search engine optimization (SEO) algorithm, and the fees were heavy. I knew my art was worth seeing and buying, but I just felt invisible. My attempts at social media, even after trying different “trends” and stepping outside my comfort zone, never seemed to go anywhere. So I gave up. At the end of the day I make art because I enjoy it and I love filling my home with beautiful things, and I figured that’s how my art would remain.
Recently, however, I’ve felt that spark renewed again. Last year my boss at work encouraged me to look into the Lincoln County Fair, but it had overall slipped my mind. Until one evening in mid-July this year, I googled our local fair on a whim and discovered it was the LAST day for exhibitors to enter into the fair. I took that as a sign and quickly signed up for 3 photos and 3 artworks. I was hoping to maybe place in one or two, win a couple bucks, and call it a success.
But what actually happened took me by total surprise! Not only did my three art pieces each place first in their respective categories (acrylic painting, pencil drawing, and colored pencil drawing), but my Brown-crested Flycatcher won Best in Show, and my Spruce Grouse won Honorable Mention! I was ecstatic!
Even better though, showing at the fair put me in contact with a local art collector and new friend who wanted to purchase some of my art. She more than anything has encouraged and inspired me to put myself out there again and give this little art business another try. I know my people are out there somewhere! So here we are, finally, my first blog post on my newly created and polished website! I really hope you all love this website as much as I do, and I encourage you to follow along if you want to hear more personal stories straight from the heart. Thanks for reading!
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