The gorgeous brains behind Sneddon Studios!
1. When did you first start creating art? When did you start selling your art on Etsy?
I have been crafting and making since I was really young...I once constructed an entire world for my polly pockets made out of paper and cardboard food boxes. Seriously though, I began painting about three years ago. After about 6 months of painting I decided to open my shop, sneddon studios, on etsy.
2. Tell me a little bit about the creating process, where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration is probably the closest thing to magic that I know of; It should be considered it's own element. I can be inspired by a beautiful sunset across rolling country hills because of the colors it creates, how temporary they are. The wrinkles in someones face, or the angle of their body. The lyrics of a song can inspire me the texture of chipped paint or sometimes a dirty concrete floor; Like I said, magic.
3. A lot of your pieces reflect very deep emotions such as happiness or anger, do you paint what mood you're feeling?
Mood has a lot to do with art in general. I often will be in a certain mood when I form the idea for a painting; But once I am in the act of painting it will usually force me to the mood of the painting. If I am working on a happier painting I have to cheer up or the painting will reflect something I don't want it to, and vice versa; If the painting has a melancholy to it, I kind of need to feel that too. I think many of my pieces are born out of a sort of perfect storm if you will, the type of music I am listening to, the idea of the painting, my mood, my thoughts etc. I strive to never paint anything without having some kind of emotion about it, because then the painting will be dead and it will show; It would be a painting about nothing even though there is a picture there. I feel that is why there is such emotion that comes across in my art, because those feelings are put there when I am creating.
4. Which of your pieces is your fave?
Of course this question! It's always hard, people make fun but they are like children sort of, it's a piece of me, to pick a favorite! I guess I judge it by which ones I miss the most once they sell. Vientiane is one I really miss and also The Bright Side; and I know I will severely miss Promise Elena when she sells. I always have the paintings that I am waiting to sell hanging in the studio and around the living room, I get empty nest syndrome when the walls start getting bare.
5. How has owning an Etsy shop changed your creative process? Has it made it better or worse?
Having my shop on Etsy definitely adds a layer of excitement to the process. I feel like I have an outlet to show my new work right away, even if I don't have an event or exhibition scheduled. I also like seeing the favorites and treasury lists people make featuring my art. I would say it has helped the process just for the fact that it is immediate, pieces don't have to be around waiting for a show.
6. What has been the hardest part of getting to where you are in your Etsy shop?
I guess just not knowing what kinds of advertising and sales etc. are going to work best. It gets discouraging when I put a lot of effort into a sale or competition and then don't always see results. That and keeping a large inventory. I can print on demand so I don't carry an inventory of prints at home, but if something isn't selling in the shop for a long period of time; I have to edit it out, which is hard. Then I have to try and replace it in the shop with something that will do better.
7. What is your favourite thing about handmade goods?
I love anything that has individuality and uniqueness. Kind of like showing up to a party and two other people are wearing the same dress as you. Especially if you are getting an original painting...that's the only painting like that in the world. It wasn't shipped to five hundred thousand department stores, it wasn't made by a machine. Someone took time and care making it. I feel this way about homemade soap even! It's just different knowing there was actual personal effort put into it, I think you use things more carefully when you realize that and appreciate it; whether its art, jewelry, furniture...soap. It feels less throw away.
Check out Rikki's Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/SneddonStudios
And her Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/sneddonstudios
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