POTTI ART

THE POTTI TEAM BLOG

Blue Moon by SmilingBlueDog
*No Longer Available

They are kind, empathetic, and make their customers a priority, because they see them as people rather than merely buyers. They love animals, and have many venues of self-expression.  Generally speaking, these are the commonalities of artists on the Potti Team.

As is expected among artists, there are far more areas of distinction than of similarity.

There are at least eight Potti Team members who are artists in a somewhat traditional sense - who paint, draw, collage, sculpt, photograph, or design digitally.

 

 Carol of PaintedByCarol paints animal watercolors, and flower studies.  Her self-taught style is appealing, and her animals sometimes even humorous.  She also sells her paintings as prints and as jewelry. Carol spent thirty years as a mainframe computer programmer, and is currently writing a science fiction/fantasy series. (Her store is closed for vacation until May 10.)

Our mixed-media artist of ArtElem creates whimsical collages from vintage drawings of the encyclopedic dictionary style.  She applies acrylic paints to these, creating an art form with a delightful charm.  She also draws, paints landscapes, and makes jewelry from natural gemstones (although these are not sold in her Etsy store).

Linda of LDPhotography is one of our photographers, and she also makes mixed media journals for her Etsy shop.  She uses vintage books and art in her mixed media journals.  About them she says, "The art journals are all handmade and I include lots of extra handmade items and pages inside. I make the journals for pleasure and art and not for profit. I put a lot of time into each one but I do it because it is fun and I love to share new art ideas with others."

She also says, "The photography is all metallic prints. This is a special kind of process done only in special labs. The finish on the photos means that they will hold their color for a 100 years and you can display them without putting them under glass….That is important because I think you have a different visual experience with a photo if there is no glass between you and the image."

Linda has a PhD in theatre history, and has been a play director and a teacher.  She is currently a counseling psychologist with a private practice specializing in ADHD.  She looks forward to retiring in a couple of years, at which time she and her husband plan to become "travelling gypsies," and she promises photos "from all over the world."

She is also working on making free art tutorials on her blog; the link for which is at the end of this blog, along with several others.

J.C. of OneDayOneImagePhotography / OneDayPhotoArt  is our second photographer.  Her photography features many sights of New York City as canvases, prints, note cards, or posters.

When Vallee of EnchantedRoseProduct began her career in sales, she started with her poetry.  She also sold photographs and made beaded jewelry (which she continues to do) before her boyfriend (now husband) suggested she try watercolors.  Vallee now paints ethereal misty landscapes.  She also paints pretty pastel flowers on candles and placards.

Vallee is an especially compassionate and nurturing member of the Potti Team.  She regularly features team members on her blog, the link to which can be found at the end of this blog.

From the earliest days on the Potti Team, Angie of SmilingBlueDog was selling impressive wall hangings  and paintings.  My very favorite was a blue moon wall hanging that is no longer available (if only I had been the buyer!). She does still have a ceramic sun face available, but her Etsy artwork is primarily paintings now.  She also sells wedding bouquet photo charms, but that is a matter for another post!

Carmen of SerendipityStudioCW wants her mixed media artwork to be an inspiration to women and young girls.  She uses positive messages, vintage ephemera, and colorful paint, as well as ink drawings, to create her uplifting wares.

Carmen discovered art as a healing therapy while in cancer treatment.  She calls her shop SerendipityStudio because art was something wonderful that she found unexpectedly.

Mary Lou of MoonLitPrintables designs personalized party invitations, thank you notes, and stickers for a variety of creative purposes.  Her work is clever and fun!  For some items she even offers the option of a digital file that you can print from your home, or you can, of course, have her output the item and ship it to you. 

What else do these eight artists have in common?  They all love Etsy, enjoy the Potti Team and would not be doing anything else.  Well, Vallee would like to add handmade sterling jewelry with gems like opals, which does sound rather lovely.  And Carol would like to sell dog hair.  "We have four pooches, so we have lots and lots of dog hair," she explains.  "If there's ever a market for it, we'll be rich." 

Perhaps she will create a market for it in her futuristic literature.  Then again, and perhaps as likely, she may be selling fuzzy pictures by next year!

                                                                                                                                                                 Michele Davidson