Who: Karena Colquhoun, 39, digital artist/illustrator/designer
Where: Adelaide, Australia
Etsy shop: magicjelly.etsy.com
Karena Colquhoun felt sure that being an Australian on the U.S.-based Etsy would put her at a disadvantage, but so far Etsy buyers have proven her spectacularly wrong. Not only has she sold more than 700 of her limited-edition prints and photo-montages — her Heart Attack print is a particularly hot item among buyers in New York and Britain — but the exposure she's gotten from the site has led to several lucrative corporate commissions and wholesale deals with U.S.-based stores.
Advice for selling online: “Making more accessible small-format artwork not only fits comfortably with my personal philosophy as an artist but makes good business sense, too. A print edition of 200 that I sell for $25 each is more realistic for me as an emerging artist than selling a $5,000 painting.”
The hardest part about balancing art and commerce: "Working from a home office/studio five to six days a week can sometimes sap my creativity. I really need to get out in the world and interact with people to feel energized and inspired.”
Featured item: "Heart Attack", 8X10 print, $30
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