Today's featured artist is the very talented Marie Lopez, owner of mElleStudio. She creates modern and simple art prints for your home. Her work features children's room decor and nursery decor. All of her items are prints of her original pencil and colored pencil drawings. Marie is also hosting a giveaway on her Facebook page to win of her of popular Lego art prints! A link to the giveaway can be found at the end of her interview.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you sell at mElleStudio?
I am a mom to a wonderful little boy and a wife to a great man! I have been working in Early Childhood Education and Special Education for the past four years and love working with children and their families. My son Brandon and working with children has inspired me to narrow my path of drawing to children’s art. My Etsy shop mElleStudio currently sells art prints of my handmade, original drawings done in colored pencil. My drawings feature simple, modern, and unique images, and focus on children’s nursery and bedroom art, bathroom art, and playroom art. Etsy has given me a great opportunity to pursue a true passion of mine and I’m so grateful for it!
Were you always interested in art? What sparked your interest?
I come from a very artistic family and I have been making art since I was 3 years old. Early on, some of my creative passions included drawing, making things out of construction paper (and scotch tape!), and writing and illustrating my own books. Today I still harbor many creative passions! Drawing is number one, but I also love to scrapbook, and I love experimenting with photography.
What type of medium do you work with to create your artwork?
My two favorite mediums to work with are pencil and colored pencil. Drawing with colored pencil presents a unique challenge because it’s not a medium that’s easily blended, so I feel that it adds an extra element to the process.
Where do you find inspiration for your prints?
The inspiration for my children’s art comes from my background working with children and also from my own son Brandon. While I was pregnant with Brandon, I drew pictures for his nursery to match his bedding set. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to pursue children’s art further!
Do you have a favorite piece in your shop?
Right now it’s a toss up between the crayons, the ballet shoes, and the soccer ball.
How did you get started selling on Etsy? Do you sell or showcase your work anywhere else?
I had posted the crayon drawing on my personal Facebook page, and a friend had mentioned to me that I should sell my drawings on Etsy. I wasn’t very familiar with Etsy at the time, but after looking into it a bit, I decided to give it a try. I am so happy with my decision to start selling on Etsy! It is such a great community to be a part of, and it allows many curators to share their work with others when they might not have been able to otherwise. Currently I am only selling my work on Etsy, however, I am open to other options in the future!
Do you have any advice for other thinking about selling their own artwork?
My advice would be to really find your niche and focus on mastering it. Through this whole Etsy process I have found that drawing children’s art has really made me the happiest and is what I’m most passionate about. Beginning March 1st, 2013, mElleStudio will solely be selling children’s art prints so that I can fully focus on my true passion.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Spending time with my husband, our son, and our dog is what makes me the happiest, however, most days you can find me drawing after my son has gone to bed and continuing late into the night!
What is something about you that not many people know?
Although I love my job working in Special Education, I have always wanted to be able to share my art with others. Having a job as an artist has really been a dream of mine since I was little!
Anything else you'd like to share?
I am having a Valentine’s Day Giveaway with the winner drawn February 14, 2013. To enter to win a set of my popular lego prints, please see this link:
For updates, specials, and frame ideas, you can follow me:
Visit on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mElleStudio
On Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/mElleStudio/414350001965118
On Pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/mellestudio/
On Twitter: @mElleStudioTwi
