Artist to Artist

Good Morning, and Welcome to Artist to Artist.

Today we have with us Sue from London, UK also known as travellingsue!

Aloramyst: Good Morning Sue, great to have with us! In your opinion what is art?

Sue: To me, art is self-expression in any form – it’s a medium that creates a response from others and a way to show who you are as an individual

Aloramyst: Who or what first introduced you to creating art?

Sue: I started drawing and using watercolor at school and my parents are excellent photographers and won many competitions.

Aloramyst: Why did you choose to create in this choice of medium?

Sue: It wasn’t a conscious decision to use photography to create, but since the advent of digital cameras it has been much easier and more instant and it just felt natural. I work intuitively – I just see something and instinctively know which angle to take and exactly what would make a good photo – it kind of frames itself in my minds eye.

Aloramyst: What software programs have you experimented with? And which is your favorite?

Sue: I just use Adobe and Publisher. I don’t enhance my photos in any way - they are exactly as they were taken. I don’t discount using other programs at some stage though.

Aloramyst: What inspires and motivates you to create?

Sue: Beauty inspires me and I am drawn to capturing animals, landscapes and nature in all it’s forms.

Aloramyst: Who is your favorite artist? What is it about their work that you love?

Sue: My favorite artist has to be Turner – I particularly love his painting of the sea and ships, which are half in a mist – wonderful stuff. It’s the whole ethereal quality that I find so impelling.

Aloramyst: Have you set any goals for yourself as an artist? If so, what are you working towards achieving?

Sue: I am going to continue utilizing my many photographs but want to look at different ways of presenting them and exploring other software to do so. I also want to get back to my drawing and watercolour.

Aloramyst: Do you create art in other mediums?

Sue: I write articles for Ezine Articles on graphology (handwriting analysis). My website is http://www.graf-o-lojikal.co.uk and I am currently writing a children’s book. My animal characters will no doubt find their way onto Zazzle one day.

Aloramyst: Is your artwork for sale? Where can people see or purchase your artwork?

Sue: Zazzle is my only outlet for selling my photographs in the various forms that they have made available to me. I will be self-publishing my book and will be approaching bookshops and promoting online for that – I want complete control of the process.

http://www.zazzle.com/travellingsue

Aloramyst: What are your recommendations and/or advice to other artists?

Sue: Just to do what come naturally and feels right. Don’t try to emulate others – everyone has their own individual gifts and you will do best by honoring yours. Also, don’t present anything that you wouldn’t buy yourself – it has to be high quality or else I feel it’s insulting to the potential customer. Why should anyone buy something which you don’t care about and have put no effort into.

Aloramyst: Is there anything about being an artist that you would like to know more about?

Sue: Everything – I love exploring the various galleries on Zazzle and seeing how many different styles there are. For myself, I will continue doing what comes naturally and once I’m comfortable on one step of the ladder, I will climb another one and get comfortable with that. The ladder never ends!!

Aloramyst: Which promotional tools have been the most effective for you?

Sue: As I only joined Zazzle last month, I have been busy populating my gallery and have been fortunate in that people have been finding me. I have joined the fan clubs of those artists that I admire and it has been a gradual process. I have also participated in a few of the forums in order to find out how Zazzle operates and to catch up, The UK market is still very new and we are obviously well being the American Zazzlers.

Thank you Sue for being with us today, I would love to read your book when you have it up for sale. With the arrival of my new grandson, I am definitely in the market for original children’s books and items. Wishing you much success with your career as an artist and an author!