So, who's Jessica Doyle? I just happen to have a full interview with her below, so you can read for yourself.Where were you born & raised?
••• Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
I came into being on November 8th, 1973. I'm a Scorpio (Western) and an Ox (Eastern).
Where are you now & what led you there?
••• I currently reside in my birth city after having lived in Fredericton, New Brunswick for eight years, back to Saint John then onwards to Vancouver, British Columbia for 4 years. I returned to Saint John in 2007. I am 34 years old.
What types of creations do you sell in for your Etsy shop(s)?
••• I focus on small to medium sized illustrations offering both prints and originals for sale. I have painted large 4 by 4 foot artworks and sometimes miss the freedom of doing so as right now my studio space is limited. ACEO's stuck a chord with me when i first began selling on Etsy. they are among my best sellers. I draw using black ink and digitally colour many of those drawings in Photoshop. The Sassy Sea Urchin seems to be liked by many :) I also create one of a kind hand painted boxes and beads available as singles or in sets.
What's your educational background, as it relates to your work?
Having graduated from the New Brunswick College of Craft & Design with a major in creative graphics and a minor in both illustration and surface design in 1996 I began working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator soon afterward. While living in Vancouver I went back to college for advanced training in colour theory and typography and then art directed a large magazine publication (working 60-70 plus hours per week) and became seriously ill for the third time in my life. I no longer practice graphic design and focus on art creation from my imagination. Being creative on demand and having strict deadlines is both inhibiting and deadly. As I get older I meet more and more ex-graphic designers. Haha!
I did learn to be diligent through those years. I ran a fabric painting business for two years with another artist where we sold hand painted by the yard fabric and household good sewn from the fabric. We did a lot of shibori, indigo dying, batik and lino block printing. I still have a great love for pattern and may someday return to creating patterned items for sale in my shop.
How'd you get started creating?
Wow... at age four. Seriously, my Dad worked for a paper mill and would bring home large rolls of paper. Mom would roll them out on the kitchen floor hand me watercolor and paint brush and I'd go to town painting seasonal designs. They would then be hung in the front windows at Halloween, Christmas etc.
What's your muse, or what turns that little creative light inside you on?
Life inspires me. After three near death experiences I am happy to be amongst the breathing. Alone time is when I recharge.
Do you belong to any Street Teams? If so, which ones and why?
I belong the Atlantic Provinces Etsy Street Team. Why? They are my neighbors in Canada. New Brunswick is one of four Atlantic Canadian Provinces.
What's your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
Independence...to be able to focus on creating what I love. When you do what you love that is contagious. I get to do the things I couldn't do while working in the backbreaking graphic design industry. Being on Etsy has its challenges but they are your own. You can do as much or as little as you want and your sales will reflect this. I began working selling on Etsy full-time mid-June when one of my part time gigs ended. I haven't looked back since. I hope to be earning a livable wage in the fall.
Recommend your five favorite shops on Etsy.
••• carambatack
••• FANSHEFOLDS
••• scarlettcat
••• stoopidgerl
••• sushipot
Show us your three favorite works from your own shop.
1. Amelia (Sunshine Edition 8x8 print)
2. Milton the Fish (ACEO mini print, 7x5 and 8.5x11 print)
3. Sassy Sea Urchin (5x5 and 8x8 print)
Anything else to add? Go for it!
••• My blog address is http://jessicadoyle.ca
••• My flickr address is http://flickr.com/photos/eastvanesica
••• My Etsy Art shop - http://JessicaDoyle.etsy.com
••• My Vintage shop - http://OLDisNEW.etsy.com
••• My Wholesale shop - http://trunkt.org/JessicaDoyle
Thank you for asking me to be featured on your blog.
You're welcome!!
Great interview, Jessica. I like the sound of your Dad bringing his work home. Ha! How exciting is a huge roll of paper!! Ages ago, i did some design work for a printer who really couldn't afford to pay me - the deal we struck was that I'd be allowed to rummage through the chuck-out bins! What wonderful treasure I found there - sparkly paper, thick creamy paper, coloured transparent paper. It was heaven. xxx scarlett
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting the interview! Wow!
ReplyDeleteScarlettcat, I love paper in all sizes and shapes too. What fun that would have been to rummage through chuck-out bins. Bartering is a way of life; a good and smart way of life at that. Cheers!