I buy prints from a lot of people on Etsy, but I think I buy more from Mandy than anyone. I am fractured by her fractured yet flowing views of nature.Where were you born & raised?
I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada.
Where are you now & what led you there?
I now live just east of Toronto after living in a few other Ontario cities. Proximity to Toronto is important at the moment (it's where my day job is). I hope to move further out into the country in the next few years. I would love to live where my inspiration is :)
What types of creations do you sell in for your Etsy shop(s)?
I sell my original paintings and all the things I make from them - prints, mounted prints, magnets and notecards. I'm working on a couple of new items that I hope to list in the fall.
What's your educational background, as it relates to your work?
I went to a fine art high school (we had nude figure drawing up in the attic with the windows covered so none of the other students would get their retinas burned out :) After high school I couldn't decide between fine art and commercial art - I ended up taking commercial art. I wanted a good foundation that I could leap from - although I wonder sometimes what would be different if I took fine art instead.
How'd you get started creating?
I've always loved colour and I think I've always been working with it. So I think it started with crayons and construction paper. I didn't start to paint seriously until 2000 though - I had been painting in a much more realistic style until then and very sporadically. I'm not sure what happened but the first time I deconstructed an image (i think it was a single flower) I opened up a whole new world that I'm just dying to explore!
What's your muse, or what turns that little creative light inside you on?
For me it's always about the colour. I drive around Ontario and I'm just entranced by the golden fields fading to the blue trees. Or the way the sunlight hits a tree just so and sets the leaves on fire. I drive by Lake Ontario every day and I'm just amazed at the thousands of different blues, greens and grays I see. It's never the same twice!
Do you belong to any Street Teams? If so, which ones and why? If not, why not?
I did belong to the Trans Canada Team, but I have been very inactive with it lately. My etsy shop is doing very well but between it and my day job I'm pretty overwhelmed.
What's your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?
I love the diversity. And I love the global village aspect. I've sold my artwork to people all over the world - Indonesia, Norway, Spain, Australia and it just blows me away that etsy has brought all these people together.
Recommend your five favorite shops on Etsy.
Only 5?!! :)
BrokenTeepeeDesigns.etsy.com - gorgeous jewelry
RunAliceRun.etsy.com - beautiful magnets
sagittariusgallery.etsy.com - fabulous nudes and landscapes
fiveforty.etsy.com - wonderful hand woven rugs
mitsel8.etsy.com - whimsical treasure boxes
What are your three fave items from your own shops?
Chunky Print - Last Rose of Summer
13 x 19 Large Print - Spring Light
13 x 19 Large Print - Summer Tree
What can I say? I want one of everything in your entire shop!!! Thanks so much, Mandy.
Carolynn aka nilochlainn
Thanks for introducing me to Mandy-- She has wonderful prints!
ReplyDeleteI ADORE Mandy's work. In fact I will have what I call the Mandy Budan Museum of Western Montana in my new house! Amazing use of color and line...everyone should own a Mandy!
ReplyDeletePatty
What an amazing artist. I'll definitely visit her shop.
ReplyDelete