Zazzle Blog

Amanda, from the Zazzle Store Artberry, was kind enough to sit down and answer some questions about her creative inspirations, and her experience here on Zazzle. Check out the interview below and don’t forget to check out her store Artberry!

Zazzle: First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Amanda: I was born in 1959 in Newport Monmouthshire, Wales. UK. I have always been interested in painting and drawing. I studied Fine Art at Cardiff Art College (University of Wales in Cardiff) 1978-1981 and received a BA (hons) degree. I have exhibited my oil paintings fairly widely including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Stowell’s Trophy exhibition, a number of Eisteddfods in Wales, and in a variety of mixed and solo exhibitions at public and private Galleries in London and throughout the UK. I have works in private collections in the UK and Worldwide and also one or two public collections. I now live and work in Cardiff. In more recent years I have also got more involved in other creative media such as Digital media, Video, Photography, and Graphic Design and using the Internet as a means to show and sell my work.

Zazzle: What’s your inspiration for your designs?

Amanda: I think I’ve always had a fascination for shapes, patterns, structure, resonance, balance and order in the Universe which I explore in a variety of ways from representational and abstract painting, to digital art and photography.

I tend to have a pantheistic view of the Universe so tend to see it not just as a creation of some guy with a beard, but as the personification and embodiment of God. I think the realisation we are all emanations of that divine spirit, simply by the fact that we exist, is the true Holy Grail, because we commune with God by our very existence and interaction with the Universe. Which is contrary to popular science, which conveniently omits the concept of consciousness, even though things could not be measured or observed without it, so even science is a product of consciousness.  I believe the creative process is an ongoing an eternal force of the universe and we all have the power to shape it. Of course, I think being artist and having a store on Zazzle is a good start

Zazzle: What has been your favorite design you’ve created, and why?

Amanda: I have many favourite designs, but one design which has become a particular favourite recently is this painting of a single Clementine.

I chose this painting for my business/profile card I suppose mainly because it’s a nice simple painting which is a good example of what I can do without being too over stated.

I had my profile cards made at the Chubby size so it’s Artist Trading card (ACEO) size (3.5ins x 2.5ins). I designed it so the painting is on one side and my name and details on the back. Zazzle did such a wonderful job printing it and the colors and detail are so vivid it looks like an original painting. In fact the people I have given it to have been so impressed I get asked if I’ll autograph it. So I think Zazzle’s business cards are awesome.

Zazzle: What is your favorite Zazzle feature? How do you use it?

Amanda: I would say my favorite Zazzle feature is customization and the fact it opens up infinite possibilities and allows one to put up a wide and diverse range of artwork. It allows one to spend one’s time being creative, producing new designs, without needing to get bogged down having to create thousands of repetitious products to cater for every possibility or variation.  I also like the fact customization makes business/profile cards possible which I enjoy designing. Customization is where Zazzle really scores.

Zazzle: Do you have any fun stories about being a seller on Zazzle?

Amanda: Well I think the fact Zazzle did such a nice job printing the painting on my business/profile card I get asked to autograph it is pretty cool. It certainly does wonders for my ego.

Zazzle: What got you interested in selling your art on Zazzle?

Amanda: I think what first attracted me to Zazzle which I first discovered in 2007 was the opportunity to have a really nice store without additional charges, or limitations on the different designs one can put on products. There are no limits to one’s creativity on Zazzle. Zazzle allows ones creativity to fly. Which is the way I think it should be, there shouldn’t be a limit to success.

Zazzle: What tips can you give someone who is just starting out on Zazzle?

Amanda: I think the main tip I would give to someone starting out at Zazzle is although product numbers do certainly help increase sales. Zazzle’s real strength is in customization. The fact that the customer can personalize a product, allows one to create lots of unique and diverse designs without needing to get bogged down with endless repetition. I think it’s worth bearing in mind that quality, variety, and a good use of appropriate keywords are extremely important on Zazzle  more so than numbers in many ways, because customers are engaged more by variety than by endless repetition.

Thanks Amanda!

This entry was posted on October 14, 2009 at 10:54 am and is filed under General News, Seller Spotlights. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.