Ever since the first time I saw a computer I knew I wanted to make art on one. I knew in an instant that it could create whatever I wanted to paint. Knowing that the computer had a paint program, well that was all I needed to make art digitally.
I especially loved making 'pixel' art and making southwestern style images. How fun to pass the time filling in each little square with colors, making patterns, added them to stationery for printing.
That was the extent of my digital art knowlege and didn't pursue it any further. LOOKING BACK, wish I would have!!
A year or so went by and I got a job at a 'craft' shop which made wood furniture, home decor and resin products such as plaques, key chains, chain pulls for ceiling lights, framed artwork and more.
I got a job as an office assistant there, it was called THE CRAFT ROOM, but my goal was to be on the 'creating' side of the business such as in DESIGNING the products that we sold.
I saw many wonderful outside artists getting their art on prints and we framed them and sold them all across the US and Canada in little mom and pops stores as well as major craft mall stores like COUNTRY SAMPLER.
Working at being the company's factory assistant, typing tons of inventory lists of our products, instructions for people who checked our stores and getting all of the supplies and maps around, it was a lot to do! I did my job well, became so knowledgeable about everything and that was good but I still longed to design!
Years went by, many changes were made, people came and went, my position came and went, I finally got out of the office and asked to work in the factory, making wood frames and filling orders, which I loved! I learned to use many different wood shop tools like inverted router, wall panel saws, frame cutter, cutting glass, pulling orders, it was great! I was active, but, I still longed to be a designer.
I saw many beautiful art prints go by my eyes, and all these 'artists' were selling their work to printers like Penny Lane and Sagebrush and I knew I could do that too!! None of this artwork was that difficult! At that time it was all folksy art.
Then, the owner of the company decided it was time to stop paying artists for their work, their royalties were costing the company money, so they stopped paying them and just paid artists once, per contract.
The gal who had been the 'art' department, and who created designs for resin product had left and I got to fill in QUICK!! Lifesaver me! I had to learn all about Photoshop and how to get pages ready for fliers, that was it!! I FINALLY WAS IN THE ART DEPARTMENT! I learned SO MUCH about publishing and printing, about designing!!!
We got a new partner in the business who designed metal stars and I got to paint one, DESIGN one, well, sorta. They wanted it to look like another artists work! I was surprised at that, I thought that was copying! Hmmmm .... so I painted a metal star with some snow people on it, it sold well, I got $500 and that was it. No royalties on any sales. After that, I trained a new girl who was getting paid way more than I was- AFTER ALL THE YEARS I'D BEEN THERE and SO MUCH WORK!!!?? Nope, not gonna happen. I left.
I stayed home and thought that I'd start my own business. I got a computer, I bought Photoshop. I sold art at Ebay. I was invited to join a group at Ebay called ACEO Enthusiasts and made ACEOs and sold them. I found out about CafePress and Zazzle and that is all she wrote! I began using my Photoshop and other art apps and I haven't stopped since! That was around 2005!
Long story ... but it has been a joy, a life saver, a hobby that has helped me make money at Etsy, Zazzle, Redbubble, Spoonflower, Society6, Print All Over Me, Greeting Card Universe and Commercial Use Scraps.
Trying everything I possibly can with little or no money is the only way I could learn 'digital art' and so I watched a lot of tutorials at YouTube, blogs, anywhere I could get free supplies too! Photoshop brushes, actions, textures, patterns, all of those wonderful effect were great but I want to make my own! SO I DID!
There isn't a moral to this story, well, maybe there is. Do what you love!
I haven't become rich or famous, didn't ever want to be popular like some people are now and are everywhere on the internet, even Martha thinks she is an artist, everyone is! But, I still create, it's what I love to do. I learn new things when I want. I have bought some pretty hefty art programs, like the new Rebelle5 from Escape Motions.
Some of the folks I follow for traditional and digital art, watercolor art, oil, mixed media, abstract art are:
Jodi Ohl, Steve Elliott, Jillian Crider, Wyanne Thompson , Violette Clark,
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