By Guest Contributor Amy Anderson
Welcome to the latest installment of Fresh Etsy Pixx. This time, I found an artist who only started her Etsy shop this year, but has been creating art in a variety of mediums for years. Meet Annie Swincinski of Dwell in Style and her serene and organic printmaking.
1. What do you create and how did you get started?
I have always been an artist and crafter for as long as I can remember. Having attended the Savannah College of Art and Design I’ve been trained in all sorts of mediums but most recently I’ve been printmaking. I chose this medium because I am inspired to create affordable original art and design for the everyday home and printmaking allows me to do this with its use of multiples. The methods I use most are woodcut, silkscreen & gocco. Woodcut is reserved mostly for my limited edition 2D creations on paper, while I use silkscreen to create linen and textiles for the home such as place mats, tea towels, pillows, and even scarves. I consider myself a surface designer not a printmaker.
2. Why do you sell on Etsy?
I love love love Etsy. Every single aspect. The site has clean lines and beautiful design. It is easy to use. It is more than affordable. I am able to reach an international audience from one storefront. They bring the shoppers to my doorstep before I am even out of my pajamas in the morning. They are helpful and have the best supporting creative community I have ever been a part of. I am actually on my second shop. I opened my first one about 2 years ago under a silly name. It wasn’t long before I had hundreds of sales and was able to leave my day job. I knew I had to come up with a brand name and open a new shop. Dwell in Style was born. Etsy has also been a great promotional tool in itself. People find me all the time for features and blogs. I was even asked to submit work to be published in a book about printmaking this past year.
3. Do you sell elsewhere as well?
Etsy provides my only online selling venue. During the festival season I hit the road to sell in person at art festivals, galleries, and some small time wholesale and consignment. Traveling is so much fun. I love meeting new people other artists and especially my buyers.
4. Where do you go or what do you do when you need inspiration?
When I’m seeking inspiration I do a few things. Coffee in hand, I usually go shopping. I like to keep my art as well as my textiles in style and fashionable, even trendy. I usually hit a few of my favorite home decor stores, the fabric store and the bookstore to thumb through design magazines. My subject matter is usually organically inspired so being outdoors and close to nature is a very important part of my process. When I’m looking for color inspiration I love to search Etsy’s treasuries and look at the color pallets the treasury curators have chosen.
5. Where do you see your work going in the future?
I would like to focus more on home decor and textile design. Maybe even design for a textile company or sell my designs right out to those that are interested. I will always continue the limited edition woodcuts. I’m very passionate about everyone being able to afford and own original art and I believe printmaking is simply the best way for me to contribute to that goal.
6. Describe your artistic style in three words.
Modern & Organically Inspired.
About the contributor: Amy Anderson is one of the Indie Fixx interns and is also a student at Northwestern University. Amy has wanted to be a journalist since she was just 5 years old and she is also into the indie design and crafting scenes as well. In addition to writing the occasional post, she also helps me coordinate Feed Your Soul: the free art project.
