How to copy other artists' work to sell:
Step one: DON'T.
Don't do it. Why?
1. Because it's stealing: when you swagger-jack another person's original work, you are stealing their idea and pretending it was your original thought. (Remember plagiarism? From school? Oh hello, it's back.)
2. Because it's lying: You're telling people that you did this thing- whatever it may be- and that you did it because you thought of it. That's a lie. Because you didn't think of it. You saw it on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, or in a friend's house, and you copied it.
3. You'll get caught: One day, through some stroke of luck, the person who painted or created it first will see that you've built a business on the back of their idea and creativity, and there will be an embarrassing moment when you have to admit to all of your fans that you were lying. And there are legal repercussions, too.
A final note: just because you see something online that makes you think, "Oh, I could do that!" does not mean you should. I'll say it again for the people in the back: just because you see art or typography on Pinterest and you think that you can do that thing and sell it like they do does not mean you should.
Go ahead and make it on your craft day. Have a good time, and post a picture and tag the actual person who inspired it. But don't build a business on your copies. It hurts the artist responsible for the original work- literally, it hurts their feelings and their business.
So next time you see someone hustling to make her art a business and you think: "wow, I could paint what she's painting and make a killing!"... Don't. It's a terrible thing to do.
Updates!
Whew! It's been forever. But it's an exciting time! I wanted to do a quick post updating everyone on what we've been doing!
we spent Christmas in California:
Napa!
Christmas Morning!
our last wedding shower!
During our two-week stay, we did so many things. Parties, dinners, mini trips- it was great! I went to napa valley for the first time, and my mom made the trip over from South Carolina to partake in a few of the festivities. Less excitingly, I got pink eye for the first time, and I HATED that. It finally went away three weeks and a lot of irritation later.
we moved!
Meet our first home! It's a great ranch in downtown Columbia, and we love it so much. Full house tour is coming... as soon as I get all of the boxes out and details in!
we got married!
Expect a full post or even a series on all of the details as soon as I get the photos back... it was beautiful and perfect. We had a ton of family and friends celebrating with us in Charleston, SC, and I mean we really celebrated. It was so much fun. (Also, our wedding date is Andrew's birthday- February 11!)
Again, I can't wait to post more... I will as soon as I have them!
New Projects:
I'm currently working on new layer pieces, commissions, and a project I've been wanting to do since I started doing art full time: pillows. I will be hand-painting them, and hand-selecting the trim and the colors, and releasing them this spring. So. Excited.
There's a sneak peek at one of the pillows with the cutest trim I've ever seen!
I'm so glad to be back in the swing of things after a crazy (but fun) winter and 2016. Here's to a spring full of paint and great things!
Happy Holidays!
Happy fall, everybody!
As we head into the holiday {yikes, how did that happen!?}, I wanted to publish a schedule for all of the events, giveaways, and pop-ups I will be doing over the next two months! Get excited!
November 10, 11-8 pm at Pink Sorbet
2726 Devine Street | Columbia | SC
Excited to be doing this fun pop-up shop with the wonderful ladies of Pink Sorbet **AND doing a giveaway with them the week of November 10. The day of, I'll be live painting in the store, and a great friend of mine will have her Chloe + Isabel trunk show out and about. In the pop-up, I'll be featuring a whole basket of originals under $100, prints, and some of the larger originals! Come by and say HI!
November 16, 6-8 pm at Studio Cellar Columbia
It's time to paint a fancy elephant, Columbia! Come through on Wednesday, November 16 and paint a 12x16" elephant to gift or to keep. Price for the class is $50 and I'll have a holiday surprise for everyone there! Bring a friend and paint with me! (Sign up link coming soon!)
November 19, 11-4 pm at Vino and Van Gogh
1818 Augusta St #112 | Greenville | SC
Come hang out at Vino and Van Gogh for a mini holiday market filled with art of all kinds! I'll be there with a ton of fun items to pick up for your Christmas list- prints, stationary, originals, and the "under 100 basket"!
November 30, 6-8 pm at Studio Cellar Charlotte
It's time to paint a fancy elephant, Charlotte! Come through on Wednesday, November 30 and paint a 12x16" elephant to gift or to keep. Price for the class is $50 and I'll have a holiday surprise for everyone there! Bring a friend and paint with me!
December 9, 6-8 pm at Carre d'Artistes in Atlanta
Join me for an elephant painting class and pop up show at Phipps Plaza! Link coming soon! (December 10: pop up continues in the gallery all day!)
Hey Columbia!
Surprise! I'll be hosting a pop-up class right here in Columbia on Wednesday, August 17, at Studio Cellar!
We will be doing a giraffe, and all ages and levels of talent are welcome. I can't wait to see everyone right here at home!
Sign up here: http://www.studio-cellar.com/index.cfm?page=event&eventid=2054
Preview Party!
For the last few months, I've been working on both commissions and some new pieces for a pop-up shop with Society Social! In honor of all the fun that is to come, I wanted to post **some** of the pieces that will be available in the beginning of July at shopsocietysocial.com! In total, there are 10 pieces in varying sizes, from small to large. Here are a few!
Three flamingos is always better than one!
In this series, I wanted to step away from the giraffes and elephants (a little) and focus more on some other creatures. How could I resist the naturally colorful tropical birds and the boldly patterned zebras? {Don't worry, there is an elephant piece!}
Tropical leaves are another way I've decided to add some fun to my art this summer. I just can't get over how much I love a deep green against pinks, blues, and yellows! (Or any colors, really.)
Speaking of green... Did I say I'm in love with it right now? It's quirky, and I like that.
For these elephants, I went simpler than I normally do. It's almost like a line drawing. More of these will definitely be releasing in my next group of paintings!
Lastly, of course, we have an all-time favorite of mine:
I know I said that one is a favorite, but I am holding back one that is definitely my favorite. *wink*
I'm loving the birds right now. And tropical leaves, bold pattern, and of course, pineapples. There is just so much to see in the layers and the color of these pieces! I cannot wait for this launch in July (date will be a surprise!) and I can't wait to see everything together.
Stay tuned on Instagram and sign up for my newsletter for all of the first info on new releases and launch dates!
xx