Monday Must-Have

Today marks a new installment of my Monday blog series titled Monday Must-Have. Each Monday I will feature a fellow talented Etsian and his or her phenomenal work. Each featured artist will have his or her own online Etsy shop where you can peruse and admire his or her one-of-a-kind body of work. Hopefully you will find new favorite artists and artisans whose work you MUST HAVE. :)

Today's featured artist is.....me! I thought that you may want to know a little more about me, Ruth of Allover Art. ;)

Who are you (actual name/and or shop name)?

My name is Ruth and my shop and business name is Allover Art.

What do you create?

Who says art should only be displayed on walls? I take great joy in creating hand-painted wearable art with a shiny resin finish. Each piece is UNIQUE and ONE-OF-A-KIND, so when you are wearing an Allover Art piece, you know that you are the only one in the world wearing it. I also create original oil paintings and pet portraits, however, I removed them from my Etsy shop since they were getting buried by my wearable art.

Where are you located?

I live in Holly Springs, NC with my husband and two rescue pooches Kasey and Indie. Kasey is a 3-year old German Shepherd mix who weighs 105 pounds, and Indie is an 8-week old Beagle mix who weighs 4.8 pounds. They are very comical together.

When did you start creating?

I took a general visual arts class in high school and really enjoyed oil painting. I continued to paint on my own as a hobby through college and for a year or two afterward. In early 2008 I became a full-time artist specializing in pet portraits after a coworker asked me to paint a portrait of his pets as a Christmas gift. Other people saw it and the commissions started coming in. Then in the fall of 2008 I began creating my wearable art on a whim. I was looking to create something unique and original at a much lower price than my original oil paintings and my wearable art just took off!

Why did you choose your shop name?

When I originally started my business I also offered mural painting and faux painting. Since I was offering so many forms of art/painting, I chose Allover Art because my work had so much variety. I still offer mural and faux painting but that part never really took off. My house has some fun faux finishes and a mural or two though. :)

What inspires you?

Every day things inspire me, especially nature and my family. I love bright colors and like to create pieces that stand out and are like nothing else.

What is the most time consuming part of your craft?

For oil painting, the most time-consuming part is the actual painting; well, it takes longer to dry than to paint, but I don't have to do anything for that. For my wearable art, the most time-consuming part (other than waiting for the resin to cure) is painting my pet portrait pendants. I spend extra time on them to make sure they look exactly like the photos of the pets.

What is your most popular item that you create (and why do you think it is so popular)?

My most popular items are my wearable art pendants, more specifically my pet portrait pendants. As a pet owner myself, I completely understand how important our pets are and how they are part of the family.

How do you acquire new clients?

I acquire most of my new customers through word of mouth and at art and craft shows. Once people can actually see my work at shows and can touch my wearable art, they fall in love with the pieces. They love how vibrant, smooth, unique, and lightweight they are.

What's your next project going to be?

I'm always working on new pieces. Right now I am working on some wearable art earrings which I hope to introduce to you in a few weeks.

What types of things do you do to turn first time buyers into repeat clients?

I strive to provide the best customer service possible. I also include a handwritten note and a coupon with each order. I also like to thank those who support me. Fans who join my Facebook Fan Page get notified of super-secret deals that nobody else gets to hear about. If you'd like to join my fan page, click here.

What do you do when you are not creating?

When I'm not creating I try to spend time with my family. I go on daily runs with Kasey (who at the moment can't go with me because she is recovering from an injury), spend time with my husband, play with the pooches, and work on training with Indie the puppy. He is quite the handful at the moment. Also, my sister is getting married in June and I am the Matron of Honor so I have a few things to work on for that. ;)

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me! Also, today is the last day of the Virtual Easter Egg Hunt! There are over $400 in prizes to win! Check out the details here.

If you're interested in being featured in future Monday Must-Have segments, please feel free to convo me in my Etsy shop or email me. Have a wonderful day!