Saturday Artisan: Kelly D Brown Photography and Design

Meet our Saturday Artisan, Kelly, the artist and owner behind beautiful photography shop, kellydbrown. A talented artist from Montreal, Canada, close to home with the exception she is on the east and I'm on the west. :-) Take a peek at her shops and you'll find gorgeous and unique artworks. You should like her FB fanpage. Psst! She shares some promotion codes there. But maybe you may want to stick here a while. It's always a good thing to get to know the artist a little bit.

 

Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?

I'm a photographer and digital artist with shops on Etsy and ArtFire. My work is difficult to categorize as a whole (at least for me) since I'm as drawn to grungy urban environments as much as I am to the beauty of nature. I can say that there is definitely a desire to create a certain mood, whether it be light and whimsical or slightly ominous.

Which part of creation process that you like to do the most?

I love reviewing fresh new images I've just captured. This always gets my imagination going. However, it takes a bit of time to determine which image I find inspiring enough to work with. In any one session I may go through many images, trying different techniques until I find something that really feels like it's taking shape. It can be frustrating spending the time and feeling like you're not getting anywhere, but I've come to realize the value of experimentation during this part of the process. Hit the right combination of effects and ending up with something I really love is better than chocolate.

What is your favourite item in your shop? 

I tend to favour my black and white pieces due to the amount of time I spend working on them. Colour can be so seductive - I'm a big fan of hot pinks, deep reds, and turquoise. Once the colour is removed, one must enhance and define the details in a much more creative way. I find the process challenging and therefore, more rewarding.

How do you promote your shop?

I love Twitter. Quite honestly I started out with the intention of promoting my products, but as I started to follow people, I started making some great connections. I've discovered so many great blogs and resources related (as well as unrelated) to my work through them. I can't say if I've actually had any sales as a result, but in many ways promotion has become less important. 

Follow me at http://twitter.com/misskitteh9 

 I also have a Facebook Fanpage which allows me to interact with people via video, pictures and special offers - I love the comments I get!

Anything else you would like to share?

I'd like to give a special shout-out to all of the animals (wild and domesticated) who've been so co-operative in allowing me to photograph them. Most of all, I'd like to thank the people who like my work enough to buy it. It's a really wonderful feeling when I get an email notifying me of my latest sale. In July, I exhibited at the Festival International Montréal en Arts (FIMA). It was my first show and it went extraordinarily well. I've since been invited to participate in Art Westmount 2010. I'll be showcasing my photography at Victoria Hall in Westmount, Quebec on October 2nd and 3rd.