Because three of my works are in a contest in American Fine Arts!
Here are the links:
Two digital works and one photograph, all worth the time it takes to visit and vote!
Thank you! 🙂
-Joa
Etsy anyone?
This is sadly not a success history. It’s more about how I am failing miserably in Etsy.
I have a store since 2017 but it was until 2020 when I took it seriously. At first, and I think most people starts like this, uploaded some of my best works (fan art and I already quit those because now I know better about copyrights), put them for digital download and hoped for the best!
…Nothing, not a sell, not a view, just digital dust over my photos.
So I started to make my research, first things first: the Etsy resources! And it was like learning a new language! Made some changes in my listings (new word), also a very primitive list of tags, tried to improve my description but didn’t change their names, the world must know the very elaborate titles I use for my work!
…One week later I got a couple of views but I keep reading and reading, so started to use Facebook to tell the world about my listings, posted my work and link in some groups where my art was well received, my views grew and some people even put my listings in their favorites (Woah! It was a new feature for me!) but no sales.
Finally realized how to pair my Etsy store with a third party company to make prints of my work, I bought one to see the quality and IT IS AMAZING!!! Crazy amazing!!! I can’t believe how great those prints are. Never in my long history of selling prints had I seen one as well made as this one! The world should know how good these prints are! …But still no sales.
At some point, because it was statistically probable, made some sales. Just a couple but for me it was like winning the jackpot! So happy!
…Then digital crickets again.
More videos in YouTube, more research in sites where someone just upload something and bam! Income of 1,000 usd or more every month! At some point I heard about a group in Facebook about Etsy where people help others, it was really nice to see some others telling about how their stores grew and how amazing it was, tried to learn everything I could and even paid for a couple of months for the more private group where things were more personal.
And I have to say I learned a lot in there, finally got rid of my baroque titles and just went to the point: “____ poster”, “_____ print” learned about keywords, understood what’s important for Etsy and my views did grow, went from one or two every week to nine or ten everyday! Something was working! My store changed and look more professional, changed everything I could!
But still no sales, one day someone talked about a girl who sells help to other stores, I went to her shop and the reviews were amazing, success histories and happy people everywhere! …so I paid.
Took about three weeks to come back, asked for the info of my listings with more views also my stats and general info of my store… some more weeks later she came back with the review and many suggestions, some seemed useful, some not, made the changes and my store died again. Went from ten visits per day to zero! The lady from the shop told me to give it a couple of weeks. But nothing, actually the listings I didn’t change were the ones that got some views. After two months decided to go back and abandoned the changes that lady said.
More research online, ended the payment of the super duper special group, and that’s how my store got to 12 sales and one review.
Being amazingly bad at sales is unfortunately not new for me, some years ago I presented my art physically in an art garden (literally a garden with hundred of other artists), and I got some good times with sales and commissions but also got the same results: many views but almost no sales, I think I am repeating myself.
That’s why I think the problem is not Etsy per se, but me selling, or trying, or failing…
Not giving up, mostly because I still feel that I have not found my place in art selling, but I know there’s a lot of things to learn and maybe a mindset to change.
If you want to visit my store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Joaart
This is my first post without and image, hope to come back to write here soon. Life has been busy and I have lots of new things to show here!
Stay well!
-Joa
Today is my birthday!
Happy birthday to me!!!
Well, as many of you probably know, today is my birthday!!!
And to celebrate it I made this digital painting: Origin.
I was thinking about where did it all start, where did I start… you know, those questions you ask yourself when you finish one more lap around the sun.
So I came to these symbols, and I liked how they play off each other.
Really hope you enjoy my birthday painting and happy day!
-Joa
Tuesday morning
Tuesday morning.
Digital painting over a photograph.
If you want a print of this piece please visit: https://etsy.me/3LpNJkm
My original idea for the title was “My breakfast is watching me” but I decided to ask in some art groups about it and the result was awesome! I got so many great ideas!
Some where puns, some other were referring to Sauron from Lord of the Rings. It was a really fun experiment!
And there was this comment: he proposed to not have a title or to be something non-referential so that anyone could put their imagination in the piece. And that was perfect!
I keep getting ideas, all of them good and I’ve even gotten two offensive comments, one for cooking an egg and the other just for the pleasure of offending, it’s really been interesting.
I also got the idea to make a Facebook group dedicated to show my work and I found it interesting. So if you want to join in feel welcome! https://www.facebook.com/groups/joaart
Digital Painting Of A Frida Kahlo Portrait
Hi there, I am very excited to present my latest painting: a portrait of Frida Kahlo. Frida Kahlo de Rivera (July 6, 1904 – July 13, 1954) was a Mexican painter who is best known for her self-portraits. She played an active role in Mexico’s social scene and was an inspiration to many artists.
Frida Kahlo is popular for her style of self-portraits. Her art has been said to be able to connect with her fans on an intimate level.
I wanted to include symbolism in the portrait. In addition, I wanted the piece to reflect some of my own personal values.
I used Photoshop to create a rough sketch of Frida on top of an image of a blank canvas. I began coloring the drawing with different layers of different colors, creating my own composition to depict Frida’s features, personality and symbolism.
So, here it is:
The painting of Frida was a lot of fun for me, and I hope you enjoy seeing all the details that went into it. I often get requests from fans asking if I’ll make prints of my art, and this was one project that I knew would look great as a poster.
If you want one print you can visit my Etsy Store: https://etsy.me/3JImQHp
Hope you liked it! Tell me what do you think in comments!
-Joa
A Tribute To HR Giger And Beksinski
I’ve always been fascinated by the work of HR Giger and Beksinski. Their fantastic works have shown an extraordinary level of skill both in realism and in surrealism. I wanted to showcase my skills by attempting a digital painting that paid homage to their style.
Giger and Beksinski are two artists who impressed me with their imagination, technical skills and style. I feel a deep connection with the way they see the world. Their works inspired me to go beyond the limits of reality and gave me a chance to experiment with my own style. I’ve chosen some of my favorite pieces from both artists. My goal was to bring out the main quality of their work – fantasy, deep subconscious and mysterious influences. I think that Giger and Beksinski’s works perfectly fit for digital painting because we basically create an illusion of reality using tools like digital painting.
I have paid homage to two of my biggest artistic influences. HR Giger and Beksinski are both renowned as masters in their field, and the endless hours they spent mastering the craft of their particular medium helped them create some truly amazing works of art. I encourage everyone to take time to explore their bodies of work and dissect what makes them tick. For me, their work has served as an excellent guide in honing my own skills, and I look forward to learning new things from them for years to come.
Both artists wield a powerful, visceral imagination that casts long shadows. They are members of the same dark family: Giger, the architect of nightmares; Beksinski, their diarist. The worlds they have created have influenced the work of other artists – H.R. Giger directly inspired the designs of Alien and Prometheus. Beksinski’s macabre poems are like lost chapters from Lovecraft’s novels, where madness breeds in an incoherent universe that could be our own.
And here it is! What do you think about it?
Really hope you like it!
-Joa
Arriving to Innsmouth
Hello!
This days I have been working in digital images, mostly about Cthulhu Mythos… and this is the first one I decided to upload here!
As the title implies, it’s based in the book Shadow over Innsmouth by H. P. Lovecraft, and It’s about the decadence and abandonment of that place, also if you look carefully, there are some tentacles around… so perhaps the Great God Cthulhu is already awaken from it’s tomb in R’lyeh!
-Joa
Trisquel
Hi!
Well, I made a Trisquel, also known as Triqueta.
And what is that, you ask? Well, let’s see Wikipedia:
The triquetra (/traɪˈkwÉ›trÉ™/; from the Latin adjective triquetrus “three-cornered”) is a triangular figure composed of three interlaced arcs, or (equivalently) three overlapping vesicae piscis lens shapes.
It is used as an ornamental design in architecture, and in medieval manuscript illumination (particularly in the Insular tradition). Its depiction as interlaced is common in Insular ornaments from about the 7th century. In this interpretation, the triquetra represents the topologically simplest possible knot.
In Spanish Wikipedia also says that it’s a symbol that alludes the triple dimension. It also symbolizes life, death and rebirth (life, death and reincarnation, for the Celts). It has been found primarily on Celtic stelae, Viking runes, and Roman pots and vessels (believed to have been made by Celtic slaves). Throughout history, it has assumed many meanings, such as the triple dimension of equality, eternity, and indivisibility. Also, it embodies the Celtic philosophy, according to which the whole has three levels: physical, mental and spiritual.
Quite a ride, isn’t it? Well, I did it because I needed to have some balance, the truth is that these months have been very hard and I wanted something that symbolized peace, balance, equilibrium … and searching I found the Trisquel, which told me about INTEGRATION! That was exactly what I needed! So I put my best vibes on it and this is the result:
I absolutely love it!
I absolutely love it!!! And I will get a professional print of it in the next hours! (Just in time to celebrate my birthday!) What do you think about it? Let me know in comments!
Also, if you want a print, visit my Etsy Store https://etsy.me/3mvEWkE
Really hope you all are ok, hugs everyone!
-Joa
The visit
Hi! Long time no see!
As most of the people, last year and this has been crazy and my loved blog has been so lonely!
But I want to make it work again, so let me show you my newest work! It’s somehow inspired in the movie A ghost story, did you happen to see it? It’s very beautiful and now that I see this piece I am thinking about making it a series, just love it!
What do you think of it? Let me know in comments! Also, let me know how have you been?
If you liked it, maybe you will like to have a fine art print of it, you can visit my Etsy Shop: https://etsy.me/3coXSNm
It’s great to come back! I think will start using my blog more, maybe for some random thoughts or things that I am interested this days…
Have a great week my friends!!!
-Joa
Mushrooms
Last weekend I found some of this fungi marvelous mini creatures!
(Half an inch the bigger! Go figure!)
So, fortunately I had the time to make some good photos and this are the results, made some focus stacking and played with macro.
Hope you like this photographs! Tell me in comments!
Hope you are doing well!
-Joa
Joa Reza's Blog 