Karen Faulkner has a lovely selection of original watercolor paintings in her Etsy shop. Mainly they are nature themed but there seems to be a bit of a java theme going on with her limited edition ACEOs (”Artist Cards, Originals and Editions” are an affordable way to own original art and can be stored in a trading card album or displayed in a picture frame). As her shop states, Karen likes free flowing watercolors, quality paper, simplicity and an element of the unexpected. Take a look at her wonderful work and see for yourself!

How did you get into your craft?
My mom has experimented with nearly every kind of art/craft over the years, so I’ve always had access to great creative materials. However, it was a set of humble Crayola pan watercolors that belonged to my son when he was a preschooler that got me hooked on watercolor painting. We were vacationing in a little cottage on Cape Cod and I simply had to attempt to paint the hydrangeas. That was more than ten years ago, and since then I have painted and painted and painted some more–and hopefully have developed my own unique style. (Nothing against Crayola, but I do use all professional artist-grade materials now!)

Where does your inspiration come from?
I usually start with a sketch of something I’ve admired in nature, or at least a color palette in mind. I’m always jotting down ideas in a sketchbook. That is where any careful planning ends. Once the paint is flowing, I try to let the process itself inspire the mood or composition of a particular piece. That my work has a fresh and spontaneous feeling about it is important to me.

How do you promote your shop?
I have an MBA with a concentration in Marketing, so promotion is never far from my mind. I always include business cards with my Etsy shop address with items I sell locally, and have recently purchased new ones that have a consistent look with my shop banner and avatar. I’m currently designing a postcard and may do a mailing to customers who have purchased my artwork in the past. I send the Etsy link to friends, family and colleagues and try to do my part to spread the word to buy handmade. I’m also buying as many gift items for others as I can from Etsy. I think the time is right for a revolt against yucky mass-produced stuff that can be found anywhere. Maybe revolt is too strong a word. (Or maybe not.)

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