Art

All Esty shopowners must select a category for every item they list in their shop. Speaking from experience, it is not always easy to decide which category is right for some items. For example, I have several pendants in my shop that were created using two materials - abandon wasp nests and PMC3 (precious metal clay - it fires to .999 fine silver for those of you not in the know).

If you check out my shop today, you will find these pieces listed under the Jewelry category. But not long ago, I had them listed as Art. Why did I change my mind? The truth is I didn't - these pieces are Art to me. But the business person side of my brain kept telling the artist side that the buying public would be confused by calling jewelry Art.

Today, I am featuring two Etsy shopowners, with very different perspectives, who can definitely call their work Art without confusing anyone.

Nina Kuriloff (NYC) has been working as an artist for over 20 years. Her work is exhibited in galleries throughout the US. When you enter her Etsy shop, you are greeted with original artwork that explodes with color and swirls and curves. You'll find portraits, landscapes and nudes all of which exhibit Kuriloff's distinctive style. And while this writer enjoys just about everything in this shop, its Kuriloff's trees that really made me a fan of this talented artist.

The other featured shop today is Xom. This Texas shopowner is a full time film student whose canvas is clothing and medium is the sharpie marker. His work is all original, drawn directly onto tee shirts, accessories and yes, sometimes even paper. His perspective is urban meets Pirates of the Caribbean. You'll find items in a variety of sizes for men, women and children. Xom also takes custom requests.