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Interview: Nothing But the Best with BestArtStudio2
I recently had the chance to interview with Jaime and Mike Best, owners of BestArtStudio2. They may have different painting styles, but they definitely have at least one thing in common: talent! Here's what they had to say!
Q. What is the main site address for your business?
A. BestArtStudios2.etsy.com
Q. Tell us about the products you make and the materials you use.
A. Jaime... I love fantasy, bright colors, and melancholy themes. So this is something that is repeated throughout my artistic style. I prefer acrylic on canvas as a medium. However, I do enjoy the challenge of painting on found objects, wooden plaques and blank dolls. All of my paintings are done using premium professional acrylics and are finished with high gloss varnish.
My Melancholy kidz are cute little art dolls of my characters. These are painted on fiber filled muslin with sand bases and varnished with high gloss varnish (so they clean nicely and don't just become dust collectors in peoples' homes). These are now available only through my Zibbet Shop (www.zibbet.com/aMelancholyDwelling).
I do all of the jewelry pieces in our shop including those with Mike's images as the focal point. These are done with little prints of our art work under clear acrylic cabochon set in Silver Plated Brass or Oxidized Brass settings. I do make several of the settings myself using layered filigree, frames, stampings and other fun little pretty things.
Our prints are done to order using archival paper and rich dye based inks.
Mike... I am an avid fan of comic books. I have been reading them since I was a young boy. Growing up, I tried to draw Superman and Green Lantern as best I could. In school, I took Art study classes, and eventually took the top art classes in my high school. There, I learned how to use all mediums, and found pastels, and chalk to be the medium I liked to work with. After High school I eventually discovered how comfortable I was in using paints and have been incorporating my pop art styles ever since. I have not used pastels, or chalks in 10 years, I have strictly used acrylic paints, due to the drying times and familiarity of the product.
Q. How long have you been developing your craft?
A. Jaime... I started painting in October 2004.
I had never even considered the creative arts as an option open to me (believing that there was no creative bone in my body and all that). My mother and I were talking about my employment options and she asked if I had ever thought about painting. To make a long story short she taught me how to paint a pear that night (it was the one and only art lesson I have ever had) and I went home and continued to try. It was apparent to me that I truly enjoyed putting paint to canvas so I just kept painting. I sold my first painting on Nov. 1st 2004 on Ebay for $20.00.
Mike... I feel I have been developing my artistic styles since I was very young. Coloring books, comic books, and constantly drawing in my sketch book helped to define who I am as an artist.
Q. How did your craft evolve into a global store front?
A. Mike...I think having the internet at our disposal has helped in this global pandemic. I was shocked the first time we had an international sale. It made me think, "Wow this can really work, and is a good way to have the world see your art".
Jaime... I agree with Mike.
Q. What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
A. Jaime... I have only begun to think about marketing. To date, I have simply listed my products. I have recently started a blog (bestartstudios.blogspot.com) and hope that through it, my collectors can get to know me a little bit better.
Mike... Constantly renewing your items, spreading the news on Facebook, and the local artists' scene has helped us market our products.
Q. What mistakes have you made while building your Etsy shop that you wish someone had advised you NOT to do?
A. Jaime... I opened more than one shop; I took on too many custom orders and committed myself to too many special requests. I became burnt out trying to keep up. I would advise anyone to do only what they can. Try one shop and see how it goes before you open your second. Truthfully I have breathed a lot easier since closing my shops and sharing a single shop with Mike. It is certainly easier to maintain good business if you know your limits and have a little help when it gets crazy.
Mike... I agree with Jaime for this question.
Q. Is your Etsy business a full time job or is it something you do in your spare time?
A. Jaime... I am a full time artist.
Mike... I have recently gotten a part time job. It helps pay the bills. But I would love to make this my full time career.
Q. What goals do you wish to accomplish within the next year for your Etsy shop?
A. Jaime... I would like to expand my product line and see my collector base continue to grow. I would love to have the organization in place that allows me to paint more often.
Mike... I would love to see this take off in a manner, so that I can live comfortably, and work at my own leisure; so we can work for each other, and not in the corporate world.
Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
A. Jaime... I am a nerd; always have been. I love the power of positive thinking. I love reading, video games, gaming with my friends every Saturday night, hanging out with my husband and our dogs, spending time with my mom and my siblings, and painting!
Mike... I love comic books, games, and cartoons. I play the guitar, love coffee, and love to hang out with my wife, and two dogs. I grew up as a Navy brat, and have traveled most of my child hood life. After high school, I went abroad for four or five years. I met my wife, and now we live in Lincoln, NE. R.Crumb has been an inspiration for my art style, as well as Jim Lee, J. G. Jones, and Alex Ross. Banksy has also found his way into my inspiration these last few years.
Q. Outside of Etsy, in what venues do/have you sold?
A. Jaime... Zazzle - (zazzle.com/amelancholydwelling).
Zibbet - (zibbet.com/aMelancholyDwelling).
I sold on Ebay for a couple of years with great success but after finding Etsy, it was too hard to maintain both sites, so I let Ebay go. I did sell through a few different brick and mortar galleries but found that I preferred self representation.
Mike... I have sold art on street corners and galleries; I have also sold on Ebay. But Etsy.com is the best place that I have sold.
Q. What sets you apart from other sellers in your niche?
A. Jaime... I don't know that I am set apart. I just do what I love and others seem to like it.
Mike... I feel that my studies, and practice in the art field sets me apart, because I am constantly trying to improve upon my work.
Q. List one or more Etsy sellers which you admire? And why?
A. Jaime... I admire the following sellers for both there business sense and artistic voice. They are not the only ones that I admire but they were the first to come to mind.
RusticGoth.etsy.com
Strangeling.etsy.com
TheNebulousKingdom.etsy.com
Mike.... I admire, RusticGoth.etsy.com work, because she has been doing art for more than 20 years, and pays very good attention to shadows, and details. I also Love Northtrain.etsy.com, Partially because, I have known Aisha since high school, but also because, I love her work. She has a psychedelic style that is incorporated with nature.
Q. What is the main site address for your business?A. BestArtStudios2.etsy.com
Q. Tell us about the products you make and the materials you use.
A. Jaime... I love fantasy, bright colors, and melancholy themes. So this is something that is repeated throughout my artistic style. I prefer acrylic on canvas as a medium. However, I do enjoy the challenge of painting on found objects, wooden plaques and blank dolls. All of my paintings are done using premium professional acrylics and are finished with high gloss varnish.
My Melancholy kidz are cute little art dolls of my characters. These are painted on fiber filled muslin with sand bases and varnished with high gloss varnish (so they clean nicely and don't just become dust collectors in peoples' homes). These are now available only through my Zibbet Shop (www.zibbet.com/aMelancholyDwelling).
I do all of the jewelry pieces in our shop including those with Mike's images as the focal point. These are done with little prints of our art work under clear acrylic cabochon set in Silver Plated Brass or Oxidized Brass settings. I do make several of the settings myself using layered filigree, frames, stampings and other fun little pretty things.
Our prints are done to order using archival paper and rich dye based inks.
Mike... I am an avid fan of comic books. I have been reading them since I was a young boy. Growing up, I tried to draw Superman and Green Lantern as best I could. In school, I took Art study classes, and eventually took the top art classes in my high school. There, I learned how to use all mediums, and found pastels, and chalk to be the medium I liked to work with. After High school I eventually discovered how comfortable I was in using paints and have been incorporating my pop art styles ever since. I have not used pastels, or chalks in 10 years, I have strictly used acrylic paints, due to the drying times and familiarity of the product.
Q. How long have you been developing your craft?A. Jaime... I started painting in October 2004.
I had never even considered the creative arts as an option open to me (believing that there was no creative bone in my body and all that). My mother and I were talking about my employment options and she asked if I had ever thought about painting. To make a long story short she taught me how to paint a pear that night (it was the one and only art lesson I have ever had) and I went home and continued to try. It was apparent to me that I truly enjoyed putting paint to canvas so I just kept painting. I sold my first painting on Nov. 1st 2004 on Ebay for $20.00.
Mike... I feel I have been developing my artistic styles since I was very young. Coloring books, comic books, and constantly drawing in my sketch book helped to define who I am as an artist.
Q. How did your craft evolve into a global store front?
A. Mike...I think having the internet at our disposal has helped in this global pandemic. I was shocked the first time we had an international sale. It made me think, "Wow this can really work, and is a good way to have the world see your art".
Jaime... I agree with Mike.
Q. What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's your best marketing tip?
A. Jaime... I have only begun to think about marketing. To date, I have simply listed my products. I have recently started a blog (bestartstudios.blogspot.com) and hope that through it, my collectors can get to know me a little bit better.
Mike... Constantly renewing your items, spreading the news on Facebook, and the local artists' scene has helped us market our products.
Q. What mistakes have you made while building your Etsy shop that you wish someone had advised you NOT to do?
A. Jaime... I opened more than one shop; I took on too many custom orders and committed myself to too many special requests. I became burnt out trying to keep up. I would advise anyone to do only what they can. Try one shop and see how it goes before you open your second. Truthfully I have breathed a lot easier since closing my shops and sharing a single shop with Mike. It is certainly easier to maintain good business if you know your limits and have a little help when it gets crazy.
Mike... I agree with Jaime for this question.
Q. Is your Etsy business a full time job or is it something you do in your spare time?
A. Jaime... I am a full time artist.
Mike... I have recently gotten a part time job. It helps pay the bills. But I would love to make this my full time career.
Q. What goals do you wish to accomplish within the next year for your Etsy shop?
A. Jaime... I would like to expand my product line and see my collector base continue to grow. I would love to have the organization in place that allows me to paint more often.
Mike... I would love to see this take off in a manner, so that I can live comfortably, and work at my own leisure; so we can work for each other, and not in the corporate world.
Q. Tell us a little about yourself.A. Jaime... I am a nerd; always have been. I love the power of positive thinking. I love reading, video games, gaming with my friends every Saturday night, hanging out with my husband and our dogs, spending time with my mom and my siblings, and painting!
Mike... I love comic books, games, and cartoons. I play the guitar, love coffee, and love to hang out with my wife, and two dogs. I grew up as a Navy brat, and have traveled most of my child hood life. After high school, I went abroad for four or five years. I met my wife, and now we live in Lincoln, NE. R.Crumb has been an inspiration for my art style, as well as Jim Lee, J. G. Jones, and Alex Ross. Banksy has also found his way into my inspiration these last few years.
Q. Outside of Etsy, in what venues do/have you sold?
A. Jaime... Zazzle - (zazzle.com/amelancholydwelling).
Zibbet - (zibbet.com/aMelancholyDwelling).
I sold on Ebay for a couple of years with great success but after finding Etsy, it was too hard to maintain both sites, so I let Ebay go. I did sell through a few different brick and mortar galleries but found that I preferred self representation.
Mike... I have sold art on street corners and galleries; I have also sold on Ebay. But Etsy.com is the best place that I have sold.
Q. What sets you apart from other sellers in your niche?
A. Jaime... I don't know that I am set apart. I just do what I love and others seem to like it.
Mike... I feel that my studies, and practice in the art field sets me apart, because I am constantly trying to improve upon my work.
Q. List one or more Etsy sellers which you admire? And why?
A. Jaime... I admire the following sellers for both there business sense and artistic voice. They are not the only ones that I admire but they were the first to come to mind.
RusticGoth.etsy.com
Strangeling.etsy.com
TheNebulousKingdom.etsy.com
Mike.... I admire, RusticGoth.etsy.com work, because she has been doing art for more than 20 years, and pays very good attention to shadows, and details. I also Love Northtrain.etsy.com, Partially because, I have known Aisha since high school, but also because, I love her work. She has a psychedelic style that is incorporated with nature.
