Twitter Artist Series: Spring Bikinis With AnnaDenise

kilas

Story by kilas

Published on Mar 07, 2011 in Shop

Photo by AnnaDenise

For each of the past six months, we’ve given a different up-and-coming young artist full reign to take over our Twitter background with a design of their own. We call it Etsy’s Twitter Artist Series and as a bonus to our community, we make the design available as a free download for mobile and desktop devices. This month we’re super excited to feature AnnaDenise, a Dutch artist with a love for drawing, photography and blogging. By day, Anna is a visual arts program officer at a cultural institute in Brussels, but by night she keeps an illustrated journal and offers up freelance illustration and design. In 2010, Anna started The Yellow Umbrella, a blog about crafts, illustration and art. I recently got to chat with Anna about her exclusive design, along with challenges young designers face and how she uses social media to promote her work. Let’s dive in.

Can you talk a bit about the inspiration behind your contribution to Etsy’s Twitter Artist Series?
This design is called Waiting for Spring. Living in Northern Europe, it feels like I’m waiting for spring to come most of the year. Longing to wear bikinis when it’s still cold out, cooking summery veggies for dinner when all my boyfriend wants to eat is meat and potatoes, dreaming of chilling in the park when the grass is still brown and moist from the rain. Even my cat is longing for spring and dreaming of chasing the birds. 

What do you see as the greatest challenge to a young designer today?
Wow. That’s a difficult question. If I’d have to name one it would be the mixed blessing of the Internet. Everyone can be found now, everyone needs a website, everyone needs to keep up, update and promote. Not being a full-time artist has made me less vulnerable to this pressure and I’ve always felt like putting my work out there even if I was (and am) still looking for my own unique style. I think perhaps if you’re a full-time designer, you might feel pressured to put your work out there, even if you feel you still need to find your voice. The abundance of incredibly talented artists with perfect websites and amazing portfolios is very intimidating.

How much emphasis do you place on promoting your work through social media?
I would say social media is the only way I promote my work right now. My work is very journal-like (well, it mostly IS my journal) and personal and social media allow me to continue this almost-personal relationship I have with people who like my work but aren’t my mom or neighbor. I know things like Twitter, Flickr, and Facebook are the main ways for me to keep up with the artists I love, and while I’m always kind of amazed people care at all about my self-absorbed banter and drawings, they do and they like to know what’s new. I’ve met so many interesting people (and people who I now consider friends), it doesn’t really feel like promotion anymore, it’s kind of a long distance conversation we’re all having.

You’ve got 140 characters to describe your experience with Etsy — go!
I love @Etsy for the amazing community it’s created, the wonderful work on there and the continuous move towards creating a #handmade #life.  (140 exactly — booyah!)

Pick up your free mobile or desktop download of Anna Denise’s exclusive design below. And be sure to check out her sweet Etsy shop and blog.

Download for iPhone / iPod Touch
Download for iPhone 4
Download for iPad
Download for 1280×800 Desktop
Download for 1440×900 Desktop
Download for 1680×1050 Desktop
Download for 1920×1200 Desktop 

Instructions: 
1.  Pick your device above and save the image to your computer. 
2.  Sync your device and click the photo tab to include your pretty new wallpaper. 
3.  After syncing, view the photo and click the lower left button to use as wallpaper.
4.  That’s it! Now show off and tell all your tweeps to follow @Etsy.

More From the Etsy Twitter Artist Series

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