Could you tell us about your work? What inspires you?

• I love to make illustrations and typography prints, and I am very inspired by books! Our apartment is full of books … vintage books, cook books, fiction books, reference books. If the saying is true that “a room without books is like a body without a soul”, then I have very soulful rooms! This love of books may be part of why I am so drawn to working with letters, quotes and typography.

How would you describe the style of most of your designs?

• Hm, I would probably describe my style as modern and warm … like a cup of tea in your favorite little downtown cafe.

How has your art changed over the years? Do you have any predictions of what it will be like in the future?

• I have always enjoyed working with pen and ink, and I still love to make illustrations in this style. However, as I’ve learned more and more about graphic design, combining digital color and design to my illustrations has greatly changed my art. In the future … I’d love to work more on my photography, and I hope to work that into my designs as well!

What made you decide to work with pingg.com?

• The friendly pingg staff contacted me, and I was so excited to learn about the site. In my own art shop, I only sell art prints, but people had expressed an interest in seeing my work in cards and other formats, so pingg was a great way to make some of my art available in this way!

If you had to choose a favorite invite you have made, what would it be?

• I think perhaps my “Oh Frabjous Day!“. The quote is a nonsensical shout of joy from the poem “Jabberwocky”, and is the type of invite that would make me smile really big to receive!  It would be great for any super-happy event. Plus, it features some of my favorite colors: yellow and aqua.

Oh Frabjous Day! designed by April Starr

What benefits have you found the Internet has for your work?

• Wow, the Internet opens up so many opportunities for a designer like me! It is very important to me that I stay at home and care for my family, and being able to have my designs online means my art can go all over the world, all while I am in my living room playing with my four year old (who also loves to make art!). I’m very thankful to be able to have my designs on a website like pingg.

Could you tell us about your work? What inspires you?

• Most of my work is painted traditionally with watercolor. It’s fun to dabble in other media but I always seem to come back to painting in the end. My inspiration comes from seeing a final product. I have never  thought of my art as something which simply belonged on the wall and was never satisfied with creating an image for the sake of creating. I always found myself thinking “now what?” as if it was not complete. I love the restraints of context and the process of thinking through an image’s use. It’s one of the reasons I have always been drawn to illustration over fine art.

How would you describe the style of most of your designs?

• A new take on the traditional. For a long time I didn’t even realize I had a style at all, it had to be pointed out to me. I like my designs to be clean and polished. I’ve been told my work has a subtle sophistication–works for me! I seem to be drawn to classic subject matters and colors but try to reinvent them to suit today’s market. I will never be a trendy artist even though I absolutely love trendy styles. I guess you are drawn to the things you don’t do.

How has your art changed over the years? Do you have any predictions of what it will be like in the future?

• My style has stayed pretty consistent over the years, interests and subject matter have varied and hopefully, my work has grown to look a bit more professional! One of the biggest changes has been moving from paint and paper to digital media. It has been a challenge to figure out a way to keep the traditional look and feel of watercolor but make it as versatile as images created digitally. I really have only been exploring this new avenue for a year and I have so much to learn! It’s hard to say what the future will hold, technology is developing at a dazzling rate. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a watercolor program where I could control the pigment just as I do on paper. I have friends who create using Painter after using traditional acrylic and oil and I didn’t even realize it! I do think that there will be a renewed interest in traditional work. Perhaps I have to tell myself this because of the way I work, but I do think it is happening. We are seeing it with our entertainment, A capella and dance shows are now prime time television. Social networking has gone from solely online to local meet ups. Knitting, Crocheting and Quilting are catching on like wild fire with Stitch and Dishes popping up everywhere.

What made you decide to work with pingg.com?

• I can’t remember how I stumbled on pingg.com but I recognized a few of the artists who were designing and thought it would be a new direction to try. It’s my first experience designing cards but I really have enjoyed it.

If you had to choose a favorite invite you have made, what would it be?

• It’s hard to choose, I suppose Sea of Stars. It makes a great invite for a little boy’s birthday, baby announcement or baby shower. Again, classic subject matter but with a little twist!

Sea of Stars designed by Nicole Tamarin

What benefits have you found the Internet has for your work?

• Exposure, exposure, exposure! I do not believe you can fully launch an artistic career online but what a wonderful way to connect with other artists and find opportunities for your art.

Could you tell us about your work? What inspires you?

• I would say my work is pretty varied! I like talking about different topics in my art such as the environment, history, politics or just beauty. I use different graphics for different situations. I really enjoy drawing on location and some of favorite places are New York, Paris, Seattle and Mystic Seaport. Drawing on location allows me to experiment with my art in a different way then I can at home in my studio. I would say different things inspire me. Reading and looking at art books. I love Picasso, Rodin, Henri Moore and Matisse just to name a few. I also love going to the museum. It always allows me to expand my art vocabulary. It’s important as an artist in order to grow and it is important to add to ourselves!

How would you describe the style of most of your designs?

• There is no particular style I would say, more just what feels right for each card.  Many of my cards are flowers which is one of my favorite things to draw!

How has your art changed over the years? Do you have any predictions of what it will be like in the future?

• In terms of how my art has changed over the years I think it has changed based on what I find interesting. What I liked to draw five years ago, I might have a different view point of now. So I would draw it with a different idea in mind or approach. Or I might not draw it at all! Two years ago I did not find politics interesting so I did not draw anything relating to that. However since the election of Barack Obama I do find myself drawing more about that topic. Mmm any predictions. I do work at my drawing almost everyday. Whether it’s for 15 minutes or for an hour, I try to practice. I hope in the future my art will continue to grow and continue to change in a variety of ways!

What made you decide to work with pingg.com?

• I found pingg to be a fun site! It was interesting to see how my art could translate into e-cards and invites. I thought it would be fun to share it with people in a different way! I also thought it would be a great way to meet more artists and designers.

If you had to choose a favorite invite you have made, what would it be?

• I would say my fall iphone flower!

Fall Flower designed by Danielle C. McManus

What benefits have you found the Internet has for your work?

• The Internet is great! Just the idea that you can have a blog and post your drawings for the world to see is amazing. I have met many people from the Internet and I have made many connections with different people from around the world. It has allowed me to become a part of groups such as the non-profit organization Urban Sketchers (www.urbansketchers.org) and MACs Women’s Group. (http://www.macswomen.com) It’s great to have an online support system and I think it is a great resource for artists!

Could you tell us about your work? What inspires you?

• I am a painter who specializes in Belgian surrealism. Love is the main inspiration. All of my work reflects positivity and optimism with a lot of love scenes and romance.

How would you describe the style of most of your designs?

• Between Belgian surrealism and fantastic hyper-realism

How has your art changed over the years? Do you have any predictions of what it will be like in the future?

• It is a journey with surprises at every corner, and each step brings me closer to who I am. My work evolved very fast over the past two to three years, and looking back I would never imagine I would do such progress…but I have absolutely no clue what I will be painting next year or even further…

What made you decide to work with pingg.com?

• As a European, pingg gave me the chance to show my work on American soil and therefor extend my promotion.

If you had to choose a favorite invite you have made, what would it be?

• “Home” designed by Olivier Lamboray

Home designed by Olivier Lamboray

What benefits have you found the Internet has for your work?

• As a european, we are delayed compared to the US, and still, we do not fully understand the Internet evolution as you do. Still, it is obvious that it expands a lot of the visibility of our work, extends the potential reach, and in the future, I believe that most sales will go online lifting any cost limits for the sales.

Could you tell us about your work? What inspires you?

• I’ve always been attracted to organic lines. I spent a lot of time in nature growing up (my father is a professional chainsaw artist), and I was always surrounded by untamed plant life, animals and birds (wild, tame, and sometimes a mixture of both), and I guess that rubbed off on me more than I realized. I’m also inspired by the simplicity of childhood. My imagination was my entire life when I was small, and I was always trying to make the fantastical reality. If I had had my own bedroom growing up, and an unlimited budget, my room would have been every little girl’s dream world. However that wasn’t possible, and instead I spent all my time daydreaming and writing and drawing what I could only wish was my reality.

How would you describe the style of most of your designs?

• I would say that my style is a mixture of fantastical, whimsical femininity with a wild side. Sometimes it comes off as sleek and stylish, but at the same time, it’s completely wild and really pretty out there. It’s a little unpredictable, but under control at the same time.

How has your art changed over the years? Do you have any predictions of what it will be like in the future?

• I spent literally my entire life playing with different media and styles, trying to figure out what really clicked with me. As a teen, I was drawn to dark, macabre things, because that was where my head was at the time. But after I got married at 19, my life was full of new adventures, and I didn’t have anything to brood about. It kind of confused me, creatively. When we had our son at 21, I started painting again. But what surprised me was the fact that I seemed physically incapable of invoking the gothic style I always loved. What came out of my brush was pure light and happiness, and I ran with it and never looked back. We had our second child, and I wanted to try something new again. I tried this exercise where you draw lines on paper, then build an entire picture around the scribbles. These vines started popping out of absolutely nowhere, and there was this magic moment where I realized that this is what my style is. This is where I am, now. Everything flows on its own and I’m just helping things along. My life is unpredictable, but never entirely out of my control. I have the basic idea in mind of where I want things to go, but fate has a way of guiding us that is undeniable to me. Everything always ends up the way it was supposed to be, whether it was what I expected or not.

What made you decide to work with pingg.com?

• I’m always looking into new venues to gain exposure, and I’m always up for a new adventure. I had never really thought about getting into invitation and card design, but pingg seemed like a lot of fun. There are a ton of choices, and because I draw all of my designs by hand, there is an endless line of possibilities to explore, creatively.

If you had to choose a favorite invite you have made, what would it be?

• I think my favorite design is Lilac Whimsical Vines. It would be really cute as a birth announcement, and it reminds me of something you might see in a fairytale kingdom with unicorns and trees made entirely of cotton candy. All the stuff I would daydream about as a little girl!

Lilac Whimsical Vines designed by Nicole Dobbins

What benefits have you found the Internet has for your work?

• The Internet has been fantastic for me, creatively. There are so many possibilities out there, I’ll never get bored. I’ve done everything from selling art prints on Etsy, to designing webpages, to 3-D product texturing, and now invitation/card design for pingg. The Internet is basically the entire basis of my clientele. I rarely do any work locally, because it’s too limiting. Working on the Internet opens my audience up so I can work globally. I started freelancing this year, and I’ve worked with people in England, Germany, the Philippines, and Australia, as well as various states across the US. I also recently landed a part time design job in marketing, where I can telecommute and occasionally travel for presentations. Basically, if it weren’t for the Internet, I’d be stuck trying to sell paintings on the street to a very narrow audience. It didn’t work for Van Gogh, and I’m so not down with the whole posthumous recognition thing.

Could you tell us about your work? What inspires you?

• My largest influence was my mother who was also an artist and had a very clean, elegant style which I always admired. My background as an interior designer and fine artist is also a huge influence on how I create. Because of this, I have a broad interest in many different styles and mediums. Everything around me is an inspiration….texture, color, design, pattern, nature, architecture, music, food, fashion, interiors, furniture, cultures, even people themselves. I am sometimes overwhelmed by how much inspires me.

How would you describe the style of most of your designs?

• Elegant and understated, yet with a bold touch of either color or design.

How has your art changed over the years? Do you have any predictions of what it will be like in the future?

• I’ve gone through major changes – both in mediums and styles. For many years it was abstract painting, then I experimented in abstract photography and for a short time still life oil painting. I was always interested in graphic design and knew it would be a huge transition from being an abstract painter. It was a slow start, but it really drew me in. I loved it. After completing college classes in Photoshop and Illustrator I was much more confident in my abilities as a graphic designer and began designing full time. Recently I took a typography class at the Parsons School of Design and plan on taking another one next year. It’s difficult to say what my art will be like in the future.  I only know it will be better.

What made you decide to work with pingg.com?

• I absolutely love graphic design and working as an affiliate designer. It gives me the artistic freedom that I crave and pingg is a wonderful outlet for this. I am honored to be among some very talented artists and being a part of this level of expertise means a great deal to me. pingg is always coming up with new ways to help us gain more exposure on the internet and is continuously supportive in recognizing our efforts and talent. It’s like having your own personal (virtual) art rep.

If you had to choose a favorite invite you have made, what would it be?

• It’s very difficult to choose a favorite because I have so many different styles and subjects. This whole process is a journey of evolving our creativity and whatever I’m working on at the moment, I hope to be my favorite.

I Heart You designed by Maura Reed

What benefits have you found the Internet has for your work?

• It’s really up to us to use the vastness of the Internet to our advantage when it comes to exposure of our work, and pingg has been a wonderful catalyst and an encouraging partner in doing so. pingg makes great use of the Internet as well – on Twitter, Facebook and other major platforms to help get us artists exposed. These days, evites and ecards are becoming more and more popular because of our current economy and the importance of reducing environmental pollution. And where else is there to come to find and use evites and cards? The Internet.

Could you tell us about your work? What inspires you?

• When I’m not working 9 to 5 in the land of corporate design or hiding out in some corner of my home armed with a glue gun and glitter to prettify something, my graphic design passion in the stationery world is done with many tools, from a sketchbook and pencil in hand to umpteen design programs opened on the computer with a Wacom tablet attached. What inspires me? Many things do, people, places, things… But the biggest to stand out would simply be “bold colors”. Georgia O’Keeffe and her many boldly colored flower paintings have been a long time inspiration to me.

How would you describe the style of most of your designs?

• Universal. Whether it’s a holiday party or baby announcement, many of my designs here can be used multiple times for various event types.

How has your art changed over the years? Do you have any predictions of what it will be like in the future?

• I think my work has grown over time and with age. I believe as you mature “like a fine wine” you broaden your horizontal and see the many possibilities in the smallest of things.

What made you decide to work with pingg.com?

• After searching for “digital” complementary solutions (e.g. party reminders and thank yous to name a couple) to my existing printed stationery line, I came across pingg.com as a new and fresh site that fit my and my standing clientele’s needs.

If you had to choose a favorite invite you have made, what would it be?

• The last one I just did always seems to become my new favorite with my printed line of cards, but speaking in terms of my pingg collection I would have to say Rainbow Circus. I think that one holds a special place in my heart since it was a staff pick as well : )

Rainbow Circus designed by Kellie Medivitz

What benefits have you found the Internet has for your work?

• Exposure, networking with like minded individuals and inspiration for more creative projects to come.

Could you tell us about your work? What inspires you?

• I am a big fan of less is more. Hopefully, that shows through in my work. I find inspiration in so many things, nature, home décor, fashion, and children’s books… pretty much anything and everything.

How would you describe the style of most of your designs?

• I would say most of my work is very simple and clean. I tend to have more of a structured layout to my designs; I think that has to do with my architectural background. I’ve tried experimenting with fluid and organic shapes, they never look quite right to me, but I am still trying!

How has your art changed over the years? Do you have any predictions of what it will be like in the future?

• Over the years, I feel that I have simplified my work, trying to find the perfect balance between the design and the type. As for the future, I plan to stay true to my simple style.

What made you decide to work with pingg.com?

• I joined pingg.com to open up another avenue of design for me. I generally work with paper and thought it would be fun to see what unique challenges the world of e-vites has to offer.

If you had to choose a favorite invite you have made, what would it be?

• I would have to say that Celebration Confetti is one of my favorites! It’s very versatile for the users and at the same time just so simple and chic!

Celebration Confetti designed by Simple te Design

What benefits have you found the Internet has for your work?

• The Internet is full of inspiration and has also helped me learn to be a better designer. Reading other designers’ blogs, and being able to learn from them has been great for me. I am not trying to mimic other designers, but more trying to study how they structure their designs, which helps me sharpen my design skills.