Congratulations!!!

With a tie in the latest Treasury Challenge, we get the pleasure of two interviews this week and so following on from Baban Cat's interview earlier this week I've now had the opportunity to interview Elizabeth in her role as Oddball Art Co Now as I've previously interviewed Elizabeth as TheNakedHippie I've changed the focus of the questions slightly for this interview so that we can discover more about what makes her tick. 

And so, now it's time to sit down, to take a few minutes out of your hectic day and to learn more about Oddball Art Co.... 

~ My Interview With Elizabeth ~

Dexter Portrait - Original Acrylic Painting

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your shop?

Mostly on Etsy I am known as Oddball but my real name is Elizabeth. I live, eat, breath art and there is nothing else I would rather do with my time! I opened up my shop Oddball Art Co. last November as a means to get my art out into the rest of the world instead of just locally. In my shop I sell Original Acrylic paintings, Original Acrylic ACEO's, hand painted Acrylic greeting cards, hand painted Acrylic bookmarks, hand painted Acrylic wood and clay magnets. One thing that you will never find in my shop is a print. My number one policy is No Prints, No Duplication's, everything in my shop is guaranteed to be original and one of a kind. 

What was the inspiration behind setting up Oddball Art Co?

I am very passionate about my feelings on mass producing art in the way of prints, I could go on an on about it but I won't, so in a nutshell I feel that art loses something along the way when it is mass produced and so I prefer to just sell originals which is how I came up with the name Oddball Art Co. and my slogan "Oddball your wall!" Each and every one of my paintings is unique and original and will never be duplicated, they are all oddballs.

'Hanging On To Love' Art Card

I seem to remember that you don't do much away from designing & creating and so, given that, how do you relax?

For me painting is relaxing. When I am too busy doing other things and not painting I feel like I have not relaxed and can't wait to get back to painting. I spend most of my waking hours in my studio either creating or working on my computer doing Etsian Artist Team stuff. I do walk my dog once a day and I find that to be pretty relaxing and my husband also bought me a pool not too long ago which I have been enjoying very much.

What are your creative triggers? What causes 'light bulb' moments?

There are so many things can cause a creative trigger for me, sometimes probably even the most unusual things too. I find that I can be inspired by scents which is why I always have to have scented candles or incense burning in my studio. I absolutely love Autumn and I find it to be very inspiring. When I go out and walk my dog in the fall with all the beautiful colors on the trees and smell of the leaves drying and falling off really triggers creative moments, I have a number of paintings in my shop that have been inspired that way. For the most part I find inspiration in anything and everything. Cooking food, the way something sizzles in a pan can even cause a light bulb moment.



Music Squared - Original Acrylic Cubism Painting



How do you use creative ruts? Are they a hindrance or do they drive you in different directions?

I actually love creative ruts believe it or not! For me a creative rut is an excuse to try something new. If I am in a rut, which doesn't really happen that often to be honest but the few times it has I will just jump in to something that I don't normally do. One time I was feeling in a rut so I put my paints away and broke out the pastels and did this big picture of Gavin Rossdale from the band Bush all in pastels and it turned out amazing! My parents have it hanging in their computer room to this day. If it wasn't for the rut it's likely that I would have never done that and to be honest I didn't even know I could because I had done very little with pastels at that point. I had some but I had only used them maybe twice for nothing special. After I did the picture of Gavin I had tons of ideas flowing through my head so the rut was gone. I think the best way to get out of a rut is to just walk away from whatever you are doing and do something else, doesn't matter what else you do, just as long as it is completely different from whatever is causing the rut. Sometimes just a change of surroundings can spike ideas to start flowing.

Sunset at the Lake - Original Acrylic Painting

Who, or what, inspired you to become an artist?

You know I can't really put my finger on any one person or one thing that inspired me to be an artist. I have always considered myself an artist since I was a little kid. Even when I was a small child I knew of the masters in art and I always would point out to my family that my name was going to be amongst them one day! lol My father is big into art, he doesn't do art but he is an art collector, he has always been. Their walls are full, there isn't much space left to bring anything new into their house. I am not sure if this played a role or not because I just have always loved to draw, paint, just create in general. There is nothing I loved more as a kid then arts and crafts time, that is all I would do as a kid or at least try to do until I was forced to do something else lol Once I reached adulthood and could make my own decisions I chose to do nothing else but art and I love it!

How has your approach to your work changed over time?

Well I have always had a very surreal approach to my work, lots of fantasy stuff. Lately I have really been getting into realism a lot more, more then ever really. I have to admit I am really enjoying it too. I think that is probably the biggest change I can really think of.

What's been the most memorable response you've had to your work?

I recently completed a custom order for a man of Lafayette from the show True Blood on HBO. The man purchased it as an Anniversary gift for his partner and both their responses to me were amazing and probably the best I have ever received. The man's partner wrote me an email telling me how in love with the painting he is, that he will walk by it and just stop and stare at it, sometimes for up to an hour. They have told tons of people about it and showed it off to tons of people who have in turn wrote me emails telling me how much they love it, people I have never even met, don't know them at all. I think the response as a whole on that painting has been the best response ever to any of my work!

Where do you see or want your shop to be this time next year?

By this time next year I would like to see my shop making regular sales on a daily basis, maybe even become a "Quit Your Day Job" feature on Etsy! High expectations I know lol

Where would you like to be in ten years?

In ten years I would like my shop to be so well known that when people think art, they think Oddball Art! I would also like to be living in a mansion paid for by my art/Etsy Shop and driving a pink Corvette!

What is your best advice to newbie Etsian's just opening their shops? 

Join the team Etsian Artists on Etsy and be an active member, learn how to take great photos as they are key to making lots of sales and being featured in lots of places, promote, promote, promote. If you build it they won't just come! Do not think that just because you opened a shop and listed some items that people are going to be flocking there to buy them all up because you are in for a pretty big let down if that's what you think. It takes a lot of work but if you put in the time and the effort they will come!

Where else other then Etsy can you be found on the net?

OFFICIAL Oddball Art Co. Website ♥ http://www.oddballartco.com/

Oddball Art Co. On-line Shop ♥ http://www.oddballartco.etsy.com/

Oddball Art Co. Blog ♥ http://www.oddballartco.blogspot.com/

Oddball Art Co. on Tumblr ♥ http://www.oddballartco.tumblr.com/

Oddball Art Co. on Twitter ♥ www.twitter.com/oddballartco

Oddball Art Co. on Facebook ♥ www.facebook.com/oddballartco

Elizabeth Matlack on Facebook ♥ www.facebook.com/bethmatlack

Oddball Art Co. on Behance Network ♥ www.be.net/oddballart

Oddball Art Co. on Flickr ♥ www.flickr.com/photos/oddballartco

Come by my other Etsy Shop TheNakedHippie for 100% Organic Hemp Beaded Barefoot Sandals in assorted colors and sizes and my FB page for The Naked Hippie is www.facebook.com/beadsandhemp

Do you have any coupon codes that you would like to share with our readers?

Yes I do, you may use the code MYTREAT10 to receive a 10% discount off any purchase from either of my shops.