Hi all! Happy March 1st! Hope everyone's week is going great! Mine's been good so far, no sick kids or co-workers. Last week was full of sniffles and coughs!

This is my first "Be Featured" feature and I'm really excited to introduce you to a very talented artist Emma Bazan from Bella + Bunny. I've been a big fan since I ran across her art on Etsy ( I just ordered my art piece) . She was gracious enough to take some time off to share her story with me (and all of you). Stop by Emma's Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaAndBunny where you will find her watercolor & ink creations of colorful girls, animals and more!

Ondine, Sing Me A Song

Your art work is amazing! Did you get formal training? School? If so where did you go?
Thank you for the kind words! Yes, most of my formal training, I received when I studied Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Before that I studied fine art at a local community college and also attended the High School of Art and Design, all in New York City. I guess you can say I was a professional art student for a while, before I was a professional anything. With all my studying, I’ve found my work now is very different from anything I’ve done in school. For example, I never took a watercolor class while I was in school, and my main medium in my artwork that you see now, is watercolor or ink. Not being trained in that medium, I think helped produce a style of my own and find my “voice”.

Robin's Reflection

When did you begin drawing?
I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t drawing or painting. It’s not the sort of thing I discovered later on, it’s always been a part of me. My love for it really started to develop early on, I recall in grade school, I was picked to draw and paint mural size scenes for the school play of “My Fair Lady”. The smell of tempera paint that was used, brings a wonderful feeling of nostalgia, it makes me smile when I think about it.

Stella's Glowing Fire

How long do your pieces take to complete?
It depends on the piece itself. Some pieces can take only a few days to complete, while others may take weeks. Since I paint with watercolor and inks, for the most part, I can move along at a faster pace. These mediums dry much more quickly, unlike lets say oil paint, which can take forever. I get impatient, and I like moving onto new projects. I’m always anxious to see my finished piece.

Cherry Blossom Girl

Besides the usual magazines, books and galleries, from what or where do you draw inspiration?
I like to think I find inspirations in everything. But I would have to say, most of it comes from nature. Nature provides so much information for an artist’s imagination. Like, finding great a color combination in a sunset or patterns in bird feathers, it’s really all around us. Sometimes I can come across a tree with amazing leaves and think “maybe I can use those shapes and colors”. They eventually make their way into my work.

Lovey-Dovey / Watercolor birds

Many of us running small business I find have a day job :) Do you have a day job? If so what do you do?
I’m also a freelance makeup artist, working in the beauty/fashion industry. So, when I’m not painting on paper, I’m painting on faces.

The Dreamcatcher

Which of your artwork pieces is your favorite?
This is a hard one, because I really love all of them. But if I had to choose, I would say my favorite piece would be, “Marigold’s Butterfly Wing”. There is something really simplistic but bold about her. The color combinations, the detail without being obvious, and how can you not love that big hair. I also favor “Ondine, sing me a song”, I like that she’s kind of abstract, in the way she looks like a splash of blue on a white.

Marigold's Butterfly Wing

Where can people purchase your work?
As of right now, I am only selling on Etsy. I eventually want to start selling on other online markets, craft shows, and boutique shops. The more places I sell my work, the better chance I get to share my work with others who want to add a little color and happiness to their homes. That’s my mission.

Watercolor Peacock

Where would you like to see your art work go? Do you want to be in a gallery, stores, etc...
For a long time, I kept my work to myself. It’s only been the past year or so that I’ve made it available publicly. Since I’m fairly new to the commercial art world, there are so many things I would love to do. Showing in galleries is at the top of my list, I think it would be a great way for my work to be noticed. I’d love to get published, maybe magazines or books. I think it would be nice to see my work on other media, jewelry perhaps.
It would be really fun to collaborate with a store, something like Anthropolgie (maybe see my artwork on a plate, or anything really)... we’ll see.

Green Blue Zebras

Which creative medium would you love to pursue but haven’t yet?
I would like to start painting with acrylics again, it’s been a while. I’ve always been interested in textile design, creating some of my own patterns