Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Cowdrey
Hi Danielle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always had an affinity for the arts. I participated in dance when I was young and choir and theatre throughout high school and college, but I never really did anything with visual arts. I originally started doing paint by numbers during the pandemic and found it to be very soothing and stress relieving. Toward the end of 2023, I started to have reels pop up on my social featuring painting tutorials and thought, “I can do that.” I started with buying inexpensive supplies through Amazon to make sure that it was something I would stick with before investing more. Painting became an instant love. I started with using YouTube tutorials, specifically a lot of Joni Young, and then found myself venturing out and making my own version of the tutorial results. I immediately had friends and family that were interested in some of my pieces and gained a lot of praise for what I was producing with so little experience. I do work a normal day job doing independent leadership and strategy consulting but find myself daydreaming about painting throughout the day. I recently launch a new website through Art Storefronts where I can offer not only originals but also various types of prints and other merchandise.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In terms of creating, I feel like it is something that has come fairly naturally to me. It’s not often that you find your own hidden talent especially when it comes later in life. The current struggle is monetizing it and making it part of an investment in my future. I will create no matter what, but I am so passionate about my art that I would love for the world to fall in love with it as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work with a couple of different mediums, but mostly specialize in acrylic and textured pieces. I recently have started a series of brightly colored “fantastical” pieces that alter reality just a bit. It’s fun to take something real and add a little fantasy and a lot of color to make something really unique and creative. I am working on a Masters program at Oxford University in Organizational Leadership and recently won an award from the yearly Pembroke College JCRxMCR Art Competition. Two of my five pieces submitted were printed as postcards and sold to support the Art-T foundation.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice for those starting out would be to just have fun and not take it too seriously. There are so many avenues out there to learn through YouTube, Patreon, artist’s personal workshops, and social media. Just have fun!
If you want to make it into a business know that it takes a lot of hard work and will not happen overnight. Becoming a selling artist is entrepreneurship and requires knowledge of finance, marketing, social media, and other aspects and is not as simple as just posting on your personal social.
Pricing:
- Originals $100+
- Prints and other merchandise start at $2.50+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://acdcart.com
- Instagram: @ac.dcart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564769750068
