Today's feature highlights another husband and wife creative duo on the Bluegrass etsy team, Brian and Emily Harmon of
HarmonArt. They have shops on
etsy and
artfire and specialize in hand built earthenware and fine art gourds. Like so many others, I have always been drawn to art that represents nature, especially items with leaves. So I am delighted to share this interview with you and introduce you to two very talented artists!
How did you first hear about etsy? My wife has always been a fan of handmade jewelry. I first found Etsy when looking for Christmas presents for her a few years ago. It took us several years to decide that our work would work for Etsy as well. Tell us about a little about yourself and your favorite craft/art! HarmonArt is a husband/wife team. We are both teachers. I teach high school art while my wife is an elementary librarian. We love our jobs because they afford us time off in the summer to devote to our true loves of earthenware ceramics and fine art gourds all with a natural, autumnal theme and color scheme. 
How did you get started as a designer? My wife grew up on a farm that raised gourds. She was always surrounded by them and found something beautiful to do with them. I am technically a photography teacher. I love it, but it is so technical. I got into clay because it is so different from photography: physical, malleable, dirty. I just love them both for opposite reasons. What inspires you to create? We are both inspired by the warm, earthy colors and organic shapes of autumn. Leaves are one of God's most overlooked but beautiful pieces of artistry. I am always looking at the details of tree leaves and they often find their way into our art. 
How long have you been a member of Bluegrass etsy and how did you hear about the team?I've been a member for about 2 months. I heard about the team through ArtFire actually. My wife and I also have a shop there. It is much smaller, so it is sometimes easier to connect with people. I first discovered ArtFire's version of TeamBluegrass and then sought it out on Etsy. 
Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?I am pretty new to online selling, but it was a total surprise to me how much promoting is important and necessary. I check my Google Analytic every day. Days when I intentionally spend time promoting via Facebook, Forums, link directories, Twitter, etc, I always see results in my page views. In terms of getting your shop viewed, the ball is really in your court. 
Anything else you would like to add?We have been doing art shows for years, and just this year jumped into the online art market. So far we love it and look forward to a long online career. ************
Thanks to Brian and Emily for this interview and for letting us know a little more about your art. We are happy to have you on the Bluegrass etsy team! Be sure to check out their etsy shop
here to see more of their nature inspired art.
To see more examples of the talent on our team, go to www.etsy.com and type
teambluegrass in the search box.
If you are a team member and would like to be featured on an upcoming Feature Friday post, contact Kim Ries or leave a comment here.
