Fine Art America/Pixels Sale

I started a Fine Art America Shop about eleven years ago. It includes all of my custom digital art pet portraits and photos of Capitol Hill and from our trips to Iran, Denmark, England, and France. About three years ago I started participating in a weekly photo challenge called 52Frames and have met a lot of people from all over the world. I started to add the photos that have been taken for this weekly challenge to the Fine Art America/Pixels website. There has been traffic to this website over the years and it’s always exciting to receive an email that someone has bought an image of something I painted or something I took a photo of. That happened yesterday! A person from Pennsylvania got a photo of the Old Town Alexandria tunnel matted and framed. I was just so tickled! Then I was reminded that I also had another sale earlier in the year for a print of the carousel on the National Mall. The buyer was from another city in Pennsylvania. All told I’ve sold 58 items on this site since 2013. It has been a fun experience to not only start these websites but also keep them up to date with the latest work. And if someone likes it well enough to buy makes it all the more worth it. 

Fine Art America/ Pixels Greeting Card

I have been painting digital art for over ten years. When the iPad was introduced in 2010 I knew it would be a game changer, but I had no idea it would reignite my interest in painting. So I started an Etsy shop - LITDigital Paintings - and have been doing primarily custom pet portraits. When the projects are done the images are uploaded to my other shops on Zazzle, Amazon Merch, Redbubble and Fine Art America. I have also always had an interest in photography and have uploaded many of my favorite images to these sites - so technically there are custom paintings and photos that can be used to create a myriad of products. For the last couple of years I have been participating in a weekly photo challenge called 52Frames. A friend of ours suggested it and it was a great diversion during the pandemic. It also forced me to sharpen my photography skills since I was never really trained or took classes in any of this. And since my camera is my phone there are certain limitations. One of the challenge subjects was “point of focus.” So we went to the Smithsonian American history museum to see the First Ladies gowns. One of them was Dolly Madison. So I took a few photos of it and one of the images was uploaded to Fine Art America/Pixels. It’s always thrilling to get a notice when any of my work is recognized out of the millions of options that are out there. Someone from Arlington, Washington bought a greeting card with this image on it. I certainly couldn’t make a living on these sales, but it’s the idea of it all that tickles me the most. Painting and photography kind of go hand in hand. I never would have thought people from all over the world would notice. 

Fine Art America/Pixels Custom Pet Portrait Sales

I’ve been painting custom pet portraits for over ten years. My interest in painting was reignited when the iPad came out in 2010 and the rest is history. I wrote and illustrated three children’s books and self published them on Amazon. Then I opened my first shop on Etsy after first practicing with friends and colleagues. Then after each portrait was completed I used the images to populate my Fine Art America/Pixels website, as well as my LITDigitalpaintings Redbubble, zazzle and Amazon Merch shops. So it is always a treat to get a notice from any of these shops when there is a sale or a custom order. The custom orders require that I need to get to work. The sales are just lovely reminders that someone likes my work enough to buy it. It’s especially more meaningful now when there is so much stuff out there compared to ten years ago. So to get noticed is remarkable. And that was the case last week when someone from Pittsburg purchased an 11x14 matte paper portrait of the black cockapoo and also had it framed. In February someone from Brick, NJ bought an 11x14 glossy canvas of an eskie. I certainly couldn’t make s living on this hobby but it’s a fun past time. Aside from maintaining these shops they are marketed on social media - instagram, Facebook, twitter, Pinterest. It does keep one busy. I also appreciate staying in touch with technology and keeping my brain functioning. I really need to be grateful that I had to use technology as a clinician, nurse administrator, operations expert, and civil servant. It’s been so helpful and I try to stay as up to date as possible. So digital painting and keeping up have really helped. It still tickles me when someone notices my work. 

Fine Art America T-shirt Order

It’s always fun to get an email from a website that showcases my digital art and photography informing me that an item was purchased. Unlike with Etsy communications, those are requests for commissions that require me to create a new piece of work. These are communications that inform me that someone liked something that was already painted or photographed so much that a purchase was made with the likeness. And that’s what happened yesterday. I not only got one email, but two from Fine Art America. The great thing about digital art and photography is that the images are available worldwide. I have had commissions and purchases worldwide as well. So it was interesting that someone from Markdorf Germany found two images that they liked. One was a photograph of a birdhouse in front of the “pull the curtain” art display at the Hirshhorn Museum, and the other was one of my first digital art paintings of the Martin Luther King Memorial - both in DC. The idea that someone all the way in Germany found the images, liked the images, and bought the T-shirts with the images on them just tickles my fancy. I have a few websites that I constantly update and attend to - Fine Art America, Redbubble, and Zazzle. And everything I do is highlighted on my website LoisTavaf.com. So, thank you for noticing my work out of the millions of images out there! 

Pixels Fine Art America LITDigitalart Products

The iPad became my inspiration to start painting again. I’ve been at it since 2010 and creating custom pet portraits for the past eight years. Once the portraits are completed, the images are uploaded to several websites to showcase my art. One of the first sites I started to use was Fine Art America - now called Pixels. I have a specific FAA website, and on it are many products that can be created from the images I provide. There are a variety of sections aside from the digitalart that include photos that I have taken of Washington DC and Capitol Hill where we lived for thirteen years; England, France, Denmark and Iran; and baseball autographs from my brother’s collection. As is with everything else these days, face masks are a new product now offered. When I was promoting my art yesterday I noticed that at the bottom of the page is a display of all the products each image is on. It looks quite impressive! Most of these websites do a really nice job putting the products in a gallery where one can try a single image on many different products. I also use Redbubble, Zazzle, and Amazon Merch. It’s fun to get notification that something has sold. Out of all the millions of options out there it’s nice to get noticed. It’s all a lot to keep updated and promoted, but it’s a fun hobby. And as long as I get requests for custom portraits, it’s a never ending cycle. Thanks for the requests and thanks for checking out my work. 

Zazzle, Fine Art America, and Amazon Merch Digitalart Sales

It’s been ten years since the first iPad came out. I embraced it immediately and once again found out how much I loved to paint. I’ve been painting pet portraits for eight years with Etsy, Zazzle, Fine Art America/Pixels, and Redbubble shops along with a personal website. The custom pet portraits take some time to complete and a lot of interaction goes on between me and the customer. Once the portraits are completed, they become the source of all the other shops. It’s one thing to have a portrait requested, but quite another thing to get a notification that someone purchased a product with an image you created out of the millions out there. Fine Art America sent a message that someone from Connecticut purchased a black cockapoo phone case, and someone from Arizona bought a golden retriever mask. Since I can’t see the source of Amazon Merch purchases, all I know is that someone loves my black German Shepherd T-shirt. Every couple of weeks one is sold in all different sizes and colors. The best part is I have received three five star ratings on this design and shirt. So while we are cooped up in our house I spend a lot if time every day on social media promoting my products. It does keep me busy. Whenever I get notice that something sold it warms my heart. My market place is worldwide. Thanks so much for noticing! 

Pixels/Fine Art America Mat and Frames My Art

I’ve been working on them for quite a while. We didn’t have any photos of our loved ones in plain sight. So I went about painting a sort of “family tree” that had images of my husband’s family and my family. Aside from that painting, I wanted something that showed all the homes we lived in. So I collected some old photos and went to work on that. Then to complete the grouping, I sketched out a bunch of images of my husband and me over the years - since 1979 or so. It looks sort of like Where’s Waldo, but not exactly. We have the perfect wall for this gallery collection, and the colors match the lighter vibe of the living space. So I ordered up a set of matted and framed prints through Pixels/Fine Art America last week. I happen to have a shop on that website that showcases all my digital art as well as photographs. The hardest decision was whether to use black or white frames and I tested the options using my procreate app. White double matting was no issue, but the size of the mats took a bit longer to figure out. The paintings arrived yesterday and they really turned out nice. I had three configurations in mind, and ended up not using the one I liked best. All I can say is these pieces are definitely one of a kind. It’s a lot different than a pet portrait, but it sure is distinctive and personal. 

Pixels Billboard Contest

I’ve had a Fine Art America/Pixels Shop for several years. All of my custom hand drawn digitalart pet portraits are posted, along with my favorite photos of Washington DC/Capitol Hill, autographed baseballs, and scenes from countries we have visited including Iran, France, Denmark, Sweden, and England. Every once in a while the site sponsors a contest. The latest one is for a billboard contest where five winning images will appear on billboards in LA. I know I don’t have a chance in hell of getting selected, because I’ll never get 250 votes to even be considered. But I entered three of my favorite images anyway - just because. And I voted for each one! One image is the goofy dog that gets a lot of attention on other social media sites; one is a bulldog with a flower; and the last one is my “women on the steps of Persepolis.” All three were entered in the Lbrary of Congress employee art show over the years. So, we’ll see what happens. I can only imagine my artwork on a billboard - how exciting would that be!

Goofy dog 

https://fineartamerica.com/contests/billboard-contest.html?tab=vote&artworkid=19488059

Bulldog 

https://fineartamerica.com/contests/billboard-contest.html?tab=vote&artworkid=12471899

Women at Persepolis

https://fineartamerica.com/contests/billboard-contest.html?tab=vote&artworkid=6177037

Fine Art America Portraits - Sold!

I have had a website on Fine Art America for as long as I have been painting digital custom pet portraits when the iPad first arrived. I really love FAA because I also upload a lot of my favorite photographs that I have taken on travel or places in Washington DC. So whenever I receive an email notification from FAA, it’s about having sold one of these items. What’s even nicer is that I don’t need to do anything except publicize the fact that an item was sold via Twitter. What was unusual about the last purchase was that there were two separate sales - one each of two dog portraits I painted last year. The only thing I learn about the buyer is the city they are from. I immediately recognized the name of the town and the pooches I painted. When I complete a custom portrait I sometimes send a link to the customer from FAA so they can pursue the item they have an interest in having made - a traditional mat and frame or stretched canvas, or something a little different like a coffee mug or pillow. It’s also nice to receive comments from other artists about the portrait and the sale. It’s so exciting to know that someone is interested in the work you create. And to know it is being turned in to a framed work of art is just lovely! 

Fine Art America - Yazd Painting Sold

I have been painting on my iPad since it was first introduced. I like doing custom pet portraits, but have also painted scenes of places we have visited and the city we live in. I post most of my work - including my favorite photographs - on Fine Art America. The difference beteeen getting a custom order and receiving an email from Fine Art America that something has been sold are two very different things. For a custom order, the process just begins. For an image that was sold, I get a commission of sorts. I don’t need to produce anything, because the digital file is being used to create the product the buyer wants. It’s always fun to get these notices because they are unexpected. And to think there are literally millions of images out there, I am humbled to think someone likes my work enough to purchase it. The most recent item is a painting I did of a house in Yazd, Iran. It’s a place we visited and gave me an opportunity to reproduce what I thought was a beautiful place. I’m impressed with the selection the buyer made and wonder where it will be displayed. I alarm have the option to share the news on Twitter using the announcement link. Thank you to the person in Oakland California. I really appreciate it! 

Fine Art America Supreme Court Painting

I don't know if it is easier to think about spring when the temps are in the twenties with winds that make it feel like ten degrees, or not. But I was happily reminded of it and the cherry blossoms when I got an email notice that one of my paintings was sold to someone in Texas on my Fine Art America site. I like to paint custom pet portraits, but I also have painted scenes in our neighborhood - which were included in three of my children's books. What I like most about selling art on Fine Art America is that it is all digital and the person orders the format they prefer. This instance was a rolled print. And I don't have to do anything because the painting was already created. What I most appreciate is that someone liked an image of something that I made, and chose it over millions of other paintings out there. This painting happens to be the Supreme Court during cherry blossom season. I always wonder who bought it, why, and where will it be placed? And I am so flattered!! What's nice is there is an announcement page to circulate on social media. Sometimes I get comments from other folks who noticed the sale. So, thank you to the person who bought it. I really appreciate it!