Editor’s note: It delights me to have this chance to share the story and art of a dear friend I have made online. I “met” Lakshmi last year when she joined in our handmade holidays giveaway with her old business. Since then I have had the privilege of watching her shift her creative focus, hone in on her talents, create a whole new business and keep constantly moving towards her creative dreams. The whole time she has also been a champion of handmade and a wonderful supporter of OMHG. Introducing the bright and beautiful (drum roll please…) Studio Lakshmi!
special guest post by Lakshmi of Studio Lakshmi
The transition for my creative biz has been a long road. From being utterly clueless, to learning from my mistakes (boy, where do I begin ?!), it has been a interesting to say the very least ! I started with Doodle Kreations – I offered colorful illustrations on art prints & stationery. In the beginning, there was no vision. Just the desire to make this viable. I looked around and thought, if others can do it, so can I. I still believe that. But, how I want to go about doing that has changed.
I read inspiring posts, educated myself about the ins & outs of running a creative biz. I thought I had the knowledge about doing it. I probably did. I just didn’t know how to implement it! The first and foremost that comes to mind is creating a niche. I didn’t capitalize on a lot of my own skills. I sort of worked off of trends & what I thought people wanted. Everyone deserves a second chance, in my opinion. So, I gave myself that opportunity .
I had a long hard think about what I wanted to do, if I was to start all over again. The very thought wore me out! How was I supposed to do it all over again? Go through the motions of picking a name, create inventory, plan it all, photograph it…just a long list of things to do! After a lot of thinking and many failed experiments later, Studio Lakshmi came about with my paintings. I put into practice what I had learnt during my first year online- the lessons learned, the countless tips from blog posts, my own experiences on what worked.
What I envision for Studio Lakshmi is very different than what I envisioned for Doodle Kreations. With Doodle Kreations, I didn’t have a vision! With Studio Lakshmi I want to be able to provide beautiful, colorful art for people who like bright bold colors in their homes, offices, home offices! It is for people who are not afraid of experimenting with colors. It is for people who want colorful paintings to brighten up their homes that have a neutral decor and neutral walls. It is for people who want a splash of color to complement the already existing colors in their homes.
When I paint a canvas, the first thing that I pick is the background color and the colors that will contrast or complement it through its main subject. I have to say, I do change things up depending on how the painting progresses. Once I have my background color(s) painted in I imagine the setting in which the painting will be. Will it be on a mantlepiece, on a wall, in a shelf, on a desk? Will the wall be white? Or better yet, will the painting contrast with the color on the wall? To make my thought process more interesting, I imagine a setting where there’s more than one color on the walls. This exercise challenges me to think of colors on the painting that would complement/ contrast the colors in the room.
All of these processes revert back to my background as an architect. I am constantly thinking of where and in what setting my paintings will be and how they will impact the settings and those in that settings. I imagine the mood it will create and how I would love for my paintings to be the focus of a setting. To be able to bring color and cheer to a home’s ambience, is my primary goal. I hope that my art will act as the catalyst to decorating a room. Accessories, wall colors, furniture setting, decor follow the mood set by the artwork.
At the moment, Studio Lakshmi, is in its baby steps. I have started off the shop with art on canvas. I don’t want to move away from the main objective and start a whole different line of products, just yet. I believe, the key is to give this time to work. By establishing my brand based on the art that I offer, I can spread my wings.
In the long term, I want to expand the services that I offer. I would like to add illustrations, patterns and much more on different products. I imagine my art on fabrics and more to make a home beautiful and colorful. I want to make sure whatever collection I launch from time to time have a cohesive look to it. Whether all of this happens independently or in collaboration- I don’t know. But, I like to dream big!
I would also like to see my art in local markets and shops that support handmade goods and am working towards that. Being able to exhibit my work and my art in handmade shops would mean potential buyers get to see my artwork physically. I want my art in front of people who value original artwork. I value the fact that whoever buys my art or any kind of handmade item has the sentiment to support an independent artist.
