Art that Feeds the Soul - Artist Stephanie Ryan

More and more, people are looking for uplifting and inspirational art that speaks to their soul and that is a reflection of their own values and dreams. When an artist comes along with that perfect point of view, that unique style and beauty that appeals to multiple generations, it is a dream come true.

Stephanie Ryan's art has that effect on people. Her art is beautiful and speaks to the soul because it comes from her own heart.

The Moon from My Attic: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your art? Hi Alex, thank you so much for the opportunity to share my story with your readers. I like to refer to myself as an artist, designer and creative soul. I love to paint, craft, write and play on the computer. My career started as a doll maker many moons ago and I have been in product development ever since. Currently, I am living my dream as a self-employed artist; I still can't believe it! My work is primarily watercolor art with thoughtful sentiment weaved throughout. TMFMA: What is exciting about your creative work? I think the exciting part for me is the creation of something new. I never know what I am going to paint when I sit down to work. I let my intuition guide me and pretty flowers start to appear. I also love manipulating the art on the computer. I go into it with the same sense of wonder every time and am always surprised by the finished product. TMFMA: Is there a person or thing that has influenced you in your artistic efforts? What inspires you? There are too many to list, I am constantly inspired by nature and my beautiful friends in the art community. I also have this inner voice that is constantly guiding and nurturing my creative spirit. I can't shut it off. My life is all about finding and creating the art that lives inside my heart. TMFMA: Tell us of your experience as an art licensing artist. I have been on the product development side of things for a long time and always wanted to create my own art for products. In an effort to live the life of my dreams, I finally faced my fears and took the leap in 2011 with the introduction of Floral Fusion, a dinnerware collection for Lenox. After the success of Floral Fusion I started to create collections and develop my brand. In 2012, I partnered with MHS Licensing to oversee all of my licensing opportunities so that I could concentrate on what is important to me - creating art and inspiring others to listen to their hearts and see that anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself. This past May, after attending Surtex for many, many years I finally had my own booth as an exhibitor! It was a dream come true. Surtex was a huge success and I couldn't be happier with my decision to exhibit. So, I guess you can call me a newbie to the licensing game but I feel like I have been doing it forever because of my background in manufacturing for the past...oh, too many years! TMFMA: What project are you currently working on and what's exciting about it? Right know I am working on expanding my collections. I am trying to envision what my dream products are and create vision boards and mock ups for manufacturers. I am also creating new art and preparing for the launch of my first fabric collection for Moda Fabrics this fall. Everything is exciting these days! TMFMA: What are your future aspirations and goals as an artist? That is a question that I have been giving a lot of thought these past couple of weeks. First, I would like to be a successful licensed artist, but I want more than that too. I want a creative life that has a purpose and meaning and I want to share my experiences and story. I'm not quite sure what that is yet. I would love to write a book, teach workshops, and figure out how to nurture other people's creative spirit.  TMFMA: Any important tip and trick you can share about licensing? Let's see...be true to yourself, create a strong brand that you love because you have to live with it for a while. Create a lot; manufacturers always want to see what's new! Create product sheets of how your art looks on products. You have to have a lot of patience to make it in licensing. It takes at least 3 years to start getting a steady stream of income coming in. Put a lot of thought into whether or not you want an agent. I think that was the hardest decision I had to make about my licensing career. Oh! and most importantly, have fun and create from your heart. Stephanie's Website: www.stephanieryandesign.com

and Blog: www.stephanieryandesign.com/blog/

You might also want to listen to her recent interview with Monica Lee at Smart Creative Women.

More of Stephanie's art: