New art, new shop, new website! I'm so thrilled (and a little terrified) to launch the new Funnelcloud Studio. This has been a looong process and I've been so encouraged by everyone on Instagram who has followed along behind the scenes, put up with months of teaser photos and sneak peeks, and commented with their excitement over seeing the new work. It was back in December 2014 that I mentioned that the prints from my Etsy shop would be retired when they sold out and that Funnelcloud Studio would be taking a new direction in the new year. It's finally here:
Two new series of original abstract paintings are now for sale at www.funnelcloudstudio.com - The Dive In Collection and The Water's Fine Collection. The 71 new paintings in the shop are all gouache on 100% cotton rag and feature the bright colors and gestural brushstrokes that get me excited about art.
The new work is completely different from the prints and illustrations I sold in my Etsy shop when I first started Funnelcloud Studio in 2010. Abstract is my true love when it comes to art and I had always hoped and planned to sell abstract paintings, but Funnelcloud Studio somehow ended up going in a different direction over the past four years as I experimented with block printing, text-based art, and greeting card design. By the end of 2013, my work was feeling stagnant and Funnelcloud Studio wasn't exciting me any more. I decided to take 2014 off from vending at art markets and spent some time traveling and thinking about the future of Funnelcloud Studio.
By Fall 2014, I began to paint every day. For years I had wanted to create abstract art for the shop, as this is what I made in my studio for fun, but never had the confidence to sell. After years of selling prints of my work on Etsy, I was also interested in selling original paintings. I finally went for it. I experimented with acrylic, gouache, wax pastels, and mixed media. I tried different surfaces and brushes, I painted with my non-dominant hand, I made messes, I celebrated the surprises and unexpected results. By early 2015, I had discovered the media, surfaces, supplies, and techniques that worked for me, and most importantly, I had found my confidence and my style. For the first time in years, my work felt like me and made me excited. By late winter I had entered a painting frenzy, creating dozens of paintings, each one better than the last.
By Spring, I had enough new work that it was finally time to start creating a website to actually sell the art. Which brings us to the present: A fancy new website. Yay! My own original paintings for sale for the first time ever. Terrifying! After I launched the new site I had to jump in the shower to calm myself down because I was practically shaking. Putting new art out into the world feels so scary and personal - like someone reading your diary or seeing you naked. But the butterflies have subsided and now I'm just excited about the big leap I've finally taken.
So what does the future look like for the new Funnelcloud Studio? In the next few months I will launch illustrations, mixed media paintings, paintings on wood panels, and prints for sale in the shop. I hope to paint even bigger pieces. I'll be selling my art at art markets again. I'm more excited about my little business than I've ever been.
Big thanks to friends, family, customers, readers, and followers who have supported and encouraged me throughout the past five years of building an art business! I hope you'll check out my new shop on www.funnelcloudstudio.com and follow @funnelcloudrach on Instagram to see my process and progress.
