Artist Feature - Sofie from Bonjour Pourpette

Who is behind that amazing Etsy?

Here is where you find out!

Meet Sofie from bonjourpoupette.

About Sofie:

I am an artist and illustrator living and dreaming in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up next door to my family's veterinary clinic on the edge of Oregon's high desert and today I live a very quiet and creative life with my beau and our cat in Portland, Oregon.

What she does:

My creative work spans a number of mediums including drawing, painting and sculpture. I am usually working on multiple projects at any given time. Animal people have been a recurring theme in my work for years, but it wasn't until my beau brought me some polymer clay to play with that I began to create three dimensional creatures just for fun.

I opened my Etsy shop, Bonjour Poupette!, last spring. I knew that I wanted to learn about running an online business to sell my artwork, and Etsy seemed like the perfect venue for me. At the time, I was doing illustration and graphic design work and my creative portfolio was quite varied. I had the worst time trying to decide what to focus on and, honestly, was afraid to commit to any one thing. Eventually my beau dared me to try selling my little animal people on Etsy. It was the challenge I needed to finally make the leap. I made my first sale in less than a week. In less than a year my figurines are in numerous private collections in Europe, Australia and North America. I sell them on Etsy, privately, and at Ghost Gallery in Seattle. Last fall I started the Poupette du Jour Project by committing to making and listing one new figurine each day, and posting it on my blog: bonjourpoupette.com

Inspiration:

Besides animals (of course!) i am inspired by tableaux vivant, surrealist humor, fairy tales, edwardian silhouettes, and anyone who is vulnerable and brave.

Favorites:

The most precious things in my life are my beau and our cat. As for things, I deeply appreciate having a good bed and my mother's beautiful old guitar.

Etsy Love:

Etsy has been a really good fit for me. It has been a very supportive and educational environment and seems to attract a lot of really nice people: customers as well as sellers. I have been very pleased with my overall experience, even though my personal learning curve has been a very long one. I would heartily recommend Etsy to anyone.

Dreams and Desires:

I have a lot of plans for my shop in the upcoming year. I'll definitely be continuing the Poupette du Jour Project as well as expanding my offerings. I would like to bring in more custom work, especially poupettes inspired by family pets and wedding cake toppers. I am also planning to open another shop for my paintings and illustrations this year. Aside from business, I am looking forward to moving away from the city in the upcoming year and finally having a garden again!

Please take a moment and check out this fabulously funky shop!Check out her blog too! bonjourpoupette.blogspot.com

Thanks for spending time with us Sophie ~ xoxo, Mimi