Meet the maker – Sophie Patel Art
Published on February 18th, 2022|Last updated on May 11th, 2022
Sophie Patel Art is an incredibly talented artist who has a passion for bringing wildlife images and photographs of your pets alive on paper. Let’s learn a little more about her…
Hi Sophie, can you introduce yourself?
Hi! I am Sophie, owner of Sophie Patel Art, based in Bedfordshire. I create hand drawn artworks of pets and wildlife in colour pencil, pastel and graphite and I also sell fine art prints and greeting cards featuring my artwork.
Where does your business name come from?
I started off as Sophie Louise Creates, I think partly because it was still a bit scary to call myself an artist! I rebranded at the beginning of 2020 to Sophie Patel Art which felt a little more grown up!
What do you love about your business?
Drawing is my escape, my happy place that quiets my mind. I love that something that gives me so much joy to do also makes other people happy, to know I’m responsible for making someone else smile and have that warm fuzzy feeling is the best feeling!
What’s your absolute favourite item you sell? If possible, please share a photo of your item.
Hmm that’s tough. I love creating bespoke portraits of peoples beloved pets and dogs are probably my favourite thing to draw especially ones with big happy smiles!
What does your workspace look like?
One day I will have a beautiful art studio but for now I love my tilting art desk sat in my dining room!
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I have always been an avid animal lover and I have a very(very) long list of all the animals I would like to draw. I am part of some wonderful groups on Facebook where photographers share their photos for artists to use as reference and often browse the photos to find something that catches my eye.
What would you say to someone thinking about selling their work online for the first time?
Do your research – the legal stuff of course but also social media know how, marketing strategies etc but know that much of that you learn on the go and will probably make mistakes.
Take it one day at a time – don’t compare your day 1 to someone else’s day 100! All businesses are different and will grow in different ways at different paces.
Find your tribe of supportive small business owners because it can be lonely and they will save your sanity!
Where can we find your work other than on Crafter’s Market UK?
While most of my work is available exclusively on Crafter’s Market UK, you can find some of my original artwork displayed at Meppershall Village Hall. I also like to attend craft fairs throughout the year, you can keep up to date on upcoming events on my Instagram page – @sophiepatelart
To read more about Sophie and to view her previous master pieces head over to Sophie Patel Art
