"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time", Thomas Merton.
I'm super excited to welcome Ms. Paulette Narinesingh to my blog! We're going to have a chat about her awesome art business! Check out the interview below!
Q. Kindly introduce yourself and what items you create.
A. Hi there! I am Paulette Narinesingh and I am a visual artist. I create paintings using acrylic paints and I use various media to add texture to certain pieces. Some of my completed artwork are either photographed or scanned and then various products are designed with my colourful vibrant artwork! I wanted more people to be able to experience art in different ways! Some of the products created are magnets, mugs, bags, giclee prints and throw cushions. I invite you to visit my website to view all of what I offer at the moment! Enjoy!
Q. Could you share how you became interested in art and what motivated you to start your business, Art De Joulie?
A. I was always interested in art however in the era I grew up in I was not encouraged to pursue it. Creating art in one form or another seemed to follow me through my teaching career path. I was asked to teach art and craft to students apart from the other subject areas. I also learned the art of batik from a friend and began to create soft furnishings and beachwear to sell to various tourist shops in Trinidad and Tobago and some Caribbean islands. I also did tie dye, fabric painting and applique, which are all different types of textile art. I pursued a degree in Visual Art at the University of the West Indies St. Augustine and then went on to teach at the secondary school level for six years. Due to an accident, which made my chronic illness worse pain wise, I was forced to resign from what I thought was my dream job, to recuperate. While recouping out of Trinidad I began to paint as therapy and it was while doing that, I got the idea that I wanted to start my own business (online) selling my art as merchandise. This idea was confirmed for me when my daughter staged a mini exhibit at her apartment and her friends encouraged me to pursue that direction. I returned to Trinidad and in 2015 registered “Art de Joulie” and began my new journey.
Q. What is the significance of your business’ name?
A. Everyone who sees my art says it is so bright and pretty and makes them feel happy so “Art de Joulie” means “beautiful art for U” (Jolie is a French word that means pretty or beautiful) I added the U from my name “Paulette” (which is also French) so it became beautiful art for “U”. Art for me has always been so therapeutic, so I thought that if I can create art and others can derive something positive from it and be cheered up then it would make me feel happy as I somehow can help others to be happy too!
Q. In my opinion, creating art was definitely viewed as a hobby in the past and not everyone saw it as a viable career option, per se. Did you always know that you’d become an entrepreneur in this specific field and did you have support from your friends and family members to start this business and how important do you think it is to have a support system when beginning such a venture?
A. I did not always know that I would become an entrepreneur, in fact for me teaching art was what I considered to be a stable profession and one that was accepted by my family because it was a “stable job” and a vocation as a teacher was acceptable. However I had experienced being an entrepreneur for about seventeen (17) years while I did my textile art since I left teaching at the primary level to do it full time. When I went into teaching at the secondary level although I did not feel like it was a job because I enjoyed it thoroughly, something was missing… I could not create; make art as I wanted too. I guess fate made it possible through that accident to drive me to do what I was meant to do?
Q. What role do you think art and artists play in society?
A. Artists have played and will always play very important roles in the society. To be an artist requires skills and knowledge in so many different aspects of studies. I used to ask my students to observe how many of the other subjects we implement in art thereby making it the best subject ever! Lol!
Artists record history, stories of everyday living throughout the centuries, create the things we use each day in our lives, prompt and evoke their audience into thinking on different levels and into deeper thinking, different ways of seeing things. They encourage us to dream to enter into different worlds and allow our imaginations to soar. Art is therapeutic, it is provoking, it is healing, it brings different emotions to mind and allows us to release and express things from so deep inside of us that it allows us to unplug that ticking time bomb so that we can be free. Art touches the individual at the intellectual, psychological, emotional and spiritual levels.
Q. Where do you draw your inspiration from to create your pieces?
A. My inspiration comes from my heritage, from my environment, nature, spiritual beliefs, journeys to various places, from music… I can draw inspiration from a little child, seeing a bird or a beautiful sunset or a conversation with someone might spark an idea. I can be lost in thought and get ideas while doing normal mundane tasks such as cleaning.
Q. You recently participated in an art exhibition at NAPA, Port of Spain. Could you give us a bit more insight into the exhibition? How did you become an exhibitor and what was the highlight of the exhibition for you?
A. I participated in an exhibition called “Emergence” that was held from June 14th to 30th 2019 at the UTT NAPA, POS. Actually I was asked to join the team in planning for it so that is how I initially became involved. The highlight for me really was seeing so many talented artists who are not the “well known” in our islands have an opportunity to show their work! I also loved meeting the patrons who attended and I was happy to chat about my work and to hear the feedback from people especially those I had not met before. Also I had no idea that the 'Artist Talk' that I did on ‘Merchandising” would have raised such interest and that made me happy because I was able to help others.
Q. At the exhibition, I understand that there was a segment entitled Artist Talk, where you addressed the attendees about merchandising their art. What tips do you have for young entrepreneurs and artists alike?
A. Figure out the following:
Why you want to merchandise?
Who you want to target?
(because you cannot target everyone at the same time with the same product)
What product would you want to begin with first?
When do you want to introduce it?
Where are your points of sales going to be?
How are you going to market your product?
A lot of “homework” has to be done before merchandising. You will need to familiarize yourself with marketing concepts. Look at artists who are already merchandising and Google sites that merchandise artwork! You will need to work with a graphic artist, also someone to do high resolution photographs or scans of your work and then get your files formatted to suit the type of printing format needed. The best advice I can give is to start small. One item, and see the response to it. Is it worth keeping it going or should you try another? What is your target audience’s response? For artists maybe starting with prints of artwork may be a good starting point. Also story telling is very important. Put your images of work on social media and tell the story of the artwork. People love hearing how you came up with that painting. Also please stop saying pm etc for prices! That turns people off. State clearly your information for example- Name of piece, medium used, size, price- US and TT and your story briefly on the piece. Social media is great for telling your stories. Network and share ideas! Trust me, you will not loose clients by sharing and networking. There are clients out there for each artist. Trust and believe in yourself!
Art De Joulie can be found on Facebook and Instagram. Follow them to stay informed of their next exhibition or event!
Don't forget to follow me on:
for more content!
See ya in my next post,
Paula J.
I'm super excited to welcome Ms. Paulette Narinesingh to my blog! We're going to have a chat about her awesome art business! Check out the interview below!
Q. Kindly introduce yourself and what items you create.
A. Hi there! I am Paulette Narinesingh and I am a visual artist. I create paintings using acrylic paints and I use various media to add texture to certain pieces. Some of my completed artwork are either photographed or scanned and then various products are designed with my colourful vibrant artwork! I wanted more people to be able to experience art in different ways! Some of the products created are magnets, mugs, bags, giclee prints and throw cushions. I invite you to visit my website to view all of what I offer at the moment! Enjoy!
Q. Could you share how you became interested in art and what motivated you to start your business, Art De Joulie?
A. I was always interested in art however in the era I grew up in I was not encouraged to pursue it. Creating art in one form or another seemed to follow me through my teaching career path. I was asked to teach art and craft to students apart from the other subject areas. I also learned the art of batik from a friend and began to create soft furnishings and beachwear to sell to various tourist shops in Trinidad and Tobago and some Caribbean islands. I also did tie dye, fabric painting and applique, which are all different types of textile art. I pursued a degree in Visual Art at the University of the West Indies St. Augustine and then went on to teach at the secondary school level for six years. Due to an accident, which made my chronic illness worse pain wise, I was forced to resign from what I thought was my dream job, to recuperate. While recouping out of Trinidad I began to paint as therapy and it was while doing that, I got the idea that I wanted to start my own business (online) selling my art as merchandise. This idea was confirmed for me when my daughter staged a mini exhibit at her apartment and her friends encouraged me to pursue that direction. I returned to Trinidad and in 2015 registered “Art de Joulie” and began my new journey.
Q. What is the significance of your business’ name?
A. Everyone who sees my art says it is so bright and pretty and makes them feel happy so “Art de Joulie” means “beautiful art for U” (Jolie is a French word that means pretty or beautiful) I added the U from my name “Paulette” (which is also French) so it became beautiful art for “U”. Art for me has always been so therapeutic, so I thought that if I can create art and others can derive something positive from it and be cheered up then it would make me feel happy as I somehow can help others to be happy too!
Q. In my opinion, creating art was definitely viewed as a hobby in the past and not everyone saw it as a viable career option, per se. Did you always know that you’d become an entrepreneur in this specific field and did you have support from your friends and family members to start this business and how important do you think it is to have a support system when beginning such a venture?
A. I did not always know that I would become an entrepreneur, in fact for me teaching art was what I considered to be a stable profession and one that was accepted by my family because it was a “stable job” and a vocation as a teacher was acceptable. However I had experienced being an entrepreneur for about seventeen (17) years while I did my textile art since I left teaching at the primary level to do it full time. When I went into teaching at the secondary level although I did not feel like it was a job because I enjoyed it thoroughly, something was missing… I could not create; make art as I wanted too. I guess fate made it possible through that accident to drive me to do what I was meant to do?
I had and still have the support of my children especially
my daughter who is also a director of the company. Also I have support from my
sister who lives abroad, my best friend and a few other friends. I grew up in
that time where all I heard was “What could you do with art?” Daring to live
completely on the earnings in a field of art can be nerve-wrecking and having
support of friends and family would be much appreciated. Encouragement especially when you are trying
to establish yourself would really go a long way. Also having respect from
family as you work hard at a profession helps one’s psyche! I remember an
artist saying to me how important it was for him that he had the support of his
wife for without her, he could not continue to follow his passion! Support
financially may be necessary at some point but also just help in any form when
you need it and the environment that says you are appreciated, respected and
applauded for following your call against the odds means so much!
 |
| Check out Art De Joulie's upcoming event! |
Art is serious business! You work many long hours and even
when you are not physically creating, you are in your mind trying to solve
problems and come up with solutions. You are at the drawing board creating and
recreating again and again until you are satisfied with the design (if I am
working on something I want to use as print).
When you are having doubts, sales are inconsistent and you
have slow seasons it is so crucial to have family and friends who are there who
believe in you who continue to support and encourage! A simple thing like
having someone prepare a cooked meal so that you can devote time to meet
deadlines or packaging products or complete an artwork is just so appreciated!
I don’t really think that people understand what being an
artist entails, the hard work, the studies that are done constantly as you work
to perfect your art and also the administrative, marketing, and other aspects
that go into art as a business because as much as artists will not like to
describe it as that it really is…. You make art you have to sell it to earn an
income…it is your business!
Q. What role do you think art and artists play in society?
A. Artists have played and will always play very important roles in the society. To be an artist requires skills and knowledge in so many different aspects of studies. I used to ask my students to observe how many of the other subjects we implement in art thereby making it the best subject ever! Lol!
Artists record history, stories of everyday living throughout the centuries, create the things we use each day in our lives, prompt and evoke their audience into thinking on different levels and into deeper thinking, different ways of seeing things. They encourage us to dream to enter into different worlds and allow our imaginations to soar. Art is therapeutic, it is provoking, it is healing, it brings different emotions to mind and allows us to release and express things from so deep inside of us that it allows us to unplug that ticking time bomb so that we can be free. Art touches the individual at the intellectual, psychological, emotional and spiritual levels.
Q. Where do you draw your inspiration from to create your pieces?
A. My inspiration comes from my heritage, from my environment, nature, spiritual beliefs, journeys to various places, from music… I can draw inspiration from a little child, seeing a bird or a beautiful sunset or a conversation with someone might spark an idea. I can be lost in thought and get ideas while doing normal mundane tasks such as cleaning.
 |
| Check out Art De Joulie's upcoming event! |
A. I participated in an exhibition called “Emergence” that was held from June 14th to 30th 2019 at the UTT NAPA, POS. Actually I was asked to join the team in planning for it so that is how I initially became involved. The highlight for me really was seeing so many talented artists who are not the “well known” in our islands have an opportunity to show their work! I also loved meeting the patrons who attended and I was happy to chat about my work and to hear the feedback from people especially those I had not met before. Also I had no idea that the 'Artist Talk' that I did on ‘Merchandising” would have raised such interest and that made me happy because I was able to help others.
Q. At the exhibition, I understand that there was a segment entitled Artist Talk, where you addressed the attendees about merchandising their art. What tips do you have for young entrepreneurs and artists alike?
A. Figure out the following:
Why you want to merchandise?
 |
| Check out Art De Joulie's upcoming event! |
(because you cannot target everyone at the same time with the same product)
What product would you want to begin with first?
When do you want to introduce it?
Where are your points of sales going to be?
How are you going to market your product?
A lot of “homework” has to be done before merchandising. You will need to familiarize yourself with marketing concepts. Look at artists who are already merchandising and Google sites that merchandise artwork! You will need to work with a graphic artist, also someone to do high resolution photographs or scans of your work and then get your files formatted to suit the type of printing format needed. The best advice I can give is to start small. One item, and see the response to it. Is it worth keeping it going or should you try another? What is your target audience’s response? For artists maybe starting with prints of artwork may be a good starting point. Also story telling is very important. Put your images of work on social media and tell the story of the artwork. People love hearing how you came up with that painting. Also please stop saying pm etc for prices! That turns people off. State clearly your information for example- Name of piece, medium used, size, price- US and TT and your story briefly on the piece. Social media is great for telling your stories. Network and share ideas! Trust me, you will not loose clients by sharing and networking. There are clients out there for each artist. Trust and believe in yourself!
Art De Joulie can be found on Facebook and Instagram. Follow them to stay informed of their next exhibition or event!
Don't forget to follow me on:
for more content!See ya in my next post,
Paula J.
very good article ... thanks for sharing ...
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