Upcoming Local Artist Showcases Custom Pet Christmas Ornaments

Oconee County resident, Debbie Payne, is gaining in popularity across the nation and in Canada. She is an artist who paints custom portraits of pets on Christmas Ornaments and canvas. She also paints landscapes, draws, and produces wood burnings. She specializes in oils, but paints in acrylics as well. She has a presence on Etsy.com, Facebook and also on her own independent website. She has shipped items to customers from coast to coast and to Canada as well.

She grew up in Athens, Georgia and graduated from Cedar Shoals High School in 1981. She has been producing artwork since she was in elementary school. One piece of art was showcased at the Georgia Museum of Art at The University of Georgia https://georgiamuseum.org/ She currently has artwork displayed for sale at the Sunshine Village Art Gallery in Watkinsville, GA https://www.facebook.com/sunsh... and is a member in good standing of The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, Inc. (OCAF) http://www.ocaf.com/

Her web presence is listed below:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/A1art...

https://www.facebook.com/A1art...

http://webpages.charter.net/rpayne/

The article below was taken from an interview with Debbie concerning her passion for art.....

Patch: What is the name and nature of your business?

Debbie: A1Artzy........I specialize in custom painted pet ornaments and canvas paintings. I also do freelance artwork painting landscapes and other interesting subjects. I specialize in painting with oils, but also paint in acrylics. I also sketch and produce wood burning projects.

Patch: How long have you been doing this?

Debbie: I have been painting since a child, but recently began in earnest in the last 4 years.

Patch: Why are you doing this in Athens?

Debbie: Athens is my home town and I currently reside in Oconee County.

Patch: What are the advantages of owning a small business?

Debbie: I can set my own hours, especially around Christmas time when work comes in quickly. I can also be free to set and maintain high quality standards and provide great customer service.

Patch: If you could change one thing about owning a small business, what would that be?

Debbie: I don’t know of anything at this time that I would change.

Patch: Do you have employees? Are they temporary, part-time, full-time, new or long term?

Debbie: I currently have no employees.

Patch: Do you own the place where you do business, or do you move around (like maybe a dog trainer would do) or rent space (to store your equipment)?

Debbie: I have a presence on the internet through Etsy.com (under A1Artzy) …..My work is accomplished in my home art studio.

Patch: Is anyone else in town doing what you do?

Debbie: I am not aware of any other artists in the area that paint custom pet ornaments and / or canvas.

Patch: Do you like what you do?

Debbie: Yes, very much! It gives me not only a source of income, but an opportunity to express myself through art. I get great joy in knowing that others are enriched by my work. I enjoy a great peace of mind while painting….very relaxing.

Patch: Do you have a story to share about how your started your business. i.e (“I realized one day that, yes, I could actually design websites myself. So I started doing this and never looked back.”)

Debbie: I was searching for Christmas gifts for some of my co-workers. I had decided to paint ornaments to give as gifts. A certain lady had a new puppy. I painted a portrait of her puppy on an ornament and gave it to her as a gift. When the other co-workers saw the puppy ornament, I began to get orders for custom pet ornaments. I decided to open a site on Etsy.com and the rest is history.

Patch: What are you plans for the future (regarding your business), the future being the next five years?

Debbie: I would like to eventually open a brick and mortar gift shop and feature not only art but other local crafts as well.