yael berger of israel is spending some time with us this week! yael is an illustrator with beauuutiful watercolors. after you get to "meet" her, be sure to check out more of her work - (linked at the bottom)!

what is your background?
i have always liked to paint and was mostly attracted to watercolor. i studied textile design for for years at shenkar college in israel. this gave me a lot of experience in different fields of textile and graphics. for more than twenty years i worked as a textile designer in the industry. i traveled a lot and designed many collections and in 2007 i felt i needed a change. i quit my job and returned to the paint and brushes.

how did you get started designing & selling?
a friend saw my work and told me about easy, so i said 'why not, what am i going to lose?' i opened my shop and dived in. when i started, i made small clay objected painted in bright colors, but soon got bored and started selling my watercolor prints. to my surprise, the response was great! soon, i invested in a professional printed that enabled me to sell prints of my work - which has been the best decision i've made for my business.

what are your influences?
my influences come from so many places - nature, music, art and ordinary things around the home.

what is your favorite item in your shop?
this is a tough question! :) it's changes, but for now i think i like the cute robin print.

where is your favorite place to paint?
i love my small studio. it gives me a place of my own to paint and work. i prefer to paint during the day with natural light.

what advice would you give to makers who are just getting started?
first is patience. all new bushiness takes time to grow and succeed. don't give up to soon. invest time creating, but also you have to think about the marketing and your seo. most importantly, enjoy and do what you love best.

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yael is offering everglow handmade readers a 20% discount to her etsy with the code joyever20, get it! be sure to check out all of her lovely work and pick up a gift for a friend or maybe even yourself!

thanks for spending time with us this week, yael!

photos courtesy of yael berger.