A Blaze by SK on RedBubble - Print-on-Demand (POD) Shop

Print-on-demand or POD has become very popular in recent years. POD is a business model or an order fulfillment method where products are designed but printed or custom made only after an order is placed. Once a design is purchased on products like t-shirts, coffee mugs, art-boards, tapestry, coasters, bags, notebooks, greeting cards, puzzles, throw pillows, shower curtains, throw blankets and more, it is printed and shipped to the customer once there is a sale. The best part is that a product is printed only after a sale and the issue of inventory management of a specific design is reduced. Within the POD model, there are different types of businesses that have been coming up. I was interested in exploring the POD space, too.

I had been working on T-shirts, knitwear, apparel design, product development, manufacturing and sourcing for many years. For most part of my career, I have handled products myself, be it in jobs or as independent artist, freelancer and design entrepreneur. After I came to US, I started exploring more of the online avenues. I started uploading my art on online art galleries like Saatchi Art, Vango, Fine Art America. Later, I also started exploring print-on-demad sites like Merch by Amazon, Zazzle and RedBubble to upload my art, designs and digital art.

I have been writing about my designs on Merch by Amazon. One of other the print-on-demand sites that I have been busy setting up is ABlazeBySK.redbubble.com. RedBubble is a print-on-demand website where you can upload designs to sell on over 90 products currently.  My RedBubble shop is not just for T-shirts and clothing, but multiple products under the categories clothing, kids and babies, stickers, phone-cases, wall art,  home and living, stationary and accessories. Click on the images below to see more of that design or shop.

What I like about RedBubble website is their presentation, mock-ups and the range of products to choose from. As RedBubble explains on it's About page, it was born in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. It connects artists and designers with fans across the globe. No doubt that it is also very competitive due to its global reach, also the number of artists and designers who are already a part of this platform.

An Artist or Designer can open a RedBubble shop for free and upload designs, they can also choose the products they want the designs to be placed on. Once a design sells, RedBubble takes care of printing, packaging shipping. Artists get paid based on the royalty they have set for the shop and products. Artists do not manage inventory or the base product costs. Even my RedBubble shop is print-on-demand and royalty based with global shipping for a wide range of products. I did order some products and liked the quality.

Products can be shipped globally, unless there are region specific requirements. RedBubble does add separate shipping charges over and above the product cost, so you need to check for the shipping costs for your country or region. Once you add a product to the cart and the region, it shows the shipping charges.

I have different Collections on RedBubble and I also post some designs on the Facebook page and Instagram page of ABlazeBySK. In this post, I am just some designs from two of my collections. Do visit RedBubble shop of ABlazeBySK to see more designs and collections that I have been updating regularly.

• Sports, Games and Outdoor Activities:

• Mixed Media and Digital Art: 

This collection has Mixed media and digital art created by combining hand-drawn or manual drawing and digital art, photo collage combined with vector, digital collages or images edited with colors and filters.

Do check A Blaze by SK shops on Amazon and Zazzle. More updates coming soon on the website of A Blaze by SK.

Please do let me know your feedback; like, follow and share: 

RedBubble Shop: ABlazeBySK.redbubble.com 

www.facebook.com/ABlazeBySK 

www.instagram.com/ABlazeBySK 

Thank you

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SK Easel N Arts - Art Classes

When I was in India, I was teaching art and design courses at higher education institutes. After I came to US, I had been receiving suggestions from friends and family to provide art and painting lessons. With COVID-19 keeping people indoors and classes being conducted online, I have been interacting online with students and friends who needed some art sessions. Eventually, I started SK Easel N Arts ( FB Page, Instagram Page ) with the aim to provide art and design lessons (currently online), support with portfolio development and custom art. Working on it one step at a time. Here is an update about the most recent sessions that are currently ongoing.

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Spring is beautiful. When fresh buds bloom, nature comes to life and earth is alive with greenery and beautiful flowers, it is joy and beauty all around.

Spring is an apt time for new beginnings full of color, art and fun. Let us get inspired by the spring season and bring out the artist within us.

"SK Easel N Arts" presents online “Scenic Spring” Art Sessions. Choose your sessions and decide your own fees. Click the link below or scan the barcode in the image to register for the online art sessions and get more details:

Scenic Spring Art Sessions by SK Easel N Arts - Signup Form 

Date and time has been provided in EST (Eastern Standard Time) but sessions are open for anyone globally; please do check your local time. For questions, or for custom art sessions, please feel free to email:

SK.easelNarts@outlook.com      |     SK.ArtClass@outlook.com

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Please do like, follow and share:

https://www.instagram.com/SKeaselNarts     

https://facebook.com/SKeaselNarts

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Another Series of Wall Paintings at Chennai Central Railway Station by NIFT, Chennai, 2016

One year after I completed the wall paintings at Chennai central Railway Station in February 2015, it is good to see another series of wall paintings done by the students and faculty of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai done in February 2016. 

When I was contacted for the painting this time by Chennai Central authorities, I was out of India. While next series of more art work and murals were being planned at different railway stations within Chennai along with other faculty and students of NIFT, Chennai, I had to go out of India. Though I missed to be physically present this year, it is really good to see that my effort was recognised and Faculty and students of NIFT, Chennai, were again given this opportunity for creating art in the public spaces of one of Chennai's prime locations. 

Am very happy to see that the first year (Foundation Programme) students and team NIFT, under the guidance of their faculty Mr. V.R. Karthikeyarayan and Mr. Thomas Samuel did this wonderful, colourful series of paintings at Chennai Central Railway Station. And it is always good to see something good that you started, continues to grow and spread. I am sure that more good work is about to follow. Hope it becomes a legacy :)

Kudos to the creative and hard-working team of NIFT, Chennai.

Photo and Video Courtesy: Students of NIFT, Chennai

Update: https://swachhbharat.mygov.in/activities/wall-painting-chennai-central-station-niftchennai-1

www.seemakumar.in

Felicitation by Chennai Division of Southern Railway for Wall Art at Chennai Central

Felicitation of NIFT Chennai faculty and Director by Chennai Division
of Southern Railway for Wall Art at Chennai Central

Continuing from my previous post Wall Art at Chennai Central Railway Station in News, here is an update. On 9th July 2015, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) organised a felicitation ceremony for the painting. Felicitation by DRM, Chennai Division, Southern Railway, for mural painting at Chennai Central Railway Station covering a total wall area of about 900 sq. ft., as three parts of the wall, with three different subject matter, started 31st Jan and completed 23 Feb 2015. The DRM felicitated the Artist (me) and the Director of NIFT, Chennai, Dr. Anitha Mabel Manohar for supporting this voluntary initiative of mural painting at Chennai Central Railway Station.

As mentioned in my last post, I was invited by Southern Railway, Chennai Division “to create art work at Chennai Central Railway Station to improve the aesthetics and visual appeal of the heritage structure”. This was under shramdaan for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Given below are some more visuals of the painting.

The first day - blank wall before stating the mural painting.

Part 1 of Wall Painting at Chennai Central -
inspired by Banana plantations of rural India

Part 2 of Wall Painting at Chennai Central -
inspired by geometric non-objective art

Part 3 of Wall Painting at Chennai Central
- inspired by lines

Wall Art at Chennai Central Railway Station in News

Wall painting at Chennai Central Railway station had kept me so busy, along with office work and other things, that this post has been long overdue. Well, just wanted to share regarding this recent wall painting project which I was working on. I was Invited by Southern Railway​ (India)​, Chennai Division, “to create art work at Chennai Central Railway Station to improve the aesthetics and visual appeal of the heritage structure”. This was ​to be done as a voluntary service (shramdaan​)​ for Swachh Bharat ​(Clean India) ​Mission​ that has been launched by Indian Prime Minister​.

I started painting on a blank wall on 31st January 2015. Many people passing by stopped to talk and ask about the painting. The News 7 (Tamil​​) TV Channel approached me for an interview when I was painting the first part of the wall at the station on 4th Feb 2015 and featured about the painting in their 7 pm prime time news on the same day. This news clip Swachh Bharat Mission: Woman artist beautifies Chennai Central Station available online on this link and you can see below as well.

The New Indian Express, in it's supplement 'City Express', Chennai, Saturday, 7 February 2015 published about the wall painting that I was doing at Chennai Central railway station in their article NIFT Professor Paints a 'Clean Picture' at Central. Even though they got my designation wrong (should be Associate Professor, NIFT), thanks to the newspaper for recognising the effort. 

News about wall painting in the New Indian Express' 
supplement 'City Express', Chennai, 7th Feb. 2015

New Indian Express' supplement 'City Express', Chennai, 7th Feb. 2015, writes
about Chennai Central wall painting by Seema Kumar, Associate Professor, NIFT

The mural painting was done as three parts of the wall, as three different compositions from 31st Jan to 23rd Feb 2015, not each day during this period as I also had classes and office work to take care of. Although it has been physically very tiring but mentally a very fulfilling activity. Here are some photographs showing the entire stretch of the wall, the three parts, and each of the parts separately, as well.

Overall view of the painted wall at Chennai Central Railway Station
Artist: Seema Kumar, Associate Professor, NIFT

Painted stretch of the wall at Chennai Central Railway Station

The wall painting and NIFT was mentioned again in another article Railways Opens up New Platform for Artistic Palettes, published by The New Indian Express, in it's supplement 'City Express', Chennai,19th February 2015, where the focus was on the effort taken by Railways. During the same time when I was invited from NIFT, Chennai, for working on the Chennai Central wall painting, other initiatives like the Chennai Street Art Festival was going on supported by Southern Railways' Chennai Division, about which this article mentions, though both were different initiatives.

News about wall painting in the New Indian Express'
supplement 'City Express', Chennai, 19th Feb. 2015,

There is a lot more if I start writing about my experience at the station while doing the painting, or sharing the photographs of different phases, but maybe in later posts. Do share your views and feedback about this wall. Hope it helps to motivate people and travellers crossing the Chennai Central Railway Station to keep the surrounding areas clean and beautiful :)

Completed wall painting at Chennai Central Railway Station
Artist: Seema Kumar, Associate Professor, NIFT 

Update: 

http://seemakumar.blogspot.com/2015/07/felicitation-by-chennai-division-of.html

http://seemakumar.blogspot.com/2016/02/another-series-of-wall-paintings-at.html