After years producing high-end fine art for corporate clients and interior designers, artist Katrina Read has moved into stationery with a new brand, The Arty Hearts.
Read began her new venture earlier this year with the aim of creating a fun and energetic range that showcased a different artistic side than her corporate work, and was different to products already available.
“I have long desired to bring a stationery and gift line to the market that allows me to take my industry knowledge and combine it with my fine art ability to create something new, fresh and art-based,” she explains.
“I had also been growing tired of seeing boring computer generated patterns and designs, and wanted to inject a bit of old fashioned feeling.”
The Arty Hearts collection, which features designs generated by Read’s paintings and is developed by her team, currently includes prints, gift wrap, cards, pencils and notebooks, but Read says she is keen to add more to the brightly coloured line.
“Our range is ever expanding, and of course being from a fine arts background, there is a huge desire to expand our art range of products for people to create their own art through our branded products. I actually have to pace myself from going crazy with products as its very easy to want to brand anything with beautiful art images.”
In her fine art work, Read produces The Prosperity Collection which sells through gallery representatives around the world and also owns Dragon Gate Holdings, a firm that handles high end corporate gifting. Although less glamorous, she says she enjoys the happiness The Arty Hearts brings to customers, and describes the brand as “a little company with big plans and a big heart”.
“I’m just doing what I love, and if it is my products you choose to wrap your gift in, or give as a gift for your special occasion, then it’s actually an honour. Nothing makes me more excited than seeing someone using our products to do something nice for someone else.”
When locating stockists, Read looks for retailers who share a similar attitude. “The main thing we look for is someone who is passionate about their retail shop. A positive person sells more product and they are a lot like us.”
By Ruth Cooper
