Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katherine Carney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Katherine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Putting your work out there’ for the world to see can be a little daunting. But when I decided to pursue a full time career in art I had a wonderful support system to encourage and help me.

in 2015 my sister and I bought a beach condo in Bethany Beach Delaware and were searching for affordable art that we both loved. After search for quite some time my sister suggested i put my art skills to use and create a work of my own. I had not painted on canvas in a very long time. So I did a little research and then purchased everything I needed to create my first masterpiece.

Fast forward to 2025 and I am grateful to have painted my path to an art career. In the beginning it was friends that saw and purchase my art. Shortly after that I ventured out into my hometown to see what stores/galleries would be interested in selling my art. The reaction was very positive and provided me the positive feedback that I needed to continue to learn about reproduction of my art, selling, and setting up social media platforms to provide necessary visibility.

I won some local art competitions and completed several large jobs such as creating and installing art for a corporate poultry company ( Mountaire Farms) and providing a local hotel, Hyatt Place Kent Narrows Marina with oversized framed art and printed canvases to name a few. But perhaps the greatest open door to my success has been the support and dedication of a two ladies that started a business called Local by Design, Susan Sears and the late Suzi Jett.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Prior question addresses this.

I am a professional artist with the core of my subject matter being coastal art. I have always been fortunate to live on or near the water due to my Fathers work as an Oceanographer. His love of the sea and all within have definitely shaped my interest in everything coastal.

I paint original art on high profile canvas and usually offer my works framed. About 75% of my paintings are scanned for reproduction. This means I also offer paper giclees, printed canvases and branded merchandise ( ie :candles, aprons, placemats plus)

Having a background in advertising and art/graphics, Using Photoshop software, I am able to superimpose art into photos provided by clients so they can actually see what their room will look like with a particular painting. This is extremely helpful to many of my buyers.

Being able to offer my art at different price points is also very important. Not everyone can afford an original work – or they might not even want an original for a summer home or rental property so custom enhancing printed canvases provides a remarkable product at a much more affordable price.

I love what I do and I love doing it for you!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are so many rewarding aspects of being an artist! Many are personal like learning a new technique and bettering your paintings skills. There is a lot of research that goes into painting as well. As an artist I am always learning about color and composition. I absolutely love what I do and I absolutely love meeting my buyers.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My social media accounts are definitely a Work in Progress. I truly try to post as much as I can but often fall behind due to painting and running my business. I will say that I have worked for every follower that I have. I manage my own account instead of having someone post for me. I enjoy working on it and exchanging messages. It can be extremely time consuming so I try to keep it all in perspective.

My advice is not to take these accounts too seriously. Have fun with them but don’t be obsessed. The amount of followers one has does not equate to their sales. Don’t compare yourself to others as well. You are unique

Contact Info:

• Website: https://paintingsbykatherinecarney.com
• Instagram: paintings by katherine carney
• Facebook: Paintings by Katherine Carney
• Linkedin: none
• Twitter: none
• Youtube: none
• Yelp: none
• Soundcloud: none
• Other: Etsy: katherinecarneyshop