Introducing Bartistashop
Discovering new artists and makers across the UK is one of the joys of shopping on Folksy, and this week we have a brilliant new shop to introduce you to: Bartistashop.
Bartistashop is a store full of illustrated stickers, bookmarks and stationery, run by Bayan Moradi, who is originally from Iran but is now based in Birmingham. We talked to Bayan to find out a little more.
Your work is gorgeous. How did your business come to be and what drew you to creating stickers?
Thank you so much. I’ve been doodling and drawing, and essentially in love with anything art-related for as long as I can remember. I studied graphic design at university and, back in Iran, I used to work as a freelance illustrator / graphic designer. However, since I moved to the UK, I’ve found it really hard to get work in that area, despite my degree and experience in the field.
After working for a while doing something totally unrelated, I decided to get back to my passion and find a way to present my art to a broader audience, and hopefully generate an income from it. So at the beginning of lockdown, after lots of research, I decided to start my online stationery store, selling mainly stickers.
What’s your favourite creation?
My favourite pieces are the female author bookmarks collection that I created at the start of 2022. I drew a few of my favourite female authors’ portraits and then turned them into bookmarks. I originally made them just for me, but then decided to add them to my shop. I’ve had great feedback about them from my customers so far!
What inspires you?
As an artist, my inspiration comes mostly from my own life. I like to draw and paint things that I see and experience around me. Being out in nature and seeing the wild elements, is an amazing source of inspiration to me too.
How do you come up with your ideas?
Brainstorming helps me the most. I usually start by pouring out variations of different thoughts, words or ideas I have, without worrying. Later I go back and revise or expand them. I also like to do my research and learn more about my customers, what they want and what they need – their requests always help me plan out my next project.
