AUBURN, Ala. (EETV)- It is no secret that Caroline Walker has always had a passion for art, and after having several friends express interest in her work, she decided it was time to transform her talent into a business.
“I have seen fellow college students take initiative and start their own businesses on social media for products like jewelry or spirit apparel, as well as services like photography and hair styling,” said Walker. “Social media provides a great platform for young entrepreneurs and artisans to display our work to a broader audience without having to develop a business fully or pay any sort of start up or domain name fees.”
Beginning in the end of December, Walker took her business to Instagram, with ‘The Loveliest Prints on the Plains’ as the perfect name for her Auburn inspired work. Quickly, she gained hundreds of followers and several requests for her art work.
“So many people share this love for Auburn, and expressing & sharing this love through artwork has been the main part of starting ‘The Loveliest Prints on the Plains,’” said Walker.
So how does it work? Walker sells original art that customers can buy, or custom commission services by request. “Prints are high quality reproductions of original art I have scanned, and custom commissions are the actual watercolor paintings I produce on individual request at a bit of a higher price,” said Walker.
Right now, ‘The Loveliest Prints on the Plains’ is solely run from its Instagram account, but Walker hopes to see expansion in the near future, including a webpage with a checkout option for her customers. “Painting is quite frankly my favorite hobby, and any way I can spread this to others is just a cherry on top of doing what I love because it makes me happy,” said Walker.
All prints are printed at FedEx on high quality card-stock paper and either hand-delivered or mailed to customers. Right now, there is a waitlist for custom commissions, but Walker is committed to delivering the best artwork possible to her customers and ensures that any wait will be worth it.
“I encourage any and all local artists or creators to begin selling their work, as it proves rewarding both financially and mentally,” said Walker. “College students love supporting fellow college students in their passions, especially those within the Auburn family!”
