Feature Friday With Red Bud Primitives

Tony Owens is the owner of Red Bud Primitives.

He is our Feature Friday Artist.

1. What is the name of your Etsy shop and why did you choose that name?

I named my Etsy shop Red Bud Primitives for the street that I live on in the small town of Mocksville, North Carolina; Red Bud Lane. Mocksville is located between Winston-Salem and Statesville off I-40.

2. How long have you been on Etsy? 

I have been on Etsy since January of 2012.

3. What type of items do you offer?

We currently offer Primitive, Rustic and Americana décor items as well as cabinetry largely on a custom basis at this time.

4. How long have you been crafting?

I have been working in wood for over 30 years and am a 3rd generation Craftsman. My Dad taught me woodworking at 12 years old and I am now passing those skills to my son who is 15. 

5.  Who or What inspires you?

I find inspiration in a lot of forms. A lot of my items are variations of things that my Dad made when I was a kid. Some of my items are my own designs inspired by things that I see around me every day; and I get inspiration from other artists. While I would never copy another artists work, I do see things that I would change to make them different. 

6.  What is your favorite item in your shop and why?

My favorite item in my shop is the Outhouse toilet paper holder. Growing up in the Appalachian Region there were still a lot of these in use. It is tribute to the region and is my own design. I have been making these for about 15 years and have sold more of these than any other item I have ever made.

7. Other places where you can be found (Ebay, webstore, blog)

I in addition to Etsy, I can also be found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rbprimitives) and on Twitter (@redbudprimitive), or by email at redbudprimitives@gmail.com

8. How do you describe your artistic style?

My artistic style has a simple, country flair. I like to push the envelope of my abilities and produce new things. I think the fear of messing up holds us back from trying new things, but hey it’s only wood, right? I have as many failures with new ideas as I do successes but I never stop trying to go the extra step.

9.  Do you have set days or times to work on your craft?

I primarily have only weekends to work on my crafts. I work a full time job as a manufacturing plant manager and I usually describe it as full time and a half.

10.  What words of advice would you give others or to someone just starting out?

Don’t underestimate your abilities to stretch yourself into areas that you are not comfortable with. And most importantly, don’t overestimate the money you are going to make doing crafts. A few good months of sales can turn into a dry spell in the blink of an eye. In 20 years of actually selling my crafts I have seen the cycles go from “all I can do to keep up with orders” to “boy I sure wish someone would buy something”.  Branch out to all avenues you can access. The circle of friends and family that you know that you can sell to closes in rapidly.  

11.  Tell a bit of personal info about yourself.

I have been happily married to my soul mate for 17 years and have a 15 year old son. I have been woodworking for 30 years and try to balance that with a full time job and spending time with the family. I look forward to growing my woodworking business through the internet as well as doing local arts and crafts shows starting this fall.

Great to get to know Tony!

You can find him here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedBudPrimitives