Shane Walker

Here is the article and page, i typed it out what it says just in case you cant get this paper in your area.

Shane Part of Big Picture……..

*Emerging Tasmanian Artists no longer have to pound the pavements in pursuit of exhibition space.
These days getting a start in the highly competitive art world is just a simple matter of registering with a free global art community.
Melbourne based internet site Redbubble, was launched in February last year with the goal of providing aspiring artists with a way to showcase and sell their work.
Co-founder Peter Styles said in less than a year Redbubble had attracted 31,000 members worldwide, including 61 Tasmanians.
Aspiring and emerging artists have always found it difficult to get exposure for their work, Mr Styles said, We also know that creative people are best at creating – they are usually not very good at marketing, distribution and dealing with the financial side of transactions.
We decided to establish Redbubble to do all the boring back of house stuff for the artists and as a way to challenge the elitism of the traditional art world.
Mr Styles said while Redbubble artists were not yet making enough to quit their day jobs they were getting sales.
Probably our best sellers are making half to a third of a living but the sales they are making are boosting their confidence and their reputation.

A case in point is – Tasmanian photographer Shane Walker.
For the best part of 10 years the Devonport based Spirit of Tasmania security officer has wanted to sell his work but it was nothing more than a dream until he stumbled across Redbubble while surfing the net.
Since joining the site in July 2007 Mr Walker 41, has sold 18 photographs to clients in America, Canada, Germany, And Australia and one of his macro-images of a spider is currently touring Serbia in an exhibition.
In addition, 15 clients have ordered card images of his work.
Shane says – In Tasmania it is almost impossible to find places to exhibit so it is really difficult to get your work out there.
In 10 years of trying to make a go of my photography I had sold almost nothing, thanks to Redbubble people around the world can now see and are buying my artwork.
And best of all Redbubble does all the delivery and financial work; all I have to do is take my pictures and upload them.
Despite his success Mr Walker, who specializes in landscape and insect photography, said he was not yet close to making a living from his photography.
But a lot of people on Redbubble, particularly painters, are making good money out of it.
And one member in Canada got extremely well paid freelance work with National Geographic after posting her photographs of eagles on Redbubble.
It is success stories like these, and the encouragement of other members, which keep us going. Mr Walker said the sense of community on Redbubble was another huge draw card.
The artists are all so supportive of each other and don’t hesitate to congratulate each other on sales or award wins.
They help each other out with technical advice and feedback on posted work and the site’s founders are always coming up with new ways to challenge and inspire us.
Mr. Walker said recently A Redbubble Member lost a child had been wonderfully supported by the Redbubble community.
Redbubble also helped out with funeral arrangements and red balloons were released at the funeral.
It really is a wonderful community and I now get onto the site every chance I get.
Mr. Styles said he, and his partners Paul Varzella and Martin hosking, firmly believed a sense of community and creative expression should be encouraged and celebrated.
We created Redbubble as a place to share work, a forum to seek feedback, a place to be inspired and a marketplace to buy and sell unique art, he said.
Mr. Styles said since launching the site, membership numbers had grown by 25 to 50 per cent each month.
This year we expect our monthly growth figures to greatly exceed that and its our goal to be the biggest internet company working out of Australia, but money doesn’t motivate us, we all cut our salaries to establish the site. We are motivated by the fact that in a small way we are changing the world, Mr. Styles said. *

Reporter Gill vowles, Sunday Tasmanian Paper.