Arosha is a fairly new member of Etteam, but he already feels like part of the furniture. He's played with my questions and made them way more interesting - I'm really enjoying this interview!
Cats or dogs?
Cats
Star Wars or Star Trek?
Neither…
Fruit or chocolate?
Both!! My family had a chocolate factory in Torino, and I'm a big fruit lover
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=26340112
Favourite colour?
Just one…??? I'm in love with all the colors! And my preferred is the cobalt blue that appears in the sky at sunset, my favorite time of the day.
Favourite meal?
Sashimi for the start, anything Italian as main course, and for desert – I'm sure you can figure it out yourself…
City break or weekend in the country?
I live in a city by the sea, so I get to enjoy both the city and the nature all the time.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25746656
Soaps or documentaries?
I'm absolutely proud to have never seen even one chapter of any soap! Documentaries and films are my favorites, and preferably independent European ones.
Bath or shower?
Bath - long, warm, with candles, music, wine, bubbles etc…
Tuxedo or jeans?
I threw away my last tie more than 10 years ago… Informal – not only in the dress style.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24403337
Murakami or Damien Hirst?
Murakami – because he takes me to a dimension where fantasy, childhood, future and dreams are mixed
Your favorite material?
This is a hard one… I'm a very eclectic and curious artist. I like to experiment with every material possible. I've created jewelry from wood, silver, steel, plastic, fabrics – you name it.. I've used almost every technique possible. I'm an autodidact, intolerant of any pattern, and I create with total freedom of expression, always searching for harmony and inner vision.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25986407
What brought you to Etsy? Tell us about your shops: Do you sell anywhere else?
I started my main shop on ETSY www.arosha.etsy.com around two months ago. Soon, it became too crowded with items… I'm an eclectic artist and am now expanding it - with the new www.AroshaTwists.etsy.com and www.sleeks.etsy.com
The purpose was to expose my work to an international audience. My work is already well recognized in Italy and Israel, where I live, and it can be found in galleries, boutiques and jewelry shops. Etsy is a wonderful way for me to reach beyond the geographical limit.
I'm a full-time artist – art for me is a way of living, it's my breath and my vitality and my individual expression and my uniqueness and craziness. I want the world to know…
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26158722
What’s the favourite item you’ve made so far?
I love them all….
What has been the most useful lesson you’ve learnt (about Etsy) so far?
I have two lessons to share:
1. Having wonderful items is not enough. It's all about having GREAT photos. And you don't need to own the most expensive camera out there! Mine is a Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS, and I take great photos mostly because I studied it very well. So many of us don't bother to read the manual... Well – DO!! I took the time and improved the results significantly. Photography is also about the right lighting – I use the sun light in the early morning hours – it's very strong here in Israel in the summer, and there's no possibility with home equipment to get equivalent strength of light.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26277772
2. Join a team! I'm a member of the Israeli artists team (ISART) and of the Etsy Treausry Team (ETTEAM). The support, exposure and knowledge sharing in both teams is impeccable, and joining them was by far one of the best steps I took in the last month. I've worked alone most of my life (the lonely life of the individual artist), and being a part of a team was a bit awkward at the start. Being an anarchist by nature, I was not sure how I will fit with team structures. But I'm slowly realizing I'm becoming a more social and manageable person as I grow older…
How do you see your store developing?
I see the millions crowded at the gates shouting: "Give us more of Arosha's jewelry now!! We want HIM!!!" Well… those hallucinations again… should definitely stop smoking that stuff…
On a more serious note – My shops differ from each other.
My first shop, www.arosha.etsy.com is where I sell my OOAK items and metalworks. Most items are not repeatable and are very unique. I hope the audience that appreciates an individual artistic statement and creation will fill this shop with movement. I'm already getting wonderful feedbacks from customers who appreciate the quality and thought and high-level of work that I put personally in these items – all handmade by me.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26078755
The items in my two other shops www.AroshaTwists.etsy.com and www.sleeks.etsy.com are more easily repeatable, and are accordingly priced. They still comply with my basic personal perception of jewelry as art – so each piece is completely handmade and all items are unique, contemporary, sophisticated and possess an individual statement. My shops are not the right place for anyone looking for a mass-production item…
What have you been doing today that I’ve interrupted?
Taking photos, painting, preparing a wonderful lasagna for Hadas (the daughter of my woman), meditating, taking a walk on the beach at sunset, and dancing the night away..
Thanks Arosha, I really appreciate you taking so much time tweaking the questions. It's clear to me that the level of care you have taken in your answers is a reflection of the level of care you take in your work. I look forward to seeing more of your truly unique items.
As well as the Etsy shops we've just browsed, Arosha has his own website
www.arosha.eu
www.arosha.etsy.com
www.AroshaTwists.etsy.com
www.sleeks.etsy.com
