2.10.09
This is weird.
I'm a bit weirded out by similar things to my It Bags popping all over the place. I seem to have seen a Fendi one, a Longchamp one and well, other bloggers showing their on versions of my work (crediting me and all, although they did get comments in their post asking to buy it off them). Is this weird or what?
If you sell original wearable illustrations for 25 dollars in a teeny tiny online store, isn't it nice to support this person's work?
Mmmm. I'm not sure I'm angry, and I should be really flattered (I'm not saying the Big Names copied my work, rather that we all came to the same creative conclusion). I'm still feeling ackward, though, about the "I copied this off the web, isn't it nice" kind of thing.
Any thoughts?
I've had this happen to me too and felt the same way. I actually had an internet beloved artist basically knock off my work on a series I did. How do you take that on? Fortunately it seems she only created one piece in that style and then moved on to other work. Another person who loved my work and left comments on a lot of my stuff then got her work published! I've also seen a couple sites that showcase my work (more crafty pieces, but pieces I sell none-the-less), post a link, but then follow up with instructions on how to recreate my pieces!
It's so disheartening.
I'm so grateful to the internet to be able to get my stuff "out there" and for helping me create friendships with other like-minded people, but when stuff like this happens it makes me not want to post stuff online at all.
Anyway, I love your work and I'm very glad to have found your page through Mati Rose's blog!
I posted your Hermes bag on my blog and gave you credit:)
http://studiofuller.blogspot.com/2009/07/hermes-schmermes.html.
Please forgive my extreme sarcasm in the post-it is not directed at you but the women who spend tens of thousands of dollars on alligator handbags.
I love your work. I do hate it when I see things that are "similar" to what I have done before etc. It provokes the question about anything really being original eh?
Thanks for the answers.
This is a hairy issue that may not be explored enough in the almost utopian world of Etsy and the likes. How do you protect your work if you want to show it, and it's work made by hand and, therefore, reproducible?