The Nice Niche was launched in October 2012 in an effort to provide a visual marketing tool for artists and small businesses alike. It began as an experiment of sorts -- how many connections could be made—products placed, art sold, buzz created. One feature per week, twenty-seven months and over 100 features... Thousands of dedicated viewers spread over 120 (to date) countries. Needless to say, several success stories have been created.
Over the next few weeks we are taking a look back to thank all of the artists and small businesses that have participated on The Nice Niche—in no particular order, a collection of amazingly talented and unique individuals—we are flattered to have featured.
Week #1 Look Back:
"...Through the free association of color, texture, scale and form my work defines itself in an intuitive manner..."—Dennis Leri, Artist
"Wild Chairy creates one-of-a-kind pieces of functional art using old world techniques and only the finest materials that are earth friendly..."—Andrea Mihalik, Wild Chairy
San Francisco, California—Amanda Miller, Personal Chef
"As a starting point in my work I often think of the view from an airplane window and how the surface below is mapped out by the intervention of the human hand..."—Deborah T. Colter, Artist
"EVVIVA Boutique has a reputation for carrying extremely unique designs. Fashion that you're not going to find in your typical large chains..."—Evviva Boutique
""Based in formalism and abstraction, I make collages and assemblages that evoke feelings of escape and a sense of wanderlust..."—Melinda Laszczynski, Artist
"“Using traditional silversmithing tools, techniques, and materials we hand hammer, solder, and polish the sheets of sterling silver into contemporary functional forms, vessels, and useful objects."—Maureen & Michael Banner, Silversmiths
"We are a boutique catering company that supports local farmers, networks and people. Marrying sustainability with simple elegance creates the perfect event."—Mason Prive, Personal Chefs
"...Through the repetition of simple activities, alterations of paper, windows, and walls, at once straightforward and complex, blend into and intensify existing situations, evoking urban architecture, the office environment, the grid..."—Ross Watts, Artist
"...While she draws from actual histories and cultures, she works hard to transform the imagery in unexpected ways..."—Lisa Congdon, Artist
"...The subject matter of his art is often a loose stream of consciousness in which cultural symbols and psychological associations mix together as a documentation of a very personal interpretation of the world that surrounds."—Steven Dana, Artist
"...In all aspects, they continue to develop new techniques that apply a modern aesthetic to classic materials with a believe in a convergence of innovation, functionality, storytelling and bright, bold geometry..."—Son of a Sailor Jewelry
"...The clay captures the most intricate details, subtly accenting the plaster as it sets."—Rachel Dein, Tactile Studio
"...The works walk a tight rope between abstraction and representation and blur the lines between photography and painting..."—Jon Measures, Artist
"...I use encaustic, mixed-media, and paper quilts, to explore non-linear, autobiographical narrative created through upcycling and combining found ephemera with original imagery..."—Jessica Burko, Artist
"My etchings depict diverse architectural themes: New York City skylines, buildings and bridges and from my own backyard..."—Linda Adato, Artist
"...Now, the characters and scenes I paint have taken on a puppet kind of look and become more similar to people you see around where we live now in Brighton, Melbourne..."—Rob McHaffie, Artist
"...And instead of focusing on an individual body and the garbage it creates, I began to focus on life events and the garbage, physical and otherwise, they create..."—KellyAnne Hanrahan, Artist
"...Now many 35mm slides are being thrown away, and I feel as though I'm rescuing them—participating in another phase of their lives..."—Jessica Brilli, Artist
"Inspired by daily life, art history and religious traditions such as Zen Buddhism and Quaker Christianity, my paintings and drawings explore contemplative spiritual experience..."—Corey Drieth, Artist
"...I have been sketching most anything that came in front of my face. (I've had a long time friend tell me that he always thought it rather anti-social of me) I drew on trips, in restaurants, on boats. in other peoples homes and many in my own home..."—Abby Abrams, Artist
“We’re here to help you feel good about yourself again—that’s our mission.”—Sakara Life
"Inspiration comes from a combination of his childhood memories of the farm, the modern industrial landscape of Los Angeles, and the life that inhabits it..."—Architectural Waste
"Our philosophy is simple: whole foods make the best medicine..."—Shire City Herbals Fire Cider
"DUNN is an American furniture and lighting design firm committed to the creation of well-designed and meticulously crafted products..."—Studio DUNN
"I play with paper and paint to explore my fascination and obsession with texture, pattern, color, and beauty. Evocative of natural forms and organic processes, my work is both irregular and ordered..."—Amy Genser, Artist
"Although my work often employs landscape as its subject, I’m primarily interested in the dynamic of space and how we experience it- through distance, depth, edge, etc..."—Peter Roux, Artist
The Nice Niche is currently taking submissions for 2015 Features: nice@theniceniche.com