Writing an "Artist's Bio"

[Former_Member]

I have been asked to write up a one page artist bio to be displayed next to my jewelry in a brick and mortar shop that I have some items for sale in, and I am struggling a bit on exactly what to write.

How detailed should something like this be? Should I focus mainly on my background or my production processes?

Does anyone have an example of an artist bio that they have written for themselves? I appreciate any and all input!

[Former_Member]

I'm not even sure if it should be written in first or third person point of view!

[SnarkFactory]

My Bio:
Hello, my name is Mallory and I am an artist living in SATX studying graphic design and fine arts. I work with a variety of mediums such as oil pastel, oil paint, and acrylic paint. My primary focus is portrait work with an emphasis on bold and dramatic color schemes.

I wish to turn my passions into a full time career, I have always been devoted to my love for art and graphic design. I believe that art should not be considered a luxury, but a necessity! I take pride in my work and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by my shop!

“Because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars…”
-Jack Kerouac

I put my name, where I'm from, my category of art, my mission statement, and my plans for the future. I added the quote in an attempt to relate with my customer base. I like these things to be short, sweet, and interesting.

[SnarkFactory]

Haha try not to overthink it! Let your jewelry speak for you, your bio should just fill in the blanks!

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the input, Mallory! Over-thinking is what I do best! ;)

[SnarkFactory]

Haha me too!

[PhoebeAndJune]

I agree with Mallory.
Keep it professional but friendly. Include your inspirations, how you got started in your craft, and a bit of your process. Relevant personal details can be mentioned but only if they influence your work or somehow play a part in your shop. The two main points are 1-Give the buyer a background of the work and a reason to buy and 2- Show that you are an expert in your field. Look through your welcome page and about page on Etsy to get a start as it makes a nice connection if someone from the shop comes to Etsy to find you.
Good luck!

[rhodyart]

I sent you mine via convo but I wanted to point out that your artist statement can also be your "about" page statement and vice versa

[BethWold]

I have mine on my about page. Wrote it in third person(I believe it is standard) include a little background info, like why I create, description of my style and then any awards, accolades, or education. Here it is:

Beth Wold is a fine art photographer specializing in landscape and wildlife photography. Although Beth is a North Dakota native, she spent 17 years abroad in Africa where her passion for wild places and wild things was ignited. Inspired by line and form as well as negative space, her wildlife photographs are unique and celebrate the individuality and grace of her subjects. Beth’s landscapes tend toward intimate views of the landscape and are often abstract in form. Her work has been collected and displayed on four continents, and published in Nature Photographer magazine. One photograph was exhibited in Leading Artists Online Landscape Exhibition and awarded an honorable mention. Two photographs have been honored with Awards of Distinction in juried photography competitions. Beth earned a Bachelors of Arts in Photography from the University of North Dakota.

[BethWold]

I just realized that one is out of date! Ha! So another thing about bio's is keep them updated!! Here's the one from my website - it's up to date... Now off to fix my about page!


Beth Wold is a fine art photographer specializing in landscape and wildlife photography. Although Beth is a North Dakota native and resident, she spent 17 years abroad in Africa where her passion for wild places and wild things was ignited. Inspired by line and form as well as negative space, her wildlife photographs are modern and celebrate the individuality and grace of her subjects. Beth’s landscapes tend toward intimate views of the landscape and are often abstract in form. Her work has been collected and displayed on four continents, and she was recently named "North Dakota Artist of the Year" by Twin Cities Tosca Magazine. Several photographs have been given awards in juried art competitions. Beth earned a Bachelors of Arts from the University of North Dakota.

[Former_Member]

Thank you for the feedback, everyone! You've all been very helpful!

I hope to have mine finished by the end of the week...fingers crossed!