Have you ever seen some beautiful digital paintings or wanted to memorialize your beloved pet? Tiffany Dnaka has created some of the most adorable and meaningful photos to memorialize pets, memorable moments and much more. She also gives you some encouragement about being a woman entrepreneur.

By Michele of VAMICreations and Tiffany of Tiffany Dnaka

What gave you the idea/inspiration to start Tiffany Dnaka?

My friend lost his dog and I went to Etsy to look for a painting for him and I thought, I can create my own!

How did you get started in digital painting?

I took some digital computer courses back in high school and I started from there.

What’s your favorite type of painting to do?

Anything that has meaning. I love doing pet pictures because as a pet owner, I know how much our furbabies mean to us. So far, I really

love creating pet pictures.

How do you choose the program and colors you work with?

I went with what I am familiar with. I use Adobe products and for the colors, I choose what the original photo shows. I will add my

own personal touches if needed.

How do you choose the pieces you create – ie is there something that you take inspiration from when you start a piece?

I use the clients photo and I go off that!

What would you tell a new digital painter for encouragement?

If you don’t know how to do something or you are stuck on something, the internet is full of great resources.

What is something you are passionate about and why?

I am passionate about animals. I love them! The bond and fulfillment they bring to your life is hard to put into words. I think my

artwork reflects the love that their owners have for them.

What is the most common question you get asked about your work?

The most common question I get is what size is the artwork. Etsy is not the most user friendly and sometimes

people can miss it in the “item details”.

What is one thing that you wish people knew about being a painter?

If you paint digitally you avoid any spills!

If you had one (or several) things to share with a woman entrepreneur, what would it be? What would you encourage them about?

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. I never imagined I would have over 130 sales in my first 6 months, but also remember great things don’t come

overnight. It takes time to build your business. The best place to start for me was with my direct community! I would encourage women to start with their own community.

What is a lesson learned for being a woman entrepreneur that you wish someone had told you when you first started?

Really get to know your demographics of customers. Most of my buyers are women, thus my products are mostly tailored to them.

How has COVID changed or impacted your vision/strategy?

Covid is what brought Tiffany Dnaka to Etsy, I saw so many people take on “hobbies” and I really wanted to use some of my spare time to be creative. So, for me Covid allowed me to express my creativity.

What is something that has helped you get through, during this global pandemic? Something that is encouraging or a positive thing for you?

My dog! He has been such a life saver. I lost my other one a little over a year ago and I rescued Finn shortly after. If I didn’t have a dog during

this pandemic, I feel like I would lose my mind! I need routine and to be responsible for something other than myself and I love that he fulfills that and keeps me sane.

Fun question – if you could meet one person in history or present, who would it be and why?

I would ask to meet my grandpa, I would love to show him the art I am creating for others. He got my first dog “Moxey” for me, losing both of them was really hard. My grandpa was my biggest supporter. He kept my preschool painting (which was a rather large poster) up on his bedroom wall till the end. It was kid art, but to him it was special.

What is your dream for Tiffany Dnaka to be (where do you see Tiffany Dnaka in 5+ years)?

I hope that I could run my brand as a full time job down the road. I really enjoy creating art as a hobby, and I hope to keep growing. Possibly get my artwork into both local and major retail stores.

Thank you for joining us for this interview with Tiffany of Tiffany Dnaka and thank you Tiffany for doing the interview with us!!! I’d love to hear from you about what you’ve gotten from Tiffany and showing your piece of art done by her! Please let me know by commenting below or sending me an email. I’d also love to hear from you about what types of resources you want more information on as well as Makers you would like to nominate for a Maker Feature/interview! Please email me or leave a comment on this article!  Looking forward to hearing from you and have a great day!