Today we’d like to introduce you to Liza Kameen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My husband (J.D.) and I both grew up in Baltimore, MD, and attended Roland Park Country School and Gilman School. We were married in 2017 and after almost a decade together, J.D. was looking for a gift for our first wedding anniversary that was unique and meaningful.
We had hundreds of photos on our phones but a photo did not seem personal enough to give as a gift. J.D. went to an art gallery seeking to find an artist to hand-paint one of our favorite photos from a trip that we took to Paris. The entire process was overwhelming, expensive, and was going to take a long time. They wanted J.D. to mail the photo to several artists, which was going to cost over $1,000, and take months to complete.
As a hobby artist, J.D. and I had started an Instagram account a few years prior where we shared art that we loved from artists all around the world. J.D. ended up reaching out to one of our favorite artists through an Instagram direct message and commissioned the artwork that way. The artist was able to take the photo and turn it into a beautiful watercolor and have it to him within weeks for a fraction of the cost! I was absolutely blown away by the gift and was shocked that there was no service that made the process of commissioning artwork easy!
Paintru was born about a year later. Today, the company is two years old and we not only provide the world’s best gift but also work with a number of other groups to help them commission artwork – we have a number of commercial clients and a network of realtors and interior designers we work with as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have had a number of obstacles like determining if and when to raise capital, trying to figure out our key customer personas and use cases, and marketing these personas effectively.
As you know, we’re big fans of Paintru. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Paintru is a custom artwork company. Simply upload any photo from your phone, Instagram, or Facebook and we will turn it into hand-painted artwork. We have over 2,000 artists that we work with all around the world all that specialize in different styles of art. Once you upload your photo to our website, you can select your size, style, and frame and Paintru takes care of the rest!
We source the artist to commission your painting for you behind the scenes all with a quick timeline and affordable price. You will get to see your painting within 10 days of placing your order in something that we call a ‘wet revision.’ At this point you can make any edits to your painting free of charge – this keeps our customer satisfaction rate at nearly 100%! Commemorate your favorite memory, your loved ones, and more!
Our artists can even make special edits to your painting like removing something from the background of your photo or even adding in a loved one! Our average order is $300 and we average 3-4 weeks from order to your door! We do this all at an affordable price that provides a steady income to our artists and a healthy profit for the Paintru team.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We are making art affordable to the masses by bringing commissioning capabilities online. We realized that a vast majority of artists are continually looking for new outlets and revenue streams. As artists ourselves, we recognize that many artists face a number of challenges as they attempt to build out their brands, reach new customers, and exhibit their work in an evolving digital world.
These challenges have been exacerbated for artists worldwide by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the art trapped inside shuttered galleries and street fairs going empty.
Paintru’s first-of-its-kind marketplace allows artists to generate income in two different ways. First, Paintru connects artists directly to thousands of customers through its front-end business offering- custom commissions from consumers’ photos. Paintru matches customer requests to specific artists around the globe based on the subject matter as well as the medium selected (oil, acrylic, or watercolor). The artist’s commission is based on size, complexity, and subject matter.
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, Paintru armed artists to continue to generate an income by commissioning pieces from home and Paintru saw an increase in revenue during the pandemic’s subsequent wave of gallery closures.
Second, the company showcases the work of thousands of artists on the Paintru Instagram account with more than 400,000 followers, making it one of the largest virtual art galleries globally. A click takes tens of thousands of users to the artist’s personal Instagram portfolio, allowing a peek into the artist’s creative process and the opportunity to buy listed pieces directly from the artist.
Pricing:
- Paintings start at $185
Contact Info:
- Email: info@paintru.com
- Website: www.paintru.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paintru/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paintru/
