E-commerce Website For Watercolor Artist, Beth Whitney Studio

Project Highlights

Design

When Beth Whitney decided to rebrand from Downeast Watercolors to Beth Whitney Studio, she envisioned a fresh, sophisticated, and dynamic ecommerce website that could finally showcase her artwork in one cohesive home.

Previously, she sold originals through her website and prints through Etsy, but she wanted to consolidate her business under one beautifully unified brand. We built a custom WooCommerce site using the Kadence Theme and Kadence Blocks Pro, pairing stunning design with effortless functionality.

The result is a site that perfectly reflects her artistic style — airy, coastal, and full of life. Every design element highlights her watercolors’ natural vibrance while giving collectors an easy, enjoyable shopping experience.

About Beth Whitney Studio

Beth is a Maine-based watercolor artist whose work celebrates the beauty of the natural world — from sun-drenched coastlines to tranquil woodland scenes. Her art captures the light, rhythm, and joy of her surroundings while inspiring collectors to pause and reconnect with nature.

After more than two decades of painting and selling online, Beth wanted a digital space that mirrored the refinement and creativity of her artwork. She sought a platform that not only displayed her art beautifully but also simplified her business operations — and that’s exactly what this project delivered.

Initial Challenges

Before the redesign, Beth faced several limitations:

• Her existing site couldn’t handle ecommerce efficiently.
• Managing products across her site and Etsy was time-consuming.
• The design no longer matched her growing brand and artistic evolution.
• She wanted a clean, high-end look that would attract collectors while staying true to her personality.

“I was rebranding from Downeast Watercolors to Beth Whitney Studio and wanted to start fresh with a dynamic ecommerce site. I knew this was beyond my skillset and had to have help.”

Deciding To Hire DIY Dream Site

Beth first discovered Katy in the KadenceWP Facebook group, where she noticed Katy’s thoughtful, helpful responses to others. After exploring her portfolio, Beth knew instantly that she was the right fit.

“I didn’t consider hiring anyone after I found Katy. I could tell from her own website and extensive portfolio that she could build the site of my dreams. Everything she designs is fresh and full of life — qualities that describe my art and personal aesthetic.”

What Beth Loves Most About The New Site

“I absolutely love how fresh and welcoming my site is — it’s truly the site of my dreams. It perfectly matches my own personal aesthetic and shows off my art to its best advantage. It’s also cleverly designed and dynamic.”

With the help of Anna from the DIY Dream Site team, we created a completely custom ecommerce experience that reflects Beth’s artistic vision while providing her the tools to grow independently.

“Anna came up with brilliant solutions to features I wanted to try, but had no idea how to implement. This site is completely custom and unique from other artists’ websites.”

Transformation In Her Business

“The website will absolutely enable me to grow my business by leaps and bounds. For 23 years, I only sold original watercolors through the website, relying on Etsy to sell prints. The new ecommerce shop will let my collectors see everything in one place and purchase on the spot.”

Beth’s new site allows her to manage inventory, blog, and email marketing — all from one platform. With the addition of training videos, she now has the confidence to update and expand her site as her art collection evolves.

“That stress of having a meh website that I’m embarrassed for people to see is totally gone.”

Favorite Part Of Working Together

“I really like Katy’s fun, optimistic personality. She’s definitely a kindred spirit and came into the project with a fresh perspective and incredible knowledge base (she’s really SMART). Anna was also a huge part of this — brilliant, super efficient, and very sweet.”

Beth loved the live collaboration calls and found the video walkthroughs invaluable for staying connected to the creative process.

What Surprised Her Most

“I didn’t realize how much work was going to be required on my end. I have created and maintained my own website since 1998, but I could not have pulled this site off on my own. Not with any of these customizations or ecommerce integrations.”

She also appreciated the structured support that made even the technical parts approachable:

“Katy explained the ins and outs of key apps very succinctly and helped me set them up. She’s very patient and thoughtful in providing helps.”

Final Thoughts From Beth

“I’ve never worked on anything so hard in my life. For four months, I’ve been living and breathing this website, no painting, no new products — just making sure I have everything needed for a successful launch. Even so, it was worth it because I know my business will only grow from here.”

“Excellent value for the financial and time investment! I now have a beautifully custom, functional website that I couldn’t have created on my own. That’s priceless.”

“If you’re on the fence — go for it without hesitation. You won’t find another designer with Katy’s creativity, color sense, and optimism.”

Beth’s new website not only elevates her brand but also empowers her to take control of her online business with confidence, creativity, and joy.