That is the subject of this next interview, Helle, the beautiful woman with the amazing smile and handcrafted hat to match. She is better known as Gooseflesh and is one of my absolute favorite eco artists. I first discovered her work when I read about the project the Rubbish Vortex.
This project involved collecting plastic shopping bags from all over the world and turning them into plastic bag yarn that she then used to create coral gardens, reefs and all kinds of sea creatures. This installation has been on tour across the world and I really hope one day it will come to Toronto so I can see it in person. I love how she takes an environmental issue like saving the ocean habitats and turns it into such engaging art.
What inspires you in your creativity?
I am constantly inspired by the natural world around me. It's full of curious wonders and continuously takes me by suprise. The ocean, in particular, is full of inspiration. Although most of it hidden away under the surface. I spend many hours in the ocean soaking up it's beauty.
Collecting is also an enormous inspiration to me. My home is full of collections, e.g. bird’s nests, sea sponges, driftwood, doilies, old fabrics, tapestry wool, etc.. I’m still trying to understand this compulsion to “collect and sort”. What I collect strongly influences what I make.
If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin?
That is difficult to say. Creating is very much part of the person I am and goes back to early childhood. After setting up “Gooseflesh” to archive my work and keep track of thoughts and ideas, opening an etsy shop seemed a natural progression from there. What fun it is to be sending parcels to exotic places around the world.
I’m mostly self-taught, but absorbed many skills through observing my paternal grandmother. I studied drawing, painting and printmaking at art college and draw on my background as a biologist and horticulturist.
I‘m most creative when I can focus my thoughts and energy . Early morning is a good time for clarity of mind and for focusing on the threads of ideas that will carry me through the day. I’m fiercely independent and need solitude to realize my ideas. This was a struggle for many years but I have come to accept that this is the way that works for me and makes me happy. I can work anywhere.
I will continue to push my boundaries and explore everything around me.
To be more specific… experiment with different media, especially pre-loved materials. There is an abundance of waste around me and I thrive on making the unwanted into something precious and beautiful. I’m trying to focus on exhibiting more in galleries and taking my work seriously.
What advice or encouragement would you offer another creative person contemplating taking a big step to open a shop or blog in 2009?
Don’t think too much about it, just do it. If you speak with your own voice and feel passionate about what you create it’s certain to be successful. The most difficult thing is not to be distracted but to focus on being yourself and developing your own ideas. Making can be a solitary activity so blogging is great for connecting with others.
I find blogging about my work clarifies my thoughts, gives me direction and a better understanding of why I do what I do. It also connects me to an enormous community of creative people. Their very generous, positive feedback and kind encouragement, in turn, inspires more creativity.
I only discovered Mary and her kaleidoscope of colorful art a few months ago but it has become a very important source of inspiration and art education for me. Mary describes herself as a multi-dimensional, self-taught painter and artist with a background interest in design. I really relate to the self taught artists since I guess I find myself more and more falling into that category. If you don't already know Mary and her art you are in for a real treat today. Sometimes I see a new painting of hers and I view it as large as possible and just imagine myself enveloped with the explosion of color and texture that I see there. I think her use of color is second to none.
I really enjoy reading the very many comments her paintings attract on flickr. I feel like I am part of a very important group of art students learning from a very accomplished artist. I can't help but mention how kind and approachable she has been from the first day I left a comment on one of her paintings.
I am so thankful she allowed me to ask her these questions.
It’s very hard to pin-point. When I am getting ready to paint and staring at a blank piece of whatever I am using, I usually start simply with color. I am inspired by beautiful things, it can be anything…nature, art, design, a season, a song or piece of music. Certain pitches of notes bring tears to my eyes (don’t take me to a classical concert without tissues!) so that feeling of oneness with music may form a painting. An arrangement of colors and design in a magazine may prompt an idea compositionally. But there are moments of higher and lower intensity that prompt me to make something. During periods of high intensity, I churn out the work. This is usually followed by a period of seeming inactivity where I will read (it used to be art books, but now it’s mainly metaphysical/spirituality or favorite interiors magazine, World of Interiors & Vogue Living (Australia), or any book of authentic French interiors because I relate so well to the way the French value individuality and are fearless in their self-expression), re-arrange my house or paint a room, or get hooked watching French movies. Then, when I’ve had enough, it’s back to painting.
I have always loved color, especially jewel toned colors, particularly colored glass and crystal, so it is a natural thing for me to work with color in some way. Since I was a child, I have been arranging things in ways that please me. I was constantly moving furniture around in my bedroom and rearranging the items on my dresser, etc, and I loved to cut hair! My great aunt used to let me cut her hair which gave me immense pleasure… so much so that I actually went to hairdressing school. Unfortunately, I realized that was not what I wanted to do, so I left after three months a beauty school drop out. In high school, I used to cut my friends’ hair and make them up. I loved giving manicures. They trusted me implicitly even though I did have a few less than perfect experimental moments. But it was all in the spirit of having fun and discovery. And transformation is what that was all about (which is what artists are really doing in making art—transforming materials into some sort of visual coherency).
I love music and the energy from different kinds of music really motivates me to do different things, whether it’s painting or exercising or whatever. The seasons all have their effect on me too, which is reflected in my work.
I’m really a sponge absorbing everything around me, but I know myself pretty well and just go with the cycles as they come and go, not worrying about a lack of interest in painting if I don’t have it from one day to the next because I know it will come back.
What I have discovered about myself is that I am all about trying new things. I am truly adventurous and fearless letting my drive in creating take over, so I don’t doubt myself. It has taken years of playing and trying many different things that have lead up to today. This trial and error approach to life is what makes it interesting, and it all goes into the art.
I am inspired by people who do their own thing with little concern for what others may think.
If you tried to trace back the series of events that led to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin?
I have always been creative in some form, whether it was painting my house and filling it and arranging it with beautiful things. The urge to create and learn new things is a part of my blueprint.
I opened my shop in 2006 after selling on ebay which I had begun in 2004. I needed a change and tired of the routine that went into selling art on ebay… it started to feel like a job. While still selling on ebay, I discovered flickr.com and many of my contacts were etsy sellers, so I thought I’d open my own shop there. I sold a painting the first day I opened my etsy shop so that was a pretty good day, and it just continued to be an inspiring place to sell. My customers were friendly and very easy to work with. Even though I recently closed my etsy shop on January 1st, I am reconsidering opening it again and offering small works. I miss my customers!
How did you learn your art skills?
I have learned nearly everything I have ever done, with the exception of typing and playing the piano and violin, by doing it myself, my own way. I do not like being told what to do, and this goes back to even when I was really young, preferring to figure things out for myself. I’ve always been a free-spirit, and again, enjoy the trial and error approach.
I did not take art in school. It wasn’t until I was nearly 30 that I took a couple night classes in design and drawing that I realized my ability (which I was demonstrating in other ways in my domestic life). So I have had two life drawing classes and two classes in art and design concepts as part of an interest in interior design. I thought I wanted to be an interior designer, but like the hair dresser idea, that didn’t happen. Too exacting and formal an approach to creating…. But I still won’t write off interior design if it can be done my way!
Can you describe an environment—time, place and company (people or pets) where you feel most creative?
I prefer natural light, and frankly I think I am so sensitive to changing light that it’s why I move my studio area so frequently. Right now my dining room is where I work. I have never felt the need to have a studio space outside my home. I do need more space though, so I can see myself in a house where accommodations are made for me that are separate from the living space.
I am not a planner or goal-oriented person. I do what makes me happy—that is my rule. I do keep my options open and follow through on opportunities that present themselves that sound like fun. If I had a goal it would be to get my work out to people who really enjoy what they see but I won’t compromise happiness in the process. I am happy with being a source of inspiration for others in whatever way it comes across. I enjoy connecting with others through art, and bringing people together to see things made by others that they might not ordinarily see on their own. This is why I have started a few groups on flickr: World of Imagination, The Art of Line, Soul Art, Building a Painting… The Art Process.
With selling on-line, the audience is unlimited (why I like it!) so one doesn’t really have to chase down venues. Opportunities will absolutely present themselves like the gift they are. Of course recognizing opportunities takes into account one’s comfort zone and ideas about where possibilities might lead. I really just want to have fun during 2009, maintain a simple approach, not complicate by trying to over-achieve in any one area. Just go with the flow.
2008 was awesome… I met a ton of awesome, creative people through the internet, and my painting styles continued to develop and transition with one of my happiest art-related moments being contacted by Toast Gallery in Paris mainly because I’m a French-a-holic and I have always dreamed of living in France.
If you have an urge or prompt inside you to do something, do it. It’s the part of yourself you can trust that is leading you down the path of your dreams. If you have questions, ask them, but trust yourself first and don’t be afraid to try your way before seeking advice outside yourself. If it feels right, than it probably is right for you—only you will know this. Truly, nobody knows what is right for you but you. If you are less than confident about anything, do some research on your own….. books are invaluable. If opening a shop, look at shops you like and see what you like about them. Ask shop owners for advice—most are happy to give it. The same with a blog; have a general idea of why you want to do a blog, then just do it! Seek the advice of successful people, not friends who are not sure of what they are doing. Don’t discuss your plans with people you believe to be less than encouraging. And always, always remember it’s about the experience (your experience), so make sure you’re happy during the process. If you’re always stressed out, the result will lead to a dead end and much unhappiness. Art reflects life… it’s all a journey and we get out of it what we put into it. So be happy and confident and your art life will be too.
I especially love that last painting. Thanks so much Mary for such an awesome inspirational interview and a wonderful start to the first week of February. No matter what the groundhog says today it is still very much winter where I live and it shows no signs of quitting any time soon.
At least the seeds of creativity can be sewn and grow any where, any place and at any time.
I think I knew Friederike, Sandra's adorable, sassy sheep sidekick before I knew Sandra. I was drawn in by some pictures I saw on flickr. I then became aware of just how talented Sandra was when I saw her the plush art she had created for the plush you show in Seattle. They were so creative and unique I just knew a special mind and two very talented hands must have been behind that work. I followed her art over the next few months from a quiet distance but then one day I was offering up some vintage fabric bundles for swapping and was delighted when Sandra sent me an email offering to swap for some. I had visitors arriving from British Columbia with my wonderful little nephew Roberto and so Sandra sent me a Drakkar ( a phenomenal viking ship ) soft pillow. You can see the delight in Roberto's face when he received his gift. It has been great looking at her new creations for little glimpses of some of the vintage fabrics I sent her. Here is the latest one with a piece of vintage tea towel as the shirt. What inspires you in your creativity? I find inspiration in many things, like books and magazines, mythological stories, also in materials or patterns, and in things I already loved in my childhood days ( for example history and vikings). But also the hughe creative wave and community is such an enormous inspirational source. And then there is inspiration in the mere chance. When you begin doing something with your hands, drawing, cutting, glueing, whatever. Having already an idea in your head or no idea at all and all of a sudden you are led effortlessly to a different direction and a new, maybe even better idea just by the doing itself, by the pure chance. That´s like the kiss of a muse. Whenever this happens it´s so satisfying and I´m happy as can be. If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin? I always loved making things with my own hands like my grandmother and mother did before. Both were very creative and especially my grandmother could make something out of nearly nothing. For example she worked a lot with old clothes that she cutted into stripes and braided to rugs. My mother painted furniture, embroidered and sewed clothes for me and my brother. I never thought I would sit behind a sewing machine myself. But in 2005 when my husband presented me a sewing machine, I found myself exactly sitting there. I also had just found Friederike!, a wooden sheep that I restored, this sheep led me to a fabric store for the first time since my childhood, where I bought a new blue hair fabric for her. At the same time had discovered the world of craft blogs. I remember beeing so fascinated and inspired by the huge creative community out there, especially all the wonderful handmade softies. My first sewn pieces were a mess, but being a painter at that time and working mainly two dimensional, I discovered soon the satisfying feeling of creating three dimensional, textile pieces. When I started making soft toys it was not my intention to doing this for making a living. After I got some nice feedback from people that I showed my creations, I felt encouraged to offer them for sale. Working with fabrics and threads, combining patterns and textures and developing my own designs became my passion and full time job. At the beginning I didn´t care so much about making patterns, or if my creations are usable and it took a while until I found my own hallmark. But I would say, it was more a kind of a natural development that it grew into a tiny business. How did you learn your crafting skills? simply by trial and error. Can you describe an environment : time, place and company ( people or pets) where you feel most creative? I need much time on my own and I find myself being most effective and creative whenever I have a few days in row being alone. My husband is regularly on business trips, this gives me much freedom for my thoughts, time and also for using the space around me. Don´t get me wrong, I love my husband and I miss him when he is away, but I think being on your own allows you to spend the time in your very own rhythm, from the morning to the evening, without compromise. Yes I think having space on my own (in every meaning) and living in my own rhythm is very important for my creativity. Besides I have two cats, who are cuddly studio companions. What do you have planned 2009? 2009 is a very special year for me. I decided to separate my studio from my home and so I´m actually in the middle of renovating a studio outside my home, which I´m very soon going to share with Bogi Bell (sehgang.blogspot.com), a friend of mine. It´s a new, exciting situation for me. But I think we will manage this collaboration very well. I´m looking forward to new ideas that can arise through this new studio situation. We are going to have an exhibition room, which allows us to have open studio days, meeting people etc. I´d also love to do some bigger thematical installations, maybe trying out new materials and techniques, but we will see. What advice or encouragement would you offer another creative person contemplating taking a big step to open a shop or blog in 2009? In 1999 I met an elder artist on a holiday trip to Mallorca. At this time I had a well paid job, but dreamed to do what I always wanted to do, to paint and being an artist. I told him that I´m contemplating taking that big step. He listened to me and after I had told him about all my worries at length, he looked at me and the only thing he said was: "stop talking about making art, just do it". It should take another 4 years until I plucked up courage to quit my job and to follow my heart. I don´t want to say quit your secure jobs, but if you want to open a shop or a blog: follow the advice of the old man :) and have fun. I think Sandra is a genius with the way she mixes fabrics, colors and textures and brings such personality and life to her plush art. I can't wait to see what she dreams up for 2009. I am awaiting two more interviews that I am really excited about. I will post them as they arrive over the next week or so intermingled with a tutorial or two and general good news. I will announce the winner of the blog birthday giveaway tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who left comments . I think I have read them over a few times now and each and every one of them is precious.
My relationship with Kima started in the spring of 2007 when I fell in love with her whimsical felt collages on flickr. At that time I was redoing Deborah's bedroom as a surprise and birthday gift for her while she was away spending 10 weeks in Nice, France on exchange. The room was redecorated in red and yellow and since Deborah loves art I wanted to purchase some new items for her walls. I asked Kima to do a custom piece for her and this is what she made. You can see how awesome it looked on Deborah's art wall. I would love one day to see a animated short of adventures in kup kup land. I think it could be nominated for an oscar. * What inspires you in your creativity? I get influenced by the things around me, my inspiration comes from the materials themselves, the fabrics and felt, the colors, thedrawings, the ornaments etc. The materials make me visualize the idea I have for a creation. I am fond of most japanese styles in craft making as i am of comics, illustration books for children, nature and life itself. My style is kind of pop and baroque at the same time -at times i try to make things more minimal but the result never satisfied me so far- so i guess that's what defines me better. * If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin? I always loved to draw, paint, I have studied graphic design and illustration and 2 years ago I startet to play with fabrics, buttons, sewing and I discovered felt! A fantastic material with you can create a lot of thinks from illustration to many interesting projects.I started with a flickr account -i love flickr- a world full of images- Then i dod the blog, a space that i like but do not use so often, i am not good in writing. Then, i opened my shop at Etsy, the three work together very well I thing the Internet is a big marketing tool. * How did you learn your crafting skills? At school I always loved to draw and paint, and I have always had special interest in all handmade, but i am self taught, i did not learn the things, i do in a particular place, i have been experimenting always with new ideas.I love cut and paste!! Sewing by hand and machine, embroidery, draw..I try to combine all these elements. I like to experiment with all sorts of materials but without doubt felt is my favourite one: i like to combine it with fabric and other materials paper, wool... * Can you describe an environment time, place and company ( people or pets) where you feel most creative? We moved from Spain to Greece 8 months ago..Greece is sun all the way and the light is great too and this influences a lot in my life and my work. I need sun, I love sun.. *-What do you have planned 2009? So many things....I would like to create my own web site, and I'm planning to rent a small studio near to my house. * What advice or encouragement would you offer another creative person contemplating taking a big step to open a shop or blog in 2009? I remember when I first got started; I thought I would never sell my first item! I say just keep making the stuff you love and someone that loves your work will find it and give it a new loving home. Being original is the most important thing but we actually receive loads for information and influences and being original is difficult. I think we can be inspired by other people's work but the personal touch defines our work, and of course don't give up and be open to trying new things. Be patient and don’t ever get discouraged.
The story of how Ashley and I became friends starts with a tinsel tree and flickr. This is the tree I posted on flickr one day back in 2007 holding my ashleyg inspired ornaments for the holiday ornament exchange. What happened was Ashley ( fern animal Ashley) either left a comment or emailed me on flickr inquiring about the tinsel tree and where I had bought it because she was looking for something like that to display her ornaments at craft fairs. I had next to no idea who she was except that she made adorable animals but it was no problem for me to buy one for her at the small shop in the tiny town that I work in and mail it to her. In return she sent me some beautiful handmade items and a friendship was forged. You see she is still using this tree . This is a picture she just posted from a recent craft sale in Boston. She is really a talented artist as well as the maker of some of the sweetest little animals ever. Her sewing skills are envious but they developed from many years of hard work and practice. She wasn't just born with the ability to make tiny removable suits for petite animals. Ashley wanted me to show you her very first fern animals but I was already going to do that to emphasize that last point. If you are creative and have an imagination just start making things. With practice the skills will follow. What inspires you in your creativity? I love to scour antique shops and flea markets in search of weird toys (I am most attracted to creepy cute stuffed animals and figurines - ones that look like they need some loving) and vintage fabrics. Fabric patterns and colors inspire me more than anything else. Just a few months ago I finally visited a huge fabric warehouse here in Western Mass and any time I am feeling unmotivated, I know I can just go there and get lost in the piles and piles of vintage materials. I also tend to get my best ideas for projects while driving. The longer the drive the better. Not all of these ideas come to fruition - actually most of them don't, but it helps to make the trip feel more productive and exciting. Now I just need the extra time to work on these great ideas! Can you describe an environment : time, place and company ( people or pets) where you feel most creative? Most days I sew alone in my cozy studio with my cat, Kitchen, curled up on my lap. She runs in as soon as I sit down to work, and moves from chair to chair with me as I switch between sewing machine, and computer and back again. It's kind of silly actually, and a little inconvenient most of the time, but terribly cute. Sometimes when I'm feeling worn out and need a break, but still have lots of animals to make, I sew up all the parts that need to be done on the machine, and put the pieces in a basket, along with a generous pile of cotton stuffing, a needle and thread, my trusty needle nose pliers and small screwdriver (my absolute favorite stuffing tool) and move into the living room to watch a movie while stuffing some bodies (Kitchen will follow me to the couch, too). I love watching movies while working, but I get more work done in my studio listening to NPR or Pandora Radio. If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin? I can pinpoint the exact time I made the first Fern Animal. It was late fall of 2005, I was in art school, and I was taking a web authoring class. It was nearing the end of the semester and for my final assignment I didn't want to make just another artist website, I wanted to make a shop. I was planning on trying to sell knitted things I was making at the time: hats, scarves, baby sweaters, but at the last minute I decided to quickly make up a couple little fabric animals because I thought they would be easy to photograph for a mock website (without having to deal with getting models). I made three messy animals, and a friend photographed them for me. While we were working on the photos in the design lab, people started talking about how much they liked the little animals, including one of my professors, who ended up buying Fern Animals number 2 and 3, right on the spot (I kept the very first one for myself). I was blown away by this unexpected enthusiasm for these funny little animals, and I knew immediately that I had to make more. I initially sold casually to friends at school, and through my website, and then at my very first craft fair, the Boston Bazaar Bizarre in December of 2006. But it wasn't until my friend Elise (of ArglyeWhale) convinced me to try Etsy that Fern Animals really took off. I stumbled into my very own small business all by accident and it was amazing. Still is. How did you learn your crafting skills? My mom taught me how to sew and quilt when I was young and I have always spent my free time creating. I always considered myself a painter, but it felt good to use different materials like fabric and thread. In high school I experimented with stitching into paintings, and I altered my own clothes to fit better and made my own school bags. I loved being able to walk proudly down the hall knowing that no one else would have the same sparkley purple velvet book bag that I had (yes, sparkley purple velvet) and that I made it myself. I also made my own dress for junior prom. It was empowering. It still is. What do you have planned for 2009? I have so many plans for 2009! Where do I begin? (This is always the problem.) The number one thing that I NEED to work on this year is organizing my business stuff. Tax time is always messy and scary. I am so completely unorganized with this stuff it's ridiculous. The most I have done is to reserve a drawer to stuff all my receipts into throughout the year. It's very daunting, the pile is huge. But, I'm What do you have planned for 2009? pretty sure after doing my taxes last year I told myself that I would make organizing my business stuff a priority and I didn't do it then either. We'll see. But, I have lots of great ideas for the fun part of having my own business - making stuff! I want to offer more made-to-order animals in my shop, like I did with ornaments for the holidays. It worked really nicely and was a relief to be able to sell some animals that weren't completely one-of-a-kind (Though they are all hand made individually, so really they are still - I just feel more comfortable having my studio assistant help me with these ones, compared to the more expensive limited edition animals, or custom orders). I also have plans for new limited edition animals and small themed collections. I'm excited about finding more unique vintage fabrics to work with, and am thinking about a whole collection of just vintage animals. I also want to find the time to focus on drawing again. It's been a while - making Fern Animals (and making enough to pay the bills) is really time and energy consuming. But I'd like to try to sell some drawings and prints and find a good balance between sewing and drawing again, like when I was in college. I was offered an opportunity to maybe teach some small crafting workshops recently, so that is something exciting that I am looking forward to working on as well. 2009 looks very promising and packed full of ideas and projects already! What advice or encouragement would you offer another creative person contemplating taking a big step to open a shop or blog in 2009? Well, I am a pretty impulsive person, so I am always telling my friends to just go for it. I actually probably annoy a lot of my friends (or anyone who shows a tiny bit of interest) because I am always trying to convince people of how easy it is to set up a shop and get started. It's so simple and with Etsy there are tons of people already there, just waiting to find your work. I do have to say though, that there is more to it then just posting items in your shop. I think I often over look how much time really goes into keeping up with my blog (Oh! Another goal for 2009 - be better at blogging on a more regular basis!), posting on my Flickr, emailing friends and customers (who often become one in the same), and either announcing a shop post with enough notice that people can plan on being there for it, or posting regularly, every day or so (so you are more likely to show up in the Etsy searches). I really believe that if you have unique work that you love and stand behind one hundred percent, and can put the time and energy into it, you, too, can have a very successful online presence. You just need to go for it. Really. It has changed my life. That last picture was my two little fern animals in a photograph I took just for this special occasion. I for one would love to take a class with Ashley, I will try to get some more info on that. Last night I dreamt of buying a large cottage on a lake and offering creative retreats with all the wonderful artists who have inspired us this last week and a half. We could feast on organic food, go for walks in the woods, canoe trips on the lake, make music by the campfire and there would even be a very nice resident doctor if needed. Well they say everything starts with an idea. A little later today I will post the answer to "guess the nature inspiration" but as of writing this post no one has guessed it so I will either award the most inspiring answer or pick a winner at random. Tomorrow is a very special day at Resurrectionfern and I hope you will all be back to help me celebrate.
I first fell in love with the watercolor paintings of Geninne well over a year ago when I was browsing the art for sale on etsy. I immediately sensed that she loved the natural world as much as I did and that she had a particular fondness for the feathered inhabitants of the earth. I purchased a few prints of hers but it was really the stones that brought us together. For some reason Geninne became one of my strongest supporters and motivators in the crochet covered stone journey I embarked on last year. I don't think it is possible to tell her or you just how important that support has been in getting me where I am. She even gave me the ultimate complement by pulling out her crochet hook and covering some stones of her own using my little tutorial. Here is a picture of one of my stones I made for her and the one she made for herself. Notice how lovely everything in Geninne's home is and her fantastic photographs. And if that isn't enough she is married to the best home and furniture builder in the world . What inspires you in your creativity? My inspiration comes from all sorts of places, primarily from nature. I live in a beautiful wooded area so I'm surrounded by all sorts of cute little birds, flowers, and trees. I am also inspired by many of the wonderful and talented artists that share their work and a glimpse of their daily lives on the internet. If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin? I opened up my etsy shop encouraged by the lovely people that visit my blog in September 2007 with a couple of prints. It was such a great experience to see my artwork flying off to far and exciting places. I had always dreamed of selling my work. Visiting etsy for the first time was so inspiring, I loved the fact that it was sort of like an online art fair. I immediately signed up and began to research costs and the works. I couldn't believe how easy it was to set up shop. I'm absolutely smitten by etsy, it's like a great big family of crafters. How did you learn your crafting skills? My love for arts & crafts began at a very early age. I've always been interested in learning how things are made. I learned most of my crafting skills at school. When I was a little girl I attended a British school for girls in Chile that had a great emphasis in teaching all kinds of crafts like sewing, knitting, weaving, etc... I had a great teacher and two very loving and very creative grandmas as well. I studied Architecture in Chile for a couple of years before I moved to Mexico and decided to go into graphic design. I learned a few things in college but I think most of my skills come from being extremely curious about all types of crafts and wanting to experiment and explore different techniques and playing with my hands. Can you describe an environment : time, place and company ( people or pets) where you feel most creative? I feel most creative at home, specifically in my studio, surrounded by lots of art materials that I can play with. My most creative time is at night, when the house is nice and quiet and I can dive uninterrupted into my little world :) What do you have planned 2009? I really don't have a specific plan, just to continue doing what I love and having fun with it. To be creative everyday and share it with all of you in my blog. I purchased a little gift for myself for christmas from Geninne's etsy shop. Can you guess what it is? I am trying very hard to convince Geninne that we should go beachcombing together this summer. Does anyone want to join us? We can at least dream , can't we? I am really excited about tomorrow's interview ( yes this is the longest week in the history of the world). Tomorrow's interview is with another very lovely person from Brooklyn and we became friends because of a question she asked me in the fall of 2007 about a small tinsel tree. Here is a perfect example of why it is so important to delurk, leave comments on the flickr photos, blogs or shops of people you admire or artists you feel connected to and on the other end artists and shop owners why it is so important to answer questions, read comments and connect with your fans. It could lead to something magical.
Melissa is somewhat of a new friend to me and I was so "largely happy" that she agreed to the interview because she is someone I hope to get to know better in 2009. So you see I have old friends and new friends in this inspirational week. Melissa describes herself as a New Zealander living in Norway and I think you can see the influence of both these fantastic countries in her work and life. She and I share a great love for the natural world and you can see if resonate in all her photographs. It was her freehand embroidered pieces of plants, seeds and weeds that secured her a place in my heart and mind. Maybe it is just me but when I was looking through her flickr sets I found that they reminded me a lot of Maya ( day 2 in my inspiration week). What inspires you in your creativity? Lots of things inspire me, but especially nature and the seasons, and living here in Scandinavia for the past year and getting to know the special plants and trees and light. I also love flickr, craft and design blogs, magazines, window shopping, reading letters written by friends and second-hand shopping. If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin? I suppose it would begin first of all when i was very young. My Mum taught me how to knit and sew and I have always been driven to make things- except for a period when i was a teenager. But I remember taking great comfort in art and crafts all through my life. I became seriously interested in sewing and blogging when I had my son Arlo five years ago, and wanted to make toys and clothes for him. That led to my starting up my blog and small business, and I've been enjoying it ever since. How did you learn your crafting skills? I learned to knit because my mother was very patient in teaching me, and generous in sharing her yarn stash, but i have also picked up a few things from craft books and by practicing a lot. Can you describe an environment : time, place and company ( people or pets) where you feel most creative? I do like to be on my own, listening to music or the radio, and making things. I get lots of ideas and new thoughts while I'm quiet and doing something meditative like knitting or baking. But then, the busy times in my day- like when I'm surrounded by children or friends- can be really inspiring too- I like the creativity, energy and general frenzy of children and I think it can be quite contagious. What do you have planned 2009? I'm planning on continuing my writing my blog and making things for my online shop, just like I did in 2008. I do have some new creative ideas i'd like to try and my new year's 'resolution' is to try and organise myself better in order to create a calmer environment for myself and my family. I'm not sure if that will ever happen, though, because we're planning on moving back home to New Zealand in the middle of the year. So 2009 will be one of big changes. What advice or encouragement would you offer another creative person contemplating taking a big step to open a shop or blog in 2009? I'd say, go for it! And also, perhaps not to expect too much from it at first. But if you're willing to put quite a lot of yourself into it, writing a blog and selling your creative work on etsy can be a fulfilling and exciting thing to do. I feel really lucky to be a part of this crafty community. I would love to wear clothes sewn by Melissa, wouldn't you? I just can't let the inspiration stop quite yet so tomorrow I will post an interview with someone that is the most talented nature water color artist that I know and she happens to live in a home built by her husband that I would just love to move into. On top of all that she is a very talented maker of things , home schools her two handsome sons and is so kind and supportive. See you tomorrow!!
I am really excited about this interview today with my dear friend from Portugal, Maria Ribeiro or Kjoo as she is known to many. I discovered her work on etsy in the spring of 2007 and again it was love at first sight. I puchased one of her patchwork crochet and handmade felt pins and it instantly became my favorite piece of jewelry. I am in love with the concept of wearable art and this little piece typified that concept to perfection. I have purchased a number of her pins since then and I always receive complements on them and they have stirred up more than a few interpretive conversations. I want to display them in small shadow boxes when not in use to give them the attention they rightly deserve. It was because of Maria that I took up my crochet hook last year in a serious way and if your have been following my blog or flickr you will know where that has lead me. A little inspiration can lead one down an entirely new exciting path. One of the highlights of 2008 was actually getting to meet my crochet idol in person. It happened in December in the fantastic city of Lyon, France. She is just as sweet and wonderful and pretty as I knew she would be . By the way I think she recognized me standing on the street in Lyon outside my husband's apartment by the kjoo pin that I wear on my coat. That was a picture of me outside of Purl in NYC last spring wearing the same vintage coat and kjoo pin I wore in Lyon. The next picture is Maria and Miro ( he is also very sweet and handsome) in Lyon climbing up to the top of the hill to see the beautiful church up there. She also is wearing one of her pins ( the only one she kept for herself ) and it was very beautiful. While we are modeling her work, here is Bekki with her favorite kjoo necklace on. What inspires you in your creativity? I don´t know for sure. I like to absorb everything in my own way. Inspiration can come from a place I visit, some artwork I admire, a book or a film. Nature is a great inspiration. If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin? I was unsatisfied with my job options as a graphic designer, and was seeking more freedom to create. In the meanwhile, I found several blogs and got to know this new "craft movement". The Design Sponge and Whip Up blogs led me to a reinvented universe that I wished to be a part of. When I first searched The hutup ( http://www.hutup.de/ ) website catalogue I knew I had to learn how to make felt, it looked like a perfect material for me to create. So I started learning the felt basics, and after so many years, I started crocheting and exploring new crochet techniques. These are very different from the ones my grandmother taught me in my childhood. Soon I joined Flickr with some pieces of work, and surprisingly I got so much encouraging feedback on what I was creating, that I thought I should start selling the products online. I knew of Etsy since the beta version, so it was my first option apart from some "real shops". -How did you learn your crafting skills? I learned how to felt from the Martha Stewart website (I first learned felt beads) , some quick tutorials from the internet and from the book Felting by Hand ( http://www.amazon.com/Felting-Hand-Anne-Einset-Vickrey/dp/0961905352). Japanese zakka felt books also taught me some interesting tips. I first leaned how to crochet with my grandmother, and every day I learn new techniques. I just need to keep practicing. Can you describe an environment : time, place and company ( people or pets) where you feel most creative?Most of the time I feel more creative at night, Many times I've worked until 1or 2 am, usually in my living room while watching a film. Normally I work in my small atelier at home surrounded by my two cats, Rita and Artur, as well as my puppy Eva. My husband also works at home, so we share this space together. Each day is different, but I usually start working between 9 or 10 am until 6 or 8pm. What do you have planned 2009? My first plan is to make some plans regarding my work. Until now things have been going with the wind... between Etsy, Flickr and several invitations. It's been almost two years and its time to refresh things and balance all possibilities. I am working on my website, it will be a conversion point between Etsy, Flickr and a new shop I plan on opening. What advice or encouragement would you offer another creative person contemplating taking a big step to open a shop or blog in 2009? I have always been creative and I always loved to make "things" for me. When I first started sharing my work on the internet I found people who liked the same things I do. That was so so inspiring to me. So don´t be afraid to share your thoughts, interests or work because there will always be someone like you. If not beside you, then maybe on the other side of the globe :) I discovered that painting of Maria's looking through her flickr sets and I would love to encourage her to paint in 2009. I love it so much. Tomorrow I have an interview with someone I hope to get to know better in 2009. She is a New Zealander living in Norway and I am in love with the way she lets her needle pull thread. An extra bonus today is a second posting a little later in the day with the first 2009 installment of " guess the nature inspiration". Prior to this interview series they were my favorite posts. Now I think it is about even. Don't forget to check back a little later and play along. No knowledge is required only curiosity and imagination which are both somethings we all have.
Vivienne Strauss is the beautiful half of my favorite artist couple. Her art is so uniquely wonderful and has a modern folk artist quality to it. The titles of her paintings are like stories in themselves and they really ignite some wonderful flickr conversations. In her former life Vivienne sold vintage clothing and many of these outfits find themselves having a new beginning in her art. She and Matte Stephens live in Portland, Oregon in a home superbly decorated in midcentury modern furnishings with six adorable cats. They both love those guys and girls so much that it is no wonder that cats and dogs enter into almost all of Vivienne's paintings. I was so happy the day Vivienne opened her flickr account and was really flattered when she made me her second contact . Her first one was matte of course. They met at one of matte's art shows in 2002 and were married the following year. I love the way they comment on each others paintings publicly even though they are probably only a room or table's width apart and also how they paint each other. Oops, I mean paint pictures of each other. How adorable is that?? The first picture is one of matte's many paintings of Vivienne and the second is Viviene's painting of matte. What inspires you in your creativity? I get a lot of inspiration from old movies, fashion illustrations, and photos. Sometimes it seems to come in from everywhere and it begins to feel like sensory overload when everything you see, you think "that could be a painting"! Often just hearing an interesting name gives me an idea for a new character to paint. If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop, where would it begin? I've painted on and off over the years and showed in a few galleries but it wasn't until this past spring that I really started doing it full time. Showing and sharing my art work on Flickr has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. If you are producing work that no one will ever see, there doesn't seem to be much point to it. Etsy is a good place to try and sell your work because you have a world audience instead of just limiting your audience to one gallery in one city where the majority of that city's population may never come in. How did you learn your crafting skills? I've just learned from looking at other works of art. The more you work, the better you get. It mainly comes from trial and error. I used to try and paint at an easel with canvas but I have really shaky hands and found it is much easier to paint on a smooth surface on the table so I can rest my arm. Can you describe an environment: time, places and company (people or pets) where you feel most creative. I come up with most of my ideas at night for some reason but generally execute them during the day. I like to get up by 6:30 for my morning coffee and try to start painting by 8. Often the biggest challenge is sitting down and getting started. Usually once I get going, it is easy. I paint at the dining room table looking out into our back courtyard which is really nice. I like to be alone with music playing or an old movie that I've seen before so I can listen and not have to watch it constantly. I like being around my cats while I sketch but they are too disruptive to the painting process! What do you have planned for 2009? To try and be more balanced! Not to get so caught up in work that I neglect exercise and eating right. I go through bouts where I think I'm saving time by skipping those important aspects of life only to end up grumpy and unable to concentrate. I also would like to develop more stories around the characters I paint instead of just really long titles. What advice or encouragement would you offer another creative person contemplating taking a big step to open a shop or blog in 2009. Be sure to keep everything updated! Renew things on etsy every day or several times a day so you work gets seen. If you have a blog, be sure to post every day or almost every day. I highly recommend using Flickr too, not only can you store all your images there, you will get feedback on your work and it is seen by even more people. When you work at home alone all day, those comments can really help keep you motivated. I would love to take a personal tour of that house one day and savour each and every little detail. Tomorrow our interview will be from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean from one of my very favorite fiber artists and good friends. I am also going to post my first guess the nature inspiration contest of the new year. A double treat for the middle of the first week of January. I just hope Rane and her family are ready for this one.
I have to say I was thrilled when Cathy agreed to be interviewed. She and I became connected through our love for handspun yarn. You may not realize that when she isn't painting, drawing, writing poetry or working magic on her teeny tiny sewing machine ( that is just how I imagine it to be to make her machine writing tangible) she is wandering around her house with a drop spindle spinning up beautiful hand dyed roving ( that by the way she dyes herself) to use for her terrific dolls. It was just last year that I suggested a monthly swap of handspun fiber that would inspire us to knit beautiful little things to share with each other. During this year of exchanges I became increasingly aware of just how uniquely talented this lovely person is. She even sewed an entire poem by t.s. elliot on a piece of cloth for me to use in a future, very special project. What inspires you in your creativity? I'm inspired by so many different, often quite intangible things and ideas. I'm inspired by beautiful objects and moments. But mostly my work is about self-expression and about how so often there are silences - girls are told to be a certain way, I was never able to really express how I felt as a little girl. As a woman I've gone on a journey of learning to express myself. So I'm inspired by my own life experiences and the stories of other creative women. If you tried to trace back the series of events that lead to you making things and opening an etsy shop where would it begin? Ah, it has been an interesting journey for me. I knew for many years that I really wanted to develop ideas and share my visual work, professionally, but it took a series of unhappy events to get me there...... In 2005 my marriage ended, so I was single with two young children. It was not a happy split and I found myself going through a very challenging period, emotionally and personally. A new relationship began, it was wrong for me, so that ended. At this time I was hardly paying attention to my creativity at all, I just felt desperately lonely - I now know why I felt that way. I hit bottom and had to get myself out of the hole..... A few good friends of mine, who knew me well, encouraged me to start using my skills to make things and get some self-worth back. So I started out making very simple decorative items in fabric, using anything that I had already and friends gave me fabrics and so on. I started to sell my work but I wanted to be more creative about it and slowly but surely I developed my ideas and started to feel more like myself...... I decided I was going to use my creativity positively. Now I had actually got an opportunity to really express so many ideas and produce work that meant something to me. This was not an easy process at all, there was so much going on of course. I came across Etsy totally by chance - one day, just looking around, there it was this opportunity to sell my work online...... So much has happened in the past few years. A lot of hard work and many changes. But I will always be grateful to my friends and close family for their encouragement. How did you learn your crafting skills? I've always enjoyed constructing bits and bobs to make something attractive and/or useful. As a child I liked to make dolls out of pipe cleaners and old fashioned pegs. My skills were quite basic though, until I was at University where I studied English and Art. Then I got the opportunity to try different art processes and I also taught myself to sew, embroidery. I became interested in Outsider Art and wanted to try stitching and sculpting and so on... That just continued on. When my daughter was a baby I would use her nap times to teach myself how to use a sewing machine. I've not really been taught by others, I've mostly tried things for myself and used trial and error. I did a pottery course several years ago and that taught me skills that are not just about using clay. I am still learning and challenging myself. Can you describe an environment : time, place and company ( people or pets) where you feel most creative? I like to work at home, in my own small space, usually by myself. But my children are very good critics:) I often feel my most creative first thing in the morning, that is the time I have a new idea that is making me get out of bed early.... What do you have planned 2009? I would like to continue developing my ideas in mixed media and stitch. This year I particularly want to develop ideas in three-dimensional pieces with paper as a main material and to use more hand stitch embroidery. I like the idea of making domestic objects, such as cups. Also, looking back over my 2008 work made me realise how I enjoyed my rather grungy painted journal pages with handwriting and layers of paint - so I want to develop my ideas and create some new paintings that are rather like journal pages. I would like to continue on with selling my work online and would love to see my work in a few more galleries and/or shows. That is a goal to work toward. Also, I really would like to work on a few collaborative projects with other artists. What advice or encouragement would you offer another creative person contemplating taking a big step to open a shop or blog in 2009? For opening a shop - Be wise to what you need to do professionally, as far as taxes and so on in your country. Remember this is going to take up time and it is really exciting commitment. I would suggest you spend plenty of time researching your chosen creative 'area'. Look about at latest trends but remember they are just trends. Look at a wide range of resources such as magazines, galleries, books - and be focused on what matters to you creatively. I feel it is a good idea to find a style of working that you feel is right for you, but don't be afraid to experiment in public a little either:) I know from reading blogs and sharing with others that people really appreciate seeing how an artist can develop their ideas, evaluate and learn. Be wise about yourself, as far as you are able, and use your best skills. Personally, as a collector, I really value work that has a distinctive, personal look and I like a shop that has a friendly seller. I think a blog is essential if you want to open a shop:) A blog allows the opportunity to express ideas and give some insight into your way of thinking. You need not be too personal about your day to day life. I choose not to discuss my children very much, that is my personal choice and that's ok. I never seem to have enough time to read all the blogs I would like to read, but I do make time to visit blogs when I can and enjoy being part of the online creative community. Just in case you didn't catch that Cathy is looking for artists to collaborate with and I can't think of a more wonderful, talented woman to do so with. I imagine her inbox will be filled with offers shortly. Tomorrow I have an interview with someone who definitely should have a blog but she has an etsy shop and a very busy flickr account. She is an artist , married to an artist and they both live a midcentury modern life. Can you guess who I am talking about?