The Graduate (no…not the movie)
May 04 2011Here are some of my totally awesome graduation cards. Either click on the picture to see them in my Etsy shop, or visit my Artfire shop to support a starving artist on a venue that doesn’t charge any fees. Cheers!
You Oughta Know: Storibe
Apr 29 2011This Massachusetts based artist has an amazing command over color. She is able to capture movement and stillness, and uses strong lines in contrast with the fluidity of watercolor. I simply love her work. Check it out below, click on any of the pictures to get to her listings, or click on her shop name: storibe.
Fresh Pick No.17, original watercolor
Worcester Sketchbook Fire Truck on Water St., limited edition of 50 fine art giclee prints
Worcester Sketchbook No.141, limited edition of 50 fine art giclee prints
Fresh Pick No.167, original watercolor
Worcester Sketchbook No.57, limited edition of 50 fine art giclee prints
Peepsus Christ: A Savior for the rest of us
Apr 27 2011
Greeting Cards for the People You DON’T Like
Apr 27 2011That’s right, I’m making greeting cards for the people that you don’t like. There are plenty of people that get on my nerves, and the perfect way to tell them to eff off is with an innocent looking greeting card. If they get offended, just tell them you were joking (in that sort of not joking way). Otherwise, maybe they’ll get the hint that they are big ol’ jerk face.
Let me know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to check out the cards for sale at Etsy and Artfire.
Don’t Forget Mother’s Day (seriously…don’t forget it)
Apr 27 2011Mother’s day is right around the corner. Get your mom a card, otherwise you’ll be just another shitty, ungrateful child.
Tell your mom how much you love her on the big day (and every day), otherwise you are a total tool.
You Oughta Know: carlilynn
Apr 27 2011
How long have you been creating art? I have been creating ever since I was little. My parents designed hand painted clothing in the 80's, so there were always artists in our house. I was always making something. I was surrounded by artists tools, so I was drawing, sculpting, sewing and painting in some form. From a young age it was clear that art was always going to be in my life one way or another.
What inspires you the most to create? How do you find inspiration?
Nature is my main source of inspiration. I take pictures of interesting things I see, trees, flowers, colors and textures.
What is the biggest challenge you face with your art?
The biggest challenge I have is getting the things I need to do finished. My time gets split between my regular job, painting, projects, trying to get my art out into the world, daily duties, and eating! It is hard to be focused and inspired when you are being pulled in other directions.
How would you describe your color palette? I like to think that my color palette is always changing depending on my mood or what I am trying to express in a particular piece. When I use black and white your attention is on the subject matter. When using color I like to play with color schemes. Let the colors tell the story and dictate what is going to happen next.
What is your favorite medium? Least favorite? I would have to say my favorite medium to work with is oil paints. Acrylics can be a headache because of how fast the paint dries, you have to have a plan for what you're painting and stick to it. I think that takes some of the fun out of painting. The aspects of acrylics that I do like are the way you can manipulate the paint to look like watercolor or even oils.
How do you work best? Do you have access to a studio?
Right now I am painting out of my home. It is nice to have constant access to my art space. Whenever I am moved to paint all of my supplies are there waiting for me. But it is not always easy to paint at home. There are always distractions and sometimes I find it hard to get inspired. The best environment for me to work in is with other artists. I would love to one day have a studio where I could work freely and make a huge mess.
What is your favorite subject matter? Least favorite?
My favorite subject matter is nature. I use natural elements to create a flow through the piece. I am not as interested in using geometric forms.
How do you decide what to focus a piece on?
When I am painting I start with some idea as to what the piece is going to be about and as I continue to work on the piece I use the elements of design to enhance my focus.
Would you say that your pieces tell a story/have a narrative?
My pieces tell stories about my life. The pencil pieces I have done are filled with symbols and elements that have many meanings for me. The trees are my newer pieces and they are more of a color story. My goal is to evoke emotion from the viewer and let them create a personal connection with the piece.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you for looking at my work. I am open to comments or critiques. If you have anything you would like to share with me my email is CarliStaffainc [!at] mac.com
You can see more of my work at http://www.carlistaffa.com/ or visit my etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/carlilynn
Again, please visit Carlilynn on etsy or click on one of the images above to see her listings directly.
You Oughta Know: KcIllustration
Apr 27 2011
KcIllustration creates truly unique work. Some of her pieces are filled with vibrant color while others are more subdued. All of them, however, have life as well as personality. Read below to find out more about KC.
How long have you been creating art?
I have been creating art ever since I was a small child. I had tons of journals and sketchbooks where I would write down poems and snippets of prose (sometimes original but more often from books I loved) and illustrate each page accordingly. All of my fondest memories of childhood have to do with either art or books (or both). I decided I wanted to be an artist when I grew up when I was in middle school. My parents warned me I would be poor in between giving me praise and more art supplies, so of course all I heard was the praise. For a little while I thought I wanted to be a photographer. My father gave me a manual Cannon camera and I had began taking black and white photos and developing them myself in the school photo lab, but eventually I realized I was not destined to be a photographer because the photograph was never the last step for me. I always found myself wistfully imagining the photos as paintings, so I began to copy them. When I went to art school I majored in Illustration and minored in Painting. And yes, I am poor, but my life is rich in so many other ways.
What inspires you the most to create? How do you find inspiration?
I am inspired by just about anything but it takes more than that to apply myself and create without giving in to distractions. Being a good Illustrator also means having a good work ethic. You can't sit around and wait for inspiration when there are deadlines to be met!
What is the biggest challenge you face with your art?
I would say I have two challenges I face with my art. The first challenge I face is just getting started. A blank canvas is kind of a terrifying thing to me. I have discovered I can remedy this problem by painting the canvas a pretty color that will beckon me instead. In the finished product often nothing remains of that first color I put down but that's the only way I can deal with all that glaring, empty canvas.
The second challenge is deciding on a style. There are so many ways to do one thing that when you really start to think about them it can become so overwhelming its difficult to do anything at all. A teacher told me once that you find your style by just working, and it will come to you naturally...I feel like I am still waiting for one, but for now not having one can be a strength too, it means I am versatile!
How would you describe your color palette?
I don't believe I have settled on a color palette yet...it really depends on what I am doing. I feel like I tailor things like style and color palette to each particular project/story.
What is your favorite medium? Least favorite?
My favorite medium is whatever I was last using because my hand will still have a feel for it, which is why I go on using the same medium for long stretches. Right now I am oil painting and I love everything about oil paint. The smell, the sheen...the fact that you can never get it off your clothes or off your dog...
But I hate using chalk pastels and vine charcoal.
How do you work best? Do you have access to a studio?
My house has a second bedroom that is currently my studio. It's a lovely room with big windows and built in cabinets and I have a drafting table but somehow I always end up working on the cold, bare floor hunched up in a little ball over my canvas. I choose to be uncomfortable when I work but I do not know why this is.
What is your favorite subject matter? Least favorite?
My favorite subject matter is anything alive—people, animals, plants—soft, organic shapes. My least favorite subject matter would be anything involving straight lines like precise, architectural drawings. Hell day for me was when we had to sit in the hallways at school and draw them with a ruler to practice two-point perspective. Rulers are instruments of torture. I would literally turn around and walk out of class on those days.
Would you say that your pieces tell a story/have a narrative? If yes, explain.
My pieces definitely tell a story. Everything I sell on Etsy is an Illustration of some sort whether it be of a fairy tale, a Bible story, an opera, a personal memory etc. If you cannot figure out what someone is trying to say through a work of art it is perfectly fine to come up with another story in order to understand it better. Besides, I always fall in love with other people's pieces that connect with a narrative I carry inside myself. It's how you make them your own...
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I suppose I should add that I recently started taking commissions on Etsy to do pet portraits and am truly enjoying it more than anything else. It would be lovely to be able to paint such sweet faces all the time.
To see more of her work or find out more about her, you can click on KcIllustration or on one of the pictures above.
You Oughta Know: PalePreoccupation
Apr 27 2011PalePreoccupation is another amazingly talented artist that I’ve discovered on Etsy recently. Her distinct style is bold, crisp and feminine. The hints of color exaggerate the unique subjects of her pieces. Look below for her Q&A, and feel free to click on any of the pictures to navigate to her shop, or on her name: PalePreoccupation.
How long have you been creating art?
Oh, like most artists I have been making art as long as I can remember. In terms of how long I have been really obsessed with creating, I think since about 2005. I've only been doing it for money for a few years now.
What inspires you the most to create? How do you find inspiration?
Old things, secret things, things that don't quite fit. Long conversations with my brilliant husband about what should go into the giant "combining machine." Often my mind starts at my Grandparents' old Victorian home before it goes anywhere else. Other artists amaze and inspire me constantly. I work in an art gallery, so fortunately there is no shortage of other creative minds in my life to share with.
What is the biggest challenge you face with your art?
As I started the "Pale Preoccupation" series it had been a long time since I had really challenged myself at all. I had been doing a lot of things that came easily and was getting comfortable with that. I decided it was time to move beyond the comfortable into something...well...uncomfortable? heh. I had something VERY specific in mind in terms of the look, the feel of what I wanted to create. The fact is that I wasn't really up to it technically at first. It took a lot of mucking about with paints and ink before I got something I was happy with. I'm still developing it, really. I have elements I want to add that I haven't figured out how to pull off yet. I still get intimidated before beginning every piece. I have to reassure myself every time that there are other art supplies in the house if I screw it all up and have to start over! I guess in the end my biggest challenge is that I'm attempting things I'm not really qualified to do. :)
How would you describe your color palette?
It is nearly black and white, just a touch of color. I typically use reds and greens to give it life and then leave it open for a third color depending on what the
piece calls for.
What is your favorite medium? Least favorite?
I love ink and watercolor most, but I don't think I've ever met a medium I didn't like. I paint in watercolor, ink, acrylic, oil, and wax. I make jewelry in copper and glass enamel. I like to always be learning something new. If I had to pick a least favorite, it would be oil, only because I don't have room for a lot of wet paintings to be laying around.
How do you work best? Do you have access to a studio?
I work best with no one around, when I can talk to myself and not feel self-conscious about it. I also tend to make a mess, so I need a bit of room and a rug no one cares about. I have half of the bottom floor of our tiny house as my studio, so that's about 200 sq feet for me to get messy in! My husband is a big enabler of my fickle-media tendencies and is constantly bringing me home new supplies to play with in my little space.
What is your favorite subject matter? Least favorite?
Boy, there are so many cool things to paint, that's a tough question. Anthropomorphic images might be my favorite, I just love mixing human and animal! I definitely prefer to paint a figure of some kind. Machines are nice, too. The art collection I have at home is such a hodgepodge, but it is mostly figures of some kind. I find landscapes and commissioned portraits the most tedious to paint.
How do you decide what to focus a piece on?
I usually have a very clear idea of that I want a painting to be focused on when I begin. That doesn't always mean that it turns out that way. For instance, when I started painting "The Oracle" I was determined to have the egg be made from a glass and copper mixed-media element. Later, I really liked the detail in the bird-head and didn't want to distract the viewer from that. In the end I decided to save the enamel for another time when I'm using canvas. I guess I make compositional choices as I go along. Each piece is as much born of mistakes as it is born of careful planning.
Would you say that your pieces tell a story/have a narrative? If yes, explain.
Certainly my paintings are narrative. I aim to get across something in my mind using visual associations, but I always try to leave them open enough to let the viewer in. I want the viewer to see Themselves in my paintings, not just me. I want a timeless feel for a universal thought, even though the style is rather modern.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I would just like to add that sometimes I think I might just die from an overdose of satisfaction. Being an artist is great. Challenging. Exciting. It makes me happy. Thank you to everyone that continues to support my art and the artwork of others. Buying and promoting things that have a history is noble and right. You're doing a very good thing. :)
A big thank you to PalePreoccupation for allowing me to feature this week on my blog! Be sure to check out her AMAZING work at her Etsy store, which you can get to by clicker her name or any of the images.
You Oughta Know: SR Sopha
Apr 27 2011
SR Sopha is a wonderfully talented NH artist. While some of his pieces are reminiscent of the surrealist Salvador Dali, others are boldly abstract. His vibrant color choices and organic shapes make a strong and visually stimulating statement.
Read the Q&A below to find out more about SR Sopha!
How long have you been creating art?
I started painting in oils in 1986, at 15 years old. I would consider that the time I began to consider myself serious about art. It wasn’t until 1990 though, that I would say I considered myself an artist, in the sense of inner philosophies. Of course, as a child I was a huge daydreamer and doodler and purportedly, a very good draftsman.
What inspires you the most to create? How do you find inspiration?
It depends on what form I am working in. It all begins with an inner urge, like something needs to be expelled. That just comes when it comes…that’s what I consider to be the actual artistic bent. During the time that that fire is burning, it can be a word, a random thought, a psychic extrapolation, or even just a desire to smell paint and experience the tactility of process.
What is the biggest challenge you face with your art?
The biggest challenge I face with art, right now, is coming to terms with my remaining removed from the iconography of art, probably forever. It’s probably similar to finding out your dying soon, but I’m not, so the feeling will continue until I do die. Other than that, I have a wife and two toddlers, so the ability for me to go in the studio and work for hours on end and come out exhausted are gone for now. These are closely related.
How would you describe your color palette?
Serious.
What is your favorite medium? Least favorite?
I love oils: the smell, the texture, the movement and the amount of focus it gives me when I work at the easel. I also love my water mediums (mixed) because of their expediency, expressiveness and how much concentration it takes to remain unfocused. I also love the good ole pencil. There is nothing more nostalgic than the smell of a pencil! I really have no least favorite medium. Maybe those I have never tried.
How do you work best? Do you have access to a studio?
I have a small studio 12’x13’, in the middle of my house. Everything I own is in that room. People tell me it is like a museum in there. It’s cluttered with my life and all its possessions, and my mixed medium work is very large and I work on the floor with it, so it gets tough to work in there. Plus, I have a lot of stuff I don’t want to get paint on. In the summer I move it outside and I can get an eight foot sheet of paper rolled out and really get lost and sloppy. Of course, then it needs to go back into the studio for protection. So when I am working
big, it is very hard to maneuver around in there. And if I want to get out the guitar, it’s absolute torture. In school I had a good studio space that I was able to get really wet and messy and it was just great to have that sort of freedom.
I need music to draw me out of the day. Headphones work the best, but then I have to deal with the cord yanking on my head when I move around. I don’t like to be disrupted/removed from the groove, especially when I am working in an AE form. It is so time based that if I get removed from the stream there is a noticeable imbalance in the work.
What is your favorite subject matter? Least favorite?
The intangible. Politics.
How do you decide what to focus a piece on?
It’s decided somewhere where I am not concerned. With the AE stuff I am often surprised when I am completed, because I am so removed from the interpretation of my sight.
Would you say that your pieces tell a story/have a narrative? If yes, explain.
Yes, of course, although, probably not individually. Together, all my work is probably the most complete idea of me. I really don’t know how to describe that. My work is very personal, inner, so as a whole, my work is that reflection.
I do think, though, that some of my works can be ascribed a story, individually. They can be taken at their face values too, I mean.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I hope I can teach my children to not waste their lives looking for love. I love my wife, but it swallowed an enormous amount of time trying to find her. They should find what they want in life young, and pursue that only. Love themselves above all else, because it’s with themselves that they will die. They are the only solace I have in my failures as an artist. If they fail too, well….then I will be really depressed!
Be sure to check out SR Sopha online by clicking www.srsopha.com, or on any of the images.
New England Love
Apr 27 2011I was born and raised in the great North East, and I think that it is high-time I show that area some love. Without further adieu, here are some awesome New England themed items for sale on the one and only Etsy. Click on the pictures to find out how to buy these awesome goodies.
Lobstering - 8x10 Photography Print by CityWifePhotography
Map of Manchester NH Area Cuff Bracelet - Ready to Ship by Victoria Camp Designs
New England Fall-Scape No.26, limited edition of 50 fine art giclee prints by storibe
Wicked Smat -- Graduation Greeting Card by Me!
Clambake Definition on Vintage 1928 Poker Chips Christmas Ornament by ArtSincerely
Birds & the Bees
Apr 27 2011
This week I’m doing something a little different. I searched the internet and found a ton of paintings/mixed media pieces that dealt with a similar theme. Since Spring is right around the corner, I thought “Birds & Bees” would be appropriate. Enjoy!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/joojoo
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RozArt
http://www.etsy.com/shop/behjat
http://www.etsy.com/shop/unitedthread
http://www.etsy.com/shop/amberalexander
(my own)
