My paintings on Buy Some Damn Art

I'm excited to announce that I'm the featured artist this week on Buy Some Damn Art!  Six new originals are available for purchase here.  Plus, there's an accompanying interview with photos.

The six works were inspired by photographs I took on my travels.  Can you guess the place that inspired Lake Ridge and Mountain Rim?

more sites to add to your blogroll

via Jill Bliss

Cabin Porn.  It's basically crack for cabin addicts like me.  Thanks, Jill, for getting me hooked.

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via minieco

Handmade Ryan Gosling.  If you're crafty and taken, then both of you will get a good laugh out of this tumblr.  This post in particular hit home . . . um, sorry again, honey, for leaving that pin in the sofa cushion!

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Annekata.  After a five month hiatus, Kathrin is back with more creative and thought-provoking posts.  Truly one of my very favorite blogs.

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In the Make.  Studio visits are up there with cabin porn.  Thankfully I can get my fix every Monday when photographer Klea McKenna and writer Nikki Grattan post their latest interview with a San Francisco-based artist.

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Things Organized Neatly.  Not sure why I like household objects neatly arranged in rows, but I do.  It actually is very pleasing.  Too bad my desk doesn't look anything like this.  (Thanks to reader Falco for the tip!) 

Studio visit: Jill Bliss

[All photos by me. Art images, Jill Bliss]

I have known artist Jill Bliss for several years now, since first meeting her at my Portland shop.  She had recently moved from the Bay Area and had setup a studio space in a classic Portland foursquare house.  Since then, we've had many meetups and run-ins, talking about art and our other shared fascinations- Prairie Underground clothes, the Asian culture, and good food. 

Jill's nature-inspired art goods can be found all across the country in little and big shops, an admirable feat for a one-person business.  Unfortunately, a hand injury this year has hindered Jill's drawing routine.  Being the resourceful and dedicated worker that she is, Jill still manages to stay very busy.  I paid Jill a visit at her home studio a couple of weeks ago to hear about her latest projects as well as give all of you a glimpse of her wonderful creative space. 

Jill at work, and her sweet 11 year-old dog, Lucy. 

What is one of your most prized possessions in your studio?

My vintage scientific wood drafting table. It's huge, it fully disassembles, it has two drawers underneath and footrest bars that perfectly hold my flat files. I will have and use it the rest of my life, and possibly request it to be used as my a funeral pyre when the time comes! Ha!

Jill's drawing of California Poppies is still one of my favorites of hers.  Every year they spring up in her garden.

What inspires you to create?

Learning about ecology - all the little pieces and how they fit together! So inspiring!

What are the things you love most about what you do, and what are the challenges?

I love creating visual reference guides for all the things I've learned, which is what my work has become. I love being my own boss, and I love interacting with people who appreciate and use my work. Current challenges are all related to not being able to draw as much or as quickly as I used to, thanks to aging and overuse, and the expense and stress of trying to maintain what's left. 

An artist can never have too much storage.  The wall and window ledges are perfect for Jill's smaller collections.

If you could change one thing about your art space, what would it be?

I would make one whole wall floor-to-ceiling cabinets with doors for storage to eliminate the visual clutter in here! And the other wall floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the garden view.

The insanely detailed work of Jill's Anima series. 

What art project or accomplishment are you most proud of?

I love my Anima series as if they were my own children, and I'm very protective of them! Unless things get really super dire around here [I'm eying my pile of medical bills] you will never see my anima babies on mass-manufactured-in-china stuff!

Enjoying tea in Jill's sweet kitchen.

If you had a spare hour in the day, how would you spend it?

Meeting a friend for coffee, tea, or happy hour.

Clipboards are an easy way to organize loose papers.  The chair rail is a perfect spot for Jill's clipboards.

Staying organized is a challenge for many artists.  What are some simple tips that have helped you?

Clean as you go and put things back where they belong as soon as you are finished with them - easier said than done!

Jill makes business cards from recycled prints and stationary. 

What advice would you give to an artist starting out?

Are you sure you want to do this?! Just kidding- well, only a little. Hold on to your day job or other source of income as long as possible, and be prepared for lots of compromise - either your integrity or a normal lifestyle! Very few artists get to have both.  Many artists doing mostly self-generated work aren't paid well enough to afford all of the comforts of typical middle class life. Generally, self-generated work doesn't pay as handsomely as corporate work, and corporate work can be full of artistic and moral compromises. No matter what type of work you choose to do, even if your art is popular and paying all your bills now, there's no guarantee that the popularity will last. Have a back up plan/ career just in case - especially if you have or want to support a family! Nothing lasts forever!

Thanks Jill for a great interview! To see the plethora of art goodness from Jill, go to her website here. Jill has also launched a kickstarter campaign this month.  Pledge $25 to her new Anima project and receive a 16" x 20" poster of your choice!  Read more about it here.

And, once again, we'll be throwing another art giveaway, thanks to miss Jill.  See what's up for grabs tomorrow!

artist interview: callie thompson

[images: Callie Thompson]

Austin-based artist Callie Thompson has been making art as far back as she can remember.  She grew up playing in her mom's art studio and went off to college to study art at Dartmouth and Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan.  I first came across Callie's art on Etsy a few weeks ago, and there was an immediate connection to her work.  Callie paints beautiful abstracted landscapes and patterns, and recently, she has translated some of her designs into a new textile line. 

How would you describe your work?

My current work is a combination of reductivist landscapes, biomorphic shapes, abstract patterning, and a heavy use of white and black. I would describe it as contemporary, meditative, minimalist and optimistic.

Studio mate, Bodhi, is relaxing on a pouf that Callie made.

What does your typical day look like?

Until this summer I worked full time at an Austin HIV/AIDS non-profit, now I work part time for a land conservancy. When I get home from work, I immediately go to my vegetable garden in the front yard to decompress. I don’t usually paint after a work day, so after dinner I fulfill orders.

Listening to 'ambient grooves' on pandora while I paint the abstracted landscapes is my painting nerdery secret. When I’m doing more pattern-y work, I like more energy like La Roux or Cults (Pandora stations).

What artist/tool/material do you love using at this moment?

Sumi-e ink is my all time favorite. Nothing matches its luminous, full black. It can cover anything and moves like silk. I also love using hearty cotton-linens and lightweight silk in my fabric line.
 
Now that your textile collection, BEAM, has launched, will you be focusing more of your energy on textile design and production?

My paintings lend themselves intuitively to repeating patterns, so textiles are a logical next iteration. I’m still in the early stages of launching BEAM, so yes, I will definitely be spending more energy on it in the coming months. I’ll be releasing more items and also offering larger quantities of items for wholesale/consignment.

Callie, her dog, and a few favorite objects on the desk- an old hinge, driftwood from the Sonoma coast, a Japanese figurine, and pottery by Eli.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

I’m proud of four years spent with my girlfriend, Eli. I’m always learning about myself and how better to be in relationships.   

What inspires you to create?

Spending time in deserts anywhere in the Southwest. The physical expanses of the desert inform my work. The openness, the wide spaces.  I’m inspired by friends too: my next door neighbor Cheyenne Weaver, Brian Crumley, Natalie Davis, Adrienne Brabham Butler, my mom, Harriet Huss, and Eli’s mom, Delia Robinson. And finally, GOOD MUSIC: Lovers, MEN, King Tuff, Big Freedia, Jean-Eric, Missions, Ava Luna, Arcade Fire, the Luyas.

What advice would you give to an artist starting out?

Think less. Do things that will get you into feel. The more connected you are to your work, the more authentic and strong it will be. Keep doing what you do with dedication. The artists that affect culture most have created their own aesthetics over the years. They create those aesthetics through pure persistence. You can make a whole new rubric just by making what you make confidently and abundantly. Allow your work to evolve, each piece informs the next. At 28, I’m definitely just starting out myself, so this is what I ruminate on.

[image source: West Elm]

Your art is currently featured in West Elm's fall catalog. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience? 

West Elm found my work through a collaboration with Etsy. There are items from five Etsy sellers in the current fall catalog. It has been a huge amount of exposure for me, which has been wonderful. And, every Etsy and West Elm staff person I’ve worked with throughout the process has been exceptional.  (Look for my prints “Storylines” and “Ice Mountains” on pages 24-26!)

To see more of Callie Thompson's most recent work, visit her website here and her Etsy shop here.  Five percent of all profits go to Florida's Eden, a non-profit working to document and preserve Florida's natural environment.
 
And check back tomorrow for a giveaway of one of Callie's art prints!

artist interview: Emily Jull of Nesting Emily

I have been smitten with the pottery of Canadian artist Emily Jull ever since spotting her vintage doily porcelain jars on Etsy.  One of her handmarked vases is perched on a shelf in my bedroom, and it's one of my very favorite ceramic pieces.  Her porcelain collection is thrown on the wheel in her home studio, and Emily was kind enough to share more about her creative process and space on Habit of Art. 

How would you describe your work, and what inspires you to create?

The work I enjoy the most these days is quite stark and minimal but I also do some with yarn, felt and colour which are more joyful. I think all my work is fairly simple, modern and organic. I am always inspired- there is so much to be excited about. Beautiful blogs like yours, other artists ( I run a gallery shop where I am surrounded by talent and beauty) and above all nature keep me constantly excited.

What does your typical work day look like?

My typical work day is at the gallery I mentioned above, but when I get to do my own work I wake late (I am part sloth). I have a fruit smoothie for breakfast and pick some tunes (this depends on what I am throwing and how much- anything from Nirvana to Stevie Wonder to Warpaint). Then I just jump on my wheel and get going. I love throwing and will do it for as long as I can till I ache too much. I’ll have lunch and then back down I go till dinner. I also love to clean my studio after- it feels like putting love and thanks into the space and all the tools.

What are the things you love most about what you do, and what are the challenges?

My absolute favourite part is throwing on the wheel. I am not as big a fan of the decorating the surface part. In fact I would love to partner with someone who loves that part and I could just throw all day. Maybe that’s why my work is so stark. I love the look of bare clay. That’s also why I love doing the woodfired pieces- the kiln does all the decorating and it is a complete surprise and one-off each time.

Emily and some of her vintage finds

Apart from art, what are your other interests?

Oh that’s tough. Almost everything I love falls under art, craft and design. I love vintage and antiques. In fact, in 2012, I will be opening a brick and mortar shop that combines all my loves. My greatest interest is my daughter but she is an artist so she counts under that heading too.

If you could change one thing about your work space, what would it be?

I work in my basement, and while it is filled with things I love including part of my art collection and is painted white, it can be gloomy. I would love a studio on ground level with lots of light and worn wood floors. Ahhh to dream.

Thanks, Emily, for a wonderful interview.  To see more of Emily's creative work, visit her Etsy shop and her flickr.  Also, her home was featured on Etsy here. 

And there is a giveaway! Emily is generously giving away a handmade ceramic necklace (shown in right photo) to two lucky Habit of Art readers.  Check back tomorrow for details!

My Week

I'm cat sitting for two weeks.  My friends are laughing right now because they know that I'm not much of a cat person, and yet I'm a cat magnet.  In fact, while I'm typing this, one of the cats is resting her head on my arm.  I must smell like cat nip or something.

My friend's cat. I think she's the most handsome cat ever.

Mother's day dinner was at a family favorite in SE Portland.  Coming out of the restaurant,  I noticed the misspelled sign ("delieacy") for the first time.  It made me smile.

My youngest daughter celebrated birthday no. 8.  Lots of girly squeals and laughter as they pretended to be mermaids. 

I finished three wood panel pieces for the July show and added the piece below to my Etsy shop.

Horses in a field

Also, my art and an interview was featured here.  The week before, the featured artist was fellow Portlander Rachel Austin.   

My art fair finds

Art fairs are a test of my self-control as a shopper, and often times, I fail.   It helps to be a vendor at the art fair, so that you're stuck in an 8 x 8 ft space for most of the day.  But even then, it only takes a few minutes for me to find several must-have products while on a break. . . I'm an efficient shopper to a fault. 

Artist Jill Bliss was my neighbor at the Rieke Art Fair this past weekend, so I didn't have to go far to find a number of things I wanted to take home with me.  I snatched this lovely (and huge!) paper weight, which was her last one.  I really don't have a need for a paper weight, but I couldn't resist its crystal ball likeness.  When my youngest daughter, who collects snow globes, asked if it could be hers, I quickly replied, "Nope. It's mine."  All mine, I thought.  I think I'll call it my precious. 

Both Jill and I love to draw things in nature.  She just came out with a new drawing book that is quite brilliant.  There are nearly 200 pages of art instruction, beautiful drawings, and plenty of blank space for the inspired artist. 

I taught drawing for many years, and trust me when I say there aren't enough great instructional books on drawing.  This is one art book that I'll definitely keep in mind when shopping for an enthusiastic learner. 

I have a weakness for handmade sketchbooks, and it took me all of 10 seconds to claim this one as my own.  I was chatting with Clare Carpenter of Tiger Food Press when I spotted the hand printed and bound artist book in her booth.  This is what it looks like on the inside:    

The pages are in an accordion design!  My plan is to draw one very long illustration.  If I make it past page three, I'll count it a success!

Here is another hand bound book I bought from Clare.  The floral cover is vintage wallpaper, and there are two silk ribbon ties.  My brother is getting married this month, and I thought this would make a perfect wedding guest book. 

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Also . . .

Sunday Brunch is an online dress shop that features an artist each month.  On their home page, they pair an art work with a dress that complements it.  I'm flattered that the New York-based shop chose to feature my art for the month of May!  As part of the feature, I wrote some thoughts about my art and fashion.  You can read it here. 

Trying to maintain my sanity

A day at the beach, one of my new original works.

I'm still chipping away at my goal of 40 originals in 60 days.  As if that's not enough for me, I've added two other big projects onto my plate.  One is a new website that I'll hopefully reveal in a week, and the other is the biggest art giveaway ever!  The giveaway event is not for another month, but, trust me, it's worth waiting for.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share this video interview with New York based artist Andrew Kuo.  I was first introduced to his wonderful work when reading this book. 

My experience as Etsy's Featured Seller

The ultimate goal for any Etsy shop owner is to be featured on the front page of Etsy.  So, in early February, when I was contacted by Etsy admin about being a Featured Seller, I was ecstatic.  The admin team gave me some helpful resources and information about how to prepare for the feature, and being the big planner that I am, I started filling out a long to-do list for the next month.

First on my list was to find a photographer.  It is the responsibility of the Featured Seller to submit photos of themselves and studio, and, even though I have a decent camera, I wasn't about to have my husband snap some pictures.  Sorry, honey.  One of my favorite photographers in town is Anthony Georgis, and he was kind enough to take some photos of me with little lead time.  The photo above was one of several pictures Anthony took that I submitted.

Two weeks before the interview reveal, I started amping up my production pace.  Etsy encourages Featured Sellers to have a "well-stocked" shop.  Of course, well-stocked is quite objective.  Seeing that I primarily create original art, I could only create a handful of works a week.  A couple of days before the interview went live, I sold three original works in my Etsy shop.  A good problem to have, I know, but then I spent the rest of the weekend creating a few more pieces, including these two shown below.

On the morning of the interview,  I was uploading new works into my shop when I started getting the first of many pings- the sound my iphone makes when I get an email.  Within the course of the next several days, I received over 60 convos (Etsy emails) and sold 85 items. 

20,000 visitors landed in my shop while I was on the front page of Etsy, a number I probably won't see again unless Charlie Sheen tweets about me.  It just goes to show how much traffic there needs to be for a peak in online sales, which is why increased exposure (i.e. marketing) is key for an online business.

The first of several trips to the Post Office.

There were many late nights this past week, but I managed to send all my orders out on time.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that a quarter of the orders were international, mostly from Australia. Although half of the followers on my blog are international,  I wasn't expecting to see such a high number of sales overseas.  It makes me happy to know that people are willing to pay international shipping rates even for an art print of mine. 

As mentioned in the prior post, I was extremely touched by the flood of encouraging comments I received.  I was also flattered to be invited to be part of art events, artist collaborations, and blog features.  My art may even be part of a TV show set- exciting stuff! 

Being the Featured Seller on Etsy has been an amazing experience.  If you have recently been asked to be the Featured Seller, congratulations! And here are some tips I have for you:

1. Accept the offer!
2. Have exceptional pictures for the interview and your shop.  This is not the time to experiment with the latest Photoshop filters. 
3. Try to at least triple your production the weeks before the reveal.
4. If you sell one-of-a-kind pieces, wait to upload new products until a day or two before the interview.
5. Make sure your product descriptions and store policies are very descriptive.   Also, do you have a policy about trades, layaways, custom work, and holds?
6. Be prepared for an untimely incident with your internet connection.  Our modem died two days before the interview, and we had to drive out of Portland to buy a replacement.
7. Re-list!  When a reproducible item (like an art print) sells, you'll need to re-list it.  So plan on being attached to a computer device while your interview is on the front page.
8. Keep your orders organized.  I printed out all my orders as customer receipts and kept them on a clipboard.  
9. If things go better than expected (i.e lots of orders), you will be sleep deprived for several days.

Feel free to contact me with other questions you may have.  I know that it's supposed to be a secret, but I promise I won't tell.

My interview on Etsy

It's been my secret for the last few weeks, but I finally get to spill the beans today . . .  I'm the Featured Seller on Etsy!  I am incredibly flattered that my artwork, as well as an interview, will be showcased on Etsy for the next couple of days.  It all went live this morning, so you can check it out here.

In a week or so, I'll post a follow-up on my experience as a Featured Seller.  Until then, it might be a little quiet on the blog front.  (I'll at least pop in on St. Patty's Day to spread some Irish cheer.) 

Interview with artist and art conservator Chris Zahner

Kathy, a collage by artist Chris Zahner

If I were a Marvel Comics character,  I'd want to be a superhero by night and an art conservator by day.  It'd be nice to know that at the end of a day's work, I saved some lives and a few precious paintings.  My real life doesn't come close to my comic book character, but I recently connected with an artist who at least lives the life of my alter-ego.  Boston-based artist Chris Zahner (even sounds like an alter-ego name), works in art conservation.  Since I really don't know much about art conservation, Chris was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

How did you get into art conservation?

One of the many interesting aspects about the field is the seemingly endless ways people find it. Art conservation is a melding of art history, studio art and science, so people come from all kinds of backgrounds. Studio art is my angle. I have a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in ceramics with a minor in drawing.  Through the encouragement and support of a few conservator friends my interest in the field began.  My first conservation job was at a regional lab in Cleveland called the Intermuseum Conservation Association where I was the preparator in their paper department. I became hooked.

Chris at work.

What does a typical day at your work look like?

Like most kids I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I had a really good sense of what I didn’t want. Boredom, monotony and cubicles were out. Challenges, problem solving, creativity and a life connected to the arts were in. So far art conservation has been the perfect job for me specifically because there are no “typical” days. One day might be spent logging hours in front of a computer writing reports while the following day might require you to put on a hard hat, climb scaffolding and clean a mural 30 feet up.

[image source: Intermuseum Conservation Association]

What are some things about art conservation that most people don't know?

People don’t realize there is a difference between conservation and restoration. Art conservation and restoration mainly differ in approach. A restorer makes an attempt to return an object as close to its original condition as possible, while the conservator’s primary goal is to prevent further deterioration even if the overall appearance might not look significantly different. Conservation is usually more of a light touch.

There is also a gulf between the two fields in terms of education. Art conservators have a Masters degree in a specific discipline such as paintings, paper, books, sculpture, photographs...etc. because of the increasingly technical nature of the profession.  A restorer is generally an artisan and often a very skilled one, but lacks the formal training that a conservator would.  That’s not to say there aren’t some very capable restorers out there who treat object with great care, but I would take your Old Master etching or first edition books to a conservator who specializes in that particular discipline.

Before and after pictures of one of Chris' conservation projects.

What has been the most fascinating project you've worked on?

This might not be the most fascinating project I’ve worked on, but it might be one of the most dramatic. I received a phone call from a friend of mine who was a private paintings conservator in Dayton, Ohio asking me if I would be interested in helping him with a large project. A local chapel had hired him to help with their 14 station of the cross paintings. Painted by an art student from the Dayton Art Institute these paintings were executed on copper panels and showed various degrees of flaking and missing paint.

The brown color is the copper panel showing through.

Flaking paint was attached to the panel using a heat activated adhesive. We filled in all the valleys where the paint was missing with a conservation putty to insure the painting would have a consistent plane when finished.  All the white spots in the photo below represent where paint was totally missing.

Time for inpainting. Using conservation grade paints all the white areas and ONLY the white areas had to be reconstructed. You would never want to paint over existing paint, only the fills.

This piece is a good example of restoration as a conservation treatment. The painting has been stabilized, further flaking has been deterred and the inpainting does restore the work to something close to its original condition.

Do you have any practical advice for art collectors on how to take care of art?

Your home doesn’t need to be like a museum, but owning original artworks is a responsibility that should be taken seriously. There are conditions that have detrimental consequences to your work that you should be aware of. Light is no friend to paintings and objects on paper, so keep pieces out of direct sunlight and don’t use picture lights. UV glass or plexiglass is great when framing works on paper, but that’s not a green light to hang something across from that giant window in your home. Humidity and large fluctuations in temperature are also a problem, so don’t hang original works in your bathroom or over your fireplace. If you have concerns about specific objects in your home refer to the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.

Thanks, Chris, for the such a fascinating and informative interview!  To see some of Chris' wonderful original art, check out his Etsy shop here.  He also has a great art blog called Flopslump.  (Catch a recent feature with yours truly here.)