Stephanie Fizer Illustration

This Artsy Life: The Dreamy Giraffe

A happy Friday to everyone!  

I discovered The Dreamy Giraffe about three years ago via the Etsy forums.  I had just started my first Etsy shop and was spending a lot of time trying to promote in the forums, when someone posted a link to this new shop that had a lovely and creative "about me" statement.  It was The Dreamy Giraffe and although I'm not sure that it's the same, she still has quite a cute story in her Etsy profile.

Not only does she have a super creative bio, but she also creates painting of girls with darling little stories behind them.  

And Kathy has quite sweetly agreed to offer us a tiny peek inside her dreamy world.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:  

My name is Kathy R. Jeffords and I am an artist. I did not grow up wanting to be an artist. As early as second grade, I remember filling up notebooks -- but with words, not pictures. From that young age, I never really considered that I'd be anything other than a writer when I grew up.  I was always crafty and creative and liked making things, but my relationship with art was kind of like...you know, you have this acquaintance and you never really consider dating them because they're attractive enough but just not your type...and then one day, you discover, wow, that person is your soul mate. I still love writing, but I truly feel like art is my soul mate. It was a part of me I didn't recognize or even realize that existed...but now, it's so much of who I am I can't imagine the time it wasn't.  I still get to tell my stories, but only now I tell them with paint on canvas.  I would eventually still like to be a published novelist one day, but right now, I am an artist. And happily so!

Walk us through your average day as an artist:

 

I truly wish I had an average day, but after coming up with 18709797 different variations of scheduling out my week (and rarely getting through half a day of staying on track), I think I'm finally (sort of, kind of, maybe) coming to terms with the fact that though it'd be awesome to have each day broken down into regular and consistent time slots for every task, that's just not practical for me. I'm a pretty hardcore perfectionist and a bit of a control freak, so when I try to stick to a rigid plan, it actually only leads to frustration and procrastination when there are interruptions (and I get a lot of those) or things take longer than I think they should (as almost everything does). And it doesn't help that I tend to expect myself to do 4 hours work in one hour.

 

So "average day" is a loose and ever changing concept for me, but what I've found that does work for me is to keep a running list of the things that must be done (with any deadlines) and just get up and get to work, tackling those to dos, one by one. That keeps me productive and on some sort of track. Inevitably, there are 8970978987987 (approximately) things I want to get done that go undone...but what's necessary always gets done.

 

A couple of constants I do have is striving to answer all my e-mails and Etsy conversations first thing every morning and to keep my shipping dates to twice a week (as I live out in the country, a bit of a distance from the post office).

 

Right now, I find it's more business than art, and I don't get to create as much as I'd like. It's tough to find a balance, but I know eventually I'll get to the point where I can tip the scales in the opposite direction, at least.

What's your best business tip for those who are just starting out?

 

Listen to your gut. There will be a ton of voices, all telling you you should do this and you shouldn't do that. And I'm not by any means saying ignore any and all advice you're ever given, but I am saying that in the end, only you know what's right for you. So if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

 

And keep going. There will be days you'll want to give up. There will be days when it seems impossible. There will be days when it seems to hard; days when it seems like everyone else is running at superhuman speed and you're crawling along with a bag of rocks tied to each foot. You will have to make sacrifices. But if it's something you want more than anything in the world -- just keep going. Decide where you want to be and refuse to stop until you get there. 

What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle not feeling inspired?

 

I'm inspired by books and magazines, blogs, music, television, quote, art, of course, my niece -- inspiration is everywhere! I don't think there's actually ever a time when I'm uninspired -- there are days when it seems like my paintbrush hates me and days when I feel unmotivated to do anything, but that drive to create is almost always there. My problem is usually having TOO many ideas and getting overwhelmed because I know I'll never be able to get to them all and trying to decide what to paint first.

Thanks so much for sharing Kathy!  

I wholeheartedly encourage you to visit The Dreamy Giraffe at the shop, the blog or the Twitter.  She's delightfully sweet and also pretty funny!  

This Artsy Life: Abigail Halpin

It's a mid-week installment of This Artsy Life!

This week's feature interview is with the lovely Abigail Halpin, a lifelong New Englander with a flair for portraying the sweet and innocent side of life.  

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

My name's Abigail Halpin and I'm an illustrator and graphic designer. 

This Spring my illustrations appeared in the children's book, "Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe," by Susan Patron. I also run Miss Avocado, my Etsy shop (named after my favorite color).

Aside from a brief stint in the Midwest, I'm a lifelong New Englander and live a few minutes from the ocean.

 

Walk us through your average day as an artist: 

I recently made the decision to begin freelancing, so my average day is something I'm still getting a feel for!

I'm best in the morning, so I try to get going by a decent hour. I'll start out with coffee and catch up on blogs, email and Etsy orders.  From there I try to tackle any illustration assignments I might have, or design work that needs attention. Some days are a bit slower, so I  might paint ACEO or work on a portfolio piece. Other days I've worked, well, let's just say pretty late to finish up a project. I really like the flexibility of this though and it's all good in my book.

What's your best business tip for those who are just starting out?

 Find your voice. It's great to be excited about business plans, advertising and all of those things, but if there isn't something you're really passionate about, that gets you up in the morning, then that's a bit of an issue. Figure out what you want to say through your art and say it. It's tough not to capitulate and draw something just because "That's what everyone wants," but if you're true to yourself and do what you love, it'll pay off somehow.

What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle NOT being inspired?

I read a lot; interlibrary loan is my best friend. Sitting in a coffeeshop sketching and people watching is a great source of  inspiration. And I listen to A LOT of music, everything from classical  to punk. In terms of not being inspired, muddling through malaise never seems to work. A trip to the bookstore, more coffee (yes, there's a theme here), a bike ride, looking through Flickr all seem to help jumpstart creativity for me.

If you would like to see more of Abigail's work please visit her website or Etsy shop.  Or you can catch her daily musings on Twitter or her blog.

This Artsy Life: Creative Thursday

This Friday on This Artsy Life we're sharing a glimpse into the life of Marisa from Creative Thursday.  

Marisa is a busy lady these days, painting her little heart out, running her shop and managing to teach classes both in person and online!  She's taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule to share some delightful and very wise tidbits with us.  

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that my bio goes something like this. "I'm a creative entrepreneur who will never be boxed in, but if you insist on putting me in a box, you can start with artist" Just because I like to do so many things!

In fact most recently I've started teaching both in person and online via an e-course and I had no idea I would love it this much.

Walk us through your average day as an artist:  

My average day....hmmmm...do I have an average day? Probably not. In fact I'm still trying to get some sort of regular schedule going, because I have learned that structure helps support the freedom you get from working for yourself. It's true, organization helps you be free! Here are the things that I do almost every day along with some of the things I'd love to start doing.

Wake up and have my favorite coffee latte, from my favorite barista, Sean, my love who I share my home and my life with.

Sometimes we use the mornings to visit together, but if not this is the time when I open the computer to check email and twitter, and follow links to my favorite blogs and flickr and if I'm not careful this is also the time when I can be lost quickly down the rabbit hole and completely forget what is next on my to do list.

It seems that this part of my work repeats itself throughout my day which can be very distracting, so I'm working on checking in with the computer only twice a day. I can do it, I know I can, because this will leave me time to create which is why I started this business to begin with. It's always important to re-visit why you started your business from time to time, just to make sure you are still fulfilling your first promise to yourself.

I also try to post to my blog almost every day of the week, especially if I've created a daily painting which I've recently picked this practice back up again. Sharing my daily painting is how I actually started my blog 3 years ago this month! Fulfillment of orders sneaks into some days, accompanied by the usual office tasks. Creative lunch dates with friends sneaks into others. Errands in Los Angeles by car accompanies other days, always fun if I run into traffic :) That's why I prefer walks to the post office with Lulu, my great dane. Oh and did I mention that much of my every day is spent letting Garbo the cat in and out of my home studio door, which happens to connect to our  garden. Sitting outside in the garden on days when I remember to take a long break, and cooking accompanied by a glass of wine and more time with Sean rounds out most of my days. 

What’s your best business tip for those who are just starting out? 

Since I'm deep into my e-course at the moment, and a big emphasis of the class is about being an artist online, authentically ~ my tip I tell everyone these days is Be Yourself. Sometimes easier said than done, now that we can glimpse in on the lives of so many amazingly lovely and talented people ~ It can be easy to forget who you are in all of this. But finding your way back to yourself  and staying true to your vision will be the answer to what will make your business and your creations unique, and it will be your steady, comforting place to return to on the days when you feel like you've momentarily lost your way.

 

What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle NOT being inspired? 

So much inspires me always ~ my home, nature especially flowers, other artists, blogs, flickr {goodness some of the imagery is so breathtaking there}, design books and magazines, movies.  It's hard to find a day when I'm not inspired. In fact I have so much I'm inspired to do, that I don't know where to begin. That is my biggest challenge in managing my creative flow, deciding where to put my focus. With that said, I certainly do have days when I feel tapped out creatively and it's usually because I haven't given myself enough time away, enough down time to let new ideas percolate and rise to the surface. When this happens, I know it's time to close the computer and head away from the home for a day trip. This almost always refreshes and renews my perspective and I feel ready to begin again. And you know a little secret to jump start the creativity? Sometimes you just have to sit down and create, even when you don't know what you are going to make. I learned this from my practice of daily painting, that the process of creating is often the very thing that opens the door to inspiration all over again. 

To read more about Marisa's artsy life check out her blog.  Or her Twitter account.  Or her little shop :)

Enjoy and happy Friday to everyone!  

This Artsy Life: Crave Jewelry Design

This week's artist interview is with Jaci from Crave Jewelry Design.  I actually discovered Jaci's work when I stumbled upon her adorable monsieur bunny necklace via Etsy's Pounce function.  I immediately just fell in love with Jaci's witty combination of natural and vintage elements in her work.  And happily enough, the silver version of the bunny necklace that first grabbed my attention is now sitting around my neck.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.

Hi! My name is Jaci and I make jewelry that I sell in my Etsy shop, cravejewelrydesign as well as in boutiques across the United States, one boutique in Canada and an online store in Taiwan. I graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh last summer with my Bachelors Degree in Interior Design, so aside from the jewelry business, I also work part time at a local architecture firm when they are busy and need extra help. I live in Ohio with my crazy family and our awesome dog, Ethel.

 

It looks like Ethel is an amazing assistant! ;)

Walk us through your average day as an artist

On an average day, I wake up around 8:00 and head directly for the coffee pot. I then sit down to check email, Etsy and Facebook. This is also a great time to order supplies. If I have sold orders from the night before, I re-list items, print out address labels and lay out the materials for the jewelry that I need to make. I generally find myself eating breakfast in front of the computer, usually around lunchtime, because I get wrapped up in things online. About this time I take a break and head outside (which is much nicer now that it has warmed up!) to get some fresh air and play with the dog, get the mail and clear my head.

 Once break time is over I head back into my apt/studio to finish putting orders together and packing things up to head to the post office. I usually either ride my bike to the post office or drive there and then head to the gym. This is also a time that I might run errands, pick up supplies, visit my friends at Office Max for printed goods or stock up on groceries (and dog treats!).

 I will usually do some odds and ends later in the day– this is a great time for taking pictures, the lighting is great outside - but then it’s back to making jewelry, corresponding with customers, editing pictures and any other things that I need to do. I usually call it a night around 11 or 12:00. 

geez, and I thought I was organized!  my workspace is a mess compared to Jaci's!

What’s your best business tip for those who are just starting out?

For those who are starting out, I recommend first to make sure that you are creating things that you are completely stoked about – if you aren’t happy or excited about your work, how are you going to sell it to someone else?

 At the risk of sounding cheesy, it’s important to keep your ducks in a row. Save receipts, keep track of the time that you spend on your work (and the time spent promoting it). You’d be surprised at how quickly costs can add up – and if you’re not careful you could end up in over your head.

 Be sure to provide excellent customer service to everyone and know that you can’t please everyone, so if someone is unhappy do your best to correct it and don’t take it personally.

 It’s easy to spend entire days working on new projects and ideas – which is awesome! If you don’t notice the time ticking away, you’ll know that you’re doing something that you love.

What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle NOT being inspired?

I find a lot of inspiration in color, in vintage items (I LOVE thrift shopping!) and nature. While I don’t tend to use a lot of beads in my work, they inspire me a great deal with their textures and colors and often lead me to create new pieces. I am always trying to find quirky and strange pieces to use in my work. I love to lay out a new idea and try to focus on an unconventional way to wear it while still keeping it functional and fun. I also like to keep things super simple at times. I like to create a little something for everyone.

 I am always inspired by compliments on my work and by knowing that I have happy customers. Knowing that I am making people happy completely makes my day!

 I keep a small notebook and jot down ideas when I have them. Even if I don’t have the supplies or the means of creating a piece I have in mind immediately, it’s great to be able come back to that information for inspiration. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget an idea, so this little notebook is like my vault.

 If I am feeling totally uninspired, it usually means that I’m burnt out and need a break. Taking the day “off” is a great way to handle not being inspired. I try to leave, maybe meet a friend for lunch or hit the mountain bike trail with my boyfriend and blow off some steam. Getting away from my studio and not thinking about my jewelry is usually a way to wind down and work on getting inspired once again. 

Jaci, thanks so much for sharing with us!  Please drop by Jaci's shop to check out her amazing creations or become a fan on Facebook for updates and deals :)

sterling peanut necklace

vintage enamel and gold butterfly necklace

golden acorn necklace

fine silver monsieur bunny necklace

silver wise old owl necklace

sterling squirrel necklace

This Artsy Life: MarmeeCraft

Hello dear readers!  I'm back and safely tucked into my new home!  The move went as smoothly as moving can possibly go and after much sorting and unpacking, we're finally settled in.  Today, I'm playing a bit of catch up and trying to adjust to working in my new studio space.  Don't worry, pictures will be forthcoming--although we do have a lot to do to transform our space into our own :)  

In the meantime, I'm a bit late on last week's installment of This Artsy Life.  Well actually, Typepad is a bit late as I scheduled the post to go up on Friday but Typepad though it would be fun to just delete the post altogether!  But better late than never, right?  

This week, I am featuring Marjorie from MarmeeCraft who in addition to being a charming illustrator is also just the sweetest girl!  Having been a fan for ages, I'm sure you will love her work as well which features whimsical wildlife alongside some proper ladies.  Come to think of it, I probably need to add a piece of MarmeeCraft art to my collection soon!  

   Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

Hello there! My name is Marjorie and I run an Etsy shop, MarmeeCraft where I sell my original artwork and prints.  I live in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina with my darling husband and our two lovely and quite spoiled cats.  Our little house is all surrounded by a (seemingly) enchanted wood and I’m ever inspired and moved by its beauty! 

 

 Walk us through your average day as an artist:

My day usually begins around 6 am when we wake up, feed the kitties, make breakfast and I help my husband off to work.  Then, after I’m all dressed and ready to start the day I usually settle in at the computer at about 8am where I sip my morning tea, answer any e-mails or convos, print out any orders and catch up on all the craft and art blogs I like to visit.  I will usually work on my blog postings at this time, as well…which includes photo editing, writing, etc. Then I sometimes spend a bit of research time…like looking up a certain animal or flower I want to draw, re-ordering any dwindling supplies (like shipping mailers, print papers, inks, postcards, etc).  All the computer-ing is usually finished by about 10-11 am.  If I have orders to process  I  will get them all printed, packaged and print the postage so they are all ready to be shipped in the next day’s Post. Then I set to work at my little drawing table and paint, draw, sew, cut, paste, glue, sculpt, varnish or generally throw myself into  whatever project it is I’m currently involved in until around 4pm (when I stop work to get supper ready for when my husband arrives home). Of course, there are little work breaks throughout the day (to eat lunch, do laundry, tidy the house, feed the cats, take out the trash, bake cookies, have tea with the bears…the domestic part of my job).  After dinner I sometimes wander back into the studio for more work, usually I do most of my idea sketching at night…for some reason my brain seems to feel a bit more creative and dreamy in the evening…perhaps it’s the lightening bugs!

The computer is in my little studio/sewing room, so I am always available to check e-mails, or Etsy conversations and answer any questions or process orders throughout the day. For instance if an order comes in during the evening, I will usually have it processed and ready to ship by the next morning (unless it’s an international order, I ship these once a week, usually every Saturday).

Weekends are for errand running (grocery shopping, post officing, picking up any supplies I might need for the following week) and for spending time with my husband and relaxing! (Though, I still process orders over the weekend, too).

I wish I could say I was more organized and kept to a set artistic schedule (if there is such a thing), but in reality I sort of flutter hither and yon from whatever inspires me and what feels right at the moment.

  What’s your best business tip for those who are just starting out?

Do what you love, and don’t worry too much about if it will sell or not.  If you have a passion for what you do, there will be a customer who will love it, too! Also, if you don’t already have a website or blog I think it’s a lovely way to inform readers (and potential customers) about what you’re working on and what inspires you so that others can really understand where you’re coming from as an artist…and step inside your little world!  It’s also a really good way to learn about how other people handle their shops and businesses and to meet other artists who are working in the same field as you.

Also, specific to selling your work on Etsy, there are some really amazing and ever so helpful features on Etsy (through the Storque and their many guides and how-to’s) that are quite invaluable!

Google is also a wonderful thing, indeed, for finding answers to the many, many questions that come up…from where to find just the right packaging and shipping supplies to business cards , as well as finding art/craft how-to’s and techniques!

 

    What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle not feeling inspired?

I’m inspired by ever so many things….mostly by a sense of nostalgia for the past and by a love of nature, animals and whimsy.  I have a passion for antique clothing (mostly 19^th century) so I am often inspired to create a piece by seeing a beautiful Regency gown, the details in a bit of old lace, or by the expression on the face of a girl in a 1880’s photograph.  I also really love 19^th century folk art (and Pre-Raphaelite art, too)…especially portraits and floral details.  19^th century literature also flitters here and there in my creative conscience, bringing up stories from Austen and Hardy, and Dickens and Trollope as I sketch and paint.  Another thing that is a constant source of inspiration to me is music….it’s always floating about in the room while I’m working and my mind does not ever wander so fully as when I’m listening to something magical.

When I’m not really feeling inspired, I just take a break for a day or two….and watch a film that I love, or listen to something lovely, or read a book, play fetch with my cats, wander in the woods, bake a cake….  I try not to get stressed about not always creating every minute of every day and instead try to let things come about naturally and as they pop into my head.

Everything is Alright Print

Monsieur Hedgehog Print

Oliver the Dapper Little Bunny Jointed Paper Doll

Agnes Original Miniature Portrait

Thanks for providing a glimpse into your delightful little world, Marjorie!  

This Artsy Life: Gorjuss

This week's This Artsy Life post comes a day early!  With quite a bit of packing up and last minute home buying fun going on around here, I thought it best to post this amazing interview while I had a chance.

This week's amazing artist is Suzanne Wolcott aka Gorjuss who simple and soulful girls have already captured many hearts.  Keep reading to see what Suzanne has to say about the business of being an artist.  

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.  

 Hello, I'm Suzanne Woolcott, I'm also better known as the creator of 'gorjuss', adorable little mouthless girls.. I'm an full time pro artist, born and living in Glasgow, Scotland.. I paint girls and I couldnt wish for a better career than to be able to paint cute girls all day ! .. It's just as good as it sounds.. :D

My lovely Husband Grant now works with me full time ( he quit his day job over a year ago now) he now handles all the practical side for me since I had a back injury last summer that I'm still trying to recover from! ... I'm actually missing dealing with customers orders and the satisfaction seeing them get packed and shipped off to them, but he does a wonderful job and he really enjoys doing it! ..  So I paint, he packages.. it works out well!

 We run an Etsy shop ( gorjuss.etsy.com) and our own main shop (www.gorjussArt.com) .. as well as supplying Brick & Mortar retail stores/ galleries around the world.. I also exhibit Originals in galleries too and license gorjuss girls to manufacturers of all sorts of lovely products !  Gorjuss is now represented by Santoro.  I blog nearly daily at gorjuss.co.uk/blog and my full portfolio is gorjuss.co.uk with galleries to browse through, future/past exhibition details, stockist details etc .. it's just packed full of gorjuss goodness!

Walk us through your average day as an artist

 This is a really complicated question because, I think most days are different, because I work for myself, there's no real rules and/or deadlines.. it really depends on what the project is that I'm working on.. and of course how my Back is and what it lets me accomplish for the day !  But as a rule I dont get out of my bed before 10, and I dont get to call it a night and go to sleep til after midnight..  I start late but I work late, I think i'm on a diff timezone to everyone else in my household!  If I have a day when I have to spend it lying down with ice-packs on etc.. then thats what I do..  and it's great to not have to phone a 'boss' and plead for a day off, as your own boss, you know exactly what needs catching up with the next day!

 As I mentioned before the (better) half handles all print ( and other goodies) packing and shipping, and it really leaves me a lot of time to recuperate and just paint, it's much appreciated and he does a terrific job looking after us all and still smiles thoughout!  He takes the kids to school in the morning and then gets the orders made and ready to ship the same day.. and drops them at the post office as he picks the kids up again..  I deal with the websites, updating listings, communications and oh yeh, painting !

What's your best business tip for those who are just starting out?  

 1. Research research research..

 2. Creating your brand and keeping a cohesive feel with everything you create is important, not only with your artwork but with your products too. .. just becuase another artist is having success with their art on a certain product, doesnt mean it will have the same success for you!

 3. Also, take things slowly, dont spend your time (and money!) advertising, spend your time creating, the world wide web is really, a very small place, and if your stuff is good, then it will get noticed !

 and my number one tip.. is always BE POLITE, we've always tried to have our Customer Service to be absolutely unbeatable !  ( I think we've managed it !)

What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle not feeling inspired?

 I find everything inspiring, the clouds in the sky, the weather, the people I meet, little sayings people say, colours, you name it.. I'm like a big sponge who just soaks everything up, and for my own sanity I have to paint it to 'release' some of it !!!  Of course when I paint it comes out with my own interpretation, I'm just trying to show everyone how I see the world in a way!

 I  keep sketchbooks, millions of them!.. full of ideas.. sometimes words, sometimes doodles.. I can always be found with my head in a sketchbook even at parties,   If I'm not feeling very inspired then some moody music goes on, and if it still doesnt work, then I dont stress, pressure is the worst thing for creativity..  Inspiration should come naturally and shouldnt be forced too much, you'll only break it if you shove too hard!  

Walk the Line

For more Gorjuss art, you can vist her Etsy shop, check out her blog or keep up with her daily doings via Twitter!

Thanks so much for sharing, Suzanne!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Artsy Life: Alessandra Fusi

I'm back this weekend with a new installment of This Artsy Life, this time featuring lovely Italian illustrator Alessandra Fusi:  

 Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

Well…I like to define myself as a children book illustrator and author, I’m publishing here in Italy and in France…But I’ve published my first book only a year ago (I got my degree in illustration in 2006), and so I’m yet not so famous to be able to live only of “illustration”…So I try to do some other creative things!

First of all, I work as a painter, showcasing my work in galleries and other artsy places (cafès, winebars, bookshops, etc..).

I’ve started to exhibit my work as a painter by chance: I showcased my work for the first time in a collective exhibition in a train station, organized by a friend of my friend who studied arts.

In that occasion I realized my first (and last for the moment) very huge painting, “Sherezade last dance”, who caught the attention of the right audience…And that’s how, step by step, I ended up exhibiting in Paris♥

Here is Sherezade in a tea room, it is large 100 x 150cm:

Then I also organize creative labs, book presentations and painting courses for children …I adore working with them!!

Sometimes when there are more than 20 children asking for a drawing in a very small room (creative lab rooms in bookshops are often very tiny) they totally overwhelm me..It can be a bit stressful, but that’s so funny!!

And last but not least, I’m slowly developing my little crafting business…I started just for fun and for myself, then I tried to bring some pins to one of my artshow openings…And they were over in a few minutes!!

So I decided to go on…And actually I like it so much that I have to be careful not to steal too much time to my first work: illustration.

Walk us through your average day as an artist:

Mmmh…I wake up late.

Yes, maybe I shouldn’t admit it but the truth is that I always try to sleep 8 hours each night if I can...And the fact is that I work late at night so my day starts not so early in the morning!

Then I have my breakfast with Tea, biscuits and six meowing voices, I make up myself and turn on my pc to check e-mails and things like that.

Even if I don’t like it so much, part of my work is on the web: I am a one-man-band, so I am my only agent and promoter, that’s why I spend part of my day in front of the pc, and I do it in the morning because my little sister is at school, and I don’t have to fight for the place on our desk!! Yayy!!

Then I dedicate the rest of my day to painting, drawing, crafting, etc…

I like to do it in the garden when the sun is out, because I like the light of the day, and the company of my six cats…Even when they step on my drawings!!

I work at home, because I still don’t have a studio of my own…Sometimes I feel the need of a place all mine where I can keep all my stuff in disorder as I like, without losing  my time in cleaning all the mess I create, where I do not have all these distracting stuff I have at home, and where I can welcome the curious people in and introduce them into my world…

But then again I’m a bit afraid of loneliness.

I like to be surrounded by people when I work, I paint much more when I have other people around me that distract me sometimes: I need to turn off my attention for a second because if I concentrate too much I can get tired soon. It’s contradicting, I know!

Anyway, I’m sure I will have my atelier someday, and I can’t wait to decorate it all!

As I told you, I usually work till late at night, after dinner, I don’t know why but that’s the part of the day when my mind relaxes and likes to define the ideas I had in the morning down into the smallest details.

What’s your best business tip for those who are just starting out?

Mmmh…Never give up!

Try to evaluate if you really-deeply-truly want to do it and then, if the answer is positive, put all your energy into it.

Prepare yourself to find loads and loads of locked doors and bad critics, they all will help you to improve and grow up. Try to be your most severe critic and never take yourself too seriously acting like an experienced artist: the day you’ll think you have reached the top is the day your art will die.

You always have to improve your skills day by day, if you look at your yesterday’s work and you don’t like it anymore you must be happy, because it means that today you’ve grown even better!

And then, be curious! Look around, discover new things, new artists, new colours, put them all in your cauldron and create something “yours”…Maybe curiosity killed the cat: but look at where it lead

Alice

to!!

 What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle not feeling inspired?

Well…I read a lot. I do it just because I like stories and I always want to read another one, but I feel this also helps me to keep my imagination active.

Moreover, I’m inspired by almost everything around me: my cats, my music, dresses in the windows, tv commercials, art fairs, book fairs, fruits…You never know when and how an image can come into your mind!

That’s why I always try to keep my sketchbook with me, so I can draw that image down and keep it for the right day.

The lack of inspiration is such an awful thing!! What I hate the most is the fact that I basically always have something to create in mind, but sometimes it’s not that thing that I must do it that right moment. It happens quite often when I have to work on a storyboard: I hate storyboards (god bless my French editor who gave me total freedom for my next book, so I don’t have to do it this time, yayyy!!).

Last time I had to draw a storyboard about a Lemur and I remained blocked for more than a week: I had no idea at all. The only thing you have to do in this case is accept that it’s just not meant to be now and concentrate on something else (yes, that something that you really want to do now, instead of that boring storyboard). So I just picked up a huge canvas and painted a big elephant!!

Aaaah! I really needed it!

Now I have both my elephant painting and my Lemur storyboard done.

Et voilà!

Alessandra, thanks for allowing us a little glimpe into your artsy life! 

To check out Alessandra's work, please visit her Etsy shop or read a bit more about her life on her blog.   Or you can also catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook!

  

This Artsy Life: Jessica Rose of Vol. 25

      Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

      My name is Jessica Rose and I am the artist behind vol.25 I am mommy to 2 girls ( 4 and 9 mos.) and a wife of 5 years. I've always enjoyed drawing but it wasnt until a couple years ago that I tried my hand at the digital aspect of drawing... and I have been hooked ever since. I am a stay at home mommy, and when I opened my shop I had no idea that so many people would connect with my art. I was thrilled to see vol.25 evolve from a hobby to a part time business I can run from the comfort of my home. 

Walk us through your average day as an artist: 

       It seems as though I am having a hard time really defining an average day. I think the fact that I have a toddler and baby roaming the house makes for a different day every day. :) I usually sleep in as late as possible (my 9 month old is still waking me up at least once a night) the rest of the day is generally spent cleaning, shipping orders from the previous day, answering e-mails, working on new prints, and playing with the girls. I do generally try to get the girls laid down for they're nap at 12:00. They sleep anywhere from 1-3 hours so I can generally get the bulk of my etsy stuff done during that time. 

What’s your best business tip for those who are 

just starting out?

      "It takes money to make money" is the best advice I could possibly give. Last year I spent 1,700.00 on advertising and I feel it really paid off. I would suggest trying to save up some money, buy yourself a sidebar spot on your favorite blog, then be sure to keep back a portion from all sales made for future advertising.

  I also participated in quite a few giveaways, donating a print and gaining a bunch of exposure in the process. In order for the advertising to pay off you really need to do your research. I mainly advertised with home decor/design blogs (decor8, creature comforts, modish, poppytalk, indielove, purplepinkandorange, coveiter, makingitlovely to name a few really good ones!) but I made sure that they're reader base would be a good fit for my art. If your unsure it certainly doesnt hurt to ask the blog owner if you think they have your target audience.

        What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? 

How do you handle not feeling inspired?

     It seems like there are soo many sources of inspiration, and they all leave me feeling so inspired but its so hard to find time to create! A few of my favorite sources are: clothing magazines for patterns and funky color combinations, quotes can inspire a completely new print, design blogs for more color combinations, and last but not least my blog is a big source of inspiration. Readers are always leaving me ideas for future prints! :) Often I'll have the beginnings of a print sketched out, but something just doesnt feel right so I'll post it on my blog, and my lovely readers steer me in the right direction! :) This new print of the typewriter(see below) is a prime example, I was looking for text, quotes or any ideas/inspiration for the blank piece of paper. I posted it on my blog, and instantly had 4 ideas that worked perfectly! :)

i heart typewriters print

remember happiness print

moving postcards

hope is only print

       Thanks for sharing Jessica! 

 For more on Jessica's work visit her blog or her shop.

This Artsy Life: Leah Duncan

So I discovered Leah Duncan a few weeks ago through Etsy's Pounce(side note:  very addictive feature on Etsy, I lose many hours of my life to it!) and it was love at first sight.  

Her prints are simple and refreshing, just the type of work I've got in mind for my new house. And she has an amazing line of stationery available as well.   

  

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

I am a mid-twenty-something who currently resides in Austin, Texas with my husband Chris and our two cats. I am a textile and stationery designer, as well as an artist and illustrator. I have a stationery company, Lulu Paper which keeps me quite busy, but I also do textile work and sell prints in stores nationally as well as on Etsy.

Walk us through your average day as an artist:

The days when I get to be just an artist and don't have other obligations are a dream. I struggle to get up before 9 a.m. and stumble into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I then walk downstairs to my studio with my assistant, my well-dressed tuxedo cat Prince, and we check my email (ie. he sits halfway on the keyboard as I try to read and respond to clients). I like to work at my computer a bit in the morning to give me time to wake up and sip my coffee, so that is when I take care of books, respond to interviews, respond to clients, order supplies, and make sure I am still on schedule for the week. This is all done in my favorite pajama pants. Then my day goes as follows: doodle, draw, ink, scan, color, repeat.

What's your best business tip for those who are just starting out?

Stay true to yourself and your work. Be prepared to work harder than you ever thought you could and put yourself out there. Do things for free every once in awhile if they benefit your community, a non- profit group, or if it will help get your name out there. Learn how to say "no". Learning how to say "no" and think with a business mind has definitely been my biggest struggle. It's not something that comes naturally for most creative types {or at least me : ) }, but the bottom line is you have to do what is best for you and your career, not everyone else's. Find people to look up to and figure out how they went about making their business successful. Get a good book keeper.

What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How  

do you handle not feeling inspired?

As a creative person, I think it's hard not to be inspired by everything around me. I am constantly absorbing new ideas and gathering inspiration, whether it be from a library book or a trip to the grocery store. The fruit section is always great. On days when I'm feeling a lack of inspiration, I like to go for a walk, a bike ride, or a run. Being outdoors helps me clear my mind and it's always nice to get some fresh air, especially on the hike and bike trails in Austin. Vintage and junk shops are also lovely.

Pieces Limited Edition Silkscreen Print

Salte Flor Limited Edition Giclee Print

Simplicity Limited Edition Silkscreen Print

Vases Limited Edition Giclee Print 8x10

Thanks for sharing with us, Leah!  

To see more of Leah, visit her Etsy shop or Lulu Paper.  Don't forget to leave some comment love for Leah.  What's your favorite Leah Duncan creation?

This Artsy Life: ScarlettCat

Time for a glimpse into the artsy nightlife of Australian artist Kate Lightfoot, of ScarlettCat.  Kate's quirky and flirty big-eyed girls captured my heart from the first wink.  

 Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do:

I work as an advertising copywriter during the day – something I’ve done for the past 14 years – then turn into an artist at night.

Actually that’s a lie.

I usually do both jobs pretty much simultaneously. They’re both creative and very complementary. What I learn in one tends to help me in the other.

In advertising you’re only as good as your last idea – it really can be a ruthless business – so I’m creative in pretty much everything I do. I have to be. And the easiest way to make sure that your creativity is always ‘on’ is simply to never switch it off. So my working day is a hell of a lot of fun, and there’s time for me to research new pieces of art and discuss my drawings with the art directors in the office, who often have really good suggestions.

In fact, that’s how I started drawing seriously.

I’d stick my sketches on my wall at work – just for a bit of decoration. But people would notice them and comment. Not only did it build my confidence as an artist, but also the art directors here would give me pointers about composition or colour choice. I’m a self-taught artist – never went to art school – so information like that is invaluable to me. As my art improved, the comments became more detailed. And my art improved some more.  

I owe a lot to my art director, Dave, for his constant enthusiasm about my work – and his constant  criticism! It’s actually incredibly helpful to have someone who’ll bluntly tell you a piece looks crap!

My art has really taken off over the last 18 months. I’m up to almost 1500 sales on Etsy, I’ve found myself exhibiting beyond the Melbourne galleries – in fact, I have a group show coming up in LA in June – and I’m lucky enough to have (finally!) gotten into the Semi-Permanent and Curvy books this year. It’s shaping up to be a very busy year.

Walk us through your average day as an artist:

My art day is mostly a night.

Usually, the nuts and bolts of drawing happens after I get home from my working day – which can be 12, 13, 14 hours long in busy times.

I get home, hug my boyfriend, pat the cats, grab a drink, clear a space on my table, pop on my ipod and settle down to work.

There are three stages to my art – inspiration, composition and creation.

Inspiration:
I have four or five giant scrap books chock-full of images I’ve collected over the years. Mostly pages torn from magazines or images I’ve found on the internet – models, faces, clothes, birds, anteaters, colours, patterns, poses, costumes, fish, flowers, feathers, trees, jewellery, tea-cups, butterflies, hairstyles, foxes, lingerie and cupcakes. It’s a visual reference of everything that I love.

I spend hours flicking through these and jotting down any images that come to mind.

It’s the same way I work when I have to solve an advertising brief. Just let your mind wander and see what it’s drawn towards. Usually, I’ll come across an image and – BAM – I know what I have to draw. Other times I wind up with scraps of sketches and I can see how they could be put together in an interesting way.

Either way, this sifting through reams of inspiration is possibly the most enjoyable and relaxing part of the job. I adore it!

Composition:
Once I’ve figured out what I want to draw, the real work begins. It’s decision time.

I need to work out what I’m drawing on – what colour and type of card – and how big the piece will be. I’ll do a few more rough sketches and try different poses, different clothes and hairstyles. Tweak the elements until they’re just right.

I used to draw straight onto the card, but now I get the composition right on an old sheet of paper and transfer it. I do it the old fashioned way. I trace it, charcoal the back and then transfer it by drawing over the charcoal. Then it’s a matter of refining the lines on the card until it all looks right.

At this stage most people are thoroughly unimpressed with the piece.

Hmm, better colour it in.

Creation:
This is where I get to breathe life into a piece.

I always start with the face – my Derwent flesh colour pencil is the shortest one in my pencil box! I give her (it’s always a ‘her’) an all over colour and then start adding depth and shadow and light.
 
The colours aren’t really planned out – I just rummage around in my pencil box until I find a shade that feels right. To be honest I quite like the sound my pencils as sift through them looking for the right one.
 
It probably drives everyone near me insane.
 
And from then I just layer the colours, building them up slowly and blending them together. I’m quite heavy handed, so there’s a fair bit of effort in getting them to melt into each other the way I like.
 
I usually put a piece aside for a few days to make sure I’m happy with before adding the bright white highlights. Then she’s done.
 
Now the most important part of the process happens.
 
I photocopy her, and glue her into the next blank page in the Moleskine sketchbook I always carry with me. These little black books are my favourite possession. I now have six of them with copies of every piece of art I’ve done – plus the odd original sketch – in the last four years.

Early Bird

What’s your best business tip for those who are just starting out:

Learn to communicate.
 
I can’t stress how important this is in business. Particularly when you sell online.
 
The key is to read what you’ve written (ideally before you hit ‘send’ or ‘post’!) from your reader’s point of view. Don’t think about what you want to say – think about what they’re going to read.
 
Actually, it’s well worth reading up on how to write advertising copy, because that’s how ads work. And if you can find ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie, read that too. Then read it again a few years later. It’s one of the most helpful books I’ve ever read – that and ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’!
 
I’m constantly seeing posts on Etsy about sellers who are having trouble with a customer and I know – I absolutely know – that the situation could have been resolved in the first email with a few well worded phrases.
 
Actually, I’ll let you in on a sneaky copywriter trick: If you’re telling people good news, use ‘I’ and if you’re giving them bad news use ‘it’.
 
Eg.
Good news: “Just letting you know I posted your order this morning.”
Bad news: “I must apologise. Your order was delayed a few days, but will be posted tomorrow.”
 
The difference, though subtle, is that ‘I’ was responsible for all the good stuff in the first example, but ‘the order’ was magically responsible for itself being late – ‘I’ had absolutely nothing to do with it!
 
Yep, it’s a minor detail that your reader won’t even notice, but they will mentally link you with the good news and mentally separate you from the bad if you do it.
 
Shhhhh.

 
Vixen

 What inspires you and how do you maintain your creative flow? How do you handle not feeling inspired?

As a copywriter, you simply can’t say to your boss or a client ‘Sorry I wasn’t feeling inspired’. I need to come up with the goods on demand so I can’t just sit around with my feet up waiting for inspiration. Much better to get out there and hunt inspiration down!

The process I use to come up with an advertising concept is to grab a blank piece of paper and start scribbling. Any thought of word or phrase or image which may be relevant. Hell, it doesn’t even have to be strictly relevant, it may just be something that struck me as interesting at the time. Eventually I’ll have pages and pages of raw material – then it’s just a matter of putting the pieces together in a way that works.

With art I use a similar process.

I truly believe that your imagination needs constant ‘feeding’.

I’m always – and I do mean ALWAYS – looking for creative things. Everywhere. I look for patterns in bark, I find animals in the clouds, I have lengthy discussions with my three-year old nephew about ‘ditch cows’ and other things he’s made up, I spend an extraordinary amount of time trawling through images and ads and typography on the internet. I have three tumblrs and a stack of image scrapbooks as well as a shelf full of art books. There’s visual reference absolutely everywhere.

So my head is always filled with raw material to use in my art.

That’s not to say I never have off-days. There are plenty of times when I just don’t feel like it. If there’s not a pressing deadline, I give myself time off.

But if something’s due, then my advertising work ethic kicks in. If I’ve agreed to a job, it gets done no matter what the cost.

Candy Apple

 For more of Kate Lightfoot’s art, freebies and updates, visit scarlettcat.blogspot.com

Thanks for sharing Kate!