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| Image via Migros Magazin |
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| Images via Sipho Mabona by Phillipp Schmidli. |
Showing posts with label artist spotlight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label artist spotlight. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2014
Artist Spotlight: White Elephant by Sipho Mabona
Lately, I've been having a hard time becoming inspired to create. I don't know what it is--Deadlines? Winter? Lack of sleep? However, conceptual origami artist, Sipho Mabona of Mabona Origami has turned a light bulb on in my brain. What an inspiring and fresh, new artist.
Sipho's crowdfunding project (watch first video below) was successfully funded four months ago and, in what I can only imagine is record time, has produced his beautiful, life-size origami elephant--now on display in Art KKLB, Beromunster, Switzerland. I'm so excited to see what Sipho creates next. His ideas for future life-size animal origami pieces are awe-inspiring. Love that bear! Watch the videos below to grab some inspiration for yourself.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Favorite Friend Friday: Artist, Jenny Vorwaller
It's been too long since we've featured a Favorite Friend--but we're ready to break the silence for such a talented and fascinating friend like artist, Jenny Vorwaller. We met Jenny by chance with her good friend Aran Goyoaga at our another Favorite Friend, Keli Faw's shop, Drygoods Design. We became fast friends and have come to regard her and her artwork as inspirational and stunning. Meet one of our favorite friends, Jenny:
Tell us a little bit about your artistic process--how long does it take you to complete a piece?
Paintings run together from each session I have with them - sometimes one will come together all at once, and others, well, they have had many lives. I tend to work on a few at a time, so that there’s never a lag--while one dries or needs some distance, another is in the forefront, on the easel. I don’t like to rush them, but give them all the attention they need. I paint every day, there's always music playing (as essential as brushes and canvas!) and I need absolute solitude and good light.
What would you say is your biggest inspiration when working?
My inspiration is found through so many things. I feel like a collector in this way--a packrat of ideas. The challenge is keeping it focused--there are so many things to say...painting is one endless, interesting problem that I get to solve.
You have a show up in Anthropologie right now! How long will it be up? Do you have any other exciting events coming up?
The show at Anthropologie went up at the beginning of November and will go down at the end of December! Just a week left! It's more than half sold out, and I feel so lucky! I’m very excited about new shows in the next year, which include Pioneer square Art Walk at 95 Yesler in February, a two woman show at my friend Aran’s studio in March with Laura Burkhart, and a month at Drygoods Design on Ballard Ave in April. We will see what else is in store!
What is your favorite piece that you have created and why?
Ah, this is easy. “Juana de Arco” is my favorite. She has her own history, which will have to remain a bit of a mystery, since narrating paintings is so difficult for me, but I'll try my best to explain. It came to be when I for really serious about painting everyday again. I had a traumatic stay in the hospital, after I gave birth to my now four year-and-a-half year old, and there was a moment where the doctors weren’t sure if I was going to make it...that’s when it all became clear. Everything has shifted since. Life is precious, there's only so much time, why wasn't I doing what I was meant to? I had always painted, kept a sketchbook, but not at the steady pace that I knew I wanted to. "Juana de Arco" is about a lot of things, it’s very feminist. It evokes the feeling of fighting for what you believe in, even when everyone around you is not on board. It's about not compromising your integrity to stay in line for the status quo. Sometimes doing what you are meant to, and being yourself, means that not everyone will accept it, but you will go out blazing. (Juana de Arco is “Joan or Arc” in Spanish).
"Juana de Arco" by Jenny Vorwaller. Photo by Moorea Seal
Which artists do you most admire?
Joan Mitchell, De Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Richard Diebenkorn, Childe Hassam, John Singer Sargent, Cy Twombly...so many! I keep a pinboard of what I’m looking at here for reference. Pinterest has really surprised me in the way that it has become a standard tool in my studio practice. Who would've thought?
How do you balance home & family life and being an artist?
I need my structure of painting for a certain amount of hours a day, always first, then my time with my family and friends at the close of the day, when my mind is all spent and I've done all I can. Of course there are exceptions--planning things around my kids school hours, etc., but for the most part, this is my daily routine. I would say the greatest challenge as a female artist with children is that there is no real model to follow. Art History was written for and by men, mostly. When women chose to paint, they did so at the sacrifice of their choice to have a family, even getting married. But there also is an unexpected gift of freedom that comes from this challenge and that is doing what the artist has always done--and that is to forge my own path. I guess I could never be with someone who didn't understand my need to create, someone who didn't respect it, it's such a big part of me, and my husband saw and knew that part of me right away, so it's never been a question of balance, it's just what it is.
My family is what keeps my work balanced. I've been more focused as a result too--it's quality over quantity for studio time. Then when there are the off hours with family, I'm still thinking about it. Sometimes when I'm away for a few days, or even on a trip, I get a sense of mild panic--and every time, I'm impressed that not only the work is still there when I return to it, but it improves with a break. This is a good metaphor for the everyday experience of work some, be there for the family. I take a vacation from it everyday in a way, in the afternoons, and it's still there when I return the next time.
I would be such an eccentric hermit, overly-dedicated to my work at all hours of the day if it weren't for my family to keep me balanced. I don't mean that in a industriously positive way, I mean that the pull of small children's needs gives me breathing room from the hold that painting holds over me. It keeps me healthy, and in check with what I need to be doing. There's such a stereotype that artists are sloppy, disorganized, aren't good with money, and unreliable. This probably goes for most creatives, but it's absolutely essential to be concerned with the practical when you become a serious artist with a capital A and even more if you are female painter with children. We have all the odds against us, so we need to make for the best supportive environment as possible--and that doesn't just happen on its own.
I remember this breakthrough when I was first pregnant. Suddenly I was aware that I needed to slow down, to take a nap, to eat better, because my baby needed it. I finally gave myself permission because this little person who was completely dependent on me for everything gave me no choice. But would I have done that before for myself? Not really. It took having a family and that massive sense of responsibility towards this new life, to really treasure mine in a whole new way.
If you could have any "dream job" (excluding what you do now) what would it be?
Producing/shooting music videos. So magical! To illustrate the way music makes me feel! I do this with painting now, in a big way, but to take it to a level with a camera, that's almost a scary amount of control that you dictate the experience of sound for other people. I see multimedia art in my future...
If you could have one celebrity buy a piece of your work, who would it be? Diane Keaton.
If you could only eat at one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be? Too hard! I love s'mores cookies from Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery...but everyday would be death by chocolate!
You're stuck on a desert island--which book do you want to have?
Whatever my new book club has chosen that month--I like to get it read early!
If you could live in any other location, where would that be?
I would fly south back to Buenos Aires for winter, but just for a few months, I love it here in Seattle.
What do you do for fun?
I love going out to eat with friends, reading, biking, cooking, and in the summer, gardening and kayaking. I'm always up for roadtrips and travels... my list of museums I have yet to see is so long - hoping to cross some of them off in the next few years!
Photos via Jenny Vorwaller unless otherwise indicated.
Tell us a little bit about your artistic process--how long does it take you to complete a piece?
Paintings run together from each session I have with them - sometimes one will come together all at once, and others, well, they have had many lives. I tend to work on a few at a time, so that there’s never a lag--while one dries or needs some distance, another is in the forefront, on the easel. I don’t like to rush them, but give them all the attention they need. I paint every day, there's always music playing (as essential as brushes and canvas!) and I need absolute solitude and good light.
What would you say is your biggest inspiration when working?
My inspiration is found through so many things. I feel like a collector in this way--a packrat of ideas. The challenge is keeping it focused--there are so many things to say...painting is one endless, interesting problem that I get to solve.
You have a show up in Anthropologie right now! How long will it be up? Do you have any other exciting events coming up?
The show at Anthropologie went up at the beginning of November and will go down at the end of December! Just a week left! It's more than half sold out, and I feel so lucky! I’m very excited about new shows in the next year, which include Pioneer square Art Walk at 95 Yesler in February, a two woman show at my friend Aran’s studio in March with Laura Burkhart, and a month at Drygoods Design on Ballard Ave in April. We will see what else is in store!
What is your favorite piece that you have created and why?
Ah, this is easy. “Juana de Arco” is my favorite. She has her own history, which will have to remain a bit of a mystery, since narrating paintings is so difficult for me, but I'll try my best to explain. It came to be when I for really serious about painting everyday again. I had a traumatic stay in the hospital, after I gave birth to my now four year-and-a-half year old, and there was a moment where the doctors weren’t sure if I was going to make it...that’s when it all became clear. Everything has shifted since. Life is precious, there's only so much time, why wasn't I doing what I was meant to? I had always painted, kept a sketchbook, but not at the steady pace that I knew I wanted to. "Juana de Arco" is about a lot of things, it’s very feminist. It evokes the feeling of fighting for what you believe in, even when everyone around you is not on board. It's about not compromising your integrity to stay in line for the status quo. Sometimes doing what you are meant to, and being yourself, means that not everyone will accept it, but you will go out blazing. (Juana de Arco is “Joan or Arc” in Spanish).
Which artists do you most admire?
Joan Mitchell, De Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Richard Diebenkorn, Childe Hassam, John Singer Sargent, Cy Twombly...so many! I keep a pinboard of what I’m looking at here for reference. Pinterest has really surprised me in the way that it has become a standard tool in my studio practice. Who would've thought?
How do you balance home & family life and being an artist?
I need my structure of painting for a certain amount of hours a day, always first, then my time with my family and friends at the close of the day, when my mind is all spent and I've done all I can. Of course there are exceptions--planning things around my kids school hours, etc., but for the most part, this is my daily routine. I would say the greatest challenge as a female artist with children is that there is no real model to follow. Art History was written for and by men, mostly. When women chose to paint, they did so at the sacrifice of their choice to have a family, even getting married. But there also is an unexpected gift of freedom that comes from this challenge and that is doing what the artist has always done--and that is to forge my own path. I guess I could never be with someone who didn't understand my need to create, someone who didn't respect it, it's such a big part of me, and my husband saw and knew that part of me right away, so it's never been a question of balance, it's just what it is.
My family is what keeps my work balanced. I've been more focused as a result too--it's quality over quantity for studio time. Then when there are the off hours with family, I'm still thinking about it. Sometimes when I'm away for a few days, or even on a trip, I get a sense of mild panic--and every time, I'm impressed that not only the work is still there when I return to it, but it improves with a break. This is a good metaphor for the everyday experience of work some, be there for the family. I take a vacation from it everyday in a way, in the afternoons, and it's still there when I return the next time.
I would be such an eccentric hermit, overly-dedicated to my work at all hours of the day if it weren't for my family to keep me balanced. I don't mean that in a industriously positive way, I mean that the pull of small children's needs gives me breathing room from the hold that painting holds over me. It keeps me healthy, and in check with what I need to be doing. There's such a stereotype that artists are sloppy, disorganized, aren't good with money, and unreliable. This probably goes for most creatives, but it's absolutely essential to be concerned with the practical when you become a serious artist with a capital A and even more if you are female painter with children. We have all the odds against us, so we need to make for the best supportive environment as possible--and that doesn't just happen on its own.
I remember this breakthrough when I was first pregnant. Suddenly I was aware that I needed to slow down, to take a nap, to eat better, because my baby needed it. I finally gave myself permission because this little person who was completely dependent on me for everything gave me no choice. But would I have done that before for myself? Not really. It took having a family and that massive sense of responsibility towards this new life, to really treasure mine in a whole new way.
If you could have any "dream job" (excluding what you do now) what would it be?
Producing/shooting music videos. So magical! To illustrate the way music makes me feel! I do this with painting now, in a big way, but to take it to a level with a camera, that's almost a scary amount of control that you dictate the experience of sound for other people. I see multimedia art in my future...
If you could have one celebrity buy a piece of your work, who would it be? Diane Keaton.
If you could only eat at one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be? Too hard! I love s'mores cookies from Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery...but everyday would be death by chocolate!
You're stuck on a desert island--which book do you want to have?
Whatever my new book club has chosen that month--I like to get it read early!
If you could live in any other location, where would that be?
I would fly south back to Buenos Aires for winter, but just for a few months, I love it here in Seattle.
What do you do for fun?
I love going out to eat with friends, reading, biking, cooking, and in the summer, gardening and kayaking. I'm always up for roadtrips and travels... my list of museums I have yet to see is so long - hoping to cross some of them off in the next few years!
Photos via Jenny Vorwaller unless otherwise indicated.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Artist Spotlight: Sharon Montrose of The Animal Print Shop
I just ordered a print for myself for Christmas that I think I have been wanting for roughly four years. Finally, I decided to stop thinking about it and just order it! Why do we do that sometimes?? I ordered Sharon Montrose's Pheasant #2 from The Animal Print Shop. If you haven't had a chance to take a look at The Animal Print Shop--you better high-tail (no pun intended) it over there right now!
I always wanted the pheasant because it is a unique piece that not many people would think to order, and it has a sweet connection to my family history. My dad hunts pheasants--we have it on holidays, wrapped in bacon! When I was growing up in England, you could sometimes glimpse these gorgeous Common Pheasants marching through the fens and flora. We had a beagle for a while (supposedly a bird dog) who ignored the pheasants, oddly. Perhaps she knew they belonged to the Queen (if you have kids and have not read them Danny the Champion of the World, now is the time that you order that book!).
Check out all of the beautiful animals at The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose (my nursery favorite is the baby porcupine!) Which animal is your favorite??
Images via The Animal Print Shop
I always wanted the pheasant because it is a unique piece that not many people would think to order, and it has a sweet connection to my family history. My dad hunts pheasants--we have it on holidays, wrapped in bacon! When I was growing up in England, you could sometimes glimpse these gorgeous Common Pheasants marching through the fens and flora. We had a beagle for a while (supposedly a bird dog) who ignored the pheasants, oddly. Perhaps she knew they belonged to the Queen (if you have kids and have not read them Danny the Champion of the World, now is the time that you order that book!).
Check out all of the beautiful animals at The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose (my nursery favorite is the baby porcupine!) Which animal is your favorite??
Images via The Animal Print Shop
Monday, November 18, 2013
Artist Spotlight: Christopher Boffoli
Sometimes we sooo wish that we had the physical Assemble space in order to have amazing art shows with local, fabulous artists. Christopher Boffoli would be at the top of our list. A Seattle-based photographer, Boffoli uses miniature models and every day food products to create a whimsical, dream-like world for his pieces in a new collection: "Big Appetites."
The collection is hilarious at first, but a darker, underlying tone about the relationships that humans have with food makes this work resilient and timeless. Check out more of the collection on Boffoli's website and read his statement about the project.
What awesome work!
Images courtesy Christopher Boffoli
The collection is hilarious at first, but a darker, underlying tone about the relationships that humans have with food makes this work resilient and timeless. Check out more of the collection on Boffoli's website and read his statement about the project.
What awesome work!
Images courtesy Christopher Boffoli
Friday, June 14, 2013
Favorite Friend Friday: Fine Artist, Joey Bates
We've known Joey Bates forever--and he is one of the most talented artists in the Pacific Northwest. His portraiture style combined with mediums like paper-cutting, gouache, (and even painting on windows!) is by far some of the most lovely and inspired work we have seen. Recently, Joey announced his plans to venture out to Iceland, and study land formations and glaciers in connection with his work. We first--donated quickly to his fundraiser, and second--asked him a few questions about his intriguing process. We think you'll be interested too:
Left, Joey. Right, "Natasha" (graphite and gouache on toned paper)
Tell us a little bit about your process--how long does it take you to complete a piece?
I work pretty intuitively. There are times I feel like painting, times I feel like drawing and times I feel like cutting paper. It's hard for me to land on just one thing. I usually just jump into pieces; I don't do any preliminary sketches, but I gather reference material and go for it. I do end up scrapping a lot of work, I learn a lot from the pieces that don't work out.
As for reference material I look all over. For my portraits I work from people I know and usually take 100-200 images of them. Each piece can take anywhere from 8 to 30 hours for completion. The paper cuts usually take more time. I just finished the largest cut paper portrait I have ever done. It can be see in this video, by Christian Powers:
Do you have endless ideas or do you get "artist's block?"
I do get "artist's block." When I get blocked in regards to new work or new ideas I start doing nudes. It's really good to work through the "blocks." When I am having a hard time sitting down to work I go for a bike ride. I've always found that getting out there and riding around the city helps me greatly in re-centering and being productive in the studio when I get back to the studio.
Untitled Variant Limited Edition Print available through Joey's Indiegogo fundraiser
We hear you are trying to get to Iceland to study land formations! What turned you on to that specifically?
I am fascinated by Iceland. The land more than anything else there. The way the country was formed, how it is still forming and how it is continually changing (most of the time in small ways, but sometimes in explosive ways). I'm also intrigued by the way in which the ice interacts with and changes the land. The glaciers are moving at pretty rapid rates right now. It's insane to think of the way in which water erodes surfaces, what the land looks like now compared to what it looked like just five years ago. Land is amazing and this trip is just the start of a new body of work. The Indiegogo fundraiser is well under way!
What is your favorite piece that you have created?
Oh boy. I don't know. There are certain pieces I feel more affection for. I usually work on a piece and feel really good about it in process, then feel done and over it upon its completion. I think the piece I just completed is my favorite at the moment (the cut paper portrait mentioned earlier). It's currently untitled and not related to the new direction I'm headed with the landscape work.
"Hemlock" by Joey Bates
Which artists do you most admire?
• Lucian Freud
• Andrew Wyeth
• Keith Haring
• Egon Schielle
• Gala Bent
• Robert Hardgrave
If you could have one celebrity buy a piece of your work, who would it be?
Oi. I don't know. A large part of me doesn't care for celebrity. I don't really gawk over anyone other than my girlfriend and the amazing people I know. I would love for celebrities to start buying my work, dig out of debt a bit. Ha.
If you could only eat at one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
There's a Thai place up north in Edmonds, Washington called Thai Cottage. The food is great and the staff is so amazingly nice. I could see myself stepping in every day feeling welcomed and good about where I'm at. I go every year for my birthday.
If you could live in any other location, where would that be?
Melbourne, Australia or Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I'd always come back to Seattle for visits. This is one of the most beautiful places on this planet and it's hard to think about leaving.
What do you do for fun?
Ride my bicycle, play MLB on the Wii (well actually I play the Wii to take a breather from long days at work), take walks with my girlfriend. I sound like such an old man, but we both live in great neighborhoods in Seattle: Ballard and Queen Anne.
You're stuck on a desert island which book do you want to have?
There is a book that has followed me most of my life in one way or another--Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
Thanks, Joey! View Joey Bates' website here and donate to his fundraiser for awesome treats and cool prints here.
Left, Joey. Right, "Natasha" (graphite and gouache on toned paper)
Tell us a little bit about your process--how long does it take you to complete a piece?
I work pretty intuitively. There are times I feel like painting, times I feel like drawing and times I feel like cutting paper. It's hard for me to land on just one thing. I usually just jump into pieces; I don't do any preliminary sketches, but I gather reference material and go for it. I do end up scrapping a lot of work, I learn a lot from the pieces that don't work out.
As for reference material I look all over. For my portraits I work from people I know and usually take 100-200 images of them. Each piece can take anywhere from 8 to 30 hours for completion. The paper cuts usually take more time. I just finished the largest cut paper portrait I have ever done. It can be see in this video, by Christian Powers:
Joey Bates Profile from christian powers on Vimeo.
Do you have endless ideas or do you get "artist's block?"
I do get "artist's block." When I get blocked in regards to new work or new ideas I start doing nudes. It's really good to work through the "blocks." When I am having a hard time sitting down to work I go for a bike ride. I've always found that getting out there and riding around the city helps me greatly in re-centering and being productive in the studio when I get back to the studio.
Untitled Variant Limited Edition Print available through Joey's Indiegogo fundraiser
We hear you are trying to get to Iceland to study land formations! What turned you on to that specifically?
I am fascinated by Iceland. The land more than anything else there. The way the country was formed, how it is still forming and how it is continually changing (most of the time in small ways, but sometimes in explosive ways). I'm also intrigued by the way in which the ice interacts with and changes the land. The glaciers are moving at pretty rapid rates right now. It's insane to think of the way in which water erodes surfaces, what the land looks like now compared to what it looked like just five years ago. Land is amazing and this trip is just the start of a new body of work. The Indiegogo fundraiser is well under way!
What is your favorite piece that you have created?
Oh boy. I don't know. There are certain pieces I feel more affection for. I usually work on a piece and feel really good about it in process, then feel done and over it upon its completion. I think the piece I just completed is my favorite at the moment (the cut paper portrait mentioned earlier). It's currently untitled and not related to the new direction I'm headed with the landscape work.
"Hemlock" by Joey Bates
Which artists do you most admire?
• Lucian Freud
• Andrew Wyeth
• Keith Haring
• Egon Schielle
• Gala Bent
• Robert Hardgrave
If you could have one celebrity buy a piece of your work, who would it be?
Oi. I don't know. A large part of me doesn't care for celebrity. I don't really gawk over anyone other than my girlfriend and the amazing people I know. I would love for celebrities to start buying my work, dig out of debt a bit. Ha.
If you could only eat at one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
There's a Thai place up north in Edmonds, Washington called Thai Cottage. The food is great and the staff is so amazingly nice. I could see myself stepping in every day feeling welcomed and good about where I'm at. I go every year for my birthday.
If you could live in any other location, where would that be?
Melbourne, Australia or Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I'd always come back to Seattle for visits. This is one of the most beautiful places on this planet and it's hard to think about leaving.
What do you do for fun?
Ride my bicycle, play MLB on the Wii (well actually I play the Wii to take a breather from long days at work), take walks with my girlfriend. I sound like such an old man, but we both live in great neighborhoods in Seattle: Ballard and Queen Anne.
You're stuck on a desert island which book do you want to have?
There is a book that has followed me most of my life in one way or another--Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
Thanks, Joey! View Joey Bates' website here and donate to his fundraiser for awesome treats and cool prints here.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Favorite Friend Friday: Julianna Swaney
We have been huge fans of Portland-based artist, Julianna Swaney for years, and were thrilled to have her work in our shop. There were several months that we couldn't even keep her watercolor, gouache and pen illustrations in stock. Elegant and delicate, her work is reminiscent of an eerie Red Riding Hood tale. Her products, sold under the name, "Oh My Cavalier," range from postcard sets to fun office accessories, prints and booklets.
This month, we're kicking off a brand new aspect of our Favorite Friend Features! Each week, our favorite friend will be curating a Pinterest Board for us: a sneak peek into their world. Visit Julianna's Guest Pinterest board, and follow her as well!
People love your illustrations--Assemble couldn't keep enough of your prints in stock! Your work is so recognizable, yet each piece has so much personality. Where does your inspiration come from?
Oh gosh, I get inspiration from so many things! Of course a lot comes from remembering back to the fairy tales I loved growing up. I try to remember how they made me feel back then, and then try to make artwork that has that same feeling for me. More generally I just try to make things that I like, drawings that if I hadn’t made it myself and I saw it somewhere it would make me happy. I like old things, I like animals, I like houseplants, I like rainy days, I like stars & constellations, I like bread. All these things end up making their way into my drawings!
You recently started creating logo/type illustrations for clients. (We ADORE it!) How did that work evolve?
Thanks! I think this new direction came about because I started including more hand drawn text in some of my artwork, and people really seemed to like it. I got a request from Sharon Montrose to do the hand-written text for her book, Menagerie, and after that I’ve been slowly getting more and more requests from people who want a hand drawn look for their logos. It’s really fun work and I’m enjoying it a lot, though sometimes I feel out of my depth. I had half a semester of graphic design in college, and I was soo bad at it, I switched right away to fine art printmaking! Everything I know how to do with a pen, Photoshop, or Illustrator I’ve taught myself so each new project is a bit of a learning process. I’m also trying to learn to stop apologizing about that. My path has just been a little different.
You've been shifting your presence from "Oh my Cavalier" to "Julianna Swaney." Tell us about your decision to highlight your name more than your original blog title.
Well, my online and business presence has been linked with the name Oh My Cavalier ever since I started my Etsy Store way back in ’06. I just picked that because in college I had a zine by that name, and I liked it. When I picked that I never intended for people to solely know my work only from that name, but that was what ended up happening. I’d come across blogs where my artwork was credited to “Oh My Cavalier” like it was made by a company or something. I didn’t like that, I’d rather have my artwork associated with my real name, for obvious reasons. It’s been hard to know where to begin to change it though since over the years whenever I picked a username for any website to keep consistent I always chose Oh My Cavalier. It’s been a slow process of changing things over slowly and promoting myself more carefully. I think I’m finally making headway now.
You seem to do it all -- original art shows, prints, stationery, an online shop, a gorgeous blog. What's next?
Actually my ultimate plan is to do less things! Lately I’ve been wanting to really focus on one of the things that I do, and to do it better. But that would mean not doing the others, which is a little scary. And I have a hard time picking which one thing I want to do!
If you could eat at only one local restaurant, which would it be? What would you order?
I love breakfast, so my favorite restaurant in Portland is probably Broder. I would order a baked scramble. They come in these adorable little skillets and served on a wooden tray, it’s all so nice, I could eat there every day.
Which famous person would you love to see own a piece of your artwork?
I have no idea! I can tell you at least one pretty famous person does own some of my artwork. (Editor's note: WHICH ONE?? Don't hold out on us, Julianna)
If you could live in any other location, where would you choose?
In my wildest dream, somewhere in Europe or Japan.
What else do you do for fun?
I like to bake things, read, or go for walks in my free time.
Thank you, Julianna! See more of Julianna's work here, and click below to view Julianna's Guest Board.
Images courtesy of Julianna Swaney
This month, we're kicking off a brand new aspect of our Favorite Friend Features! Each week, our favorite friend will be curating a Pinterest Board for us: a sneak peek into their world. Visit Julianna's Guest Pinterest board, and follow her as well!
People love your illustrations--Assemble couldn't keep enough of your prints in stock! Your work is so recognizable, yet each piece has so much personality. Where does your inspiration come from?
Oh gosh, I get inspiration from so many things! Of course a lot comes from remembering back to the fairy tales I loved growing up. I try to remember how they made me feel back then, and then try to make artwork that has that same feeling for me. More generally I just try to make things that I like, drawings that if I hadn’t made it myself and I saw it somewhere it would make me happy. I like old things, I like animals, I like houseplants, I like rainy days, I like stars & constellations, I like bread. All these things end up making their way into my drawings!
You recently started creating logo/type illustrations for clients. (We ADORE it!) How did that work evolve?
Thanks! I think this new direction came about because I started including more hand drawn text in some of my artwork, and people really seemed to like it. I got a request from Sharon Montrose to do the hand-written text for her book, Menagerie, and after that I’ve been slowly getting more and more requests from people who want a hand drawn look for their logos. It’s really fun work and I’m enjoying it a lot, though sometimes I feel out of my depth. I had half a semester of graphic design in college, and I was soo bad at it, I switched right away to fine art printmaking! Everything I know how to do with a pen, Photoshop, or Illustrator I’ve taught myself so each new project is a bit of a learning process. I’m also trying to learn to stop apologizing about that. My path has just been a little different.
You've been shifting your presence from "Oh my Cavalier" to "Julianna Swaney." Tell us about your decision to highlight your name more than your original blog title.
Well, my online and business presence has been linked with the name Oh My Cavalier ever since I started my Etsy Store way back in ’06. I just picked that because in college I had a zine by that name, and I liked it. When I picked that I never intended for people to solely know my work only from that name, but that was what ended up happening. I’d come across blogs where my artwork was credited to “Oh My Cavalier” like it was made by a company or something. I didn’t like that, I’d rather have my artwork associated with my real name, for obvious reasons. It’s been hard to know where to begin to change it though since over the years whenever I picked a username for any website to keep consistent I always chose Oh My Cavalier. It’s been a slow process of changing things over slowly and promoting myself more carefully. I think I’m finally making headway now.
You seem to do it all -- original art shows, prints, stationery, an online shop, a gorgeous blog. What's next?
Actually my ultimate plan is to do less things! Lately I’ve been wanting to really focus on one of the things that I do, and to do it better. But that would mean not doing the others, which is a little scary. And I have a hard time picking which one thing I want to do!
If you could eat at only one local restaurant, which would it be? What would you order?
I love breakfast, so my favorite restaurant in Portland is probably Broder. I would order a baked scramble. They come in these adorable little skillets and served on a wooden tray, it’s all so nice, I could eat there every day.
Which famous person would you love to see own a piece of your artwork?
I have no idea! I can tell you at least one pretty famous person does own some of my artwork. (Editor's note: WHICH ONE?? Don't hold out on us, Julianna)
If you could live in any other location, where would you choose?
In my wildest dream, somewhere in Europe or Japan.
What else do you do for fun?
I like to bake things, read, or go for walks in my free time.
Thank you, Julianna! See more of Julianna's work here, and click below to view Julianna's Guest Board.
Images courtesy of Julianna Swaney
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Pictorial Peek: Nikki McClure & High Fiber Diet at the Bellevue Art Museum
Recently I had the opportunity to skip over to the east side for Free First Friday at the Bellevue Art Museum, and take a peek at the Nikki McClure and High Fiber Diet Shows before they were over! We had a great time playing with the imagination stations, marveling at McClure's exclusively paper-cut work and seeing friends' work on display. Here's a little pictorial peek!
Nikkie McClure:
String art at the Imagination Station!
High Fiber Diet:
My worst nightmare:
Awesome work by our pal and former building-mate, Moxie:
Quilt work by Favorite Friend, Luke Haynes:
Cardboard! Can you believe it?? Look:
Images: Andie Powers
String art at the Imagination Station!
High Fiber Diet:
My worst nightmare:
Awesome work by our pal and former building-mate, Moxie:
Quilt work by Favorite Friend, Luke Haynes:
Cardboard! Can you believe it?? Look:
Images: Andie Powers
Friday, January 18, 2013
Favorite Friend Friday: Luke Haynes, Quilter//Fine Artist Extraordinaire
Luke Haynes is one of those people that we are kicking ourselves for not getting to work with more closely while we had a physical space. An absolute visionary when it comes to textile arts, Luke has created an arena of work that promotes masculinity in a female-dominated art form (if even accidentally).
He currently has three pieces in the High Fiber Diet fiber show at the Bellevue Art Museum--hurry! The show closes on February 5th! An "architect turned quilter," in his own words, it's been absolutely delightful to meet and chat with Luke over the years. (Even if Andie embarrassingly doesn't recognize him without a beard). See below for an awesome chat about his life, work and where he'd eat every day for a year if he could:
Your quilting style is unlike any other -- (mostly) non-gridded, includes portraiture and large scale objects, themes ranging from nostalgia to self-reflection to modern iconography. Your range is impressive, and still your artistry is consistent and cohesive. Is there one main drive or source of inspiration for you?
[Actually mostly gridded. though you cant see it as well from afar. Meaning that I work from square to square to dissect the image into workable parts.] There is one main drive for me and that is constant innovation. I worked for a few years on technique where the image was less important than learning how to make it, then I worked a few years on rendering images and making them clear as I could, THEN a few years on learning the methods of quilters and historical precedent AND THEN a few years learning about making cohesive exhibitions with common themes and notations. What is cohesive is that they all pull from my experience as filtered through my growth as a maker of objects.
Christana's World by Luke Haynes
A common dilemma for fine artists is making a living. How do you balance your desire to create with your desire to sell work?
I live simply. Also I am lucky, my creativity is also what I sell. I create objects and stories that I then sell. It tends not to be mutually exclusive for me.
What is your day like, as a working artist? Are you constantly working on a project or new idea? Does this exhaust or exhilarate you?
I break up my time. I do Marketing Monday where I don't create at all and rather spend the time at the computer and/or taking care of infrastructure things. That and I work for a few months and then take one off to travel to shows and socialize. I work hard, and if I let myself I will burn out. I am constantly working on new projects and ideas and the more that I have and use the more come. I have quite a range of projects bouncing around in my brain. I get a lot of energy from ideas and schemes up until I have piles of them half made sitting around my studio which then distract me.
The Artist with Rags to Riches
How much of an influence is being a male in the quilting world on your work? There are apparent themes of manhood, but how much of that is intentionally highlighted (versus simply being a fact)?
I would say that my gender affects my role in the quilting world in that I get to be a novelty. I made a series of quilts about that. I tend to make quilts or exhibitions to answer any reoccurring questions raised by my practice. For example I make a portrait of me for my bed every year to answer the question about if they are used. I also get LOTS of shows of people putting up shows of men in quilting.
Tell us about your work in the "High Fiber Diet" show, currently at the Bellevue Arts Museum?
That is a good show full of really really dedicated and skilled artists. The work I made was to answer the question "Why are the portraits I make Quilts?" Each portrait is made from the clothes of the individual portrait. The background is made from used clothes from the area the person is from. So it's a tactile story of the person and the environment they inhabit both daily and in general. I have three pieces at the show one each backed in red, white and black.
What's next??
THE WORLD!!!!!
Where's your favorite place to work/create? To rest? To imagine yourself in 20 years?
Work: large quiet studio with natural and bright light. clean and efficiently designed.
Rest: Car or a bike. if I am in transit then I cant feel like I should be doing something else. I relax most when between places.
In 20 years?: Who in the world knows. I have trouble deciding where I am going to move to from Seattle. [Career wise I have plenty of ideas, but physical location isn't one of them that I am settled on.]
What other things do you love to do, other than quilting?
I love to cook and to have dinner parties. I love to be social, but only in small groups which is hard to do when 'out.'
If you could invite a role model or inspiration of yours to your studio (artist or otherwise) who would you like to host?
I do a lot of studio visits. I LOVE to ask questions of the artists I respect to learn their interpretations of my work and my practice. It's hard to pick a particular someone. Maybe Bill Murray just because: who wouldn't?
If you could eat at only one local restaurant for the rest of the year, where would it be?
Skillet. Oh man its tasty! and they even have kale sallads PLUS they have that cute plaid dress code. I'd go there all the time given the option. ALL the time!
Any New Year's resolutions?
My best resolution is to be more self indulgent. I should have resolved to do that years ago!
I am also getting up at 8am every day. Seattle is so grey that I have had issues with sleeping my days away. [I don't have to get OUT of bed, just up.]
Thanks, Luke!!
Images via Luke Haynes
He currently has three pieces in the High Fiber Diet fiber show at the Bellevue Art Museum--hurry! The show closes on February 5th! An "architect turned quilter," in his own words, it's been absolutely delightful to meet and chat with Luke over the years. (Even if Andie embarrassingly doesn't recognize him without a beard). See below for an awesome chat about his life, work and where he'd eat every day for a year if he could:
Your quilting style is unlike any other -- (mostly) non-gridded, includes portraiture and large scale objects, themes ranging from nostalgia to self-reflection to modern iconography. Your range is impressive, and still your artistry is consistent and cohesive. Is there one main drive or source of inspiration for you?
[Actually mostly gridded. though you cant see it as well from afar. Meaning that I work from square to square to dissect the image into workable parts.] There is one main drive for me and that is constant innovation. I worked for a few years on technique where the image was less important than learning how to make it, then I worked a few years on rendering images and making them clear as I could, THEN a few years on learning the methods of quilters and historical precedent AND THEN a few years learning about making cohesive exhibitions with common themes and notations. What is cohesive is that they all pull from my experience as filtered through my growth as a maker of objects.
Christana's World by Luke Haynes
A common dilemma for fine artists is making a living. How do you balance your desire to create with your desire to sell work?
I live simply. Also I am lucky, my creativity is also what I sell. I create objects and stories that I then sell. It tends not to be mutually exclusive for me.
What is your day like, as a working artist? Are you constantly working on a project or new idea? Does this exhaust or exhilarate you?
I break up my time. I do Marketing Monday where I don't create at all and rather spend the time at the computer and/or taking care of infrastructure things. That and I work for a few months and then take one off to travel to shows and socialize. I work hard, and if I let myself I will burn out. I am constantly working on new projects and ideas and the more that I have and use the more come. I have quite a range of projects bouncing around in my brain. I get a lot of energy from ideas and schemes up until I have piles of them half made sitting around my studio which then distract me.
The Artist with Rags to Riches
How much of an influence is being a male in the quilting world on your work? There are apparent themes of manhood, but how much of that is intentionally highlighted (versus simply being a fact)?
I would say that my gender affects my role in the quilting world in that I get to be a novelty. I made a series of quilts about that. I tend to make quilts or exhibitions to answer any reoccurring questions raised by my practice. For example I make a portrait of me for my bed every year to answer the question about if they are used. I also get LOTS of shows of people putting up shows of men in quilting.
Tell us about your work in the "High Fiber Diet" show, currently at the Bellevue Arts Museum?
That is a good show full of really really dedicated and skilled artists. The work I made was to answer the question "Why are the portraits I make Quilts?" Each portrait is made from the clothes of the individual portrait. The background is made from used clothes from the area the person is from. So it's a tactile story of the person and the environment they inhabit both daily and in general. I have three pieces at the show one each backed in red, white and black.
What's next??
THE WORLD!!!!!
Where's your favorite place to work/create? To rest? To imagine yourself in 20 years?
Work: large quiet studio with natural and bright light. clean and efficiently designed.
Rest: Car or a bike. if I am in transit then I cant feel like I should be doing something else. I relax most when between places.
In 20 years?: Who in the world knows. I have trouble deciding where I am going to move to from Seattle. [Career wise I have plenty of ideas, but physical location isn't one of them that I am settled on.]
What other things do you love to do, other than quilting?
I love to cook and to have dinner parties. I love to be social, but only in small groups which is hard to do when 'out.'
If you could invite a role model or inspiration of yours to your studio (artist or otherwise) who would you like to host?
I do a lot of studio visits. I LOVE to ask questions of the artists I respect to learn their interpretations of my work and my practice. It's hard to pick a particular someone. Maybe Bill Murray just because: who wouldn't?
If you could eat at only one local restaurant for the rest of the year, where would it be?
Skillet. Oh man its tasty! and they even have kale sallads PLUS they have that cute plaid dress code. I'd go there all the time given the option. ALL the time!
Any New Year's resolutions?
My best resolution is to be more self indulgent. I should have resolved to do that years ago!
I am also getting up at 8am every day. Seattle is so grey that I have had issues with sleeping my days away. [I don't have to get OUT of bed, just up.]
Thanks, Luke!!
Images via Luke Haynes
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