Artist: Jo Askey
Business: askey illustrations
Web site: askey.etsy.com
Location: Cheshire, UK
What do you create?
I am an illustrator and graphic designer.
Where and when do you do your creative work?
My 'studio' is in a corner of my living room and I try to fit in work when I can. This can sometimes be tricky with a toddler and an eight-year-old.
Do you have another "day job"?
I left my 'day job' two years ago to have my second child. Since then I have been a full time mother and wife and part-time graphic designer and illustrator.
Where and what did you study?
After leaving work, I returned to studying part-time and am due to finish my degree in Media Graphic Design this October.
What inspires you and what motivates you?
I am inspired by anything and everything. Often by people, animals, nature and our man-made surroundings. Silly things like a broken chair inspire me.
When did you start doing this?
I've always drawn but discovered Illustrator after starting my degree -- I haven't looked back since.
Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
When I was five years old I won a drawing competition at school. The prize was to be the first person to play in the school's new sandpit. It's the only thing I've ever won in my life!
When and why did you decide to start your own business?
My business got started by accident really -- I started off doing commissions for friends, and then a friend recommended Etsy to me.
How did you choose the name for your business?
I named my business after me -- not very exciting really, just easy to remember!
What's the most fascinating place you've been?
Rome -- amazing, ancient architecture smack bang in the middle of a city!
A book you love:
Hmmm, there's so many. But I especially love On The Road by Jack Kerouac.
What is the most interesting thing about you?
I have no idea! I do have a knack of being able to do lots of things with my toes (they're unusually long).
What advice would you give women starting their own business?
The advice I would give women starting their own business is the same I'd tell anyone. Just go for it, you never know if it's going to be a success unless you try.
What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
The biggest challenge is finding the time to do it! There just aren't enough hours in the day.
What do you love to do in your free time?
I like to do things outdoors. Go walking with my family, take the kids to feed the goats at a local farm, Especially if the sun is shining -- there's nothing like getting out in the fresh air.
What are you working on right now?
I'm studying for my degree and trying to get some new illustrations done.
What do you hope to achieve next?
I have so much that I'd like to do! I have so many ideas for illustrations which I would love to get the time to realise. When my degree is finally finished (hopefully) I'll find myself an agent and get some steady money coming in!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Askey Illustrations ... UK
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Ph.Beads ... Florida, USA
Artist: Monica R. Lara, Ph.D.
Business: Ph.Beads (get it?)
Web sites: Phbeads.com, Phbeads.etsy.com
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What do you create?
Silver and gemstone jewelry
Evenings and weekends. And when I’m asleep I dream things.
Do you have another "day job"?
I am currently an Associate Research Scientist with the
Where and what did you study?
Where do you find inspiration?
I thought about this a lot and was going to say nature, blah blah but that’s not really all of it, is it? The truth is that I get a lot of magazines, not necessarily jewelry magazines but fashion, interior design and fine art magazines. I use them for inspiration for colors and shapes, but it goes beyond that. By looking at lots of them, studying them really, I have developed a specific aesthetic sense. I have developed “an eye”, a feeling for the kinds of things that I gravitate toward. Almost subconsciously I’ve developed a particular sensibility and this is what I express in my designs. I find I like things that are a little off, almost the wrong colors together, slightly off center proportions. And then I edit. Like the science manuscripts I write. I file the ring until the width is just right, until the corners are just rounded enough but not too much, set a stone whose size in proportion to the band is just unexpectedly a bit too small. A bit wrong in just the right way and then it just sings! It’s delicious! How’s that for self-analysis and navel gazing?! Pretty good for me. I think I really just learned something about myself! Huh, go figure.
What motivates you?
When I create it’s like satisfying a craving, eating when I’m hungry, a good sneeze... Frankly, I was lopsided. I developed the logical side of my brain and felt the need to express and develop the creative side. It gives me balance. Rounds me out as a sentient being. And my customers motivate me! I love it when people get my aesthetic, say they love a tiny detail I thought they would miss. I feel I’ve done something right and good. And that I’ve found a kindred spirit in taste! I am motivated when someone falls in love with something I made that I believed only I loved! It pushes me to reach further, to make something even more tasty.
When did you start doing this?
Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
When and why did you decide to start your own business?
How did you choose the name for your business?
Ooh. Lots of things but mostly: I love watching my hands doing something I didn’t know they could. It’s like watching a movie of someone else’s hands. It’s weird and awesome. Then that sense of “YES!” when something turns out just right and hits a sweet spot with me. And finally, when someone else gets it and cries when she sees it like my sappy friend who we’ll call “V the sap” to protect her identity. (Except that everyone will guess who it is because how many names begin with V? Haha!)
What's the most fascinating place you've been?
A book you love:
Good question! I’m reading Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It’s the first in a trilogy of memoirs of the Colombian-born Nobel Laureate. One of my favorites is 100 Years of Solitude by this author because it’s a perfect example of Latin weirdness; mysticism and family mythology all mixed together in a complicated family history. It’s weird and colorful and just like my Mexican family’s mythologies; passed down and told over until you don’t know what’s real and what’s surreal. His writing tickles my brain in just the right way. That’s why I said that’s such a good question, because I have always thought you could tell a lot about a person by the books they read. And especially creative people because it all goes back to that aesthetic sense, you know?
What is the most interesting thing about you?
What advice would you give women starting their own business?
To be ready to work hard. Lots of people think it’s the easy way to work but it’s much harder to be responsible for everything yourself! You have to be boss and employee and that takes a lot of discipline. You have to develop all the skills needed even if you don’t enjoy all of them. I think I have been successful in both my careers because I force myself to do the best job with the things I don’t like as well as enjoy the things I do. You can’t just design the stuff, you have to find a way to move it! Marketing, selling, promoting, keeping inventory, pricing, ugh. It’s a lot to learn and not so fun sometimes. Also, know your materials, people want to know about what they’re buying. I know the origin and lore about all the stones, ethnic beads etc. that I use. I ask when I buy and I read, read, read. Many times it’s the story and the significance of the piece that really appeals to people along with the design or color. It adds something extra and makes it special. A piece of jewelry is really a personal talisman after all and those things really strike a note deep inside a person. So the most important advice is to do something you really enjoy spending a lot of time doing, do your very best work, and make things you really like because it makes selling them easier when you’re honest when you say, oh, I just love that one too!
What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
For one, thinking about a design when I should be concentrating on fish nose hairs and thinking about fish armpits when I should be designing something for someone that weekend! Seriously! But also the challenge of doing something dirty and dangerous in my house. It was easy in a fully equipped workshop, but in my little
What do you love to do in your free time?
I’ve started cave diving. I’ve been an open water diver for so long, I won’t say how long because then you’ll know how old I am. Now my husband and I travel to central
What are you working on right now?
A paper on…what else?... fish nose hairs! And necklaces with teeny tiny sapphire beads.
To become a full cave diver, publish a bunch of papers this year and get more jewelry up on ETSY! Oh and meet more cool people to spend an afternoon with!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Rachel Austin ... Oregon, USA
Artist: Rachel Austin
Business: Rachel Austin
Web site: www.rachelannaustin.com
Location: Portland, Oregon
What do you create?
Lots of cute little paintings! My series include: Aerial Farm watercolors, mixed media map paintings, and larger oil series of abstracted hanging lanterns.
Where and when do you do your creative work?
I work out of my apartment in SE Portland. My husband and I live in a beautiful vintage apartment built in 1911 -- I have a studio in the finished attic and an office on the main level. It's on a semi-busy street corner so when I need a break from painting, I can often be found sitting on the porch people watching. I work in the afternoons and some evenings.
Do you have another "day job" or did you leave one to pursue your art?
I work as an administrative assistant for an industrial company. They have paintings of duck hunting on the wall. It's pretty funny, but I like working there. It gets me up and out of the house in the morning and gets my thoughts off of painting for a couple hours. I get off at noon so I have the afternoons and evening to work on my art. It also satisfies my weird love for office work.
Where and what did you study?
I got a BA in Management and Finance at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. I also loved art, but didn't realize that was the road I would choose when I was in school.
What inspires you and what motivates you?
Lately I've been trying to capture loneliness in nature -- trees standing independently in a landscape -- in my paintings. I also want people to be happy owning and looking at one of my pieces. Themes of innocence and simplicity often show up.
When did you start doing this?
About three years ago. I was building and selling tables, then was encouraged to try painting. I haven't stopped since.
Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
I've always made things -- when I was 6, I sewed display samples for a little quilt shop my mother worked at. I think to show customers if a six-year-old could do it, then anyone could! I come from a very creative family, I still talk out ideas with them. My dad now builds all my frames for the Map paintings. He came up with the idea of recycling wood pallets and sanding them down to make beautiful little frames. He gave me the first frame for a birthday a year ago -- I loved it so much that I've been putting in orders ever since.
When and why did you decide to start your own business?
I started selling a couple paintings when I worked at an art supply store. That's pretty much where I recieved my education on painting -- I learned so much about supplies. After three years working there I thought I'd better give painting my best shot. I quit and started showing anywhere that would show my paintings. It was a crazy year -- I was hanging two or three shows a month at coffee shops/bars/boutique stores. But it really helped get my name out there.
This last year I decided to slow it down a bit and show one show a month, but it has been a crazy year too. I found I was pregnant at the beginning of the year. It was a surprise and I got a little depressed about it even though my husband and I were happy. Three months into the pregnancy I had a miscarriage and lost the baby. It was devastating to me. I'm still having a rough time and miss that little child. I'm very thankful for having painting as an outlet. I hope the love, hope, isolation, I feel shows up a bit and connects to viewers in my paintings.
What do you love most about creating your work?
I love the feeling of painting the piece and the feeling right after it's done (as long as I like it). It sometimes feels spiritual, like God is painting through me. I also love paint and color. I try, at times, to tone things down, but all my favorite paints seem to still make their way into my work.
What's the most fascinating place you've been?
Cuba! I was very fortunate in college to be able to go to Cuba and do service work. I long to return and visit the friends I made, but for now letters have to do. Very beautiful and secluded.
A book you love:
Right now I'm reading Bleak House by Dickens. I'm a big Dickens and Steinbeck (I love 'East of Eden') fan. I like the classics.
What is the most interesting thing about you?
I faint all the time! Well, only in medical situations. I really, really hate needles.
What achievement are you most proud of?
Making the decision to become a painter and working hard enough to make it happen. I was pretty giddy the months leading up to my first painting show... even though it was in a coffee shop. I hand made show cards and my friends and family all came. It felt quite exciting.
What advice would you give women starting their own business?
"Find what you love, love what you find." Know what you are good at and love, then work really, really hard to make it happen. Ask friends and family what your gifts are -- sometimes that helps. Find a few people that are going to really encourage and support you and stick with them.
What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
Not burning out - I get pretty stressed out trying to keep up and stay ahead of work. I don't want to get so busy I'm not enjoying it because I love to paint.
What do you love to do in your free time?
Read, hike, hang out with friends, drink lots of coffee, cook.
What are you working on right now?
Map paintings -- I have a little ad showing the map painting in Ready Made magazine, coming out in the next issue. I want to have enough paintings in my stock. Hopefully I'll get a response from the ad, but if not, I won't have to work on that series and can work on some other paintings.
What do you hope to achieve next?
I wrote a children's book called Plugs and Planes and have just submitted it to a couple of publishers. I'm hoping to have it published, but we'll see. It was a fun project.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Azure Grackle ... Massachusetts, USA
Artist: Jennifer Schmitt
Business: Azure Grackle
Web sites: www.azuregrackle.com and azuregrackle.etsy.com
Location: Concord, Massachusetts
What do you create?
Original relief prints, primarily woodcuts, but I just began working more with linoleum. I'm also taking a class on monoprints and monotypes.
Where and when do you do your creative work?
I work mostly at home. I have a baby press that will take a plate up to 9" x 14". I work in my apartment, usually printing on long afternoons. Carving can happen any time because there is less clean-up, but more often than not it happens in the evenings in front of the TV.
Do you have another "day job" or did you leave one to pursue your art?
Yes and yes. Currently I work part-time at a local art museum on the Visitor Services staff. This allows me to both be out in the world and be surrounded by inspiring art, and also have enough time at home to get my own work done as well.
I left a job as a web designer 18 months ago, not sure what I wanted to do next, but I knew in my bones I needed to make a change. Having the luxury of some time to play and explore, I discovered that I am an artist and this is what I want to do.
Where and what did you study?
I majored in American Studies at Smith College and since then have taken at least ten creative writing (fiction) workshops. I thought if anything, I would be a novelist.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in nature, history, good stories, other artists, Mary Oliver's poetry, basically anywhere my eyes are open.
What motivates you?
For five years I worked as a web designer in a research institute, and before that for a start-up company. I wondered why I wasn't excited by what I was doing. In annual reviews, I could never answer the questions "Where do you see yourself in five years?" or "What do you want to accomplish?". I finally realized that despite being a good job and a good place to work, it wasn't enough and I wasn't happy. So what motivates me? The desire not to go back.
When did you start doing this?
I started doing woodcuts in October of 2006 after a workshop by Marissa Swinghammer, although I did do a linoleum cut in 7th grade art class. It still hangs on my wall. (Thanks, Mr. Ardito!)
Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
Absolutely! I learned to knit from my mom around age five. In kindergarten, I got scolded many times because I would always mix the basic paint colors, especially white and blue for the sky.
When and why did you decide to start your own business?
I can't say I made a conscious decision, it grew from a very casual start on Etsy. I had a closet full of unused yarn and started to sell it off. I added beaded necklaces and knit cuff bracelets. Once I discovered the woodcuts and felt good about them, I started to sell them too.
How did you choose the name for your business?
When I signed up for Etsy, I wanted to use a new name. I had just visited Mass MoCA (museum of contemporary art) and stayed at a B&B that had turned their ugly cement garage into a full scale installation. They had commissioned an artist who covered it in giant grackles on a bright green background and cherry blossoms. There was something about it that I fell in love with. So fishing for names, I came up with Grackle. Then because I love colors, added Azure. I like how it looks. I had no idea it would become so important.
What do you love most about creating your work?
I love working with colors and how they interact. The colors that you think won't go together often prove to be the most interesting prints. I love the surprise that comes when you pull the paper off the block or plate. No matter how planned, you never quite know how it will turn out.
What's the most fascinating place you've been?
I've been to Greece, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Hawaii. I love them all for teaching me new things. Hawaii has a special place in my heart because I trace the beginnings of the changes I've made in my life to that trip. But I think the most fascinating place I've been will be whatever is next.
A book you love:
Just one? Sorry. Here are a few:
Collected Poems – Mary Oliver
The Probably Future – Alice Hoffman
The Golden Compass – Philip Hoffman
Possession – A. S. Byatt
What is the most interesting thing about you?
In March, I started a collaborative printmaking project based on the Periodic Table of Elements. More than 90 printmakers from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Italy are producing 6" x 6" prints of the 118 elements using all sorts of printmaking techniques – woodcut, linocut, monotype, solar plate, etching, lithography, silkscreen, gocco. The project started on a whim after and has turned out to be fun and inspiring. Bigger than I ever imagined.
What achievement are you most proud of?
I'm proud I took the risk to pursue my art and make changes to build a life I like rather than stay safe and live without all the colors.
What advice would you give women starting their own business?
Just think of the next step and the next step and the next. Looking at the whole prospect can be overwhelming.
What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
Believing that I can really do this. Finding the balance between overworking a piece and leaving it too simple because I'm afraid I'll ruin it if I add another layer.
What do you love to do in your free time?
Knit, watch TV, be mellow with friends, spend time with family, read, doodle, try new ideas, make a mess.
What are you working on right now?
I'm experimenting with monoprint techniques for my class. I'm also using local colonial gravestone carvings as inspiration for new blocks.
What do you hope to achieve next?
I'd love to be selling locally in a gallery, not just online. Mostly, I hope to continue to learn and (hopefully) watch my art grow stronger.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Modern Art Everyday ... New Jersey, USA
Artist: Nancy Veltri
Business: Modern Art Everyday
Web sites: www.modernarteveryday.com and modernarteveryday.etsy.com
Location: New Jersey, USA
What do you create?
I create clean modern art for the home in the form of prints on canvas,
fabric and paper.
Where and when do you do your creative work?
I am fortunate enough to have a home-based studio. For the most part, I try to stick to a 6.30am to 6pm workday. But I find that creativity strikes at any time of day or night, weekdays or weekends.
Do you have another "day job", or did you leave one to pursue your art?
I spent years in the corporate world. First I worked in NYC designing textiles for children's and adults' clothing. I then worked in consumer flooring, where I was part of an award-winning design team. But I became restless for more creative freedom so I left my "day job" and formed a partnership with my mother called 4 Tails Design Group. We specialize in graphic and web design for small businesses. I am the creative contributor and my mom is the technical guru. But my passion is Modern Art Everyday where I create a new piece of art every day.
Where and what did you study?
I studied surface pattern design at Syracuse University and I graduated with a BFA.
What inspires you and what motivates you?
I am inspired by nature, patterns, texture and color. I find beauty in simple, clean designs with a modern touch.
When did you start doing this?
Modern Art Everyday opened for business on October 31, 2006 – Halloween. It seems appropriate since opening your own business is pretty scary. But it's more successful than I could have imagined and I have no regrets.
Do you remember getting into art as a kid?
Art has always been a part of my life. I fondly remember my mom driving me to various arts and crafts stores as a kid in search of the perfect supplies.
When and why did you decide to start your own business?
After designing consumer flooring for six years, I grew tired of office politics and creative constraints. I knew I was capable of so much more. So in early 2005 I began my own business as an experiment. But it soon became obvious that it would be impossible to build a successful business while still working full-time at my "day job". So with the support of my family, I resigned from the flooring industry and became my own boss. I have never looked back!
How did you choose the name for your business?
I wanted something simple that people could remember easily. Modern Art Everyday is not only simple, but it really describes what I do; a new piece of art posted daily.
What do you love most about creating your work?
Just knowing that my art will be proudly displayed in homes around the world gives me great satisfaction.
What's the most fascinating place you've been?
Maui. I was married in a Japanese sculpture garden overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Maui. I am continually amazed at the spectacular color and beauty of nature.
A book you love:
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb.
What is the most interesting thing about you?
I married my next door neighbor. We lived next door to each other for six months but because of our schedules, we rarely saw each other. But then one day the U.S. Postal Service intervened and delivered some of my mail to his mailbox. He knocked on my door to return the mail and a week later he baked me cookies. Four months later we were engaged.
What achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the success of Modern Art Everyday. It is a struggle to keep up with the volume of orders, and that is a nice problem to have.
What advice would you give women starting their own business?
Take risks, embrace change, believe in yourself and, most importantly, stay positive! A positive attitude makes all things possible and inspires those around you.
What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
Time. I have so many ideas and a huge to-do list, but not enough hours in the day to attempt it all. To address this, I prioritize daily but customer satisfaction is always the top priority.
What do you love to do in your free time?
Spending time with my husband and walking my goofy lab, Charlie.
What are you working on right now?
Decorative throw pillows. I create the design, print the fabric on my Epson 7800 in my home studio, and I sew them together on my trusty Singer.
What do you hope to achieve next?
I want to continue to grow Modern Art Everyday and introduce new product offerings on a regular basis. I have built a foundation of loyal repeat customers and I have an obligation to give them a reason to keep visiting me.
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