Posts Tagged ‘etsy’

This week, the Artist du Jour series catches up with the lovely Marina Taliera ,who, through her stunning portrait and map series, reminds us to look within ourselves and, with borrowing the words of Gandhi, be the change in which we wish to see in the world. I have fallen in love with Marina’s expressive use of emotional line and captivating color, as I’m sure that you will as well.  Enjoy!

Artist du Jour: Marina Taliera

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Marina Taliera, and I am a painter of “Maps” and “Abstract portraits”.
I’ve always been a creative person; my childhood was filled with travels and
never ending questions about the world and its mysteries.
After studying costume design, I fell in love with painting.

I can spend hours in my studio, reading listening to music and painting. Originally from
the south of France, I currently set up my “atelier” in the beautiful town of Oaxaca, Mexico.

The Abstract Portrait series has such a raw emotional beauty about it.

Kaya by M. Taliera (one of my personal faves and it's available for sale on Etsy)

Where do you find your inspiration?

I started that series back in 2005 with a painting called “BRUJA”,
I was talking on the phone with a friend, sketching and I ended up
painting a face on top of an unfinished abstract painting I liked the
result , got commissioned to do two more and decided that they’re was
something to explore there. I have no fear of a wrong line or a wrong
color when I paint; it starts as an abstract, a collage; recycling
papers and textures then I layer paint, oil pastels, and a story takes
place. The “Abstract Portraits” reminds us to look within, the eyes
are closed meditating, leaving a certain mystery, the strokes are raw
and express movement.

Moving to Oaxaca a city known for its colorful art, crafts and
architecture was a great way to stimulate my creativity. Traveling,
stepping outside of your comfort zone, helps I’ve noticed to get the
best work out .

Marina's studio with an abstract map painting in process on the easel

Tell me about ‘Recyclarte’ and the Map Series.

Compass by M. Taliera, available for purchase on Etsy

“Recyclarte” is the name of the etsy store that I started with my
partner J-Paw. We are both passionate about art and the idea to reuse;
giving new life to objects, papers, metal, bottles… it just made sense.

“Recyclar”-”arte”  became the perfect word to describe what we do.
Art like music is a great way to spread messages and I think the “Map
Series” is a way to remind people to cherish simple things, the
texture of a tree the shape of a coast line.
In my paintings, I use recycled papers , dried leaves and flowers,
onion skin, cardboard, sand; anything organic that catches my attention
by its uniqueness.

I come from a generation that has been hearing “the
world is polluted, sick, dying” since middle school but I try and always
stay positive.  A lot of amazing people are changing the way they live
and consume, and I am hopeful that in the next few years more will
follow .

Chess the cat hanging out by one of Marina's paintings

What’s your favorite part about the creative process?

Finishing a painting is always a great feeling, showing it for the
first time , getting different reactions from people, etc . I usually
start 3 or 4 at the same time so there’s always a canvas calling my
attention. If i get blocked on one piece, i can always move on to the
next one.

Selling on Etsy has led me to experiment more when it comes
to taking pictures of my artwork. I really fell in love with it ! I
look for the perfect place now, the perfect outdoor wall or tree to
photograph my work. I think it gives art a different approach showing
it in nature vs a gallery wall.

If you could have one super power, what would it be?

Probably telekinetic powers! How great would it be to be able to
paint, holding the brush with my mind only.

6 Degree South by Marina Taliera

I would definitely be working with animals.  That used to be my
dream job as a kid. We have rescued 3 cats and a dog so far since
we’ve moved to Mexico. I definitively plan to open a shelter for
rescued animals with the sale of my artwork . It’s something that is
really needed here and that I believe can be helped.

Where can we find you?

More of my work is available online at : www.http://mtaliera.mfbiz.com/
I also upload weekly pictures to my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Angeles-CA/MTaliera/133011923394753
J-Paw’s recycled masks and paintings can be found at :
www.http://jpawart.mosaicglobe.com

Some of my “Arte rocca” pieces are currently being displayed at Black
Box studio: http://www.la-blackbox.com/ and I’m currently working on
some pieces for the upcoming 2011 FONCA art festival.

Moss, Painting by Marina available on Etsy.

And now to introduce you to the newest Artists du Jour…that right, artists with an ‘s’… the lovely ‘stache sporting, jewelry creating couple, Meredith and Jacob Parker.  I am SO lovin’ their metal work… and guys, they even make awesome belt buckles!

Artists du Jour: Jacob and Meredith Parker

Who are you and what do you do?

Meredith and Jacob Parker, married couple.  We are the owners and operators of Leeward Be, a metal and jewelry shop.

Essentially, both of us have been doing creative things our entire life, so having this shop – this sort of amalgam of our styles and talents, and a focus with which to pursue it – it’s really a dream for us.

We do everything by hand around here. We have a Dremel for drilling holes, but everything else is all us. Cutting, sanding, filing, engraving, hammering, riveting…all of it.

When you do things by hand, you really get to know the material you’re working with: how it reacts, what its limits are, what it can be coaxed into doing if you do it right. You don’t get that level of intimacy with power tools because there is that barrier between your hands and the metal.

Hot Air Balloon Belt Buckle by the Parkers

What are the best aspects of being able to create and work with your significant other?

Meredith and Jacob

M: Getting to spend time together; you get to do what you love with the person you love.

I’m also not afraid to offer input or criticism because we know each other so well that I don’t have to worry about whether or not he’s going to take it personally.  We both want to put out the best piece that we can.

I also like that the longer we are together, the more a hybrid style develops; our two separate styles becoming one.  A bigger, more powerful style.

J:Yeah!  I like…synergy?  I don’t know.

You get to the point where the other person is an additional tool: you watch each other work and you know what the other person needs before they need it.  It becomes a very streamlined process.

Plus, in a weird way, there is no pressure since the other person thinks you are great regardless, but also immense pressure because they are the one person in the world that you want to impress.

Man in the Moon Necklace

You guys are making some really great pieces of jewelry and I understand that metals are a newer endeavor for you both.  What creative paths led you to jewelry making?

M: I’ve always sketched and drawn, and I’ve worked with clay.  Knitting and crocheting are what got me a job at a local bead store, where I was totally submerged for four years.  I learned the basics of how to make jewelry: balance, color, etc.  Once we learned how to work with metal, I could add my other experience to it, so it was just a matter of bringing it all together.

J: We’ve been working with metals for around nine months now.  We heard that the community college had a good course, and it sounded interesting, so we took it together.  Completely life changing; we both suddenly found this medium that just instantly clicked.  It was great, and we had a great teacher.

Neither of us, though, are new to art or making things in general.  I mean, I have all of my notebooks from high school and college, but very little notes.  What does that tell you?

Apart from art stuff, I grew up loving shiny things.  Bedazzlers, Elton John, David Bowie, those roller skates with glittery wheels.  Plus I love the kinetic sculptures of people like Arthur Ganson.  The technicalities of that stuff just blow me away.

So art+shiny+sculptures=jewelry, I guess.  Meredith is the one who really opened my eyes to the fact that you didn’t necessarily have to do gold hoop earrings every time.  She made me see jewelry as creative, not just production.

Benny Business

Who or what inspires your designs?

J: Honestly, I think that we kind of play off of each other.  I might be trying to sketch out an idea, and I’ll get frustrated with it and give up.

Then Meredith will take a look at it and throw her two cents in and take it in a new direction that I hadn’t thought of and, suddenly, it’s really a great idea and you know that it’s going to work.  I’d like to think that I do the same for her.

It’s also pretty important to let things grow organically.  A lot of times, where we begin is miles from where we end, but it seems to work out all right.

M: What he said.

Other than that, I’m gonna go with ‘complete accident.’

Metal is not an inexpensive venture, so if you make a small mistake, you kind of have to roll with it.  Incorporate it into the design.

Sterling Silver Snail Necklace

What superpower would most like to possess?

M: I know it sounds lame, but I would love to have a prehensile tail.  At least once a day I say, ‘I need more hands.’  That’d take care of it.  There’s all the classics – flight, invisibility, speed – but I think that, for what I do, a tail would be the most useful one.  It’s not a fun one, but it’s the one I’d pick.

J: I wrestled with this.  I think, as a guy, we wrestle with this question from about second grade.  I used to cop out and say that I wanted to be affected by Earth’s yellow sun like Superman, because you would get all the superpowers.  But, since I am now a fair-playing adult, I will say flight.  Which is strange, because I hate flying.

When you’re not making jewelry, what are you up to?

M: I play the banjo…I really like my couch time…but in all honesty, I do metalwork for fun, even if it’s not to sell.  I DO still love to crochet.  I’m a generally fidgety person, so I like to keep my hands busy.

J: We hang out together.  It’s as ambiguous a term now as it was when I said it back in high school.  We might be playing music together or playing with our two cats, or cleaning the house.  We DO watch a lot of America’s Funniest Home Videos.  But, generally speaking, we do everything together.

Where can we find you?

As of this moment, you can find us online at

www.etsy.com/shop/LeewardBe, or you can follow us on twitter @LeewardBe

We don’t blog, or have a facebook page, or…whatever else.  YET.  We are currently investigating where best to establish our vast web presence.  Physically,   we are going to begin shopping our pieces to stores in the near future.

How will you know if we ever do those things?  Follow us on the ol’ Twitter.  We’ll let you know.

Sterling Flower Garden Pendant

The lovely Parkers’ are offering a lovely 10% discount in their Etsy shop.  Just enter the coupon code ‘benny‘.

Artist du Jour: Interviews with the Creative Kind is back to introduce you to Renaissance Woman, the talented Gretchen… she knits, she sews, she draws, she does the most darling little embroideries…what can this lovely lady not do?

Artist du Jour: Gretchen

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Gretchen, and besides being a wife and stay-at-home mom to a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy, I like to do all sorts of creative things. I have been drawing and crocheting and sewing since I was quite young. I also knit and carve rubber stamps and embroider (as well as any other number of things I see online that strike my fancy!). My latest passion is drawing digital illustrations, and I feel like I’m finding my niche there.

What three words best describe your work?

Dollhouse. One of Gretchen's most sought after embroideries available on Etsy.

Imagination, story-telling, feeling

What do you enjoy most about creating? Least?

I love the satisfaction of looking at a finished piece, because I still marvel at my ability to do it. I draw something and then think, “Did *I* really draw that?” It’s honestly a surprise every time, which makes it even more rewarding. I love getting really stuck into the work and going, going, going until it’s just right. I usually hate prep work, the planning, supply-gathering.

What artist(s) do you admire?

Can I side-step out of this one? I wouldn’t even know where to start. There are so many fiber artists and illustrators who I admire. I read once that the way to learn and develop your own style is to copy that of others until your preferences emerge and your own quirks (imperfections) come out to make the style yours. I have done a lot of emulating to practice and get to a place where I feel like I know what my artistic style is, and I’m so grateful to all of those artists who influenced me.

Safe Passage, digital illustration by Gretchen

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Hmmm. Could I be super-present, like able to make my kids lunch, exercise, and work on a drawing all at the same time, so I can essentially get some more hours in the day?

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your creative endeavors thus far?

Having people buy my work because they like it, they really like it! Some of the things people have said about my work is so rewarding because I can see that what I’m doing is resonating with someone out there. And, like I said, I’m always a little surprised by that, even after doing this for a while now. I still have trouble calling myself an artist, but I’m working on it!

Where can we find you?
I blog at http://www.juneatnoon.com.

I have an Etsy shop at http://juneatnoon.etsy.com.

I have a Twitter account, http://www.flickr.com/juneatnoon,

and a Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/juneatnoon.

The lovely Gretchen is also offering you lovely Artist du Jour readers a coupon code for 15% off of your purchase in her Etsy shop, so check out her fantastic works! Coupon Code: DUJOUR 15

Winding Wool, digital illusrtration by Gretchen availbale on Etsy.

Snap!  Crackle!  Stretching those kinks out of my typing digits.

Finally, back from my two week “vacation” up “north” to see the family in good old NC.  I am jonesing to unleash myself into my studio and create something… anything!  But first, I wanted to share some things I’ve been up to, things my lovely Artist du Jour interviewees have been up to…and of course,to share the finished product from when my daughter and I had our “Mommy and Me Paint Day”.

So, without further ado…  and then the phone rings, my alma mater begging me for money…doesn’t it say on my transcript I went to ART school…that should explain that I have NO money! Jeez.  Anyhoo, like I was saying, without further ado, I present you with the fruits of our “Mommy and Me Paint Day” labors…

Our garden, container box painted my Allie and London. Copyright 2011

Ok, so we cheated a bit.  We didn’t start with seeds, but in the next few months we’ll be grubbing on some Sweet Vidalia Onions, pimentos, heirloom tomatoes, zukes and yellow squash, sweet peas, and whatever else the Hubs planted while we were in North Carolina.  Don’t worry folks, they’re not all in the one container box!

In other news, even more joyous then Glenn Beck’s show being canceled on the mind numbing Fox News channel, I’ve been painting more stone tiles.  From coasters and trivets to decorative tiles… here are a few I have listed for your buying pleasure on Etsy and a set of custom coral reef inspired coasters I painted for a dear customer…

Custom coasters in progress

How does she do this, you ask.  Simple.  Sort of.  First, I lightly sketch my drawing out onto the stone tile.  I try to choose smoother tiles, though not totally smooth.  I enjoy the look of the “imperfections” of the stone, it really gives each piece character.  Though you don’t want too much “character”, or you’ll have one heck of a time with sketching out your image and painting it.

After I’ve sketched my image onto the stone to my liking (by the way, I find that a plain old No.2 pencil is much more forgiving then graphite pencils, though it may give you nightmares of filling in all those bubble sheets in back in grade school), it’s on to the process of painting the stone.  The tumbled stone is a very thirsty object, therefore watercolors are discouraged.  I use acrylic paints, and you can even get away with doing some heavy acrylic washes on these stones to give your image a hint of tint.  Just don’t sop it on, because it will roll right off the smoother spots of the stones.  But obviously, the thicker the paint, the more vibrant the look.  I also use India Ink to do some outlining on the stones, and I’ve found that it holds up nicely, though is a bit less forgiving then the acrylic paints.

Hand painted stone custom coasters

When I’m done with adding color to the stone (and after giving it time to try), I seal the work with a spray resin varnish, which can be found at your local art store.  When doing coasters or trivets, I add either felt or cork circles to the backside of each stone so that it will not scratch surfaces.

Persephone's Garden, Hand-painted stone

And last, but certainly not least, I promised you some updates on some past Artist du Jour interviewees…

Who Ever Said Green Couldn’t be Stylish…. and Illustrated???

Everyone needs to go and check out Andrea Peterson’s awesome new eco totes, featuring her lovely artwork Oooh La La, in her Etsy shop.  I just broke my in at the grocery store today, and I love it!!!  It’s way more stylish (as my 2 1/2 going on 25 year old says) then the grass green Publix totes I’ve been lugging around.  I can’t wait for her to do more so I can start a collection…and rid myself of the Publix collection.

Awesome eco tote by Andrea Peterson

Not to mention, Artist Andrea has some other new awesome goodies in her new website shop, including sleep masks… and some super sweet postcards opn Etsy!

Artist du Jour Alumni Updates, April 2011

Also, be sure to check out past Artist du Jour interviewee, Kristy Lynn’s new shops on Studio6: Cloud Drop Paintings Shop and Lover.  I am so in love with her painting, Bird Lovers (which was featured in her interview), and hope to get my hands on a print very soon!

Bird Lovers by Kristy Lynn

Jessica Byrd Buchanan, past interviewee, has a new line of lovely bookmarks, magnets and jewelry featuring her photography now available on Etsy.

Necklace by Jessica Byrd Buchanan. Photo by Jessica Byrd Buchanan.

Also, to all you art school folks, current Artist du Jour and fellow SCAD alumni, Brienna Pruce, has just started up a new Etsy team for all those that have or are attending school to study art: the Art School Grad Team.  I love that Brienna is doing this, providing a great opportunity for all artists to network, collaborate, and reach more people.

Ok, now I really need to hit the studio… though now I’m not so sure I want to drag out all my paints, brushes, pens, paper, etc. at 10 o’clock at night.

Artist du Jour: Mini Interviews with the Creative Kind featuring the photoholic painter of murals and drawer of drawings, the lovely, Jessica Byrd Buchanan.  You down with TTV… yeah, you know me!

Artist du Jour: Jessica Byrd Buchanan...she's the pretty one on the left

Who are you and what do you do?
I am a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a golf cart business owner/office manager, and from time to time I am also an artist!

What is a typical creative day in the life of Jessica Buchanan like?
Thus far this week I have booked a couple of family photo shoots! I also designed a kids menu/ activity page for a local restaurant and spent the majority of today working on a mural painting for a church youth building.

Three words that best describe your work…
I tried to think of ways to describe based on how certain pieces make me feel…casual, vintage, pleasant.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be, and why?
I would be a super genius! I could use my awesome power and invent a machine to turn water into food like Flint Lockwood in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Then, I would use the machine to make enough food to end world hunger. Because everyone deserves an ice cream play day!!

Crumbling to Oblivion, TTV Photography

How do you find balance between a job, a family, and your creative endeavors?

Luckily, my husband and I own our golf cart company in a tourist area, so business is seasonal. (Not that I’m not using my creative-ness while working there because I enjoy designing our website and also designing golf carts for customers.) But, from October to February business slows down just enough to give me artistic freedom to get creative! And, since we own the business, I make my own hours, which makes it possible to balance work, family and my creative endeavors.

What one artist has been most influential/inspirational to your own work?

The Contraption

Normal Rockwell and his amazing real-life illustrations.

Where can we find you?
http://www.jessicabyrdbuchanan.com/
http://www.jessicabyrdbuchanan.etsy.com/

Reflecting Beauty

Post interview, I had to ask Jessica about…dun dun dun…”The Contraption”.  I knew it was used for her lovely, vintage looking  photography, but I wanted to know more…

Me: What the heck is that thing, The Contraption?

Jessica: Aaahhh yes, the contraption! Well, it is ttv photography, which means through the viewfinder. I use my camera with a macro lens attached and take pics through the top of a kodak duaflex camera (1950′s) to get the vintage look. I made the contraption attached to my kodak using black frame mat and black tape to block the light.

Me: What do you prefer… TTV or traditional photography (which I guess is now digital…man, I remember my days in the dark room in high school during graphic design…not sure what that photography had to do with GD, but it was fun!)?

Jessica: Honestly, I like taking the traditional pictures, but I like the look of the TTV better…so I guess I’m kinda sorta on the fence.

Hadnot's Creek Illustration

Be sure to check out the lovlies in Jessica’s etsy shop, and upon checkout enter this code ADJ31811 for a lovely 10% off of your order!  Expires on April 18th, 2011.

Jessica gettin' her mural on.