lesley grainger : artists who blog

Today's artist is Lesley Grainger, who is originally from England where she studied art and illustration. She moved to California with her family in 1999. Her cheerful designs are inspired by her children, color and nature. Enjoy!

Lesley's blog: www.lesleygraingerdesign.blogspot.com

Lesley's website: www.lesleygrainger.com

Lesley's shop: www.etsy.com/shop/grainger

Why did you decide to become an artist and could you imagine doing anything else? If so, what?

Since I was little I wanted to become an artist, more than anything. It's my purpose. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, unless I'm called to do something.

Do you still believe "do what you love and the money will come?"

Absolutely! I believe if you do what you are made to do everything else will follow. It's not always smooth sailing going thru some storms but there's always a rainbow.

How has the Internet influenced your work as an artist?

Blogging and the internet are an essential part of my business. Communication with clients is so easy with these tools. I have met so many amazing people thru my blog and I love it. Blogging is an artform, a tool I use to express my art.

Please name 3 of your favorite blogs and tell us why these blogs are special.

http://printpattern.blogspot.com Bowie posts such great work, she connects us to the design world.

Flora Bowley - http://florabowley.typepad.com has the most amazing organic paintings. I love the colors and the feel of her abstract paintings.

A great blog for learning about Art Licensing: http://artlicensingblog.com

What is your greatest fear and what do you do to overcome it?

My greatest fear is to fear. And the way I overcome it is prayer. Worry about nothing and pray about everything. I love this quote, "Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere."

Who would you like to trade places with for one day? Why?

I would like to trade places with Chagall and paint like him for one day.

What are your secrets for managing your time wisely?

I work from my home/studio so it's easy to get distracted, ARTIST ADD. I have to make lists, focus on what I need to get done and prioritize my work or I can easily waste my day.

If you could live anywhere in the world – all expenses paid – for one year, where would that be? 

Wow that's a great question. I think I would like to live in France. I traveled there for art college. It was amazing and inspiring! Being in France made me want to paint even more.

How do you maintain a healthy balance between your professional and private life?

This is sometimes difficult because I work from home and I have two children. I try to treat my work like a regular work day. Get the kids off to school. Make some tea and get to work on whatever projects I have going on. I have learned to stop when its time for family life and I try go to the gym regularly.

What are your top 5 goals that you’d like to accomplish within the next 5 years?

Online shop

More fabrics

Children's book published in April 2011

Going to Surtex in May 2011

More children's books

What is your advice for someone who would like to turn his or her creative dreams into reality?

Do what you love, be inspired with your dream and the reality will come.

Thank you Lesley! I appreciate your sharing your artwork and your thoughts with us today. I wish you lots of success at Surtex next month!

hollie chastain : artists who blog

Today's artist interview is with Hollie Chastain - a collage artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee. I do believe she is the first artist I've featured from Tennessee, which is special for me since I was also born and raised there. I love Hollie's way of combining papers, drawing, and vintage collage materials, and I'm sure you will too. Enjoy!

Hollie's blog: drkennedyjones.blogspot.com

Hollie's website: www.holliechastain.com

Hollie's shop: www.etsy.com/shop/drkennedyjones

Why did you decide to become an artist and could you imagine doing anything else? If so, what?

I can't remember a moment where I ever really decided to become an artist. It's always been my favorite thing to do my entire life so seemed like a pretty natural progression even though it took some time to be able to do it full time. There are 100 things I would love to try but I can't imagine feeling fully satisfied at the end of the day if I can't create.

Do you still believe "do what you love and the money will come?"

I do in a way. The statement sounds so carefree but really it's so much work. You have to be prepared to push and move constantly towards your goals but it's the love for what you're doing that makes it worth it and fuels the energy to accomplish those tasks every day even if they aren't the fun creative tasks.

How has blogging and the Internet influenced your work as an artist?

The handmade blogging community is a whole world of support and inspiration and a real feeling of work mates when so many of us are alone in the studio for the majority of work time. It's nice to share and see what fellow artists are up to every day. Even though it's not quite the same as popping over to the next desk to look over someone's shoulder you have the advantage of so many work mates all over the world. Seeing so many viewpoints and opinions and techniques, both in the blogging community and the internet in general, helps keep my mind open and thinking in new ways.

Please name three of your favorite blogs and tell us why these blogs are special. 

The Nonist – This one might be a bit of a cheat because it's no longer an active blog (that fact makes my heart weep) but the archives are still accessible. It's a completely fascinating look into so many eye and mind opening subjects and I can't drink it in fast enough.

A Journey Round My Skull – When I don't have time to go out and explore the bookshelves of thrift stores and junk shops then I get my fix here. He always finds the most amazing vintage illustration that makes my heart race.

NotPaper – The very best collection of collage artist information and introduction. It's a source of constant inspiration.

What is your greatest fear and what do you do to overcome it?

Fire! I'm kidding. But I do think about it sometimes as I'm sitting surrounded by dry and dusty paper. I think my biggest fear is losing my own view as an artist. As great as the internet is for inspiration and discovery it's a constant bombardment of a million and two things a day. It's a balancing act to let those ideas and images and feedback inspire and motivate without allowing it to carry me in an unnatural or inorganic direction in my work. I follow design and studio blogs but try to match that exposure with discovery sites; science and “found item” and history blogs.

Who would you like to trade places with for one day? Why?

I've always been completely fascinated with Emma Kunz. Her work is the perfect blend of art and earth science and mystery. I would love to see things the way she did for a day.

What are your secrets for managing your time wisely?

There is a lot of advice out there about how to juggle and organize but I think that everyone's life and circumstances are different and you just figure out as you go. If I try and set a daily schedule then I drive myself crazy trying to stick to it as unexpected things pop up then I end the day a ball of anxiety. I try and keep a loose schedule, more of a to-do list, and complete the task that means the most to me right in that moment. Nothing good comes from forcing a creative task to meet a deadline but if I can knock out the clerical parts of running a business when I find a free minute here or there then it opens up larger blocks of quiet time during the day to work in the studio without feeling scattered mentally.

If you could live anywhere in the world – all expenses paid – for one year, where would that be? Why?

I would love to explore Iceland for a year. Everything about it appeals to me (except the cold but I can deal with that) and it seems to have a very distinct and strong personality. The folklore and music feel so specific to the country as if they couldn't have come from any other place. Also it has some of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever seen and very different from the landscape here at home so I wonder how that might affect my creative process with such different visuals around.

How do you maintain a healthy balance between your professional and private life?

Setting my own studio hours and having a wonderful supportive husband makes this easy most of the time. If I give up weekday studio time to volunteer at the school or if sick little ones stay home I am thrilled to get to drop everything to devote all my attention to that and know that I can make up the studio time if I need to in the evenings or a quiet Saturday morning. It's never a complete balance but we have a pretty great routine worked out that works for us.

What are your top five goals that you’d like to accomplish within the next five years?

Being slightly obsessed with early stop-motion animation I am dying to give it a try with some paper dolls I am currently working on. Next year an attempt at an animated short will be made and we'll see how it goes. I would like to continue adding retail locations where my work is available and get together a solo show every year. Putting out a small self-published book of found book pages and photographs and artwork is quickly moving towards the top of the general long-term To-Do list. First and foremost I am moving into a bigger work area the beginning of 2011 and that will make all other goals that much easier to accomplish!

What is your advice for someone who would like to turn his or her creative dreams into reality?

Don't compare yourself to others, don't get discouraged, take the product seriously without taking yourself too seriously and work work work!

Thank you Hollie for your words of inspiration and for sharing your beautiful artwork!

zee longenecker : artists who blog

Today's guest is the lovely Zee Longenecker, a photographer born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil who now lives in Flagstaff, Arizona with her husband, two sons, and three cats. I love Zee's honesty as well as her gorgeous, nostalgic photographs. Enjoy.

Zee's blog: http://pixieblossoms.com

Zee's website: http://zeelongenecker.com

Zee's shops: http://etsy.com/shop/heyzee  and http://etsy.com/shop/pixieblossoms

Why did you decide to become an artist and could you imagine doing anything else? If so, what?

I did not decide on becoming an artist, I just follow my heart. I don’t know if I am an artist. If someone calls me an artist I will blush. I love to learn, to observe things around me. I think I am a very visual person. I rememember being a little kid, drawing on the living room rug forever. I was always quiet, introverted and drawing was a way to express myself. I got interested in photography when I was a teen and attended school in Rio de Janeiro. At that time, it was a very expensive medium for me and digital cameras did not exist. Soon, money became a huge issue and it was not possible to keep up with my photography endeavors. I had to work to pay the bills and help my parents. After marrying and having my children, my husband gifted me with a new camera and I restarted as a hobby.

I also enjoy sewing, working with textiles and drawing once in a while. I see myself doing many things. It’s hard, because I have two small children and my husband is often away from home.

Do you still believe "do what you love and the money will come?"

Yes and no. I can’t just create photos, sit and wait. Money won’t fall from sky. I understand that I must be very organized, I need to set up goals, do some marketing, contact people, do my homework, improve my skills. I am not making a lot of money yet. Hopefully one day!

How has blogging and the Internet affected your work as an artist?

I started to blog in 2003 only to talk about my personal life and feelings, but only in 2006 I started to focus on my photography and sewing. There were women like me, blogging about their passions, dreams and work. It was a wonderful discovery! Because I have only a basic photography training, I’ve learned a lot reading blogs and online tutorials. I’ve learned about aesthetics and how to have a cohesive presentation. I find a lot of useful information online. I can easily share whatever I do and connect with other people that share the same passions.The Internet is amazing. It opens doors for many talented people.

Please name 3 of your favorite blogs and tell us why these blogs are special.

Lately I’ve enjoyed decor8 because Holly always brings a lot of inspiration to her readers. I like Pia’s blog - her photography and her posts are so interesting, different. I also like Gennine’s blog her work is also truly inspiring, they make me smile.

What is your greatest fear and what do you do to overcome it?

Oh, it would be ending up sick, old and alone in a nursing home. Aging like that would be bad. I want my family always together. I don’t want our family being scattered, here and there.

Who would you like to trade places with for one day? Why?

I would like to trade place with my son, be a kid once again and feel like him, to be able to understand him better and perhaps become a better mom.

What are your secrets for managing your time wisely?

I don’t. I still don’t manage wisely. Last week I was able to manage my time for 4 days. Suddenly I felt lethargic and again all came into a mess. I have a battle with mood swings. Nothing serious, but it affects the way I see myself and the world around me.

If you could live anywhere in the world – all expenses paid – for one year, where would that be? Why?

Fiji, Samoa, Polynesia, Hawaii or maybe somewhere in the Mediterranean. A gorgeous island for sure. Lots of sun, beautiful beaches and nature. Pure bliss!

How do you maintain a healthy balance between your professional and private life?

I am still crawling as a business, so far I’ve only sold my photographs on Etsy and I am closing contracts with two different companies (licensing) which is wonderful after only one year of work.

Everything related to my photographs or sewing I do when kids are at school. Sometimes they join me in the studio and they can participate on something (crafts or drawing). So far, it’s been all right. I have a blog, Facebook and Twitter but I am not an avid user of social networks and yes, I don’t bring much family and personal life to the web.

What are your top 5 goals that you’d like to accomplish within the next 5 years?

I would love to work with magazines and advertisement (editorial and commercial photography) and I must to work harder to improve my skills and have more photos to show on my portfolio. I wish to meet people in the industry.

I would like to take more classes at college.

I wish I could travel with my family to Portugal, Spain and Italy.

Learn more about textiles and pattern construction.

Have a stable handmade business for handbags created by me and home decor items.

What is your advice for someone who would like to turn his or her creative dreams into reality?

I don’t have much experience, because as I said, I don’t have a big business. It’s still very small! But I think you must set up your goals, know what you really love, work hard, be organized, get skills, learn as much as you can, get good connections and have a cohesive, consistent work.

Thank you Zee for your kind, open, honest answers. I wish you all the best in realizing your dreams!

lari washburn : artists who blog

Fresh artist interview for you today! Wonderful, thoughtful, talented Maine artist Lari Washburn will delight your senses and your soul with her beautiful mixed media artwork and peaceful words. Enjoy.

Lari's blog: www.lariwashburn.blogspot.com

Why did you decide to become an artist and could you imagine doing anything else? If so, what?

I don’t really remember deciding to be an artist. My mother was an artist so I grew up with that life…seeing creativity as a way to live. Pretty much everything in our home was made by one of my parents, or it was an antique! I do remember standing in a museum, in front of a painting and deciding to go to school and get a BFA. But I think I was motivated to do this because I saw the joy and power of creating. I can’t imagine doing anything else now.

Do you still believe “do what you love and the money will come“?

I think the saying should be “Do what you love, and be deeply devoted to the practice it will take everyday and maybe the money will follow, but for sure the happiness of being true to yourself will follow.” That’s what I want…to be true to myself.

How has blogging and the Internet influenced your work as an artist?

I see all the possibilities out there, and how endless they are, and that inspires me. I see all the ways people make their lives work, and that excites me. I see things everyday that I would never have thought of or been exposed to, and that is fun. I think everything I take in is food that will ultimately be used by me somehow. I rarely know how this will happen consciously, but I see it later in my work. And I try to take in the best nourishment possible…things that are positive.

Please name 3 of your favorite blogs and tell us why these blogs are special.

Natsumi Nishizumi I enjoy this blog for its simplicity and peaceful quality. I think this artist has a spectacular eye and sense of design, combined with an appreciation of nature that always renews me.

Pia Jane Bijkerk I think the way this artist styles everything is always so fascinating. I like all the texture she adds in her photos and graphics, and how she always focuses on magical and moody-feeling settings. I aspire to add more of this to my blog.

Stitch and Tickle I love Sophie’s blog because she is so curious and inventive about life and her work. She always has something unique and funny and refreshing to write about. She always makes me see things in new ways. And her work is stunning, and I always like to see how it is progressing.

What is your greatest fear and what do you do to overcome it?

I don’t enjoy it when access to my intuitive self is clouded or blocked by too much wishing to be like somebody else! This is a big and sad danger that I try to nip in the bud right away when I see it coming. A good dose of going into the studio and making myself do things that are “bad” and “ugly” and “trite” is my cure.

Who would you like to trade places with for one day? Why?

Oh, maybe Cy Twombly, just to see how it feels to be so in touch with that incredible flow. I love the truth and exploration in his work so much.

What are your secrets for managing your time wisely?

Having a list of things I will accomplish each day and being really diligent about working until they are done. And taking a short nap every day if I can!!

If you could live anywhere in the world – all expenses paid – for one year, where would that be? Why?

I think it would be India. There is such a rich culture there, and so many completely new things to experience. I have heard that it is a very difficult place to visit because the full force of the human condition is presented to you everywhere, but I think if I could be courageous enough to expose myself to that it would expand me. Also, think of the color!

How do you maintain a healthy balance between your professional and private life?

I have work times and not work times. My spiritual practice advises living each day so that 4 things are in balance: right livelihood, service to others, being supportive to those who are emotionally dependent upon me, and time for myself. I try to follow this.

What are your top 5 goals that you’d like to accomplish within the next 5 years?

Be a kinder human being.

Continue to develop my drawing and painting skills.

Continue to develop my textile design skills.

Find gallery representation.

Become a really good photographer.

What is your advice for someone who would like to turn his or her creative dreams into reality?

Write down what you want, picture it in detail, and make some kind of plan to achieve it. Surround yourself with like-minded people. Do at least one thing every day to accomplish what you have said you want to do. Keep swimming no matter what.

Thank you for sharing Lari. Your words and your artwork are both inspirational and poetic.

shona cole: artists who blog

Today's interview is with Shona Cole, an artist, photographer, and writer, who is originally from Ireland. She is also the mother of 5 children under the age of 10, and she homeschools her kids. What a multi-talent - I am amazed at how she does it all. Enjoy!

Shona's blog: www.shonastudio.blogspot.com

Shona's book: The Artistic Mother 

Why did you decide to become an artist and could you imagine doing anything else? If so, what?

I have always leaned towards the artistic but I did not pursue art in any professional manner until later in my life. After a few years of being an employee in the social services and quitting to be a stay at home mom, I finally took the time to focus on art. Now that I am living this artistic life I can imagine life without it, but it looks bleak. The pursuit of creativity, of creating something lovely colors my day and gives me something for myself that I look forward to. Creativity to me is endless and exciting.

Do you still believe "do what you love and the money will come?" 

I hear those words and I do agree with them to a certain extent, but I believe that success also depends on how you market your product and what you are offering the market. At the moment I have not tried to sell any artwork, but I am selling a book. I wrote on the topic of motherhood and creativity which is a topic that I am passionate about. I loved writing the book and going through the whole editing process. But while the book is selling well for a craft book, but it is not on any best seller list! The reason for that is I don’t have the time or resources to fully market my book to new audiences - I can’t teach real life workshops or go on a book tour or spend too much time online – some of the main marketing avenues.

If I had the time to also teach workshops and make art to sell then those could all join together to create a decent living, and at that point I could say for me ‘yes, doing what I love brings money’, but as I am limited in what I am offering the market and limited in my marketing efforts so the returns are also limited. I am OK with that, it is what I am choosing to do. One day when the main bulk of my time is no longer taken up with children and their schooling then I plan to pursue other artistic avenues. And at that time I fully intend to do what I love.

How has blogging and the internet influenced your work as an artist?

The internet has opened me up to an amazing array of like minds and the work and ideas of people I want to hear from and who I couldn’t have met in real life. It has helped me weed out what I don’t want to do, what I do want to do and even allowed me to reflect on who I am in the art world. I love watching ‘how to’ videos, even if it a simple post about gluing! Every time I watch a video it inspires me to get up and create too!

Blogging itself has given me an audience and a community. I feel like there are people that I consider friends who I have only met through reading their blogs and them visiting and commenting on mine. I think we would be like long lost friends if we ever met! Some of those folks have profoundly affected how I craft and even how I view my family life and work. Without a window into their world I may never had the confidence to embrace the path of the artistic mother so fully!

I have come to value the opinions of those who read my blog regularly. I write what I want to on my blog, but I am also sensitive to what my visitors want. While most comments are positive I can read between the lines as to what folks want to hear about. So I have geared my blogging to the topic of motherhood and art. You won’t come to my blog and hear about politics or what I ate for lunch.

Please name 3 of your favorite blogs and tell us why these blogs are special. 

Mortal Muses is a group of women who photograph their world, keeping accountable by way of weekly themes. It is top notch photography and short, inspiring musings on a wide variety of topics. I like having themes to follow and artistic groups to be a part of. 

The Storque, the Etsy blog - while I don’t have an Etsy shop, yet, I love to visit their blog for it’s diverse look at real life crafters, folks who are making money from their art. I have always liked being around artsy, craftsy folks and this is the perfect place to feel connected to that world. I love best their video category. 

The Writer's Almanac - I consider the Writer’s Almanac to be a kind of blog. I love Garrison Keelers voice and the little pieces of random information about people in the world that he gently lays out and then of course the poetry – I love to hear the poems he reads. His picks are always beautiful and accessible, poetry that I can actually understand and relate to. 

What is your greatest fear and what do you do to overcome it?

I fear being bored and unmotivated. I was that way when I was young and I don’t like that feeling. To over come that I make a whole lot of lists, I journal, I pray, I put time limits on what I do and even if I don’t ‘feel like it’ I go to my craft table or upload some photos to process and just start. I usually get into it once I get started. 

Who would you like to trade places with for one day? Why?

Goodness, no one really. I am very happy here. But if pressed I guess it would be Martha Stewart. I would like to watch a really successful home arts show come to fruition. 

What are your secrets for managing your time wisely?

Many of my time management secrets are also the things I mentioned above about keeping my motivation alive. I make a lot of long and short terms goal lists. I have many note books, for many different topics and write lists regularly in them. Then I have a weekly to do list broken down into days that keeps me on track. In the afternoon when I think about the coming evening (I work mainly in the evening when the kids are down) I often visualize some of the steps in my projects or go over the specific things I need to accomplish. That way when 10 o’clock comes I am ready. I check things off my list. I generally get everything done that way, even the laundry!

If you could live anywhere in the world – all expenses paid – for one year, where would that be? Why?

London. I was born there, married there and have spent lots of time in London.  My husband and I even talk about going there as a family for a year when our kids are older. There are so many cultural, artistic, musical and historical places to visit, we would be hard pressed in a year to do it all.

How do you maintain a healthy balance between your professional and private life?

My professional life is all online. So to keep them separate I basically don’t write about certain things on my blog or on other folks blogs.

What are your top 5 goals that you’d like to accomplish within the next 5 years?

1) Write book #2 (I have sent in my proposal)

2) Write book #3 (I have a vision for it already, and book 4! I am an ideas person, I could brainstorm ideas for books all day long!)

3) Reach a wider audience – that means try to find a way to market my ideas better

4) Publish a book of poetry and photography, preferably one that could be sold in my favorite store, Anthropologie

5) Oversee the building of a granny flat and backyard deck/kitchen & pool (I am a big house project/decorating person, which is an example of something I usually don’t include in my blog)

What is your advice for someone who would like to turn his or her creative dreams into reality?

Make a long term goal list, then a short term goal list that helps you make progress on your long term goals list. Then make a day by day action plan. Then have the guts to stick to it and not be swayed from your vision by anyone (except wisdom and reason)! 

And most of all, don’t be disheartened. When it your art is hard or you have no new ideas or you post your art and no one comments – don’t give up. If you keep on going, keep on practicing and developing your art one day your skills will bring you to a place of success. If you give up now you will not succeed.

Thank you Shona! You are an inspiration to all creative mothers!