Artist Spotlight - Ingrid Dijkers

It's time for another Artist Spotlight so prepare to be inspired and amazed!

Ingrid Dijkers is a Michigan artist.  Our paths haven't crossed for very long but I'm certainly glad that they have now.  I love her colors.  I love the intricacies of her work.  I've always thought that bookbinders are special people because they must have the capacity to be creative as well as very precise hand skills in order for their work to work.  Using both sides of the brain all the time.  That is quite a talent!

She will be doing some teaching very soon (check her blog) so you could meet and learn from her in person.

Hands by Ingrid Dijkers

Where are you from? And, where do you live now?

I was born in Breda in the Netherlands. At a young age my parents and I immigrated to Canada.  Later I moved to Georgia, England, Brazil and finally settled in Michigan, which has been my home ever since. Currently, I live in Plymouth, Michigan, a beautiful small historical town.

What is your art education?
I have a degree in the Fine Arts, but consider my real education to have come from my parents and my upbringing. With both parents having Masters Degrees in the Fine Arts, I was brought up with a love for the Arts and travel. It has always been a lifestyle I appreciated and have been thankful for.

Have you always been an artist or are you “new” to it?

As I mentioned, it’s something I have always been exposed to. I have been very fortunate to have had a very supportive family and a husband that bends over backwards to help me all he can. While often what I do seems a bit strange and weird to him, all I have to do is remind him that my Father warned him when he ask for my hand in marriage … he just smiles and agrees. I know I am very fortunate and am very grateful for all this.

What is your specialty? And, have you always worked in this medium?
For the past 20 years I have been mostly a contemporary doll maker and worked as a shop owner and Artisan for the Michigan Renaissance Festival. Throughout my life I have explored weaving, pottery, painting, collage, jewelry, and wearable art. However, at the moment my specialty is visual art journals. I have become truly passionate about making and sharing them, to the point that I have put my lovely Renaissance Festival shop up for sale. This was a very difficult decision, one I agonized over for about 2 years. I can’t make dolls, be a shop owner AND make and teach journaling.

Meters by Ingrid Dijkers

What does your work space look like? What would your ideal workspace look like?

Hmmm, that’s something I’d rather embarrassed about. While I have beautifully designed workspace and stations for different types of work, and lots of storage for materials and supplies, I claim to have too little space. I tend to drag everything around the house (inside and out and in my car) with me and I tend to leave a trail of mess. I actually am a very organized person, however I always seem to have too many ideas and too little time … putting everything back in it’s proper place ranks rather low on my list of priorities. I still like to blame it all on a lack of space, but in my heart I know that if I had a 10,000 square foot warehouse to store everything thing in I would have the same problem…. just on a larger scale.

It seems you've been teaching quite a bit lately. What is it that you like about teaching and how does it influence your work?

I absolutely love sharing what I have learned through trial and error with others. It provides a degree of satisfaction that I have rarely felt before. As I add more workshops that I can teach to my list, I hope to begin teaching more. Admittedly, I am very surprised at the amount of prep work involved with setting up proposals and gathering all the necessary supplies. I hadn’t quite figured on all that in the beginning, but it goes along with it and I am beginning to simplify a lot of it all with experience. I have found that teaching has added a whole new dimension to my work. I now keep in mind how I would be able to adapt what I am working on to a class room situation. It is often quite a challenge, but one I truly enjoy.

Alice In Wonderland Tunnel Book by Ingrid Dijkers

Do you have any special art tips for others?

I get a lot of emails asking how to get started with making journals, saying they can’t afford all the expensive supplies. I also see a lot of people (especially beginners) getting caught up on rushing out and spending lots and lots of money for very expensive supplies and gadgets. I really don’t find this necessary. In fact, I have found that a lot of people end up being intimidated by expensive materials, are afraid of messing up and actually find it crippling. Now, only after years of working on Altered Books and Journals, have I justified and purchased many of the better art supplies. I really don’t think it has made my work any better. I still think my best work has always come from the scraps I find in the trash can and a pack of markers I bought in the kiddy section at my local discount store. Don’t get me wrong, I love some of my better supplies and enjoy using them, I just don’t think it’s necessary to get started.

Alice In Wonderland Tunnel Book by Ingrid Dijkers

Into the Crypt by Ingrid Dijkers

What inspires you?

Just about and everything. I could never make a complete list.

When you're not making art, what are you doing?

Answering emails, trying to get get caught up on paper work, working out details for a future project, updating my website and blog. Sometimes I’ll do a bit of laundry.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I have found that one passion always slowly morphs into another. I never know what direction my work will lead and I rather enjoy that. I am never bored, I just keep finding more options to explore. I just go along for the ride and enjoy the process. For now my passion is visual art journaling and sharing that, but this too will evolve over time as all my work has through out my life.

Soon an article about my Journal “Over the Edge” will be featured in Art Journaling Magazine (scheduled for the Summer 2010 issue) and an article about my Artist Trading Cards will appear in ATC Quarterly (scheduled for June 2010).


How can you be contacted about your work?
My work and teaching schedule can be seen on my website and blog.

http://www.ingriddijkers.com/

http://www.ingriddijkers.blogspot.com/

And, I can be emailed at Dijkers@ameritech.net or Ingrid@IngridDijkers.com


Many thanks to Ingrid for letting us into her world for a bit.  She might be teaching in your area.  Check out her blog for her soon-to-be whereabouts, including the big kahuna of journaling, Journal Fest in Port Townsend, Washington.

Lorrie

Artist Spotlight - Nancy Donaldson

I've been following Nancy Donaldson at All Pulped Out/The Evolution of Nancy for about a year and a half now.  Like most of the blogs/art I like, I typically pop in every once in a while, enjoy myself and move on.  A rather selfish approach really.  But, when Nancy made a blog post with the title "I Love Texture", I knew I had found my next Artist Spotlight interview.  I hope you'll enjoy her words, her art and absorb some of her enthusiam.  (Special bonus for you lovers of Paris:  she just got back from a trip and has posted lots of photos on her blog.)  Please read/enjoy here.  Please read/enjoy there.

Where are you from? And, where do you live now?
I was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada-- which is just a mile across the river from Detroit.  When I graduated college in 1982 I moved to Toronto which is just 365 km up the highway northeast from Windsor.


What is your art education?
I have my degree in interior design. Architectural drafting and the history of art and design were my two favorite classes.  I've taken many classes here in Toronto, at Art and Soul, and at Art Unraveled.


Have you always been an artist or are you “new” to it?
For as long as I can remember I've been creating some form of craft or art.

My grandmother started me when I was just about four. I learned how to sew with a darning needle and yarn around a paper plate, before I knew it I was making clothes for all my Barbies. I was crocheting when I was seven and had my own sewing machine when I was ten, revamping all my clothes as I grew really tall at a young age.  At the same time my grandfather (who was an electrician and I was his "helper") taught me how to construct things out of anything we could find.  It was my first attempt at assemblage.

In school I loved trying anything new including making all the bulletin board displays, creating projects for class, and drawing buildings in perspective. When I moved to Toronto I always took night classes in different forms of art, from still life drawing, japanese painting, watercolour, collage-- just to name a few.

What is your specialty? 
I enjoy creating. Anything.

I've always wanted to know how things are done and so have tried just about every craft. I have a huge collection of paper and found objects and love mixed media. I also love photography and incorporating my photos in my work. I've been learning and discovering Photoshop for five years.  In the fall of 2008 I started encaustic classes at the Toronto School of Art and have been hooked ever since. I love that I can combine everything I have learned so far with this medium.

Please describe your work.
It's me! I'm not sure how else to describe it.


As a papermaker, I was drawn immediately to your site because of the title All Pulped Out, yet you're not a papermaker. Tell me about the blog title.
My website is All Pulped Out.  I've always loved paper and started making papier mache in the early '90's.  I was making a lot of home decor items and was enjoying it very much.  I made my own pulp, sculpted each item, added wire, and painted or decoupaged each piece. By '96 I was attending a huge craft show and needed to make a ton of work so I invited all my girlfriends to my house for a "margarita" party and asked them each to bring a blender.  Well before you knew it, drinks and pulp where flying everywhere. At the end of the night I was taking a break and one of my friends said "Hey, get back to work" and I replied "I'm all pulped out" and she said, "That's it! That's your name!"

Since then my art has evolved. I work in collage, mixed media, assemblage and jewelry as well as concentrating lately on my digital work and encaustic.  My blog became The Evolution of Nancy because my art is always evolving.

What does your work space look like?
Organized chaos.  I've spread out into four rooms of the house and taken over several closets.

What would your ideal workspace look like?
A huge room, maybe 20 by 30, with a large window on either end overlooking nature and hopefully some water.  It would have two walls of shelves filled with supplies and several large tables in the middle. There would be an office at one end, a lounge area at the other and maybe include a small kitchen.


What inspires you?
Everything!!!


When you're not making art, what are you doing?
My day job is a hair stylist, which is creative.  I take photos anywhere I go.  I love digging in my garden, going to flea markets and garage sales and hanging out with my friends.


Is there anything else you'd like to share?
My art is my meditation, my therapy. When I create, the external world drifts away and I'm free to concentrate on what is in front of me. I never know where my art is going to take me, but I enjoy the journey and look forward to the many experiences yet to come.

How can you be contacted about your work?

Email:  nancy_allpulpedout@yahoo.com
Blog:  The Evolution of Nancy
Photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/nancydonaldson/
Encaustic:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/26191877@N06/


Many thanks to Nancy for visiting with us.  We all should remember to continue to evolve artistically and personally.

Lorrie

Armand Merizon

Armand Merizon, 90, a great Michigan painter with international fans and collectors died earlier this month.  At his memorial service last week some of his paintings from the family collection were on display and they are awesome.  Not awesome in the typical teenager use of the word.  But awesome in the way the word is intended to be used:  invoking awe.  The memorial was a beautiful tribute as the speakers came from the various paths that he walked in his life:  his art, his family, his faith. He always said that if he couldn't paint he would die.  While certainly not a medical explaination, in the end, that's what happened. 

Armand was my uncle.  My dad's sister's husband.  In his prime he was a large man with a flowing beard and a giant cigar forever nearby.  He painted every day, usually throughout the night, in a chicken coop converted to his studio.  Painting came first.

During our couple-times-a-year family gatherings, he sat at the head of the dinner table and told stories that usually ended with a loud, deep, booming laugh.  He was king of his court.  And, oh my, he was intimidating.  Not unkind, just intimidating.  As I got older, and the infrequent family gatherings became even less frequent, he intimidated me less but what to say to one another?  Then as an adult, pretending to be an artist, when I would have loved to talk with him about art, it never happened.  I didn't know him well, but wish I did.

During the last year of his life, Uncle Armand lived with one of his daughters and her family.  As a result, his 17-year-old grandson Jesse, got to know him better and wrote this poem in tribute.  It is for his grandfather, but let it also serve as a reminder to all artists.  Our job is to find the beauty in this world that others can't see or simple don't stop to see.

Hidden Beauty
by Jesse Ludema

A blind man ponders as he gazes upon the magnificence

Why can’t we see the beauty?

He treasures every moment, and finds wonder in hidden places
We move too fast for the beauty

He lives a simple life, taking pride in simple things, like dogs and shake-spear curls

Why can’t we see this beauty?

As he looks out he sees a brilliant sight, blue and white wings flapping and soaring in the breeze… or is it just laundry hanging outside…

Why can’t we see this beauty?

He sees roaring waves crashing and tumbling in the sky… I only see dark clouds…

Why can’t we see this beauty?

The sun reflects off a small old window on an ugly aged house… He sees an explosion of majestic illumination beaming before him

Why can’t we see this beauty?

We look and look and look and look, but he tells us to look some more

We are still searching for the beauty.

He sits there in thought and begins to paint; he lets his mind flow free; he loses himself in his art

He is trying to show us the beauty.

He paints dancing colors; his painting comes alive and tells us marvelous tales

Now we can see the beauty.

For more about him you can go to the Armand Merizon website which has more information about him, his work as well as providing information about the documentary that was made about him several years ago.

Keep looking.

Lorrie

Artist Spotlight - Jan Moulder

As a papermaker myself, it may seem a bit odd to have not featured a fellow papermaker yet in my Artist Spotlight series.  Well, the time has come!  I'd like to introduce you to Jan Moulder.  I've known of Jan for years through the Papermaking group on Yahoo.  This wonderful group discusses problems, ideas, solutions pertainant to the world of handmade paper.  We each then do different things with the paper.  Jan makes the most amazing lamps from paper.  Yes, lamps!  Her jewelry is pretty cool, too.  So, sit back and enjoy this look into her artistic world and please visit her site/blog when you're ready to see more.

Where do you live?

Spokane, WA in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, United States

What is your specialty?

Handmade paper and twig creations.  I also have a handmade paper jewelry line.

How did you first discover paper as your artform?

It was a dark and stormy Sunday afternoon in 1983 when my friend Deborah suggested that we make paper. “Make PAPER?!?” I screeched, “What? Are you crazy? Why should we make paper? I’ve already got tons of it!” After we sipped our tea and talked of other things, she donned her coat and hat and went home. Left to my own devices curiosity got the best of me and I rummaged through my books – this was in the days before the Internet when one looked to books for information – and what should I find, but a chapter on papermaking!

Now, you need to know that I had always wanted to be an artist but I compared my artwork with others and decided that I just wasn’t good enough. So I closed the ‘artist’ door just as I had closed the ‘dancer’ door because my legs weren’t long enough. But paper was different. I had never seen handmade paper before so I had nothing with which to compare my work. At first I just used junk mail and newspaper and paper napkins beaten in a blender to make cards and little pieces of art. I threw in grasses and flowers for décor and played with dyes. I learned through trial and error what worked and what didn’t.

Then I found the book called Plant Fibers for Papermaking by Lillian Bell. That book transformed my experience with paper. I found myself making paper from any plant I could get my hands on. I became dangerous as I drove around the countryside looking for more raw materials to feed my obsession. I developed a style of work embedding grasses in paper made from cattail, wild iris and bulrush fibers. So in 1989 I started Wyldewood Papers with the intent of marketing my art (books, cards and pulp painted landscapes) through craft shows and galleries.

In the last 20 years my work has gone through many evolutions with the only constant being handmade paper. I love the process from collecting the materials to cooking and beating the fiber to hearing the drip, drip of the water as the mold drains to the sensuous feeling of running my hands through a vat of freshly beaten pulp. I can’t imagine my life without making paper. It is now a part of who I am.

Please describe your work.

Rustic elegance with a touch of whimsy and a splash of magic.

Do you have a favorite piece?

Elfin Song – A Lamp with Soul

Anyone that has not made paper before has no idea how easy it is to make a simple sheet of paper.   However, they also can't fathom how difficult and time consuming it can be to bring a handmade paper piece to fruition.  Please talk about some of the materials and processes used in Elfin Song - A Lamp with Soul.

I started with a handful of twigs and a handful of hickory bark. The bark was cooked in lye for a couple hours and then rinsed and beaten in my Hollander beater to make a pulp. After I created the framework using the twigs and Apoxie Sculpt I made fresh sheets of paper that were wrapped around the frame while wet. As the paper dries it shrinks creating a very taut and firm surface. Then the fun begins! After stamping it with a resist in a scroll pattern, this piece was dyed with fiber reactive dyes and then embellished with leaves and lichens.

Naming the lamps is always a special time. I meditate on each lamp letting it tell me its name and the message it brings. Elfin Song’s message is:

Join in the dance.

     It’s all just about movement and flow.

          Each step originates from the one that comes before.
               You don’t need to know where you’re going.

                    You just need to take the next step.

What is it about this piece that makes it so special to you?
This was the first piece I’d done with the stamping process. But, what makes it particularly special is that I made the stamp from one of my grandfather’s woodcarvings. It’s such an honor to bring our works together.

What inspires you?
My inspiration comes mostly from the natural world, but I’m also influenced by fantasy and fairy tales and history.  Also, I love Celtic music…Loreena McKennitt, Blackmore’s Night. And I also listen to jazz and classical. Love Pink Martini and Secret Garden!

What is your studio or work space like?
My studio takes up half of our basement. The back room is my wet studio where I make paper and other messes and the front room, which is carpeted has a fireplace, is my dry studio. This is where I make my jewelry and other dry works and have my computer and printers. The other half of the basement is my husband’s photography studio. He does photography for other artists.

Do you have any special art tips for others?
Just go for it! Plunge in and take some risks. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, they are your best teachers.

What is the best creative advice you have been given?
Elaine Koretsky, a well known papermaker, once said that a ‘good’ piece of paper is a piece of paper that serves the purpose for which it was made. That was such a freeing statement for me. I had created all sorts of rules for my work which had put me in a box creatively. That statement made it okay for me to get out of the box.

How can you be contacted about your work?

Well, there are lots of options:
http://www.wyldewoodpapers.com
http://www.wyldewoodpapers.etsy.com/
http://www.bijouteriepapier.etsy.com/
http://twitter.com/Wyldewood
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jan-Moulder/49979014526

Isn't her work amazing?!?  Thanks for taking the time to do this interview Jan.  And many thanks to all my readers for hanging out with me.  I hope these Artist Spotlight interviews inspire you as much as they do  me.

Lorrie

Artist Spotlight - Kim de Broin Mailhot

What better weekend to introduce you to someone that is the author of a blog called the Queen of Hearts? On February 14, with thoughts of valentine's and love, I'd like to introduce you to someone that just oozes good thoughts and cool art.

Kim de Broin Mailhot is an upbeat, kind, and giving blogger. I'm quite confident that she is also an upbeat, kind and giving person (sadly, we've not met in person). She must have her bad days as we all do, but even then she offers words to inspire and lift up others. Her artwork is usually bright, colorful (gee, I wonder what attracted me to her work?) and fun. She also has quite a campaign going. No, she's not running for office. She anonymously leaves painted rocks about town to get others thinking. Her "Rock My World" rocks have been a real hit and are available for purchase so you can make your piece of the world a bit better too.

Kim and I "met" last year during the One World, One Heart blogging event and have corresponded since. I always read her blog and hope that, after reading her interview and enjoying her artwork, you'll check it out too.

Kim de Broin Mailhot,
Mixed Media Artist, Rock Fairy, Blogger

Where are you from? And, where do you live now?
I was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and lived there until 9 years ago when I moved to New Hampshire to marry my sweet hubby, David. I still go back to Montreal monthly and have a wonderful family and many great friends there.


What is your art education?
I am a self-taught artist. I have taken classes here and there in drawing and painting but I am really an explorer of a wide variety of art mediums. Experimenting and learning how to use many different tools and techniques is a big part of the creative process for me.

Have you always been an artist or are you “new” to it?
I have always enjoyed art but I think I became an artist in my 20’s when I realized how wonderful it felt to take time for myself and to be a creative being. I learned to express my feelings and thoughts through art. I have often described art as therapy with a paint brush (cheaper that the other kind too, but just as effective I think!).

What is your specialty? And, have you always worked in this medium?
I have dabbled in all kinds of different mediums, from paper mache to stained glass to jewelry making to painting. Right now, I work mostly with acrylic paints, india inks, and a lot of collage.

One constant since I started exploring my own artistic talent is working an art journal of some kind. My art journal has become a place where some of my best art work is created, but also some of my worst. My favorite thing about it is that it becomes a document that chronicles my experiments with art, but also my life and thoughts and feelings. It is kind of my way of leaving my story out there in the world.

What does your work space look like?
I am lucky enough to have a whole room dedicated to my studio space. It has a large bay window which brings in a lot of light and the window sill is filled with plants, many of which flower all year long. I also have two French doors that lead out to a big outdoor deck with I love in the summertime. I have a lot of storage space, with a large armoire and an old dresser with big wide drawers. I do my art play on an 10 ft kitchen counter top supported by two nightstands I purchased from Ikea years ago. The counter top is usually covered with all the supplies I pull out for collaging, stamping or painting. I tend to start off with a nice tidy work surface and end up in a very messy one by the end of a play time session. I used to moan and complain about it but I have come to realize that the cleaning, then messing things up, is all part of my creative process. It is how I work !


Please describe your work.
Most of my work has bright, vibrant colors of acrylic paint with dark black India ink, and white paint pen pen work as well as many textures made from stencils, rubber stamps and paint techniques. Since I have discovered the rich blackness of India ink, it has made its way into almost everything I do. I also love the fact that I use my father’s old dip pen to get the ink on the page.

The majority of my work takes place in a journal and I like to keep that together as one document but I do make prints of my pieces, and also add them to cards. I also love making small more “sellable” pieces, such as magnets, jewelry, and fabric trinkets like my lavender stuffed birds.

Do you have any special art tips for others?
I guess my biggest art tip for others is to learn to tell that big, bad inner critic to buzz off! Don’t let that voice in your head that says “but I may make something ugly” or “what I make will never be any good” or even “I will look stupid if I really play like a child would” stop you from creating. The process of creating is inherent in all of us, in some form. If you are drawn to express yourself through art, just go for it! Give yourself the chance to just make art, even if it may be “ugly”. What is really important is the process, that you have taken time for yourself, to play with color, with a variety of mediums that feel good in your hands, and to let little bits of yourself out into the world. The end results are not really so important. It is not like you are performing brain surgery or something! Just learn to play and keep that mean inner critic away!

What inspires you?
My art play tends to be inspired by my desire to express myself, my thoughts and my emotions. As I said, it is kind of a therapy or a ritual practice that makes me feel whole. It has become so important to me, like exercise feels to the athlete, I guess. If I go a few days without creating something or doing a journal page, I actually get kind of an itchy feeling in my hands and in my imagination!

My pieces themselves tend to be inspired by interesting quotes I come across, by the work or writings of other artists or bloggers, or by the emotions I am feeling on a particular day. I also occasionally use art journal prompts to get me going in my play time, especially if I am feeling a little stuck and need to loosen up or to shoo that inner critic away.

When you’re not making art, what are you doing?
When I am not doing art, I may be walking with my dog Chica, leaving Rock My World rocks on my way. Or I may be spending time with my wonderful family or great friends, talking and sharing stories. Or I may be in Blogland, writing my blog or visiting my blog pals, in a community with so many wonderful, caring, talented people, that I am so proud and grateful to be a part of.


Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I would just like to thank people like Lorrie and so many other members of the art blogging community for all they do to support one another and to provide a real connection to other artists. Blogland offers us opportunity to reach out, to feel connected and to learn from and share with each other. It is something really special and I am grateful for it in my life.


How can you be contacted about your work?
I can be contacted on my blog at queen-of-arts.blogspot.com
My etsy shop: QueenofArtsStudio.etsy.com
Or via email at Queen-of-Arts@comcast.net

Please visit her blog and Etsy site. While you're there, shout out a hello to her too. Happy Valentine's day everyone!

Lorrie

Artist Spotlight - Joanne Thieme Huffman

For my second Artist Spotlight, and a great way to start off the year, I'd like to introduce you to Joanne Thieme Huffman, a mixed media artist that truly defines the word "mixed!"  She does just about everything.  This is a gal that I actually know personally and we're lucky enough to live only a couple of miles apart from one another.  We are both in a local art group that I've mentioned many times, the Altered Sisters.

To those that know Joanne, she is an amazement.  She's a gal with a big personality, tremendous energy and a big heart.  It's never enough for her to make just one or two dolls/buttons/books/whatever, she's got to make twenty.  Grass doesn't grow under her feet as she's always on the move (just take a look at all the places she has lived!).  She has been fortunate enough to go to many, many art retreats over the past several years.  As a result, her art has grown in leaps and bounds since I met her about six years ago.  Her enthusiasm is always contagious.   I love her and her work and hope you do too.

Where are you from? And, where do you live now?
I grew up in West Hartford, CT. Now I live in Portage MI. In between these locations I have lived in Towson, MD; Miami, FL; East Providence, RI; Chicago, IL; Charlottesville, VA; Stamford, CT; Great Barrington, MA; Springfield, IL; and Topeka, KS.

What is your art education?
I tell people that I suffer from post traumatic eighth grade art teacher syndrome because my eighth grade art teacher told me to stop taking art classes. After that, I went "underground" with my art:  night classes at Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum, and Rhode Island School of Design; classes at various independent book stores, craft shops and stamp stores; and art retreats.  I cannot recommend art retreats highly enough; they are gatherings of like-minded people sharing and learning.

Have you always been an artist or are you “new” to it?
I have always wanted to create art, but have never been able to focus on any one technique or style. It is only in the past 10 years that I have had the courage to admit to myself and the world that I am an artist.

Bird Banners

What is your specialty? And, have you always worked in this medium?
I have no specific medium. I bounce from technique to technique and then incorporate whatever I have been doing into the next new (or revisited) art form. That's why I love the popularity of "mixed media." Currently, I like incorporating PhotoShop (combining photography, scanning and collage) and art quilting; and I'm playing with the idea of making wearables. I also love to work with dolls and jewelry. Frankly, I want to do it all.

What does your work space look like?

It's very messy and chaotic looking.

Please describe your work.

I am fairly verbal, but have difficulty finding the words to describe my art or my style. It's a case of pictures being worth many, many words.

Do you have any special art tips for others?

In the words of Joseph Campbell, "Follow your Bliss." Only good comes out of creating art.

What inspires you?
Gathering with fellow artists, both in person and online is very inspiring. I love the energy and excitement that comes from sharing ideas and techniques. I also enjoy art books and magazines.

When you’re not making art, what are you doing?
I spend a lot of time traveling to see family and friends (and the world). I enjoy reading novels with a definite preference for fiction. I love going out to lunch with my friends. Now that my children are adults and I'm old, I have a very decadent life and I enjoy it to the hilt.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I'm delighted to announce that I'll be teaching a class in making crowns at ArtUnraveled  in Phoenix, AZ in August 2010.  Yes, Phoenix in August - but the airline tickets and hotel rooms are cheap then and it's a really great art retreat.

How can you be contacted about your work?
You can email me at thiemehuffman@yahoo.com; or you can go to my blog at http://joannethiemehuffman.typepad.com/; or, you can visit my website at http://jthcreations.com/


Joanne, thanks very much for sharing a bit of your life and art with us today.  And dear friends out in blogland, I hope you'll check out her sites, or better yet, take her class at ArtUnraveled.

Lorrie

Artist Spotlight - Gera Scott Chandler

I've been toying with the idea of doing some artist interviews for quite awhile.  I'm always interested in how other artists, in all media, approach their work and thought you might be too.  So, with Thanksgiving approaching, and most of us thinking more than usual about what we are blessed with, it seems like the right time to start.  As there are so many amazing artists out there that deserve some added attention, I plan to make the Artist Spotlight a monthly feature. 

I am thankful that I met Gera Scott Chandler last February during the One World, One Heart blogging event.  Out of all the blogs I visited (hundreds!) during that chaotic event there have only been a handful that I've revisited and then tried to establish an online connection with the artist.  What is it about Gera's work that entices me?  Color and texture.  Texture and color, what else?  :)  She is a polymer clay artist and does beautiful work.  Not only that, but she seems to be a beautiful person (and loves to read).  Please take a look here, visit her blog and enjoy.

Where are you from?
I live in Victoria, which is a city on the southern tip of Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada.


What is your art education?
I taught elementary school for ten years with a prime focus on art education before heading to Emily Carr College of Art and Design. I was planning to focus upon Ceramics but ended formal art studies when I had my children. I used the computer as an at-home art school and explored paper arts and gourd art before becoming fascinated with polymer clay as a foundation medium.


Have you always been an artist or are you "new" to it?
I'm one of those people who has always been an artist... my earliest memories involve boxes of crayolas and the joy of a big new sketchbook.


What is your specialty? And, have you always worked in this medium?
My specialty is polymer clay. I've been using it in various capacities for almost 15 years.


What does your work space look like?
Between January 31st and February 26th, 2009 I blogged about the complete redesign of my studio. The finished pictures are here.   As I look at those pictures, I can't understand how something so crisply organized has turned into the chaotic environment that surrounds me now. I TRY to be organized but once I'm working I find it impossible to put anything where it's supposed to be. I've recently tidied up for an upcoming studio tour but I don't expect things to stay tidy for long.


Please describe your work.
I've undergone a huge shift in my approach in recent months and it's very exciting for me. I'm combining digital photography with polymer clay and found objects to make very organic three dimensional compositions on canvas. My current theme is west coast shores.　

Do you have any special art tips for others?
Experiment! I'm always surprised at how many people email me explaining an idea they've come up with and asking me if I think it would work....I'm always delighted to offer my two cents worth but why not try it yourself? The fun is trying, perhaps making and mistake but learning through the process of experimentation.


What inspires you?
A walk on the beach or through a garden, fashion magazines, random Google Image surf sessions and visits to art galleries and shows.


When you’re not making art, what are you doing?
Reading, watching TV (I’m an addict), noodling on the computer, gardening or trying to tidy up.


How can you be contacted about your work?
Please visit my blog at aMused Studio or email me at amusedcreations@shaw.ca.  Gera also has an Etsy shop with lots of cool things.

Thanks very much Gera for sharing your work and part of your life with us!


Lorrie