When I first discovered the work of Dear Colleen I felt this instant jolt of kinship with her work. Like someone had been reading my mind and decided to put together a body of work just for me! It just spoke to me on so many different levels...typographical prints? Check. Foxes? Check. Clever word play? Check. Lived in and loved my home town of Edinburgh? Check. As a result I have featured many Dear Colleen pieces on Apothecary Fox in the past. I seriously can't get enough of her work!
Anyway, it seems that many other people felt the same way, as Dear Colleen has the craft world all abuzz after being in business for just over 6 months, and I see the handiwork of Colleen (originally from Bristol, UK) everywhere I turn. So naturally I begged her to fit time into her insanely busy schedule to give more insight into the talent behind the title, and here it is....
"My name is Colleen and I’m the girl behind Dear Colleen a fairly new etsy shop selling a range of prints and items mostly based around word play. I live in Wellington New Zealand at the moment but am really a bit of a nomad at the moment as I left my job and home around a year ago to go see the world."
Describe the work that you do? "I’m trained in Graphic design and have been working in this area for a number of years now. When I stumbled across etsy I thought it would a good way to do graphic design work for myself rather than clients. Most of my work is built on the idea of sayings, either taking old ones and giving them a twist or making new ones."
What was the career/education path you took to get to this point? "School – College – Art College – Year out working then back to Art College for my Masters."
Where do you get your inspirations? "Life. I come up with lots of ideas when I walking in and out of work and when I talk with friend or colleagues."
Describe the creative process in designing and constructing a particular piece. "Ideas first, always, then I think about the best ways to make that idea a reality."
Where do you create your work? "I’m travelling at the moment so I work from my laptop most of the time and us printers to do my printing for me. I do spend a lot of time these days day-dreaming about having a workspace."
Would you share with us some of your favourite artisans whose work you most admire?
Gemma Correll...
Sensitive Boyfriend...
Dominic Wilcox...
Where can we get our hands on your work? Online: Etsy & Foxes (a New Zealand store with so many wonderful artists' work on offer).
What/who are the things you love most in your life? "Oh bad question for today I’ve just given up coffee and it’s the only thing on mind… I guess I should be saying spending time with friends and family but really I’d sell my granny right now for a cup of coffee."
What would you do “in your wildest dreams”, if there were no restrictions (like money, or responsibilities!)? "This, but from a nicer office with a few helpers."
What is your greatest professional achievement? "Quitting a job that made me unhappy and moving to the other side of the world… rather than being scared and not chasing my dream."
What is new with you and your work? "Tea towel and totes it’s great to get my work off of paper and onto fabric."
Do you have a motto for life? "Karma's only a bitch if you are."
I have so much admiration for Colleen's drive and determination to go it alone and follow her passion. She is so inspiring to me. Added to that, she is a charitable soul who has designed a tote bag to raise money for the Gulf Oil Spill recovery operation. Read more about it here. Keep up with Dear Colleen on her adventures by following her blog. I promise you that this is only just the beginning of a her stellar new career and I can't to see what happens next.
Showing posts with label House Calls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House Calls. Show all posts
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
House Calls with Zara Carpenter from Chatham Girl
You know that feeling when you see something in a shop or online and think "I have to have that" and further more, want to know more about the creative mind behind it? Well, that was how I felt when I saw the millinery work of Zara Carpenter (from Chatham, UK) on Etsy. I am not a hat girl per se, but Zara's works are all really pieces of art in my view, and I just knew that she must have a great story to tell, so here it is!
Describe the work that you do? "I make hats and I have also written 2 collections of poetry."
Zara
What was the career/education path you took to get to this point? "Pure accident...... I have taken the path life has chosen. I have taken a couple of short courses in millinery otherwise I have learnt from making mistakes and reading lots of books."
Where do you get your inspirations? "Books, films, conversations, everywhere and anything can inspire me....... I am especially inspired by found objects and many of my hats are made around them."
Describe the creative process in designing and constructing a particular piece. "It's hard to describe as I am somewhat chaotic when designing..... its quite a manic process that I just go along with....... it can come upon my at the oddest times and I have to rush into my studio and work."
Where do you create your work? "My spare bedroom is my studio."
Would you share some of your favourite artisans whose work you most admire?
Mark Ryden (painter)
Bjorn Veno (photographer),
Alison Blackburn (textile artist).
Where can we get our hands on your work? Etsy, Kellerman Vintage, Living In La La Land, Hannah Zakari, Starburst Boutique, The Deaf Cat
What/who are the things you love most in your life? "My Swedish boyfriend Rikard, My cat Boo, The Natural History Museum. I love watching films...... I am a massive movie geek. I collect hats, corsets, vintage erotica and antique glass. One of my favourite things to do is have a cuppa in my fave coffee shop The Deaf Cat with my friend."
What would you do “in your wildest dreams”, if there were no restrictions? "Make hats for lovely people and never have to charge any money."
What is your greatest professional achievement? "It changes with each day, being chosen as an etsy featured seller was pretty awesome. I also won the Medway Arts Prize for Literature last year."
What is new with you and your work? "Beading."
New designs from the Chatham Girl studio.
Do you have a motto for life? "Say yes to everything...... give everything a go once....... if you don't like it then at least you know......... good things happen to people who say yes (they have for me)."
I have to say here, that the styling and imagery Zara uses for her work are really the most stunning I have seen. Beautiful and unique models in the most perfect set-ups. It is enough to make me buy a fascinator/hat/beret regardless of how beautiful. And they really are beautiful, aren't they? Zara is an insanely talented girl I think you will agree.
Describe the work that you do? "I make hats and I have also written 2 collections of poetry."
Zara
Where do you get your inspirations? "Books, films, conversations, everywhere and anything can inspire me....... I am especially inspired by found objects and many of my hats are made around them."
Describe the creative process in designing and constructing a particular piece. "It's hard to describe as I am somewhat chaotic when designing..... its quite a manic process that I just go along with....... it can come upon my at the oddest times and I have to rush into my studio and work."
Where do you create your work? "My spare bedroom is my studio."
Would you share some of your favourite artisans whose work you most admire?
Mark Ryden (painter)
Bjorn Veno (photographer),
Alison Blackburn (textile artist).
Where can we get our hands on your work? Etsy, Kellerman Vintage, Living In La La Land, Hannah Zakari, Starburst Boutique, The Deaf Cat
What/who are the things you love most in your life? "My Swedish boyfriend Rikard, My cat Boo, The Natural History Museum. I love watching films...... I am a massive movie geek. I collect hats, corsets, vintage erotica and antique glass. One of my favourite things to do is have a cuppa in my fave coffee shop The Deaf Cat with my friend."
What would you do “in your wildest dreams”, if there were no restrictions? "Make hats for lovely people and never have to charge any money."
What is your greatest professional achievement? "It changes with each day, being chosen as an etsy featured seller was pretty awesome. I also won the Medway Arts Prize for Literature last year."
What is new with you and your work? "Beading."
New designs from the Chatham Girl studio.I have to say here, that the styling and imagery Zara uses for her work are really the most stunning I have seen. Beautiful and unique models in the most perfect set-ups. It is enough to make me buy a fascinator/hat/beret regardless of how beautiful. And they really are beautiful, aren't they? Zara is an insanely talented girl I think you will agree.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
HOUSE CALLS with Danny Brito
The work of Miami based artist Danny Brito is both cute and a little edgy, all at the same time. His art is colorful, playful and reflects a vintage style in the situations and details of the images he depicts. Rosey cheeked girls, pig tails, cats eye glasses, bubble gum and beehives all feature prominently, but let me pass you over to Danny for the best introduction to his work.
Danny, the stage is all yours...
Describe the work that you do? "I like to draw kind of fashion related girls, although I don't really gain inspiration from trends, I draw cute and dainty things. The girls aren't exactly conventionally beautiful, but have different quirks like unproportioned features, gapped teeth, or lankly limbs, which I find to be beautiful. I mainly work in colored pencils, but I do like to paint from time to time, I just feel like I get the most detail out of pencils."
What was the career/education path you took to get to this point? "I started school as a Graphic Design major, I still have interest in it but I got so bored with fiddling around in design and things like being confined in side guidelines and pixels. So after two years I dropped out and decided to find my self art-wise. I wouldn't suggest people just drop out of school if you're lost, but it was the best option for me and it worked in my favor. I was able to find myself as an artist and a person. Last year I quit my job and have been working full-time as an illustrator ever since."
Where do you get your inspirations? "A lot of my style is inspired by the types of art you would find in thrift stores, paintings of wide eyed children and things like that. I really love the illustrations Matel used to use for Barbie and Skipper in the early 1960s as well as illustrations on sewing patterns from the same era. Lately I've become infatuated by 1950-60s japanese illustration, really wide-eyed girls with dazzling eyes."
Describe the creative process in designing and constructing a particular piece? "I rarely sketch, since I work in pencil I'll usually sketch out the shapes of what I want to do on paper then erase and refine, I do that a bunch of times until I get what I want. I usually work at my desk next to my iMac so I'm able to watch movies or listen to music while I work. I tend to listen to really twee type music like Emmy the Great, Slow Club, The Ditty Bops, anything like that. I usually watch fantasy type movies like Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket's. I'll sometimes get an idea for a drawing while watching a movie or listening to music and I'll quickly jot it down for future reference. I tend to lay out a pad of paper then spill out all my colored pencils and set aside my most frequently used colors, I also have an electric sharpener, the kind you would see in an office setting. That thing is a life saver."
Where do you create your work? "I work out of my home, in my own room actually. If I could get rid of my bed I would just to have more room to create! I have a desk from Ikea, it serves it's purpose but I wish it wasn't made of formica because some areas are beginning to warp. It's put up with me for three years though. I also have a lightbulb hanging above my desk to provide adequate lighting."
Would you share some of your favourite artisans whose work you most admire? "Danielle {Knee} Estefan, she's a local artist. Her illustrations just have so much character to them, and I love seeing her paintings in person. I actually own one she did for a show we were in together.
Olivia Mew, she has the cutest style and does and amazing job applying that style to so many different mediums. I especially love her work with felt plushes. If I could afford to build a small army of them, I would.
Gemma Correll is an obvious favorite, she's just such a lovely person and a fellow pug owner, she has a great ability to convey emotions in drawings with her simple yet confidant lines."
Where can we get our hands on your work? "If you're local you can visit Pink Ghost in Hollywood, Florida, I have a few prints and pin sets available there, possibly more quite soon. You can also visit my etsy shop. I also accept commissioned pieces pretty much all the time, the turn around time might be different considering when you contact me. All my contact info can be found on my website."
What/who are the things you love most in your life? "I'm a crazy dog person, I'm the person that stops to hug your dog when you're walking them. I have three of my own and love them with all my heart. I could go on and on about things I love because I'm a person with a book full of interests, but to put this question in a short and sweet way I would say my perfect day involves cuddling puppies, going thrifting, eating sushi, and having ice-cream at night while watching harry potter."
A selection of Danny's work from his solo show, At the Sock Hop
What would you do in your "wildest dreams" if you had no restrictions? "Ah! I think definitely I would love to live in a foreign country. Immigration is such a pain in the butt, If it were up to me I would be living in a small flat in London over looking the embankment with lovely wooden floors, a fully stacked kitchen, a great studio with perfect lighting and a huge desk, and a living room with wall to wall book shelves filled with things like blythe dolls, ugly dolls, kid robot toys, old cameras, and dvds. One day I'll have that life, I'm still very young, but that's definitely my "wildest dream""
What is your greatest professional achievement? "I would love to design things for people, like t-shirts and bags. I want to go into a busy city and see someone walking around with my illustrations on their shirt. That's my biggest necessity for my art, I want it to be obtainable… I want to people to able to easily buy a print for their living room or purchase a pin to put on their tote without having to bend over backwards and not break the bank while doing so"
What is new with you and your work? "At the moment I'm focusing on being a vendor at a few local arts and craft fairs, I love them. It's such a great way to meet TONS of people. I love meeting people that like my work and I like being able to put a face behind my drawings. it's a great way to support the handmade independent movement."
Do you have a motto for life? "Just be nice, I often tell myself this. I do get down on my self from time to time, I think everyone does. But Life is great, I get to wake up every morning and be my own boss and love doing what I do. So just be nice, because I could still be working at a craft store or answering phones. I'm very thankful."
I adore Danny's work and his positive and vibrant spirit. What a talented guy he is! How cool would it be to have a portrait of yourself done by Danny? I see myself with pink hair, some kind of green 1950s dress, cats eye glasses and a little pug tucked under my arm for good measure. Oh Danny......!?
Danny, the stage is all yours...
Describe the work that you do? "I like to draw kind of fashion related girls, although I don't really gain inspiration from trends, I draw cute and dainty things. The girls aren't exactly conventionally beautiful, but have different quirks like unproportioned features, gapped teeth, or lankly limbs, which I find to be beautiful. I mainly work in colored pencils, but I do like to paint from time to time, I just feel like I get the most detail out of pencils."
What was the career/education path you took to get to this point? "I started school as a Graphic Design major, I still have interest in it but I got so bored with fiddling around in design and things like being confined in side guidelines and pixels. So after two years I dropped out and decided to find my self art-wise. I wouldn't suggest people just drop out of school if you're lost, but it was the best option for me and it worked in my favor. I was able to find myself as an artist and a person. Last year I quit my job and have been working full-time as an illustrator ever since."
Describe the creative process in designing and constructing a particular piece? "I rarely sketch, since I work in pencil I'll usually sketch out the shapes of what I want to do on paper then erase and refine, I do that a bunch of times until I get what I want. I usually work at my desk next to my iMac so I'm able to watch movies or listen to music while I work. I tend to listen to really twee type music like Emmy the Great, Slow Club, The Ditty Bops, anything like that. I usually watch fantasy type movies like Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket's. I'll sometimes get an idea for a drawing while watching a movie or listening to music and I'll quickly jot it down for future reference. I tend to lay out a pad of paper then spill out all my colored pencils and set aside my most frequently used colors, I also have an electric sharpener, the kind you would see in an office setting. That thing is a life saver."
Where do you create your work? "I work out of my home, in my own room actually. If I could get rid of my bed I would just to have more room to create! I have a desk from Ikea, it serves it's purpose but I wish it wasn't made of formica because some areas are beginning to warp. It's put up with me for three years though. I also have a lightbulb hanging above my desk to provide adequate lighting."
Would you share some of your favourite artisans whose work you most admire? "Danielle {Knee} Estefan, she's a local artist. Her illustrations just have so much character to them, and I love seeing her paintings in person. I actually own one she did for a show we were in together.
Olivia Mew, she has the cutest style and does and amazing job applying that style to so many different mediums. I especially love her work with felt plushes. If I could afford to build a small army of them, I would.
Gemma Correll is an obvious favorite, she's just such a lovely person and a fellow pug owner, she has a great ability to convey emotions in drawings with her simple yet confidant lines."
Where can we get our hands on your work? "If you're local you can visit Pink Ghost in Hollywood, Florida, I have a few prints and pin sets available there, possibly more quite soon. You can also visit my etsy shop. I also accept commissioned pieces pretty much all the time, the turn around time might be different considering when you contact me. All my contact info can be found on my website."
What/who are the things you love most in your life? "I'm a crazy dog person, I'm the person that stops to hug your dog when you're walking them. I have three of my own and love them with all my heart. I could go on and on about things I love because I'm a person with a book full of interests, but to put this question in a short and sweet way I would say my perfect day involves cuddling puppies, going thrifting, eating sushi, and having ice-cream at night while watching harry potter."
A selection of Danny's work from his solo show, At the Sock Hop
What would you do in your "wildest dreams" if you had no restrictions? "Ah! I think definitely I would love to live in a foreign country. Immigration is such a pain in the butt, If it were up to me I would be living in a small flat in London over looking the embankment with lovely wooden floors, a fully stacked kitchen, a great studio with perfect lighting and a huge desk, and a living room with wall to wall book shelves filled with things like blythe dolls, ugly dolls, kid robot toys, old cameras, and dvds. One day I'll have that life, I'm still very young, but that's definitely my "wildest dream""
What is your greatest professional achievement? "I would love to design things for people, like t-shirts and bags. I want to go into a busy city and see someone walking around with my illustrations on their shirt. That's my biggest necessity for my art, I want it to be obtainable… I want to people to able to easily buy a print for their living room or purchase a pin to put on their tote without having to bend over backwards and not break the bank while doing so"
What is new with you and your work? "At the moment I'm focusing on being a vendor at a few local arts and craft fairs, I love them. It's such a great way to meet TONS of people. I love meeting people that like my work and I like being able to put a face behind my drawings. it's a great way to support the handmade independent movement."
Do you have a motto for life? "Just be nice, I often tell myself this. I do get down on my self from time to time, I think everyone does. But Life is great, I get to wake up every morning and be my own boss and love doing what I do. So just be nice, because I could still be working at a craft store or answering phones. I'm very thankful."
I adore Danny's work and his positive and vibrant spirit. What a talented guy he is! How cool would it be to have a portrait of yourself done by Danny? I see myself with pink hair, some kind of green 1950s dress, cats eye glasses and a little pug tucked under my arm for good measure. Oh Danny......!?
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