Monday Spotlight on Suhita of Sketch Away

I've decided to start trying to do theme weeks, where each of the five posts on Monday through Friday will all tie in together a bit.  This week is 'art' week and I'm starting out with an interview with Suhita, an amazing artists I met through my treasury team.  She's been the inspiration for quite a few of my treasuries with her watercolor illustrations.  Suhita lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a self-described obsessive sketcher, doodler and graphic designer.

Orange Temple and Flags

Tell us three other things about yourself.
I am one of those people that grew up loving to draw, forgot about it along the way, and came back to it only a couple of years ago.
I am inspired by travel, both to faraway places, and in taking a fresh look at the everyday world around me.
I had a pet tortoise for more than 20 years. I had to give him to the friend when I moved across the world and couldn't take him with me...

That's really cool.  Turtles and tortoises are some of my favorite creatures.  What’s your medium and how did you get into it?
My medium of the moment is pen, ink and watercolor. I love the simplicity and immediacy of the medium and that watercolor has a mind of it's own. It helps me keep it light and loose and let go.

When I'm painting, I have the same choice of medium, but for different reasons.  What’s your favorite thing you’ve made?
My favorite works are always sets of sketches that remind me of a trip, like this set from a recent trip to India.

From where do you take inspiration?
From travel, both near and far. And when I'm not literally traveling, I like to look at everything around me as a newcomer would... it makes the everyday and mundane interesting. Like the ferris wheel my kids rode while I made the sketch below or this one of poppies growing by a fire hydrant.

Ferris Wheel A Summer Carnival

You make beautiful art of your own, but name one piece of art you wish you’d created and why?
This is hard! There are just so many, many artists who's work I love, it's hard to pick just one. Or even just 10!

What are you doing when you’re not crafting?
I am a graphic designer, illustrator and have a 4 and a 6 year old who are threatening to bring in a pet into the family. Between it all, I have my hands and days full.

Even though you've already got a full plate what would you take up if you had to give up your medium and pursue another?
I think I'd enjoy acrylics just because they're great for the bright, bright colors I enjoy using. And, they're relatively easy to cleanup... One reason I shy away from oils is the cleanup involved!

You should try them.  Acrylics are really fun and can have that same immediacy, because they dry quickly and can force you to work the same way.  Tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.
I'm constantly surprised by which of my pieces works and which doesn't: I work very quickly, often reacting and sketching without premeditated ideas. So its always interesting to see what I end up capturing.

Empire State Building Modern Art Deco

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?
My hero is an artist/illustrator called David Gentleman, who travelled the world and made books of incredible sketches from his trips. I've tried tracking him down and emailing him to let him know how much his work inspires me, but I haven't been able to get in touch yet.

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
Exactly the way I tell it to a grown up: I draw and paint. That is really all I do. If I end up capturing the essence of the scene I work on, it works. Since I sketch on location, I often have kids come peek at what I'm doing: at museums, in parks. They're always surprised to see an adult drawing. I didn't realize how surprising this would be to a kid until a kid came by on a recent trip to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, looked at my book, and said "look mom, she's drawing and she's a grown up!".

Afternoon Light

That tells me more artist need to be paintingin public, so children know they can keep being creative all their lives.  What’s your favorite part of the process?
The doing. Truly. That 20 minutes to an hour that I draw/paint each piece is a frenzied yet zen process. to make it work, you have to be totally present in the moment,and it all comes together intuitively: the line,the color, the mood.

One random thing you think people should know.
It's never too late to pick up an old passion and take it to the next level.

Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website.
Shop: http://www.sketchaway.etsy.com
Blog: https://sketchaway.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sketch-Away/194253643924688
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/sketchaway

City in Purple Pink and Mauve

And my last, usual, random question.  If you could be a character in fiction, who would you be?
Long John Silver. He wasn't the nicest guy, but I loved him as a kid!

Monday Spotlight On: Kailey Lang of Bumbleboo Handmades

I first stumbled across Kailey's work on the "Pimp Your New Listings" Thread of the Regretsy forums.  I was hurriedly scrolling to the bottom of the page to post something of my own, when I scrolled past a series of awesome pictures of little domed cabochons full of brightly illustrated images of strange little colorful, cartoonish plants.  I followed the links to Kailey's shop, fell in love with her illustration style, favorited her shop, added her to my circle, and within a day was asking for this interview.  So there ya go.

Red Poppies Round Post Earrings

Tell us three things about yourself.
I'm an illustration student about to attend my last year of college to get my bachelor's degree. (Scary!)
I have an obsession with collecting cool exotic plants.
As a child I came home with a handful of four-leafed clovers almost everyday, and still find them in passing every now and then.

I once bought a botanical book in a used bookstore only to find out later it had several four-leaf clovers in it, but have never been good at finding them myself. What's your medium and how did you get into it?
My favourite mediums for painting are watercolour, ink and gouache (using them all together). I got into using them almost two years ago now. I used them in one painting and really ended up liking the result, so I experimented more with using the gouache more strongly in the pieces.

Of all those paintings, what's your favorite thing you've made?
Probably my Fisherman painting. I really disliked it when I finished it, but when I went back to it about a week later I was pretty happy with the result.

Fisherman Watercolor Illustration

That particular piece is a seascape, but you also have everything from owls to poppies.  From where do you take inspiration?
I take inspiration from nature and other illustrators, mostly.

Name one piece of art you wish you'd created and why?
That's a hard question. It'd probably be any one of Arthur Rackham or Edmund Dulac's pieces though, I think they're beautiful.

I love Rackham. His art is truly magical....  What are you doing when you're not crafting?
Tending to my plants, aquariums, or playing with my two wonderful cats.

If you had to give up your medium and pursue another, what would it be and why?
I would probably pursue oil painting, or more traditional printing methods. I've dabbled in linocut printing and silkscreening, and I'd definitely like to explore more with them.

Speaking of trying different things, tell us about a time you were making something that came out better than expected and how it happened.
It sounds a little cliche, but with almost everything I make I'm constantly unimpressed with how it came out. Often if I go back to it a week or a couple of weeks later, I'm happy with the result (like the Fisherman painting described above). However, when I first finish the piece, I'm not very happy with it. So if I'm ever impressed with something, it happens slowly! :)

Barn Owl Domed Glass Pendant

Who is one person living or dead, famous or not, who you wish owned one of your creations and why?
I feel uninteresting, but anyone who will appreciate what I make, is who I want to own it. :) If my Mum and Dad didn't have some of my stuff, I would say them. But they do!

How would you explain how to do what you do to an eight year old?
I like to paint things the way that I see them with the colours that I like.

That definitely explains it, though I myself wouldn't mind knowing how your turn your beautiful art into functional jewelry.  What's your favorite part of the process?
Definitely bringing colour into the piece. Whether it be digitally or traditionally. Though, traditional is more enjoyable for me.

One last, random thing you think people should know.
Appreciate everything like it's the last time you'll ever experience that thing.

Elemental Watercolor Illustration

Your shop address/facebook/Twitter/blog/website. Etc.
My Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/bumblebooHandmades
My Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/kaileylang
My Tumblr:  http://kaileylang.tumblr.com/
My Deviantart: http://bumble-boo.deviantart.com/
Facebook Fanpage:  http://www.facebook.com/kaileylangillustration

If you could go anywhere on Earth at any point in time, where and when would you go and why?
Honestly, it's a bit boring maybe, but I'd go back to when I was a child... Any age at around 3-10 was great. Every day was an awesome experience of exploring and seeing new things. The memories I have from when I was a child are excellent, and I definitely wouldn't mind going back to it!

Thursday Spotlight On: Ruth Hayes of RuthsArtwork

I recently joined a new team, the Etsy Treasury Team, to expand my horizons outward and in doing so, came across a bunch of wonderufl artists.  One of them is Ruth, of  RuthsArtwork, and she is an amazing realist.  Creating mostly architectural illustrations, I truly admire her ability to capture the personality of buildings so beautifully.  Realism is hard enough.  Breathing such life inot architectural illustrations is near impossible, but she manages it wondrously.

Indiana Main Street Pen & Ink Illustration

Tell us three things about yourself we may not know. 
I have been with my husband for 35 years and we have an adult daughter and son. I have a Master’s degree in animal behavior but have worked mostly in CAD for architecture for my husband’s timber framing company as well as create my artwork I am mostly a self taught artist, because when I went through school, realistic art was not considered “real” art and actively discouraged.

That's awesome that you're self-taught. I am as well.  What's your medium and how did you get into it?
I mostly work in pen and ink with a firm pastel overlay. When my husband started his company, we couldn’t afford to pay someone to do our advertising art. As the artist in the family, even though I had done mostly animal art, the task fell to me. Pen and ink suited our purposes well and eventually I began experimenting with color overlays. I had a large set of firm pastels that my mother had given me in high school, so I tried using that. After a short while, it became my preferred color medium. I’ve been using it for architectural portraits for almost 30 years now.

That's a long time working in one avenue.  Of everything you've created, what is your favorite thing you've ever done?
While I love some of my stone barn pictures a lot, my favorite thing after all these years is a pen and ink sketch of a floating ing pelican I did in the late 70’s.

Pennyslvania Stone Barn Original Pen & Ink Illustration

With everything from birds to barns, you must take your inspiration from a lot of places. How do you capture it?
When we travel, I always try to take my digital camera with me. I have a very nice wide angle telephoto lens and both my husband and I like to pay attention to the architectural surroundings. It can be older city home and business buildings or old farm houses and barns. I like to look for structures that have intricate architectural details or beautiful stonework. And I never pass up the chance to take pictures of animals when I can, as a change of pace.

Is there anything you wish you'd created?
Sometimes I wish I could sculpt. I love the work of the French sculptor Rodin. Just about anything by him.

Art has taken up a lot of your life.  What do you do when you're not creating?
I am an avid reader, mostly of science fiction, mysteries and popularized science discoveries. I like to plant flowers in the beds around the house – but weeding – not so much. I also have an aged horse, so several times a week I go to the stable and play around with her. And in the summer, you can often find me listening to my White Sox baseball team on the radio or on the tv.

If you had to give up your medium and take another, what would you love to work in?
I think I would like to try to learn more about watercolors and other paints. Because I never took many classes in art, I never really had anyone help me learn some of the intricacies of other painting media and I would like to at some time.

Speaking of intricacies, is there anything you've ever attempted that ended up turning out much better than expected?
When I first started making the ACEOs and gift tags, I decided to make big sheets of watercolor washes. I didn’t really know what I was doing so I just experimented and when I cut them up and then drew on them with the ink, I was surprised how nice they looked.

Red Flower ACEO and Gift Tag

If anyone one dead or living could own one of your pieces, who would you want it to be?
I wish I had made something for my paternal grandmother. I didn’t realize what an extraordinary person she was while she was alive and sharing my art with her would have been wonderful.

If you had to explain to an eight-year old what you do, how would you go about it?
I would say that I take a picture of your house and draw it so you can remember what it looks like after you grow up and move away.

What's your favorite part of the process?
I enjoy the laying out of the drawing in pencil and then when I start to ink. I also like the final moments when I spray on the fixative and the pastel colors pop into the final hues.

Where can people find you?
Shop address: http://etsy.com/shop/ruthsartwork
Blog: http://ruthsartwork.wordpress.com/


One last random, weird question.  If you could travel to any place and time in history where would you go?
I really want to know what the dinosaurs looked and sounded like.

I think my husband would agree with you.  Thanks for putting up with my silly questions. 

Treasury Tuesday: As the Mermaids See It

I so love Oiseaux's mermaid bookplate (you hopefully remember her from yesterday's spotlight), I decided to do an entire watery, mermaid themed treasury. Everything looks blue to them, you know.

'The Mermaids Saw Everything in Blue' by cursiveart

...as they swam the seas, collecting trinkets from the land, and daydreaming of land....

Sea Glass of Hawaii AQU... SeaGlassFromHa... $26.00	Mermaid Kisses Fragranc... fragranceoil $2.25	Ocean Mermaid Bookmark ... beachstring $15.00
Aqua Blue Nesting Plate... NewMoonStudio $250.00	Sea Bliss Bleu Fish Doo... AlacartCreatio... $18.00	Mermaid Art Print - 8x6... thefiligree $10.00
Moldovite, keishi pearl... Lilhouette $82.00	Aqua Sea Salt and Shea ... opheliasapothe... $7.75	hand dyed sparkling sup... wildhare $28.00
1896 World Elevation Ma... SurrenderDorot... $30.89	ISADORA - Feather Headb... bethanylorelle $34.00	blue seagreen small res... whizzbangle $25.00
Aqua Blue Japanese Glas... GlassLynx $15.00	Underwater Sisters by H... starlitnest $22.00	Vintage Mermaids Person... oiseaux $15.95
Mermaid Waterling Lady ... beautyflows $8.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

The Afternoon Walk

A fellow artist friend of mine said he liked how I used to "small window" to look at things.  I've never been one for covering a large canvas or space with my art.  My images are simple and don't need a lot of room to get their view across.  I don't think I've ever made anything larger then 12 x 18 and the majority of my work averages 4 x 6 inches.  Today I made another "small window" onto a another world, where the skyis green on summer afternoons and most of the plant life is bigger than the people.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73835409/the-afternoon-walk-ooak-original

I like my little windows.  They give me a good view.

The Conjoined Twins

While technically not new, this painting hasn't appeared on this blog before.  I created it last summer and it hung in the coffee shop I worked at until we closed.  Since then it has been sitting in my room, waiting to be photographed and listed on Etsy, for as much as I love my work, I can't keep it forever.

There was a tree by the bus stop I took to work every day and, to me, the tree looked like it was two grown from one seed or two separate tree that grew together as they grew upward.  Regardless of how it happend, I found the way their branches arched out from each other interesting.  To me it looked like they were tired of being together and were trying to grow apart.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73789832/the-conjoined-twins-ooak-original

On a side note, I'm never sure whether to call them painting or illustrations.  I use mostly watercolor and ink applied with a brush, but I use and hold the brush like a pen much more often than not, as though I am 'drawing' on the color.  What defines a painting, I wonder?

The Pom Trees

I am going to try to make a short post whenever I have a new piece to show.  I finished a whimsical little painting tonight, I call "The Pom Trees."  It's four by six inches on 140 lb cold press watercolor paper (I love watercolor blocks) and was illustrated with water and ink.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73785987/the-pom-trees-ooak-original-illustration

Monday Spotlight On: Brooke Weeber of TheLittleCanoe

Sorry that this is going up a bit later than usual, guys. With my wedding in less than three weeks, I tend to get a little distracted.  Today, when I should have been posting, I was off with my future mother-in-law helping her pick out a dress to wear to the wedding.

Brooke Weeber is an awesome illustrator I came across in the Etsy Entrepreneurs Team forums.  She draws these amazing images comprised of items that shoudln't seem to go together, but in her art, ultimately fit perfectly.  I also love her work because she works in the same medium I do when I'm not doing linocut printing.  More about Brooke in her own words:


Tell us about yourself, anything you think is worth knowing.
I'm a bicycle commuter, baker and illustrator living in Portland, OR. I've lived here for over 2 years now. Although I'm originally from Oregon, I spent 4 years living in Brooklyn, NY, soaking up the culture and the chaos while attending culinary school. Even though I was able to really thrive there, refining my cake decorating skills (you can see some of my cakes here: http://citybirdcakes.blogspot.com/), I really missed the greenery and the wide open spaces of the Northwest. That's what drew me back to Oregon. Once I arrived here, I finally had the time and energy to put into my passion for illustrating, which I've been concentrating on ever since.

What is your medium and how did you get into it?My medium is watercolor and ink. I originally got my degree in oil painting from the University of Oregon, but when I moved to New York I was extremely limited by the space I had to work in. Since oils and paint thinners are fairly toxic and difficult to keep clean, I hesitantly switched over to watercolor. They're conveniently small, portable, and easy to tidy up when you're finished. It took me a long time to feel comfortable using watercolor, being so drastically different from oil paints, but eventually, with a lot of practice, I felt right at home, and it really ended up shaping my style. I'd always been a big fan of illustration, and I've drawn with ink pens since I can remember. Now I was finally able to combine the two mediums to make something that I really loved.

Where do you take your inspiration from?
I've always been inspired by other artists. I feel really lucky to have the ease of the internet at my fingertips to direct me to artists from all over the world' one's I would never have met without the help of social/art networking sites like Society6, Etsy, Flickr, Facebook and Tumblr. I'm finding new artists and new inspiration on a daily basis, which is extremely motivating. Aside from that, on a more personal basis, I draw a lot of artistic influence from Greek and Native American art and pattern, as well as from old textbook illustration that I find on the New York Public Library Digital Archives Website (http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm). 

When creating, do you have more "Aha!" moments or do you slowly figure things out? What's your process?  I wouldn't say I have many "Aha!" moments. I rarely go in to a piece with much of a plan. I might have a few basic ideas floating around in my mind, but things often change as they take shape in each painting. Normally, I start drawing something out, then I look around the internet for pictures or patterns, then I go back to the artwork, and so on and so on. There's a lot of erasing involved.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65573497/accordion-sea-print