Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Interview with Arthouse 525, Artwork

Today's feature is brought to you from Arthouse 525 on Etsy. Arthouse525 is sure to amaze you with a variety of artwork including collagraphy, prints of original art, photographs, paintings, and jewelry! I am pleased to introduce you to Sandra, the owner of this awesome Etsy Shop.

Tell us about yourself, your shop, and what you make.
I am a craft and decorating fanatic. I love to paint anything: on canvas, on walls, on the house (inside and out). Only the cat is safe. I am most happy when I am dreaming up my next art project.

For about fifteen years, I made a living as a craft teacher and author. (Google my books- they are still available on Amazon). I also designed rubberstamps for Judikins and Stamp Oasis.  Then I decided that I’d better get some health and retirement benefits going so I took a full-time job with the post office.

The creative muse is calling me again, so my latest project is my ETSY shop. I named it “Arthouse 525” because my husband and I always say that we live in an Art-house and our street number is 525.

My shop is fairly new, so it is mostly paintings. I have prints as well as original art available. I plan on putting up more jewelry too. (Beads are another passion.) Assemblage and fiber arts will be posted in the near future.

How did you get started?
mmmm…do you mean, specifically how did I get started on ETSY or on all things creative?

I have sold my arts and crafts practically my whole life. Money was scarce when I was growing up, so I would draw paper dolls for the girls in grade school and super hero posters for the boys. They paid me well, considering. <g>. Then, I graduated to making purses and accessories to sell to the girls in high school. In fact, I designed the flag girl’s uniforms for my high school marching band. So, I’ve always been into something. As far as how I got started in writing books and traveling all over to teach at stores and conventions, that is another long story. As it happens, it is all really the same story. “One thing leads to another."

Tell about your favorite piece.

Right now, my favorite would be Crow’s Dream. I love crows and I like all of the layers and colors in this painting. Eraser carvings are another favorite craft so I used them to stamp on the canvas. I think the little sprinkling of stamped flowers in the background and on the crow turned out to be a fun addition.
  
Here are some of Sandy's other wonderfully unique pieces from her shop!




What inspires you?
Everything inspires me. Seriously. I wake up and see shapes, colors and textures. I close my eyes and I see full paintings that I can’t wait to get started on. BUT, I will say that cruising around ETSY and Pinterest boards is really inspiring. There are so many amazing artists in the world that it can actually be overwhelming at times.

I've been working on my blog too. That also generates inspiration. Thinking about ideas for my blog and then writing them down makes me think of things that I want to paint. I often have to stop typing to make notes about the next project. Again, "One thing leads to another." You've just got to start- anywhere. Just start.
 
Thank you so much Sandy for sharing your incredible shop!

I would like to add that I love that you used to make things for other kids while you were still in school! That is truly remarkable!

Find more on Arthouse 525 and Sandra here!
http://www.sandramccall.blog.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/sandramccall/
Posted by at

3 comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)