March is Studio Month!

For the month of March, we will be looking at various studios of various artists.

I will be polling many artists this month to learn about their studio spaces where all the magic happens. I will then be posting some photos of their studios as well as a little bit of background info on the artist and their workspace. If you would like to show off your studio this month, please contact me and I'll try to fit you in!

Here's just a little taste to get us started...

Real Name: Lisa Buchanan
Location: Louisiana, USA

Website: LisaBuchananStudio.com

Art Blog: Lisa's Altered Journey

Online Store: LisaBuchanan.Etsy.com

Are you a Fulltime/Part-time Working Artist? Yes

How long have you been an artist? 10 years professionally

What types of Media do you work with?

Oils, acrylics and mixed media

What scale do you work at?

I am working on a several large paintings at the moment, but love painting/drawing ATC's because they force me to use the mantra "less is best" and instead of taking months to finish, they can take anywhere from 1 hours to 3 days.

Tell us a little bit about your studio:

My husband realized I needed my own space after the guest bedroom I was painting in was being taken over by all my supplies and spilling into the hallway. We added on to our home so I now have my own studio with adjoinging bathroom, a door to the outside, large closet, great track lighting, northern exposure, practically everything an artist needs. Well, except for more square footage - once you start collecting altered art supplies you quickly run out of room!

How much time do you spend working in your studio?

I might as well put a bed and refrigerator in here because I am in here 24/7.

Is your studio at your home or elsewhere?

I used to rent a studio at an artist's colony, but found that was restrictive (for me). I like to paint at 2:30 in the morning in my pj's, so having to get jeans on and travel someone to paint wasn't working for me.

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Real Name: Anne El-Habre
Online Alias: Anonevyl

Location: Savannah, GA

Website: http://elhabreart.blogspot.com/

Online Store: http://annee.etsy.com/

Online Art Gallery: http://elhabreillustration.com/port.asp

Are you a Fulltime/Parttime Working Artist? Occasionally

How long have you been an artist?

Don't know if I am - but I have been making marks on things since I was very little

What types of Media do you work with?

Anything that fits in my studio.

What scale do you work at?

ATC size (3.5 x 2.5 inches) to anything that fits in my studio.

Tell us a little bit about your studio...

It's a 12'x16' shed in the back of the house. It's surrounded by trees and soon, flowers. My wonderful hubby insulated and paneled it and made most of the tables and installed the shelving. He's too good to me. That and he was sick of gesso on the kitchen floor.

How much time do you spend working in your studio?

As much as possible. If there was a bathroom in here and I didn't have familial responsibilities, I would never leave it.

Is your studio at your home or elsewhere?

It's in the backyard.

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Real Name: Amber Marie Oxford
Online Alias: Amber Marie or Farfalla Dea (in assorted ways)
Location: Portland, OR

Website: ambermariestudios.com
Online Store: ambermariestudios.etsy.com
Online Art Gallery: farfalla-dea.deviantart.com

Are you a Fulltime/Parttime Working Artist?

Well, I work rather part time at it. I do have a part time day job.

How long have you been an artist?

As long as I can remember. That is to say, I can't think of a time I wasn't painting, drawing or creating in some way.

What types of Media do you work with?

Colored pencil, pencil, oil pastels, charcoal, marker, yarn, wood, acrylic, oils, beads, thread. I often try new things.

What scale do you work at?

From ATC size to much bigger. I think the biggest piece is still my wall mural, which is about 6 foot by 8 foot. One of my favorite sizes though is 22 x 30 because that's the size my favorite paper comes in.

Tell us a little bit about your studio

Its my second actual dedicated studio space but the first to have so much room (my first one was basically a shed). Its also the first place I've ever been able to make my own and I feel free and creative in it. Each space has its own function, I even have meditation spot. I call it my happy spot because it has all positive things in it about me or my life.

How much time do you spend working in your studio?

Depends on what I have going on! I do spend about 6-8 hours a day and then often 2-4 hours at night when I have to work my part time day job.

Is your studio at your home or elsewhere?

Its in our home, in our basement. I never knew how loud my cats could walk till I started working down here.

Artist Feature :: Erika Schulz

Real Name: Erika Schulz
Online Alias: Tempest Studios
Location: Red Deer, AB, Canada
Website: www.tempeststudios.net

Online Store: tempeststudios.etsy.com
Online Art Gallery: tempesterika.deviantart.com

To start off, please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from.

I was born in Burnaby B.C., and moved to Red Deer when I was 4. Right now I co-own and manage a Fine Art Gallery in Red Deer called Gallery IS. I am a professional artist in that I work on my art every day and sell it to the public. I also like movies, fantasy books, history, anime, moonlit nights, scarves, the changing seasons, poutine, nachos, and playing card games.

What inspired you to be an artist? And are you schooled in any way?

My inspirations have always been the same. I am pretty consistent when it comes to the things I like. I was, is, always will be inspired by history and mythology. I read Fantasy exclusively and I was always really interested in ancient things. I also find the study of different cultures to be really inspirational, especially Japan and Egypt, although now my interest encompasses pretty much every culture. Being an artist is just who I am. Its just at the core of my being.

I always took art in school. In high school I even managed to take two art classes at the same time. Those semesters were pretty swell. After I graduated I took the fine art program at Red Deer College. I did this 2 year program part time, over 4 years, working and paying for it myself. It was the best thing for me to do because it afforded me the extra time I like to take when learning new things. Learning a new technique and actually having the time to experiment with it was important to me. During those years I majored in Printmaking and Drawing.

Are you a working artist or a hobbyist? How long?

My family would say I have been an artist for my whole life, but as a kid it was always a hobby and something I enjoyed doing. I was pretty proud of being able to colour in the lines when all my friends could not. My aspirations were always more towards the sciences. Growing up is always an eye opener, and when I discovered the amount of work it would take to pursue a career in science I guess you could say I took the easy way out and focused more on my art. I say it was easy because for me it wasn't a stretch to imagine doing this for the rest of my life since I had already been doing it my whole life.

I have been a professional artist for the last 9 years. I have been creating a body of work every year and selling it to the public. I really became serious in 2004 when I quit my part time job and devoted all of my energy towards earning a living through my artwork. The Gallery became a part of my life in 2006. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing if it wasn't for my family. They are extremely supportive.

What types of media do you most regularly work with to create your art?

I work in many two dimensional media, but most frequently acrylics, ink, and mixed media.

You have a unique and special style with your paintings that makes them stand out as being pieces done by you. When and How did you discover this artistic niche?

I stared doing the technique in 2004, after a major mental block forced me to throw caution to the wind and try new and experimental things. I developed my drawings with paint after studying the work of a favorite artist who did something similar at the turn of the 19th century with string and gesso. It became a niche totally by accident, which is how I think it happens 99 percent of the time. If you are doing something unique it happens naturally, and it just so happens that not only do you like doing it, but people also like looking at it.



Can you remember the first time you publicly displayed a piece of art? Tell us about the experience.

I cant remember exactly. I have been showing my art to the public for a long time. I was always in art classes in school and my teachers were great at getting their students exposed to this next part of being artistic. The Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery also has a great relationship with the school board and hosts a couple of shows specifically to showcase art by jr high and high school students. I'm pretty sure the first time I exhibited was in jr high at the museum. I was pretty proud at that moment seeing my work in a professional environment, framed. It really gave me incentive to try hard to get those kind of credits.




Where do you get the majority of your inspiration for your art?

My inspiration is pretty varied. I am inspired by nature, other artists, things I read, dreams, and history. I would have to say the biggest is History and Mythology. I love stories, especially fantastical ones. I am a big big fan of sci-fi and fantasy, and I have always been. Colour and textures are also a big influences. I could be sent off with just a look at a piece of Japanese patterned paper.




What type of studio space do you work in? Do you just paint wherever you are, or do you have an artist studio space somewhere that you work in?

I cant work out doors. I need a controlled environment with all my stuff readily at hand. If my space is chaotic so are my thoughts and when that happens I don't get much work done. My studio is at home, which works the best because I am also a night owl. I just work until my eyes close and then fall into bed.



Tell us about one of your pieces that you especially love and why?

That's a hard question to answer. I am about the process of making the art and not so much about the finished product. I rarely will finish a piece and stand back and go "im a genius!", but it does happen and those are the pieces I like the most. I also work a lot in series, and I find I am more proud of a series of work than an individual piece. I think the works I am still the most proud of have to be my Red Lantern drawings. I look back on those and cant believe I did them. Its hard to remember all the struggles now, and all the time I spent. Mainly that's what I remember about a piece of artwork, but with those drawings I don't dwell on the stuff I hate, or the stuff that was hard, I just appreciate the accomplishment.


Aside from creating art, what do you do?

If you mean hobbies, I am a dvd addict. I love movies. I also make jewellery and knit, although I don't get to do that as often as I would like, since if I have the time to knit that usually means I have the time to paint or draw, and those things come first. I also own an Art Gallery, called Gallery IS. Its my base of operations.



What influences have helped you get to this point in your artistic career?

My mom is a small business owner and she has had a huge influence on the way I look at my art as a career. Its not all fun with finger paints you know, there is a lot of hard work to make it a day job. I am a big study of fellow artists, past and present, too. I try to glean what I can from the lives of artists I admire to see what I can learn from them and apply to my own life.





What are your goals as an artist, long term and short term?

Really, my only goals are to keep moving forward and to keep getting better and more successful. There is always room for improvement, but at the same time I would be very happy just selling enough art to pay all my bills. I always have lots of plans and projects so the future for me is just getting those things done.



Do you have any advice for artists who are trying to turn their desire to create into something that 'brings home the bacon' ?

-Learn as much as you can from as many people as you can.
-Don't get too attached to your art. Once the creating is done you have to let it go out into the world. Related to that is not taking things to personally. Many artists feel like they are attached at the hip to their art. If you cant take some criticism and compliments you wont last very long.
-Remember that art is also a business. If you want to achieve financial success, you need to learn about all that stuff too. Agents are a thing of the past. Now a days artists have to do all the work themselves.
-Don't be afraid to think out of the box. Most of the time you have to come at success sideways.
-Trial and error are your new favorite words.


Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

Don't stop. Momentum is really important. Always create, and you have to keep at it. If its a passion for you, don't let people tell you its not important, or that it doesn't matter compared to farming, or plumbing, or doctoring, or politics. Art is just as important as those things. Its what defines humans as humans, our ability to imagine and create. Opposable thumbs aside, its the reason we are at the top of the food chain.

www.tempeststudios.net

Artist Feature :: Syrcaid

Real Name: Erika
Online Alias: Syrcaid (it used to be Starluck but then a casino stole my name)

Location: Illinois

Website: http://www.cosmicjive.org

Online Gallery: http://starluck.deviantart.com

To start off, please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from.

I'm 29 years old, female, and I'm from Illinois. I enjoy cartoons, good company, and a good sense of humor.

When did you first start drawing/painting? And what is your favorite medium/media to work in and why?

I used to draw entirely with pencils and ink, but since I got a good tablet PC I've been drawing almost entirely digitally.

Do you work professionally as an artist? If not, what is your actual day job?

Before the economy went bad, I was painting new and restoration glass for churches. I also did a lot of seasonal pieces, painting on glass using low temp enamels. I can't work hot glass or do lampwork, but I can build a stained glass window from scratch. I haven't done it in about a year and a half though, the arts seemed to be hit hardest by the economy where I live.

What does art and the creating of it mean to you? What sort of applications do you use your artistic talents for?

It's like breathing, no matter what anyone or anything does to me I can always draw. It's an outlet and an old friend. As for online, I'm all about creating new creatures to share with everyone else and that's typically in the form of cyberpets.

Are there any other artists/movements/styles you draw inspiration from? Where do you get the majority of your inspiration for your works from?

Oh, there's tons of places. Tim Burton, Don Bluth, Hayao Miyazaki, Dr. Osamu Tezuka, and Edward Gorey are some I can name off the top of my head right away. But I also draw inspiration in things like movies and music.

Can you remember the first image you displayed publicly online or in real life? What was the general reaction?

I can't recall my absolute very first, because I think even those things they have you make in grade school like cards with bits of glue and glitter count as art. But the first one everyone else probably remembers is "Starluck's Sweetwater Valley" where I made a bunch of animated GIF's and bitmap style images and Photoshopped backgrounds. As far as I know, people still show up and leave comments in my DeviantArt gallery telling me of having fond memories of the site. It's still up and a majority of it is free for public use now.

What is your main motive for creating art?

Because I can't help it. It just happens and sometimes it's fun to share it with others.

What are your goals as an artist, short term and long term? Where do you want to be with your art 5 or even 10 years from now?

My goals are just to create and to continue to create no matter what happens. There's been a lot of ups and downs and bouts of where I thought the world would come crashing down, but there's always a pen or a pencil or even a napkin at a restaurant. I used to know where I wanted to be but if I run out of time it's now my ultimate goal to be content with what I've been given and to improve at my own pace.

What is your favorite part of the process of creating?

Dreaming it up and waiting to see if anyone else enjoys it, too.If someone were to look through your online gallery, they would probably notice some repetitive faces.

Can you tell us about your light blue centaur and any other familiar faces from your art gallery of importance?

The light blue centaur is me in a manner of speaking. A lot of people have online personas, I'm neither "furry" nor human and it amuses me that I can't be labeled as "anthro" but I don't fit in anywhere else other than general Fantasy. The others you're likely to see are Evil the pink haired catboy, S-D with a really strange story, and Zizi the little mouseboy with a plant always growing on his head. The other characters I draw, if I didn't create them myself, are other people. They are of great importance to me, a majority of other people's characters are those of people who've never left their place in my heart. I think what most people want most is to be loved and remembered.

Do you have any advice for beginner artists who are interested in your area of expertise?

I don't think I have expertise, I feel often like a little decorator crab who picks up pieces of what they like best and sticks it on their back. I don't like being labeled and I recommend that people never settle on a certain style (unless they absolutely love it) because of pressure. No one has the right to tell you what your style is and what it isn't. You're not required to have a style and you're not required to please anyone but yourself.

Well, Hello There!

Hello to any readers I may still have after my long absence! Very sorry for my departure from this side of the internet over the last few months. However, I am back and have some artists lined up for February and on! So, please don't delete me from your bookmarks just yet :) :)

While we wait on our lovely, busy artists, I would like to bring to your attention "The Whimsy Art Workshop" that'll be happening in April and May. This is an online workshop, so, you can attend even if you live on the opposite side of the globe! Wewt! One of the artists featured in this workshop was actually featured here a few months ago! Fantastic!


For more info, please check out this link: http://www.arttradermag.com/workshops/index.html

Artist Feature :: Hillary Luetkemeyer

How long have you been working as an artist? Have you been schooled in art at all?

Little children are always making artwork, before they are taught to be ashamed of their creativity. I was fortunate in that my mother and a good adult friend of mine encouraged me, and so I just continued to make artwork where other people leave off. I took art classes in high school, and got my BFA in, of all things, metalsmithing.


I can see from your gallery that you work with a number of different media/mediums with your art, what is your favorite to work with and why?

My favorite to work in? Currently it's watercolor. I'd like to tell you that I vibe with the medium and that it speaks to me and so on, but that would be a lie. The real reason I use it is because I'm cheap, and you can use every little speck of watercolor because when it dries, all you need to do is apply more water to it. Acrylic and oil, once it dries, that's it; it's useless. And good paint is really expensive!




Can you remember the first image you displayed publicly online or in real life? What was the general reaction?

I really don't recall. I believe it was a painting I did for a contest back in high school. We had to paint this bridge house. It was hosted by a local guy who owned the subdivision or something. I really don't recall what kind of attention it received. I was just thrilled to win the scholarship money.



Your piece titled "Corrosion" really drew me in to your gallery, can you give us a little insight into the reasons you created it and what it means to you?

Ah, that's one of my favorites as well. To start with, I ought to talk a little bit about the media I used. As a metalsmithing major, I was encouraged, in my drawing 400 class, to incorporate my chosen major in my drawings. I began to use the patinas and corrosion's produced by metal as a drawing tool. In the piece, Corrosion, I was drawing directly from that experience, and used real rust as a drawing tool.

Thematically, it's meant as a comment or discussion on our use of animals as tools. The horse, once no longer useful, has been left in the field to rot, like an old tractor. It's seen not as a feeling being, but as a piece of equipment.



What does art and the creating of it mean to you? Is it a hobby, a calling, a way to pay bills or something even deeper?

I'd call it all of those things. I have chosen it as my profession, yes. And so it is a way to pay bills. It's also a hobby. It's also my life. I rarely go a day without working, both because I need to work to eat, but also because I feel a compulsion to create.



How would you describe your art? How have you developed your style over time? What influences helped get you to this point?

At present, I'd define my artwork as animal illustration art. I've always liked children's books and illustration, and that seems to be the way I'm leaning right now. However, I have so many interests, I can't say that's my chosen theme, particularly. It just happens to be what I'm into now. I just continue to work, and see where it takes me.

My influences are far too numerous to list. I could say life, or nature, but those are obvious answers. Everyone is influenced by life and nature.



Do you have a website or etsy account where we can find you online? Are you open for commissions?

My main website is my DeviantArt page: http://hibbary.deviantart.com
My commissions lists are usually pretty full, but I circulate fast.



What are your goals as an artist, short term and long term? Where do you want to be with your art 5 or even 10 years from now?

I wish I could tell you. I'd be very interested in knowing, myself. I'd like to get back into metalsmithing, eventually, but this illustration thing seems to be working well for me right now.

The cheap answer is that I'd like to get better. I want to more accurately convey my ideas with more flawless images. Most importantly, I want to be able to say more with it, and be able to talk about something that I believe to be meaningful.