I stumbled upon the works of Laura Amiss the other day while spending a bored afternoon eating popcorn and trolling the internet. I thought her illustrations were absolutely gorgeous, but when I checked out her blog, I was even more blown away when I realized she stitches components on to each design using new and reclaimed fabrics. Each piece of work is produced through layering, piecing and sewing fabrics together.
What do you make? I design original hand-pulled silk-screened prints. They come in two colour and multi colour versions, and in three different sizes. Each piece is printed on to wood and supported by a hand made modern looking box-frame, so they end up having a sculptural art object-like feel.
What or who inspires you? I am inspired by so many things, some of which include folk art from all over the world, pop art, old advertisements, modern fabric prints, vintage toys, things that use bold colour and pattern in their form or design. I am also very much inspired by seeing other artist's work, whether it be sculpture, painting or something else. Often I get inspired just by having conversations and sharing ideas with other artist friends. Friends are an invaluable inspiration.
How did you get started? I did my under grad and Masters of Fine Arts at UBC and I have been making art for over 15 years now within a contemporary art context. Basically, I realized that it was " making things" that really made me happy and that I identified with being an artist so why not try to make an income from what I enjoyed doing. Being involved in the contemporary art world (producing critical and relevant art works) is not an easy task and certainly not a huge money maker. So a year and a half ago I decided to extend my practice by including a lighter, less serious line of work that utilized my skills, allowed me to have a little more fun, and had the potential to generate an income for myself. I wanted this new line of work to be separate from the more critical work that I was already engaged with so I attached a separate sort of pen name to it, "Penelope Brown". I already had a studio, and a basic knowledge of silk screening, so really I just needed to buy a few supplies and get going.
What are your favourite materials to work with? One thing I am doing more often now in my multi-colour prints is incorporating the use of transparent inks. This means that I can create more colour in my design with careful planning. For example, a transparent yellow laid over an opaque white creates yellow, while laid over an opaque blue creates a green. All of this can be a little tricky in the design faze of production because the printing order in terms of colour really does matter. If the order of printed colours changes, the entire piece changes. This is something I am still working on and getting better and better at, but still find a little tricky.
List one of your favourite websites and why you like them I am still not much of a computer person, and spend little time on line, but I do enjoy a wonderful food blog written by a woman named Jeannette Ordas called, "Everybody Likes Sandwiches". I really like cooking, watching cooking shows on TV and reading about cooking and naturally love this blog too.
Do you have any advice for those in the biz? I am pretty green myself, and trying to learn as much as I can from other business people, but I guess I would tell people to try and have some fun! Also, I think it is important to set up a regular work schedule that works for you and stick to it.
Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter? I think all good art must involve craft. A good work of art, whether it is a play, novel or sculptural work of art must be well crafted. I believe that craft can exist outside of art and feel that good craft doesn't need to involve art at all. My work involves elements of both.
Like Pip says, we seem to be always going through toilet paper around here. That's why I only buy the double rolls. Who would have thought that you could turn toilet paper rolls into art? Simply fantastic.
For all of you crafters out there, don't forget that the Got Craft application deadline is on Friday, October 1st, 2010 for the holiday show taking place on Sunday, December 5th, 2010. Application information can be found here. If you have any questions about the event, please visit our FAQ page or check out the website before emailing us.
All vendors will be notified approx. one week after the deadline.
Hosted by the Mount Pleasant BIA, the Autumn Shift Festival on Main Street will be a street party celebrating the change in seasons as well as the shift in attitude to- wards sustainability, eating local and an increased interest in urban gardening.
Rain or shine, the event will feature live music, improv and a handful of comedy acts from their two live stages. There will be a farmer's market and plenty of activities for children including a bouncy castle, free popcorn and cotton candy. Blim will also be hosting their monthly market, so make sure to check out some local handmade goods!
For the first time ever, The Foibles, a series hand painted by Kelly Clarke, will be on display at Emelle's Diner until the end of the month. New to the art scene, Kelly started painting as a hobby which turned into a full blown art exhibition!
What are 'The Foibles'? In Kelly's words (via Beyond Robson), "Its a study in weakness, every person marred in some way or another by a flaw." To read more about her and her work, visit her article at Beyond Robson.
Congrats Kelly! Can't wait to head down there and take a peek.
Here are the details:
When: Until Friday, October 29, 2010 - 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
To continue my obsession with fake, miniature food, I present you the works of PetitPlat - Handmade Miniature Food Art. Based in France, Stéphanie discovered her passion for miniatures back in 2007 and is now sculpting miniature versions of food for collectors and as jewelry full time.
The detail in her work is amazing. I can't even imagine how one can put so much effort into creating something the size of a penny or smaller!
You can visit and see her other work over at her etsy shop by clicking here or follow her blog here.
Heather spent two summers turning the house into an art installation - cleaning, re-plastering walls, painting, buying, setting up - as part of her project as artist in residence at Redvers, Saskatchewan.
One side of the house is left open and replaced with a clear plexi glass for people to peek in like a "real" dollhouse. Heather has created a home in which the family that lived there had left it unaffected back in 1968 including a wall clock resting at 9:03.
We announced last April over on the lotus events blog about our big move from Vancouver, BC to London, UK next February 2011. We leave in just over 4 months. * yikes *
Back in 2002, Robert and I left our jobs and made our first attempt to move to London on working holiday Visa's. It was a grand adventure of little, to no research and planning and 3 months later, after two (first me, then Rob) bouts of strep throat, we returned home. I wouldn't call it a failure. Maybe more of a lack of preparation. We never lost our love for the City though. We spent 3 weeks in London during our honeymoon in 2004 and was back there to celebrate my birthday last October.
Fast forward to 2010 and we have decided to give the move another go. The trip last October was to make sure that this was where we want to be and through Robert's British born Grandfather, we have the opportunity to apply for an UK ancestry visa that allows us to work unrestricted.
To see if you qualify or for more details, click here. If you are under 30, check out the UK youth mobility program here.
So how is the process coming along? Well, February isn't the best time to move, but with our schedules, it was the best for us. We also can't technically apply for Visa's until October as they won't post date them for more than 3 months. However, we are bringing Cleo (our cat) with us and she needed to begin her paperwork approx. 6 months prior to when we wanted to move to avoid quarantine. You can see more about her process here. Update: She passed her blood test results!
Don't worry though! Rob and I plan on returning to Vancouver each May and December for Got Craft and lotus events will remain operating in the hands of our lovely Vancouver team!
Interested in moving abroad? Follow the lotus events blog to stay up to date with our travels and for tips of living in the UK.
Collage Collage is a workshop and store that holds classes for students 2 – 12 years old. Inspiredby the Reggio Approach, and with 10 years of teaching art to children artist and owner Erin Boniferro has created an arts class room of her own.
Erin first approached me at a craft fair a few years ago and I can not tell you how amazing this lady is. Ah-mazing I tell you! I was lucky enough to interview her for Granville Online back in February and then work with her on the Etsy Craft Party.
Well, Collage Collage is turning one and they want you to come and celebrate. There will be lots of new things for you to 'ooh and ahh' at, colouring posters by State Creative, crayons and cupcakes!
Here are the details:
When:
Saturday, September 18th, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Name: Laura Bucci Handmade Website links: Website, Blog
What do you make? I focus on functional fashion, home & travel accessories. I like to use retro/modern fabrics but lately have started designing my own vintage inspired line. You can see my new fabric in action on the sustainable cup cozies. If I can't produce the fabric myself, I'll use unique indie designed fabric. You'll see this used to make pouches, tea cozies and more. I am very conscientious about waste, so I started using fabric remnants to make fabric pinback buttons.
What or who inspires you? I'm inspired by the many illustrators of education and story books in what we now call vintage books. Often times the illustrators were not credited but a few were, so I'd to acknowledge Merle Smith and Maud Sherman.
How did you get started? I studied fine art and photography a long time ago. But what I do now is a real departure from what I studied. I am a self-taught sewer. Sewing was preceded by knitting which is what got me started being creative after a 10 year hiatus. This all came about from feeling a need to be creative and independent after working at regular jobs. I am slowly returning to my photographic roots but now within a new medium -- fabric and functional objects.
What are your favourite materials to work with? I like fabric with different textures and I favour natural and vegan materials such as linen, hemp, and cotton.
List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
Advanced Style: A visual and wonderful display of New York's most stylish and creative older folks. I love seeing that older people play with style. It's very positive.
Hula Seventy: Because I love her photographic style and relaxed writing tone. I find inspiration in her doings and started my own list series at my blog after I saw hers.
how 2 draw a cup of coffee: I follow this blog because, well again, I love her work and find it inspiring and also because Michele Maule is wonderfully charming in her honesty and insecurity.
Uppercase Gallery: My god I love this magazine! This is a great Canadian publication with wonderfully curated visual culture. A beautiful magazine to collect.
blushed: A blog by Lu Summers, a charmingly honest mom and mixed media artist from a very flat part of England. I appreciate her sense of humour and I use her fabric in my pouches and pins.
Do you have any advice for those in the biz? Differentiate yourself from the rest. What's different about you? Why would people want to buy from you? Think about branding, it's really quite important and something I am thinking about right now. When I began crafting, I focused on products and I'm only now thinking about branding. When you think about your brand you are working on a style that you will convey to viewers. Consumers buy because of the perceived style.
Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter? Sometimes they are, sometimes they're not. Some work is definitely plain and simple craft with not much artistic intention. Some craft is very much a work of art. Deep down inside I always thought I was an artist but I'm only now getting comfortable with that concept. I believe images on a t-shirt can be art, it all depends on how it's done.
I have a deep love for all things miniature, so when I came across these, my heart went a flutter. Hand-crafted from paper and cardboard, these analogue miniatures by Dan McPharlin are absolutely amazing. You can see more of this work on his flickr stream.
If you haven't heard of Maker Faire, you may have possibly been living under a rock. Maker Faire is the ultimate DIY festival - It's county fair meets science fair meets farmers market meets burning man for people of all ages.
Emily from Blue Mollusc is working with Vancouver Hackspace to bring Maker Faire to Vancouver in 2011. She is currently seeking support from those that are interested in seeing this event take place in their own City. Want to help? You can contact Emily by email at emily@bluemollusc.com or join her facebook group here.
Deadlines are tight, she hopes to collect as many letters as possible by email by Friday, September 10th, 2010. Completed letters may be mailed back to her at emily@bluemollusc.com. If you want to see Maker Faire in Vancouver, you better act quickly!
Jackie Dives, a past Got Craft vendor and the new organizer of Swap-O-Rama-Rama, will be kicking off her art show at Libby's Cafe on 18th and Victoria in Vancouver. All new art work will be showcased including a series of collages using 22 Chinese proverbs. Go check it out! The show is only on until the end of the month.
Here are the details:
When: Opens September 9th, 2010 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and runs until Saturday, September 30th, 2010
Where: Libby's Cafe - 3429 Porter Street (18th and Victoria), Vancouver
For more information, visit Jackie Dive's facebook event page here.
An uber talented friend of mine started a new blog featuring a new poster design everyday for the next 365 days. Her first post went up on August 31st. Click here to follow along for the next 356 more days!
The biggest little art show features over 100 artists including past Got Craft vendors such as Kris Brownlee from a cagey bee, Chanda Stallman and Jackie Dives. Each artist is exhibiting work no larger than 4 x 4 inches in painting, sculpture, photography or other mediums. Think teeny tiny!
Here are the details:
When: Runs until Saturday, September 18th, 2010 - 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: 156 West Hastings, Vancouver (at Cambie Street)
For more information, visit the pocket show's facebook event page here.
Sam Made only has a handful of limited edition sewing kits left, so if you want to purchase one, now is the time. Each pouch is handmade using a medium weight canvas and comes with a selection of must have sewing tools including:
- Sharp metal snips. - Seam Ripper (we all make mistakes). - Two spools of thread. - Wooden Needle Case with 3 hand-sewing needles. - Safety Pins. - Measuring Tape (in metric and imperial). - Straight Pins. - Tomato pin cushion.
$5.00 from each kit sold will be pooled and lent via Kiva. Kiva is an organization that empowers individuals to lend money to enterpreneurs in developing countries. By creating a global community of people connected through lending, Kiva connects people for the sake of alleviating poverty.
To purchase a kit, visit Sam Made here or check out her blog, post grad hair cut, here or check out our featured artist interview here.
Hey! It's back to school time and Rhizome is hosting another free store to help you load up on all the supplies you need for your first day of class. Share what you have. Get what you need and enjoy one of the best London Fog's in town! Remember, this is not a swap. It's free, so if you have something to share, bring it. If you see something that you need, take it.
Items accepted in the back to school edition include pens, pencils, notebooks, backpacks, art supplies, binders, calculators, clothing for kids of all ages, anything you need for school.
Here are the details:
When: Sunday, September 5th, 2010 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Found a new love this morning ... Aren't these cardboard installations by Berlin artist Martin Böttger absolutely divine? Based on 3D graphic design, the E8 card installation is made from folded cardboard, tape and wood sticks. To see more of his work, click here.
Unfortunately, the exhibition closed last June, but “Palate,” curated by Zoe Fulcher, is a combination of her passion for art and her passion for food "Just like people have different taste in food, they have different taste in art". With my love of faux food, I had to share with you the works of Michael Scott Hove, a self taught artist from the San Francisco area who also has a fascination for fake, dusty food in store windows.
My apple cozy is featured on Lisa Orgler's website today! Started in January 2009, the Lunch Box Project is Lisa's resolution to paint an image of food daily. As you can see on her website, she has already achieved her goal of 365 illustrations, but has decided to carry on the tradition by adding a new twist. For 2010, Lisa's goal is to pick monthly themes to focus her food paintings.
In her own words:
"After many weeks of nagging from my nine-year old daughter this month I bring you... Beatle Food.... On a five hour car ride to Wisconsin, while listening to Beatle music, my daughter started noticing all the food references in their songs. This month is the list of titles she jotted down in the car that day."
Apple records was a record label founded by the Beatles. Check out some green apple art that Lisa curated here including my apple cozy pictured above!
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