inspire :: gray is okay

photo credit: Time for Tea 3

Jackie Dives from Divesin recently started a Flickr Group called Gray is Okay. It is a photography pool for the things in life that the online world tends to forget about. It is for things that are real, and not necessarily pretty. This project was inspired by the following things:

In the words of Jackie ...

1. It stuck with me when, after being dumped recently, someone pointed out that you can’t judge people’s (ie. ex-boyfriend’s) lives based on the pictures they post on Facebook, because people post birthday parties and barbeques, not changing a flat tire in the pouring rain, or putting their cat down.

2. I read an article on “Marthettes,” women who have beautiful crafty lives of perfection, and who share these lives on their stunning, pastel-infused blogs, which the article suggests average women like myself will read and inevitably compare ourselves to, leading us to feel inadequate. The article made me think two things.

a) I will be the first to admit that I can often feel low after reading a string of these blogs.

b) The reality is that what these women choose to show on their blogs is only half of their lives. No one lives a 100% peaches and cream life. And quite frankly, if they do, I feel sorry for them. I often find inspiration and beauty in things that are ugly or awkward. Which leads me to number 3…

3. Nan Goldin.

In a world where life is easy to document, I think that it’s a shame that it seems to be people’s goal to post only what is appealing to look at.

So this is me encouraging you to post photographs of your failed baking, spilled red wine on a white carpet, your skinned knee after a fall, and the three weeks of dishes that have piled up after a loved one has died.

When life is shitty s l o w d o w n a little, and take note of it. Snap a picture. It might give you some perspective.

So the purpose of this photo pool, if not only for a place to put these images, is to hopefully glean something from these sh***y experiences. And maybe if a snapshot is taken, it can be looked at after the fact, and inspire something greater. When observing something sh***y after it has happened, you might find some beauty in it.

Please include a description of what is going on in each photograph.

Divesin - feature #36

Name: Divesin by Jackie Dives
Website links: Etsy, Blog, Myspace

contest alert at the end of the blog post!

What do you make?
I mostly make collages and take photographs. I have been collaging and taking photographs since I was in elementary school. Right now my collages are taking a couple different personalities.



There is an ongoing series that I work on for craft fairs and for sale on my Etsy site. These are made on wood panels that are hollow in the back so they can be hung easily. I use images from books that would otherwise be sent to the dump. I rescue them and make something new from them.

I am also working on a series of 20 collages that each have a Chinese proverb in them. These are fun and made from all kinds of different papers.

Lastly, I have a show at Libby's Kitchen in September, and for that I am making a series of collages that involve animals.

I take photographs every day of the things I see around town. My favourite thing to photograph is people.

I also make love. I make nutritious meals from scratch, my blog, and a garden.

What or who inspires you?
Like most creative people I get inspiration from things I see when I am out and about. People, places, nature, conversations overheard on the bus. I get very inspired to create when I am grocery shopping at a market, thrifting, and drinking tea with friends. I am currently greatly inspired by these specific artists: Andy Dixon, Ronan Boyle, Jesse Reno, Chanda Stallman, Randy Laybourne.

How did you get started?
Slowly. A few years ago I pulled my hardly ever used sewing machine out of the closet in my bedroom and began making bags. My grandfather died around the same time and I was given a box of family photographs, which I used to make a series of greeting cards. I made magnets, notebooks, brooches, and other cute things. I held a craft show in my little apartment, which turned into a full time store on Main Street. Now, I'm happy to be working from home, taking my time to explore the different forms of creativity that interest me.



What are your favourite materials to work with?
I keep a glue stick and my camera with me wherever I go. I also love very old things from wood to ceramics to books to fabrics, to jars and more.

List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
Art house Coop: This is a wonderful website that invites people to take part in their art project ideas. The keep new ideas posted on their website all the time and people can participate in any that they choose.

Society 6: I have a studio on this website where I sell prints (http://www.society6.com/studio/divesin). Anyone can join for free and sign up to sell their prints. There is no cost to the artist, all the printing is done by Society 6, and they give you your desired commission. It is also a great place to discover artists.

Craigs List: An incredible resource for finding things for cheap or free.

West Coast Seeds: Where I get lots of my gardening info.

Amazon: I read a lot. I like that I can keep a wish list on Amazon so that I don't lose track of all the books I want.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Don't give up. Being an artist is hard. Keep at it.

Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
This is a hard question for me to answer. At a different point in time it might have been easier to define and separate the two words, but presently, I think they overlap and are merging into one meaning. At times I might be an artist, other times a crafter. But ultimately I am a creator. I passionately and consistently create things.

WIN an original collage (pictured above) by Jackie Dives by leaving a comment below and telling us where you would display this wooden panel.

Each collage is coated with a non toxic sealer and is light weight and durable, making it perfect for hanging anywhere! Contest closes Friday, May 14th, 2010, so get your comments in!

(photo images courtesy of Jackie Dives)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...
Flight Path Designs - feature #35
Plantscapes - feature #34
Olive - feature #33
Uncle Phil / Flipside - feature #32
Kim Werker - feature #31
Haiiku - feature #30
Smidgebox Designs - feature #29
heyday design - feature #28
Smeeta - feature #27
ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

DIY @ MOV 2

Back by popular demand, the Museum of Vancouver is hosting round two of DIY @ MOV, a night of social crafting. Mark your calendars! Here are the details:

date: Friday, April 9th, 2010
time: 7:00pm
where: Museum of Vancouver - 1100 Chestnut Street
cost: $15.00, members free (<- highly suggest being a member, very reasonably priced and well worth it!)

Join us for round two with workshops by Birkeland Bros (spinning, needle felting), Collage Collage (painting), Urban Source (paper collage) and Fibre Manipulator (jewelry making). Once again, the event will feature a mini Got Craft market including Sassy Contessa, Sam Made, Divesin Design and Roxypop.

An event for craft newbies and seasoned creators. There will also be music, a bar and goodie bags! Stay tuned for the treats we are whipping!

a night of social crafting

Last Thursday, the Museum of Vancouver hosted a DIY night and invited Got Craft to be a part of it. Let me tell you... if you didn't make it down there, you missed out! It was so much fun!


The ladies from Yarn Bombing were on-site with yarn demostrations throughout the evening. There was a mountain of yarn that you can choose and make stuff with.


Jackie from Divesin oversaw paper collage workshops which were insanely popular. Opus donated all of the materials that you could possibly need to make the perfect take home wooden panels.


Got Craft had a super mini craft fair set up with SamMade, Divesin, Olive and myself (Roxypop).

Thank you to the MOV for all of their hard work in putting this event together. Hope to see many more DIY events! In the meantime, stay tuned for more information on 'Fine Craft' vs. DIY on Thursday, March 4th.

Mini Got Craft

As part of the DIY @ MOV event on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at the Museum of Vancouver 1100 Chestnut Street, we will be holding a super mini Got Craft fair! The event starts from 7:00pm and ends at 11:00pm. There will be workshops throughout the evening such as button making with Blim, paper collage with Divesin and so much more!

Tickets are $15.00 and can be purchased at the door or you can purchase a membership to the Museum for $35 which includes a whole list of bonuses!

The super mini Got Craft fair will include....

Bliss in a teacup


Olive


SamMade


Roxypop


Divesin