Some time ago, while surfing through blogs and looking at links for artists, writers and other creatives, I came across a link to the website of artist Camille Boggs.  I’m so thankful I decided to check it out because it was definitely a treat!  Camille’s work is simply breathtaking and her ability [...]]]>

Some time ago, while surfing through blogs and looking at links for artists, writers and other creatives, I came across a link to the website of artist Camille Boggs.  I’m so thankful I decided to check it out because it was definitely a treat!  Camille’s work is simply breathtaking and her ability to create such beauty in detail blows my mind.  I’m just tickled that she granted me an interview!  I do hope you’ll head over to her website after reading this feature so you can view her art in a larger scale.

Camille, will you please tell us a little about your work?

I work in hand cut paper.  I developed the technique I use to cut paper over many years as a vinyl sign manufacturer.  I became very adept with an x-acto knife.  I had seen cut paper art before, mainly from China and Mexico, and found that special tools and small scissors were used to create them.  More recently lasers are used, especially for mass production.  I loved the look of the cuts, but wanted more.  I first began layering the cut paper and noticed that if I use a certain thickness of paper, it could hold its own weight after being cut.  Then I added space between the layers and began folding to form 3D shapes (an example of this would be in the upper right corner of Winter Memories).  The drawings of dolls I added to my cut paper layers paved the way for my cut paper marionettes.  I now add fabric, wood, drawing, and origami to some of my pieces.

Who has more power, the marionette or the manipulator?

Throughout history, marionettes have been used to say and perform acts that humans could not due to laws, propriety, and fear.  My marionettes are stronger than I feel.   Each one, though captured by her strings, rules her domain.  Without fear of exposure, embarrassment, or condemnation she tells the story she has been given.  The literal translation of marionette is “little Mary” named for the Virgin Mary puppets used in churches during the Middle Ages.  Just as their namesake, my “little Marys” are chosen by me, their creator, to immaculately conceive an idea that has the potential to change perspectives.

What tools and materials do you use?

I use a #11 x-acto blade for all my cutting, and a large range of archival papers.  Depending on the piece, I will at times use graphite and pastel on wood and beautiful fabrics (ranging from upholstery to silk brocades).  I also use minimal pastel on my marionettes, mainly to give them just a little “life”.  I like playing with the line between over idealized puppet/doll and beautifully imperfect real.  All the details of the eyes, lips, hair…anything with a black outline…is cut paper.  The pastel is the blush, freckles, bruises, eye makeup, etc.  I use needle and thread for the joints.

Do you work (or have you worked) in any other medium?

I have worked in many medium; everything from carved wood to lithography, pulp casting to fresco, ceramics to book binding, digital photography to oil paint.  I have been very lucky to have had opportunities to try many different techniques and products.  I love learning because even if I don’t turn to that medium as a focus medium I may be able to incorporate it into a piece, or perhaps I will see my own medium in a new way.

Were you creative as a child?

Yes, I loved coloring, on everything, and making little models out of whatever I found in the yard.  I had a great many “imaginary” friends.  I really don’t believe in calling my friends “imaginary.” I use “imaginary” so that people understand what I’m speaking about…but to a child, friends are just that…friends. Back on subject…My favorite friend was Pablo.  He was a tiny fisherman about five inches tall and I would build him little boats for his adventures on our pond.  I would often talk to and for Pablo.  I would change my voice and speak as he would to me.  My Mom tells me the first time she heard this I was doing something in the kitchen and she kept hearing me talking to someone, so she peaked in to see that I was alone.  She listened for a while and realized it was Pablo, and she was perfectly supportive of our friendship.  I also had a clan of tiny lions I would play with in the yard…they didn’t like being inside and preferred the wild.

I always loved to look through art history books. I would pour through Janson’s Art History with the same amount of joy and excitement as I did Dr. Seuss.  College level Art History books were kept where my siblings and I could get to them.  We would play make believe together and form elaborate histories for the characters we were playing.

What type of schooling or training have you had?

I graduated top of my class, Summa Cum Laude, from Memphis College of Art May of 2004, I was the poster child for overachiever in school.  In four years I earned a double emphasis (Papermaking/Book Arts and Sculpture) Bachelor of Fine Arts and an Art History Minor with a focus on Renaissance and Baroque.  What I learned most in school was how to pull all nighters, have no life, and always stay focused on that “A+”.

This was my life until I was a junior (2003) studying in Italy.  I lived and studied predominately in Cortona.  I was with the University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art study abroad program.  I fell in love with every part of Italian life and culture and truly found who I was.  In many ways, I both became an adult and rediscovered the power of my inner child. As a student in the program I studied painting, ceramics, printmaking, and art history.  The most important lesson Italy taught me was that the journey, experiences, people, and life were more meaningful than  a letter on a piece of paper. I went back to MCA, albeit reluctantly…it seems somehow, mysteriously, my return ticket from Rome disappeared. I thought I was going to stay in Italy forever.  The ticket reappeared and one year later I received my degree and began my journey to seriously find my place in the world.

Your art is so intricate, do you ever mess up and get completely frustrated?  If so, what do you do to turn things around?

I am completely human and have learned to accept failure.  I don’t like it, but I accept it.  Oddly enough, most of my big frustrations come from the preliminary/drawing phase or after the paper is cut.  I really don’t screw up the cutting that often and when I do it is small slips of the blade that I have learned to fix with the right application of glue and mending paper.  When a drawing does not turn out the way I want it to look or after I’ve completed multiple layers of cut paper just to put them together and they don’t fit the way I wanted them to…that is when I get completely distraught.  I have a nice long, very adult, hissy fit leading into completely convincing myself that I’m a fool for trying to continue as an artist which leads to depression and by the time I’ve convinced myself I’m going to become a dermatologist, my husband has braved my space, looked at my piece, and gets me working through the problems verbally.  We critique and brainstorm all the time.  Usually after speaking with him and stepping away for a while I can find a way to start over or fix what I thought was complete rubbish.  I really have to remind myself that when I wasn’t doing art, I was miserable, and that I am doing what I am meant to do.  Also, I am ultimately in control of my mood, so I can become happy and confident again as soon as I’m ready to be.

Spending time with friends over a glass of wine and laughter is also a great way to relax.

Which piece was the most challenging for you?  Easiest?

By far the most physically demanding piece I’ve done to date was Phoenix.  She is a 5ft marionette with an 8ft wingspan.  Her base is book board that I hand cut with a blade and everything else is hand cut paper with pastel and some watercolor for her tattoo.  I plan to do more of these large scale installation pieces, but I will be using different tools to cut the dense base in hopes to save my hands and body from the torture of cutting 1/8” book board into shapes by hand.

The easiest, surprisingly, was probably Seraphim or If I could.  Those two both came to me quickly and the images flowed from my hands without a hitch.  They were both very time consuming and I had to work out many problems dealing with multiple appendages, but they were ready to be made the moment they entered my mind.

Where do you get your ideas and inspiration?

Everywhere, Fairy tales, Catholicism, pop up books, other artists, music, friends, and family all inspire my creations.  The most direct influence in every piece is my own life and emotions.  Each creation has come from a story in me, a moment, a time, a feeling I had for something, someone, or some place.  When I was little I always wore my heart on my sleeve.  I was in touch with everyone’s feelings.  If someone was sad, I was sad.  When I got older others started noticing and using this to their advantage, they saw me as gullible and easily manipulated.  Perhaps I was a little gullible but did not like people being unhappy, sad, or hurt.  I thought everyone’s happiness was my personal responsibility.  That’s a lot of responsibility.  I tried to build a wall around my heart and all that did was make me forget who I was.  I have taken my heart back out and placed where it is meant to be…on my sleeve.  That is what has allowed most of my art to be made.  I am older now, and not as gullible.  I no longer believe that everyone’s happiness is my responsibility…but I will still be the one to listen and always have a shoulder if you need it and I will do what I can to let you know someone cares.  That is my inspiration.

On average, how long does it take you to complete a project?

From first thoughts, research, drawings, cutting, to completion…it can take months.  Sometimes, however, a piece is just dying to come out and in a matter of 3 or 4 very long, tiresome days I can have a finished product.

What is your favorite part of the entire process?

It has to be when the marionette is complete.  At that moment she comes to life and the entire story is behind her eyes, in her pose, and on her body.  I create the marionette before any of her environment, often before the environment is even drawn.  I let her tell me the rest of the story.

What is a typical day like for you?

Many of my days have the same elements; they just may not all happen in the same order.  I spend time with my husband, work on any graphic design projects my clients need, work out, and then head to my studio to work on any one of my many projects I have going on at the moment.

Which work of art do you feel the strongest connection to?

I feel an enormous connection to all my pieces, but I do have one that I will never sell.  It was the first piece I finished 18 months after hurricane Katrina.  We lost all our art and art supplies along with everything else and I had no interest in looking at, much less doing art for a little over a year.  One day a clay character came to me, Twitchy.  She reminded me that I still wanted to be an artist. It was what I was born to do.  Months later I finished a mixed media painting titled I was Wearing a Pink Dress.  This piece helped pave the way for my Devotional Series which ultimately led to the marionettes and shadowboxes I am doing today. The piece is about Katrina and the loss of my memories and items but being reminded that I am still here and so is my family.  I was born in New Orleans and my family was blown all over after the storm, but we did not loose anybody.  The figure is obviously not wearing a pink dress, but she is also not me.  The title refers to a photograph that was destroyed of my mother and I in the French Quarter.  I was about three and standing next to one of my “orses,” as I pronounced it (the old horse head shaped horse ties found all over the Quarter) and I was wearing a pink sailor dress.  I titled it that because I wanted to remember, my memory became very bad and this piece was to give me something solid to look at and remember, like a photograph.  There are many small things throughout the painting, each a memory that I don’t want washed away.

Will you tell us about your first sale and what that was like?

I had sold a few pieces in college and such, but I don’t really count any of my sales until after Hurricane Katrina (when my art became what it is now.)  My first sale was actually quite big.  I sold all seven of my Devotional Series to a collector in Birmingham, AL.  She had wanted them for a while but her husband kept telling her they could not afford them, and then one day I received a phone call from him.  He wanted to buy the entire series as a surprise Christmas present for her.  She was completely shocked and so excited…she was crying she was so happy, and that made me happy.  It was an odd mix of happiness and sadness.  I guess it could be like when your child goes off to college… you are proud of them, but will miss having them where you can keep them safe.  It is hard to say goodbye to my pieces, but I know I’m hear to create a work of art to be sold…bottom-line, it is a business.

Since then, they have purchased one of my self portraits and continually stay supportive of my art.  I thank them for that.

Do you have any hobbies?

Thank you for asking this question.  I feel too many people believe that art is a hobby and that is all it can ever be.  Art is my career and passion, and yes I do have a hobby.

I love to bake.  I have always loved sweets, but about 3 years ago I started baking and I’m hooked.  Everything from scratch and many are old recipes I grew up on.  I change some around and try new things, but my favorite is chocolate.  I bake lots of brownies and chocolate chip cookies.  My most recent creation was the birthday cake for a dear friend of mine’s 30th.  He loves chocolate, so I was challenged to make a chocolate cake that we would serve with chocolate ice cream.  I made a devil’s food crust with a layer of cream cheese fudge, then a layer of chocolate custard followed by a layer of flourless chocolate cake, then another layer of chocolate custard with a layer of old fashion buttermilk chocolate cake topped with Kaluha and dark chocolate glaze.  It was a hit.  I love sharing my baked goods with people around me including my husband’s coworkers, friends, our hairdresser, and all the people at our favorite coffee house.  It always brings a smile to their face.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

So many, it really depends on the day.  A few examples are; Jean-Jacques Gaudel (painter, sculpture, everthing), Megan Kimber (painter), Marina Bychkova (doll artist), Lesley Reppeteaux (painter), Matthew Reinhart & Robert Sabuda (pop-up book artists), James Christensen (drawer/painter), Charles De Lint (writer), Melissa Etheridge (singer/songwriter), and many from history such as Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Sofonisba Anguissola, Carravagio, Luca Signorelli, and Artemisia Gentileschi…to name a few.  There are just so many talented artists in the world (past and present); it feels wrong to only name 16!  And my husband knows I love his art!

Since your husband is also an artist, do you ever collaborate on projects?

We have collaborated in the past for portraits, children’s book illustration, and charity works, but nothing recently.  Our work is very different as is the way we work, so at times it is difficult to work together.  We are always there for each other with advice, support, and constructive criticism.

Do you have any advice for artists just starting out?

If you are serious about art as your career…then be serious.  Be professional with collectors, galleries, and the public.  I’m not saying not to be you, by all means that is what people will love, but be prepared for the business end of the art world.  Research galleries before you allow your work to be seen in them and do not get sucked into “vanity galleries.”  A vanity gallery will try to charge you to be in their gallery…don’t do it.  Galleries take a commission off of the sale of the piece, which is how it should be done.  Be sure you pick galleries that are worth that often 50% commission.  Do they have a nice overhead/storefront?  Do they advertise?  Is the gallery Director personable and an aggressive seller?

Do not give up.  I had scholarships to college for math and science.  Many were pushing me to get a real career as a chemist or mathematician and quit looking at art schools…art was to be my hobby according to them.  I do not regret my decision.  A wonderful artist friend of mine, Michi Meko, is having a show in Atlanta, GA called “Fear kills Pursuit.”  He is right.  If you are truly going to have a career in art, be prepared not to listen to all the negatives you will hear.  So many people will be lining up to find out what your “real” job is, to let you know that making it as an artist means starving, to tell you it can’t be done.  I’m not saying it’s easy, and it has gotten tougher during these economic times, but if it is your passion and you are prepared to treat it with the same respect and dignity that every doctor, lawyer, teacher, or CEO treats their career…do it and never look back.

Where can we find your work?

I currently have pieces available through Matt Jones Gallery in Birmingham, AL (www.mattjonesgallery.com) and Distinction in Escondido, CA (www.distinctionart.com).

What project will you be working on next?

I always have multiple projects going on at once.  Right now I have three marionettes complete, two of them have their environments drawn, and one set of conjoined twins cut and ready for their joints to be sewn.  My newest form of displaying my marionettes is in found containers.  I think of these as specimens and am very excited of adding these to my family of art as I find more containers.  The first of this type is silens totus illa annus, the translation is “Silent all These Years” from a Tori Amos song.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

If anyone would like to see more of my work, please visit my site www.camillemboggs.com and feel free to contact me on facebook.  I’m always interested in meeting new people.

Camille!  Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful art with us, and your thoughts, ideas and passion behind it!  I’m so happy to have learned more about you and would love to see your work in person some day!  Please keep us posted on any upcoming shows!

~ Pamela

Hello, fellow texty folk!

Just wanted to let you know that I’ve done a major overhaul on the look and feel of my blog Rudigirl’s World (formerly Rudigirl’s Book World).  The focus will not only be on books but art, music and more.  I joined the CreativeEveryDay challenge this month and will post [...]]]>

Hello, fellow texty folk!

Just wanted to let you know that I’ve done a major overhaul on the look and feel of my blog Rudigirl’s World (formerly Rudigirl’s Book World).  The focus will not only be on books but art, music and more.  I joined the CreativeEveryDay challenge this month and will post about it at Rudigirl’s World.  What is that, you ask?  CreativeEveryDay was started by artist Leah Piken Kolidas in 2008 as a way to infuse her life and the lives of others with daily creativity.  Your creative acts do not have to be art related, but can include cooking, doodling, writing, dancing, brainstorming, what-have-you.  You do not even have to post about it every day.  Post whenever it works for you to do so.  Leah has added a monthly theme this year that you can use or not, it’s up to you.  Click here for more details on this low-key but worthwhile challenge.  To follow my journey, just go to Rudigirl’s World.

I’ve also changed the look of Dreaming in Digital.  This blog will continue to be my place for sorting out thoughts, experimenting with ideas, and ranting and raving about daily life. 

Believe it or not, I’ve created another new blog, A Touch of Inspiration, to help focus my thoughts on more positive matters.  Singer-songwriter, public speaker and creativity consultant Christine Kane, in her Resolution Revolution message, suggests we pick one word that will guide us throughout the year.  Please check out her post to find out why she believes this will help.  After deliberating for a few days, I’ve decided my word will be “inspire” or “inspiration.” I am inspired by so many things and would like to do something with that inspiration but I often run into a wall.  It’s time to break it down.  I think Ms. Kane is on the right track with this idea and so I’ll be following her lead and posting inspirational items at A Touch of Inspiration.  You might ask why I need two different blogs for creativity and inspiration.  Well, I probably don’t.  I just wanted to have one separate place for inspirational items instead of mixing them in with the book reviews, library features, and more that will be posted at Rudigirl’s World.  Besides, I liked both backgrounds, so sue me!  

These three blogs will be where you’ll find me most often, outside of this group blog where I like to hang out with my texty friends. 

On another note, I wanted to let you know about upcoming posts here at Texty Ladies.  Talking as we have been about inspiration, I thought it might be nice to catch up with some of the artists we’ve featured here in the past.  An update on what’s been going on with artist Kathy Ostman-Magnusen will appear next Thursday, January 15th, and I hope to bring you the latest on Natalia Pierandrei and others. 

I’ll also be posting more author and artist interviews, a series of posts about something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, the senses, and more.  I defer to my fellow Texty Ladies, who have more writing experience than me, to bring you the best writing tips and tricks.  I’ll just let you know how my writing is going, fill you in on my trials and tribulations, you can do the same, and maybe we’ll learn from each other.

I hope you’ll check out Rudigirl’s World and A Touch of Inspiration and join me in the CreativeEveryDay challenge and the Resolution Revolution.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on both.  

Thanks for spending time with us here at Texty Ladies.  I hope you’ve had a fabulous start to your new year!

Hugs!

~Pamela 

I was inspired by an article I read today entitled “Extreme Visual Journalism” written by Juliana Coles.  It appears in the July/August issue of Cloth Paper Scissors.   In it, she talks about writers block that she experienced while facilitating a retreat in Greece.  Her story got me to thinking about how great it [...]]]>

I was inspired by an article I read today entitled “Extreme Visual Journalism” written by Juliana Coles.  It appears in the July/August issue of Cloth Paper Scissors.   In it, she talks about writers block that she experienced while facilitating a retreat in Greece.  Her story got me to thinking about how great it would be to attend a workshop or retreat like hers.  How often do we plan a vacation around discovering our creativity and inner dialogue?  Once we’ve found them, what happens next?  Instead of putting off all those creative ideas we’ve been shelving for awhile, maybe a retreat is what is needed to get the ball rolling and give us more confidence.

I discovered that Juliana Coles is holding a workshop at the Valley Ridge Arts Studio in Muscoda, Wisconsin.  It is entitled, “A Woman’s Book of Shadows: A Grimoire for Soul Keeping, Secret Telling, and Self-Enchantment.”  Sounds cool!  Her work is amazing and it would be so much fun to meet her!  I may or may not be able to attend this workshop, but I would like to seriously make plans to attend one like it either this fall or next year. 

If spending some time getting to know yourself better and tapping into your creative source in a beautiful environment sounds like a good idea to you, the following links to writing and artist retreats might steer you in the right direction.

Rocky Mountain Contemplative Writing Retreat in Boulder, Colorado

Valley Ridge Art Studio in Muscoda, Wisconsin

ClarityWorks in Ashville, North Carolina

I hope these links to writing and artist retreats will help you.  My plan is to post more information about these and other retreats in the future.  Dream away!

~ Posted by Pamela

Artist Natalia Pierandrei, who was featured here at Texty Ladies on May 12, 2008, graciously agreed to an interview with me.  Nati’s an awesome woman and a very talented artist so I’m happy to bring you her interview today.  Thanks, Nati, for taking the time to answer all my questions.  You definitely [...]]]>

Artist Natalia Pierandrei, who was featured here at Texty Ladies on May 12, 2008, graciously agreed to an interview with me.  Nati’s an awesome woman and a very talented artist so I’m happy to bring you her interview today.  Thanks, Nati, for taking the time to answer all my questions.  You definitely lead a fascinating life! 

You recently moved to Rome. How are you settling in?

I moved to Rome because of my full-time job: actually it was something quite unexpected and consequently my life and my habits have been changing a lot since the past few months. I’ve visited Rome many times and I lived in Tokyo for almost a year so moving from the provinces to a big city wasn’t a problem. I have a double personality, one loves nature and peaceful places, the opposite one loves the confusion and the lively atmosphere of metropolies. I have to content both of them, every now and then!

Did you draw often as a child?

Yes, I’m used to draw often. I’ve been drawing since I was a little girl, my mom was my first drawing teacher and I spent so much time drawing during my childhood that I remember almost all my relatives were completely sure that I would have attended an Art School (by the way, secondary education in Italy is quite different from North America one). At that time, I wanted to become an archaeologist so I attended the ‘liceo classico’.  During the high school I changed my mind and finally I went to University and graduated in Oriental Languages and Economics of International Trade.

I’m curious about how you discovered your “style.” Will you talk more about that process?

I think it’s something unconscious and partially related to the fact I live in Italy. I mean, I’ve never said “Hey, I like the style or the use of colours of “put a name here”: I want to draw in the same way!” My style is the consequence of many factors. I visited a large number of art museums during my life that I think it produced an effect on me at least! So, my style is strongly influenced by that of Renaissance Italian Painting (the use of sepia tones) and Art Nouveau (strong lines). Also by comic books and manga, but in a minor way, especially in the latest times. I changed my way of drawing many times in the past, what you see now is the final result of a very long process. I don’t know when I exactly started drawing in this way, especially because my style is naturally evolving every day and I hope I’ll never stop developing new methods of expressing myself as artist.

Do you ever dabble with different styles? Use different tools?

Sometimes, I do. The matter is if you like trying new styles and techniques you need time to do that and actually my main problem is finding some free time for drawing…in general! But, I also think once you have discovered ‘your’ method you should go on to perfect it instead of non stop trying something different almost every day. It’s just my opinion but it’s like you lack of personality: having your own, different in kind style is very important to be appreciated as artist.

Do you have any hobbies?

Drawing has always been my main hobby. It became something a little bit different when I was at university and, with a friend of mine, I posted some illustrations to Elfwood. To my surprise, the drawings met with success. That tempt me to submit more artwork to different online galleries. Speaking honestly, I’ve never supposed that my work was worth of publication, and I’ve never thought of me as an ‘artist’.
Apart from drawing, that I think it’s still a hobby for me, I like reading, going to the cinema, travelling…nothing really special, to be honest! I’m a very common person!

Is travel a factor in your work?

Yes, it is. I like very much travelling, experiencing new cultures and habits is always exciting and inspiring. Not just for an artist, I think that getting in touch with something different from your everyday living is a way to improve yourself and enrich your life, aside from your profession or education. And yes, many of my illustrations are based on real places I visited.

What is a typical day like for you?

During the week, my typical days are quite ‘boring’. I mean, I wake up early in the morning, I take the metro, working almost 8/10 hours by day at office, come back home. If I’m not very, very tired, I draw or go to the cinema, go shopping, or take a walk in the public garden near my house. In the weekends my life is more eventful, I have time for drawing, visiting exhibitions, meeting friends, etc, etc.

Do you do anything special to your environment to help your creativity?

It’s very important to me to draw in a bright place, with lot of space for my drawing tools. I’m easily suggestible by anything I see, listen to, read. I’ve never got the so called “artist’s block”, on the contrary!
Listen to music, sketch in a certain place?

Sketching is not a problem, I can sketch everywhere, at office, at restaurant, I only need a piece of paper and a pencil/pen. If I’m at home, sitting at my desk, listening to the music is basic. Music always fills me with thoughts and feelings and creativity.

When did you first realize that this would be your vocation?

Actually, I’m not sure art is my vocation yet. I like drawing a lot, but realistically I have a practical idea of how difficult is to be an artist. Then being a person with a lot of different interests like me doesn’t help. Deeply in my heart, probably I’m dreaming to be an artist someday but I doubt about my capabilities and not having a formal artistic training is something that blocks my progress in this way.

How did your first sale come about and how did you feel about it?

People started to ask me if I was available for commissions about 4 years ago. At first time, I refused to take commissions, basically because I don’t like the idea of being ‘forced’ to draw a specific character, situation, background…I draw because I like drawing, art is something very personal: I can do, I can create something without anything limits or restricts me. I should add that commissions are a positive and immediate way to improve yourself by doing something you hardly do if it’s not your greater interest. So, I finally started taking commissions. It’s a real pleasure when people is satisfied with how I worked on their characters. So, basically I don’t take commissions for money, simply because I like testing my abilities with different themes!

Recently, I’ve stopped taking commissions, I’m too busy with different, long-term projects and I have no idea when I’ll be available again.

What type of art do you enjoy viewing?

Comic books, figurative and traditional paintings, I like art museums (so, basically old, traditional paintings), I’m not very much fond of modern, abstract art…basically because I have not a good knowledge of modern art to appreciate it.

What specific work of art have you felt most satisfied with?

Hard question! Usually, I’m satisfied with almost all my pieces….for the first 10 minutes! Being a perfectionist (in anything I do, not just art), I tend to be the stricter critic of myself. Actually, I don’t like the 90% of pieces I painted!

Will you talk about the business side of your art?

Business….hmmm, am I in the business of art? Well, the 90% of commissioned works I did, both for private or commercial use, have been done by ‘chance’. I mean, people usually contact me after seeing my artwork online, I’ve never sent my portfolio to a publisher. Probably, I’m just a very lucky person, probably I should seriously try to contact publishers and start thinking of a profession as illustrator…who knows! At this point, I’m totally unable to make up my mind!

Have you ever considered working in a different medium?

Often. I’d like to learn how to use acrylics. Maybe in the future…actually I need to take some art lessons before!

Please tell us about “Magna Veritas.”

‘Magna Veritas’ is a comic written by Marco Felicioni, illustrated by Jacopo Camagni and published by Le Soleil Editions, France. I only did some fanart of it, actually I’m not seriously involved in the project. The comic is great, and Marco and Jacopo are two of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in my life!

Has your art book been released? If so, where can we purchase it?

Not yet, but I’m completing the last illustrations in these days. Recently, my life was very agitated and I had to stop drawing for awhile. I hope in the future I’ll have more time for my paintings. Anyway, as soon as the book will be out, I’ll post a entry with all the information about it to my blog.

Do you have any advice for artists just starting out?

Well…I don’t think to be the right person to give advices for aspirant artists, anyway…..To me, the most important thing is draw intensely, with passion. And, if your aim is to become a professional artist, try to be innovative and fresh in your style. Imitating might be fine at the early stage of your learning process, not if art is a vocation and it’s supposed to be your dream job. Trying always to be yourself in your artistic expressions not someone else. Diligence and originality have always been rewarded.

What will you be working on next?

After completing the illustrations for “Precious Things” I’ll start working on two different comic book projects, and another art-book. I have been contacted by a popular publisher here in Europe and this new art-book will be a challenge!

Then, illustrations for magazines, interviews, various online projects….

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I thank all my fans for supporting me, like a Placebo’s song, “Without you I’m nothing”.

~~*~~

For more on Natalia Pierandrei and her work, please go to the following sites:

Nati’s website, blog, myspace, deviantart, etsy and cafepress.

I, Pamela, am one of the luckiest girls in town!  I have had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kathy Ostman-Magnusen, a magnificent artist and poet. Kathy has worked in a variety of styles in many mediums.  Her work can be wildly passionate, mystical, serene and all the shades of emotion in-between.

Kathy’s work focuses primarily [...]]]>

I, Pamela, am one of the luckiest girls in town!  I have had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kathy Ostman-Magnusen, a magnificent artist and poet. Kathy has worked in a variety of styles in many mediums.  Her work can be wildly passionate, mystical, serene and all the shades of emotion in-between.

Kathy’s work focuses primarily on women; their lives, dreams, fears and desires.  Her use of bold color and exquisite line clearly expresses the passion, strength and spirituality in women.  Kathy’s interest in the mystical world is evident in her paintings of fairies, angels and mermaids.

Kathy’s poetry is like magic and just as open and honest as her paintings.  I hope you’ll take a few moments to read some of her poems by clicking on the links at the bottom of this post.

Without further ado, let’s move on to the interview…

(The first ten questions are reprinted from one of Kathy’s squidoos with her permission.  The second ten are from my interview with Kathy.)

When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?

When I was around 4 years old. My parents drove from State to State discovering America or maybe just chasing rainbows. I sat in the back seat of the car drawing, singing and looking out the window, imagining. I didn’t speak one single word until I was over two. My Dad always said it was because I had nothing to say. Debatable of course. I may have been somewhat Autistic. As I got older and went to school, I was put in the back of the room often with my back towards the class. Another teacher put me in a dark closet. I was always being told to stop daydreaming.

When did you know that this was what you wanted to do with your life?

I never understood it could be an option to do art for my life until I was out of high school. I was never encouraged in that direction and so I guess I just thought it was something to do alone in my room.

What traits, if any, do you think that creative people have as compared to people who are not creative?

Sensitivity. I tell people all the time that desire is talent and the rest is practice. I don’t believe in the notion that people cannot draw a strait line. They were never taught how, that’s all. I feel that if someone ‘wishes’ they were an artist? They are. So they better get to work on their dream.

Do believe that your training has influenced what you create?

I am self taught. I think anything we need to know is in books or practice. I have taken some sculpture classes though. I do feel that by being self taught I have found my way to my style, where with someone’s outside influence I may never have. I paint and sculpt by instinct, not rules. I am not sure that you can teach the emotion that it takes to ’see’ and implement, what it would take to bring breath to a painting or sculpture. It all goes back to desire.. and an inner voice.

How have you dealt with any criticism you have gotten because of your creative endeavors?

With inside criticism I tend to retreat and cry. It takes me awhile to recover and then I pick myself back up again and move forward. For me? Art is all there is, so it is a lot like making up with a boyfriend after a fight.

With other people it depends on who they are. If they have clout or know what they are talking about they can take me to my knees. If not? Screw em.

Do you ever feel that you have to censor your creativity because you don’t want to offend anyone?

Oh gads.. yes! Big problem in American especially. I am working on an erotica series now because my gallery in New York that represents me, Monkdogz Urban Art, is going to do a show on it. They have guts and of course that is New York. I have done several paintings of erotica prior to that but most galleries want fluff and freak out with even a nipple.

Do you do anything special to get your “creative juices” flowing? Please explain.

Music.. that is huge. I sing my lungs out.. the louder the better. My husband always encourages me to meditate, even light candles.. but I tend to just plunge in. I think about art all of the time, so I figure that is enough meditation to get me there. When I get frustrated I tend to uncork a bottle of champagne or wine from time to time. People might not agree with me, say what they will, it works for me. I also totally mess up the canvas to start out.. everything from that point is an improvement.

When are you most creative and why do you think this is?

The mornings are good for me. I am very sensitive to what the moon is doing too, it creates havoc or bliss. Creativity comes in waves. I paint for a couple of weeks non stop in a frenzy and then recover… but.. I still paint even after the bliss of it has left me. What brings these tangents on is unclear to me. It just comes over me.

Do you think it’s important that art gives something to society?

No. This doesn’t mean though that I don’t dream of being an ‘Art Star’, but I am not sure that has anything to do with ‘contributing to society’. If you want to contribute to society.. what society exactly? There are so many factions, it feels impossible to please them. If I think that way I will find myself only painting fluff I think.

What are your words of wisdom for someone starting out in your field?

It goes back to what I said in the beginning.. if you want to be an artist? YOU ARE! Desire is talent and the rest is practice. Believe in yourself.

Outside of your Self-Portrait series, is there any one piece from your work that you feel especially close to?

I feel close to a lot of them for different reasons. I use “Flight” in just about everything I post because it was a breakthrough painting or at least one of them after I finished up the last piece from my “Victorian Series”, “Have You Ever Read Anything So Beautiful”.  I like that painting too because it feels so hopeful and triumphant.

Do you ever feel sad or bereft after finishing a piece of art or a poem?

Yes I do often with the paintings especially, funny you should ask.  I tried having small celebrations after I finished a work but that has not worked.  I try to paint several works at one time and that helps the let down not feel so harsh.  I don’t feel much either way after writing anything which is strange.  I just print them out after posting them here and there and then put them in a pile with the rest of what I have written.  I have boxes of watercolors, pastels, drawings, silks too that I kind of just do and forget about.  It is all just an exercise of doing I guess.

Will you tell us more about your process for writing?

I normally come up with a line or two while I am doing something else.  I write down thoughts all the time and keep them till I feel ready to put some of them  together.  Sometimes I read them and have no idea of what I am talking about. lol.  I look at my paintings the same way, I am not sure how I did them and fear I can’t again.    I  keep a list of keywords  that I know google will like and try to gear my thinking towards them so I can get ‘read’.  Sometimes that wrecks what my original feelings were so I keep one that is pure and one that has been adjusted for googles sake.    I enjoy writing the most  when I can actually place myself in the story or poem.  I try to feel how my subject is feeling and BECOME them… humm same exact thing I do with my paintings.

Do you write every day or only when something inspires you to write?

I write and paint everyday.  After 20 years in production pottery I am of the mentality that I have to see something at the end of the day or I feel defeated.  Some days are inspired and others not so much but I don’t think you can wait for inspiration, it takes being active in something to make it grow… that’s how I feel anyway.

Do you ever exhibit your art with one of your writings?

I did a story booklet for my “Lost At Sea” series along with a musical tape.   My “One Woman Show”, “ke ala o Pele” had a printout of my poem, “I Stood Inside a Rainbow” that was handed out.  I have thought a lot about showing art with words… thanks for the reminder!

Is there any other medium you’d like to explore?

I have done silk, metal forging, glass etching, sculpture in clay, oils, watercolors, … on and on.  I would like to do airbrush and learn more about casting for bronze or acrylics.  I have an unfinished sculpture just because I can’t find someone in Hawaii to make a mold for me.  There is soo much that can be explored.

Have you ever collaborated with someone else on a particular painting, poem or other writing?

I have let people use my images of my paintings for their books, etc.  I have also done a book cover for an author that was interesting.  I had to get into his head to figure out what he hoped to see.  I have been approached quite a bit about collaborating but just feel that I can do a work on my own with both the illustrations and the writing so why hassle with someone else… unless they had a publisher and agent, that would be a different story.

What part of your work gives you the most joy?

I honestly enjoy writing more than I do painting or sculpting.  I think that is because I don’t anticipate as much judgement with writing and I allow more freedom for myself.

What will you be working on next?

I am working on my “In Search of Klimt” series with less inferences to Klimt like the little squares and gold leafing.  I am experimenting with abstract, just to lessen my inhibitions while painting; I continue to work on the “Primal Series” ;  I am also writing a book/story about the “Mermaid Baby” and trying to work my little character One Fairy in;  I am working on a website just for greeting cards, posters and giclees that has a broader audience; my husband and I have been working on ‘Our Story’, re-uniting with each other after 27 years,  as well.  I tend to get scattered because I keep too many things going at once but,  ’so what’,  I think.. do what works and then move on.

Do you ever get to the Midwest?  I’d love to meet you!! 

Ohhh that is just so nice!  It would be lovely to meet you as well.

~~*~~

SOME THOUGHTS FROM KATHY:

On How To Stay Creative

“Do you struggle with how to motivate yourself towards creativity, because at times it does feel flat? I believe there are things we can do, as artists, to stimulate the process. Sometimes those things might be more simple than you might think.

I write a lot. I write poetry or stories or articles and post them on ezines. I also post articles ‘about art’ … getting out there, how to deal with not being accepted in juried show and things like that. I feed the process.

I keep things around me that make me happy. Sometimes those things are kind of dumb.. I like dolls and tea sets and things that make no sense but who cares I like them.

I join artists groups and enter shows. I volunteered for ‘everything’! I was shy at first but I knew that if I volunteered in art clubs, to do anything at all, I would get busy and come out of it. I have.

I go online a lot and look at what other people are creating. I have a MySpace and that is the place that continually surprises and makes me happy because of all the amazing work people do.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!! Keep doing what you love.! You can only get better.. I do.. I get better every time I go to my canvas or put my hands in clay.

DON’T decide you stink based on one thing or one effort. I do that sometimes. If I am shut down somewhere I decide I stink about everything. Stupid but you know how your mind can get going right?”

DO ART.. I saw a blog today where an artist posts one new work a day. What a great thing to do! I am thinking about it too.

Lastly, if you are an artist in your heart.. be sure an say so. If people ask you what you do… tell them, “I AM AN ARTIST” … because you are! Mythical and magical journey’s to enchantment are right there within your reach, how cool! Slay the dragon and don’t limit yourself, stay inspired by the mermaids and fantasy fairies of youth.

On Mature Women Aging Gracefully

Products are designed to appeal to youth unless they are specifically geared toward the aged, like special wheelchairs or meds or reverse mortgages, stuff like that. With all of this around me I know it is all the more important to ‘feel’ and understand my reason for being. I am not a hot flash, I am a woman having a hot flash. I may feel that I am no longer sexy but I must remind myself that sexy is an attitude. It is all about looking ‘outside’ of oneself, feeling energized by living and acting on that passion. Oh and there is soo much to see that I missed in youth.

As women get older they need to connect to their spiritual side more and I think they do. I find that I am able to look outside myself more and not worry as much about other women in the room. Who is the fairest of all and who shines the brightest. It is a time that holds visions and introspection and a time that should be embraced.

So go out as a mature woman, find those beautiful older women galleries, create your own lyrics to music that lost them. Shine!

Kathy’s Artist’s Statement

“Passion has a sense of violence about it, it is strong and it survives aggression. I do not paint passive art.. I paint passion. Within passion one finds a boldness full of enticing ambitions to grasp on to, that piece of your heart that presses you to go past the mark of a bystander, the spot you may have been told to stay put on. No, it is not possible to feel passive when standing next to passion. I don’t paint landscapes to hang above someone’s couch, paintings meant to be a resting place for the mind? I paint feelings that one cannot just walk past. I hope to stir up emotions within the viewer. It is not my goal to feel nothing but a sunny day or peacefulness, shiny trinkets that rest on walls that can be walked away from. I paint women who feel something. Strength, sexuality, pain, power, a force of intensity, emotional qualities that generate a reaction. I don’t paint the sky, I paint the dominance of the wind that caused it to be felt on ones skin, in the form of a woman. I pick up my brush or clay between my fingers and consider a certain belligerence, an attitude of confidence that meets the power I need to form an energy outside myself and I welcome it in. I paint or sculpt until I hear them breathing and their breath becomes my own.”

Thank you, Kathy, for being so generous with your time and information.  You’ve been so sweet to me! ~ Pamela

~~*~~

Kathy is represented in New York by Monkdogz Urban Art, Inc. She has an International group show coming up and this link reflects that as well as talks about her and other artists.  She especially featured Jean Marc Calvet who showed with Picasso in Paris this past Summer.

Monkdogz Urban Art|New York Gallery|New York Art|International Art

For Kathy’s thoughts on creativity and how to get there:

Fantasy Art Woman|Fairies in Art|Beautiful Women Goddess Art|Beautiful Older Women Galleries

Much of Kathy’s writing is at Ezine.

Kathy’s Website and MySpace.

More about Kathy Ostman-Magnusen here.

Rather than talk about some of my favorite female comic book writers, artists and characters, I’d like to hear from you.  Let me know your thoughts by answering the following questions.  Please feel free to explain why you feel the way you do.  I can’t wait to read your answers!!

1.   Who is your favorite female [...]]]>

Rather than talk about some of my favorite female comic book writers, artists and characters, I’d like to hear from you.  Let me know your thoughts by answering the following questions.  Please feel free to explain why you feel the way you do.  I can’t wait to read your answers!!

1.   Who is your favorite female comic book writer? 
2.   Who is your favorite female comic book artist? 
3.   Do you think women characters are represented in a realistic way? 
4.   What storyline about female characters has been your favorite?
5.   Have any storylines with females characters in lead roles stood out as being important or ground breaking?
6.   Do you have any preferences regarding the art work in comics?
7.   Do you prefer single issues or trade paperbacks?
8.   What is your favorite all time comic book or graphic novel? 

Sites about Women in Comics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_comics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrayal_of_women_in_comics

http://www.womenofcomics.com/

http://womenincomics.blogspot.com/

TGIF, folks!  Here’s the update for next week:

Our Monday Mix and Wild Wednesday will post as usual.

Jane will bring you Tuesday’s interview with the very witty and talented author Bettie Sharpe. 

In Thursday’s column, I’ll continue the comics thread with Vol. 1, Issue 2 of A Case for Comics.  Please continue to bring on the [...]]]>

TGIF, folks!  Here’s the update for next week:

Our Monday Mix and Wild Wednesday will post as usual.

Jane will bring you Tuesday’s interview with the very witty and talented author Bettie Sharpe. 

In Thursday’s column, I’ll continue the comics thread with Vol. 1, Issue 2 of A Case for Comics.  Please continue to bring on the fabulous comments! 

We plan to launch our continuing story next Friday, May 23rd.   Pulling this together has been a challenge due to our crazy schedules and different time zones.  Pray for clear signals and strong coffee!

Also ahead:

My interview with artist and writer Kathy Ostman-Magnusen will post Tuesday, May 27th.   I absolutely adore her work and just know you will, too (if you don’t already)!

Watch for information to be posted about our next contest! 

Have a fabulous weekend! 

Pamela

“Hey, that does sound like a good book.  Who wrote it?”  “Neil Gaiman.  It’s a comic book.”  “Oh, you mean those superhero stories?  Nah, I don’t read that stuff.”  This is the overwhelming response I receive from other women after holding a conversation like this.  Heck, I’m fairly certain I gave a similar response [...]]]>

“Hey, that does sound like a good book.  Who wrote it?”  “Neil Gaiman.  It’s a comic book.”  “Oh, you mean those superhero stories?  Nah, I don’t read that stuff.”  This is the overwhelming response I receive from other women after holding a conversation like this.  Heck, I’m fairly certain I gave a similar response to my husband when he first broached the subject with me.  “I’m not really into superheroes,” I must have replied in fear that I’d be asked to read one.
 
It may be true that there are plenty of stories with two dimensional alpha male heroes who fight and conquer two dimensional supernasties from outer space.  However, there are also just as many stories that appeal to the non-fanboy/girl in all of us who appreciate a little something more. 

My first real venture into the more mature comic book world began with Transmetropolitan by writer Warren Ellis.  Transmet is a political post-cyberpunk series where gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem battles corruption and abuse of power in the not too distant future.   I read this in trade paperback form and learned a lesson in patience while waiting for each new collection of monthlies to be released.  It’s brilliant writing and definitely deserves a look.  MEK, a three issue mini-series about mechanical augmentation, and Two-Step, a futuristic romantic comedy described as “Pop meets Zen,” are two more fun reads by Ellis.
 
Author Terry Moore, recently wrapped up his Eisner Award winning serialized story Strangers in Paradise, in which he portrayed real women in real relationships.  Ellis’ Transmet opened my eyes to the world of comics, and Moore’s SIP is what kept me there.  The characters in SIP think and talk the way I do, have misunderstandings, and cope with self-doubt.  If I‘ve done my job and you‘ve decided to try at least one comic book, make it this one.  You can thank me later. 

Influential English author Alan Moore was one of the first to bring us adult themes with challenging subject matter.  His acclaimed graphic novels V for Vendetta, about an anarchist who fights a future British fascist government, and From Hell, which examined the Jack the Ripper murders, are certainly not kids fare.  Moore’s highly influential Hugo Award winning Watchmen depicts superheroes in as real people.  They’re neurotic, struggle with personal and ethical issues, and fail like the rest of us. 
 
Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, winner of nine Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards and three Harvey Awards, is a cult DC Comics classic about Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams.   It’s difficult to summarize Sandman quickly but let’s just say it is about how Morpheus begins to question is past actions and what happens as a result of his questioning.   It is interesting that more than half of its readers have been women.              
 
Maus:  A Survivor’s Tale, by memoir by Art Spiegelman, recounting his father’s struggle to survive as a Polish Jew during the Holocaust, won a Pulitzer Prize Special Award in 1992.  The characters are all written as anthropomorphic animals.  This is a multi-faceted important read.
 
Another one of my favorite comic book series is another Eisner Award winner.  Queen in Country, an espionage drama published by Oni Press and written by Greg Rucka features Tara Chace, a Special Operations Officer with the British Secret Intelligence Service, and a fascinating character to watch.   Rucka writes about real people in real and extraordinary situations.  These books are thrilling spy lit at it’s best.

If you’re worried about sticking out like a sore thumb while perusing the aisles of a comic book shop, have no fear, your neighborhood large chain booksellers now carry a wide variety of comics and graphic novels.  Warren Ellis has some interesting words to say about the comic store culture.

“That means getting rid of the talking Jar Jar Binks stand-up in the doorway.  It means racking he T&A stuff somewhere else.  It means focusing more on graphic novels than back-issue bins.  It means displaying your comics in the window, not the bloody toys, and making your standalone floor displays out of comics and graphic novels, no those stupid pewter figures for pretending to be sodding elves in role-playing games with.  It means talking to customers, not just standing idly by or peering over your till with an air of false superiority.  It means talking to the people who work in and run the shop, telling them what you think works, telling them what you want to read.  It means call-out sections where you rack by creator, and all the comics shops I know of that have tried it have discovered that it works very well indeed.  Because people who don’t come from the comics-store culture will walk into stores and look, not for a title, but the new Neil Gaiman, or the new Alan Moore, or the new Frank Miller.

Basically, if we’re going to attempt to drive new potential readers into comics store, we don’t want them retching from man-stench and cheap porno-manga the minute they get into the store.  We need to provide a mature environment in line with bookstores and record stores.  We need to provide a mature environment in line with bookstores and record stores.  A sense of relaxed professionalism.  An environment that’s proud to sell its wares, as opposed to covering them up with miles of Magic boxes or brazenly (or sloppily) leaving he ugly and ephemeral mainstream stuff in front and hiding the good stuff in back.  Newsflash; if someone newly interested in comics enters a comics store for the first time, odds are good that they’re not going to want this month’s AMAZING FROTTAGE-MAN.”

My hope is that at least a few of you out there reading my column will take a chance and run to your nearest bookseller, or better yet comics store, and pick up at least one of the titles I mentioned here.  Give it a whirl and report back to me with your thoughts.  I’d love to hear them.  Hey, maybe I’ll even be surprised by the response I receive during my next comic book conversation!

Popular books being adapted to comic book form:
 
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton
Dark Hunger in manga form by Christine Feehan
The Dark Tower by Steven King 
The Dragonlance series

Great websites:

Journalista
DiamondComics

I’ll talk more about women writing comics and comic book artists in a future column.