Makers Part 15

Humans used to be thought of as occupying an existential space between animals and gods. Our bodies display our affinity to animals, while our minds possess intellectual and moral capacities seemingly beyond the reach of physical objects. For me this suggests that we identify with animals (we are mammals) as well as gods (we are immortal, immaterial souls). The use of animal iconography in art and decoration is an example of our strong affiliation and identification with the wild that has long been lost in ourselves. My next maker Roza makes wearable art which straddles functionality and costume and perhaps imbues its wearer with the magical raw power of the wild we were once much closer to. You can find her work in her etsy store Shovava. 

Can you tell me a little about your background? 
I was born in Kazakhstan into a family of artists; at 15 I moved to NYC where I was educated and worked for 8 years. Now I live in Australia. 

What do you make?

I make mostly women's clothing and accessories. I hand paint original art, then digitally print or screen print it onto my pieces. The items you see here are my original designs and the only of their kind wearable art.

                 

What attracted you to this particular medium? How did you get started?
I began by combing thrift stores looking for vintage and oversized men’s t-shirts that I would reconstruct into fitted women’s tops. After finding the right garments, I'd hand paint them so that they were truly “one of a kind” works of wearable art. I've always loved making things and wearing my own designs.

                                                             

How long have you been making?
About 3 years now.

How does your practice fit in with your everyday life? Do you have your own studio space and when do you work and where?

Aside from few freelance projects, my company has become my full-time job. I do have a studio space here in a beautiful jungle in Australia. 

What are the best and worst aspects about working with this medium?

I consider myself very lucky as I make living by giving other people pieces that I love making. Things can be unpredictable when you are working for yourself, but good always outweighs the bad.

                              

Who or what inspires you?
I observe nature and find inspiration in the smallest details. Maybe it’s a butterfly’s wing or the patterned cell structure of a leaf. Maybe it’s a feather or a raven perched on a tree limb. I take in what I see in the natural world and then create my pieces.

                                                     

Do you get creative blocks? If so, how do you deal with it?
Almost never. I pretty much always have too many ideas...the challenge is to narrow them down to something that will work. There's a difference between just being creative for yourself and staying creative while making living from it too.

What other mediums would you love to explore?
I'd love to get into Eco textile dying used by India Flint.

India Flint demonstrating eco print techniques

 

What do you hope to do next with your practice?

At the moment I am working on my website Shovava.com and hope it will be as functional and beautiful as my clothing;) Next art project will be about recently extinct animals such as Dodo bird and Tasmanian Tiger.

Thank you Roza! Are you a collector? I am interested in hearing your story, so please contact me.

Makers Part 14

                            

Aristotle's idea of nature is that it is something that has its own characteristic principles of motion and rest. When a natural thing dies, this change from living to dead is still part of its essential natural character. It is these remnants of life that my next maker, Katie re-energises into new forms of motion and rest in her unique jewellery which she sells in her etsy store HartVariations.

Can you tell me a little about your background? 

I moved to Oakland, California from my hometown of Portland, Oregon with my boyfriend in the summer of 2010. My boyfriend is a writer and musician who works full time at a non-profit in San Francisco. I visit Portland often as my family still lives there and my jewelry is sold at several retail shops and a gallery in town.

I studied literature and writing in college, but took a bit of a detour from school into the tea business for 11 years. Just this past June, I took the leap out of the corporate tea world and am focusing solely on my own business. Being my own boss is proving to be pretty magical!

What do you make?

I make jewelry using natural elements encased in glass and silver solder. 

What attracted you to this particular medium? How did you get started?

In 2009 I took a workshop in Portland to learn how to use stained glass tools and materials to make jewelry. A couple of months later, while trying to figure out what to make a friend for her birthday I spotted a shed snakeskin in my studio and thought, "well, that would probably look great as a necklace." After that piece, I encased a little skull from an owl pellet my mother had given me. In the beginning I experimented with various organic materials, as well as synthetic (dental x-rays, MRI film, film negatives, etc.) and discovered that the organic materials evoked more curiosity and awe. 

How long have you been making?

I have always been creative in one way or another. Writing and art were my first two loves. In my twenties I began creating more sculptural pieces and started displaying my work in art shows. In early 2010 I started selling my jewelry in retail.

How does your practice fit in with your everyday life? Do you have your own studio space and when do you work and where?

I work out of a studio in our house in Oakland. The last few months I've been experimenting with my schedule. Having this flexibility is still a bit surreal and so wonderful! I've found that it varies from day to day. Some mornings I just need to sit and drink my tea and daydream a little longer than others. I also enjoy working well into the evening. My boyfriend and I have to be careful not to overwork, as we both enjoy creating so much. Reminding myself to get out of the studio, go on a walk, explore, etc. is a good challenge to have, though. 

What are the best and worst aspects about working with this medium? 

What I appreciate the most about working with stained glass is the history of the craft as well as the almost unlimited possibilities of form and content. Having complete control of the process from beginning to end allows me the freedom to constantly create new designs. I'm a very visual thinker and am grateful I can take an idea and create the entire piece on my own. 

There are limitations with the tools and materials I use. Sometimes my work ends up being a bit of a science experiment. The application of heat can wreak havoc on some of the elements; I have to be ever mindful of the size and type.

Who or What inspires you?

I'm inspired by so many people and things...Kiki Smith, Louise Bourgeois, and Eva Hesse are some of my favorite artists. I'm also inspired by music, literature, my boyfriend, fashion, the entrepreneurial spirit, movement, insects, animals, constellations, flowers, plants, light, aroma...and so much more. 

Do you get creative blocks? If so, how do you deal with it?

I definitely get blocks, but I wouldn't say they are creative ones. Sometimes I wish that I could just sit around all day and create. My jewelry business can often feel like work more than creative fun, but I also enjoy those technical, left-brained aspects of the business. One of my most frequent challenges is just knowing where to begin. Many years ago, I read a wonderful interview of a painter from Mexico City. She said that no matter what she was going to do in the studio, she would always begin her day by filling up the paintbrush jar with water. 

                                 (Kiki Smith via The Pace Gallery)

Every day I put on my apron. It's kind of like clocking in...but better! Another trick I employ (read in another artist's interview) is to just move something. I have several studio tables I use. If I feel like I don't know where to begin, it's usually means it's a great time to clean surfaces. That might be when I stop to look at a shape of glass or a feather, and start envisioning the next piece. Two more tricks: going on a walk or organizing my supplies.   

What other mediums would you love to explore? 

There are so many mediums I'd love to explore.  Over the years I've dabbled in bookbinding, printmaking, transfers, clothing design, clay sculpting, encaustic, paper making, weaving, welding, photography, and so much more. It is important for me to continue to learn new skills for my art practice as well as for the jewelry. I've been learning more metalsmith techniques lately and plan on expanding my jewelry line.

What do you hope to do next with your practice?

I am slowly starting on a new body of art work. Between that and the growth of my jewelry business, I'm a pretty happy and busy lady!

                                    

Thank you Katie! Are you a collector? I am interested in featuring your passion! 

Makers Part 13

Having a child is fundamentally, a creative act - and for my next maker - having her first child has not only stimulated her creativity but provides her with an unending source of inspiration. Ofunneka is originally from Nigeria and now lives with her family in a country town in Australia. She juggles the challenges of her life in a new country, maintaining her home country ties and commitments plus motherhood and out of this busy life she creates her own unique world of wild monsters and animals and you can find them in her etsy shop C3N2KIDS.

Can you tell me a little about your background? 

My name is Ofunneka Anyanwu, I am married to a wonderful man and we have a blended family of two teenage boys and a beautiful daughter who just turned two and is proving to me that the terrible twos' which a lot of mum's have "warned" about, is certainly true, oh so very far from being a myth. We live in Bathurst, NSW, Australia. 

Apart from running my Etsy shop, I also function as a social entrepreneur, running my not-for-profit organisation back home in Nigeria, Africa. Our main focus is to help educate the disadvantaged girl child, although we started off setting up libraries in public schools, but due to my move to Australia a little over two years ago, we had to move away from capital intensive projects and those that required my continued physical presence. I also write for and am the managing editor of an African magazine, called Change Magazine, based in Adelaide, South Australia. In all of this I still find time to volunteer at a public school here in Bathurst, NSW, where I assist in teaching bible study to year 1 and 2 school children, a truly fulfilling experience. I have a B.Sc in Pure Chemistry, but I have always had a keen eye for all things that explore my creativity, either cooking, arts and crafts and even a bit of acting..



What do you make?

I make soft toys (elephants, owls), rag dolls, felt and fabric educational books, greeting cards and recently I just started making monster dolls. I love the versatility of making soft toys, as I can interpret any of the creatures which ever way I choose, since I don't believe there is necessarily a wrong or right way when it comes to creativity. 



What attracted you to this particular medium? How did you get started?

I use various mediums or in my case fabrics / materials, varying from fleece, African prints, felt and recently up cycled items (e.g. mufflers, sweaters) to make what I like to call my "little treasures"..so I guess my attraction to any of the above mentioned mediums depends a lot on what it is I am creating. I have always played around with all things crafts, right from when I was in primary school, but I would say the moment when I ventured into showcasing my work in a public arena would have to be May 2013, and it has been a FUN run since then, choosing not to think about the sleepless nights or several needle pricks I have had along the way, there have certainly been lots of "ouch" moments in that respect...LOL!!!



How long have you been making?
Since May 2013..



How does your practice fit in with your everyday life? Do you have your own studio space and when do you work and where?


When you become a wife and then mother, not a lot fits into your everyday life, you just have to find a way to make all your daily chores, work, social and all other varying interests fit, it is a constant case of re-adjustments and sacrifices, but I guess at the end of the day, I am able to make it work. The whole house is pretty much my studio space for now…LOL!! Although I have a room which doubles as a store for my equipment and fabrics and bedroom for one of the boys, I find that I need a lot of space for my work area, so right now I have taken over the dinning table, my husband's study table and sometimes the floor, but right now the haphazard fashion of executing my "little treasures", seems to be working for me. I create mostly at night, from the hours of 9pm through to 2/ 3am depending on how much coffee I have had and how long the inspiration lasts for and of course how long I am able to avoid the guilt I feel for ignoring my hubby while I work..Thankfully he understands..

                 

What are the best and worst aspects about working with this medium? 

As mentioned previously, I do work with different mediums and each one presents it's own challenges, based on what I am creating and the look I intend to achieve.



Who or what inspires you?

I would have to say the first place I get my inspiration from is my now, 2 year old daughter. When she came along, I explored making unique outfits for her, but I still felt that my creativity was stifled, this burning desire to explore all angles of my creativity birthed the idea, then C3N2KIDS became a reality, a shop for soft toys, rag dolls, throw cushions and mini cards for all occasions, catering specifically for children of all ages…I also get inspiration from the TV programs I watch with my two year old, that's what I tell myself when I sit with my little one enjoying all her programs…lol!!!




Do you get creative blocks? If so, how do you deal with it?

I like to call them creative stumbling blocks, when I get to a point where I just cannot put all my brainstorming ideas or thoughts into a cohesive project or creation. I have various ways of dealing with this, I either sleep on it, wake up refreshed and ready to revisit all the ideas or I go for a long walk trying to clear my thoughts and get inspiration from things I see around me and finally if all else fails I head to the library for good old fashioned research, that hasn't failed me as yet. 


What other mediums would you love to explore? 

I am quite happy with all the mediums I am presently working with. However I have been thinking of the possibility of trying my hands on knitting, but that to me is a scary thought, cause it just looks like it would be so intricate and delicate…but we'll see...



What do you hope to do next with your practice?

In the next 5 years, as long as God gives me life, I hope to open a physical store where anyone can walk in and buy my OOAK "little treasures" or just enjoy the unique experience all my creations will give them during their interactions, especially for the kids. 

I would also love to add a service I have already tagged in one of my brainstorming notes - "revamp your old into new" , where clients can turn their old and preloved clothing items which are taking a lot of wardrobe space, but are too precious to throw away into soft toys, be it rag dolls , monster dolls, whatever ideas we are able to conceptualise. This way those prized possessions will always remain with them without constituting nuisances…

Thank you Ofunneka! Are you a collector? I would love to feature your collection, just contact me!