 | | | ARTELLAGRAM 6-13-09:
"In the Studio"
An Interview with Artist Nici (This interview is continued from the June 13 2009 Artellagram...)
 Artella: How can a collage artist who sees possibilities in every scrap of paper stop her incessant collecting and thus not clutter her workshop?
Nici: Oh, dear...those of us who are papyro-philes (paper junkies, scrap hoarders, on so on) know how easy it is to end up knee-deep in precious and inspiring odds and ends...but the tide of paperphanalia and ephemerata can wash away even the most organized among us. (Truth be told, I am horrifically disorganized. But I never give up trying to improve!) One solution I've found when getting bogged down in supplies is to give them away. There are many ways this can be done; one way I have chosen is to create and sell ATC kits in the Shoppes of Artella. It gives me great pleasure to know I am sharing my bounty with other artists! Send surprise envies full of goodies to fellow art friends! Nothing beats a surprise like that in the mailbox. You can also make fat packets of collageables for preschools, eldercare centers, or even hospitals (throw in some $1 glue sticks and you've created a complete project) and see how much better it feels than just throwing it away!
Artella: Where do you go to learn new techniques and perfect your "craft"?
Nici: My primary source are my online fellow artist-friends. They are an endless source of tips, tricks, and knowledge. There is a great advantage to the internet, as it allows us to connect with other artists in a way our limited geographical locations would never do. I have swapped art, stories and techniques with folks in New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Isreal, Beruit, Germany, France, Romania, South Africa, Hawaii and more. Since all of us are tapping into our inner "creative mad scientist", we are all making wonderful discoveries in our "art labs". And for most of us, sharing these breakthroughs with like-minded art enthusiasts is very gratifying.
Artella: Do you ever feel like you have "too many ideas"? Any advice for moving from ideas to actually getting things done?
Nici: I DO have this problem, and I cannot honestly claim to have a handle on it, but I am getting better at it. It was much harder when I first discovered the online creative world and the possibilities and opportunities it offered. Keeping a notebook of ideas and projects that I might like to tackle is one way. Another one I have tried is to write conflicting projects on a piece of paper and put them in a bowl and draw one out. If I pick one that I feel disappointed about pulling, I know that is not the one for me at that moment. I also try to analyze the "why" of the pull to do a project. Is it because I want to try the technique, or to have the finished product? I try to focus on something that offers me the satisfaction of both, otherwise the process or the outcome might prove to be a letdown.
Artella: Do you do art for yourself or for others?
Nici: I do both. I have done commissioned work, art for swaps, and art for display in my own home. Most recently I did murals on the walls of my sons' bedrooms! I also do art for my own well-being which others rarely see, in an art journal. The art journal has been a wonderful place to experiment, with materials, subject matter, color, compostition...all while offering a private place to express my feelings creatively without anticipating criticism. I highly recommend treating yourself to one!
See Nici's wonderful products in The Shoppes of Artella, here.
 Want more artist interviews from Artella? Take a look at our eBooks Artist Profiles Assembled and Artist Profiles Assembled, Vol 2, and look at the "Ask the Artist" column every single day in The Artella Daily Muse, our daily online creativity newspaper.
Go back to reading this Artellagram
| |
