Welcome to the 'Artists in the Garden' interview series. Today's interview will be with Strawberry Curls of Sol Y Sombra and Rivermoonblossom, a ceramic tile illustrator.
1. What is your art, hobby or craft? How did you come to creating it?
My main craft is painting on red clay bisque tiles. I do this by first drawing out the image with wax resist, then painting with glaze then firing in a kiln and at low fire temperatures to make the colors bright and vibrant rather than muted and earth tone like high fire temps. I also like to make beaded jewelry and collage and painting. I came to tiles 13 years ago, I took a tile making workshop in New Mexico and loved it. I've taken other pottery classes and tile classes, but I have mostly stuck with the first technique I learned which is distinctive to the southwest.
2. What is your inspiration?
I have many inspirations...mostly world myths and religions, especially goddess myths. I have a local show coming up in May that will be all about the magic that surrounds us everyday.
3. How does your garden or nature influence your art?
Where would we be without nature? We are nature. Nature teaches me to be still, to listen, to realize that the relationship between chaos and stillness is a symbiotic one. It teaches me to accept things as they are, to not try to force a different outcome other than the one that is. One of my favorite meditations is to sit outside and to just listen. Watch my thoughts come into my mind and let them go...come back to listening. It is very powerful and centering. I try to bring this to my artwork and creative process...to just listen to what my heart wants to say and let my hand be the vehicle.
4. Will you share a picture or pictures of your garden with us?
At the moment my garden is covered with several inches of snow and dried up thistle. In Spring I will plant veggies, mostly and some morning glories.
It's hard to have a favorite plant, since each one is special and necessary. I do love quaking aspen trees. All aspens typically grow in large clonal colonies derived from a single seedling, and spreading by means of root suckers; new stems in the colony may appear at up to 30–40 meters from the parent tree. Each individual tree can live for 40–150 years above ground, but the root system of the colony is long-lived. In some cases, this is for thousands of years, sending up new trunks as the older trunks die off above ground. For this reason it is considered to be an indicator of ancient woodlands.
I love Kubota Japanese Garden in South Seattle It is unique because it's in the middle of this huge bustling metropolis and when you visit it's so quiet and peaceful, you feel like you are the only person around for miles. Often when I would go to Kubota, I was the only person there..which is so rare for a public city park.
7. What is the best lesson you have learned from the garden or nature?
"Nature is just enough; but men and women must comprehend and accept her suggestions"
My gardening tip is to talk to your plants--hahaha---I love to think that they are listening to me even if it's just a little flower gossip that I am spreading.
9. Are you creating anything new that you'd like to share with us?
I am working on some spirit collages that I hope to share in my Etsy shop soon.
10. Show us your favorite item in your Etsy shop Rivermoonblossom.
Right now I am loving the dark/bright contrast and of The Sirens Flight
Glow by This Years Girl
I've always loved photography and collage and she invokes such beautiful moods with her digital collage. This one is so uplifting and joyful.
Strawberry, I thank you for sharing your creative spirit, inspiration and garden with us! The tiles you create bring magic and beauty to the world.
Thanks for visiting! Please leave a comment if you'd like and stay tuned for the next 'Artists in the Garden' interview.
12 comments:
Awsome!!!! I have ben to her blog and seen her art and it is so vibrant and ful of life !!!
Thanks K!
Linda
Hi Karrita and Strawberry, what wonderful and textural tiles you have displayed here. I love the goddess theme too and The Siren is fabulous. Thanks too for showing the collage, it it riveting.
Frances
Great post! Loved the pictures and you have a fantastic blog too. I absolutely LOVE my garden.
Beautiful scenes-just perfect for the garden. Like Linda said, very vibrant!
Karrita, Another wonderful interview! Thank you for introducing us to another fantastic artist. I love her tiles, so bright and lively. I'm also interested in myth and legend, and the Sirens are perfect for a gardener--we're enticed by the lure of a garden all the time:)
Really nice Art Work and great post!
Stunning - and what original questions. Great interview, I look forward to reading more.
Thanks Karrita~
You do an amazing job!
xo
Strawberry
Delightful interview ... such talent ... I'm in awe!
Hi Karrita, thank you for introducing us to Strawberry. I just visited her sites and liked what I saw. The tiles are very interesting and as others have said--vibrant.
I also want to thank you for adding Terrafarmer to your bloglist and for stopping by and leaving your lovely comments.
Looking forward to another interview in this series. Happy days...
Come answer these questions.
It is lovely to be introduced to an artist whose work I did not know - thanks Karrita
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