Welcome to the third of a series of interviews about artists who garden. Today's interview will be with Cyd Colbert of BotanicalBird, an artist and jeweler who is also a fellow Blotanical member.
1. What is your art, hobby or craft? How did you come to creating it?
The current craft that I am spending most of my time on is, creating garden & nature inspired jewelry. I am a self taught artist, who makes jewelry, tile mosaics and watercolor paintings. I have made things with my hands since I was a very small child. Some years ago I started collecting beads and making a few pairs of earrings now and then. But it was only recently that my once in awhile hobby became a passion and blossomed into an online business, pretty much out of necessity. Since I have a seasonal gardening service, I was looking for a way to supplement my income during the winter months, and this is how Botanicalbird came about.
2. What is your inspiration?
Nature, always nature!! I am in love with the natural world, and I seem to be most happy when I am either spending time outdoors or being deeply engaged in creating some form of art, which will almost always be related to nature.
3. How does your garden or nature influence your art?
I suppose my shop and blog name says a lot. I am an avid flower gardener and I am always looking for plants that will attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and more. I have a lovely perennial flower garden as well as a couple of bird feeders just outside my studio window, so it's always super inspiring to look out, and see nature unfolding in such a beautiful way just outside my window!
4. Will you share a picture or pictures of your garden with us?
here are photos of my flower beds, one from my old house.
5. Will you share a picture or pictures of your favorite plant?
Can't pick a favorite, but I have picked a few
6. Do you have a favorite public garden to recommend?
Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada
Also worth mentioning, though not a public garden, one of the most gorgeous sites I've ever seen are the tulip fields in full bloom in Skagit Valley, WA.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
7. What is the best lesson you have learned from the garden or nature?
The best lesson I have learned from nature is that nature is such a powerful teacher to me. When I allow myself to just sit quietly while outside in nature I am always amazed at this magical world that is always going on all around me, but most of the time I'm too busy to stop and really watch, learn and listen...so I would say that nature teaches me how to know my inner self in a much deeper way.
8. Do you have a gardening tip to share with fellow gardeners?
It's so important to have the correct soil conditions, especially for the fickle plants and it's so important to give your plants the required lighting that they need, if you can do these two things, then I think one is well on their way to having really beautiful plants and a wonderful gardening experience.
9. Are you creating anything new that you'd like to share with us?
I'm mostly working on valentine jewelry these days,
Click on photos for more information.
but I am planning to open another shop on etsy for my tile mosaics and watercolor prints and cards. It's only in the concept stage right now, so it will be a few months down the road before it happens.
10. Show us your favorite item in your Botanicalbird etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19845690
11. Show a favorite item from another etsy shop.
Click on this link to see
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15503266
it's utterly impossible to find a favorite, but here is one of hundreds of things that I love. It's Flanders Field Photography, truly stunning and amazing photos in this etsy store!
Cyd, thank you so very much for sharing your love of nature and creative experience with us! I wish you much success in your future etsy shops and continued success in your BotanicalBird shop.
For those interested in purchasing a piece of Cyd's jewelry please visit the Botanical Bird Etsy shop.
Thanks for visiting, please leave a comment if you'd like and stay tuned for the next "Artists in the Garden" Interview.
The current craft that I am spending most of my time on is, creating garden & nature inspired jewelry. I am a self taught artist, who makes jewelry, tile mosaics and watercolor paintings. I have made things with my hands since I was a very small child. Some years ago I started collecting beads and making a few pairs of earrings now and then. But it was only recently that my once in awhile hobby became a passion and blossomed into an online business, pretty much out of necessity. Since I have a seasonal gardening service, I was looking for a way to supplement my income during the winter months, and this is how Botanicalbird came about.
2. What is your inspiration?
Nature, always nature!! I am in love with the natural world, and I seem to be most happy when I am either spending time outdoors or being deeply engaged in creating some form of art, which will almost always be related to nature.
3. How does your garden or nature influence your art?
I suppose my shop and blog name says a lot. I am an avid flower gardener and I am always looking for plants that will attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and more. I have a lovely perennial flower garden as well as a couple of bird feeders just outside my studio window, so it's always super inspiring to look out, and see nature unfolding in such a beautiful way just outside my window!
4. Will you share a picture or pictures of your garden with us?
here are photos of my flower beds, one from my old house.
5. Will you share a picture or pictures of your favorite plant?
Can't pick a favorite, but I have picked a few
6. Do you have a favorite public garden to recommend?
Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada
Also worth mentioning, though not a public garden, one of the most gorgeous sites I've ever seen are the tulip fields in full bloom in Skagit Valley, WA.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
7. What is the best lesson you have learned from the garden or nature?
The best lesson I have learned from nature is that nature is such a powerful teacher to me. When I allow myself to just sit quietly while outside in nature I am always amazed at this magical world that is always going on all around me, but most of the time I'm too busy to stop and really watch, learn and listen...so I would say that nature teaches me how to know my inner self in a much deeper way.
8. Do you have a gardening tip to share with fellow gardeners?
It's so important to have the correct soil conditions, especially for the fickle plants and it's so important to give your plants the required lighting that they need, if you can do these two things, then I think one is well on their way to having really beautiful plants and a wonderful gardening experience.
9. Are you creating anything new that you'd like to share with us?
I'm mostly working on valentine jewelry these days,
Click on photos for more information.
but I am planning to open another shop on etsy for my tile mosaics and watercolor prints and cards. It's only in the concept stage right now, so it will be a few months down the road before it happens.
10. Show us your favorite item in your Botanicalbird etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19845690
11. Show a favorite item from another etsy shop.
Click on this link to see
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15503266
it's utterly impossible to find a favorite, but here is one of hundreds of things that I love. It's Flanders Field Photography, truly stunning and amazing photos in this etsy store!
Cyd, thank you so very much for sharing your love of nature and creative experience with us! I wish you much success in your future etsy shops and continued success in your BotanicalBird shop.
For those interested in purchasing a piece of Cyd's jewelry please visit the Botanical Bird Etsy shop.
Thanks for visiting, please leave a comment if you'd like and stay tuned for the next "Artists in the Garden" Interview.
