Friday Feature Artist: Stephanie Rubiano

Stephanie Jones Rubiano is a native Austinite who graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M at Galveston with a Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology.  She worked as an environmental scientist for a major drilling company in Houston, TX for five years after that.  Therefore, it stands to reason that she has now chosen art as her career path. She is a mixed-media artist who enjoys using antique photographs, real butterfly wings and a variety of uncommon objects in her work.  Stephanie teaches workshops at national art retreats such as ArtFest and Art & Soul and has had work in past mediums shown in galleries and boutiques across the United States.  She is an emerging artist on the art festival scene.  In October of 2008 she participated in her first nationally-ranked art festival, the Bayou City Art Festival in Houston, TX, and placed 2^nd overall out of 300 national artists.  Her work has graced the covers of magazines and books as well as been the subject of articles and how-to projects.  She can be contacted through her website at www.stephanierubiano.com.

I had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie briefly at Studio Crescendoh and I was enamored by her exquisite art work.  I am so honored to have her here today to tell us more about how she developed such original ideas as well as how we too can continue to learn and develop our own artistic identities.  So let's get started....

How did you go from working as an environmental scientist for an oil company to being a full time artist?

I worked as an environmental scientist in Houston until I married in 1999.  Then my husband and I moved to the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas.  There wasn’t a whole lot for me to do, job-wise, so I began to work on art projects to fill my time.  My first art retreat was in 1999 and that opened up a whole new world to me.  I began to take whatever classes and workshops that I could.  I went through rubber stamping, to book arts, to polymer clay, to jewelry and finally ended up pooling all of that information into mixed media projects.  I love mixed media because I do get to use all that I have learned over the years, distilled and synthesized into my own process and projects.  I began to teach and found that I loved it!  I have also been fortunate enough to achieve a level of work that juries into art festivals.  With the support of my husband and family, I took the leap into being a full-time artist in the spring of 2010.  It hasn’t been an easy road, but it certainly hasn’t been boring!

You go into great detail on your website about your unique and amazing technique of using antique photographs, text from books as well as real butterfly wings. How did you discover this style of art?

I went to visit a friend of mine, a very talented artist named Jeanne Stregles, in the spring of 2004 for an art weekend.  At the time, she was adhering photocopies to MDF board and cutting them out with an old jigsaw.  She would then add paper wings and crowns to accent her image.  I made a few pieces that weekend, but really didn’t like working with the power tools (bad incident with a Dremel when I was 17).  On my way back home (a very boring drive between Dallas and Austin!), I started to think about how I could change the project so I would be more comfortable with it.  I had recently taken a jewelry workshop and learned how to use a jeweler’s saw.  I tried adhering the images to balsa wood (curled up after the adhesive dried) and then birch plywood, cutting them out with a jeweler’s saw.  It worked like a dream and that became the basis for my work.  I then thought that the paper wings were nice, but what would real butterfly wings look like?  Then, it was trying to figure out how the wings would be protected.  I am a huge Joseph Cornell and Lynn Whipple fan, both of who use shadowboxes, so I decided to give that a try.  I always tell my students that they only see the finished project.  They don’t see the days or months it can take to develop an idea, leap-frogging around, trying different combinations of materials, etc.  My boxes today look very different from the ones I started making back in 2005, so even now, I am constantly changing and trying to improve my work.  I don’t like to be stagnant.

You have been published many times and your work has been in galleries and boutiques and now you are also teaching classes. Can you offer some advice to artists that aspire to have their art and approach recognized in this way?

I would recommend to budding artists that they just keep putting themselves and their art out there.  It can be a very difficult thing because our art tends to be personal and therefore an extension of ourselves.  Answer calls for art in magazines, keep an eye on publishing sites to see if new books are coming out that need art, attend classes and art retreats to build up networking.  You never know whom you will sit down beside…they could be writing a book, or know a gallery owner, etc.  You will get rejected.  I still do.  It hurts, but not everyone is going to like what you do.  The sooner you accept that, the better off you will be.  As long as you enjoy what you are doing, keep doing it and things will happen.  It has taken me seven years to get to this point and there are still so many things that I would like to get involved in or hope will happen.  It is a never-ending process, in my opinion.  Enjoy the journey!

Speaking of teaching, I know you have offered classes on your unique techniques that many budding artists have enjoyed. Recently it was brought to your attention that someone was teaching a class that appears to mirror yours in many ways. What have you learned from this experience that could help other artists?

When it comes to teaching art workshops, I feel very fortunate that I get to do it as part of my job.  I love teaching, sharing ideas with others, and feeling the energy that seems to build up in a room as everyone creates.  As I said earlier, many of my projects take a long time to figure out and put some polish on.  They don’t happen overnight and a lot of hard work and time is involved.  Teaching is part of my livelihood and I don’t mind sharing.  However, students need to realize that just because they pay for a class, it does NOT give them the right to take that information and teach it themselves.  To profit from someone else’s hard work is just wrong.  It is an issue that I have seen come up more times than I care to count over the past 10 years that I have been teaching.  I have recently had it happen to me and I have to say the first feeling I had was one of betrayal.  I have worked so hard and for someone to think it was okay to take my work and use it in that way, well, it raised a lot of bad feelings.  I plan on contacting the woman and asking her to stop teaching my class.  I do put a copyright symbol at the bottom of my class hand-outs to let people know that I consider the material my intellectual property.  I suppose the best advice I can give is that if you are considering teaching and the class is someone else’s or very similar to theirs, always ask first.  And if it feels wrong, it probably is.  There will always be those who don’t think in this manner or take the time to consider their actions, so this will continue to be a problem.  The most we can do is educate and hope that word spreads.

I love taking classes and learning new techniques to add to my tool bag, but I often worry that my art will begin to look too much like the instructor's. What advice can you offer to budding artists who discover a technique they love during a class they are taking and they want to continue to use that technique and sell the artwork they make using the technique they were taught?

When I take a class, many times my finished work does look like the instructor’s.  That is how we learn.  You keep working with the techniques that you have learned, becoming more proficient over time, and I think that starts to lend itself to you finding your own artistic voice.  Techniques learned in class are a wonderful way to get your own creative juices flowing.  Once you feel you have mastered something, it is much easier to make that leap and bring in your own ideas.  Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping because I have so many “What if’s?” churning around in my brain.  I feel that this is a huge part of the artistic process-to question the limits of what you are working on, to ask yourself what would happen if you tried something new with the technique you already know, to take things a step further, out of your comfort zone.  There will be some spectacular failures (as my studio trashcan can attest to!), but there will be those successes that make all of the effort worthwhile.  Do not do yourself a disservice by copying another artist’s work.  Everyone can make something their own. And again, I encourage my students to take what they learn and if they can sell it, great!  Just make sure it is their own work…because like teaching someone else’s class material, it is just wrong to profit from someone else’s artwork.

How has art promoted health and wellness in your life?

Living this creative life has made me happier than I have ever been!  That in itself helps promote wellness.  I rarely get sick anymore and I do think that there is something to the whole mind/body connection philosophy.   I don’t make it to the gym as often as I should because it is hard for me to take time for myself when I have deadlines, family “stuff”, etc.  I divorced in 2007 and during that time is when I really needed art to help combat all of the destructive energies that were whirling around in my life.  I came through that time stronger and more focused on what I needed to do to be happy.  I have since remarried to a wonderful and supportive man who “gets” what I do and why it makes me happy.  I am able to be a mom to my 7 year-old daughter and really take part in her life.  Yes, the security of a weekly paycheck is gone, but I feel fairly rich overall!  Being able to give some of that back when I teach is what keeps me in the classroom. 

And lastly, what do you know to be true??

What do I know to be true?  Hmmm….I believe that treating others as you want to be treated is an integral part of living well.  It is very easy to get bogged down in negative thoughts and situations, but if you believe in yourself (and it does all start with you), then you can manage most anything.  I know I sound like a cliché at this point, but having gone through such a destructive and negative situation in my life really showed me how much I needed to get things straight in my own head before I could even think about taking a positive part in others’ lives.  I also believe in the healing power of art.  Taking the time to create is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and others.

Thank you so much Stephanie for sharing the wisdom you have gained from the experiences you have gone through.  I really feel like I gained a better understanding of how to continue to develop my artistic identity by taking classes, practicing and then asking myself, "How could I do this another way?" and then practicing some more.  So, I'm off to practice right now.....

To learn more about Stephanie please visit her here:
Website at: www.stephanierubiano.com 
Blog: www.soigathered.typepad.com

Leave some love in the comments if you are so inclined and have a great weekend!!!
Be Well.

Stop.

Today I just laid down on my daughter's floor and put my feet on the warm glass to soak up some vitamin D and quite honestly to just make it all stop for a minute or two.  Stop the creative juices that sometimes overflow and make me feel like I am drowning.  Stop the memories and wonderings of how it is possible that my son just turned 8 years old.  Stop my body from trying so hard to keep up and keep going when it is really begging me to take a break.

So I drifted off and imagined myself resting on a beach as the heavy salt water air covered me like a blanket and the palm trees rustled in the slight breeze.  The sun's golden rays calmed every cell in my body and just for a few glorious moments, I stopped.

I hope you find some time to do the same.

Be Well.

Sweet Boy

My sweet boy.....

My funny boy....

My sassy boy.....

But mostly my SWEET boy turned 8 yesterday.....oh how I love this boy!!!!

Habits

hab·it(hbt)

n.

1.

a. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.

b. An established disposition of the mind or character.

Good news: Habits can be good. Bad news: Habits can also be bad (oh so bad;). I need to break a habit (ok, maybe habit"S", but let's focus on one at a time or you'll have to lock me away for awhile). It's not easy to break habits. That part in the definition about frequent repetition makes breaking habits incredibly difficult because they become so ingrained after all that repetition. So I set out on a little investigation to try to figure out how to break this habit of mine. Let me share what I learned, and no, it's not from Sesame Street this time.

 According to this article the first step is to figure out what is so great about this habit....what are you getting out of it?? 

Okay, so let me tell you the "habit" I am working on breaking, and trust me it takes a lot of courage to say this out loud (because now I'll have to be held accountable....good thing....right? Yikes) because of some health challenges I need to stop drinking alcohol for awhile. The only alcohol that is difficult for me to stop drinking is wine. Oh, how I love that full bodied, red, warm blanket in a glass, but alas, it doesn't love me. My body doesn't process it well and my digestive disorder gets worse if I drink more than 1, yes 1, glass and at this point I think even 1 glass is doing some damage....sad but true. Now hopefully I will heal completely and will be able to enjoy a glass occasionally, but until then I must put it on a very high shelf (and hide the ladder). 

Let's take a look back at the first step to break a habit....what I get out of my wine habit is relaxation.  And let me tell you, they don't call it "Happy Hour" for nothing.  As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure they created it for work at home moms who are staring at the clock at 10 am 4 pm wondering if that is an acceptable time to pour a glass.

The next step, according to this same article, is to ask yourself, "What's the trade off?"  In other words, what make this "bad habit" so bad?  Well, for me it is health related and quite honestly sometimes "Happy Hour" is followed by "Super Grumpy Hour," so my family is affected, not only by the health repercussions that result in pain and loss of energy but also by my grumpy mood.

Okay, let's get down to the nitty gritty....how do we change?? What are the steps we can take to successfully squash a bad habit and bloom into our true happy, healthy selves?

Tell people that you are trying to break the habit and that you could sincerely use their support. Here's an idea...announce it on a blog for the whole world to read...oh wait, that's me, ha....actually, it's perfect.  You will know when you are ready to make a change and when you are you have to go big and go brave.

Write about it, paint about it....get it out.

I really love to Art Journal.  This is a visual way to get emotions out and onto the substrate of your choice.  I usually use watercolor paper so I can use all sorts of materials....paint, ink, collage, graphite, pastels, etc.  My journal pages are not always pretty or inspiring.  Sometimes they are painful and real.

But I feel much better after I get my emotions out.  Keeping painful emotions bottled up inside your body will cause illness, despair and even more bad habits.  Finding a healthy way to get your emotions out, whether it be art, or exercise, or talking to someone, or all of the above, will give you such relief and the ability to focus on creating wellness in your life.  It is also helpful to write about (or paint or draw or sew, etc.) how awful this bad habit makes you feel and how amazing you are going to feel when this bad habit is gone!!!

Distance yourself from temptation.

So basically don't do what I did, which was to go have a picnic with my friends at a winery.  Oh yes I did.

But you know what, I was fine.  I was feeling determined.  I had already discussed my goal of not drinking so I can heal, with my husband and I was feeling oh so strong (and I did not have even one little sip...woo hoo).  But I don't recommend doing this on a regular basis.  I think you really have to check in with yourself and be honest about where you are on the strong/vulnerable continuum.  There have been times when I have said "no" to parties (and boy do I love a good party) because I just knew I would eat every dessert available and would push it way past my 1 glass of wine safety zone.  So it's ok to not go to the mall with your friends when you don't have the money.  It's okay to say, "No, I just can't meet you at The Cheesecake Factory tonight," when you are trying to lose a few pounds.  Stay home, get those comfy clothes on and indulge in that favorite show that no one else understands (can you say Golden Girls? oh, or my favorite....Murder She Wrote?).  The people that truly love you will not pressure you and will support you when you tell them that you are trying so hard to kick this bad habit to the curb (remember the first step....tell people what you are working on so they can support you).

Substitution.

This step is VERY important, so if you started to tune out a little and think about what you need to get at the store, tune back in now.  You will have the greatest chance of success breaking your bad habit if you find a satisfying, healthier good habit to stand in it's place.  But it has to be something that you truly enjoy that will satisfy the reason you developed the bad habit in the first place.  So if you like to eat Nutella (wipe the drool off your chin right now;) when you are bored or feeling stressed then you can not tell yourself that you will eat carrots instead of Nutella when the boring or stressful situation presents itself.  Those two things are way too wide apart on the gratification continuum.  So, if you love pretzels or low fat frozen yogurt then start there (oh, and not buying the Nutella at the store will help too, wink, wink).

Here is my glass from our picnic at the winery.  Looks like I slipped up, right?  Looks like it, but I didn't....that's iced tea.  It was a warm, sunny day and my tea tasted great, probably even better out of the wine glass ;)  I also love to do art (as I think you know) so at the end of the day when I really want that glass of wine, I make some tea and pull out my small watercolor tablet and sit out front on the stoop drawing while my kids play outside.....that relaxes me, and I love it so it's a substitution that just might work.

30 Days.

I've read a few different places where it has said that in 30 days you can break a habit.  So, let's do it for 30 days.  Keep track and do it in a way that is fun and feels good.  Put up colorful sticky notes.  Use your favorite color on a white board.  Decorate a "Way To Go" jar and everyday put in a positive note of celebration for making it through another day.  I have a GIANT chalkboard canvas that I am writing my days on with different colored chalk and I think on some of the days I will draw pictures.

Bottom line.....YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!!  It is your choice.  Choose to be open and honest with yourself and to take control of your life and most importantly your health.  When you are happy and healthy, everyone benefits.

Be Well.

Friday Feature Artist: Lynn Richards

I have been creating ever since I can remember. When I was little, i would sit with my grandmother, who was an artist, and learn to make washes with water color, mold clay into animal shapes, and when with her I would be surrounded with the smell of paper, brushes, paint and clay. Combined with the ocean breeze, it was sheer heaven, a place of tranquility where I always knew I was safe.

Throughout school, art was always my favorite class. I was always at home in the art room whether in high school or jr. college.  In all my journals as I grew up, I would sketch as well as write. I longed to be an artist.

Hi Lynn....Thank you so much for being this week's Friday Feature Artist.  Part of my mission with my art and blog (and soon to be website) is to highlight the importance of art for healing and wellness.  After hearing stories of your journey as an artist, mother, daughter, and individual I just had to feature you here because I know others will read something that will help and inspire them in their lives....so here we go....

Can you tell us about your journey to become an artist?

When I was younger, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with college, my desire was to go to art school, but my mother told me no way. (even though or maybe because my grandmother was an artist.) Her advice was to learn to work with computers. My act of rebellion was to drop out of college and work for Ralph's grocery store. But I never stopped taking classes here and there. The first plunge began about  six years ago, when I began taking art lessons from a wonderful couple at our community art gallery. Ted and his wife, JoAnne were the first people to push me into doing consistent work, more and more painting, and entering different shows. The more I did, the more I fell in love first with acrylics, then with mixed media.  The real plunge began when I came back from a weekend away and my husband surprised me by taking out his office from our spare room and making it into my very own art room. He is my biggest encourager, and wants me to become the artist I am called to be. He makes me laugh-he thinks it's sexy to be married to an artist! (Can I say that here???) (Um, yes you can;)

What is it you love about mixed media art?

Oh, what's NOT to love?? I love the movement that a mixed-media piece can have, the emotion that can come through the substrate, and that for me, something old can have great significance, even if it's a small part of the canvas.

Can you tell us a little bit about your process of creating art?  Do you start with an emotion? A complete plan? Or spontaneous use of color and materials?

I begin a piece because of what I am going through at the time. A struggle with emotion, watching a friend go through a hard time, my own questions about raising a handicapped child, or the beauty I see through her eyes. It can begin as a prayer, come from a song or a line in a book that takes my breath away. It's always very heartfelt. After that, I plan out more: color, position, etc.

I saw that you have done some art festivals, do you have any advice for setting up and running a successful booth?

Holy moly. There is nothing harder to me than the crowd at an art show. I have had people connect with my artwork and snap it up off the table, and I have had two women walk by and the first woman said, "do you like this?" and the second one took one look at my table and said, "naaaaaah." And walked away.   That said, the first advice I would give is to develop a thick skin. Love what you do, because someone else will as well.  Have someone be with you to help with money, set up, wrapping sales. There is so much emotion that goes out of you when you put your art work out in the world this way, it's easy to get flustered if you are working the booth by yourself.   Plus, if you have to go to the bathroom, it's nice to have someone that you trust to leave your booth to.  Display is so important!!!!!! Use unique ways to display your artwork-I've dragged pieces of furniture from my living room to hang art from, used antique boxes, old photos for price tags, fun wrapping or bags for purchased items. It all counts.  Make sure you have change and a nice smile on your face for everyone. Don't hesitate to say hello to people that walk by your booth.  Last but not least, have someone make dinner for you when you get home!!

I know your mom died recently, I am so sorry, can you tell us how Art has helped you through the grieving process and do you have any suggested activities for getting through the grief process?

Thanks, Harmony.  Grief is a tough subject. I'm learning it is so unique to each individual. For me, my artwork has been a way to get quiet and think, a way to escape, a way to remember.   Activities getting through the process? Well, for me, it's not been such a sad process. There has been a lot of anger, as my mother was a fairly "complicated" person. I do grieve what never was or could be. I am executor of the estate and that is an exhausting job. I love, love, love that I have my artwork scheduled into my week as well as time to work on paying bills and cleaning out the house. MAKE TIME for art. Write down all the yucky things and paint over it if you need to. Write it down on a piece of paper and then burn it. Look for something beautiful in whatever art work you do. Share it. Pray as you work. Cry over it, do art with children. Even if you feel you just don't have anything in you to create for a while, try something small- a photograph, painting pages black, sitting in Barnes and Noble looking at art books.

Have there been other times in your life that art has helped to promote health and wellness?

Oh, yes!!! When my eldest daughter was in 6th grade and girls were being their nasty, hormonal selves, I set up a "craft club" where every girl was welcome to participate and they could be in a room together and play NICE.  I've also worked with my youngest daughter's special ed. class in different ways-playing with glitter, cutting snowflakes, stamping, painting, even learning to grout seashells into a planter. It's so fun to watch these kids experience different emotions through feeling paint, glue, etc. and working together.  When my girls were growing up, our home was always the place to come and create. You should see our garage floor! I've had beads and paint and glue and paper and wood and you name it all over my house-inside and out. It was the BEST. I'm proud to say that my eldest daughter is pursuing a degree in Art Therapy. How cool is that?

And of'course last but not least.....What do you know to be true????

A couple of things right now-

It's always good to look, really look into your children's eyes. Tell your husband you love him, a lot. Pray. People and relationships. THAT's what matters in this life. Not the stuff.

Thank you so much Lynn!!!  You have such a beautiful family and I sincerely appreciate your openness about working with your grief over your mother's death.  I know you you have given readers insight about logistical matters such as setting up an art booth as well as insightmatters of the heart.

To learn more about Lynn and her beautiful artwork please visit her blog here:

http://alittlebluesky.blogspot.com/

Leave some love in the comments if you are so inclined and have a fabulous weekend.

Be Well, Harmony

Balance

The word on the street yesterday was Balance, and yes, by "word on the street," I mean Sesame Street.  With 3 young kids we watch our fair share of Big Bird and Elmo and often I tune them out while I am making dinner, but when I heard that they were teaching Telly how to do Yoga I had to stop and watch for a bit.  Elmo was giving Telly directions, "First you must breathe." "I already am breathing," said Telly.  That made me chuckle.  I remember when my therapist, Dr.J (yes I have one....on speed dial;), asked me if I was breathing throughout the day...."Ah, yeah, like all day long," I replied in my oh so sarcastic sweet tone.  "Breathe very slowly," Elmo told Telly.  Oh, slowly, ok, well that's a different story.  We may be breathing all day long but how often do we consciously slow down our breath throughout the day?  I'll tell you right now, not often enough.  So according to Sesame Street (and I'm pretty sure a guy named, Buddha) the first thing we have to do to obtain balance is to breathe.....slowly.  Let's do it together now....in through the nose.....out through the mouth.  There we go, I feel better already, really, I do ;)

So Telly tried and tried to balance in his Yoga pose, but alas, he kept falling and became very frustrated.  So Rosita and Elmo decided to each take one of Telly's arms to help him balance.  What great friends.  Great friends help hold us up when we are struggling to balance it all.  It can be so hard.  There is so much to balance and we keep trying to pile so much on that eventually something has to give.  My gut reaction to "Balance" is: "Balance Smalance," but you know what, there are moments that we stop and think, "This is actually working right now."  Yes, these moments are fleeting, but let's enjoy them while they last.  Sure, we will fall.  When Chris arrived on the Yoga scene on Sesame Street and saw that Telly was falling and was so frustrated, he said to Telly, "Find your balance point....it's inside you.  To find your balance point you must practice."  That seems so obvious doesn't it, and yet when we are trying to balance our lives to maintain our health and sanity we are so hard on ourselves and so frustrated when life seems chaotic.  Does this sound familiar: "Why do I always say yes to everything?" "I am so bad at managing all of this!" "Everyone else seems to have it together and I can't even find matching socks" (okay, that last one might only happen to me;).  Life goes in phases, and boy are there some crazy ones (like 3 young kids crazy).  So hang on and practice finding your balance point.  It's okay to take on too much and then say, "You know what, I know I said yes, but now that I've had time to think about it(or try it), it's just not going to work."  To practice we analyze and readjust until we find that balance point again and again and soon it becomes so familiar that those moments of balance last longer and longer.  At the end of Telly's Yoga lesson Elmo shows him a new pose and Telly says, "Whoa, I don't think I'm ready for that yet, I'm going to stick with the Flamingo."  It's good to know your limits and to know that everyone's limit for how much they take on is different.  Do what works for you so that you can maintain your health and wellness.

I think the most important morsel of insight to take away from this post is......to watch Sesame Street more often!!!  I mean seriously, let's review what we learned from Elmo today:

• Breathe Slowly.
• We need good friends to help us maintain balance.
• Find your balance point....it's inside you.
• Keep practicing.
• Know your limits.  YOUR limits, not the person's down the street.
• And finally....stick with the Flamingo!!!

Be Well.

Inspired

I am inspired on a daily basis....by nature, by stories of people working so hard to live their best lives, by the stillness of daybreak right before the first light in the houses on my street turns on and the rumbling engines start on the cars that take my neighbors to work.  I took all of this inspiration in this morning as I sat in my art room at 4 am (yes, you read that right) watching the beautiful colors fill the sky.  I was thinking of all the beautiful colors that filled the art studio during the class I took on Sunday with Jennifer Mercede.  The above picture is this morning's sunrise and it reminded me of the colors that I chose for the painting I did during class yesterday (picture below).

(Home Sweet Home, 2012)

I was thinking so much about "Home", which will always be Wisconsin to me, and I had brought a picture of my horse and I from when I was about 14 yrs. old (I will try to scan that in to show you later....the hairdo is a must see....mine, not the horse's).   We used our animal pictures to do a blind contour drawing (looking at the picture while drawing on the board without peeking...but I will admit that I peeked a little).  What I love so much about Jennifer and her work is that you feel this sense of freedom to just be who you are and do what you want to do with your art.  If you want to doodle with a pen, do it.  If you want to draw with markers, do it.  You keep layering until you feel "done".  And "done" is up to you.

So thank you Jennifer for inspiring me to be my playful, messy self and to just let go and have fun!!  I am hoping that a little bit of your inspiration wears off tonight so that I can sleep past 4 am, but if not, oh well, I'll just soak up another sunrise and be thankful for another day.

Friday Feature Artist: Cynthia Shaffer

Cynthia Shaffer is a quilter and creative sewer whose love of fabric can be traced back to childhood. In all of her creative pursuits, she enjoys the thrill of seeing a project to completion before moving onto a different project. She learned and mastered this discipline to start what she finishes early on from her father.  At the age of 6, she learned to sew and in no time was designing and sewing clothing for herself and others. After earning a degree in textiles from California State University, Long Beach, Cynthia worked for 10 years as the owner of a company that specialized in the design and manufacture of sportswear. Numerous books and magazines have featured Cynthia’s art and photography work: she is the author of Stash Happy Patchwork (Lark, 2011) and Stash Happy Appliqué (Lark, 2012). She lives with her husband Scott, sons Corry and Cameron, and beloved dog Harper in Southern California.

For more information visit her online at www.cynthiashaffer.com or cynthiashaffer.typepad.com.


Hi Cynthia, thank you so much for being here.  It is truly an honor to have such a well published and multi-talented artist.  Oh and thank you for sparking my photography fire (she was my recent Photography 101 teacher....so great).  I know you have some inspiring and helpful advice for up-and-coming artists so let's get started......

Your website lists photography, creative sewing and quilting, knit and crochet, mixed-media, and rubber stamps....wow, you are so creative!!! Why so many art forms?  Why not just focus on one?

Oh, Harmony, there was a chapter in my life when I could only work on one craft at a time and I did just that. For example, when my children were little I mastered the art of quilting. It was the perfect craft … I had little ones running all around the house and then a couple extras from the neighborhood. When they would take a nap, or go into their rooms for quiet time, I would work on a quilt square. If I got one square done a day, then it was a great day. After 3 months I had enough quilt squares completed to make a king sized quilt.
In the past couple of years I have turned the final page of that earlier chapter and have started a new chapter of my life … my children are in high school, and while I’m still home tending to their infrequent needs and all their friends' needs, my time is mostly spent working on freelance projects, photographing art for books, crafting and exploring a variety of medium. It seems like with every new art form I try, I am relying on a skill set that I have been honing for the past 45 years. So while it my seem like I can just try something for the first time and be pretty successful, what people might not know is that I have been sewing since I was 6 and took oil painting lessons when I was 7. I always tell people that if they did something, like sewing, for 45 years they too would be really good at it, and maybe even better than I am. Oh … I was also given the gift of patience and perseverance.

I am intrigued by the statement in your bio that mentions you learned to finish what you start from your father.  I find that many artists (me for example;) often work on many projects at a time and finish few; can you tell us a little more about what you learned from your father and how you put that into practice with your art?

  

When I was young my father recognized my passion for sewing and pretty much let me sew as much as I wanted as long as I finished what I started. So when I was about 9 years old I would ride my bike up and over a hill and go shopping at our local fabric store. I would roam the aisles for hours, then paw through the pattern book and pick out clothes that I wanted to make. I'd do all the math … how much fabric would I need, and how much would that cost if the fabric was $1.25 a yard. I’d add up all the costs of the notions, thread and fabric and then I'd ride my bike home and show my dad everything that I wanted and how much it would cost, almost down to the nickel ...

He’d check out my list and hand me some cash and then up and over the hill I would go, back to the fabric store. My father let me make three garments a week, as long as I finished what I started. This was such a valuable lesson that I am forever grateful to him for. If there was a problem with something I was sewing, I had to figure out, fix it or repair it. It taught me to persevere and to push through the not so fun stuff. I also learned that it feels really good to finish a project and to have something to show for your hard work and time. 

You have a book coming out soon and this will be your second solo book.  You have also been published in numerous magazines.  Can you offer some advice/suggestions to those readers that are hoping to get published? 

Yes, my second book, Stash Happy Appliqué, Lark Crafts, is due out April 3rd and I'm very excited about this book. It's packed with fun projects and I hope it really inspires people to grab their stash and appliqué a little something here and there.
There are a few things I tell friends when they want to get published... Make a lot of art and just send it in to publications that you think are perfect fits. Also, show your work on your blog and then … if an editor sends you a request for a particular project send exactly what they want and then send in even more. Editors are always looking for good art; they need good art so they can do their jobs. Make it easy for them … if they want 2 samples of your art, send 4 pieces and most importantly, meet the deadlines, in fact send your work in a week early. Good things can happen when you send your art in early. For example, a few months ago I was contacted by the editor of a new magazine tilted Stitch Craft Create, and she was asking if I would contribute some stitched pieces to her new magazine. So after brainstorming with my knitting group, I submitted my list of projects and she accepted 3 projects for her publication. Of course I had a deadline to meet, but as I was working on my projects, I sent the editor a quick note and photos to show her where the projects were headed. Because of that quick email I sent her, one my projects landed on the cover of the magazine!  

Like many artists (probably all) you have to balance your craft with your family life and social life, what strategies have you learned that help you to stay committed to your art and also able to devote the amount of time needed in other areas of your life? 

First off I’d like to say, that you can't do it ALL, all at the same time that is ...Or at least not very well … something has to give.... Does that make sense?  I’d also like to say that for me …work is fun and fun is work. I love to work and I love to work really hard. It's real work for me to try and have fun!  Now having said that, you need to know that I have always worked in the creative, crafting, sewing, art world, which makes it a little easier to love to work.


Finding that balance between my art/work and family life has been different through the years. About 20 years ago I owned a business where I designed and manufactured a line of clothing. Like any business owner, most of my days and nights and social life were spent at work. Thankfully my husband worked even more hours at his place of employment, and when he wasn't there, he was helping me out with my business. Then came the kids and something had to give. I thought I could do it all, you know, raise my kids, keep the house going, run my business, make meals, do all the laundry and so on ... it's not possible, really … not possible. If someone says that it is, they are probably lying, or not doing a very good job in one or more of those areas. In those early days when my kids were young, my husband and I decided that I needed to stay home with our kids. It wasn't an easy decision, I was the one who earned the higher income, and ... I had almost 10 years invested into a thriving clothing business. But for me as a mother and a wife, and as a person that likes to be good at what I’m working on, this was the only option. I also realized that this decision was not forever … there would be a day in the future, like today, when I can choose if I want to work on photographing art, create some projects for an upcoming article, work my Bible study or take the dogs for a walk! I live by the motto … Go. Do.  And … I rarely watch Television!

   

What and who inspires you?

 
There has never been just one thing or one person that inspires me. I do love color, details and texture and i find beauty in just about everything I see. Funny thing ... A clean house will inspire me to get in my studio and create. And If I have my camera with me I can almost always find something interesting to photograph.  

I was recently at one of my kid's high school baseball games and I was told that it was out in an area that was pretty ugly. I didn't believe it ... I could find beauty there, I just knew it. So off we went to the baseball game and I was thrilled at what I found. There was an abandoned field right next to the baseball field and while the team was warming up, I went exploring. There was amazing beauty all around me; wildflowers sprouting up, lizards scampering around, fantastic barbwire fence all gnarled up and then, much to my delight, a cargo train came flying by with beautiful graffiti painted all over the cars! I switched my camera to 6 frames a second and snapped away. 

 

How does art promote health and wellness in your life? 

Crafting and creating gives my mind time to rest and to heal. While I'm creating, knitting in particular, the rhythm of my needles and the softness of the yarn are all very therapeutic and meditative. You have to be still to be able to knit and while I'm still my mind can think about either the person I'm knitting for, or about life and family things. 

 

My husband was in Japan last year during the big earthquake and I remember just being in sort of a trance as the phone started ringing. Friends and family members were calling to find out if he was safe and how I was doing. He was safe ... bruised and shaken, but no broken bones, and after several hours he finally made it back to his hotel. Late that night, after my kids were in bed, I stayed up and crafted for hours. I worked on a journal cover while thinking of all my friends who live in Japan.

What do you know to be true??... 


Oh...I love this question.  I know many truths....here are just a few that I love and live by....

• "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35
• We are all given 24 hours in a single day.  Now how you spend those hours is up to you.
• We were ALL created equal.
• Owning a dog is a good thing!

Cynthia, thank you so much for taking the time to give us such thoughtful answers.  First of all, you have the cutest dog I have ever seen(shhh....don't tell my dog I said that).  I just loved the story about riding your bike over the hill to the fabric store and back to tell your dad all the costs.  He must have been so proud of your creativity AND your math skills ;)  I hope readers were inspired to send in their art work for publication, send more than asked for and be early on deadlines....great advice.  For more information on Cynthia please visit her websites and check out her new book, Stash Happy Applique' that comes out in April!!!
www.Cynthiashaffer.typepad.com
www.Cynthiashaffer.com