Artist Profile: Leah Daehling of Moxie Photo and Design

Tell us a bit about yourself; name, location, the personal stuff.
My name is Leah. I’m married to Brent. I’m the middle of 5 kids {that should
explain a lot} I am just now starting to understand {and appreciate} the
values my parents instilled in me. I’ve been to Ireland, London, Paris and
Rome. And that’s in pecking order too. I can't wait to travel again. I used
to prefer working out to anything. But I am enthralled in Etsy, blogging,
photography, writing, networking, creating, and vintage hunting. I simply
love it. I am kinda shy about it all too. I am just now able to say "on my
blog." I want to paint our kitchen cupboards white. The relationships I make
through my blog and Etsy amaze me. I would probably never meet any of them,
yet I know about them, what they create, how they write, and actually have
met some of them. If you think about that, it's pretty amazing. I failed
miserably {3 times} at making banana bread. And I probably won't make it
again. I love drawstring pants. Oh...and I like to make things.

Apart from art what do you do?
I just don’t know if there is an official apart from art part of my day. my
full time gig: graphic designer for a marketing firm working with non
profits. I’m involved in our church. Any activity is usually more fun when
Brent is around. I’m one of the first to sign up for a family event. And
have been known to create a reason for us to get together. But day after
day, my brain works continuously. Thinking about a blog I will write. Taking
a photo for my blog. Deciding what to list next. Commenting on blogs. Making
things in my studio. Scratching out ideas in my idea book, going to garage
sales, auctions and thrift...no matter what I am doing, I will somehow

connect it back to my art at some point.

What made you first want to be an artist?
I don’t think I have ever called myself an artist. It doesn’t occur to me
that that’s what this {opens arms towards all my art and supplies and
finished pieces) means. For arguments sake, we’ll say I am one. It just
happened, I suppose. My grandma painted, my mother is a photographer and
genius seamstress. My sister watercolors….but those are just things they did
among countless other things. I didn't sit down in a cafe somewhere and
contemplate my coming out as an artist over a soy latte. I just realized I
have a skill and have taking a liking to it and honed it and find it
energizing and a source of great happiness.

Please describe your creative process...
I struggle with actually putting pen to paper when it comes to my process.
Since it differs so much, I will give random facts and you can piece it
together for a process of sorts. I have a journal of lists. So many lists.
Ideas, tasks to be done. for life and art. And both. For tonight and this
weekend. I am neurotically methodical about some things and could not care
any less about others. i have learned to listen to my moods and therefore
know when I am in the mood to take photographs or write a blog or write an
Etsy listing or stand at my art table or sit down and putter with the sewing
machine. and I don’t force it anymore. I used to set a certain block of time
to make greeting cards. and if I wasn’t in the mood, it would be so hard!
Now, when I have my sassy molassy mood, I know I should be making my cheeky
cards or writing a cheeky blog post, not taking photos.

What artists influence your work?
I appreciate all historical art, but inspiration usually comes by way of
current artists. Mostly, kitchen table artists. And living room floor
artists. And converted basement corner artists. You know one...it may be
you. You love making things so you find a place to make things. And the
stuff you make, I am continually amazed. Perusing Etsy always means
inspiration. Looking around too long means inspiration overload. There’s
some crazy inspiring people at kitchen tables right now making something
that will inspire me tomorrow.

Where else can we find your stuff and connect with you online?
I have my goods at various small galleries and shops in Nebraska. The best place to see
what is new and available is my blog. And either of my Etsy shops, moxie photo and design or moxie thrift. I'm also on Facebook and Twitter.

Images copyright Moxie Photo and Design, 2009 -- thanks, Leah!

Artist Profile: Claudine Hellmuth

Tell me a bit about yourself..

I live in Washington DC in the U Street area with my husband Paul and our fur-children, cats Mabel and Stanely. Of course I can never resist posting photos of my babies to my blog, so you're sure to see tons of pet photos there!

I have been creating art as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, my mom would spread paper across the kitchen floor and set me down in my diaper with finger paints and let me just go crazy. When I was in high school I took extensive after school art lessons totaling about 20 hours a week to prepare for art college. I first went to the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus Ohio where they had a very strong foundations program, drawing and painting the figure. After my second year there I transferred and finished my BFA at the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington DC.

After graduation in 1997, I took a short course in web site design from George Washington University on web site design (at the time I had never even used a computer with a mouse). I somehow learned to code web sites by hand-- possibly out of fear that I would never be able to get a job. I moved back to Orlando where I worked for a small web design company. When it closed its doors I signed on at Cox Interactive Media.

Even while I was working at these jobs I was building my art business on the side, hoping it would grow enough that I could make the leap to full time artist. In 2001, after the Internet bubble burst, I was laid off and got my chance to go for it. I have been a full time artist ever since!

Apart from creating art, what do you enjoy?

Reading, napping, snuggling with my pets, and watching movies.

What first made you want to become an artist?

I never had a moment of realization that I wanted to be an artist. I have made things as long as I can remember, always took extra art classes when I was young and when it came time to choose my college it was a given that I would go to an art school. I hope to expand further into illustration and also licensing more of my artwork in the gift industry. I really enjoy illustration because I love the challenge of working with a theme and combining my vision with the needs of the assignment. I would love to animate my artwork, more advanced animation than what I have done for my ecards. I have always wanted to illustrate children's books, so that is a goal that I hope is in my future.

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.

Right now my studio is the second bedroom of our apartment. It's a combined studio/office with a computer on one side and all my mess on the other! My process for creating a custom artwork order or an illustration is different from when I am creating artwork for myself. When I am creating something for a client I start with their idea and work my way towards what I think will work. When I am creating artwork for myself I am often inspired by a photo or a phrase so I use that as a jumping off point for the rest of the piece. Except for custom art pieces, I use my own family photos and also my friends family photos. When I run out of those or when they aren't suitable, I "create" my own photo heads by combining 3 or 4 photo images together to "make" my own people. For example, I'll purchase vintage photos from ebay and then combine a nose from one person with eyes of another and a hair style of another person until I arrive at the look I want. This has been a lot of fun and it's very useful because then I can make sure the photo image fits with the context of the artwork.

What artists have influenced you and inspire you to create?

I am inspired by so many varied artists and sources. Folk artists--I love folk art! I am also inspired by retro 40's and 50's magazines and I love all the domestic ads, they are so funny.

Where else can people find your work?

My web site, my blog, on Twitter, Facebook, and my Etsy shop!

*************************

Claudine is a nationally recognized collage artist, author and illustrator. She combines photos, paint, paper and pen into quirky, whimsical-retro collages that she calls Poppets®. Her artworks have been featured on The Martha Stewart Show, in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine, The New York Times, on HGTV's "I Want That!", on HGTV's Carol Duvall Show and on the DIY Network's program, "Craft Lab."

In addition to creating her artwork full-time, Claudine teaches collage workshops in the US & Canada, and she has written two books about her techniques, "Collage Discovery Workshop" and "Collage Discovery Workshop: Beyond the Unexpected." She has also produced three instructional DVD workshops and has a line of art supply products produced by Ranger Industries including paints, mediums and brushes.

Claudine Hellmuth Studio Products are for sale online at these locations: Somerset Shoppe, ScrapLovers, Joggles Online, Schmooze with Suze...and many more. Google for complete results.

All images are by and copyright of Claudine Hellmuth, 2009.

Flickr Buddy Photo: Polar Bear Drive In

Polar Bear Drive In - Merrill, Oregon, originally uploaded by Vintage Roadside.

Brought to us via the retro photo stream of Vintage Roadside. The Vintage Roadside folks live here in our town, Portland, OR USA. The Polar Bear drive in lives on in Merrill, OR.

Thanks, Jeff!

And I quote...Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Lloyd Wright & Fred Allen

"TV is chewing gum for the eyes." - Frank Lloyd Wright (1869 - 1959)

"Seeing a murder on television... can help work off one's antagonisms. And if you haven't any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some." - Alfred Hitchcock (1899 - 1980)

"Television is a medium because anything well done is rare." - Fred Allen



t 2 b: color tv, roadside photography series - jen zahigian photography, old school tube tv pendant - ragtrader, retro tv notecard set - jack-a-ruu

All items displayed in this post are from the shops of Etsy...buy handmade, it does a body good!