I Believe In Artists: Kylie Ferriday

Artist Kylie Ferriday

I've never been to Australia but, through the magic of Instagram, I get to visit the lovely and creative home of my friend Corinna there almost every day (check it out for yourself @twolittledrakes). One day not that long ago, Corinna shared a photo featuring a gorgeous work of art in her home and introduced her followers to the artist, Kylie Ferriday.  

Clicking over to Kylie's account I was immediately taken by the colorful, cultural style of her art and her open, expressive personality.  I knew right away that she would provide an inspiring and insightful interview and I think you'll agree I was right (I love it when that happens)!  Enjoy!

MAYLEA, Watercolour and Pen on 300gsm arches paper by Kylie Ferriday

Question: I know art speaks its own language but if you had to describe your work in only six words, what would they be?

Kylie: A cultural, vibrant array of colour.

In Nature We Trust, 

Watercolour and pen 300gsm arches paper by Kylie Ferriday

Question: Who is your favorite artist (in any medium) and how do they inspire you?

Kylie: I love Frida Khalo- and it doesn’t have as much to do with the actual art she created, but everything to do with the strong, confident, determined artist and woman she was. Her deep thoughts and her unique individuality resonates with me. I could read about her all day long. 

ALLY, Watercolour, pen and collage on 300gsm arches paper by Kylie Ferriday

Question: What inspires you to create?

Kylie: Culture, colour, travel and nature are big ones for me. I notice everything, I take in textures, patterns and colours and ideas start to flow. I’ve always had a bit of a wild imagination too, so sometimes I imagine something and then I have to paint it. 

All I Am,  Watercolour and ink on 300gsm arches paper  by Kylie Ferriday

Question: What is your favorite part of your creative process?

Kylie: Seeing a thought turn into a work of art.

CHAPPY, Watercolour and pen 300gsm arches paper by Kylie Ferriday

Question: What is the most challenging part of your creative process and how do you meet that challenge?

Kylie: Sometimes as an artist you have periods of a “creative block”. This can be disheartening and quite confronting, especially when painting is your full time job. Over the years I have tried different techniques to break the block, some include painting with my opposite hand, change of scenery (for example, painting next to the ocean), meditation or doodling on paper without thought. A creative block is usually due to overthinking or feeling burnt out, for me anyway.

LULU, watercolour and pen on 300gsm arches paper by Kylie Ferriday

Question: And finally, what does "believing in art" mean to you?

Kylie: To me, believing in art means you’ll always be OK. Art saves people. Art is so much more than the finished piece we see on walls or in photos, Art is a spiritual journey and I’ll never ever take it for granted. 

Thank you Kylie for sharing your vibrant work and spirit with us.  

For more information on Kylie and to see more of and/or purchase prints of her work, visit her website at KylieFerridayArt.com and be sure to connect with her on Instagram and Facebook too!

Click here to find more artist interviews and learn how you can apply to be featured.  You can also connect with I Believe In Art on Instagram and Facebook.

Until next time, happy creating!

Peace, Love and Art,
Victoria

I Believe In Artists: Claudia Gill

Artist Claudia Gill

After publishing my I Believe In Artists Interview with designer Tracy Porter, I heard from a lot of wonderful, creative people who are fellow admirers of her and her work.  It reminded me how sharing what inspires us can connect us in profound and positive ways.

One of those fellow Tracy fans I heard from was artist Claudia Gill.  Claudia shares what inspires her through her decoupage and mosaic creations, connecting the past to the present.  I was so happy to be introduced to her and her charming work through the wonders of blogging and social media and I think you will be too.  Enjoy!

"Boudoir Dames" Shadowbox by Claudia Gill

Question: I know art speaks its own language but if you had to describe your work in only six words, what would they be?

Claudia: Creative, Inspiring, Glamorous, Nostalgic, Magical, Spirited.

"New York Dames" Decoupage Tray by Claudia Gill

Question: Who is your favorite artist (in any medium) and how do they inspire you?

Claudia: I don’t have one. Different artists inspire me at different times in my life; My mother, who is an artist, when I was growing up for one. Pieces of Art will get into my psyche and then I draw upon them at various times during my work process.

"Faith" Mosaic Wall Hanging By Claudia Gill

Question: What inspires you to create?

Claudia: Love and spirit.  A need to feed my soul, to create beauty, to share, inspire and bring happiness to others. Its like a meditation for me where I escape into another world and am like a musician where the music just takes over and you just go with the flow... to create not focusing on the end result but being in the process.

"Oheka Dames" Decoupage Tray by Claudia Gill 

Question: What is your favorite part of your creative process?

Claudia: Seeing all the pieces come together like a mosaic, which I create as well.  I always feel like a kid at Christmas opening a present, overwhelmed by the excitement of the finished product and not knowing from whence it came.

Question: What is the most challenging part of your creative process and how do you meet that challenge?

Claudia: When something isn't working to either start over or to be able to not judge it but to take a step back, leave for for a while and come back to it and figure it out. I have sometimes in frustration ripped the piece up only to regret it later. One has to trust the process as in life.

"Chinoiserie" Umbrella by Claudia Gill 

Question: And finally, what does "believing in art" mean to you?

Claudia: If it comes from your heart then it's Art.  Art is everywhere, its all that you choose to see... everything on this planet is a piece of art really. Art is all colors, shapes and sizes and no-one but yourself can define it.  It's what feeds your soul and makes you think, feel and be touched…

Thank you Claudia, for sharing your creativity and passions with us.  

For more information on Claudia and her one of a kind handcrafted trays, frames, mirrors, wall hangings and home decor accessories, visit her website at ClaudiaGill.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Click here to find more artist interviews and learn how you can apply to be featured.  You can also connect with I Believe In Art on Instagram and Facebook.

Until next time, happy creating!

Peace, Love and Art,
Victoria

I Believe In Artists: Tracy Porter

Artist and Designer Tracy Porter

I'm thrilled to be sharing the work and wisdom of my art and design hero, Tracy Porter, here with you.

It seems almost hard to believe now but there was a time when I didn't fully appreciate the value of my own creativity.  A big catalyst for changing that was Tracy Porter's book, "Dreams From Home".  The magical possibilities expressed in the words and images of that book convinced me that my creativity was a super power and that I shouldn't be afraid to use it to manifest the bolder, more beautiful life my soul craved.  Since then, Tracy has continued to be a role model and guide for me on my creative journey through her books, product lines and her online presence.

I just know this fabulous lady will inspire you as much as she inspires me.  Enjoy!

"Willow" Art By Tracy Porter

Question: I know art speaks its own language but if you had to describe your work in only six words, what would they be?

Tracy:  Soulful. Colorful. Flirty. Modern. Bohemian. Authentic.

"Kiss" Art By Tracy Porter

Question: Who is your favorite artist (in any medium) and how do they inspire you?

Tracy: I think of art through the ages and how very inspired I am by it versus one artist or medium. I'm inspired by everything from naive art to Russian Constructivism. Baroque to tribal. French Cafe music to Led Zeppelin. And I read like crazy, so there's another layer of inspiration. And then travel...food...it's endless. I think my love for many things is why my style is ever evolving. My tastes and sensibilities run the gamut. I cannot stay for too long creating in one way, as I am inspired by such a range of imagery and words and music, etc. 

"Rebel" Art By Tracy Porter

Question: What inspires you to create?

Tracy: I definitely have something I'm trying to quench when I create. I think it's a mix of feeling inspired combined with a need to feel productive. Plus it's how we make our living. I don't have to dig too deep to find inspiration as it's how I spend every day. I'm a big believer that creativity is like using a muscle. You have to keep using it to keep it strong. And for me creating comes in many forms: making a wonderful dinner for my family, painting, decorating, etc. So many things are creative if you are willing to see them that way. It's really just a point of view. I prefer to see pretty much everything as a creative endeavor, save taking out the garbage and other mundane activities. 

"Justice" Art By Tracy Porter

Question: What is your favorite part of your creative process

Tracy: I love the discovery aspect of creating, and how you start one way, then follow it along as it becomes something else. And I love it when you create something that makes your heart skip! That is truly thrilling for me. It's not something that happens every time but I have learned it's something I have control over, making heart-skipping creations. I've learned when to keep going or when to add another layer, etc. It's very addictive once you find the feeling and are able to harness it over and over.

Question: What is the most challenging part of your creative process and how do you meet that challenge?

Tracy: For me the biggest challenge is that I want to try so many things. I want more than anything to explore like mad and have enough space and materials and time to do whatever I want, whenever I want. An endless budget along with no time restraints. Ohhh- what a fantasy!  Not a complete reality but I sure do try! 

"Stella" Art By Tracy Porter

Question: And finally, what does "believing in art" mean to you?

Tracy: Believing in art to me means being open to a certain fearlessness in oneself. It means being willing to risk and be vulnerable. It's not just about creating, it's also about accepting. It's about exploring all the sides of who you are and what you feel about color and pattern and texture and space, etc. It's about believing in yourself, trusting your gut and letting go. Sort of a step outside your comfort zone kind of thing. 

Thank you Tracy for sharing your fearless creative spirit with us.  You can learn more about Tracy by connecting with her on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram.  Her Poetic Wanderlust products can be found on-line at most major retailers including Bed Bath and Beyond, Macy’s, Wayfair, Target and Dillard’s.

Click here to find more artist interviews and learn how you can apply to be featured.  You can also connect with I Believe In Art on Instagram and Facebook.

Until next time, happy creating!

Peace, Love and Art,
Victoria

I Believe In Artists: Kelly Boler

Paper Artist Kelly Boler

I think all artists are story tellers and that visual art is a way for us to tell stories that are beyond what words can convey.  In the case of Kelly Boler's art, however, stories aren't just an outcome but also her medium.  I am fascinated by how she assembles new stories and mysteries from the bits and pieces of old and faded ones and I know you will be too.

Enjoy!

Paper Collage by Kelly Boler

Question: I know art speaks its own language but if you had to describe your work in only six words, what would they be?

Kelly:  Vintage book and paper ephemera assemblage.

Assemblage Art By Kelly Boler

Question: Who is your favorite artist (in any medium) and how do they inspire you?

Kelly: No one comes close to Cy Twombly. It’s as if his asemic writings are poems and prayers he scribbles madly to God. I have travelled to several different countries to see his work. It always makes me want to fly from the altar rail.

Joseph Cornell’s boxes are especially moving as he did not create them for posterity. He just made them for friends and himself. And Lauren Bacall, but she returned the one he sent her in a fan letter.

Maira Kalman. I am obsessed with her faux-primitive style of drawing that is really notetaking, her wise observations about the ordinary that is anything but, her wit, and her sweetness.

Paper Rose by Kelly Boler

Question: What inspires you to create?

Kelly: Antique volumes, old maps, vintage paper, and ephemera gathered from flea markets and street stalls around the world. Historic materials, such as hand-calligraphed letters from the mid-19th century, cabinet photos from the Victorian era, 1920s postcards, and a wide variety of faded, fascinating postage stamps, tickets stubs, tintypes, library cards, advertising – anything that evokes an older, more mysterious world. I guess it is not so much inspiration as an attempt at summoning, although I am far from sure what. 

Collage Art By Kelly Boler

Question: What is your favorite part of your creative process?

Kelly: Wow. Most of it, but the thing I love most is looking for the stuff because I kind of believe it is looking for me. Roaming through flea markets, box lots at auctions, old book stores, thrift stores; knowing that the treasure is out there waiting for me to find it, that we are connected somehow. 

Question: What is the most challenging part of your creative process and how do you meet that challenge?

Kelly: At this point of my life, the biggest creative challenge comes when I know that I am supposed to be doing something different and untried. It is tough to take that first step into the psychic void; I can see it but for the life of me I can't see how to get there from here. I become so creatively paralysed that I do almost anything to postpone beginning, from repeating myself stylewise in my art, to organising every darn drawer in the house and sorting out my Tupperware lids.

Apparently this is normal as we are biologically hardwired to avoid new, and from an evolutionary standpoint, risky things; but biology be darned. The best antidote to lethal hesitation is just to begin and to allow myself to do it wrong; to remember that I have plenty of erasers. Once I have squinched up my eyes, jumped, and boldly made that first bad page, I am off and running. I can cross that idea off the list and hey, presto, five more have arrived in its place. It can take weeks to find out that three of these are not going anywhere, one is somewhat promising, and one is genius. From there, it blooms. Or it doesn't. But being able and willing to learn from doing it wrong, hopefully with grace, style, and a sense of humour, is all there is.

Assemblage Art By Kelly Boler

Question: And finally, what does "believing in art" mean to you?

Kelly: Annie Dillard wrote, “We are here to abet creation and to witness it, to notice each thing so each thing gets noticed…so that creation need not play to an empty house.” 

I believe in art because of this, because of the need for the universe to express itself and its need for witnesses; we who create are all that it has in the toolbox to accomplish this. I believe deeply that this doesn’t have to be Art with a capital “A,” that anyone who expresses themselves, however awkwardly or imperfectly, is abetting creation, which is why giving yourself and others the permission to begin no matter what is vital.

Thank you Kelly for sharing your art and insights with us.

Kelly Boler is a book and paper artist working in Wales. She also keeps a mean illustrated journal. Her work is held in private collections in the U.S., the U.K., France, Israel, Finland, and Switzerland. She also leads popular workshops in a variety of creative fields including book binding, paste paper making, and illustrated journal techniques. Recently her works were exhibited at the Center for the Book Arts in Minnesota, the Halton Hills Cultural Center in Ontario, the Marin Museum for Contemporary Arts in San Francisco, and the book village Hay-on-Wye in Wales.

For more information, visit her website at http://bookandpaperarts.com/

You can also connect with Kelly on Instagram through her art account @book.and.paper.arts or her fashion gallery @fedoras.and.pearls

Click here to find more artist interviews and learn how you can apply to be featured.  You can also connect with I Believe In Art on Instagram and Facebook.

Until next time, happy creating!

Peace, Love and Art,
Victoria

I Believe In Artists: Deb Dunn

Artist Deb Dunn With Her Dog Archer

I find Deb Dunn's art to be very original and distinctive and yet at the same time I always see something familiar in it, like it knows my secrets.  It reminds me of the way a favorite song can express exactly the way you feel even though it was probably written about something deeply personal to the person who wrote it.  I realize that's what artists do, take what seems personal and express it to remind us all that it is universal and vice versa.

I'm sure that you will recognize some parts of yourself and your universe in the art and words below.  Enjoy.

"home to herself " Art By Deb Dunn: "When she felt *lost* she travelled home ... to herself. A time of transformation ... quiet contemplation ... a time to return home to yourself."

Question: I know art speaks its own language but if you had to describe your work in only six words, what would they be?

Deb:  earthy, peaceful, bohemian, multi-layered, whimsical

"a flock of birds" Art By Deb Dunn: "A bright vibrant print filled to the brim with birds, joy and love for our feathered friends."

Question: Who is your favorite artist (in any medium) and how do they inspire you?

Deb: Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis. I adore everything about her unique style, vibrant colors, nature inspired... she painted the world as she saw it. I love seeing a piece of art that stirs an interest in me to learn more about the artist behind the work. The first time I saw a piece of art created by Maud I wanted to know more about her.

"Aurora" Art By Deb Dunn: "The Northern lights illuminate her soul. Dancing prisms move about - glitter, flicker and roll. Aurora Borealis the lights of the Northern Hemisphere luring those far and near. Breathtaking colors that dazzle the eyes and touch the heart with magical skies."

Question: What inspires you to create?

Deb: Nature is my inspiration. Daily walks, quietly and mindfully with my beloved black Labrador retriever Archer fills my head {and heart} with images and words. I am forever grateful to live in such a beautiful corner of the world where on any given day I can choose to walk the woods or the lake.  I often feel I am walking a new painting into existence as thoughts and words will come to me which I will then weave into my art once I return home. 

"whispering ancient wisdom" Art by Deb Dunn: "How did you know what I needed to hear? whispering ancient wisdom into my ear. How did you sense my need to learn more? Everyday I have a longing to know more than the day before. Thank you, dear one, for entrusting in me ... for always opening my ears and my eyes to the beauty. Helping me to hear and to see. Reminding this crone she is never alone."

Question: What is your favorite part of your creative process?

Deb: I often begin a canvas or sheet of paper by taking a pencil and lightly writing the story down. I love that the words are forever intertwined with the paint.

Question: What is the most challenging part of your creative process and how do you meet that challenge?

Deb: Living with chronic pain presents its own challenges. Being mindful of that and pacing myself is a must for me and over the years I have thought up lots of creative (and at times hilarious) ways to modify my surroundings in order to make creating possible. Making sure I have back support, I will roll a bath towel to tuck into the chair, lowering my art Easel when working on large canvases so that I am not stretching my arm, setting a timer as a gentle reminder to get up, walk around, drink some water (staying hydrated is so important) and starting my day with meditation to relax tight muscles. On the days when the physical act of creating isn't possible, I use this as a "quiet, reflective" time and keep a journal to jot down ideas and thoughts of what I want to create. Some of my best ideas have happened during these "down times" and it keeps me from thinking a day has passed me due to pain.

"melodious reservoir" Art by Deb Dunn: "For deep inside her heart and soul the songbirds sang. She kept this melodious reservoir tucked safely inside so she could hear their soothing hum of freedom when she needed it most."

Question: And finally, what does "believing in art" mean to you?

Deb: To me, believing in art means noticing the details of our life, which is our greatest art creation. We design our life's canvas with what we love and how we see the world around us. I want my life canvas to absorb and be filled with as much color and beauty as it can hold!

Thank you Deb for sharing your art and your life canvas with us.  Deb's art is available at her Vintage Sparrow Studio shop on Etsy.  You can also check out her Blog and connect with her on Instagram.

Click here to find more artist interviews and learn how you can apply to be featured.  You can also connect with I Believe In Art on Instagram and Facebook.

Until next time, happy creating!

Peace, Love and Art,
Victoria