Worstead Festival, life and Undiscovered Artist WireArtInk

No update over the weekend due to demonstrating lacemaking at the Worstead Festival in Norfolk. I got through two bookworm bookmarks on the first day (really really basic stuff) then had a huge fight with something more complicated over the next couple of days - it is pretty distracting having people staring at you whilst you work plus I was in charge of the 'demo pillow' which meant hopping up and down several times an hour to show children (and some quite big 'children') how to do a bit of simple lace. I quite enjoyed the experience, although the beaurocracy gets worse every year. The Bookworms I made will go up for sale on Etsy over the next few days. If you are interested in them please get in touch - I can easily make them to order.

I made a point of going and seeing the Seal and Raptor Trust people who were extremely kind and accommodating as I took photographs for them. I will be putting some on my DA over the next few days so if you are interested keep an eye on there.

I'm also working on getting more of my mother's lace online so please go and have a look at her DA site.

I had a call from a lady across the road from us last week about a baby hedgehog her spaniel had dug up. I had him here for three days but sadly he died Saturday night. I believe 'Snuffles' had lungworm induced pneumonia, which kills a lot of hedgehogs. I will be using a suitable wormer as part of 'first response' treatment from now on, although it was probably too late in his case it was horrible watching the poor little thing die gasping for breath and if I can avoid that happening to any others that come into my care I'll gladly accept the additional expense.

Another reminder about the photography competition: 'Hidden'. You've got four days left to enter and it would be lovely to see more than four entires this time!

Onto an Undiscovered Artist Feature - this time we have Anotina of WireArtInk on Etsy. I seriously love the stuff in this shop - so unusual and interesting. I find these pieces have a very tactile aesthetic due to the mixed medias used in them. I imagine I will be buying from this shop in the not too distant future so if you see something you like you'd better get in first lol!

How long have you been an etsy seller?

I have been and etsy seller since May 2009.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Much of my inspiration comes from organic form and movement. I am most inspired by trees!! They have several types of textures, move with the wind and grow into expressive shapes.

How much time do you put into your shop on average weekly?

I average about 15 hours of work a week into my shop.

What's your favorite item you're selling at the moment?

Currently my favorite item in my shop is The Mermaid. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26489711 It is the piece that strongly represents what I strive for in my work. It is a mixed media piece with wire, beads. yarn, rope, glass enamel paint and beads. The wire swirling throughout it gives it movement while the yarn, rope and glass texture lends to its raw energy. It is a good balance of movement and rawness.

Tell us about three other etsy shops you love and why.

Three of my favorite shops are: The Midnight Orange. I love this shop because the seller really shares herself with the buyers with stories about herself and her work. When I look at her shop I feel really drawn in. It becomes a personal experience. Being a new seller it has really shown me the power of making things personal.

My Second favorite seller is SAsessories. I plain love this artists work. I feel as if we are two dogs spotting each other from a distance. I really identify with her style and if I were more jewelry focused I would strive to make similar stuff. What I love most about her work is how organic and wild it looks. I always like to imagine myself wearing one her necklaces at Burningman.

My third favorite shop is Twisted Silver Jewelry. When I first look at this shop was totally amazed with that this artist was doing with jewelry design. It like wire sculpture for your neck. I thought what a great way to fuse jewelry design with fine art.

Pets? Family? Tell us about them.

I have two cats, Willamina and Jordan. Both cats are tabby tan with gray strips. They have different color eyes. Willa has blue, shes part Simiese and Jordan has yellow eyes, shes all tabby. Both cats love my work!! They like to chase the wire like its a ball of yarn.

Tell us about a typical day in your life?

A typical day for me is I wake up at 6:30 and get ready for my day job. Currently I teach wire sculpture and ceramics to adults with disabilities. I start work at 8am and begin my studio at 9:30. We take a 15min break at 10:30 and a 45min lunch at 11:45. Studio ends at 2pm, my students go home and I work on paperwork and or studio ideas until 4pm. I get home around 4:30, eat dinner and relax until 6pm. Then I start work on my etsy shop or work on project for the shop until bed time at 10:30. Right now I'm really trying to find a balance between making the art work and promoting it .

What other interests do you have?

When I have the time my others interests are thrift store shopping with my friends. Its always a real treat when I find an article of clothing that is practically new or a really fabulous book!! I'm a huge book collector!! I just can't seem to catch up with reading them all. Currently I'm working on Bram Stoker's Dracula.

I also love to hang out at my favorite coffee shop. There I work on my wire sculpture, read, listen to music or chit chat with friends. I've made some great friends and some good connections there!

Is there anything you think we should know?

Thank you for promoting my shop! I am so enjoying my etsy experiences here and the friends I am starting to make. Everyone is just so nice and up front with positive advice. Also I am really excited over the idea of promoting myself through the internet verses the gallery system.