That Time Again

Hello All!

About that time that we chose a new muse! I have delayed because we need more people nominated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So stop over tell me who you would like to know more about and then we can start the voting!

Tell you friends,

Smooches,
Steph

Interview: Things With Wings / Giveaway

Laura, Jill, Connie, Emily

AKA: Things With Wings and Other Things

I am very excited to introduce the ladies at Things With Wings and Other Things blog. These ladies are a hoot and we are all lucky enough to have a little peak into the lives of these zany creative women. The coolest part about this interview is we get 4 for 1 that is right each lady was nice enough to give a little input to each question (thusy why it is so wonderfully long!). Now if that isn’t a deal I don’t know what is. So, with-out anymore of my rambling let us all welcome the Wingers:

Connie: The artistic dynamo is the mother of Jill (the oldest), Laura (middle), and Emily (youngest). This busy lady is part time preschool art teacher, part time artist, and a fulltime wife, mother, and grandmother.


Jill: Is a mom to three boys with the youngest at 21 months! Now tell me she isn’t busy. She lives in Iowa City with her now husband former high school sweetheart. Jill started creating art about 7 years ago and hasn’t looked back. Her favorite book is the bible. I will now make mention that religion plays a huge role in the beautiful work they create and it makes it all that much more beautiful.


Laura: Is a stay at wife and stay at home mom of 3. She is a part time artist living close to her sister Jill and mom Connie in Iowa City, Laura is a self proclaimed lover of cheesy 80’s music and has admitted to have shop-a-holic tendencies while in Target.


Emily: The baby of the bunch seems to be the traveler and now lives in Austin Texas. We are lucky in that this is our first Muse who doesn’t create fine art; she is a singer/song writer. During the day Emily is an admin thusly why she calls herself God’s 3 hole puncher. “I could go on. I started singing and playing the piano when I was really young, wrote my first song when I was a freshman in high school, picked up the guitar at the end of high school. Started leading worship my senior year of high school. I’m the youngest sister of the group.”


(above)Jill's Work

1. Can you briefly describe the types of art that you do and maybe a little bit about the medium/s you choose to work with?


Jill: Guess I’d fall under the category of mixed media. My business name is Paper Prayers My work is whimsical, funky, and unique. Everything I create has a fun, positive, or spiritual message to it that reflects my faith. I use acrylics, paper (new and old) and other found objects. I recycle wood, frames and other thrift store finds. Everything is one of a kind.

Connie: My business name is Creative Works. I make art dolls and paintings using cloth, paper, mat board and paint that are whimsical and colorful. Often, I'm described by others as "funky".

Laura: My business name is Green Girl Designs. I stick to painting (on anything). I've tried sewing. It doesn't like me. Mom, I can't believe you forgot to mention Sharpies!!!

2. Where do you find your greatest inspiration?

Jill: I totally appreciate and acknowledge that my inspiration comes from God. He is the Creator of all good things and the most creative Guy out there! He’s blessed us all beyond measure. Therefore we hope to inspire other people and be a blessing to them with the messages in our work.

Connie: I'm not ashamed to say it-Jesus! I see Him in kids, nature, colors and in people who cross my path. My late husband and my present husband have been the best encouragers. Am I blessed, or what?

Laura: I'm greatly inspired by other artists. I'm a blogstalker. I admit it. Also, different color combinations speak volumes to me and I often come up with my colors even before I know what I'm going to paint. Obviously, everything I do comes from what God has put there in the first place.

Emily: When I write songs, they are usually inspired by personal life experiences. God usually does the unexpected, and out of that comes true life. I love capturing what God is doing through song. I also love God's word. It is alive and rich and I love reading it and letting the Spirit move to create lyrics that speak truth.

(above) Connie's work


3. I know you recently took the jump to Etsy and you ladies seem to be doing very well. Any pointers to fellow Etsiers out there?

Jill: If you’re a mom and looking to make a little money doing something fun, and you love to create, Etsy can be great. But don’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Those people who you’ve heard about who’ve quit their jobs and do Etsy full time put A LOT of time into it - much more than we have to give as wives and moms who already do most of their business at art shows. We’re in it to have fun. If it becomes stressful and takes away from your real priorities, then don’t do it, or take it very slowly!

Connie: As far as Etsy goes-sorry. I can only do computers in small doses!

Laura: I'm still trying to get the hang of it. Some weeks will be really busy...then nothing. I honestly don't know any 'secrets'. But if anyone knows any-let me know!


4. Every family seems to have 'an artist' but all the members of your family are artists! How does this happen?


Jill: Oh, they just like to copy me. :-) I grew up with a dad who was a professional photographer, a screen printer and a graphic designer. Mom’s been doing arts and crafts for over 25 years and went to school for fashion design. She’s also made lots of clothes and incorporated sewing into her art over the years. It’s all evolved and matured. Since we grew up surrounded by all this creativity, it was bound to rub off!

Connie: I married a guy with the same 'restless something' inside him that I had. We mixed it up a little and those crazy genes went haywire, I guess. You asked how does this happen? It took me awhile to figure it out, but it's really quite simple-it's a God-thing.

Laura: I have no idea how this happened. It's a whole lot of fun, though.

Emily: I am learning more and more, that even though I don't create beautiful pieces of artwork like my mom and my sisters...God has designed me as an artist in a different way. It comes out through my music, it comes out through my wardrobe. It's fun to even see the differences in my mom and sisters and know that God designed each one of us uniquely.

(above) Jill's Work


5. Not only do you ladies sell on Etsy but you also do craft fairs. Which one seems to be the bigger revenue driver and most rewarding? I know that I sometimes want to take the leap to craft fairs but am nervous about not being accepted; have you ever felt this way?


Jill: Us girls grew up watching our mom do craft fairs and art shows, and to get to be a part of it was and still is a thrill! We’ve been doing them as a group for the last 6 or 7 seven years, long before etsy! Show weekends are always exhausting – the set up, the weather, the driving, the snoring (if we stayed overnight together) but we’re a ‘well-oiled machine’ after all this time! The best part is getting to talk to people and see their reactions to our work. Some people don’t ‘get it’ and that’s fine, others spend quite a lot of time looking at everything and laughing or oohing and aahing- just the reactions we like to receive! We never win any awards at the shows we attend; some people might not consider our work ‘serious’ enough, whatever that means, but that’s ok. We know we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing!

Connie: It's most rewarding for me when someone buys something to give away to someone who needs encouragement or hope or love. As far as being rejected, yes, I've been nervous, but when you've been rejected enough times, you realize it means nothing.

Laura: At this point in time, art shows are definitely more profitable. The most rewarding part of selling at a show is you get to meet who your art is going to and sometimes if you're lucky you get to hear tidbits of conversation about how people perceive your art. Its funny how something you intended to mean a certain way, can be totally saying something different to someone else. God uses it all! The cool thing about Etsy is your art is going all over the world.

6. Since there are four of you can you take some time to help us understand the family dynamic? I know you all don't live in the same area so how does that work for you while you are creating?


Jill: the three of us mixed media artists live in the same town, and Emily is in Austin. Despite the distance, we’re all very close, and when we get together WATCH OUT! We recently returned from our first visit together to Austin and it was AMAZING!!! As for the actual creating of the art, we do that separately in our own homes, but really bounce ideas off of each other and sometimes incorporate elements of each other’s work into our own while still maintaining our uniqueness. Some of the best times have been when we’ve gotten together to collaborate on special projects – usually for our church or for fundraisers – those pieces are especially meaningful.

Connie: Jill, Laura, and I live 15 minutes from each other in the Iowa City area. You could call it the "Things With Wings Triangle" We create independently and bring it together for shows. We keep Emily close through blogging, cell phones, web cams and prayer.

Laura: I think sometimes we get lumped together as one unit and we're actually all quite different and have different talents. But, we certainly work well and complement and inspire each other.

Emily: We are all very close. Even though I am the oddball and moved far away, we remain close. It was so hard to move away, but I knew that God was calling me to Austin. When the four of us are together, we get goofy, LOTS of laughter, and we really feed off of each other. As far as creating, sometimes they make me paint black and white checkers...that is the extent of my painting!

(above) Connie's work



7. With selling your art work what are the positives and maybe some of the negatives.


Jill: It’s really hard to know how to price stuff. We’ve certainly realized that there’s a “sweet spot”: a price point that gets the most out of a piece, yet is still attractive and reasonable to buyers. Our goal will always be to keep our prices affordable. The positives – it’s a wonderful outlet, so it makes me better at everything else I do in my life.

Connie: Positives? $-not gonna lie! The negatives? People who ask, "Do you have this in another color?" because they want it to 'match' something.-I don't get that.

Laura: Gotta agree with Mom on the $. But, I do know that all of us are committed to making art that is affordable for anyone. Negatives? There are times when I make something that I really have a soft spot for. It sometimes hard to put it in the bag and hand it over, but I remind myself the reason I'm doing this and it’s certainly not for myself.

(above) Jill's work


8. Pertaining to your life in regards to art what is your greatest success and your greatest regret.

Jill: Very soon after starting to make things for shows, I was invited to be a featured artist at downtown Iowa City’s Gallery Walk. It was a great honor, and a great boost to my confidence as a new artist. Anytime we’re featured on someone’s blog I’m thrilled and honored. I don’t think I have any regrets when it comes to my art.

Connie: Biggest success? Being the Iowa Arts Fest Artist of the Year 2000. My design was on that year’s posters and t-shirts! Biggest regret? Too few to mention.

Laura: I would say my first Etsy sale was pretty fun. It came at a time when I was feeling pretty critical of myself, so it felt like a gift. Regrets? Nah.

Emily: I would have to say that some of my "successes" have been getting to work with some amazing Godly people and musicians, who I have learned so much from. I have had the privilege to lead worship alongside some incredible speakers such as Louie Giglio, John Piper, Jen Hatmaker, and Matt Carter. Worship leader Chris Tomlin set an amazing tone for our worship at my church, the Austin Stone, and it has been amazing to follow behind him and carry that on, now that he has moved to start the Passion Church in Atlanta, GA. Aaron Ivey and Andy Melvin have incredible hearts and have been amazing to sing with. I have also gotten the privilege to lead worship with Christian artist Todd Agnew. I have done some recording and will be on Aaron Ivey's new CD coming out June 23rd. This past winter I had the honor of getting to record a Rich Mullins song on a documentary called "Malatya" that is being distributed by The Voice of the Martyrs all over the world. Regret: When I think of how much I have let fear hold me down.

9. If you could give someone one piece of advice (non-art related) what would it be?

Jill: Don’t waste your life being fearful.

Connie: Let the Son set you free.

Laura: Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.

Emily: The gospel of Jesus. It's life changing, completely satisfying, and it has radically changed my life. If you don't know it...question it...ask us about it...read your bible (start with the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) PRAY and ask God to show Himself to you. Live it. Cling to it. Do everything you can to let it take every part of you. There will be a sweet joy that is amazing, even in the midst of junk and hard stuff!


10. How do you seem to balance your personal life and your art life?

Jill: I have an amazing, supportive husband and family who recognize that my artwork is an integral part of who I am. That said, it’s always good to be mindful of balance. There are times when I just have to ask God to help me maintain my true priorities and I need to be receptive and humble enough to get back on track when I fail.

Connie: Balance: old age+empty nest+part-time job+understanding hubby=lots of art time

Laura: I try, but often fail. My kids let me know if my art addiction has taken over. My family comes first. Art is just a fun bonus.

Emily: It's difficult, sometimes, because I work a full time office job (office job = NOT creative or artsy) But I'm thankful that I have an outlet to do music stuff. It's a good balance, even though I would rather be doing music stuff full time. But God has purpose in my office job. THREE-HOLE PUNCHER FOR THE LORD! YEAH! Someone once told me that I was a "Receptionist by day....rocker by night..." Amazing.



(above) Connie's Work

11. Please use question 11 as I question you wish I would have asked. I know there is something that you have always wished people would ask you so here is your chance!

Connie: Q: What other kind of talent do you have besides being artistic? A: I'm funny.


Laura: Wow, Mom. Q: Where does your business name come from? A: One day, my boys and I were contemplating what our super-hero names would be and I was quickly dubbed "GreenGirl" because of my well-known obsession with the color green.

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Well folks thanks for taking the time to stop by. I think we are pretty darn lucky to read about what makes these ladies tick. I think we can also related to them in that they are family women who all have a lot on their plate but still find the time for creativity!

I personally want to thank Thing With Wings because they have been great inspiration and a special shout out to Connie who I met almost a year ago through blogging! You are killin’ it ladies!

Oh yes and remeber you can find all links and shopping links over on the right hand side MUSE column!
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Give-away…

This giveaway is SUPPPPPPPER special. Laura is the giver and the prize is definitely a treasure. In fact, it was on the front page of Etsy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOWOWOWOWOWOOAAAAA … I know everyone is going to run over. The rules are posted on Thing With Wings Blog so you have to stop over there to enter.

Things With Wings and Other Things


Thank you all again for another successful interview!

Don’t forget if you want to nominate yourself or a fellow artist of any type please email me your nominations ASAP fantasticfigments@yahoo.com.

Smooches,
Steph

Subscribe and keep in the Muse know

So here at The Muse Behind The Mask we have been very busy figuring out way to keep our readers informed since we aren't a daily update blog.

And by George I think we have figured it out. The Muse will be offering two ways to keep in the know. One being an email subscription and the other a live feed that can link to your favorite account source (ex. google, yahoo). That way every time you log in you can see a live update! FUN FUN.

The shiney new widgets will be kept below on the right hand side bar under all the Muse of the Month information. This is a learning expirence for us too so if there is an icky in the system let us know and we will try to work it out.

Stay tuned and subscribe so you don't miss out on any fun interviews or updates!


Smooches,

The Muse Team

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things With Wings And Other Things!

I hope everyone had a great mini-vacation and enjoyed the WONDERFUL weather (well wonderful in NY) I could smell the BBQ's a mile away.

Now back to Things With Wings

Really these ladies are amazing and lucky to be on vacation. I actually ran into Things With Wings a long time ago and was lucky enough to buy one of their pieces that now adorns my desk at work. Actually people ask me if I made it and regretfully I have to say no. HAHA..

We will be writing up the interview upon their return. I really want to thanks everyone for voting it was a great turn out. There will be an update post to let you know when the interview will be uploaded. In the mean time I am toiling over how to set up an email update list so when a new interview is posted I can send out a universal update.

Again thank you to all the people who voted but also to all the people who were nominated. Remember you can nominate anyone at any time all you have to do is email me the nomination and you will be on the list. Only 10 spots available so please act soon.

Smooches,
Steph

The Next Muse

Above you will see a little poll with those who were nominated to become the next Muse. Please take your time and look at all the nominees and please only vote once.

On this post I have listed links to visit them on either their Etsy Shop of their blog. Please enjoy! All these artists are wonderfully talents and surely to have great info during the interview.

Lisa Lectura Creations
Wonders of Whimsy
Cheryl Alger
Cory Godbey
KLS Reflections
Things With Wings

Happy Voting Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't forget you can always nomiate yourself or a fellow artist for the Next Muse. All you have to do is message me and they will be up for voting in the next month! 10 spots only so please get nominations in fast!

Smooches
Steph

Okay we have a winner now!

And the lucky lady is..................

Lisa from Lisa Lectura Creations!!!!!!! This lucky lady is the winner of one of Amariah's lovely prints!


Tomorrow please come by and vote for who you would like to see be the next featured artist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know I am excited. I promise there are some great picks!


Also, please stop on over to my personal blog Fantastic Figments/Plumes Ami as I will be updating Plumes Ami with some fun new accent pillow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (click picture to visit Plumes Ami on Etsy

AND THE WINNER IS.............

..................................................................................................................................................................................................... (drum roll) ...................you will have to wait until 6 pm Eastern Time, so hurry and try your luck by entering (read post below).

At that time I will notify the lucky winner and the lovely Amariah.

Be here tomorrow to vote for the next featured seller. The poll will open tomorrow morning so make sure you cast your vote. ( I think you will be please to see the nominees: We will see jewelry, dolls, angels, and more!)

I would like to take a moment to thank Amariah for contributing and being the first Muse. I believe she was a huge success and has paved the way for all the featured sellers to come!

Huge smooches, and please stop by and vote (TELL YOU FRIENDS)

Steph

Introducing Amariah / Give-Away

Thank you for coming by and reading the very first interview from The Muse Behind The Mask. I met Amariah about 7 months ago through blogging. Not only is she an amazing artist but she also embodies all the qualities to inspire others. This wonder woman is a mother of four, a wife, an artist, an Etsy store operator, and a full-time student. Is there something this woman doesn’t do?

The answer is no, even with all the above listed, this 70’s rocker also finds time to read books such as Wicked and play Lord of the Rings online. Relax… pshhh like there is time for that. Even when Amariah finds a second to take a breather you will find her multitasking with artwork.

And thus is why she is our muse. All of us have busy lives but if Amariah can juggle a million responsibilities so can we!

I had the pleasure to interview this candid lady and try to get the scoop on the method behind the madness, and without further adieu ­­­­­­­­­­: Amariah of blog Amariah Rauscher.

1. Can you briefly describe the types of art that you do and maybe a little bit about the medium/s you choose to work with?

I use a variety of mediums. I prefer using mixed mediums

such as charcoal, with watercolor and gouache. Several months ago I started using digital and I really like that as well.

2. Where do you find your greatest inspiration?

I find my greatest inspiration from movies, especially cartoons. I’ve always liked Japanese anime and Disney movies. My favorites are Howl’s Moving Castle, Meet the Robinsons, and Spirited Away.

3. For those looking to begin creating art (whatever medium) what s uggestions do you have for them?

Relax and have fun! Try new mediums until you find the one (or ones) that you are comfortable with. Whatever medium you’re working in, I think it is important that you not try to be like anyone else. In other words, find your own style. Practice makes perfect, so work on your art as often as you can. Don’t be too hard on yourself either. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (Lau Tzu)

4. What are your artistic goals in life, both short term and long term?

My goal is to be a full-time artist. I do portraits, I have two shops on Etsy and I’m currently looking into becoming an illustrator.

5. We understand that creating art has a huge learning curve and with that frustration can set in very easily, when this happens what do you do to push through and stay on course?

Sometimes it’s best to walk away from your

work. When I’

m having problems with a piece, I put it away for a few days (or longer). Usually, when I come back to it I can see what I need to change. Som

etimes, I realize that I have to scrap the whole drawing or painting. Having to quit and start over is not a bad thing. Each failure is actually a success because you now know what you need to change or do differently next time. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things.

6. Many people use art as a creative outlet but many of us use our talents to turn a profit. Has selling your art changed the way you create, example: are you doing the art you love or do you create art that you think others will love?

I think that selling my work affects the type of art that I make. I find myself thinking a lot about whether people will like what I’m making. It’s hard not to think that way. In fact, I think people like your work more when you are just making what you

like, and not what you think other people want.

7. Going back to the last questions, with selling your art work what are the positives and maybe some of the negatives.

The positive is that you get to make money doing what you love. The negative for me is the ‘business’ aspect. I’m not a business person and I don’t like selling things. Running a business is a lot of work, and I put far more work into my business then I ever have with a full-time job.

8. Pertaining to your life in regards to art what is your greatest success and your greatest regret.

I don’t feel like I’ve experienced my greatest success yet. I’ve had a lot of small successes, but I think that the best is yet to come. As far as regrets, I wish that I had started my own business sooner.

9. If you could give someone one piece of advice (non-art related) what would it be?

Never give up! If you want something, go for it. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you.

10. What is a quote that you live by?

The more you know, the more places you’ll go

And

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.

-Dr. Seuss

11. Please use question 12 as I question you wish I would have asked. I know there is something that you have always wished people would ask you so here is your chance!

I’m really good at observation drawing. I would like to offer some advice to anyone who would like to be better at drawing what they see. It’s actually more of an exercise.

Find a picture of something. It really can be anything, but I think a picture from a coloring book or a children’s book would work best. Put the picture in front of you, turn it upside down, and then draw the upside down picture. Don’t think about the object (or objects) that you are drawing, think about how the lines relate to one another. Think about the distance between the lines. Do this exercise as often as you can! It really does work. I first did this when I was thirteen and after drawing a few pictures something just ‘clicked,’ and I was able to draw the things I saw in front of me.

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GIVE-AWAY

The lovely Amariah is having a wonderful giveaway right here on The Muse Behind The Mask! She is offering one free print from her BRAND NEW Etsy store The Extent of Silence.

How this will work.

• Go on over to The Extent of Silence (<--- Click here)
• Come back to this post and I repeat ONLYthis post and tell me what your favorite print is (I know it will be hard).
• That is it! You are done BUT!!!! Double your chance to win by becoming a follower to The Muse Behind The Mask. Make sure you tell me you have become a follower by writing it in your entry comment and your name goes on the list twice (winner selected by random number generator)
• (disclaimer) If you are not a blogger member you must leave an email address
• Winner will be notified the day of drawing May 13^th.

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I really hope you enjoyed Amariah’s fantastic interview. It is truly a pleasure to get to know the people who inspire us.

Amariah’s interview will be posted for an entire week and 1/2 but she will remain on “The Muse’s Sidebar” for an entire month. So if you missed her links you can check them out there!

Do you want to be the next Muse? If so nominate yourself or a friend. Fellow bloggers will vote on who becomes the next muse through a voting poll on this blog. The 10 ten nominations will be accepted there are 8 more slots.

Smooches,
Steph

This Could Be The Start Of Something.....

**This is the post to enter the Fantastic Figments Give Away**

**Please stop by Fantastic Figments/Plumes Ami for entry rules**

Welcome one and welcome all and I am glad you have stopped in. I would like to take a second to thank in advanced all the lovely people that have inspired me. I cannot thank you enough and the blogging community has been simply fantastic. I created The Muse Behind The Mask because I feel honored to have met so many amazing artists of all genres and I want to share that with other bloggers.

How I hope this will work:

1. At the start of each month (or at the end of a months cycle) a new artist will be selected.

2. It is my hope that artists who would like to be featured would email me / or be nominated by a fellow blogger. At that time I will pool the names and make a poll and let the readers vote/decide who will be the next months artist.

3. I will then send interview questions to the artist to answer as well as ask for any pictures they might like to share and links that they might like others to visit.

4. For the entire month I will leave all their links posted on the right hand side of this blog. Naturally when the month is mover the new artist will take that position.


That is phase one of The Muse Behind The Mask. My second hope for this blog is to post inspiring photos, messages, topics, etc. to stir the creative juices and to get you thinking. Creativity is paramount on this blog and it will feed off of everyone positive energy.

So help me showcase all the wonderful people who make our end of blog world spectacular and lets bring in new comers and give them a place to find their muse.

Thank You,
Smooches,
Steph