karen casey smith photography: miniview

i want everyone to visualize calm right now. let’s breathe in deeply through the nose and hold it for a moment. now, slowly exhale through the mouth. if it make you feel better, then i think you’re ready to look at the meditative work of karen casey smith. karen’s collection is filled to the brim with thoughtful, focused shots that lead your eye in and hold it, quietly. afterwards, whether you were prepared to do it (or not), you might find yourself a bit more relaxed afterwards, a bit more focused inwardly, a bit more healed - in a million different ways. it’s a zen feeling. and who wouldn’t want to know a little bit more about the brains behind that operation?

q: where do you live and where do you create your work?
a: home is about 30 miles from chicago, in the northwest suburbs. my work is created first in thought, then with attention to my subject while making the photograph and then in my computer at home.

q: your flower collection is pretty extensive. what is it about flowers that appeals to you most?
a: i love being around flowers. they are a miracle of beauty, and with closer attention even more amazing than anyone could know at first glance. throughout the ages flowers have been loved and given in love, to celebrate, to comfort, and to lift spirits. the beauty of flowers can be experienced directly, without words. when contemplating a flower, time seems to cease to exist and in that silent space you can experience the beauty to the core of your being.

q: i think your mandalas are mesmerizing - can you tell us a little about your technique, and the reasons why you create them?
a: mandalas are so appealing to me. i’ve been working in that form since around 1995 when i first read judith cornell’s book, mandala. she teaches that creating and contemplating mandalas is healing at the deepest levels. each of my mandalas carries a energy or vibration uniquely its own. the mandalas are a way to share positive, healing energy.

the mandalas are made with the aid of templates i designed myself. i first do any editing of the original photograph that’s necessary to make sure the contrast is good, and that all color is in gamut and printable. depending on the flower, i have different templates to choose from that have a varying number of divisions of the circle. in choosing the flower and creating the mandala, i work intuitively. the message or energy of the piece is revealed when it’s completed.

q: what are you doing when you aren’t taking photographs?
a: sometimes i work with and assist my husband, and occasionally do freelance graphic design. i love photoshop, and am always studying and working to improve my skills in both photoshop and photography. currently you could also find me cooking, baking (sometimes in my solar oven!), gardening, playing my ukulele or djembe, practicing tai chi, and playing with our two cats.

see more of karen’s work on her website as well as at her etsy and redbubble shops.

thank you karen!

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paul pardue photography: miniview

if you are a regular visitor here you know i like to talk about “falling into” the details of some of the artwork i feature. i liken it to walking around with peripheral vision and then finding something that you can focus on sharply as you stumble along your daily path. this is how i felt when i saw the work of paul pardue. the consistency within his collection is noteworthy. each photograph has a powerful combination of great framing, incredible lighting and compelling subject matter. i really enjoy his work, so i decided to investigate further…

q: where do you live, and where do you create your artwork?
a: i live in sacramento, california which is where the bulk of my work is created, though if circumstances allow i do try and get out and shoot. most recently i went on a three day camping trip and visited two state parks and two federal parks. since i currently shoot digitally i do almost all my “processing” at home on the computer though i do have a laptop that i can take with me as a portable darkroom. i generally spend a lot of time on my photos, i may take a hundred photos and only work on a few. it really depends on the shoot.

q: what is it about photography that you enjoy the most?
a: i love that in photography you have control over your final image, but at the same time you have zero control over it. it’s a balance where you’re forced to take what is in front of you and make it your image. being able to control your environment to suit your needs is a really cool thought, in some ways it’s like how a painter takes their scene in front of them and paints in as they see. the difference of course is that the painter is open to their interpretation and style whereas i am forced to the constraints of what i can capture through the lens and later, through the processing and printing.

q: did you think when you were a little kid that you would grow up to be a photographer?
a: i remember as a little kid playing with my mom’s polaroid camera, even if there was no film in it. there is always something magical about photography, i really got in to it in high school and the thrill of watching a print develop in front of your eyes in the dark room is something that very few people get to experience. but, it wasn’t till high school that i really thought of photography as anything. as a kid, i’m sure i wanted to grow up to be an astronaut like all other kids.

q: if you could shoot anywhere in the world, where would it be?
a: i’d love to travel and do more of the landscapes and visit the state and federal parks, and even leave the country, but until that day comes i’ll continue to shoot locally. i guess above anything else it depends on what i want to shoot, where i end up shooting. if i continue with the landscapes and such i can inevitably end up anywhere in the world or even all over the world on some world trip of photography. maybe once things pick up in the sales department i can consider planning a trip.

see what’s available for sale at paul’s etsy shop. if you enjoy the human form, he also does fine art nudes, and that shop is here. view his full portfolio on his website and while you are at it, say hello to him on his blog.

thank you paul!

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bill fantini photography: miniview

i am always on the lookout for beautiful sepia toned imagery and so when i saw these pieces from bill fantini, aka etsy seller houseofsixcats, i thought the mothership had landed. the lighting, texture and composition is so lovely in each and every photo. fortunately for us, bill’s skills are not exclusive to the sepia style. as i dug deeper, i found his shop to be a virtual treasure trove of through the viewfinder, sepia, black and white, still and urban photography. it is inspiring and impressive to see such a breadth of work in just one shop, which really got the old hamster wheel in my mind running, so i thought i would ask just a few questions…

q: where do you live and where do you create your artwork?
a: well, presently i live in ossining, ny. that is in westchester county, about 45 minutes north of the city. but i have lived on both coasts and we are planning on moving back to portland, oregon in october.

i don’t have any one particular place i create my art, i shoot in many different locations. i guess the one constant is that i use adobe lightroom and photoshop to help make the shots i took into images of art.

q: how did you get into photography?
a: i got my first 35mm SLR, a Minolta X700, for my 16th birthday, and have been hooked ever since!

q: browsing through your collection, it is clear that you have a broad mastery of several different styles. do you have a favorite piece of equipment, a location or technique you like to use?
a: thank you for the wonderful compliment! i really like shooting ttv, through the viewfinder, it’s great fun using the old argus 75 to compose the shot.

i have to say my favorite shot is rusted gear (below), and it is also from my most unique location, an abandoned power station.

q: what inspires your creativity?
a: that is the most difficult question. i really don’t have any one thing that inspires me. what i love to do is walk around a location and look for unusual angles or ways to shoot what i find interesting.

q: if you could shoot anywhere in the world, where would it be?
a: the first place that comes to mind is japan, i love the asian culture, and from what i have seen that country looks fascinating. another photo journey i would love to take is to explore more abandoned buildings here and in europe!

q: are any of the six cats in the house photographers too?
a: when i started my shop we had six cats, and i wanted a unique name that people would hopefully remember. since then two have passed, but i think it is a nice homage to their memory.

see more of bill’s broad portfolio of work on his flickr stream, and purchase these prints and more at his etsy shop.

thank you bill!

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laura ferrara graphite drawings: miniview

too much noise isn’t good for the soul. sometimes i try to go to my zen place when i am driving by myself, because it’s practically the only time i am by myself. it doesn’t always work, and i certainly can’t go to that deep place of contemplation in my car when the guy behind me is honking and pushing me along. no, those moments, which we should incorporate into our daily routines, are better actualized in other scenarios, like looking at these pensive illustrations from laura ferrara, aka etsy seller emersonbookcase. laura’s graphite sketches, with their soft lines and dreamy, fluid energy, are simultaneously delicate and strong. the non-linear subject matter and unusual combinations of real world objects in her triple series collection contrast so nicely against the washy graph sheets, and there’s just enough amounts of light and shadow on the paper to encourage you to slow it down, stare it down, and allow your mind to come up to the surface for a while. i needed to know more about the author of these visual chronicles, so…

q: where do you live and where do you create your drawings? i am picturing, well, ralph waldo emerson’s study?
a: i live in lovely silver spring, maryland, a suburb of dc. my drawing/painting space is in my bedroom and takes up the whole west wall. it is not nearly as contemplative as emerson’s study or thoreau’s cabin for that matter, but i do spend some of the best moments of my day there.

q: what inspires you to draw and paint?
a: i am inspired by the odd overheard phrase of a conversation i am not a part of, the way an old man walks in the heat, or the glimpse, out of the corner of my eye, while putting away the groceries, of a moth desperately trying to become a part of the porch light. the little things, you know, the exquisite moments when i feel completely awake and notice everything, taking nothing for granted.

q: where did the idea of the triple series come from?
a: the idea of the triple series came one day while sitting at work. i was thinking about the world and its place in the universe. how really impossible it seems that we exist at all, given the hostile conditions off the planet. if you think about it, i mean really think, we are so vulnerable and fragile floating around in space. we really need each other, not just other humans, but the whole unbelievable variety evolution has so generously given us. the trees, the insects, the animals. we all need to be here in order to continue to thrive. so i wanted to illustrate the amazing diversity of living things and our mutual dependence, in a very simple way. the composition of three images seemed the most direct.

see laura’s full collection and contact her at her etsy shop.

thank you laura!

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sara kirkpatrick softies & prints: miniview

i think serious looking animals are whimsical, and since i like to laugh, there is something about lighthearted anthropomorphic imagery that i highly enjoy. it’s probably because i am convinced that my beloved pets are talking, reading the paper and doing card and circus tricks to pass the time when i am not around. when i look at the plush and paint work of sara kirkpatrick i know i’m not alone in my ways of thinking. sara creates imaginative felt animals and very funny and expressive portraits of bunnies, bears and other animals. there is a pleasing story behind each worried, innocent or gruff-but-loveable character and it makes me want to know more! so i asked…

q: where do you live and where do you make your art?
a: i live in a little house in athens, ga with my husband and our very sneaky cat. i share a tiny studio room with my hubby’s guitars and keyboards, but i usually end up working on projects in my living room (often listening to this american life archives or an old friend of a movie that i’ve seen dozens of times.) my couch is perpetually covered in glitter and felt scraps and lost sewing needles! (be careful where you sit if you ever come over…)

q: what inspires you to create?
a: i am inspired by dreams, music, stories, film, dogs with beards, cats with one eye, the sound of the wind through the trees, other people’s amazing creations… inspiration is a bit tricky and usually visits me in random spurts. sometimes i feel very uninspired for weeks at a time, and then i’m flooded with ideas. i keep a sketchbook on my bedside table and usually reach for it when i’m very sleepy. when i look back, i find i’m most attached to the little doodles that i barely even remember drawing.

q: who is your favorite in your shop right now (we won’t tell the others)?
a: hmmm… i think my favorite in my shop right now would have to be sunny (below). i love the way the colors came together, though i am thinking of making a little birdie friend to sit on sunny’s head. i get very attached to every creature (or painting) that i make. sending them off to their new homes can be difficult. i actually cried when i sold olive (below, second photo)… i was thiiis close to keeping her for myself!

q: who exactly is the blueberry bandit?
a: i guess you could say the blueberry bandit is me, or maybe my alter-ego. i once made a little softie (it’s my etsy and blog avatar), he was very simple and kind of sad, and i instantly felt like i had made a self-portrait in the form of a softie. the blueberry bandit is shy and timid on the outside, but secretly a bit mischievous and fierce, a quiet little creature that steals blueberries when no one is looking! (i’m not sure i’ve ever actually stolen a blueberry, but you know what i mean…)

purchase these pieces at sara’s etsy shop (and make sure you take advantage of her two year etsy-versary (now through june 28th!) and be sure to cruise over to her blog to say hello too.

thank you sara!

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michele maule mixed media: miniview

i think i have mentioned before that my father in law has this awesome collection of old typewriters? they’re all black, which is perfect and fine of course, but just a tad heavy to be filling my eyes and mind, what with all the summery things that are pouring into my head at warp speed right now. the old brightly colored ones are perfect in a different way, a seasonal way, a now way, which is why i am sooo attracted to the most excellent artwork of michele maule. i love her free-spirited interpretation of these utilitarian objects, with their foxy colors and soft curves. there is some big love behind these pieces, you can just tell. and her other work, which includes original encaustic paintings, illustrations and screenprints, is a nice crusty contrast to those colorful jammy typewriters. that’s right, i said jammy. the point is, there’s all different kinds of plenty for people to enjoy in her prolific collection, and with all that said, wouldn’t you like to know just a little more about the brains behind the operation? me too!

q: where do you live and where do you make your collection?
a: i live in pontiac, michigan, a forgotten suburb of detroit. i mostly work in my house. i recently converted my living room into a work space, and there is also a small space in my bedroom where i work.

q: what inspires you to create?
a: i find inspiration in everyday objects. i love seeing the personalities that things like chairs, typewriters, spools of thread, and sewing machines take on. every time i draw one of these objects, it seems to take on a life of its own. each one has their own character, and i really enjoy seeing that.

i also find a lot of inspiration in nature, and in illustrated science books. things like the anatomy of flowers and our skeletal system really interest me.

q: what did you think you would grow up to be when you were a little kid?
a: well, i remember the first thing/person i wanted to be when i grew up was wonder woman. i thought she was rad. i even wore these blue rubber bands on my wrists for weeks and weeks. later, i knew that i wanted to do something that would let me be creative. i didn’t know what exactly, and i don’t think i really figured that out until my junior year of college!

q: can we go anywhere to see your work in person?
a: yes you can!! i currently have work in the following galleries and boutiques: fact and fancy in brooklyn, 323 east gallery in royal oak, mi and the ddp gallery in fayetteville, ar.

see more of michele’s terrific artwork on her website, check out her flickr stream, purchase these pieces at her etsy shop, and be sure to stop by and say hi on her blog too!

thank you michele!

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pillowmonster softies: miniview

i love these supercute couch companions from nichol brinkman, aka etsy seller pillowmonsters. i can’t say whether i am more charmed by the fun detailing on these pieces or the very interesting tales of these characters. there’s clementine, who boycotts broccoli, theodore the robot who, despite having been told he has no heart, felt himself getting worked up while watching beaches, and the whipped cream eating daughter of a window washer, polly suzanna. don’t you need to know more about the brains of this operation after reading that? yeah, me too.

q: where do you live and where do you make these great pillows?
a: i live in bloomington, indiana in an apartment with my husband, joseph, and dog, albert. i have a teeny tiny room all to myself where i make all of my pillow monsters.

q: what is your inspiration?
a: i am really inspired by other etsy artists and bloggers and flickr post-ers. i love the healthy competition that comes from being part of a like-minded community. i never in a million years thought there would be this extensive sub-culture related to plush dolls, but it is fantastic.

q: where do you do your best pillow-making thinking?
a: i think all the time about my pillow monsters and new designs for them. i do like to look at books of old circus posters at the library and that triggers lots of ideas.

see all this and more at nichol’s etsy shop, and be sure to stop by her blog to say hello.

thank you nichol!

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tony forte photography & design: miniview

i am back in the saddle this week and today’s miniview brings us more insight into the projects of tony forte, a graphic designer who creates works through digital techniques and photography with strong urban themes. tony’s photography is striking and his rich mixed media pieces with glints of vintage influence intrigue me, so i thought i’d ask a few questions…

q: where do you live and where do you create your work?
a: i’m living in north new jersey, and all the creative workload gets done in my office/studio which is also in jersey.

q: do you have a formal education in art or design?
a: i have a degree: applied science in visual communication and graphic design. i’ve been drawing since I was a kid, and have always appreciated photography.

q: can you tell us a little about the backyard project you have founded?
a: backyard project was founded in late 2005. it was a venture that i had been trying to get off the ground for a very long time. it was tough with working during the day, and bar tending at night. (NO sleep.) me and dan puleo, a friend and artist who shared similar taste when it came to throwing ideas around, launched the backyard site. we had put some cash together to get the website up and running. it was a great way to finally get some more exposure, and also develop a t-shirt/apparel line, with one-color design concepts. the apparel mainly concentrates on simple designs that represent our everyday creative outlook in our neighborhood, that we can share with the world.

q: do you have a favorite piece in your collection?
a: um, i think one of my favorite pieces is “Yesterday” (below) which can be also viewed with many other pieces of mine on my website. i really do NOT get tired of looking at that piece, i feel that i get something else that pops out of it every time i look at it. it’s hanging in my apartment.

thank you tony!

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