1.Tell us about yourself.
Hello! My name is Brittany. I grew up in Tennessee and currently live in Florida (although I hate the heat and the beach so I will be moving soon). My husband and I own (or are owned by) two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, two guinea pigs, a chinchilla, and a rabbit. Animals are a huge part of my life and, as a result, my art.
2. Were you always an artist or did you discover your creative path later in life?
I guess I have always been an artist. I tend to be very introspective and keep to myself. I have always prefered drawing or reading to hanging out with people, and that started at a very young age. My parents were also a big influence. My dad makes walking sticks, tables, and small carvings all out of "found" wood and my mom makes all kinds of paper crafts. My mom and I still make paper crafts together.
3. Can you walk us through your creative process?
I try to be as organic as possible, but since I am trying to sell my art now I have been struggling with balancing how much I "need" to create and how much I "want" to create. It generally comes in spurts though. When I have inspiration, I usually end up sitting down for a few hours straight and making many pieces at once. I am also a writer and this process absolutely mirrors my writing process. I may not write anything for weeks, and then suddenly I sit down and write for hours.
4. Can we peek into your studio? Are you a Felix or an Oscar?
Felix. My husband is the Oscar! I am very fastidious about my "studio," which has a tendency to move around my house depending on where I feel like working. I have a set of drawers with all my supplies organized and when I am done, everything goes directly back to where it belongs.
5. What do you do when you get blocked?
Spend time with my animals, spend time in nature, or watch movies. I am greatly inspired by film and I love to watch movies as I work.
It's cliche, but everything. There is no way to duplicate the beauty, relief, and release that comes from self expression.
7. Where do you get your inspiration?
Nature and animals. The mountains, especially in fall, are my favorite place to spend a day and then come home and create.
8. As an artist, what do you want to be best remembered for?
Expressing the natural world.
9. Do you have a day job? If so how do you balance your practical life with your creative one? If not, what's your day look like?
Yes, I am an editorial assistant. I also just finished my BA and am currently applying to grad schools. I am not only very organized in my working and creative spaces, I organize my time fastidiously. I think the way I balance them is in part making my creative life part of my practical life. When I am relaxing at night and watching TV or a movie, I am probably also working on something. When I am on vacation, I am looking for inspiration and keep a notebook with me. In my down time at work, I am sketching. I like being busy which helps too. I never mind doing and/or thinking about three things at once.
10. What's your favorite artists and/or style.
I feel like a broken record, but anything natural or having to do with animals. I love to see natural elements used in new and surprising ways.
11. Any advice for beginning artists?
Your art is wonderful. End of story. Make it, make it, and then make some more!
Rabbit: I really love peeking into artist studios. Thank you Brittany for this awesome interview.
She is also involved in The Fabulous Animal Rescue project.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/80284129/calamity-crow-studio-for-the-fabulous?ref=af_new_item
You can find her here at Facebook
www.facebook.com/calamity-crow-studio#!/pages/Calamity-Crow-Studio/11500...
Stop by and tell her RabbitDog sent you.
And her etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CalamityCrowStudio
