Conversation with Patrice A.

atelier

It's time for a new conversation post in here, i LOVE these posts! 
I always find myself uplifted and inspired by getting a little peek into the lifes of these wonderful creative souls who so kindly answers my questions and takes photos so when can see some glimps from their world...*smiling*....
This time it is the sweet Patrice A. who we are getting to know a little bit better, enjoy!

 V: Can you first tell us a little bit about yourself?

P: I am a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother of two boys. I am an interior adviser and designer, was an interior design teacher for over 10 years and graduated from the Art Academy. I have a love for drawing, etching and linocut printing.

V: You are an artist working with many different techniques like for example drawing and lino-cut printing. are there any techniques you feel closer too and are there any un-tried ones that you feel like exploring in the future?

P: My first love has always been and will be drawing. Just a pencil and paper, clean lines, with as little as possible tell as much as possible. Besides that I love linocut printing and have started painting again, like the bird portraits on unbleached linen which I combine with beads.

What I would like to learn in the future is weaving, making fabric and print it. And pottery. I have a thing for bowls which fit perfectly in your hands.

But at the moment I am trying to knit my first sock ;^)))

atelier

linocut

V: Can you share some thoughts with us about the topic of creativity? do you think that everybody has creativity in them, is it essential for you?

P: Yes, I think everybody has creativity in them and yes it is essential, important, to me. I am a better person when I create, when my hands are working.

V: Is there a certain time of the day that you find yourself more creative? are there a special "setting" you need to have when you work?

P: I am a morning person, I like the early mornings when it is quiet and you still have a whole day ahead.

Most of the time I work in silence, no music. I like my workroom quiet and tidy. All the things I need around me, our dog Splinter on his blanket and a fresh mint tea.

V: What is beauty for you...where do you find it/see it?

P: I find beauty and inspiration in the things around me, my family, people, our garden, nature, just life itself, life as it is. But also in a museum, dance/ballet, books, movies, magazines, blogs, so many things….

birdportrait

V: And what makes you happy?

P: Many things can make me happy, little things, daily life, kids, the smell of their hair after playing outside all day, the tiny warm body of our dog, sunshine filtered through the leaves, the smell of the woods after rain, coffee with frothed milk and chocolate, meeting and talking to people, reading a book, working in silence, a cello….

V: Do you have any artists that you especially like?

P: Alberto Giacometti, his drawings and paintings, August Rodin, Johannes Vermeer, Fon Klement, KLaas Gubbels, Jasper Krabbé and Gustav Klimt. The designers Hella Jongerius, Piet Hein Eek, design studio and duo Makkink & Bey, Charles and Ray Eames, Theo Jansen and Scandinavian designers. But also Sheila Hicks, Dries van Noten and Mina Perhonen, or the garden designer Piet Oudolf, choreographer Hans van Manen and more…

V: At your blog you mentioned that you have a father that can create anything from tables to a whole house if needed. did he learn you a lot of creative things/crafts while you were growing up and did you two spend much time creating things together?

P: What I learned from my father is that if you wantyou can make everything. I learned to think practical and be precise. He learned me wood skills like to saw straight. When we weregrowing up, my father completely rebuiltour house and I helped him a lot. We were and are a good team. And he still likes to make things, like a sideboard or a wall as we did last month at our attic or the small wooden houses.

etching

wooden houses made by patrice's father and the wire house is made by one of her sons

V: Do you have a favorite poem, saying or quote that means something special to you?

P: My favorite quote is: ‘Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about dancing in the rain.’ Because I often forget and worry too much about unnecessary things.

V: You once told in a post that you don't use a lot of jewelry but i am curious to know the story behind the silver rings that you are always wearing...they are so pretty : )

P: Ha, my rings. The first one are three rings together, connected. My love gave this one to me when I was pregnant with our first son. The next one is a single ring similar like the three connected ones. I don’t remember why and from whom, but it makes four and we are a family of four: me and the kids (the three) and my Love (one), or three man and one woman ;^))

The third ring, like a pearl rim is a reminder to do things step by step, slowly, every day, bit by bit.

The largest ring on top has an opal. After my grandmother died, years ago, it was specially made for me. She always wore a necklace with an opal. When I graduated from the Art Academy my love gave me a ring in the shape of a crown as a crowning of years of study. It is still one of my favorites but unfortunately to small at the moment.

another favourite quote

collection of rings

V: What are your wishes for this summer?

P: I wish for summery weather, with sunshine and enough wind so we can go sailing every day with our beautiful sailing boat. And i hope to see the sea and paint it.

V: Some future dreams or goals that you are focusing on?

P: Dreams…. Some dreams I have for years, I should just start doing!

V: How do you picture yourself ten years from now?

P: Ten years from now we live in an small farmhouse with a large garden with flowers, vegetables and fruit trees, ecological polyculture. There is a shed which is my workroom, for my interior business, but also for making my linocut print on fabric, a small side business for making aprons and tea towels like I already do now and then. And in ten years time I have started teaching again, art lessons for children, because I miss being a teacher. That would be nice.

patrice in her fairy-tale : )

All photos by Patrice.

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a conversation with sofia/être soi

V: Tell us a bit about yourself Sofia.
S: Hello everyone my name's Sofia, I'm on my mid-thirties, I'm portuguese and I live since 16 years now in France just outside Paris. I live with my husband who is french. I have one sister, older than me. My mom died when I was still a child and this loss has been with me ever since, in whatever I do. I'm from the south of Portugal but I have always longed to live somewhere up north, especially the north of Europe. When I was a child we had family and friends where all over the world: Belgium, Germany, Holland, Australia, Canada, etc and even Macao. I have always been used to the idea of having the world as my home, just like in the song "wherever I lay my hat that's my home" : ) 

V: How would you describe yourself?

S: First of all I'm a maker; I exist to, and because I, create and I create to exist. I'm very opened to spirituality and I believe that what I do is my way of living my spirituality everyday. I'm a person who loves to learn all the time, I'm always looking for new ideas, I'm always searching, I never stop searching : ) With the years I have also learned to see life differently and to accept what I can’t change; this has been a major change in me and I’m grateful that thanks to my searches and to my open mind I have been able to arrive here and to continue my path. Of course, I also believe that nothing happens without a reason, so I’m sure that everything comes at the right time. Every day is a new day to learn what could be better than this?

V: Can you tell us about the title of your blog?

S: Oh, yes être-soi means to be yourself, this is what my blog is about, the possibility that we all have to be ourselves, the choices we make in life even if we think that sometimes it’s life that has made its choices for us, which erases the responsibility we have but at the end we are the ones who accept it or not. And this also means not only on a physical level but on a mindful one too, especially on this one. Sometimes we prefer not to see life the way really is, so we keep on telling ourselves that we made what was possible but deep down inside we know that we haven’t. Life is about transformation and fortunately it is never too late to learn and become who we really were supposed to be. On my blog, I write about everything, some more deep subjects but the most frivolous ones too, because life is made of both. I also wanted at first to talk about spirituality and I haven’t really done it on a regular basis until a few weeks ago when I started making some podcasts (holistic moments) about what I feel, based on my own experiences only.

  
V: You are an artist working with different mediums like textile, painting and also writing.

S: Yes, at the beginning writing was my first love, I never thought that I was able to paint because I didn’t knew how to draw, this is what I was told has a child, so I wrote all my teenage years, I wrote my first short story at the age of 10. I always kept on working with textile because this was and still is the only link I kept with my mother. Textile, painting and writing are all intertwined for me; they are all part of me and my story. My artwork is based on my personal and cultural/collective story. I was born 1 year after the Salazar dictatorship felt down on my country and I was born into a new world rocked by my parent’s dreams for freedom. They have long gone but I keep on dreaming for them too 

V: Can you tell us a little bit about what you are working on at the moment?

S: At the moment my main work is a book I started writing, here in France we call it an auto-fiction book because it blends both reality and fiction and it is written as a journal with daily flashbacks into my memory. I’ve also started to work on “Tisserie de poèmes” which means more or less “ the weaving workshop of poems” , where like always I try to mix painting, collage, drawing and my words. And of course I continue to write poetry.

V: What inspires you?

S: Everything inspires me, I have come to a conclusion that it’s life: mine and others that inspires me, so it’s really difficult to say one or 2 things…. Life is art and art is inspiring!

V: What makes you happy?

S: A lot of things make me happy, mostly the little things of daily life. As happiness and any other emotion is not a permanent state I am very grateful to be able to find meaning and beauty in what surrounds me. But how could I not say that a perfect 2 hour walk through green parks and blue lakes are on my top list 

herbarium 7, watercolor/pencil drawing

V: Artists that you admire?

S: Vilhelm Hammershoi is my favorite of all time, the beauty of the ordinary life he has painted puts me on a meditative state; it’s amazing. Louise Bourgeois is an icon for me, as she has succeeded to make art with her life and to exorcize all the demons in her life through her art and for that I admire her. I also love Sophie Calle, Annette Messager, Christian Boltanski. As for writers Fernando Pessoa, Florbela Espanca, Hélène Bessette, Sylvia Plath, Silvia Baron Supervielle, Virginia Woolf, Olivier Adam and Nancy Huston are the ones that I carry with me wherever I go.

V: When i say creative you say....

S: Alive 


V: Something you have learned the hard way?

S: To let go: from a loss, from a lack, I’ve learned that we are stronger than we can imagine and that we can manage to go through anything in life.

V: What do you especially appreciate in your life at the moment?

S: My time; I know that we can’t have everything in life and that sooner or later things have to transform so while I have this time that my job offers me I’m happy and grateful. I had to say goodbye to a lot of things, and that includes a big part of my income, I have learned how to live differently, but nothing’s more precious than the time I have for me and for the ones I love.

V: How does a perfect day look like for you?

S: My perfect day is to get up at 8am and do some Yoga, than take a shower and eat a delicious and healthy breakfast, while doing it I listen to radio podcasts about philosophy, spirituality and literature and I browse through the internet. I make some household tasks while listening to these podcasts too. I than spend some hours until lunch normally writing or painting. I make lunch and eat lunch and after that on a perfect day I would stay home writing and painting again, but on a normal day I just go to the museum where I work until 6pm and come home where I will prepare dinner for when my husband arrives, we eat dinner and we watch a movie together just before going to bed early around 10:30pm this is a perfect day for me and it looks like I live it because this is exactly what I live daily 

private poetry crocheted necklace

V: I know you treasure a good book, can you share some of your favourites with us:

S: Well, “The book of disquiet” by Fernando Pessoa is my all time favorite, it is my bible, the one that is constantly have beside my bed and that speaks to me at any moment of my life, than I have so many that it’s hard to name a few but I’ll try. “Cliffs” by Olivier Adam is a personal masterpiece, I’m on every page! Any book by Nancy Huston also, she’s an amazing writer and she writes so well about women. Also any Andrée Chedid’s poetry book is a must.

V: Do you have a favourite quote or saying that you would like to share?

S: Yes and it’s by Fernando Pessoa :

"I am nothing

I shall never be anything

I cannot wish to be anything

Aside from that, I hold within me all the dreams of the world."

V: Where do you like to be in ten years from now?

S: I just would like to be where I am but being able to pay my bills with what I create, no more no less just that.

V: And last: can you please share one of your own poems with us?

S: My pleasure They are all written in French so the translation is not the best, hope you’ll like it anyway:

I speak an unknown language

at the end of a colorless day.

Through the window, the

painless light sends me back

my split up image.

Just above the last cloud is dying,

on me,

over the imperfect hours.

I know now where I go.

After my coffee

I leave and

I forget my name.

 -

Je parle un langage inconnu

à la fin d’une journée incolore.

Par la fenêtre, la

lumière indolore me

renvoi mon image fragmentée.

Juste au dessus le dernier nuage se meurt,

sur moi,

sur les heures imparfaites.

Je sais maintenant où je vais.

Après mon café je

pars et

j’oubli mon nom.

-
links:
sofias blog, etsy shop and website.

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A conversation with Joanne/Rhubarb in the garden

Time for a new conversation post in here my dear readers.
This time it is the lovely Joanne who has taken the time to share with us,
enjoy!




V: Tell us a bit about yourself and your life.

J: I come from a large and close family, that is growing larger every year! I am the eldest of eight children, and that is fine, but sometimes it comes with drama and crisis and high expectations that I almost always fail to live up to – I have two grown children, that for the moment still live with me (which is wonderful) but as for my life...let me tell you a quick little story, that does not give away too much detail, but a fair insight into how I have lived my life up until now...

My Great Aunt was the daughter of a Gypsy – her name was Sheila Snowdrop Christmas – (no, I’m not kidding) she had bright orange curly hair and was always smiling and laughing – she used to say how her and my grandmother would sit on the wall and pretend to be Lana Turner and Rita Hayworth! Whenever we visited our Grandmother, we would ask Aunty to read our tea leaves. We would have to turn the emptied cup upside down onto the saucer and turn it round three times – which we of course LOVED to do! She was always right, that was the magical thing about these readings, and the last time she read my cup (I had my three year old boy and one divorce behind me already at only 21), she told me that she saw lots of butterflies.
I thought this was wonderful, but she frowned and told me that it meant that I would find it hard to settle down to anything for very long, like a butterfly fluttering from one flower to another tasting everything...
I couldn’t see what would be so bad about that! I wanted to taste everything life could offer me, but now, twenty years on and I can understand why she frowned. It takes time to establish roots, to build a home and be rewarded with the sense of security that that kind of commitment brings – I’m just hoping that it’s not too late to begin trying to establish some roots at my old age!

V: How would you describe yourself as a person?

J: Well, we have a little joke at home – We have allocated each other characters from Winnie the Pooh.
My children decided that I am Rabbit!
My son is Eyeore (though he aspires to Owl,)
And my daughter thinks she’s Tigger, but is really Pooh!
We laugh because it’s so true! I AM Rabbit – I do think I ought to be Kanga (because she’s the Mother) But I’m not Kanga, I am Rabbit. I must be left in peace to potter about in my garden...











V: You are an artist creating both fabric and jewelry. I would love to know more about your work!

J: I have used many different materials since leaving Art School – and I used to feel guilty about that, as though I was betraying my art or something stupid like that! Now I know that it’s the expression of creativity that is the most important thing not the loyalty to the medium.
So if I need to paint, I’ll paint, if I need to write, I’ll work on a poem, and if I want to work with clay again, I’ll throw a pot, or make a mug. Right now, I am learning about the art of Silversmithing and discovering how wonderful it is to ‘paint’ with natural dyes on fabric! I sense a new direction for my artwork coming through this newly discovered medium, perhaps with clothing, or wall hangings. I’ve been able to knit and sew since I was little – taught by my wonderful Grandmother – and I’m so thankful to have felt her love for me as she taught me these skills. I miss her terribly.

V: If you were to learn a new craft what would that be?

J: Oh don’t tempt me Vibeke – I really would love to learn how to spin – which means graduating to weaving too – and then perhaps owning my own speciality flock of sheep....oh dear...the butterfly in me will not rest...

V: A part from creating what other things do you enjoy doing?

J: Yoga, walking, taking photographs, spending time with my nieces and nephews and family.

V: Do you have any designers that you admire the work of?

J: Jillian of the The Noisy Plume – she is always so surprising and sincere with her work, I love to see what she will conjure up next! I could not hope to produce work like hers, and would not want to, but she is very inspiring.
Agnes Martin – she truly feels like a sister of my heart – her paintings are perfection.
All Scandinavian Designers – FULL STOP – they just know how to keep it simple and right.
There are so many talented people out there – I discover more and more browsing through the internet, there are way too many to list.








V: How does a perfect day look like for you?

J: It has to have a blue sky – it instantly lifts me and makes me believe that anything is possible. And if the Sun is generous with her warmth, then that would complete the perfect day.

V: What inspires you?

J: Beautiful design, and images. I need my Tumblr – it acts as my “mood- board” - I used to hoard magazines, Art, Fashion, Interior design etc, but now I just browse through my Tumblr and am happy and always inspired to keep on creating.

V: What makes you happy?

J: My children and knowing how much I love them and will always love them.

V: What do you especially appreciate in your life at the moment?

J: Life, because it can be taken from us without asking for permission. So , yes, life.

V: Are there any places in the world that you dream of visiting?

J: An old friend once told me that I was the only person he had ever met with no internal compass, which means I have no sense of direction and get lost coming out of a car park! BUT minus the fear of getting lost, I’d love to visit all the old cities in the world, Prague, St Petersburgh, Vienna – I want to absorb the architecture, and colours and design, take photographs, write at old cafe tables, eat chocolate...

V: I think it so interesting to hear about the things people collect and why. You are collecting stamps joanne, how did this start?

J: Oh V, this is my secret obsession – it’s not cool to admit to collecting stamps...
but my collection is related to childhood – and Christmas (which is for Children too right?).
It began with a set of racing car stamps my Grandmother bought for my son when he was still a toddler – it began as a collection for him as a child – but now it’s mine!

I have only just today ordered a First Day issue and Presentation Pack of the Classic British Children’s Comics – The Dandy, Twinkle etc...I get so excited (see, I told you it was embarrassing!) I love my children’s illustrators ones, children’s books, and the huge Harry Potter collection, Lord of the Rings, The Magic Stamps, and the Thunderbirds ones...oh dear, answering this question is going to take up the entire space!








V: I know that you like to read, can you share some of your favourite novels with us and also a little bit about why you like them so much?

J: I actually lost the love of reading for many years – I tried and tried to rediscover this old love, but just was not in the right emotional state of mind for it. Then I joined La Porte Rouge’s online Book club this year to force myself to read, which worked! I have devoured – literally ate up dozens of book so far this year! Your recommendation was done in an afternoon V, I loved it so much. My son is the cultural deputy in our home, so recommended quite a few off the wall books, that I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud to. “A Confederacy of Dunces” to name just one....
I have read everything written by Virginia Woolf and I have re-read, countless times her short stories. Then when I discovered that she was influenced by Katherine Mansfield, I read her short stories too! They are perfectly constructed stories – no wonder Virginia Woolf was jealous...
On my bedside table there is always Sylvia Plath and Elizabeth Bishop...

V: Do you have a favourite quote?

J: “if you can’t say anything nice – don’t say anything at all...”

Because after all – there is always something good to say about a person – even if it takes a while to discover it!

V: Where would you like to be in ten years from now?

J: This one is easy – sitting in a rocking chair nursing one of my many, many (I hope) grandchildren!

Links:
Joannes blog,
tumblr, fabric site/spoonflower and Etsy.

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A conversation with Olga/My white room

I LOVE making my conversation posts and i am SO happy and grateful that these inspiring women takes the time to answer my questions! It is such a wonderful thing to get to know them better. This time it is Olga Inoue who has been so kind to share a little bit about herself, her life and work with us.
ENJOY and be inspired! I TRULY AM...smile...








Can you tell a little bit about yourself?


- I am a montessori teacher. I was studying psychology but now i`m taking a little break from work.
We have moved with a friend to another city. I have always dreamed of having time for crafts so for the last six months i have been working for myself, in my white room.


You are an artist working with lots of different materials. Do you especially like one of them?


- I can not say that really. My only feeling: today i am in the mood for wood,
the next day i want to draw, put some vintage brass parts together.
Every day i am finding myself falling in love with something new.









Do you have any favourite artists?


- I adore Klimt`s nature paintings, thin trees, autumn ones and flowers.
Hopper, because i love 30`s, 50`s, stylish america, bright sun.
Shishkin - russian nature, wild woods and greens of my native land.
also - Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Harriet Backer. And old japanese
Sumi-e painting.


What inspires you?


- Everything. Nature, weather, children, music, talking with people.


What are your interests?


- As i was working in a montessori school for a long time it became
a huge part of my life, so i`m interested in children development, exercises, toys,
crafts, especially the ones that were made near nature or according to it.
A time ago i started learning japanese and i just need to make some room for it now.
I love scandinavian cultures, the way they treat home as a beautiful and peacful space for living and creating. And that`s what i was aiming for - home and nature are my number one interests.










What makes you happy Olga?


- Just simple things as beeing next to the person you love, to be inspired, loved,
mornings, talking to children, drawing.


Do you have a favourite quote or poem that you will like to share?


- The one i put on the front page of my blog.
Poems - Brodsky for the past time and
there is my favorite author ever - Yuri Vizbor.


Do you have any creative dreams that you would like to share?


- Yes i do, i have plenty! But for now i am going to buy a pottery wheel to
make some bowls and cups, daily studying japanese and to organize
my very own small montessori class.

How does a perfect day look like for you?


- Spending the day with my dear friend somewhere new...a place we have never visited before, like a trip. Or it can be just spending the day at home, either one.



What do you especially appreciate in your life at the moment?


- Freedom and the capability of doing things i want to do at the moment.


If you were going to take a trip to another country wich one would it be and why?


- Japan. Dreaming of it for eight years now, ever since i had my first japanese student. There is something magical and pure in this country. And, Vibeke,
Norway.

Links:
Olga's Etsy shop, homepage, blog and Facebook.


All photos by Olga Inoue.

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A conversation with Magdalena/Color Sepia

I am so excited about sharing this conversation with Magdalena with you! I just LOVE getting to know more about the women that inspires me and Magdalena truly is one of them. I have been following her blog for a long time, it is filled with amounts of inspiration and beauty.
I was SO curious to see her work space and sweet as she is she took some photos so we could get a peek into her space- enjoy!: )
Some of her work is sold through her etsy shops Color Sepia and TrivialityLab.









Can you tell us a little bit about yourself Magdalena?
...a bit of myself, well I'm 33 years old, I live in Stockholm...one of the cities that I love...the other ones are...Warsaw where I was born, Valparaiso where I have lived and studied, Montevideo where the magic happens...and still, there is lots of those that I would like to visit and surely fell in love with too.
I am a curious person in constant movement. I almost always have many projects going on. I am very purposeful, self-critical, sensitive ... and sometimes I talk too much ... earlier, I always said what I thought, now I am perhaps more cautious, but I stand by my opinions.
My great role model for me is my mother, an incredibly strong, mindful and wise woman.

I have been following your blog for a long time and i always feel inspired after visiting. I am curious about what inspires you/where you find your inspiration?
I find my inspiration all around me. Often I am inspired by nature ... but it can be the music, smells, feelings, moods, light, small momentary trivialities that can start a creative process in me.

You work with many different mediums (ceramic, photography, silver, textile and more). Do you have a favorite medium to work with/do you feel more "connected" with one of them?
I use different mediums because I both think it's very exciting with different forms of expression but also because I do not want to limit myself to one. Of course I admire people who can work with one and the same material and know it to the perfection ... it might be like this for me also some time in the future.
There is a whole world behind each medium, and right now I don’t feel that I could or would close any doors to the fabulous treasures…there is still so much to discover, to learn.

Are there any mediums you would like to try/work with?
What I might know are different techniques in different materials, and now I would like to be able to take my creativity to a deeper level.

What are you working on these days?
I'm currently working with materials such as burlap and unfortunately I can`t say more because it's a little secret so far.

You have two etsy shops, what can we look forward to find there this year?
When it comes to my etsy shops, I don´t plan so much in advance. I make what`s in my taste or what I find interesting and if it gets good response I feel very happy.






What makes you happy?
Things that makes me happy may be the smell of fresh coffee in the morning, my family and close friends, my dog​​, being able to ride bike, swim in the lake, experience the four seasons, have wonderful memories and create new ones. I am simply very grateful and happy for what I have.

Besides creating what other things do you enjoy?
I enjoy being in the nature, reading, thinking…I enjoy music, good food,movies…normal things.

Do you have some favourite artists?
I have a few artists whose work I appreciate… I can mention here among others Magdalena Abakanowicz, Lars Lerin, Eva Hesse, Matthew Harris, Cristina Peri Rossi, Krzysztof Kieslowski…

Do you have a favorite quote that you would like to share with us?
My favorite quotes are:
“Be alive,
be here -- and know
the beat of your heart. “
This one I found on Donna Watson `s beautiful blog Layers

And the other one is by my boyfriend Pablo Magallanes
“ Living my dreams in the reality created by my own fantasies”

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a conversation and give away with brittan/little owl arts

I love getting to know the persons behind the blogs i am reading a little bit better.To know what inspires them, what a typical day in their life looks like and so on...Some weeks ago i had a conversation with Niina/Souvenirs and this time it is with Brittan/Little owl arts. At the end of this post you can also read about how you can enter the give away where you can be the owner of one of Brittans beautiful creations.









Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Sure! Well, my name is Brittan, I am an artists/crafter living in New England in the seaside town of Gloucester, Ma. (which is part of Cape Ann, a peninsula on the coast north of Boston.) I live in a granite cottage in the woods with my beloved dog, Veda, and bird, Posey. I love the sea as well as the mountains, so where my house is feels like the best of both worlds being in the woods up the street from the ocean.
I love beautiful things.
One of my mentors once told me that she likes to live "the beauty way". This means she would surround herself with what she thought was beautiful, whether it was conventional or not, or to take extra steps to bring beauty into her life, like always having fresh flowers around her house and workspace. I really identify with this, a large part of my life and work incorporates what I feel is beautiful, or beauty that inspires me. I love nature, it is one of the things that most inspires me, one of my favorite things is listening to the trees rustle in the wind or hearing birdsong outside my door.

How does a typical day in Brittan's life look like? I like to wake up fairly early, I have never really been able to sleep in. I like to wake up slowly, snuggle with my dog and bird, make some tea and start organizing my mind and making a list of what needs to get done or what I would like to get done. I am a HUGE fan of list making! Next I usually feed the animals, feed myself and then take miss Veda-lou out for a good walk. I like to be outside, I am always looking for treasures... A special leaf or stone, feathers, bones- the other day I found a shed snake skin out by the wood pile! When I get back, I start working on my list. I usually have a few different things I am working on at all times, this helps keep my creative cycle from getting in a rut (because I have come to realize there is a cycle to the creative process!). So depending on what I need or want to work on, I sometimes can multi-task, like getting some silk dyed while I am working on felting, crocheting or painting. I work all throughout the day, stopping for meals or other chores, but usually until I am ready for bed I am working on things here and there. Sometimes it is hard to take time off, but it's ok because I really love what I do! Sometimes I wonder where the time goes, it seems to fly by so quickly, one of these days I am going to figure out the secret to slowing down time!










I have been following your blog for a long while and i must say that i especially love the posts of your walks in nature Brittan. what does nature mean to you? Nature is extremely important to me, it is pretty much my main source of inspiration. I have a deep connection with nature and the earth. I can remember always playing outside in the bushes making forts or climbing trees and picking wildflowers when I was younger. I went to school to study herbalism, using plants as medicine and it is more of a way of life for me than just a practice. I worked for years at a store as one of their herbalists and have spent many years as a gardener both in my own garden and working for other people. I love the organic textures and shapes that you find in nature, texture is something that I have always been fascinated with.

You are a self taught artist that enjoys working with different mediums. can you tell us a little bit of the mediums you are working the most with and why you have choosen those? Growing up I was always drawing and painting. I liked to work in acrylic and lately have moving into watercolor. For a long time I made sterling silver wire wrapped jewelry using both precious and semi-precious stones. I still do from time to time if I am inspired to create something, but in the last few years have expanded and shifted my focus into fiber art. I make crocheted necklaces and pendants using smooth beach stones and glass that I find both locally and in my adventures, I even use crystals that I get from a friend up the street who mines them locally! I also work with silk and wool, creating nuno felted scarves and things. I also like to spin yarn and needle felt... I like to incorporate nature into my work as much as possible, or use natural materials. I also like to do things myself as much as possible. I make some felted mermaids and owls where I get the wool locally, mostly from some rescued sheep in the next town over, I do all the processing which means I pick it clean, wash it, card it and then dye it before I felting into shape! It is a lot of work, but I like to have at least a few things that are 100% local and 100% handmade!

What inspires you/where do you find your inspiration? I am strongly inspired by my environment, both externally and internally. I am inspired by nature and the environment that surrounds me, but also by my home and architecture. Lately I have been really inspired by scandinavian art, architecture, the landscape and the tradition. I also love japanese art and architecture.
I love looking at textures, shapes, colors and forms out in nature and all around me. I am also inspired by people, lifestyles, animals, flowers, trees, stones, the beach and ocean, lanscapes, weather, and moments where the heart connects. I guess by life in general, especially more rustic lifestyles. However, I am also inspired by mysterious, magical things. I like fairy tales and creatures and beings of spirit, folklore or mythology.

Besides creating, what other things/activities do you enjoy? I love to swim and take walks out in beautiful places in nature, like the beach or woods, as well as car rides to see beautiful places. I love the snow, so I like to walk, snowshoe and snowboard (when I have the $ to!) in it. I love to garden, bake bread and a good cup of tea, it is like prayer, many of my teas are herbs and flowers from my garden. I also love to hoola hoop (with adult sized hoops, not those tiny ones that are kids toys), if you haven't tried it it is so much fun and a great workout!

Do you have any favourite artists yourself? There are so many artists that I love. Growing up I always loved and was inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe and Claude Monet. I was also really inspired by Salvador Dali when I was in high school. I am finding some wonderful artists lately who's work and being I am moved by, such as sheila hicks, Jill Bliss, Abigail Brown, Margaret Oomen, Cathy McMurray, Jillian Lukiwski (to name a few).









Brittan is giving away one of her lovely necklaces where you get to choose the color on the crocheting work that sourrounds the stone. The only thing you have to do is to write a comment under this post telling us what inspires you (and of course it would be nice if you stopped by Brittans blog and said hello). The give away is open until the end of this sunday and the lucky winner will be announced here on monday.

Happy weekend,
love
v.

the give away is now closed!

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a lovely conversation with niina from finland

I am so excited by sharing this post with you!

A conversation with Niina behind the blog Souvenirs.
A blog that i find incredibly beautiful and inspiring, a blog that i have been reading for a long long time. Her writings are soothing for the soul
and her photos are truly like sweet eye-candy.
Enjoy!



Niina: To me, pictures are like souvenirs of life. They are memories of all the things I've done and all the places I've been. Memories of the past years and reached dreams. They are also memories of just ordinary life and everyday things. A smile of a child, evening sun, bunch of flowers on a night table, a good book,afternoon tea. Memories of all those big and small moments.
As I said - they are memories of life.








Can you tell us a little bit about what it was that made you start your own blog?

Niina: After reading some really beautiful and inspiring blogs for a while I started to wonder about what it would be like to have my own blog. And finally in January 2009 i started my first blog Muruinen. It took me a while to figure out what kind of blog i wanted to have but slowly it started to look more and more like me. Muruinen was a really nice place but after 1,5 years of blogging i needed a change (like bigger pictures:)) soo therefore on July 2010 i started Souvenirs.













Niina: I don't have time to write a real diary (I would love to, it actually was my New Year's Resolution to start writing on one but I don't know where all my time goes). So therefore Souvenirs is bit like a diary to me. I love sharing my photos and i also like to sit down and write a little but I try to keep a line between my personal life and my blog.
I've started to see things differently and more closely after having my own blog and also after taking more pictures. I'm always "on", looking and seeking for beautiful things, moments and images. There's a lot of beauty out there and I feel so lucky to notice it.

What inspires you?

Niina: I know it sounds like a cliché but I get my inspiration from everywhere. It's hard to specify it because anything can be beautiful or interesting.


PS: Niina also has her own blogshop


Wishing you all a wonderful autumn weekend,
it seems like it is going to be a cold one here : )
love,
v

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