getting to know crystal neubauer

power and fragility inhabit their shared space

harmoniously 

in crystal neubauer's work. i discovered her collages,

mixed media paintings and encaustic pieces on etsy

a couple of years ago and i have been enraptured

with the visual feast and sheer poetry of her work

ever since.

equal parts the nature of the material 

and the sensitivity of the artist,

her work tucks unutterable prayers

between delicate layers

of vintage ephemera.

i know you will enjoy getting to know the woman

behind the breathtaking work

as much as i did.

some things you love: 

old books falling apart and slightly musty with ragged torn covers.
my cat curled up on my lap, or following me from room to room begging for milk. hanging out with my family over a meal. spending long quiet hours alone in the studio. walking out the front door and bumping into a friend. comfy clothes. long hot baths. perusing the magazine aisle at the book store and then lingering with a stack of them over a cup of coffee.

some things you love about yourself (go ahead, brag a little): 

i see things a little differently then others and i believe this is evident in my art. i am learning to use my voice after having lived most of my life believing i didn’t have one. i tend to be a defender of the voiceless minority, a rooter of the under-dog. i don’t believe in going against the status-quo just to be different, but i have a hard time remaining silent when i see an injustice. i am learning to stand in the uncomfortableness of that moment and i think that is pretty cool.

what you're working on at the moment:

i have been experimenting with encaustic painting in combination with drawing on the surface of the wax. recently i’ve begun “sculpting” on a 2-d collaged surface by drawing on top of a layer of wax and scraping, adding ink or chalk or graphite and scraping some more. the process begins to resemble a sculpture being chiseled from a hard surface.

 

where do you draw inspiration from?

i am inspired by texture and line. i will squint at a landscape and see the color blocked look of the scenery or notice the way a few random objects are lying in a drawer. i love to decorate from the items i collect and i carry this inspiration into the studio. and of course, the internet has a plethora of inspiration, almost to the point of overkill.

what is your creativity nemesis?

over scheduling my time to the point of not making it into the studio for days, sometimes weeks at a stretch.

and our most effective weapon against it?

remembering that I am the keeper of my schedule and prioritizing the studio time. allowing myself to work in my pajamas, early in the morning before the tasks of the day begin to press in.

something you've learned the hard way:

everything does not depend on me.

would you please recommend a book?

i am a huge anne lamott fan. 'bird-by-bird' is excellent for the creative process, it is geared toward writers, but i read it with my art goals in mind.

favorite natural food to snack on:

tender white buttered popcorn with sea salt. frozen dark chocolate peanut butter cups from trader joe's. i think they qualify as natural? i love pears and freshly cut pineapple too, but those frozen peanut butter cups are hard to resist.

 

when i say feminine you say... 

beauty wrapped in many packages.

i don’t have to be girly to be feminine and i don’t have to be masculine to be equal.

something you need to do less of:

worry

 

something you need to do more of:

pray

your perfect day:

my idea of the perfect day changes with my mood and circumstances, but today it is having a good friend who lives far away come hang out with me in the studio and then unwinding with my favorite gluten free pizza and a glass of wine in front of the fireplace. and ice cream. the perfect day always ends with ice cream.

 

 

thank you, crystal for giving us a glimpse 

into your beautiful world!

for more of crystal's work, studio,

process & inspiration, please stop by her website

and blog. 

black & white favorites of art prize 2012

"it's not my fault"   andrew hawkes

"it's not my fault"   andrew hawkes

"motivation"  anne gates

"motivation"  anne gates

"eutopia"   julie friedman

"release"   scout dunbar

"chiaroscuro"   virginia kistler

check out more artprize 2012 entries here.

getting to know alice fox

rust. tea. stitching. soft earthy tones. natural materials.

delicate and decisive work.

sensitivity and restraint.

texture heaven.

meet the wonderful alice fox,

a uk artist working in mixed media. 

i am thrilled to introduce her,

as she graciously shares with us her work,

inspiration, and creative process.

 

some things you love:

pottering in my garden; eating things I’ve grown; 

the feel of my children’s hands in mine; 

making music with others; wind in my hair; 

dirty feet from having them bare all day; 

an open fire; being read to in bed; 

the smells of the seasons…

some things you love about yourself 

(go ahead, brag a little):

leading a full and stimulating life

what you're working on at the moment:

my residency exhibition in the old lighthouse 

at Spurn Point.  It’s a really challenging 

space and I’m excited and scared 

by it in equal measure.

where do you draw inspiration from?

the detail of the natural world; 

the way material is sorted by wind and water; 

macro and micro landscapes.

what is your creativity nemesis?

feeling the need to deal with paper work   

in order to clear the way for the creative stuff… 

it’s difficult to switch off 

from the list of things that should be done.

and your most effective weapon against it?

keeping to a routine and assigning time for each.

something you've learned the hard way:

you can’t always count on support 

from those you hoped it would come from.

would you please recommend a book?

The Wild Places, Robert Macfarlane

favorite natural food to snack on:

anything picked straight off the plant

when i say feminine you say...

curves

something you need to do less of:

sit in front of my computer

something you need to do more of:

drawing

your perfect day:

walking, drawing, singing

 thank you, alice for giving us a glimpse 

into your inspiring path!

for more of alice's work, studio, 

process & inspiration, please stop by her website.

burn marks, thread, new work, and a sale

 pausing a moment

to share what became

of the burned papers i showed

weeks ago.

fire. tears. punctures.

found bits. drip drip drips.

memory.

thread. mending.

words tumbling down.

 

a page from the book of go cry  me a river

 

love letter

a moment of silence

 

 lots of new work means

i am now low on space and funds.

so i am hosting a 5-day sale in my shop

everything is 20% off until sunday.

please continue to excuse

my meager participation in e-space these days

and enjoy the gift of this new day!

she laughs without fear of the future

new piece.

flowers.

to dos. done.

milk stout. 

    

a delightful weekend to you!

a sea of egg shells. an unfinished poem.

'went to bed with an unfinished poem

in my mouth

and could not kiss.'

-vera pavlova

this is what happens

when i have work in progress.

 taking a break from the egg shells

to work on this new piece. 

a thrifted framed canvas. 

bathed in layers of white.

texture hinting at original painting 

beneath. the minimalist in me

wants to leave it at that.

pure. simple.

pages from the journal

of a week without a tea pot

beg to join in.

the architect in me

wants to leave it at that.

what happens next?

a day's work.

"but tomorrow, dawn will come the way i picture her, barefoot and disheveled, standing outside my window in one of the fragile cotton dresses of the poor. she will look in at me with her thin arms extended, offering a handful of birdsong and a small cup of light. 

-billy collins

“hello, sun in my face. 

hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields...

watch, now, how i start the day in happiness, in kindness.”

-mary oliver

sketch on my chalk board wall

from memory.  latest completed piece.

goings on in the studio

 beginnings of art prize piece. clearly

more egg shells are necessary.

omelet anyone?

 progress on 'irrational season' piece.

at least i hope it's progress.

hard to tell sometimes.

 

finally pleased with where this one's at. it took

a week of staring to figure out

what was needed.

mixed responses to this piece

make me wonder.

i fight fiercely

against the objectification of women.

is it possible

for my work to be interpreted

otherwise?

i would love your input!