Sunday, November 30, 2008

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

You have read many interviews with great artists and photographers (who are also artists). It is time that you read a bit about me. This feature features my photography shop - Past Perfect. I, too, am a member of Photographers of Etsy. I have answered the same questions that I ask the other artists who have come to this site to be featured. This interview also appeared on anther site by photographer, theeye, but I wanted to bring it here to let you all know a little bit more about me. So come and meet -




Briefly describe what you create.

I have discovered that with the camera I can capture a perfect representation of a moment in time and then turn that moment into art. I have always been envious of those who can do this with pen and ink, pencil, paint, and paper or canvas. My attempts at drawing have been primitive at best, but with the camera and sometimes with the help of the computer I can achieve the same result.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Photography has take most of my time recently, though I work in a number of craft media - as represented in my other Etsy shop, qbranchltd. In addition to photography, I am a woodturner, a woodworker, a fiber artist, a leatherworker, and the list goes on. I go back and forth between them all and at times mix them together.

How long have you been creating craft?

I have been taking photographs since I got my first "Brownie" camera as a child (that dates me). I have had a camera of one kind or another for as long as I remember. I moved from film to digital when digital cameras became affordable. I have been creating craft for sale for over twenty five years - not photography, though. Turning photography from interesting snapshots into an art form, for me, has been recent.

How did you get started?

When I was in college, a long time ago, I took a photography course for a semester. I was taught film developing earlier by my father. Through that I gained an appreciation for black and white photography - simply because this was what you could do at home without an expensive lab. Digital images and computers changed all of that. Now years later I can print color images myself, and I can manipulate them in thousands of ways to get out of them what I want and what I want to express. Teaching myself the use of digital photo software opened a whole new world of creativity for me and started me on this path of art photography.

With the other work that I do, my living circumstances influenced what media I could work with. I enjoy working in wood, but could not do so in an apartment. When we moved to our house, I could create a workshop. Before that fiber arts were my focus as it could be done in a limited space. Now I have the ability to create a space for whatever I would like to try - within limits, of course.

At this point in my life I create craft full time. Two years ago I left a profession that I did not enjoy and with a great deal of support of my spouse started to craft and sell craft full time. When people ask what I am doing I tell them that I gave up a very lucrative profession to become a starving artist. But now I am enjoying life.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

Past Perfect describes the photographs that I am taking. I capture a perfect moment in time - time that immediately becomes the past - and the past is gone forever, except in that photograph that I have taken where it will continue to exist.

What would you most want people to know about your work?

I would like people to know that I get a great deal of satisfaction from their appreciation of my work. I am not really creating for me. I am creating for them. When I make something I keep it where I can see it for a while to be amazed at what I have created. I come back to look at it often, but I know that it needs to move aside for the next thing that I create. But I cannot just cast that piece aside. It needs to be seen and be appreciated. It is mine for only a short time (I hope) and then it goes to be treasured by someone else.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Know that your work is good and do not be discouraged by whatever anyone may say to the contrary. That work is a little part of you exposed to the world. As you are good, that work must be good. Be confident in your talent and always present yourself that way.

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So please come and take a look at Past Perfect. I know that it will be worth your time.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

We continue with our features on fine art photographers who sell their work on the Internet. I introduce you now to another member of the Photographers of Etsy. Here is Julie at



Briefly describe what you make?

I create photography with emotion in mind. If I see a landscape, person, or thing that evokes feelings in me such as beauty, love, or awe I want to capture it in my photography. My ultimate goal is to have my viewer say, "ahhhh!".

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

I haven't discovered by favorite style of photography yet. I am still experimenting and exploring. I started out primarily in landscape but have recently tried more contemporary urban scenes. I have a great admiration for photographers that can capture the essence and soul of a person or an animal. Both subjects are entirely unpredictable! I'd like to try and expand my skills in this direction.

How long have you been working at your craft?

I have been interested in taking photographs since I was a child. My photography was first published on DenverPost.com in 2000. It has only been the last few years that I have gotten serious about the aspects of fine art photography. Etsy has helped me to expand my audience and grow as a professional.

How did you get started?

I got started professionally with DenverPost.com where my work was featured online for nearly eight years as part a of collaboration with my writer husband. My husband and father-in-law have been my greatest advocates. Both have encouraged me to pursue photography. I trust them both so I just jumped right in and put my own insecure feelings aside.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I used my personal name for my shop name.

What would you most want people to know about your work?

The most important thing I want to give people with my photography is inspiration. I would love for people to be inspired, awed, happy, contemplative, or just plain moved by my images. I consider photography an art form and as such it should evoke emotion.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

My advice to other artists is to please yourself first. If you are not totally in love with your own work than you can not expect someone else to love it. Photography is so subjective but I believe if you put your heart and soul in your work those feelings will come across to other people.

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Fabulous! Great work, too! You must go and visit Julie's shop and see what she has.

While you are there please also go and see what is new at Past Perfect. There are some very new and interesting photographs there.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

We continue with our features on photography and photographers on the Internet. This is another member of the Photographers of Etsy. Come and meet Michelle of



Here is our interview -


Briefly describe what you make?

I am an artist with a passion for travel photography. I love to take pictures of urban settings, especially old architecture and street scenes. I also love to take macro shots of botanicals, fun shots of animals and a strange form of meditation for me is to take pictures of water using different shutter speeds and angles. I can really zone out that way!


What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Well, my number one fashion accessory is my Nikon D50 I named Nick! My lenses, scanner, along with CS3, my MacBook Pro, my brand new Wacom tablet (thanks to my awesome hubby!!) and my fantastic Canon ProPixma9000 printer, my arsenal of photography equipment keeps me happy at the moment. Well, there are a few more lenses I “need” and some filters, but for now, I’m a happy gal! Oh and I love painting with oils and drawing with a Grumbacher 6B pencil, it’s like liquid!


How long have you been creating craft?

Art has been a comforting companion for me my whole life. I have been drawing since I could pick up a pencil. I’ve been painting since college, I use it as a release for my emotions. And photography has been in and out of my life since my college years.

How did you get started?

I’ve always liked to take photos but didn’t take the hobby seriously until after college. I briefly worked as a University Photographer at my school while I worked for a wedding photographer. Then when I realized I needed more career stability, I started working in TV as a graphic designer and then as a promotions producer. During that time I would take travel shots but I was too busy to focus more on it. Since we moved to L.A. 3 years ago, the obsession is back and I can’t stop! It’s all I think about!

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I just changed my business name officially to Urban Junkies Photography. I love urban areas, we used to live in downtown Los Angeles and I am an Urban Junkie! I’ve been carrying that name around in my head for 3 years now and I’ve always wanted to make something of it. I was really bummed when I saw someone has a blog called urbanjunkies.com, I really thought I was being original! But at least I can add photography to the end of it! So, I just bought the domain www.urbanjunkiesphotography.com and I am super excited to fill it up someday!

I choose ZuppaArtista quickly to sign up for Etsy. Campbell is my maiden name and my married name is Zurek which means “soup” in Polish. I hyphenate my last name so I am literally “Campbell Soup”. I have a thing for Italian and since zuppa is “soup” in Italian, and I have tattoo on my wrist that says ARTISTA I thought it would work as a shop name. But I am happy I switched to Urban Junkies.

What would you most want people to know about your work?

I put my heart and soul into my art and photography. When I see something that inspires me I try to capture what I feel from it, to show my admiration for it. I fall in love with the subjects I photograph and I hope the viewer will to. Each shot is very meaningful to me, I want to document everything I experience.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

I have so much to learn myself!! ☺
I think most importantly, don’t let others opinions of your work define who you are. Etsy was really hard for me at first, I felt rejected because I hardly have any sales, or hearts. But I have realized that I am doing what I love, and I don’t know how to do anything else.

And definitely take a look at other artists and see how passionate they were for their craft. Gianlorenzo Bernini, Camille Claudel and Dan Eldon are my inspirations when I feel down about my work. They keep me motivated.

Finally, be true to yourself and use art as a vehicle to tell the world a story. Find what is in your heart and develop your own personal style while expressing yourself. I like to think my art is more than just home décor, that it is actually speaking to someone. Does that sound cheesy? ☺

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Wonderful and different. You must come to Michelle's shop and see her work. Leave a comment here and share what you think

Sunday, November 9, 2008

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

We continue with our features on photographers. This is another member of the Photographers of Etsy. I would like to introduce you to


Please come and meet Michelle -

Briefly describe what you make?

I’m a photographer and I work mainly in black and white. If I had to pick one word to describe my style, it would be “intimate:” I tend to fill my lens with the subject of my shot rather than stand back for a wider portrait.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

My favorite medium used to be film – it took me a very long time to embrace the digital age! For years, despite being a poor student, I’d spend my money on the best black and white film I could afford. In 2003 my husband bought me a wonderful Fuji digital camera (which I still use) and I remember staring at the box, horrified! A digital camera? What would I ever do with that?? But I’ve learned to embrace the amazing benefits of technology and Photoshop, yet I still harbor my love for film. Recently I’ve been using an ancient Kodax Duaflex viewfinder that belonged to my great aunt – I’m in love! I get a wonderful, grainy quality to my shots that I just adore.

How long have you been creating craft?

I’ve been wandering around with a camera attached to me for 12 years. I found my father’s 1972 Asahi Pentax when I was in college and I snuck off to Europe with it during a semester abroad my junior year. He wasn’t amused! I’ve been amassing a huge library of images – literally thousands – since then and only recently decided I needed to do something with them. I have two young boys and people have asked me why I’m putting myself out there now, and my answer is this: just because you are caring for others doesn’t mean you should stop caring about yourself and your own passions.

How did you get started?

I started photographing in earnest when my parents bought me my own Pentax – same make and model as my father’s – for my college graduation. I went off to Oxford for graduate school and this is where my poor student days really materialized! But still I bought my film and traveled all over The British Isles, Western Europe and Scandinavia, with my camera. One night a rowing teammate of mine named Emma was looking at my negatives and she offered to take me to the dark room in the Biology Department where she photographed and developed cellular structures of infectious diseases: I was hooked! I learned that capturing the image is only half the journey – the rest happens when you bring that image to life on paper. Now I use a virtual darkroom, but for me the same passion is there: I’ll still experiment with one image for hours until I get it right.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

The name of my shop is from the initials of my full name: Michelle Katharine Ciarlo-Hayes. Kind of a long shop name when all spelled out, so I thought I’d shorten it (and use lower-case letters, as a tribute to e.e. cummings and bell hooks…yes, I do have degrees in English and Women’s Studies!)

What would you most want people to know about your work?

I want people to know what a labor of love each public image is, and that there are at least 50 shots nearly identical to that are never seen. I’m a big believer in over-shooting: if I click my shutter 200 times, I might find 2 or 3 images that really speak to me. Not every shot I take is worthy of being in my store, and I never offer anything that I don’t truly love.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Know your strengths and what you love – it’s great to admire other people’s work and to try new styles, but I think each of us have a special voice. Your voice will never sound like anyone else’s, nor should it, so you have to be confident in your own talents! In that same vein, you also have to be courageous and put yourself out there: I’ve been accepted into some amazing shows this past year in Philadelphia and beyond. I was scared to death, but I took the leap, submitted my work here and there, and it really paid off. If you don’t believe in yourself, then no one else will.

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You must go to this shop and see the wonderful work that Michelle does in black and white and color photography. And in the shop you will find some surprises as Michelle also has made a few tote bags!


And of course, do not miss the new work that has been added to Past Perfect!




















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Friday, November 7, 2008

Meet Miss Lucy


Miss Lucy asked to model for me. In fact, she wants me to be her personal paparazzi. She wants me to catch her in her calm moments, her off moments, and her wild moments - even her most intimate moments.

Now, I have known Miss Lucy for some time now and she can get into some trouble from time to time. There is no knowing what I may be photographing her doing.

A series of Miss Lucy's photographs will appear in my shop, Past Perfect. This one is called "Miss Lucy Tends her Garden" This is one of her calmer moments. The other night she had me follow her on a date with a new "beau"! Be sure to check Past Perfect to see when that scandalous photo is released.

Also keep an eye out for Miss Lucy greeting cards. I tell you this bear has no shame!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

You are about to meet a photographer that brings bursts of color to her art. Come and meet



Here is our interview with the photographer, Ellen -

Briefly describe what you create?

Art. I see art in everything from the lines on the sidewalk to the grains of sugar I just spilled on my kitchen counter. My biggest love is photography, macro photography specifically. When you look at tiny things with a great big lens, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Hey! that might be a good tagline for my artshop....
What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Photography is my love..... followed closely by the digital realm, painting with oil on canvas, watercolour painting and drawing with pencils ... anything that really lets the creativity flow from my brain to my fingertips ...
How long have you been creating in your chosen genre?

There must be creativity in my blood. I've been an artist for as long as I can remember. I had my first camera when I was about 6... still have it too! one of those old instamatic Kodak HawkEyes with the blue square flash that went on top. While raising my family, I used my trusty Minolta film camera (still have THAT too!) for many years and finally delved into the digital photography world just over two years ago. Photography is not my only love though. I also paint in watercolour and oil and do a lot of pencil sketching. My doodle pad is FULL. If I'm not shooting or painting, I'm listening to music (copious amounts, I'm a music whore) or working on some other activity like writing, knitting, crocheting, etc etc etc... Life is Art 101 for me.

How did you get started?

Always had a love for it... was quite inspired by my oldest sister and her lovely Nikorrmat film camera ... So since an early age, I've had photography in my bones. I was always that kid in your class that could draw anything you asked. I don't think it ever had a specific 'start'...it just always was.... As for painting, I didn't start watercolour painting until 4 years ago.... That turned out to be quite a love and passion for me, and it was just a natural progression to move to oil on canvas. I did my first oil in September of 2006 and to be perfectly honest, I quite literally shocked the hell outta myself. It turned out very well... and I haven't looked back since.
Where does the name of your shop come from?

It was a tough decision for me... I toyed around with all kinds of names ... including GingerSnapz (cuz of my red hair) and a bunch of other silly ones. My friend Marc suggested 'The Eye' because I have a good eye for what constitutes art and beauty, and also my initials are EY.... kind of all fell together after that....

What would you most want people to know about your work?

-that I love every single piece I have produced.
-that a part of me is inside each painting and they are very difficult to part with
-that I'm proud as punch of the fact that somebody would want to hang MY ART on THEIR WALL!
-that I would hang any one of my pieces on my own walls

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Live in the moment. Be who you are. Don't lose sight of the inner light and spark that makes you the creative soul you have become. Never drop little pieces of yourself along the way. Write! Read! Educate yourself! Never stop learning technique and don't undervalue your worth as an artist. You are unique.

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Great! You must go to see this shop and see Ellen's work.

Want to know what Ellen looks like? Click Here
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Please come and also take a look at this shop which is also bringing great photography to you at very reasonable prices.