FEATURED ARTIST

This artist has talent in an ancient craft - very different, though what she creates is very modern and appealing. I am introducing to you -



Come meet the artist, Jess -

Briefly describe what you make?

I specialize in Chinese arts, specifically brush painting and knottings. The paintings have a very light and serene feel, and I mostly concentrate on scenes from nature – including landscapes, flora, and some animals. In terms of the knotting, I take traditional knotting techniques and apply them to functional usages, such as hair accessories, drawing from modern inspiration in the everyday world.

What mediums do you enjoy working in most?

Chinese brush painting is done on rice paper using ink and watercolors, which are applied using special brushes made of bamboo and animal hair. For knotting, I use a specific type of cord, which is perfectly round in diameter with a very smooth finish.

How long have you been creating craft?

I’ve been painting for a good number of years, since I was in my early teens. It sort of fell by the wayside during college, but I picked it back up about a year after graduation. Knotting has been more of a hobby of mine for quite awhile, and I didn’t start experimenting more with this technique until after college as well.

How did you get started?

My parents are originally from Taiwan, and they made sure that even as I grew up in America, that I retained a bit of that traditional culture. So when I saw my mother painting when I was younger, watching the sure strokes of her brush across the paper, I decided that I wanted to learn as well and began going to lessons. I picked up knotting at our local Chinese school during special culture classes. Eventually, this appreciation for the traditional art forms merged with my own modern inspiration, giving rise to the items that I now create.

Where does the name of your shop come from?

I never thought to try selling my work while I was growing up. However, a year after graduating from college, when I moved to Brooklyn and began painting and knotting with a vengeance, I realized that I couldn’t realistically keep everything I was creating. There simply wasn’t enough space in my apartment! So I began searching online, and stumbled across Etsy. Since my apartment played a large part in me selling my work online, it seemed fitting to name my shop “C Line Creations,” as my apartment is located right off of the (C) subway line in Brooklyn!

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

My work is heavily influenced by Asian culture, as evidenced by the art forms I work in, but it is also inspired by the modern world in which I live. In that way, most of my creations are a melding of east with west, in the same way that I am a Chinese woman immersed in the western world.

What words of advice do you have for other artists?

Try to relate to your customers. One of the best parts of selling my own work is to realize that someone else out there likes it as well, and to be able to actually communication and make a connection with that person. There’s really nothing like it, and good, personable customer service really cannot be overemphasized.

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Come now to see Jess's shop at Etsy, then come back and let Jess know what you think!