Eda Doreen

:: HOPE ::

“ Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence”- Lin Yutang.

 

My wishes for you

 

 

The days are starting to stretch out. The nights are balmy here in the South. The front porches of the homes of the Southerners, garnish hanging vines, ferns, and petunias. The children play with their friends in the streets, and their grandparents and guardians sip tea in the afternoon setting sun.

Since moving to the South some eight years ago, I have learned much about Southern folklore, food, and life. I have made some of the most memorable friends; friends whom I know would always come to my aid, rain, hail, or shine. Or, perhaps that is the American Spirit in general. Either way, living in America has become my life, or I could never go back to my homeland. Sure, I am a proud Australian, I eat my vegemite, and I often read the on-line newspapers back home, and I know how to stir up some Aussie commotion, even so far away. But it’s the life we choose to lead, the paths we take, and the heart of life we live that ultimately drives us to that special place we call home.

 

 

Tale of the Lost Necklace by Imagine Studio's on etsy

Where is your home? Is it in the sprawling cities, or the stretching suburbs? Or, is it in a log cabin overlooking the Chrystal waters of the lake that you swim in, fish in, and watch the setting sun over every end to the day? Or, is it just with someone you love? Home is where the heart is, and it can be anywhere, both physical and spiritual.

I’m heading home soon, even though I have a home to call my own. Home is …. Where the heart is.

 

Have a great afternoon, cherish those you love, and give your smile to someone who needs it, because you never know when you will need it in return.

 

Sam

:: I heart you ::

I heart you!

When I first came to Etsy, which was back in August of 2009, I found myself wandering around all the tabs, links, blogs, and different shops. It was all so very exciting. It wasn’t however, until I saw the ‘Add to your favorites’ tab did I truly understand or know what a ‘heart’ was on etsy.

 

Twitterpated

 

Silly me thought it had to do with the etsy lingo they talked about, in the forums and in the mini-chats offered, but when I finally saw how many shops had huge amounts of hearts, and some with very little, it was then that I began on my own quest to ‘heart’ shop owners, and shop items, and hope for the same to return to me.

 

Lord help me if I have a faint heart (hypothetically speaking), because to this very day, every morning before I check convo’s after logging in, and orders, do I always see if I obtained any hearts over night!

So what does a heart mean?

 

Rose Print-Somerset Velvet

 

In etsy world, a heart signifies that a buyer, seller, browser ‘favorited’ or ‘loves’ that item, or shop you have been so diligently working on. All that hard work you put on shop banners, renewing, listing, and photography is starting to pay off, as a seller that is. From a buyers point of view, they may have hearted your item to use in a treasury, or on a blog, or because that’s what they want to buy Aunt Gilly for her birthday. There are an endless supply of reasons.

 

Valentine- Love Writer Prints

 

I find I heart items to show the seller they did an awesome job, to possibly buy the item for myself, or to use on my blog as a feature. Sometimes If the artist or Etsian states specifically to contact them first before using their art to ‘advertise’ it is imperative to do this first of course.

 

So that’s it…….. I heart you!

I have a whole bunch of new work to begin this morning, then it’s off to my ‘day/swing shift’ job. Eheee..

 

Have a stupendous day

 

Sam

 

 

::Featured Photographer :: Kell Holley

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. – Frederick Douglass”

 

One of my great, truest, and fun filled friends Kell Holley recently spent the time to take some time out of her time in order to help me, and others with the touchy subject of photography. Photography need not be scary, since discovering its fun within the last six months or so. Kell inspired me to buy a nice camera, and I went and purchased one that perhaps was somewhat out of my price range, however I am so glad I did because every photograph has been well worth it. And, my own photography has spoken the gift of the gab to others, who themselves have gone out and purchased a digital camera in the same direction as Kell and I.

Anyways….. I am thanking Kell for taking her time out to answer a few questions of which helped me in understanding photography through the eyes of  a non-seller. She has an account on flickr, of which is well worth the look if interested, and I would love for all you budding photographers to thank her today too!

 Who is Kell?

I'm an Aussie living in the US with my American husband - a creative genius and possibly the funniest person I know. I come from a well known basketball family and although I liked to write, draw and make collages when I was younger, I never thought of myself as a creative person until I met my husband, Zig. He introduced me to Photoshop, Flash and my other love, Maya 3d. 

I was given my Nikon d40 camera last year for my birthday and my eyes were truly open creatively. Now I'm obsessed with photography!

 

 

What inspires you in your art?
Anything can inspire me to want to take photos - the weather, make-up, cars, good manners, movies, food/cuisine, music.  Everything.  

 

 

Recently you have taken a photography class, what did you learn most about this fine art?
Well, it was more of a bootcamp actually!  I learned so much about myself and came away with the confidence of putting in the time and hard work.  I learned that all apertures have "proper" shutter speeds for exposures, and now I know which combination will affect a specific depth of field. The greatest thing I learned is the camera is a paint brush. And I was surprised at how indicative an image can be of the effort put in to making that image. 

 

Do you have any photography tips for photographers, artists, or etsians when taking their shots of their products?
Read your manual, practice as often as you can, follow your own course. Use natural lighting as much as possible.

One of my favorite quotes is by photographer, CJ Nicolai:
"Never compare your journey with someone else. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does."

When you see something you want to photograph what do you want the viewer to see after the shot has been taken?

I think intimacy with the subject matter.  For example, food photos - I'd like to be able to capture the image in a way that you're suddenly craving it!

 

Coffee or Chocolate?
I'm a little late to the game, but I've just discovered how delicious and effective coffee is!  Plus, it makes chocolate taste even better - who knew?!

 

Favorite Color?
Bright emerald green - LOVE!

Favorite Photograher?
I don't have a favorite yet.  I'm constantly online oogling over incredible photos.  Two photographers I enjoy and am constantly checking for updates are:  Stephan Maloman (www.maloman.com), always artistic, candid and slick.  And Keith Davis Young (www.flickr.com/people/keithdavisyoung/) who shoots effortlessly on film and is consistently original.

Where would you like to see yourself in your art five years from now?
To have a developed style to my photos.  Right now I'm still learning, but I know I like bright colors, crisp images, interesting contrasts and candid shots.  To incorporate my photos into modeling objects in Maya 3d would be incredible, and to one day be paid for doing something that brings me so much satisfaction would be a total dream.

Name the person who inspires you most?
My husband, Zig. Hands down the most ambitious, creative, determined, talented person I know. 

If you had three wishes what would they be?

To have unlimited opportunities to do what I want, when I want. 

To make a living doing something creative. 

To live comfortably by the ocean. 

=======================================================

 

Thanks Kell ! Awesome tips, and fantastic photographs!

Y'all have a great day, Im going to be binding books and living my double life in disguise : )

Sam

 

A mothers love.

A mother’s Love

“The love of a mother is the veil of a softer light between the heart and the heavenly Father.” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 

 

During these last few days, I have been thinking about a mother’s love. I know that there is no comparable source of love out there in this world for any of us. And, in less than three weeks or so, Mother’s Day will be approaching us in the States. Many of us look for the gift that suits our moms (mums) perfectly to express our gratefulness for the life they have lived in letting us live ours.

This post however will not be a post to ‘up sell’ some of the web’s nicest gifts, but rather to reflect on my own mother, and other mother’s that have touched my life simply by observing their love. There is really no one on this earth that understands our ups and downs, our personalities, our dreams, and our hopes for tomorrow better than our own mother. They shape our hearts and our minds when we grow from a baby, to a toddler, to a troubled teen, to the robust adult that we are today. They are there for us during all the times we need them. If they are not there in the physical, then they are in the spiritual.

But, while Mother’s Day may be a happy day for most of us, this year I will be thinking of those close to me, who may not have their mother with them, or for the mother’s who have lost their own son, or daughter. Life is something we tend to live without thinking sometimes about loss. And, it is not until we lose our loved ones that we are swallowed up in emotional turmoil, and reminded of the preciousness of life itself.

On a bitterly cold morning of January this year, my sister in law, Rae, lost her eldest son Joey, in an automobile accident. The days preceding would be the most difficult times she would endure in her life’s journey. To lose a child, I can only imagine is to lose your heart. Broken, battered, torn and hollow, her heart would never be the same from this day on. Every day is filled with constant memories of the child she had to hold, love, and watch grow into a man, only to have him taken away in a heartbeat. To be honest, what I experienced in the days I spent with Rae, her husband Charlie, and her kids, Carly, Jimmy, and Dana would rest on my soul for the rest of my life. There is never a day where, I do not say a prayer for them, and never a day where I do not shed a quiet moment and tear with them. The truest form of a mother’s love was also buried with her son, her life. All that Rae had given, loved, and cherished became a greater love that I was able to finally identify with. I have not had children, perhaps it is not on the cards for me, but I feel that seeing how much Rae has, and is suffering now can only strengthen her heart, her family, her life, and will forever inspire me to do, go, and be my very best in life.

 

 

Joey "Blue" Moore 

Losing a child is like losing your heart. This mother’s day will be difficult for my sister, and her family, but the love she has for her children will not be shadowed, or sullen by her loss. Because, the love she has for her first born, lives on in the hearts and minds of those around them, that Joey touched. There is no greater love than the love of a mother. None.

I love you Rae, and I love you Mum and Momma Paula. x

 

Mothering Sunday

realism is a good send.

Quotations are my best friend.

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” -Henry David Thoreau

I have always loved quotations. I don’t know why exactly, I guess I could put it down to the realist in me. I believe in realism. I may be somewhat pessimistic sometimes, but at most optimistic, with a real dash of realism. So, what does that say about me? Nothing! Just that I read quotations, and use them in relation to what seems real to me. In a philosophical sense, realism is something thought about, in a physical sense, realism is something seen, heard, felt, touched, or tasted. In an emotional sense realism can often be too good to bear, and at times, painful beyond words.

 

I found a fantastic how to this morning, for those of you who love quotations just like me. It can be found here on the DIY.COM channel, however I will be showing the directions below, after the jump!

Step 1: Find a Quote

Find books at the public library that include different typefaces, or print out some of the different fonts available on a computer. Determine how big the quote will be on the wall. Take the printout of the quote to a copy store and have it enlarged to fit the scale of the wall or the space on the wall where it will go.

Step 2: Mark the Wall Where the Quote Will Go

Using a level, draw a straight line with a pencil where the quote will go. The quote can go anywhere on the wall -- up at the top near the ceiling, at chair-rail height, or in the middle of the wall. The quote essentially takes the place of a picture.

Step 3: Trace the Quote Onto the Wall

Place a piece of transfer paper (available at a craft or art-supply store) along the line you've drawn, and put the photocopied word on top of the transfer paper. Tape it to the wall with painter's tape. Make sure you're working with transfer paper, which has a carbon below it, not tracing paper. Then trace the letters with a pencil, pressing firmly so the pencil point will leave an outline on the wall. This is a time-consuming process, and for best results you shouldn't hurry through it.

Step 4: Fill in the Words with Paint

Once the words are traced, go back in with a paintbrush or paint pens to first outline and then fill in the words. If you like, use metallic pens to highlight the painted words or make different words different colors for emphasis.

 

Thats it! How simple and fun is this to make for our studio, bedroom, sitting room, or hallways?

Have a fun afternoon, morning, or night where ever you may be.

"Melancholy is at the bottom of everything, just as at the end of all rivers is the sea. Can it be otherwise in a world where nothing lasts, where all that we have loved or shall love must die? Is death, then, the secret of life? The gloom of an eternal mourning enwraps, more or less closely, every serious and thoughtful soul, as night enwraps the universe. "--Henri Frederic Amiel

 

Best,

Sam

 

Saturday !

Just a quick today, the end of the week is completed for the 9-5ers... and Im technically on my hump day, ( middle of the week for those who think I am being naughty ) but I just wanted to post a gorgeous print I spotted on the front page of etsy this morning. It is created by Farouche and by the looks of it, they sell an abundance of other fantasmic looking art prints for the home. I'm thinking of getting a couple soon .

Bright SunShiny Day

 

 Now, to be honest, I do believe that we in the Mid-South will be getting some much needed rain, the air is sweet, and the humidity is rising so a big shoutout for mother nature!! My garden needs you more than ever today sweet lady!

Im going to finish off today with a quote by the lovely Anais Nin, my favorite author. Have a wonderful weekend, start something new, paint something bright, and plant something precious !

Best,

Sam

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born"

Anais Nin quote

 

 

Writing is a seven letter word

“One of the pleasantest things about book writing is that sometimes it brings one in touch with old friends.” -Rachel Field

 

I started writing a book once. And, It was never finished, which so often is the coin termed

“Book bound”. But, head not, I will get around to finishing one day, but until that day, I had attempted to write the first few chapters, all of which I know I will go back and cut, edit, change, or even plot so very differently. Either way, I wrote an prologue to the book, of which I named Tir Na Nog, which in Irish means ‘Land of Youth’. The books setting starts out in Ireland, although I do not go into great detail about its location, but as you read the prologue, the location is hinted based on the setting and circumstances.  Anyway, here it is, and it cannot be stolen from my site, simply because I claimed ownership of the prologue via copyrighting laws. Never fear huh!

Prologue

The night sky was heavy. Overhead, the clouds were low enough touching life beneath its expanse. Bleeding battered and torn, Aled Jones stopped running. Amongst the empty bullet cartridges and powdery gun powder, all he could think about was the ultimate price his family had paid in all of the years he had fought for the army’s cause. His cause, his son’s cause, his wife’s cause, his grandchild’s cause, something misunderstood by the British foot soldiers who fired aimlessly at his wife and himself. Pushed by determination and adrenaline, Aled moved on. His mind weary from thinking, and his body overcome by a sense of final relief was all that reminded him of the successes that were achieved even in the darkest of hours. His lips laden with salt and blood dried by endless hatred.

Looking towards the piercing headlights that made a way through the dust and fog, he stumbled onwards to his loved ones. A black leather bag sitting beside his stash of guns outside of the cottage was packed and ready. Gracie, had lost her two sons, and feared losing her best friend and lover waiting patiently amongst the jagged remnants of the kitchen.

“Grace, take the money, and the documents and go now; it is time.” Aled struggled for breath commanding her. Gazing at the overcome woman, her hair was matted with dust, and blood. She too was tired, but wanted relief. Relief however, would come at a cost and would come all too soon.

“Take the child onwards to Swansea, and watch for the boat that docks on c11, at 11in the morning. Hurry now.” He whispered into her ear. She loved how Aled would kiss her ear lobes and whisper into her ear, but this time would be her last. The baby, wrapped in a white pillow case, was warm and unharmed. The baby was Aled’s hope for the future, the baby sleeping and unaware of her surroundings did not stir. Hurrying Gracie and the child out of the rear of the home, the smell of freedom was imminent for her, yet for her husband of 32 years his fate was sealed.

Aled grabbed Gracie’s hand pulling her gently into his arms. As she looked into her husband’s eyes, she remembered the first time she met him. His eyes, blue with a love of life, and reminiscent of shadows in the early dawn of a spring morning, these eyes would remind her that no one else on earth existed but her.

Brushing a piece of her matted hair behind her ear he stopped for a moment to console her.

“If all goes well my love, we will see each other someday in the Tir Na Nog` won’t we?” eluding her with his words she feared nothing. She said nothing as she smiled at him. For one quaint moment in their world nothing else mattered.

“I love you Aled. Please save a path for me in heaven.” As tears rolled down her soft, hollow cheeks they kissed.

A car screeched to a sudden halt. Looking once more at her husband she took the child and disappeared into the darkness.

Walking back into the house, Aled was unforgiving and ready to make his final stand. He would not give in, ever. Yesterday he witnessed the death of his sons, and tonight he prepared himself for eternity. He would not go down without a fight. Holding onto the rifle he poised as the front door was forced open by several men wearing masks and firing at will towards him. Shots were fired at him, as he fired back. The feeling of calm came upon him. As he slipped into a coma like state, he had not imagined death to be like this. Gasping for his last breath, he looked for the last time at the hanging portrait of his family on the wall. A silence fell upon him. Aled did not resist, his body slowly gave into life.

 

 

The sun began to peek above the edge of the earth. Gracie had done exactly as Aled had told her. She always followed his lead, she admired the way he took control, and although she did not always agree with her husband, she did today. The ocean was calm, and the morning mist surrounded her. The baby, somewhat restless was waking as the sun greeted her.

On the horizon, the boat made its way towards the dock. Gracie held the baby close to her, and continued to push on. Push on woman, continue, she told herself as she saw the end of her journey in sight. The decks of the wharf were splintered and hard. Stepping onto c11, she looked at her watch. Only four minutes until the boat arrives. Aled was not with her, but her mind’s eye had a hold on him like never in her life before.

The crisp air waivered as the sea spray kissed salt onto her lips. Placing the bag at her feet, she waited patiently, while the boat began to pull up. A familiar face behind the boats wheel, he smiled at Gracie.

“Tis a beautiful morning Miss Grace and you look like a bed of sweet roses.”

The young man, only in his late teens had come to her aid in the past, and would see that this woman would be protected, for the cause. He too had blue eyes, and for a moment, Gracie would see her Aled in his innocent glance, and her soul would rest easy.

He jumped with enthusiasm onto the pier.

“Hold still Gracie, let me get your bag first, then we are all systems go. “ Appreciating her keenness to continue her journey, he tried to hurry.

“Thank you darling,” she agreed. Taking her hand she steadily made her way onto the boat, looking for her resting place, she sat. In the eerie mist of the bay, the boat pulled away. As she looked back, she could see the shadows of her husband standing at the dock. Dressed in a black suit and embellished with a velvet beret, he waved towards her, and then tilted his beret honoring her onwards. Slowly, as the boat drew further out to sea, his ghostly shadows disappeared. Sobbing gently, she touched the forehead of the baby. Rocking back and forward, the baby smiled and giggled giving a ray of hope to the woman who had lost everything she had in her life. Her life, changed forever would begin again.

“It’s just you and me now Molly.” She whispered while she rocked.

“Just you and me.”

 

Tir Na Nog  

 

Anyway, there it is !

Im off to bind some more journals, as I have some new fabrics on the way from Material Gal, and some Japanese Import fabric on the way as well. Have a wonderful afternoon, enjoy the spring, the allergies, the headaches, the pain! oh the pain..... I know I am enduring it all today :   )

 

Best,

 

Sam

Shop help :: Product Photography

Shop help: Photo’s

One of the most important aspects I have learnt in selling online is photographing your product. When I first started up shop, I had no idea how important this facet in marketing online meant. But after a month or so, of low views, low hearts, and of course next to no sales, I caught on quick realising why other sellers on etsy stressed the importance of product photography.

 

 

Blackbird

 Its something some sellers overlook when they start out for simple reasons. The first reason being quite obvious, lack of experience in online selling. Second, not having the equipment to take macro (close-up) shots of your product, and thirdly, not knowing how to stage your product.

Although many of us beg to differ in the area of staging a product, the most simplest form of staging, is often the most eye appealing.

The following is a list of staging pointers to think of next time you are taking a photo of your product before listing to sell.

• Always try to place your product in natural lighting before taking the shot. Here, on a table by the window out of the shine and glare of the sun is perfect.
• Try to place your product on a white background before taking the shot. The only exception may be if the product is white, cream or neutral in color. In this instance, use a eco-friendly backdrop, for example, bamboo, dark wood grained surface, or even on black.
• Take outside shots as staging backdrops also for variance. Old factory buildings, empty rooms, garden benches, sandpits and the like are fantastic staging backdrops. Use models ( family, friends, paid models, animals ) to show off your wares in photographs. How can you imagine your screen printed t-shirt on you, if you cannot see it on someone else? Sure the t-shirt is a one of a kind, but thinking about it in this light, bears reason to stage on models.
• If there is little or no natural lighting and you must take a shot in order to sell your product, which most often occurs in places where there is lacking sun in the winter months, assemble an easy and inexpensive light box.
• Vary the position of the shot. In other words, take photographs of the product from different angles, including up close, from the corners, above the product, and looking up at the product. Often it gives the feel of the product by doing this. And, because a buyer cannot touch your product, giving a different angle makes them more apt to 'virtually feeling' the product.
• Use the highest quality photography. Note, this does not refer to the resolution, nor the size of the photograph, but rather the quality of the shot. The better the camera the better the quality of the shot.
• Take in the product description when shooting the shot. If the product comes in three colors, or has a silver lining so to speak, make sure when photographing the product your photos show this. Its more of the proof that the seller is legitimizing the description of the product.
• Always convey the physical attributes that make up the product. Here product size is often the most important. Buyers would love to know the size comparrison of this product up against another. If it is possible to do so in a photograph do it!
• Keep file sizes in proportion to the file size required by the site you sell on. On etsy, file sizes for photographs for product listings vary but more often support 800-1000 pixels.

 
Vintage Truck- Molly O'Bryon Welpott

The factors above are some of the most important to think about when taking shots of your handmade items.  However, there are many different aspects to product selling online that also come into play. Etsy has some great shop help with tutorials, and testimonials on their blog, and in their help section for further reading.

Never underestimate the power of photography for selling!

Have a supercalafragalisticexpialadocious afternoon,

Sam

Clever Betty

Clever Betty

The etsy forums are a place that buyers, sellers, and outside online browsers can learn a thing or two from. Needless to say however, I have learnt so much from the forums. Some postings are so helpful; you stand there scratching your head thinking ‘why didn’t I think of that?’Other postings are downright hilarious, and very much remind me of the local pubs, back home in Australia.

The forums have also become a place of solace to some. There are some days where you may not have sold anything in your shop, or a transaction went back of the woods, or like me, you end up browsing the forums for a great laugh. Either way eventually one finds exactly what they came there for. And, that’s exactly how I met Clever Betty. And, after having a chit chat, I asked artist and etsy seller Lauren Zelazek owner of Clever Betty if she would mind being my feature artist of the week on Eda Doreen.  

So, I asked Lauren a few questions or two, which would help the indie artist out a little.

Welcome Lauren!

First things first, where did you begin in this chosen career?

I'm one of those "art was always my favorite subject in school" kinds. Hands-on activities have always kept my attention for much longer than working math problems or typing up a book report. I started sewing sometime in middle school when I found out I was going to have to take a FACS class and sewing was involved, so I wanted to be ahead of the game. I got hooked, and spent weekends in high school with my best friend and her grandma in their sewing room, learning the "right way" to sew. I tend to do things my own way now.

I earned a bachelor of fine arts in art with an emphasis in graphic design (to "make some money," ha!.) I worked for Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine straight out of college, and was constantly surrounded by people and images of the things that I could see myself doing for a living. The magazine, unfortunately, was shut down by its publishing company, so I took that as a sign I should get to researching how I was going to go about starting a business. I spent well over a year (back to that attention span thing- numbers and writing...) doing so, and finally opened up shop this January.

 

Lauren Zelazek 0wner- Clever Betty

What inspires you to keep creating and selling in the indie art business?

Probably thousands and thousands of other sellers- on Etsy, people I've seen locally at craft shows, those that have "quit their day jobs" and are living the dream by creating for others' enjoyment. In particular, I'm kind of a fabric fanatic and wouldn't mind being a fabric designer someday, so Anna Maria Horner and Amy Butler are both women whose work I admire. (Not to mention their gorgeous families and homes!) My family is very encouraging of my work so they're definitely also part of my inspiration.

 

Grocery Bag Set

Where do you want to go with your craft Lauren?

I would love to be one of those quit-your-day-jobbers featured on the Etsy Storque! But first things first- I know it's going to take a while to get there. I'm working on getting the word out that Clever Betty exists right now, and hope to do some local craft shows this year to start.

 

Corduroy foldover clutch

Do you have any Tips for other new sellers?

Research! You definitely don't have to spend as much time as I did doing so, but definitely check out the market for what you want to sell. Why should anyone buy your product in particular and not someone else's? Also, make sure you stay legal. You'll have to check out what the laws are where you live- but make sure you register to pay taxes, have a retail sales license, are compliant with city and county laws and anything else that might apply to your state/country. It's a lot of work, but it's a lot more work to have to come back and do all of this later once your business is successful- the IRS in the US will definitely make sure they get every penny that they're owed, and then some, if you're not careful. Finally, always remember why it is that you started crafting. Cranking out products to make a quick buck is one thing, but making products that you put your heart and soul into and are proud that someone would want to purchase is what it's all about.

 

Awesome tips and a very inspiring story thank you Lauren!

Lauren Zelazek
Owner, Clever Betty
www.cleverbetty.etsy.com

Leigh Viner

Leigh Viner

The other day, while perusing etsy, I stumbled on some of the most beautiful artistic work I have ever seen. The artist, Leigh Viner, a Colorado native and resident has a natural eye for emotion, rawness of humanity, and above all, talent in every sense of the word.

For those who may not know of Leigh’s works, having had the opportunity to gaze eerily over her works in the last week or so, I have come to appreciate her talent and I cannot wait to spread the word. Leigh’s natural intrinsic talent is something many of us dream to acquire, and although she admits to taking commercial art and drawing classes, her abilities are “mostly self-taught”.

 

Greenwich Reflections-Leigh Viner (C) 

Her greatest influence, the human body, the femme woman, is of course evident in many of her works, fine arts, and photographic depictions of moments in life. The fashion industry, design, make-up, and photography also streamline her works.

Something About- Leigh Viner (C)  

Leigh’s most recent works are featured in last year include:

Cover spread in the April/March issue of Dujour magazine.

The cover of Skirt Magazine's November issue
http://skirt.com/artists/leigh-viner

Forever 21 's blog the Skinny ~ http://blog.forever21.com/blog/perma.asp?articleid=139

Premier issue of Forever 21's Editorial Magazine out November 2009 www.forever21.com

N.E.E.T. Magazine's December issue (pg 216)
www.neetmagazine.com

This year, her works will be featured on set of "The Roommate" 2010 featuring Leighton Meester.

Untitled Art Print- Leigh Viner (c)

Her blog  Create is also a very informative, and reveals her thoughts on her creative career and life as an artist. She is both professional and inspiring to women artisians around the world.

Beautiful, eye-opening, and intrinsically emotional, her works are to die for. I appreciate the opportunity today to feature her works, but also to expose her raw impressive talent to the rest of the world! I wish Leigh the very best in her career, I know you will go far, especially with your talent Leigh.

Have a wonderous afternoon whereever you may be, rain or shine,

Sam

 

Atmosphere- Leigh Viner (c)