red road

Cart Before The Horse : Creative Interview

2012-03-04T12:23:00.000Z

Following on from a recommendation made by Suzanna Scott, I'm still over in the USA with Jo and Dylan aka 'cart before the horse'. They are a mum-and-dad team, a two-person company of artists who make the kind of art they like, with each of their creations being made one at a time. I often wonder how people get their business/shop names and found out that 'Cart Before The Horse' was called this because they're always getting ahead of themselves. Great name!!! A huge thanks for answering my questions and lots of happy sales in 2012 and the future!!! Over to Jo and Dylan

Crow and Cat

What's your town/area like for promoting creatives like yourselves?

You can't throw a rock in Portland without hitting an artist. Not that we go around throwing rocks at people or anything. It's great for art collectors but not so great for artists trying to make a living locally. The prices are kept low by that whole supply and demand thing. That's why we love the internet!

Caterpillar

What do you love most about what you do and is there a down side?

We both love the freedom of setting our own schedules and never missing out on our kids' stuff. The down side is the temptation to devote all your time and energy into the work part of life, and neglect the play part. Luckily, our work is pretty damn playful.

Pink Monster

What’s your ideal working day?

Dylan and I have completely different schedules. I generally break work into two shifts, first from 10:am - 4:pm and then another after dinner that goes on as long as there's stuff to be done (or longer if I'm making something I'm really excited about). Dylan is the epitome of a night owl, starting his day around 1:pm and going until he's done. Of course, this is a really rough estimate as things change from day to day depending on what else we or the kids are up to. Whatever we're doing though, or however busy we are, we come together for family dinner every night.

Bunnies

What’s your PLAN B

Plan B? Nope. After doing this arty thing full-time for the past 5 years, we are both profoundly unqualified to do anything else.

Angel Woodland Owls

Where’s your own favourite place to work?

I have a studio which I love! Dylan has a nomadic table that wanders around the living room. And an entire garage (which I completely avoid). And the kitchen table isn't off-limits either.

Do you work with music on or off?

For me, music off. In fact, my ipod is completely full of podcasts and audiobooks. Dylan is a musician, so the music is usually on, although he likes to listen to podcasts too. We'll both often watch streaming videos while we work too, depending on what we're doing and how much we have to pay attention.

Skellies

Do you have a routine when you start a new piece of work

We're always working on many pieces at once, but there's definitely a routine involved. It's long and particular to what we do though, so I won't bore you with the details. And I like to tidy up every evening so that I can start my day with something less-than-chaotic. Also, I write lots of lists.

Is it hard for you both to let go of a piece of work

Very rarely. We're both sort of on to the next thing by the time something is out the door. The process is the fun part!

Cart Before The Horse's links -

Blog

Shop

Facebook

Priscilla Jones Workshop : Edinburgh

2012-03-03T05:39:00.001Z

The wonderful mixed media artist Priscilla Jones will be in Edinburgh - well worth thinking about!

Giveaway March

2012-03-01T13:24:00.000Z

Set of 15 Hand Printed Art Cards - Value £30 / $48 - Illustrated by me

Thank you to everyone for all your wonderful messages and comments. My Mad March Giveaway will be ideal for every celebration or occasion. Send a 'thank you', say 'happy birthday', tell someone you love them and a 'well done' card will go down a storm!!! While you're here why not take a peek at the rest of my work - red road shop

All images copyright by red road design and does not transfer with the giveaway.

Giveaway Rules : Mandatory - follow my blog and let me know by placing a comment (if you are already a follower or any of the below - just let me know). Leave contact info!!!!

Giveaway Rules - Optional - each one is worth one more entry - just let another comment.

Become a follower - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Red-Road-Design/147058128717774

Favourite my shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedRoadDesign

Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/RedRoadDesign

Tweet this giveaway - I just joined the #RedRoadDesign March Giveaway hosted by Jay. You could win a lovely mixed set of 15 hand printed illustrated cards for every occasion!

Good luck everyone - it's open to the world! My last lucky winner lives in the USA!

A winner will be picked on the 30th March 2012 at 6pm GMT

Eva Black

2012-03-01T05:17:00.001Z

Folded

As Eva describes herself - "I began the piece by collecting paper, using all found paper - paper that was given to me, paper I had collected over time, paper from old artworks, paper bags, or paper I bought from old bookstores. The piece has about 3,500 triangles and is about 12 x 13'."

Johan Ku

2012-02-28T06:10:00.001Z

Emotional Sculpture

Johan Ku began his career as a free-lance graphic designer since he was 17, and moved to London for CSM MA Fashion course. His signature features sculpture-like silhouette dresses in white with emphasis on the volume of the knitted materials.

Christien Meindertsma

2012-02-27T05:19:00.001Z

Urchin Pouf

Christien graduated from the Eindhoven Design Academy and likes to explore the life of products and raw materials.

Susan Cutts

2012-02-26T05:19:00.001Z

Cherish

Susan uses her own handmade paper working from the raw fibre using traditional European equipment and techniques. The process of papermaking is vitally important to her work. The complex structure of the fibres enables her to create sculptural pieces without the use of glue, stitching or armatures.

Chiharu Shiota : Art Installation

2012-02-25T05:57:00.006Z

La Maison

What a wonderfully atmospheric piece - it's almost like a drawing and I wondered if that's where the inspiration came from for this work. Not sure who the artist is .....

I found out! Great work Linnie - it is, as you said, Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota who was born in Osaka, Japan and now lives and works in Berlin. Her website is well worth a visit.

Trendtablet : Mohair : DIYY

2012-02-24T15:29:00.001Z

Website Link

Fashion and design are experiencing a revival of highly creative textiles and knits. The idea of doing yourself yourself (D.I.Y.Y.) is an innovative look at craft as never seen before.

830 Signs

2012-02-20T18:25:00.000Z

830Signs

Love this photo and composition and the dress.

Suzanna Scott aka sushipot : Creative Interview

2012-02-18T13:44:00.000Z

Continuing in the USA I'm delighted that Suzanna accepted my interview request as I have long admired her work and her shop - she has such a 'good eye'!!! She is an artist living and working from her home studio in the "Little Apple" (aka Manhattan, Kansas). She creates and collects art objects, is a homeschooling mum and wife to a PhD student. I just want to wish Suzanna lots of great adventures in 2012 and beyond and to thank her for her time in answering these questions.

What's new for you in 2012 - do you have any new adventures

More assemblage, more collage. Possibly a new haircut? Still deciding on that one.

Doll House 360

What do you love most about what you do and is there a down side

The best thing about working as an artist from my home studio is that I get to create something every day. The downside is the dust bunnies and dirty dishes that love to distract me.

Collage

What are you most happy with in your portfolio
Some of my favorite pieces come from my Bricolage Series. I'm partial to the Doll Houses too.

bricolage

Doll House #373

What’s your ideal working day like

One where I get to sleep in and work late. A bit of sunshine doesn't hurt either.

Collage

Name three things that you really love OR you can't stand

I love…coffee, my iPhone and fresh vegetables.

Vignette No 2

Music on or off while you work and do you go through a routine before you are about to create

Music off, recorded books on! No routine. Just work!!

Have you ever or do you have a PLAN B

No.

bricolage no 1

Where’s your own favourite place to work and why

My studio 'cuz it's cozy and full of objects that inspire me.

Altered Wall Art

How much time do you or can you give to make a piece of work

Anywhere from minutes to weeks.

Who do you think I should interview next

Jo and Dylan at Cart Before The Horse

Blog link to Cart Before The Horse

Suzanna's links -

Etsy

Blog

Flickr

Achnasheen Weekend

2012-02-16T15:47:00.002Z

Our wee restaurant at Ledgowan Lodge

It's still possible to be the only one on the road!

View from the bottom of the lodge

Heading to Inverness - taken just outside Achnasheen - Loch Luichart perhaps?

A wonderful Valentine surprise weekend! Thank you my lovely - it was such a chill out time and the weather was perfect for February!

Marina Povalishina : Creative Interview

2012-02-13T18:46:00.006Z

Marina was born and studied art in Russia, then moved to the United States in 1996. People have always been Marina's main focus in her work. Her characters don't have real prototypes and doesn't use "live' models. A human face attracts her not by the individual features of a concrete person, but as a mirror of a man's inner essence. I just want to say a huge thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and allow me to use some of your wonderful pieces. Every success for 2012 Marina!! And now to the questions ....

Describe yourself in five words

creative enthusiastic independent responsible ironical

Boy With Hat

What's new for you in 2012 - do you have any plans

In 2012 one of my daughters is going to leave home for college. I don't yet know how much I will miss her. As for me, I have no exact plans for this year but I would like to travel somewhere. I have decided that in spite of everything (money, free time etc) I will not let this year( and all following ones!) pass without seeing a new place. We have so little time, and the world is so big and interesting!

Far Away

What do you love most about what you do and is there a down side

I paint and do graphic work. I love doing it because when I stand with my brush in front of a canvas, I have a wonderful feeling of creating a world, even it is as small as a canvas or a piece of paper. It is a territory full of my freedom! I love the process of painting because it is often unpredictable. I love the rare moments of divine inspiration and happiness: those moments overshadow the plainness of everyday life. I cannot speak for other artists, but for me, I know I can get those blessing moments only if I am brave, sincere, and trustful to the extraordinary power that leads me.

I am not sure what to say about the down sides of being a painter... I think an artist often has doubts, often feels weakness, not always satisfied with his work, but I cannot call it a down side : it is a natural part of creating.

Carolina

What are you most happy with in your portfolio
Unfortunately I have tendency to be too criticizing toward my portfolio; always dreaming about a real masterpiece in the near future. It sometimes interferes with my plans : I delay and postpone participating in shows, or submitting portfolio to the desired gallery etc. Nevertheless, there are some pieces I consider to be my best so far, such as the "Couple" painting or the mixed media "Outfit" (ETSY).

Couple - Etsy Shop

Outfit : Etsy Shop

What’s your ideal working day like
I wake up early after having a good night of sleep. I have fruit juice and cup of coffee for breakfast. I go outside for a short walk, greeting a sun, sky, and world around me. I am full of energy. I go to my studio. It is bigger than my real one. It has big windows on the north side (my real studio doesn't have windows at all). I paint. I have a break and talk with a next door fellow artist. I paint again. I am
satisfied with what I have done. My ideal working day in studio is over. I go home. I find my house being cleaned by someone, and the dinner is prepared by someone, so all what is left for me is enjoying the rest of the day. Just one more thing. Checking out my e-mails I find that one New York gallery offers me a solo show, and the London's one just sold few my paintings. What a good day!

Three

Are you a coffee or a tea girl
I am a coffee girl. I drink only a cup of coffee a day, preparing it myself in a special coffee jar on the top of the stove. I don't like bad coffee.

Anya

Have you ever or do you have a PLAN B

It seems I never had a plan B. At 15, I left school for an art college, and since that time my life always was related with art. I worked as a decorator, as an art museum guide, as a painting restorer, as a graphic designer, as an art teacher, and as a painter. If I hadn't gone to the art school, maybe my life focus would have been in literature or a language field. Or maybe I would be an art historian.

Doll

Where’s your own favourite place to work and why

I have a studio and love doing painting there. No one disturbs me there. I can start and stop working at any moment and don't worry about cleaning up after. But for doing my smaller graphic pieces I prefer our dinner table at home. From there I can watch TV the same time; and a refrigerator is only one step away...

Notebook

How much time do you or can you give to make a piece of work

It depends on the piece. I can do a bigger painting for a month, and then return to it again and again. Even after a few years I can make attempts to "improve" my old work. And about my small graphic work, if it goes well, I can finish it in an hour.

Marina's links -

Website

Etsy

Glasgow Decoupage

2012-02-09T16:36:00.000Z

A wee trip to Glasgow and I found an example of decoupage for my students new project! Great!

The Needles : Summer Girls

2012-02-06T20:03:00.000Z

awoodentree : aka Kirsty Anderson

Watch the song here! I can't believe Kirsty made these characters so long ago either! Kirsty was asked to make some animal heads for The Needles, Summer Girls single which was set in Seven Oaks an amazing forest

Willy Verginer

2012-01-31T06:13:00.002Z

I took a screen shot of a new found artist and website by Willy Verginer, an Italian artist born on 23 February 1957 in Bressanone works and lives in Ortisei.

Miss Foxette is back!

2012-01-27T11:08:00.000Z

Miss Foxette

Kirsty's been busy again with her Miss Foxettes!!! awoodentree

Asia Gwis / Kavka

2012-01-26T06:09:00.000Z

The start of a wonderful giveaway!

Giveaway here

Asia Gwis is an illustrator and graphic designer from Poland, where she lives in the old wooden house with my husband, 4 cats and one sweet dog called Fika. Asia's blog

Kathy Miller

2012-01-24T06:04:00.000Z

Marking Time

Leaving a Mark

American artist Kathy Miller spent many hours as a child observing her father and her grandfather; she learned how things were designed and constructed at an early age. Miller studied art and architecture in high school and college; co-founded a pattern company; worked as a draftsman; created architectural renderings; and worked as a graphic artist. It is this background, as a child and an adult, that influences her work, which takes its initial inspiration from line.

Colette Bain

2012-01-22T17:12:00.000Z

Emma's Wolf : White Mouse

Emma's Wolf : White Rabbit

Colette gets her inspiration from children's book illustrations and the faded look of much loved toys. Each piece is based around a found object, often something mass produced and unlovely. Website

Hayle and Reign Wedding Invitations

2012-01-21T17:53:00.000Z

Lovely surprise popped through the door and it was designed by Lucy aka Hayle and Reign. I'm just sorry I can't make Christine's doo but I'm sure it'll be a blast. I also found out that Lucy's making the dress so I can't wait to see the pics! Such talented daughters I have! Etsy link to Lucy's shop!

Richard Saja

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000Z

Blog

Richard Saja uses quintessentially French toile prints as inspiration and his unique embroidery style to bring a fresh approach to historically influenced works.

The Wasp Nest

2012-01-19T18:34:00.000Z

Get The Book!!!

I've meant to highlight this ages ago and was just reminded as I popped over to Hazel's blog. The amazing house-making journey of this tiny insect Hazel managed to capture with her camera - wonderful!!!

Etsy Front Page (UK)

2012-01-18T09:13:00.001Z

Copy of Front Page from Olga's blog

Thanks Olga for choosing my work in this lovely treasury - now on the UK Front Page!

Dennis Yuen

2012-01-18T05:56:00.000Z

Website

Dennis has been making books since he was a child. He practices Coptic, long stitch, stab, pamphlet and flat-back binding, often applying variations on these traditional techniques to fascinating effect.