Artist Interview: SUSAN FAYE

Welcome to my March Artist Interview!
Susan is a talented artist based in Oregon, US. She works under her own brand Susan Faye. Susan creates vibrant and colorful artwork that is inspired by the wonderful nature she's surrounded by, and by animals, and I have fallen in love with her absolutely unique portraits of Cat Ladies with thir beloved kitties! I'm sure you are going to be enchanted too! Apart from her original artwork and art prints, she creates wonderful jewelry and gift items featuring her original designs. Susan's beautiful and colorful world includes her "son, family, and friends, Mother Nature, hiking, bird watching, blogging, sewing, photography, gardening, writing, and watercolor painting. Oh yes, and CATS!". Meet Susan! Here she shares her artistic journey and inspiration with us!
Welcome Susan!

Cat Mom No 15

- How did you first come to art and creativity? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?

Like most artists, it goes back as far as I can remember. I was lucky to be born into a creative family where crayons and paper were always at hand. My carpenter dad's creative outlet was creating artistic furniture and wood carvings, while my mother was a whiz at the needle arts. I learned to draw, paint, sew, knit, embroider, etc. at a very early age.

Knitting Cat Lady

- When and how did you realize this was your real life path?

Growing up, I was equally drawn to science, math, and journalism, but art and designing always seemed to win out. I began selling my designs at age 21 and have been doing it ever since.

Black Cat Quality Time Wearable Art

- Your main sources of inspiration are animals, in particular cats. Is there a particular reason for choosing them as your “muse” for your artwork?

I’ve always been enchanted by cats — I love their beautiful markings and soft fur, their quirky personalities and their apparent ongoing inner battle between devotion and detachment -- a perfect match for my whimsical art style!

Library Cat Personalized Bookplates

- We share a great love for animals and cats in particular, how do you express this in your artwork?

I think that cats and dogs in general have a childlike sense of wonder and joy, and those are qualities that I try to express in my artwork.

Raindrops and Kitten No 2

- I love the way you depict the special bond between a human and her or his feline friend. As Cat Ladies we know how special that love bond is. How do you capture the special relationship between a Cat Lady and her beloved kitty?

I think I just base my images on my own experience with animals in general. Sharing your life with an animal teaches you patience and compassion -- two qualities that the human race could use a bit more of sometimes (myself included)...!

Southwest Vista Wearable Art

- Apart from animals, what are your main sources of inspiration?

My inspiration comes from Mother Nature in general--beautiful colors, textures, patterns, even whimsy-- it's all there if you take the time to appreciate it!

Calico Cutie Wearable Art

- In addition to your original art and art prints, you create amazing jewelry featuring your art. What do you like most about wearable art?

Personal adornment goes back for thousands of years-- it seems to be a very common means of self-expression in every culture. I like that it is a way to express on the outside what you are feeling on the inside.

Purple Tulips Wearable Art

- Tell us a bit about the other gift items you create using your art designs...

I'm currently re-discovering the joy of sewing and designing fabric gift items. The ability to now have my watercolor artwork professionally printed on fabric through Spoonflower.com is a dream com true. So far I've designed sachets, catnip toys, keyrings, magnets, and bookmarks and I've just designed my first art doll!

Cottage Cat Tangerine

- How has life affected your art and art affected your life?

Being an exceedingly shy person who has trouble being verbal, art has given me a voice and sense of self from a very young age. I don't know what I would do without it!

Black Cat Wearable Art

- Art is about light and color! What are your favorite colors?

I seem to be attracted to jewel-tones a lot, but it's hard to pick out favorites--it totally depends on my mood and frame of mind. Currently I'm enjoying turquoise, aqua, sage and mint green and earthtones.

Library Cat Lady Wearable Art

- Did you have a formal training in the arts or attend art courses?

I took a few art classes in college, and took a series of watercolor workshops about 12 years ago. I'm mostly self-taught through art books, and now through tutorials on the web.

Deluxe Calico Cat Toy

- Do you have a studio or home studio or particular part of your house you have devoted to your artwork? Where do you create your artwork?

I have a spare room in the back of my house that is my studio, although my arts and crafts projects seem to creep into every room of the house!

Siamese Garden Cat Wearable Art

Thank you dear Susan for such a beautiful and inspiring interview and for sharing your artistic journey and inspiration! There is a lot of passion in what you do, and it really shows! We wish you continued joy, inspiration and success with your life and art.

You can find Susan's great artwork in her Etsy shop Susan Faye. And you can get to know more about her art and her colorful world in her lovely blog... an absolute "must" for any Cat Lady or cat lover!

©AnnukCreations

Artist Interview: THOSE PARASOL DAYS

Today I want to share with you another one of my favorite artists! Nancy is a talented artist who lives on the beautiful Costa Blanca, in Spain. She works under her own brand Those Parasol Days. She paints wonderful oil and watercolor paintings, and she creates some decorative objects as well. An engaged animal lover and animal rights activist, her artwork reflects her beautiful natural environment and her love for her feline friends. A large part of her sale profits goes to animal help organizations, and she is a member of Etsy for Animals (among other Teams she has joined) - and a mom to a lovely cat family of eight (but she takes care of many more feline friends). Here she shares her artistic journey and inspiration with us!

Me and My Shadow

- You live in Spain, on the beautiful Costa Blanca. Where are you originally from?

Well, I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina; my father was an adventurous sailor in his youth and travelled a lot! But my home is Stockholm, Sweden; it's a small town compared to London, New York, or Hong Kong but big enough to be able to offer a vegan almost anything she could crave. ;) And the summers are perfect, just right in every single way, they fit me and I suit them; every time I'm in Stockholm over summer, my heart is stilled and filled to the brim with life at the same time. It is home, plain and simple. But actually, this year, finally, I have started to feel a little of that for Spain, too. It may have been the long winter that has produced a glorious spring much greener than usual and thus reminding me of Sweden, I don't know, but this year I seem to be more in harmony with myself and with the world.

Lemony Blue

- How did you choose the lovely name for your Etsy Shop, Those Parasol Days?

For the first couple of years here in Spain, I was the only one not baking myself crisp on the beach and people would look strangely at me when I came walking down the street in my coloured paper parasols – I'm pretty sure I was known as “that crazy, pasty foreign girl” to the locals – as well as the tourists! So, I guess it kind of became a trademark of mine - now everyone's sporting them!
I recently saw a note on Japanese TV about shops in Tokyo that sell parasols like they would've done here a hundred years ago, in every colour and pattern you could ever want and different shapes and sizes to suit everyone. I could go to Tokyo just for that!
Also, I like how the name sounds so romantic, like lazy summer afternoons under a big leafy tree, drinking home-made lemonade and watching a a bug stretching its wings on your arm.

Come Fly With Me

- How did you first come to art and creativity? How did your journey in art and creativity begin?

Children are always encouraged to draw and I liked it as much as anyone, and we all played the “what do you want to be when you grow up” game. I'm sure I went through many ideas but the ones I remember are archaeologist and architect; the first because I have always always loved history, and the second because I thought it meant I could draw all day. And when I found out that drawing was part of archaeology, too... I thought my dream had come true! :D

Spring Rolling In

- When and how did you realize this was your real life path?

Well, when it was time to start thinking about a career, I thought a "normal" person couldn't possibly survive on drawing pictures - my image of an artist was something like a Da Vinci genius, and how in the world could I live up to that?
So, went on to university to study history and art history, with a focus on archaeology. As much as I love archaeology, I never liked the hierarchical structure of the university and did not look forward to a career in giving lectures and handing in excavation reports.
But it took years before it occurred to me that no-one was forcing me to stay and that I could actually quit and try something else!
And so I did.

Best of Friends

- What are your main sources of inspiration?

Anything and everything that crosses my path is a potential idea for something or other; I think that, for me, having a positive mindset is the key to all. Also, the fact that I can stay at home with my cats and tend to their every need and spoiled wants, is a great incentive!

A Sweetheart in Every Port

- How has life affected your art and art affected your life?

I'm not at the stage yet where I can make a living out of it, so the business side of it hasn't taken up my entire life yet but I notice that the better I'm doing, the more I paint, the less stressed I get about everyday things. I'm an adaptable person, so wherever I go, my art changes in style to that – when I'm in Sweden, my paintings are more clean, cooler, softer; when in Spain, the colours come out and the contrasts are much stronger.

Slippery Slope

- We share a big love for animals and cats in particular, how do you express this in your artwork?

Love, of any kind, makes you a happier person and unlike the standard idea of how an artist works, I cannot create if I'm not happy. However time-consuming my cats are and the scares they give me when they get ill or injured, I wouldn't be as balanced a person without them. And whenever I see a you-tube story from a zoo far away, with a happy ending, that just makes my day! All my art is happy art – even the serious pieces are never depressing; spreading some sunshine into the world can't be bad, can it? :) And of course, the cats often act as my models, whether they like it or not...

Emil

- You actively engage for animal welfare, don’t you?

I feed the local feral cat colonies, I take them to the vet when they let me and, with the financial help of local charities, some of them have been spayed and castrated. Once in a while an organisation from the UK, affiliated to International Animal Rescue, comes here and does a mass sterilisation all along the coast, and that has helped a lot!

We Are Golden

- Art is about light and color! What are your favourite colors?

I like all colours, but not all colours in all places. I don't use many browns in my paintings but it's a lovely soft colour in clothes! However, one can make any colour look beautiful, in any context, by combining it or by using light to break up a block and to give it life. I have a brown watercolour cat in my Etsy shop – it may sound dull but the way the colour floats over the surface, thicker, thinner, letting the light of the paper shine through, it all gives shape and texture to an already beautiful creature.

Sunny Skies Ahead

- Did you have a formal training in the arts or attend art courses?

I have done schools, I have done workshops, I have done private lessons etc. I may go to Florence for a summer course next - with all the art history there, I should think there's plenty to see!

Yellow

- Do you have a studio or home studio or particular part of your house you have devoted to your artwork? Where do you paint your artwork?

If I'm doing a commission where someone has e-mailed me photos, I'm usually in front of the computer – it allows me to zoom in or out in a way that just wouldn't be practical if I were to do a print-out. In summer when the light is bouncing off the white walls, I stay indoors to paint, but any other crafting is lovely to do under a parasol!

Small But Strong

Thank you dear Nancy for this beautiful and really inspired and inspiring interview, and for sharing your artistic journey and inspiration! I can really feel the passion and love for what you do and that your art comes from your heart. We wish you continued joy, inspiration and success with your art and with animal help.

You can find Nancy's artwork in her Etsy shop Those Parasol Days and you can get to know more about her world in her blog.

©AnnukCreations