Interview with Artists I Admire: Jessica T-Lee

Objects that are nature-inspired but human-made have always fascinated me. One does not need to be an art history expert to realize how the observation of nature has always inspired humans to create art. In today's world, however, an artist who is inspired both by the natural and the constructed environment is truly gifted. The artist that I'm featuring today knows a lot about art history AND is a truly gifted artist herself.

Jessica T-Lee opened her Etsy shop relatively recently, and I was enthused to come across her work. She is a sweet person, very down-to-earth, and my interview with her was really worth it. Read on to find out for yourselves!

La Grotta

Have you received professional training as an artist?

I went to the University of Kansas and majored in ceramics and art history, so I received all my professional training from there. I also spent a semester at an art college in Florence, Italy which is where I actually fell in love with ceramics first!

Una Bottiglia con Graffiti

What are the things that inspire you?

I am inspired by nature and urban textures-two things that seemingly would never compliment each other aesthetically. For my sculptures, I have studied mainly cave and rock formations, although many people see sea forms in my work (coral, etc...) For my functional work in which I focus more on the texture, I look at graffiti and prehistoric art. I have numerous pictures of graffiti which I have taken both in the United States and in Europe. With these functional pieces, I have combined an organic form with a rough graffiti inspired surface.

Il Corallo

What is your favorite medium?

My favorite medium is ceramics. I love clay, and I love it in all the different stages: the wet unfired stage, the bisqued stage, and the glazed stage. I also love that artists and craftsmen have been using clay since prehistoric times to create all kinds of things- pottery, sculpture, etc... I feel as though I can do anything with clay. It also seems to be the medium most connected with earth and nature. I have even gone out into the countryside and actually dug up clay to use.

Una Forma Organica

What are you working on at the moment?

At the moment I am working on more organic forms. I am constantly looking at different formations in nature as inspiration, and I like to see how that translates into my work. I will just sit and carve for hours and hours.

Tre Tazze con Graffiti

How do you spend your free time?

My free time mainly consists of art. Not only do I do ceramics but I am a painter and an illustrator. In fact, I am attempting to write and illustrate a children's book. However, I need a healthy balance in my life of art related activities and non-art related activities so my life as well is filled with cooking, reading, exploring, and of course my friends and family. :)

I love Jessica's work, and wish all the best for her in the future. She is a genuine artist.

Interview with Artists I Admire: Christine Kaiser

Christine Kaiser is an artist I discovered on Etsy, and her works touched me instantly and deeply. Here's what she answered to my questions, when I wanted to find out more.

Have you received formal education as an artist?
'Yes I graduated from the Boston Museum School and Tufts University. I also spent many years repairing painted expensive large scale animal sculpture (by the artist Sergio Bustamante) which is where I got really good at detail line work and color matching. It also developed "my eye " so I could see not only subtle differences in color but in texture and finish. I also took various workshops in etching, photography etc. etc. etc.'

Faith

What are the things that inspire you?
'Random stuff. A bug I see, other people's work (mostly that I see on the web) I'm always on the lookout for unusual juxtapositions or patterns.'

blue anxiety

What elements do you like to incorporate in your work?
'Relationships between objects, both visual and psychological.'

hope

How would you describe your pieces?
'Fairytales for the modern world.'

sleep

Natural vs constructed environment: How much does it affect your work?
'I look at it all, I don't differentiate.'

green neuroses

What kind of material do you prefer to use? Do you recycle?
'I use mostly basswood, poplar and pine (both are North American sustainable wood). I used to work in oils but have swiched to non toxic water based paints. I love all kinds of pencils, from 8B to 6H and everything in between.

I do use old cigar boxes (image below)



and old printers trays (image below)



and lately I have been using pieces of trees that I have been pruning (example below).



I use bits of this and that when they fit in. My 90 yr old mom saves all the brown and white packing paper for me. She irons and folds it :) so most of my packing material is recycled. My painting pallets are all Lids from containers, old paint bush handles get carved into noses and ears. Most of the heavier wire in my work is from my horse fencing. So I recycle what I can.'

Are there any artists that have influenced you?
'Yes, different ones, at different times, for different reasons. Lately I've been playing around with juxtaposition of style and space and have been looking at people like Os Gemeos, CW Wells, Bosch. I've also gone back to two of my old favorites Elizabeth Murrey and Marisol. And all the Etsy members of Team Kitty :)'

orange anxiety

How do you spend your free time?
'My husband and I moved to a small farm in the country, after living in Central Sq Cambridge, Massuchusetts for many years. So now much of my free time is spent mowing with my tractor as the swallows swoop around me, playing with my horses, dogs and cats and doing all the things that come with country life (yes I compost food and manure. Making beautiful dirt gives this city girl a thrill). I like to read and sketch and watch the birds and spiders. I spend a fair amount of time on the internet just looking, building my website etc. I do watch TV, my favorite shows at the moment are Breaking Bad, Big Love, and the Tudors.'

little plaid dog

All I can say is I'm impressed by the style of this woman! She is an authentic artist! You can find out more about Christine Kaiser at her personal website.

Amazing Sculpture

Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork, created by shaping or combining hard materials, typically stone such as marble, metal, glass, or wood, or plastic materials such as clay, textiles, polymers and softer metals. And sculpture, be it larger works of art or mere objects with an aesthetic value, is everywhere. This post is only aiming to present a few cases, in the hope that it will bring them to your attention as amazing works of art.

First in this endeavour, will be a creation by Nafsika, and it's no other than her Sea urchin sterling silver ring. Like Nafsika says, 'This ring was made using the lost wax technique, one of the most ancient ways to create jewelry'. Excellent work!



Ceramic art always impresses me, and Victoria dreamed of another era is definitely one of those cases. Well done, annbclay!



How about a lovely, abstract, eco friendly cluster of 10 Mini Wall sculptures, which can also be stacked? What a great idea, by Paperfaerie.



Intres has always impressed me with her work. See this Spring tree blooming - felt tree: it's perfectly made, like a bonsai. I am in awe!



Next in this post, I am giving you an incredible creation, by ForkedUpArt, called 'Will You Marry Me', made with spoons and forks, which also happens to be a ring holder! Don't you just love it!



And since paper mache is one of my personal favorite materials, here's Faith, one of my favorite creations by Middleburg, whose simple, whimsical, folk art style always manages to put a smile on my face. Magnificent!



The colibri birds are one of Maria's latest objects (yourdoll, psarokokalo), and it's a wondrous combination of wood and textile, which is incredibly original!



Fishstikks produces fabulous works, and the birds are just one example. Isn't Olivia quite something?



Let's not forget sculpture in the form of public art. See this photograph of a Family, by mkcphotography:



Mitsy (ArtMind) is famous for her ceramic mini art feelings series. Since I was unable to pick just one, I chose Sleepy - 5 - Mini art feeling quite ramdomly. Brilliant!



Kathleen McGiveron is a visual artist who I believe is very promising. Take her I saw an Elk today - Ceramic Wall piece, for example. I love how spontaneous and fresh the emotion that comes across to the viewer is!



These Inspiration Apples are constantly among my favorites, by lapomme, whose work I greatly admire for the calm feeling that it communicates.



One more bird now! I often find them irresistible... This one is a Large Rocking Bird, and is made by DavisVachon.



Solo is one of my favorite objects, because it also has qualities of a character. And you know how much I love literature... Anyway, this Solo here is on a tree stump. Well done illustrationbygosia!



Last, but certainly not least, here's Nelly dreaming of spring, by urbanblue. It makes you strong enough to keep this refreshing feeling in your heart all year round!



All these creations make up for just a part of the amazing sculpture you can discover on Etsy. I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did!