News — featured artist
We are happy to announce the staff here at Crafty Wonderland is being featured as September’s Artist(s) of the Month! We have a staff full of creative, artistic individuals and we are excited to have an opportunity to showcase all of their talents! We all make jewelry, but occasionally we branch out into other mediums. This month we will have jewelry, paintings, embroidery and much more featured!
We’ve taken some time to talk about each of our inspirations, processes, and more.
What would you say inspires your work?
Cathy: I'm inspired by all things vintage - textiles, jewelry, furniture. I've also become obsessed with vintage secret societies like the odd fellows and masons. So I'm hoping to see that reflected in my work in the future.
Torie: Often my biggest source of inspiration for new designs comes from creating jewelry for my friends, as birthday gifts and such. The process usually causes me to stretch my boundaries in ways that I wouldn't necessarily do otherwise. I'm also a big lover of antique jewelry, abstract paintings, and black and white photography, so I look to those things when I'm needing a little creative boost.
Megan: I definitely draw a lot of inspiration from fantasy and mythology, and here lately lots of heavy symbolism! Some of my favorite illustrators growing up were Arthur Rackham, Tony DiTerlizzi, and Brian Froud. I really enjoy intricate linework, like 18th century illustrations. In terms of content, moments of magic are definitely my biggest inspiration. I love subtle surrealism, big eyes, and flowers!
Alissa: My work is inspired by nature in the Pacific Northwest and vintage design styles like Art Deco and Art Nouveau.
Sierra: Texture, nature, unique color combinations, conversations with amazing people and the materials that jump out at me.
Tell us a bit about your artistic process!
C: In the past I have tended to overthink my process so lately I have been trying to just make without thinking too much about it. I am loving just assembling things that feel right rather than waiting for my brain to tell me they look right.
T: If I'm wanting to create something new, I look at what I already have in my line and think about what I could make that would complement the designs that are selling well. Sometimes this involves sketching shapes and ideas in a notebook, or looking back over past sketches to see if any of them hold up. Then I sit at the table and make a sample and see how I like it!
M: Honestly I’m still trying to hone in on a specific ‘process’ for making art. The thing I catch myself doing most often is scribbling down an idea I’ve had on a sketchbook app on my phone. I don’t always get around to revisiting those, but every once in a while I do! About 90% of my process is just combining different elements I’m drawn to until they combine in a way the speaks to me.
A: I start out sketching a bunch of ideas, then draw the best ones in ink, then scan and finish them off in Adobe Illustrator. It's hard to decide which designs I like best so I'll often ask my Instagram followers to vote :) Once I've finalized a design, I have it laser cut out of brass and then I make them into earrings and necklaces.
S: I get inspired by materials and color. I am a create and learn as I go kind of artist. I am always learning something new and continue to build on my skill set as I go.
What are some projects you hope to tackle in the future?
C: I'd love to learn silversmithing in the not so distant future. I've been wanting to take a class for a few years now but never seem to have the time to commit.
T:I've been wanting to design a line of cast jewelry for the past few years, but haven't quite gotten around to it yet! I have all the wax carving supplies...just need to sit down and start playing with them!
M: I’ve got a few ideas for zines that I would like to make- once I find the time! I’ve been really inspired by old Slavic fairy tale illustrations recently, and I’d love to attempt something full of that much detail!
A:Some new jewelry collections that I'm working on are combining my cut-out brass pieces with stones and other objects. I'm also going to start making some new smaller dainty post earrings.
S: I am really wanting to dive back into painting and potentially get some mixed media pieces going. I’d love to take some classes to extend my creativity, skill set, and grow as an artist.
Are you diving into any good books, shows, or podcasts lately?
C: I've been working my way through Vivienne Westwood's autobiography - she is a big style icon for me. And I just discovered a new cable show called "Tattoo Age" that profiles all the highly regarded tattoo artists from this century. It's super interesting and inspiring.
T: I just read Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and loved them both very much! You know you've read a good book when you're still thinking about it a month later.
M: Anything by Neil Gaiman is a winner for me personally. I recently read ‘Norse Mythology’ and it flooded my mind with inspiration. I’m also delving into the Harry Potter series again which is always really inspiring for me.
A: I'm really liking the new show "Making It" with Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. Parks & Rec is one of my all time favorites so it's neat to see Amy & Nick mixed with crafty goodness.
S: I have a deep fondness for the Dollop podcast. It’s hilarious and fun to hear random American history from a comedic viewpoint. I am also a big fan of the Hollywood Theatre.
What is your favorite product to make?
C: I enjoy making my crystal talismans. I love incorporating the organic crystals with the brass geometric shapes to create something that feels magical.
T:The hammered diamond hoops with beads. I love the matte finish on the beads and enjoy working with those stones.
M: I don’t really have a favorite yet, but I always love having a moment to work on illustrations.
A: My line of cut-out brass necklaces and earrings allows me to combine my background in graphic design with my love of jewelry. So it's really the best of both worlds for me :)
S: I have really loved making these wire word pendants. I feel a nostalgia with the shape and each word has a personal meaning.
What is one of your favorite spots in Portland? I know it’s hard to choose just one!
C:My favorite spot in Portland is the Eagles Lodge on SE Hawthorne + 50th. They host bingo night and a rummage sale once a month and you can get a cocktail for $3. I've been going there for over 20 years and it has barely changed - it feels like the old Portland I fell in love with way back when. I finally became a member recently and hope to be volunteer bartending there real soon.
T:The patio at Por Que No? on Hawthorne is always my favorite.
M:I love exploring the little neighborhoods in Portland’s East side. The houses are all so precious and I can’t help but daydream of having one of my own one day! And pretty much anywhere in town during spring, the plants blooming here are incredible.
A:City State Diner is my go-to place for brunch and good a cup of coffee. I like to bring my sketchbook and draw while I wait for my food.
S:I always tell people to go to Mothers when they visit Portland. It’s a beautiful spot with delicious food, the staff is great and the decor is beautiful.
If you could use just three words to describe your business or art, what would they be?
C: Female. Strong. Magic.
T: Simple, versatile, and sweet.
M: Surreal, whimsical, and magical.
A: Modern, casual, and positive.
S: Colorful, bold, fun.
We will be displaying our work until the end of September, be sure to come check it out!
August’s Artist of the Month is none other than Paper Puffin! Featuring wide-eyed curious cats and intricately illustrated natural elements, Paper Puffin has definitely created an unmistakable style.
What would you say inspires your work?
This particular, peculiar cat named Puffin is my main muse, though I’m inspired by the many amazing cats I’ve met over the years. Nature, micro landscapes and collections and the places I’ve lived.
We carry some of the best Paper Puffin goods available year round in our Downtown Portland location. We have prints, cards, and stickers- all adorned with those funny cat faces!
What is one of your favorite spots in Portland? I know it’s hard to choose just one!
There are so many great coffee shops and little stores! Magnetic North Studios off Belmont is a great artist-run workspace, and where I do my screen-printing. My favorite moments are walking through the neighborhoods when all the flowers are blooming.
Tell us a bit about your artistic process!
I limited myself to a single black pen years ago, as a way to develop my line work but also to narrow my focus. I love working with lots of different materials and processes, especially paper, wood fabric and found objects. I love it most when I can combine a design with hand-made production.
What is your favorite product to make?
I love working on original paintings, and collaborating with other artist friends for smaller projects when I can.
It’s so hard to pass up any of these cat faces, so stop in this month and adopt one of your very own!
If you could use just three words to describe your business, what would they be?
Curious Paper Cat
20 Leagues is an mad scientist meets artistic duo based here in Portland, Oregon. They create works that remind us to stop and appreciate the small, simple things in life - like pigeons! Their work centers around everyday life with a twist, and they are quick to see the beauty and weirdness in the strangely mundane.
20 Leagues specializes in making things that you never knew you needed, like wooden stickers, plant dioramas, and an action figure of Sasquatch riding a T-Rex.
What are some projects you hope to tackle in the future?
All of them. Our process is to throw spaghetti at the wall.
What would you say inspires your work?
All of them. Nothing. Not sure really. Ideas emerge from an odd, shared sense of humor and an awed, shared sense of wonder. We bandy our ideas about, though we aren’t sure what that means, then follow our whims wherever they lead. We live in a fanfiction of our own fantasies.
It just goes to show that sometimes living in your own fantasy world can actually pay off.
Tell us a bit about your artistic process!
All of them? Our process is to do anything to land the joke or tell the tale. We bring equal parts art and science to bare in our quest to fancy up your houseplants, classy up your cubicles, and giddy up your gift-giving game. A faster answer is gouache and lasers, we do it all with gouache and lasers.
We carry their products year-round, but come see the expanded display in our Artist of the Month Spotlight all through June!
It is with happy hearts that we announce February’s Artist of the Month, Emily Martin of The Black Apple! We don’t doubt that you have seen her work around Portland. You may have been lucky enough to lay eyes on her gorgeous originals at a local gallery, or fallen in love with her drawings in the pages of her many mesmerizing books, prints, and cards.
Emily Martin is a painter and illustrator, a collector and writer of books, and a creator of magical worlds. She works in a tiny nook of a studio filled with treasures & old wind-up toys. Her art is inspired by fairy tales, music, myths, illustration from the late 19th through mid 20th century, her favorite films, and the natural world.
Emily’s work often conveys an aura of cozy solitude, curling up with a pet in an overstuffed armchair with a book of fairy tales and a cup of tea, your head filling with dreams and stories. Mysterious forests filled with mist and greenery that resemble the giant shadowy trees of our own backyard, and creatures, both human and otherwise, that are sweet and enchanting.
Swing by our retail shop to view Emily’s art prints, greeting cards, magnets, & pins. We also have an array of her lovely books, including her children's novel, Oddfellow's Orphanage, which she wrote & illustrated! Also, should you need a gift to welcome a new baby, her companion children’s picture books Dream Animals and Day Dreamers make the perfect presents for little ones’ dreamy bedtimes.
Go to https://www.emilywinfieldmartin.com/ to see more of her work!
By Joanna Kurimsky
Just in time for the spookiest, most mysterious time of year, we proudly feature a Crafty star: self proclaimed “Artist/Recluse” Alicia Justus, aka Miss Red Star Art as October’s Artist of the Month!
We are thrilled to currently have on display Alicia’s gorgeous wood-burnt Spirit boards with matching planchettes, as well as framed paintings of her “Moth Girls” - created especially for our feature - incredibly detailed paintings of women-moth hybrids with an Old World vibe. It’s worth a trip to our shop just to see these beauties up close.
Intuitive and possessing a sixth sense for finding vintage treasures and supplies with which she can work, Alicia said, “I have dreams where I’m in nature - always near water - at the edges of rivers or the ocean, where I’m digging, and I find some fabulous vintage piece in the sand - and then I go out thrifting and I find that piece. It calls to me, and I find it.”
We’ve also got handmade felt flower dolls in lovely outfits, hand-sewn down to the buttons on their boots. And of course, plenty of red-eyed white mice in wedding finery, perfectly detailed dresses with kerchiefs round their necks. Life-sized matchbook story books, paper doll books and tiny illustrated storybooks on vintage paper foretold in a dream, featuring her original character, Little Bird. It’s all got to be seen to be believed!
“It gets to me sometimes. People don’t know how old and rare things are anymore, how special these things are.”
Searching for a unique piece of jewelry for yourself or someone who appreciates the past? Come catch a glimpse of Alicia’s necklaces hand woven with antique silk, Czech beads, and 1930’s Cracker Jack prizes as pendants. Beaded button rings and brooches, colorful tulle hair clips, Dia de los Muertos paper masks, skeletons and skull brooches round out the collection. “I started designing my own paper decorations years ago. I noticed that all the paper skeletons were either too grotesque or insipidly cutesy-pie, and they all seemed decidedly male. Think about it, you never see a lady skeleton. I have some new designs this year.”
Alicia has social media now - you can find Miss Red Star Art on Instagram and Facebook, as well as at the monthly Twilight Rummage sale on SE Hawthorne, and of course, in our downtown shop and at our Art + Craft Market!
By Joanna Kurimsky