April showers are raining upon us and so are beautiful creations by our Artist of the Month, Adrienne Vita! Dreamy and colorful, Adrienne’s eye-catching work is like a field of wildflowers that you just have to pull over and gaze at - a perfect welcome to Spring.
Adrienne’s paintings represent tiny detailed moments in the vastness of the natural world, as well as birds, animals and crystals in colors that are both bright and tranquil. Full of familiar and yet somewhat otherworldly images, it is not surprising that Adrienne says her artwork is her way of translating messages from the universe that she gleans from dreams, intuition, meditation and long walks.
If you are feeling dull after this loooooong rainy Winter, come feast your eyes upon Adrienne’s vibrant selection at our shop this month featuring prints, woodblocks and lovely, encouraging cards and you will feel a renewal. Read on to see what Adrienne had to say in answer to our questions, and find her at www.adriennevita.com to learn more!
What do you predict for your business in the coming year?
I am working on making books, getting more of my art in shops around the world and doing small animations. My Instagram is the best place to see what's going on with those ideas in the coming year.
What art and craft fairs and events are you looking forward to in the coming year?
Honestly, my favorite craft fair is Crafty Wonderland - they gave me my start and I wouldn't be anywhere without those first few Doug Fir shows.
What is your favorite word or swear word?
Favorite swear word is "shitballs".
What are you currently reading or what podcast are you listening to?
I am currently listening to the "Strangers" podcast and reading all sorts of crystal geology and crystal metaphysical books.
What is your favorite drink?
Dark and Stormies are my favorite, but I do have an occasional Amaretto Sour.
Do you carry an umbrella? What is your stance on umbrellas?
I just used one the other day! When I moved to Portland, I subscribed to the "no umbrella" thing. But I walk so much more than I used to - miles more. So I bought a better, more sturdy one that I can sling over my shoulder when I don't need it. Umbrellas are pretty charming and useful!
By Joanna Kurimsky
They say March goes in like a Lion and out like a Lamb (though in rainy Portland it’s possible they’d both come in and go out with dripping wet fur!) However, if you’d like a portrait of both a lion and a lamb looking dry and debonair, check out the work of our incredible Artists of the Month, Ryan and Lucy Berkley of Berkley Illustration!
Best known for his sophisticated animal portraits which have gained fans all over the globe, Ryan is self-taught and influenced by pop culture and comic book art, and has been the fantastic artist behind our eye-catching promotional posters and business cards since the beginning of Crafty Wonderland! Lucy manages the business aspect of their operation, as well as all the photography and writing the stories that accompany their stylish animal characters.
Along with raising two adorable small children, Ramona and Linus, the Berkleys have also written and illustrated a book, Social Animals, added temporary tattoos and colorful enamel pins featuring some of your favorite creatures to the mix! Stop by the shop to rummage through our selection of portraits in search of your spirit animal, and be sure check out two super cool original drawings done on coasters by Ryan at Nucleus Portland - close ups of black panthers slinking through the grass.
Somehow the busy Berkleys still found the time to answer some questions we thought it would be fun to ask. Read on to see what Ryan and Lucy had to say!
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What do you predict for your business in the future? We would like to branch out a bit from the portrait series and do a lot more general nature art. I have a show coming up at Land Gallery in Portland in May with a whole lot of new material. And we always have children's book ideas floating around in our heads. Who is your current celebrity crush? Ryan - Bryce Dallas Howard. But only at the end of her Black Mirror episode when she is dirty and crazy. Lucy- Kate McKinnon Who is your current political crush? Ryan- Alec Baldwin's Trump Lucy- Kate Brown What art and craft fairs and events are you looking forward to in the coming year? (Besides ours, of course!) Renegade Chicago and the Urban Craft Uprising winter show, with an eyebrow raised at DesignerCon. Favorite new local artist? It's tough to think of someone as "new", so I’ll go with someone we recently discovered. I really like Nicole Gustafsson's stuff (Nima Sprout). But if we are talking new and up and coming, we really like this artist named Ramona Berkley and we recommend watching out for her in the future.  Favorite word and/or swear word? Ever since high school I've enjoyed using "poopbutt". What are you reading or what podcast are you listening to? I've done a few episodes of the "About to Review" podcast and even if I wasn't a friend or participant, I would say you can do a lot worse in finding a great pop culture podcast. Favorite beer, wine or cocktail? Ryan- Fuzzy Navel Lucy- Hopworks IPA What is your stance on umbrellas in Portland? I don't care what my fellow citizens think, but if I'm out for a while in the rain, I'm taking an umbrella. Wet glasses are the worst. |
By Joanna Kurimsky
We are beyond excited to launch our shiny new website, complete with an ONLINE STORE! Now you can shop from some of Portland's most talented makers 24/7 all from the comfort of your couch!
Big huge THANKS to the folks at Aeolidia for making the site so fantastic!!!