As you may know, I have spent the past few weeks getting involved with a few facebook sites for artist's.
One of the people I have met along the way is Debbie Prewitt from Colorado Springs, CO. I met her on the Fiber Arts/Mixed Media Art facebook page.
She owns a business called Blue Twig Studio in Colorado Springs, on-line store for all kinds of fun mixed media and fiber arts supplies. www.bluetwigstudio.com the website for her store and bluetwigstudio.wordpress.com Debbie's art blog.
Now on to the interview....
What are the inspirations for your work?
My
inspiration can come from anywhere really. I see potential in virtually
everything...from the song birds outside the windows...to the color and
smell of the roses....to the lines created by rows of telephone
poles...to the glorious setting sun.....to kids playing and laughing at
the park.....to reading about other artists, etc. You get the idea.
Inspiration is everywhere.
Where do you get your ideas?
Ideas are the
same. They sort of just pop into my head, either when I am working in
my studio, or when I am doing something completely unrelated. For some
reason, driving in the car seems to jumpstart my idea list.
Did you get your degree in art?
I do not
have a degree in Art. My degree is actually in Psychology, although that
can be useful to have when creating Art. But I have always tried to be
creative, and started when I was quite young with painting and
sketching. I have taken time off from art over the years (when other
parts of life got in the way) but I always come back.
On an average day, how much time do you spend on your work?
I wish I
could say I devote a lot of time to daily art and creativity, but alas I
just don't always have the time to do so. I am more likely to carve out
a big chunk of time (say 6-8 hrs) once a week than to spend small
amounts of time daily. Although I would like to change that pattern.
Because I do believe that having that regular and consistent artistic
practice is important. But even if I am not making Art everyday, I will
at least visit an art blog or read some type of artsy magazine or book,
just to stay tuned into the creative vibes.
What types of medium do you use?
I am a true
mixed media artist. I love to try anything and everything. I do not have
just one artistic genre that I do. I do a little bit of this and a
little bit of that. Of course, that means I am really not an expert at
any one type, but that's OK with me. I like dabbling in a variety of
mediums. I love using paint as that was really my first love of Art when
I was young. I spent years sewing clothes and making quilts, so I have a
love of all types of fiber arts. Hand-dyed fabrics and funky yarns and
trims make me happy. I am a CZT (certified Zentangle teacher) so of
course I am drawn to all the Zentangle Inspired Art out there and have a
lot of fun with learning new patterns. I have developed a love of
book-making and art journaling as well. See, a little bit of everything.
Tell
me about your Blue Twig Studio.... When did you open? How many members
do you have? etc.... any other tidbits you would like for others to
know.
Blue Twig
Studio is a business I started about 2 years ago. Right now it is
primarily an on-line store for all kinds of fun mixed media and fiber
arts supplies (although you can make an appt to stop by to shop). I have
a variety of products, from ribbons to stencils to stamps to paint to
embellishments to threads, etc. I also offer classes and workshops and
play dates in my in-home studio/store space. I have my own classes that I
offer of course, but I also get other teachers to come in to teach so
there is a wide variety of classes being offered. My favorite class is
the monthly Arty Party. It is an evening class, so it is great to do
after work and with your friends. It is a mystery class, where you don't
get to know what you will be making until you arrive. All supplies are
included and we also have wine & chocolate. We make something
different each month, and it is designed for the novice artist, although
more experienced people can also join in and play along and have just
as much enjoyment. We have a lot of fun and everyone goes home with a
finished project. My goal with Blue Twig Studio is to move into a
store-front space where I have more room and am more accessible to
customers. I am trying to build a community of creative minded
individuals, but also reach out to those people who feel they aren't
creative and help them to see that they are. You can visit my website at
www.bluetwigstudio.com and my blog at bluetwigstudio.wordpress.com .
Here are some of Debbie's works....
This one is one of the projects we did during an Arty Party and I love how fun and playful it is.
Zendala Art
This is a mixed media/fiber art piece called Summer Surprise.
Zentangle Inspired Art.
What is Zentangle you ask? Well, I (Becky) looked it up. Here is what I found...
Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.
This is an art quilt I created quite a few years back, called Winter Walk. I love the raw edge applique of the tree.
This is a journal I made, which I like.
This is a piece of needle felted fabric with hand
stitching embellishing. It will probably end up being a journal cover,
but for right now it is just a flat piece of artwork.
