balancedcrafts

When did you first become interested in art?

I’ve been interested in arts and crafts for as long as I can remember. I suppose it started with your basic kid craft type things. As a teen I worked at a craft supply store and later a bead shop. That was no accident.

Has your style changed from when you first began as an artist?

I don’t have a particular style. I do what ever I’m drawn to at the time and that is constantly changing.

What medium do you use?

I use many different mediums. On Imagekind all my art is digital using ArtRage. But, I also paint with oils and acrylics and dabble in pastels, chalks and pencil. I also make jewelery and enjoy paper crafts.

What made you choose that medium?

Which one? I sort of have ADD so if I spend too much time on one thing I have to move on to something else. This repeats over and over and over and…

Do your ideas come from life or imagination?

Both. You can’t really have one without the other.

How do you choose your images and colours?

I really don’t know. I suppose it’s a feeling, or rather a yearning. I have been more drawn to earth tones and images from nature lately though.

Who is your favourite artist?

That’s a tough one. At the moment it’s Banksy. http://banksy.co.uk/menu.html

I love them all, honestly. If you create, I have some love for ya.

What is your favourite piece of work by yourself?

I suppose right now it would be “Little Bird” because someone left me a comment on it saying they couldn’t believe it was all digital, and that has to be the best compliment ever!

How much time (on average) does it take to complete a work?

Some come together very quickly while others can take days, even weeks. It’s hard to come up with an average. It greatly depends on what I’m working with too.

How well do you take criticism?

I like to think that I take it well. I welcome it, really. I want to know how I can improve and what people like – though I know every person likes different things.

What do you do to overcome a ‘block’?

Leave it and work on something else. Usually that helps.

How do you know something is ‘finished’? Is it easy to walk away?

I don’t always know. Sometimes you just have to call it finished. But, what I love about creating is that if you don’t like something you can just change it.

Have you had exhibits in galleries?

No, but I would love to.

Have you any exhibits in galleries planned for the future?

That’s all a little scary to me, if I’m honest. But it would be fantastic.

What are your plans for the future?

To be happy. Cliche? Really, just to not get too “into” one thing. If I feel stifled, obviously that won’t make me happy. Making a living off of my art wouldn’t be so bad either.

What advice would you give new artists?

Never give up and never second guess yourself. Art is individual.

You can see more of balancedcrafts’ work at http://balancedcrafts.com