I realized that I hadn't updated my blog list in quite a while and, while doing so, I figured I should share my favorite Crafters and Artists a little more in depth:
First we have:
CRAFTY CHICA - Kathy Murrilo
She was the catalyst for my desire to make art, period. I literally began with a book of hers that I happened to glance over at the bookstore. The rest is history. The book was titled "La Casa Loca"
And I must have made all the projects in the book and found a joy in my soul that I had never felt before....sounds weird but true. She has released many books in the following years that continue to inspire me. I truly believe that if there is such a thing as a "Craft&Art Soul-mate" Kathy would be mine.......even though she has no idea who I am - haha! Out taste in style and and method are identical and I can't thank her enough for the inspiration she provides for me and every lucky artist and crafter in the world!!!
Next, we have :
Traci Bautista - treiC Designs.com
I have been a collage artists for over 20 years now. I loved creating what would be considered the older collage style that was around before the whole assemblage movement began. And it was exactly that movement that I felt pressure from to follow in my creation of art pieces that ended up being the reason I took a long hiatus from the practice. It was then that I became enthralled with learning to draw .....not realistic styles but more on the illustration side of things. I discovered " Collage Unleashed" by Traci, again, at the book store, and her style of drawing and wonderful bright colors spread out on the canvas was mesmerizing. I studied her book like a maniac and the first complete painting I made was dedicated to her and now is used as my profile picture!! ...see above :)
Tracy Bautista is not a crafter, but an artist in a very traditional sense. She's abundant in her ability to spread her desires thoroughly and completely onto a canvas and share her message in the most fundamental way...I admire her greatly and continue to use her book and it's follow ups ("Doodles Unleashed" recently released "Printmaking Unleashed") as inspiration and instruction to
better my own abilities.
Last on the list:
Chloe Owens..... (a more recent discovery)
Her books "All Sewn Up" and "Chloe Tells You How to Sew" are super fun and, upon reading them, I was stunned at some of the projects and how "up my alley" they are!! In her first book, she had large, hanging birds that I later made on my own (see here) and, in her second book, she had an Indian headdress made of ribbon and feathers that included every color of the rainbow and was exactly what I was looking for. I have yet to make my own, but I will post immediately as soon as I do.
Chloe is into vintage, but colorful creations and recently she was featured in an article I was pleased to find in "Fresh Style" magazine. The article was great at letting the reader in on a great display of her style and abilities that I am very much looking forward to continuing to learn and be inspired by!!
All three of these women are inspiring, creative, wonderful, happy women that I certainly hope to meet someday!
Keep it up, Ladies!!
Till next time,
Wicked jypsi
