Artist Interview With Nancy Christy-Moore

Today's Artist Interview Is With Nancy Christy-Moore From Glendale, Arizona.

Whopple: How long have you been an artist?
Nancy: All my life; exhibiting and teaching for the past 28 years.

Whopple: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
Nancy: In childhood my drawings and paintings were encouraged by my mother who was a commercial artist herself (fashion illustrator). She provided me with all the necessary materials and encouraged me endlessly by setting up still lifes and entering me into competitions and giving me life drawing classes as a young adult as well as sending me to college and commercial art school.



Whopple: Do you make a living with your art?
Nancy: Not really; my husband is my patron. I do sell my paintings through galleries and other venues and I do teach workshops and classes which give me enough money to buy materials and support my habit, pay for the occasional piece of furniture, vacation, etc.

Whopple: How many hours a day do you create?
Nancy: Usually about one to one and one-half hours is spent in the studio. Several hours a day are spent on-line with contacts, on the phone or in person.

Whopple: How did you pick your creative medium?
Nancy: I love painting. Initially I started in oils but soon became aware of my allergies to the pigment. I then tried watercolors and loved the instant gratification and spontaneity of the medium. After about 10 years I switched to acrylics and I’m still loving the fast, yet permanent painting experience. I did try sculpture once and dearly loved it, however I missed working with color and splashing paint, so reverted to water-media.



Whopple: What are your inspirations?
Nancy: I paint in series and currently the horse series (I’ve loved horses all my life) and the blooms series occupy my time. I’m inspired by the movement and spirit of horses. I’m inspired by the color and motion of the floral world. Life is a joy!

Whopple: How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
Nancy: It has never “hit a wall” for me! I love and enjoy the process of “inner painting” I’ve invented and consequently I’m always in the mood for that next painting!



Whopple: What was your first job?
Nancy: In the business world……as a file clerk. Nothing to do with painting, but after attending 2 commercial art schools (the American Academy of Art in Chicago and Art Center School in L.A.) I decided I was philosophically opposed to making a living as a commercial artist. I worked my way up from the file room to the board room as an executive assistant and then went into the marketing world briefly before quitting the whole scene (after 20 years) and becoming a full-time artist and teacher.

Whopple: What are your favorite snacks when you are creating?
Nancy: It used to be nuts – but I’m dieting now. Now it’s just water or coffee for me J

Whopple: What gives you hope in the world?
Nancy: The next painting and the next fun idea for that painting.

Whopple: What do you wish you could do?
Nancy: Sell more of my work and become famous!



Whopple: What are your artistic goals?
Nancy: To be represented in galleries in many different locations – world-wide if possible. To achieve a name in the art world for the quality and uniqueness of my work. To teach others the joy and freedom creating can bring on a personal level.

Whopple: What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
Nancy: My solo show in Japan; 20 of the 23 paintings in the gallery sold.

To See More Of Nancy Christy-Moore's Artwork Please Visit the Following:

www.nchristy.com

www.absolutearts.com/christymoore

www.Zazzle.com/NancyChristyMoore

www.rakugallery.com

Artist Interview With Kristin Gibson

Today' Artist Interview is With Kristin Gibson From Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Whopple: How long have you been an artist? Kristin: Although my mom was a science teacher, I never excelled in math or science, so I like to think my artistic side has always taken over!

Whopple: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative. Kristin: I remember my first art teacher "Miss Pelly", and sitting on her tall stool trying perspective drawings and a linoleum cut of a box turtle that I keep in my studio to this day.

Whopple: Do you make a living with your art? Kristin: Yes I'm certainly trying and have steadily made a good contribution to the family expenses. Together with my husband who is a graphic designer and creative director, we make a living with our art.

Whopple: How many hours a day do you create? Kristin: From 8 am when my two children leave for school, until I run for the school bus covered in paint around 2:45, I dedicate that time to creating and/or marketing my work.



Whopple: How did you pick your creative medium? Kristin: During art school at East Carolina University I studied painting and surface design, I loved the contrast between thick paint on canvas, versus liquid dye on silk and I still do.

Whopple: What are your inspirations? Kristin: Painting entirely from life, I find perpetual inspiration in the organic shapes and hues of fruits, flowers, vegetables & the sea. I juxtapose these with items such as my grandmother's teapots and vintage patterned fabrics for my still life. Matisse, Cezanne, Bonnard, Georgia O'Keefe and current day painter Cynthia Packard are inspirational influences as well.

Whopple: How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall? Kristin: I take a bike ride or go see the ocean waves. But quite honestly I just get to work! Knowing I have a limited time each day, the self discipline needed to get new work to galleries is usually the catalyst.

Whopple: What was your first job? Kristin: As a kid it was working in a surf shop in Manasquan, NJ, I loved creating the "windows". My first real job was designing and selecting the colors for high-end mattress and upholstery prints for a textile company called Culp in Stokesdale and Burlington, NC.



Whopple: What are your favorite snacks when you are creating? Kristin: Actually I'm a big grazer! Plus I paint a lot of food, so that doesn't help! My subject matter, and belief in the importance of good food and cooking for my family go hand in hand. To get me started I make a bowl of plain yogurt topped with fruit, raisins, almonds, walnuts, oats, grape nuts. Whatever I'm painting may turn into lunch, and in between I enjoy big mugs of Tazo Zen green tea and always love some dark chocolate.

Whopple: What gives you hope in the world? Kristin: I just finished reading "Three Cups of Tea", and at this moment, that story about the goodness and difference one person can make is awe inspiring and hopeful.

Whopple: What do you wish you could do? Kristin: Well, it would be pretty cool to do something that truly makes a difference, but if I can be my best as a mom, wife and friend and leave a few beautiful, honest moments in paint along the way for other people to enjoy, that would be a wonderful wish in itself.

Whopple: What are your artistic goals? Kristin: My husband and I have this vision of when the kids are grown, traveling around in a RV, seeing the country, visiting National Parks and I'll be painting (and still selling!) as we go. I especially love it out West, I spent a summer in Taos and Santa Fe a few years back (felt like Georgia O'Keefe!). To have my work someday along Canyon Road in Santa Fe would be a dream. Each year I've made it a goal to branch out a little further with my art, a new gallery, a new state. Already this year I have sent new work to The Bradley Art Gallery in Stoughton, Wisconsin, so that's pretty far flung!!



Whopple: What has been your most exciting moment as an artist? Kristin: Most rewarding moments are being able to give back through my art, by giving paintings to charitable events or causes that help people in need throughout my community and beyond.

On a purely exciting level, it would have to be last year when a group of artists each carved a 4 foot by 8 foot wood block and came together on a street in Carolina Beach to print them live with a steamroller. Called the Big Print Block Party, it was a truly energizing reaffirming artistic experience. You can see pictures and learn more about it here: http://www.capefearpress.com/

To See More Of Kristin Gibson's Artwork Please Visit The Following:

My web site: http://www.fineartandfabric.com

Spectrum Art & Jewelry, Wilmington, NC http://www.spectrumartandjewelry.com/Kristin_Gibson.html

City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC http://cityartgreenville.com/kristingibson.htm

Tyler White Gallery, Greensboro, NC http://www.tyler-white.com/artists-north-carolina-det.asp?photo-gal-id=218910492

The Woods Gallery, Bald Head Island, NC http://www.baldheadisland.com/woods%5Fgallery/

Art Affair, Winston Salem, NC http://www.artaffairwinstonsalem.com/artists/gibson.html

ArtShak, Southport, NC http://www.fineartandfabric.com/Kristin_Gibson_Fine_Art_&_Fabric/Artshak.html

The Bradley Art Gallery, Stoughton, Wisconsin http://www.thebradleyartgallery.com/

Green Hill Center for NC Art, Greensboro, NC http://www.greenhillcenter.org/

Le Soleil, Carolina Beach, NC http://livebythesun.com/

I Pinckney Simons Gallery, Beaufort, SC http://www.ipinckneysimonsgallery.com/paintings/gibson/artist.html

Artist Interview With Ian Ridpath

Today's Artist Interview Is With Ian Ridpath From Milton, Ontario, Canada

Whopple: How long have you been an artist? Ian: Basically all my life but in terms of my oil painting, I started in 1995. I took a break from it until 2000 and now that I am retired, restarted my painting in September 2009.

Whopple: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative. Ian: I first began acting on my creative side back in High School when I took art as an elective. I did several projects using charcoal and pastels and water colors. I actually produced a portfolio that I showed my dad and he encouraged me to do more. College came along and then marriage and family and so I left formal ‘art’ for many years. My work involved electronic designs that I guess are sort of creative. I took up playing the guitar at age 15 and haven’t stopped playing all these years.



Whopple: Do you make a living with your art? Ian: No, not yet. I was ‘released’ from my formal work in August 2009 after 21 years at the company and started back painting. I have sold several pieces and show in some local galleries and cafes.

Whopple: How many hours a day do you create? Ian: Now I spend about 3 to 4 hours a day on actual pieces or serving in our local co-op gallery. I use it as a studio since I am limited in my home space.

Whopple: How did you pick your creative medium? Ian: For all my growing up years I was surrounded by oil painting art by my father and his father before him. Also my five older brothers all dabbled in oil painting. So, it was natural for me to lean towards oils. I find that oils are a great medium and allow some degree of forgiveness.

I tend to use a fair amount of thinning/drying medium in my paints and so I don’t have to wait days for the pieces to dry. They can be worked on quite quickly and this allows me to have several pieces on the go all at once. I paint in batches.



Whopple: What are your inspirations? Ian: I am continually inspired by our local landscapes and the fact that God created them with such beauty in terms of form and color. Here in Canada we have four definite seasons and any visage changes accordingly. I often say that our summer is too green, our winter is too white, our spring too brown but our autumn is a magnificent palette of color.

Whopple: How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall? Ian: I now know when to stop a piece and take a break. I also know that after doing several pieces in a batch, I tend to give myself at least a month to recharge. During that time I don’t even think of painting. I might spend some time helping out in the co-op gallery or taking some new photographs. I always paint from photographs that I have taken. That means I do not have a steady output but do mange to get at least 15 to 20 paintings done each year.



Whopple: What was your first job? Ian: My first official job during high school was as a stock boy in an electronics warehouse. My first job after college was designing electronics circuits for equipment used in power stations.

Whopple: What are your favorite snacks when creating? Ian: My favorite snacks are jelly beans.

Whopple: What gives you hope in the world? Ian: Well for sure the world itself does not give me hope. I am a person who believes that God is the creator and sustainer of the world. Therefore I see that man’s attempt to better the world himself will always fail unless he calls on the creator. Makes perfect sense to me even in a practical way – who best knows His creation than the Creator.

Whopple: What do you wish you could do? Ian: That is an interesting question. At this stage of my life I have done pretty much all that one could wish to do – I have had children, grandchildren and have a wonderful wife wife. My working career was 42 years long without ever being out of work in a field that I loved since a young boy. I have traveled with the company I worked for to 24 countries and over 450 cities in the world. Not much left to do is there?

Whopple: What are your artistic goals? Ian: I would like to not only paint for profit but paint for legacy. I was mentored by my father and he was mentored by his father and I have some of their paintings. Following in their footsteps, I have given my paintings to my children and will to my grandchildren as well.
In terms of actual production of art works, I would like to be able to have some permanent displays in our town and even some in our National Galleries but I have a long way to go!



Whopple: What has been your most exciting moment as an artist? Ian: I would have to say it was my first invitation to the Mountsberg Conservation area in 2008 to paint the area and capture its essence in oils. I was asked back in 2009 and hope to be asked again but this time to a different area called Crawford Lake.


To See More Of Ian Ridpath's Artwork Please Visit The Following:

Website: http://www.ianridpath.ca

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ian-Ridpath-Oil-Painter-Web-Designer/203166411012

Blog: http://ianridpath.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ian_ridpath

Artist Interview With Ellen Silverberg

Today's Artist Interview Is With Ellen Silverberg From East Hampton, New York.

Whopple: How long have you been an artist?
Ellen: Since I was a child. I attended the Art Student’s League in NYC at the age of ten.

Whopple: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
Ellen: For as long back as I can remember I loved making things with my hands. I also copied every painting from The World Book Encyclopedia that I could find.

Whopple: Do you make a living with your art?
Ellen: If you mean, do I make enough money to live on from my art, the answer is no.

Whopple: How many hours a day do you create?
Ellen: I try to be creative every day but it depends upon what project I am working on as to how many hours I put in on a daily basis.

Whopple: How did you pick your creative medium?
Ellen: I use acrylic paint because it dries quickly. My work is so detailed that some times I find myself leaning on the painting itself to paint a whisker.

Whopple: What are your inspirations?
Ellen: Animals.

Whopple: How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
Ellen: I walk away from the painting, do something else and go back and look at it later with a fresh eye.

Whopple: What was your first job?
Ellen: I was the director of an art gallery in New York City for 20 years.



Whopple: What are your favorite snacks when you are creating?
Ellen: Strawberry Twizzlers. They keep me calm and focused.

Whopple: What gives you hope in the world?
Ellen: I believe that humans are basically good and I am seeking to bring as much light into the world as I personally can.

Whopple: What do you wish you could do?
Ellen: Make a living from my art.

Whopple: What are your artistic goals?
Ellen: To bring joy and comfort to the people who commission my paintings.



Whopple: What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
Ellen: The following letter that was posted in my guestbook. It convinced me that I'm doing what I was truly meant to do in my life:

Ellen is AMAZING. I would like to share this story with everyone to let you know what an incredible artist AND person that Ellen is.

A couple of months ago we lost our home to a fire. Due to our rural location the fire was not found until it had been going for hours. Tragically our 2 dogs, Cassidy and Sega, and 2 cats, Oreo and Matty, were lost in the fire.

Cassidy and Sega were like our children. Cassidy was a 7 year old Husky/Border Collie mix that I had rescued from the pound when she was 4 months old. Sega was a 14 year old Rottweiller that my boyfriend brought home as a puppy.

When I met my boyfriend 3 years ago Sega was not doing very well. His arthritis was setting is and it was all he could to get up. We would have to make him get up to go outside. When Sega was introduced to Cassidy he somehow found his reason to get up in the morning. Cassidy was so full of vim and vigor - it was all Sega could do to get up and chase her around. Slowly but surely Sega got up on his own every day and became more and more active. At the end of a 3 month period Sega was moving better than he had in years.

The bond the 2 of the developed was a sight to be seen. People used to laugh when we would make the statement that they were like a couple until they saw it for themselves. Sega would "grunt" and Cassidy would come running to his side. They would sit next to one another and lick each others faces over and over and over again.... to the point we would tell them to stop and get a room!! Sega always knew where Cassidy was - he never let her out of his site - his way of protecting her.

After the fire I wanted to find a way that we could have something that would remind us of all the wonderful memories we had with our 2 best friends. I though a painting would be the best way to do this and I desperately wanted to have this done for my boyfriends upcoming birthday. I began searching the web for artists that specialized in portraits of animals. One of my biggest concerns was the limitation the pictures I had presented. We had lost all of our photographs in the fire and I only had one of Sega on a computer at work and 2 of Cassidy. The pictures were dark and I was afraid it would be difficult for an artist to see the expressions and personality that I so wanted to capture.

When I emailed Ellen the response was phenomenal. After explaining to her the lack of photos I was able to provide she stated she could work with what she had and began immediately working on the painting. She displayed no hesitation when I let her know the time frame in which I was looking to have this done - I had little control over the timing of the fire. and period of time until his birthday.

After some correspondence via email Ellen began the portrait. A day later she sent me a photo of her rough sketch on the canvas. I was floored. Those were my babies and there was no doubt it was them. You could see them beginning to take form. I was so anxious to see the finished painting... it could only get better from here.

The day came when I opened the package that had arrived which contained the completed framed painting. I literally shook with excitement as I carefully opened the box. All I can say is the painting is the MOST INCREDIBLE thing I have ever seen. I could never have imagined that someone could capture every little piece of Cassidy and Sega - especially if they never saw the dogs themselves. Right down to the little scar on Sega's nose - to the ice blue color of Cassidy's eye. You can feel the bond between them just by looking at it.... Absolutely amazing.

I could never have asked for a more precious memory of Cassidy and Sega. Every time I look at it I see the light in their eyes and I remember how special they were to us and to each other. This painting will be the first piece that is placed into our new home after the construction is complete. It will be placed were both my boyfriend and I , our family and friends can enjoy it. I can only count the days now until his birthday so I can see his expression when he sees it for the first time.

I would like to thank Ellen with all my heart for giving this memory to us. She went out of her way for us - I truly believe she connected with both of them while she was creating this painting. There is no other way she could have captured their spirit like she did. Ellen - I can never thank you enough.

Your BIGGEST fan,
Mary Pralinsky



To See More Of Ellen Silverberg's Artwork Please Visit The Following:

www.paintedpetportraits.com


www.bestfriendnyc.com/art

www.absolutearts.com/portfolio/p/portrait

www.dogster.com,

www.i-love-dogs.com

www.tibetanterriertribune.com/ttlinks2.htm

http://www.absolutearts.com

http://worldartistregistry.com

http://www.artquest.com

Animal-Artists Hall of Fame “Apron Memories” by Ellyn Ann Geisel
and many, many other places.

Artist Interview With Malcolm Barker

Today's Artist Interview Is With Malcolm Barker From Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Whopple: How long have you been an artist?
Malcolm: I have been creating art of some form since I was a child. However, it was the beginning of 2009 that I started painting seriously.

Whopple: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
Malcolm: Actually, I do not remember my first creative moment as I have always been creating something, whether it was cooking, sculpting, playing music or painting.



Whopple: I can tell you how I started my abstract work.
Malcolm: Being drawn to art in all of its forms my wife and I often find ourselves wandering through galleries and art shows. As we wander the conversation would go something like this, I’d remark, “Honey I really like the way that looks?” and my wife would always respond, “You could do that!” This scenario would play itself out over and over. I finally got the point and I heard what she was saying, “Give it a try!” so I did and here I am today being interviewed again about my art.

Whopple: Do you make a living with your art?
Malcolm: Not at present but it does help to subsidize our income. It would be wonderful down the road to be able to live off my artwork but it not the main focus of why I paint.

Whopple: How many hours a day do you create?
Malcolm: I do not necessarily paint everyday but I would say that I do spend at least an hour or so working creative processes through my mind. I also spend time researching various new techniques and processes for future work.

Whopple: How did you pick your creative medium?
Malcolm: I picked acrylic abstract because I liked the flexibility that acrylic paints and various mediums give me. I love texture so experimenting with it is always part of my work.



Whopple: What are your inspirations?
Malcolm: Inspiration comes to me in many forms, but mostly does not kick in until I actually begin putting paint on the canvas, it is often triggered by a colour, or a texture or the general mood developing on the canvas as I work to draw out something unique.

Whopple: How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
Malcolm: This is a tough one. There have been times when I have tried to just keep painting when I have been uninspired thinking that I would some how kick into something magnificent, and at these times I was glad that “gesso” was available to present me with a clean slate again.

Painting for the sake of painting alone just does not work for me. I find if I lay down the need to be creative and go and look at other artist’s work or creative techniques the stirring to get at it again is rekindled.



Whopple: What was your first job?
Malcolm: My first job was actually in a cabinet shop sweeping floors, restocking shelves and such. My boss did try to make a carpenter out of me but a congenial relationship between “power tools” and myself was not destined to be.

From there I went on to become a Chef this was much more inline with my personality and also gave me a whole new creative outlet. Today I work in graphic design.

Whopple: What are your favorite snacks when you are creating?
Malcolm: Wine is a definite while I create… a little jazz playing in the background a nice glass of Shiraz and I’m good for hours or at least until I need to stop and refill my glass again. When finished I can’t wait to hang my work, pour myself a “Single Malt Scotch” sit back and contemplate what I have done.

Whopple: What gives you hope in the world?
Malcolm: As I look at the world I often consider the next generation. Being a grandpa has given me a whole new outlook on things. As I consider what is ahead for my granddaughters. I often do crafts or (craps) as my 3 year old Granddaughter refers to them. There is such life and expression in her eyes as she learns something new, ever proud of what she creates as she runs into the kitchen to share what she has done with Grandma or her sister.

There is something inherent within us that give us a desire to learn, overcome obstacles and share with those around us what we have learned.

With such uncertainty in the world of today and the years to come it gives me hope when I see such determination and spirit rising up in children, teens and young adults alike to forge ahead and face each day as an adventure with new rewards of there own.



Whopple: What do you wish you could do?
Malcolm: I wish I could spend more time enjoying life and less time enduring it, more time with friends and family, more traveling, more time creating and have more resources to help others!

Whopple: What are your artistic goals?
Malcolm: I haven’t really set goals for my work. I guess that closest I would come to a goal would be my desire to continue to create in whatever form that may take me down the road!

Whopple: What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
Malcolm: I think the most exciting moment for me as an artist was selling my first painting. When someone “other than your family members” says, “hey I really like that!” there is no greater feeling or encouragement.


To See More Of Malcolm Barker's Artwork Please Visit The Following:

www.malcolmbarker.ca

Artist Interview With Peter Seelig

Today's Artist Interview Is With Peter Seelig From Vienna, Austria.

Whopple: How long have you been an artist?
Peter: Since my youth, as profession since 2003.

Whopple: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
Peter: My first attempts started in school when I was about 16 years, my first love has forced me to be creative, if you love me, draw me.



Whopple: Do you make a living with your art?
Peter: I make "half" my living with my art.

Whopple: How many hours a day do you create?
Peter: There are periods with 20 hours a day and periods with only life .



Whopple: How did you pick your creative medium?
Peter: Because it is forbidden to take photos during performances I started to draw in the dark of theaters, drawing without watching the result, I called this 'blind drawing'. Today these blind drawings fill about 40 Art Journals with more then 5000 drawings.

Another medium is to destroy and recreate photos with diverse photoshops.

Both 'blind drawings' and the courage to create out of a destroying process, the experience of movement are the sources of all my other art works.

Whopple: What are your inspirations?
Peter: Contemporary dance, theaters, women, faces, movements.



Whopple: How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
Peter: Going to Paris Venice or Bern for a few days.

Whopple: What was your first job?
Peter: Assistant in Informatics at the university

Whopple: What are your favorite snacks when you are creating?
Peter: Cold coffee (I forget to drink it hot), colored chocolates (everything I touch is colored), never ending cigarettes until they coll on my lips.

Whopple: What gives you hope in the world?
Peter: That nothing is sure, that there exists every time a truth of truth which seems to be a paradox and which means, everything changes, also the truth.



Whopple: What are your artistic goals?
Peter: To find me in my work, to try new forms of expressions.

Whopple: What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
Peter: During the opening of an exhibition a girl of about 9 years came up to me asking me the price of the painting Salome's dance. The she asked how much would it be if she was my most best best friend. I say the half. Sure it was to much but then she asks me if she could write something into the guest book. Sure I said and she was writing for one hour about this painting, writing 4 pages, writing this picture it's me.



To See More Of Peter's Artwork Please Visit The Following:

http://www.peterseelig.com/
http://www.fotocommunity.com/pc/account/myprofile/507246
http://peter-seelig.deviantart.com/

Artist Interview With Dania Reichmuth

Today's Artist Interview Is With Dania Reichmuth from Winterthur, Switzerland

Whopple: How long have you been an artist?
Dania: As far back as I can remember, I have been into some drawing, stencilling, faux painting. Furthermore, if you take being artistic in it’s broader sense, I have always worked my hands - ceramics, faux painting, music etc. - So, you could say that I have always had the creative bug.

Whopple: Tell us about your first attempts to be creative.
Dania: I became interested in imaging back in 1987 when I began using a computer/projector to present my school work. I started scanning images and learned my way around the digital darkroom. I took an interest in photography in 1990. Thus, I was weaned on digital photography.
If there is any theme to my work, is that I tend to photograph living things. Nature is beautiful and I like to capture it. I specially enjoy macro photography, because you see what we ordinarily cannot. I also particularly enjoy portraiture. Photography fills a creative void for me. I have explored all kinds of creative arts over the years – piano, guitar, when I was young, oil painting, ceramic studio owner, these things have gone with me through life and all hold a special place for me. But still, they don’t quite touch that part of me that wants to ‘draw’ the real world as I see it around me.



Whopple: Do you make a living with your art?
Dania: The most important part of making a living with my artwork is perseverance and hard work I think. I’ve managed to make a living through my art for the past 15 years. Being an artist is work. Joyful work to be sure, but work just the same. When things are really slow I do portraits and commissions instead of my own stuff. Its all art to me.



Whopple: How many hours a day do you create?
Dania: I regularly put in 8-10 hours a day working with projects and then spend the rest of the time on more training, marketing and networking to get more clients.



Whopple: How did you pick your creative medium?
Dania: Photography has been part of my life since I can remember. I find myself fascinated by mixed media at present. There's something raw and powerful about mixed media, well, art in general, really! I'm also a digital artist, and while a lot of people look down on that as a medium, I feel that it's definitely its own art form. It's a completely different skill set, and you can accomplish some amazing things with it. I think its best and worst feature is the way you don't have to commit to anything. I can change any part of an image months after I thought I was done with it, and don't have to worry about ruining it. That's great for my sanity, but I think it takes away some of the courage of conviction it takes to be an artist sometimes.

Whopple: What are your inspirations?
Dania: I get inspiration everywhere! When I prepare my creative space, I consider things that makes me feel creative. I need soft music or absolute quiet. It has been shown that flowers and plants can increase productivity. So I always keep fresh flowers in the studio....The point here is that being creative is difficult enough at times, by optimizing your workspace you can eliminate lots of distractions. Creativity is always very personal and can easily come to a grinding halt under pressure. I get inspired by many things around me, anything that appeals to my senses, becomes my subject!! I don’t just go out looking for pretty pictures – I search for patterns that repeat, for flowing movement, for undercurrents that subtly define a subject. I look for shadows and reflections, and contrasts, and interesting juxtapositions.



Whopple: How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
Dania: Write in my Journal. Keeps my thoughts and emotions recorded, just in case I didn’t have an intellectual “adult” to have a conversation with that day; to have an opportunity to keep my “big words” afresh and to have something to remind and encourage me that I am doing great! I re-charge now with quiet. I usually start my day at 6am with meditations, exercise and get in the mood for my work.. Quiet candles, simple music, looking outside at nature, very zen-like, that is my re-charge now.



Whopple: What was your first job?
Dania: Retail sales, Designer's assistant. I was working towards my Interior Design degree at the time, great experience..

Whopple: What are your favorite snacks when you are creating?
Dania: Müesli, sometimes a nice and delicious Swiss chocolate!

Whopple: What gives you hope in the world?
Dania: Knowing I can make a difference gives me hope..what encourages me to go on is also the satisfaction and sense of well being derived from spreading kindness and love...Everything, music, photography, painting sculpting all kinds of art for some reason gives me hope.



Whopple: What do you wish you could do?
Dania: I absolutely love all that I am doing, I hate not having enough time to do all the things I want in my photography career. I hate not chasing my dreams so I wish I can have all the time to do the things I want.... I will work on getting the right ones and work on new material, planning, artwork, website, make new friends on social networks,etc. I look at it as one big circle, things in motion stay in motion (I've decided to focus my time on only doing those things I love.)

Whopple: What are your artistic goals?
Dania: To set and reach your artistic goals you really need to stick to them. In other words, persevere. Continue with my photography, showing my art and finding more venues, travelling if possible to photo art shows, selling my photography through different outlets. Continue also with more training, seminars, classes and workshops.



Whopple: What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
Dania: Oh so many great moments recently....The art market has become much, much more global than it was 20 years ago, but whenever I sell something truly unique, it's something exciting.....

To See More Of Dania Reichmuth's Artwork Please Visit The Following:

http://www.daniareichmuth.com

http:www.zazzle.com/dreichmuth

http://twitter.com/dreichmuth

http://daniareichmuth.wordpress.com/

http://daniareichmuth.redbubble.com/