Friday Finds... SOiNTOiTThis is my 12th interview of the amazing not-so-well-known artists of Etsy, and my first one since the End of November! Eeek! Don't worry though I'm in better health now and Christmas is nice as far away from being able to disrupt too much of my blogging for now :)
Today I am posting an interview with Pam, a carvedboard artist known on Etsy as
SOiNTOiT! By nature I am quite the hippy and I do tend to feel attracted to things that burst with color, contain spiritual undertones or have a very naturalistic feel to them. So for me to stumble across Pam's store was a wonderful find in my hunt for my usual Monday Magic-ers funnily enough! But her work is so unique and beautiful. I love the way they have a very ethnic feel to them, as well as the way they reach out to you (quite literally!) and the colors of the rainbow dance around each piece! I had to ask if she would be interested in an interview about her work and store. And obviously very pleased that she wanted to, so I am very pleased to share on my blog this week another very new and talented artist on Etsy that deserves all the exposure and interest I suspect she'll get in the future on Etsy :)
(Just click the images to go direct to the listings)
Tell me a bit about you. (Name, Age, Location, and give us a random fact whilst you’re at it.) My name is Pam Reinhardt. I’m 56. I live at a lovely lake in Northern California. I’m married, a mom and ‘gramma’. Random fact: Colors 60 feet below the surface in warm, tropical waters are indescribably and breathtakingly vivid.
What is your business about then? I don’t have a business! I do, however, have a passion and I enjoy directing that passion. So, I guess that’s my business. The direction of my passion right now, is my artwork. My artwork is uniquely mine and that is empowering. (I suppose I could organize my closets or clean out the junk drawer---nah!) I also like putting myself in situations that bring on extreme learning mode as I seem to thrive on learning. Putting my artwork out there is extreme for me. It’s inherently satisfying.
How did etsy come into your life? I’m running out of wall space! AND I like the etsy community AND I like learning new skills and I like art exposure and meeting talented and creative people.
Are you working a day job, too? Big smile! Sigh! I’m a recently retired public school band director and classroom music teacher. I’ve stepped into a perpetual weekend mode and my husband and I can come and go as we please. I am blessed!
How long has the artist in you been ‘unleashed’? I’ve not had the luxury of uninterrupted time before. For me, creativity is time for exploration and experimentation and time to follow my ideas to a satisfactory completion. I’m fortunate to have a supportive and understanding husband who knows how to serve a good meal!
What has been the inspiration behind your business? It’s such a charge to follow a dream. It’s scary and I like stepping out into new territory.
If you could describe your products in 3 words, what would you tell me? Colorful. Unique. Eclectic.
What would an average working day for you be like from dawn til dusk? Wake up when I feel like it. Cup of coffee in front of the fire and check out the weather and the bird feeders. Do a check-in with my husband and rough out a day plan (looks like a good ski day tomorrow, hon….that kind of thing). Check e-mails, the etsy shop and facebook, maybe call my kids. (I babysit my grand-daughter on Thursdays.) Head to the den where my desk and supplies are and play for a couple hours, or go for a walk. I’ve been doing a lot of breathing and being thankful to God. Piddle around the house or in the yard. Love to read. Might drive to town and explore. We live near two beautiful Sierra Foothill towns full of great restaurants, bookstores, art galleries and boutiques. Never at a loss for something to do. We own a 20 acre parcel on a hill overlooking our lake and sometimes we go up there and just sit, listening to the quiet and dreaming and talking over our house plans. Like I said, I’m blessed.
What’s your favorite material and techniques to work with? Acrylics, oil pastels, encaustic, collage, mixed media.
What is your ideal vision for the future for you and your work? To continue to have a lot of fun at my art desk. If someone can get enjoyment from viewing my work I’m tickled. I wasn’t actually expecting anyone to show any interest. I’m totally doing this for myself. I love that what I’m doing gets reactions from people and they want to let me know what their reaction is. I wasn’t expecting that.
Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? Travel. Snow ski. Kayak. Hike. Camp. Scuba dive. Write. Visit with my kids.
What are you likely to search for on etsy? New artwork. Brightly and creatively arranged, colorful objects. Somebody doing something different.
Any last words? Yes! Watch for one of my CarveBoardArt pieces in the May 2010 issue of Somerset Studio Magazine. (The Exemplar feature.) And, of course, go to
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SOiNTOiT and view my shop! This has been a fun interview! Thanks!
-- Tell me a bit about you! (Name, Age, Location, and give us a random fact whilst you're at it.) Dameon Priestly, 44, London, There are 3 sixes in my date of birth and my name is Dameon
-- How did Etsy come into your life? Trawling the internet
-- What has been the inspiration behind your business? To open up discussion and make people think about things they may not want to think about.
-- What's your favourite material and techniques to work with? Acrylic, painting on linen canvas
-- Away from work, what do you like to do for fun or to wind down? Read and eaves drop in cafes
