Artist of the Week!

Congratulations to Wendy of Splendiferous Fiber as this week's featured artist!

Introduction- Tell us a bit about yourself.
I live in Alexandria, have 2 young adult children, both of whom learned to sew in grade school, and several cats. My daughter is a costume designer, graphic artist and dances with Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre. My son is a painter and photographer. Artistic endeavor runs in the family. :-)

How did you get started making handmade items?
I've been making things since I could hold a crayon, and sewing since I could hold a needle. I started making my own clothes in 6th grade, when I got my Sewing Badge in Girl Scouts. Within a couple of years, I was not only making but designing my outfits.

What does a typical day look like for you?
I have an outside retail job, so the schedule depends on when I have to be at work, and what else I have to do (feeding the cats is a given). I did quite a bit of painting in the last couple of weeks to get ready for Second Saturday Art Market at the Alexandria Museum of Art on the 12th. I hope the weather warms up by then!

If you could tell someone anything about Louisiana, what would you tell them?
There are educated people who live here, and some of us got our education before we had our family. Not all of us hunt or fish, unless you mean hunt for bargains, and fish for compliments, LOL.

What is your favorite item to make?
I love making my handpainted and dyed scarves and other items. You never know exactly how the paint and dye will come out, so there is always that element of surprise when you see the finished product. I also love working on more complicated things, such as original art quilts, and watching what I work on take shape and go from my vision to reality. Often, those projects change in progress, usually for the better. There's nothing more amazing than working on a piece and realizing you really have something and it's GOOD. It doesn't always happen, of course, but that's the nature of art.

What is your favorite food from Louisiana?
Tonight: Gumbo (it's really cold!) I make king cakes, which disappear alarmingly quickly, so they must be pretty good (having a son who eats half the cake before his dad gets home doesn't hurt either).

Any other information you'd like us to know?
I am also a fiber and quilt artist, have won several awards, and had a piece selected to be published in "500 Art Quilts," a book published last March. My quilts and photography have also been displayed at the International Quilt Festival. Contemporary Fiber Artists of Louisiana, which I belong to, has a current exhibit touring the state; the virtual version of the exhibit can be seen here: http://cfalart.blogspot.com/

My photo site with fiber art and wearable art:
http://public.fotki.com/wlstarn/fiberart/no-subject-14.html


Etsy Shop!
http://www.SplendiferousFiber.etsy.com


ArtFire Shop!
http://www.artfire.com/users/splendiferousfiber


Blog!
http://splendiferousfiber.blogspot.com/


Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/SplendiferousFiber

Show Wendy some love & visit her facebook page & tell her your favorite item! You can follow her wonderful blog too to keep up with Splendiferous Fiber!!

The winner from last week's featured artist giveaway is Jacqueline!

June Craft a Long Winner goes...

TO THE BIRDS this month! LOL :) Congratulations Wendy to her and her flamingos for winning with this fabulous bag!!

Please check out Wendy and all her awesomeness over at Splendiferous Fiber!!
Congrats!!

Member Artisan Profile: Splendiferous Fiber

Meet Wendy, owner/artisan of Etsy shop¸ Splendiferous Fiber. Her shop features hand painted scarves, MiniPurses and totes.

She says she has been creating for as long as she can remember. Wendy started sewing her own clothes in the 6th grade and has been, in her words, “a creative clotheshorse ever since.”

Wendy’s favorite aspect of her work is the variety. “It’s always different, seldom boring,” she explains.

Wendy draws much of inspiration from nature, in addition to pure color. A Louisiana resident since 1981, much of work is inspired by local plants.

When asked about her favorite piece, Wendy says she is currently fond of her scarves, especially the bronze oak leaves on sky blue. (pictured below)

Wendy’s biggest challenge is marketing, especially promoting her items to people she doesn’t know.

Her advice for other sellers is to “find a niche (and always color-match your sewing thread).”

Other skills Wendy would like to learn include free motion machine quilting (“I know the basics, but need improvement and a more cooperative machine”) and entrelac knitting.

A talented fiber artist, Wendy currently has eight pieces touring the country in several different shows. She is a two-time time Merit Awardee at Tom Peyton Arts Festival in Alexandria, La.

She also teaches classes at Delicious Art in Alexandria and is the Costume Mistress/Designer for Red River Dance Theatre, also in Alexandria (Nutcracker is November 29 & 30).

To learn more about Wendy and her art:

Visit her Etsy shop: http://www.splendiferousfiber.etsy.com/

Wendy’s blog, which includes exhibition information, can be found at: http://www.splendiferousfiber.blogspot.com/

Her fiber art online photo gallery can be found here: http://public.fotki.com/wlstarn/