FEATURED SELLER - BRANDIE GROGAN

Tell us a bit about yourself
Hi, My name is Brandie Grogan.  I moved to San Francisco 9 years ago from Dayton Ohio.  I have been working as a college printmaking instructor here in San Francisco for 5 years. 
Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Most of the time I am creating something!  I can't help it.  I always have to be doing something.  When I'm not teaching I love going out and taking photographs of rural areas, searching salvage yards for materials to make new work with, and keeping up on the local art show circuit.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Etsy is an amazing source of inspiration.  To see the art people create from all over the world is unbelievable.  The amount of talent out there is very inspirational.  What's nice about living in a city like San Francisco is having access to so much art.  I feel like I'm constantly surrounded by creative energy.
What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade is what is keeping the art world alive right now.  With so many things in our life mass produced and disposable it is one the most personal things out there.  

Who has been most influential in your craft?

Teaching is an incredible influence on my work.  To see this constant flux of new ideas is so refreshing.  Just when I think everything has already been done, a student just blows my mind with something I've never seen before.  The students energy and willing to try new things reminds me of why I love to create art.
When did you know you were an artist/maker?

I fell into art very naturally.  There was never a point in my life where I really considered anything else.  I had a lot of support from my family.   They really encouraged me the whole way.  I was aware that I wasn't necessarily the best artist at the start  but I think the people around me recognized that it was something I really wanted and loved.

 How would you describe your creative process?

Being a printmaker I am naturally drawn to the process of making art.    Printmaking has so many stages and steps, so much preparation.  I tend to create this somewhat rigid methodical routine in sculpture and installation work as well.  It's very natural for me to get into the repetition of these steps..  Through this process the work starts to waiver from the original idea that I started out with.  The time I've spent working with these pieces through each stage breeds new ideas and thoughts along the way.  Sometimes the work doesn't end up working out.  This is the reality of being an artist.  Despite this I don't feel that there is any wasted time.  When a piece ends up turning out better than I imagined it is all worth it.
If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?

Where do i start.  I would love to witness anyone from Rembrandt and Durer to the starving and struggling artists throughout history.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

I have a beautiful armoire that was made by a great great uncle.  It was covered with several layers of old paint when I acquired it years ago.  In the process of stripping everything  off I noticed all of the tiny imperfections and inconsistencies that made the piece so unique.  There were hand written notes on the bottom of the piece.   I could completely relate to this person putting so much energy into something they really wanted.  

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

I step away from what I'm working on and start something else.  It's not that I get tired of the creative process but I sometimes get tired of the boundaries I subconsciously create for each piece of art.  Sometimes I leave a piece unfinished for a few days, sometimes a few months.  There's really no point into trying to force something out of myself.  I am confident that it will get done but I may not have as much control as to when.  It just goes back to the trials and errors process.  If something doesn't end up working out well, I will take what did work and put that towards another project.

Where would you like to be in ten years?

Well, I think of it like this.. the best experiences I've had in my life have never been planned.  They ended up being better that I could have ever imagined.  I hope that in 10 years I will look at myself and realize that I am in one of those moments.

more info here

FEATURED SELLER - DIANA JAHNS

Tell us a bit about yourself

My aesthetic combines elements of east and west, no doubt due to my heritage. My mother was born in Japan. My Oregon-born father met her there. They married and settled in California.

I am juggling four etsy shops...! I am doing this so that each shop will have a single focus. And, that's because I go in so many directions. For nearly 25 years I wove fabric on a wooden handloom and then cut and sewed the fabric into handmade clothing. I sold the clothing in boutiques and fine craft stores, like Freehand in Los Angeles and Julie's in New York. After a break of several years, I am sewing again and love it! Currently, I am showing my handmade clothing in a retrospective exhibit, along with other fine artists from the 80s, at Freehand. I am not showing this work on etsy for now, but may sometime in the future. Meanwhile, my four etsy shops are devoted to art and photography. I make both realism and abstract or non-objective. I started early in life in the direction of painting, much later picking up photography. Sewing and weaving are a passionate side-trip. All the art forms inform the others.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I love to cook and take trips out of town. I enjoy all kinds of music. I like to see what other artists are doing.

Time with family and friends is precious time.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Through my heart.

What does handmade mean to you?
A beautiful way of connecting.

Who has been most influential in your craft?
My family: mom, dad, brother, grandmother, son and friends. And, facebook friends, too.

When did you know you were an artist/maker?
Very young. I think I connected to creative energy even before I could articulate it. My grandmother was an artist, so I had her footsteps to follow.

 How would you describe your creative process?
"Creativity is like driving a car at night," said E. L. Doctorow. "You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
This is my favorite way of explaining how I feel when I am making art.

more info here