Tags: Doreen Frost, PWGL Birthday, Vermont Harvest Folk Art

We Prim and Whimsy GirLs LOVE a Celebration! And we would like to share with you some of the ways we celebrate July 4th, Independence Day.

We Decorate….

We Create….

We Collect….

We Cook…..

We have Fun….

From all of the Prim and Whimsy GirLs, HAPPY 4th of JULY!

Thank you to the following for contributing pictures for the party.
Amelia of Sweet B Folk Art
Anne of Annetiques
Deb of Bittersweet Pastimes
Dorothy of Big Time Rock Show
Lorraine of PieCake Primitives
Nancy of Vintage Whimsy

Tags: antiques, July 4th

Tags: Americana, Halloween, PWGL Gallery Hop

This month’s PWGL Studio Tour visits the studio of Anne Nichols of Annetiques, located in historic New England.

An Interview and Studio Tour with Anne

Describe your work: I am a designer and maker of primitive styled hooked rugs. The primitive style of rug hooking is a simple, innocent design, as a child’s drawing would be. I had to forget what I was taught in art school about size, perspective and composition and teach myself to draw through a child’s eye.

How long have you been creating your artwork? I have always loved to draw and make things for as long as I can remember. My love of art sent me to art school where I learned graphic design. I worked in the graphic design industry until I was married and that is when my creative craft life began. Loving antiques but not being able to afford them, I started making reproductions of the things I wanted. First, it was cross-stitch samplers, quilting, designing and making dolls, then chalk ware Santa’s and always hooked rugs. I loved antique rugs and decided that I could make one. I went to a local wool store, talked with the owner, bought what I needed and taught myself to hook my first rug. That was thirty plus years ago and I have not stopped since. I now design and sell my own original patterns and rugs. Rug hooking is a passion and a joy to me.

Describe your studio/workspace: My studio is my heaven, a place that I go to create, dream and leave all my worries at the door. I love my little space that’s all mine.

How much studio time do you put in each week? I would say that I spend more time in there than I should but not as much as I would like. The computer in my studio is an addiction, so when I am not creating I find myself “playing” on the computer.

What is the one tool you could not live without? My rug-hooking frame, it is the best tool I own. Before I had this frame, I used a round hoop. I was never comfortable with it and could not sit long to hook. With my frame, I can sit and hook for hours because it holds the rug I am working on and frees both my hands.

Do you listen/watch media while you work? I like to listen to books on tape, my oldies music and sometimes watch TV. When I am drawing or working on new designs I just enjoy the silence, it helps me concentrate.

If you had an unlimited budget - what would you buy for your studio? That is easy, more old, antique cupboards to hold wool. I never have enough room for all my wool. If I had more room, I’d buy a large work table to spread out on.

What is your favorite time of day to work? I guess anytime I get to work in my studio is my favorite time. Morning is nice because my studio is in the back of the house near our woods and I get to listen to the birds singing. Nighttime, when the day is quieting down, I sometimes find myself working into the wee hours.

What materials are you currently working on? As always, I am working with wool. I am in the need of more antique colors so I will soon be over-dying to replenish my wool stash. I also create personal rug tags for each rug. These let me use my graphic talents with pen, paper and materials.

How do you stay organized in your workspace? I have many designs that need to be organized. I like to keep them in folders so that I can find them easily. I just recently found plastic artist portfolios that work wonderfully, easily fitting even my biggest designs. I keep my wool organized by color in cupboards and all my other craft supplies in labeled boxes or plastic containers.

What kinds of “inspiration” do you have in your studio? My house and little area is filled with collectible treasures that inspire me. I also keep a sketchbook that I doodle in whenever I see something that gives me an idea. These both help keep the creative juices flowing.

What are your creative plans for the future? I would like to expand my growing design business. Some day I would like to teach rug hooking.

Anne Nichols’ work may be found on eBay, Etsy, and primandwhimsy.com

Tags: Anne Nichols, Annetiques, pwgl art, pwgl studio tour

Tags: Miller Campbell Designs, PWGL Birthday, Rebecca Miller Campbell

Tags: Lisa Lectura, LL Creations, PWGL Birthday

Jeanne from WildWoods Art is having a Giveaway on her blog, The Candy Corn Chronicles. Three Fantabulous prizes will be awarded - a set of Fairy Mushrooms, a set of Fairy Pumpkins, a Fairy Wand. Giveaway ends June 13th.

Come see what lovelies our Prim & Whimsy Girls have cooked up! We’re having a Fairy Tale themed Challenge this week on eBay. Click the banner below to see our creations.

Thanks Jo (Cart Before the Horse) for making our banner for this challenge!

Tags: Fairy Tale, PWGL Challenge

This month’s featured artist…
Jeanne Gripp of Wildwoods Art Studio

An Interview and Studio Tour with Jeanne

Describe your work: I feel no one word describes what I create, so here’s several - folksy, whimsical, with a touch of macabre thrown in every once in a while.

How long have you been creating your art work? I have been creating since I was very young. I sold my first creation while still in high school. It was a wool rug which I had spun the wool for and then wove on a Navajo style Loom. I began my exploration into three dimensional sculpting while in high school - I did wood carving.

Describe your studio/workspace: I’m fortunate enough to have two work areas: We have an upstairs room with a huge window that I love to use for my sewing projects.

I have a table there that is big enough for my sewing machine and one or two cats to supervise the project. The table, with its smooth top, makes it great for cutting fabric. My downstairs work area is in front of a huge window that looks out on our yard/patio.

I have a huge dresser/console with a Formica top that I use as my main work table which sits under the window.

The drawers keep all my bits & pieces handy for any project I may be working on. I also have an old wicker table in my downstairs workspace. This table belonged to my mother and she & I would spend a lot of time at it working on projects. I use it now for the painting and finishing processes.

How much studio time do you put in each week? I always try to put in at least 2-3 hours every day but usually spend more.

What is the one tool you couldn’t live without? This is a tough question - I don’t usually use a lot of tools while creating. But the one tool that has made life easier for me is my Dremel. I have a flex-shaft for it and it has made a lot of processes quicker and easier.

Do you listen/watch media while you work? I have several playlists on my computer that I’ll listen to while working. I love any music that gets my toes a-tapping! And I enjoy watching old horror movies from the 40s & 50s as well. They’re a great source of inspiration.

If you had an unlimited budget - what would you buy for your studio? Better lighting! A well lit work space is a must for any artist. I have great natural lighting but not a lot of supplemental lightning for those dark and dreary days.

What is your favorite time of day to work? If I’m working upstairs, in the morning. The window faces east and the morning light is great. But downstairs, my window faces west so I can be found there in the afternoons.

What materials are you currently working on? I am so enjoying the sculpting - trees, pumpkins, mushrooms. My mind seems to work better in three dimensions than in two.

How do you stay organized in your work space? I use lots of bins and baskets! In my upstairs studio, I am lucky enough to have a closet with floor to ceiling shelves that runs the length of the room. I’m able to stack my fabric according to color and all the other bits and pieces and oddities that I have accumulated over the years is all stored in various sorts of containers. Everything is sorted according to what it is, so finding what I need is simple. Downstairs I have the huge console with dividers in its drawers to keep everything straight. I’ll create a mess while working on a project but make it a point to put everything away after I finish it. When I begin something, I will get out everything I might need and place it all in a basket. This has really helped me keep my thoughts on track. Heaven knows, I can get side-tracked!

What kinds of “inspiration” do you have in your studio? I try to surround myself with things I love - plants, fairies, animals. And of course, Halloweeny things! Nature is a wonderful inspiration for me. And having the wonderful windows to gaze out is an endless source of inspiration. And yes, I often find myself daydreaming.

What are your creative plans for the future? To continue sculpting. I am current working on a couple of bonsai style trees. But I want to explore the world of Assemblage Art sometime in the future.

Jeanne’s work can be found on
eBay
Etsy
Bonanzle
www.primandwhimsy.com
OR
Visit her on her blog: The Candy Corn Chronicles

Tags: Jeanne Gripp, PWGL, pwgl art, pwgl studio tour

Tags: Art for Sale, PWGL Gallery Hop