Artists truly have the ability to take the observer into another world. This cannot be more true than with the work of Liese Chavez, a self-taught artist from Manitou Springs, Colorado.
Her works mesh fables, fairytales, and dreams into vivid and enchanting paintings and prints that are truly for those that love to imagine.
Liese sells her various prints and jewelry internationally through her three Etsy shops: Pale Preoccupation, Deadpan Alley and Rhombus Jewelry.
"I find inspiration in all the dreaming I did as a child. I spent a lot of time inside my head. Still do," Liese said.
Although Liese has undeniable talent for bringing those dreams and visuals from inside her head onto canvases, she is a strong believer that her ability has formed not from pure talent, but from hard work.
"Sometimes I think that people get the idea that I woke up one day being able to draw anything I fancied. Drawing like painting is a learned skill, just like playing the piano or becoming an athlete. It takes practice and dedication. People often tell me they don't think they could ever learn to draw, but I think they are just being too hard on themselves. Give yourself a proper chance to try, then judge," Liese said.
Though many of us might have a "yeah, right" response to this, there is no denying that Liese's encouragement and modesty make her a truly likeable artist, whose imagination we feel truly invited into.
Like other crafts that take dedication to minute details and extreme patience, Liese's works take a lot of hard work and focus to finish.
"It can take dozens of hours of preparation before I begin what will become a final painting." From there "oils with layers of glazing take the longest, almost two months to finish..." Liese said.
But all that time is very much worth it when the finishing results are feminine classics.
"I create things as a way to connect to others and to keep my head in the right place," Liese said.
In five years Liese hopes to be a full-time artist that can still pay her mortgage and can give herself two days off a week. To her that would truly suffice.
You can follow Liese's imaginative journey through her Twitter and Facebook pages.
A track record is perhaps the most important element of success. Brooke Baxter Howie, is no stranger here. She has been showing and selling her original paintings for over 40 years.
Once an art teacher, and with a long career in graphics, Brooke is now pursuing her dream of being a painter, selling solely her original works, no prints, internationally through her Etsy shop.
"I have created for many years to make a living. Now I paint for myself and the happiness it creates for my buyers," Brooke said.
"I have always loved the Impressionists. Klimt and Van Gogh are my favorites. I love the patterns, colors and textures of both of them although they are very different," Brooke said.
Although elements from both impressionists can be found in her work, her paintings have a cheerfulness that is distinctively hers. Her usage of bright colors, serene yellows and popping blues, make her art for the happy hearted.
Although, a lot of artists like to sketch their work out on paper before beginning Brooke has a different method.
"I don't sketch it out first...I just paint," Brooke said.
That's not to say that Brooke doesn't have a creative process though. She first sketches out a piece in her mind, visualizing through her art, evolving it all in her head before the brush ever touches the canvas. Afterward, it can take anywhere from several days to a few weeks to finish a specific piece.
You can follow Brooke's journey through her Etsy shop.
Photographer Eve Simone truly demonstrates that you can be a great creative while maintaining a busy schedule. The hours in her New York residing days are split between a fulltime job, her husband, a baby daughter, their two feline companions, and the love of her creative work.
“I am lucky if I get a full day to photography, so it’s definitely a challenge,” Eve said.
Lack of time definitely hasn’t dampened her creativity though. Her feather, flower, and various other images that are for sale internationally on her Esty shop are beautifully constructed with a soft elegance that makes these wall art and postcard photographs fantastic. Though they look simple, many of her works are a collection of scanned images that she has compiled together.
“There are some images I have been working on for months that no one has seen because [they’re] missing something or [they’re] just not there yet,” Eve said.
Her grandmother, a mixed media artist who started in photography, would prove to be the source of Eve’s dedication and inspiration, an idol beside Joseph Cornell and Diane Arbus. Growing up, Eve would spend hours in her grandmother’s studio and darkroom, where she became familiar with the form.
Currently, Eve is working on releasing egg and shell images that promise to be just as great as the rest of her work.
She continues to work toward a bigger goal.
“I am waiting for the day that I have my very own personal space for creativity...enough space for a darkroom and space to finally start my collages and time to work on everything that I dream about at night,” Eve said. She sees herself moving away from Brooklyn, back to her roots in North Carolina where she’ll find nature in abundance.
You can follow Eve’s journey through her Web site and Flickr stream.
