How long have you been an artist?
Forever!
I emerged from the womb with a crayon in my hand!
Where is your studio...and could
you describe it?
I am
really spoiled – i have two studios, one at the kitchen table for when I’m at
home. It’s lovely, with a great view of
the tv (hee hee) and my serious studio which is where I do all my office work
as well. It’s more spacious, but at the
moment, totally cluttered! I wish
someone would come help me clean it up.
What materials do you like
working with the most and why?
I’m a
polymer clay gal of course, but I love lots of other things I really enjoy
adding to my claywork – metal, felting, beads and vintage findings... if it can
be pushed into the clay, I’ll use it! I
have also been a big fan of watercolor and ink illustration, and get to use
those skills whenever I’m creating a new book, for marginal illustrations and
such. Lately I’ve been playing with
epoxy clay, jewelry concrete and resin too.
Variety! I love it!
What on your workbench at the
moment? i.e. what are you currently working on?
I just
finished my latest book (“Flourish”) so my work area has been filled with all
the projects from this endeavour. Lots
of different techniques, so I’ve had lots of fun playing!
Mostly
online and when I travel to teach. I am
away on travels so often that I never have as much artwork available as I’d
like.
Who is your favourite artist and
why?
I have
many artists whose work I really like! I
try to buy art whenever I can afford to and cover the walls and bookshelves of
my studio with interesting things. But
my favorite artist is Rene Lalique, who created during the Art Nouveau period –
I love EVERYthing that dude created!
Where do you get your inspiration
from?
Everywhere!
Shows, museums, books, magazines, travel, friends.... if it’s interesting, it’s
inspiring. I have notebooks full of
sketches and notes from things that strike my fancy. Then, when it’s time for me to create, those
inspirations mash together to create something that will hopefully be
interesting and inspiring for others as well!
Have you had a mentor in your
creative life? What did you gain by their mentoring?
I’ve
always done things on my own, but all along the way, there have always been
folks who were willing to share their knowledge, expertise, advice and
friendship. We all need each other, and
sharing the journey makes it more fun.
So, I’ve never had a mentor, but I feel grateful for so many helpful
folks along the way.
Do you teach your artwork to
others?
Yes! Teaching is a huge part of what I do! As you know, I’ll be in Australia in
March/April and am especially looking foward to seeing your students in
Melbourne! I think that the more art
there is in the world, the better the world is for it, and I’m delighted that
so many people have been interested in learning some of the ways I create in
order to enlarge their own creative process.
I have taught throughout the US as well as in Canada, Europe and
Australia. I am looking forward to a
trip to the Philippines next year and any other folks that will have me!
What particular piece that you’ve
made is your favourite and why?
I’ve always
loved making big, dramatic art jewelry necklaces. One of the first pieces I ever made of this
style work is still one of my very favorites.
It’s a jungley piece and won several awards. I have a picture of it in my studio (it’s in
a private collection), and everytime I look at the picture it makes me
smile. It’s a wonderful thing to create
something that brings you joy.
What would you say to others to
encourage their own creativity?
Have FUN!
So often people can block their own creativity by putting too much pressure on
themselves to be amazing or create a masterpiece every time. Just have fun with your creativity and
continue to learn to perfect your skills and knowledge, the creativity will
often emerge spontaneously when you are relaxed and playing.
Christi's
video tutorials:
Christi
Friesen
CF
Originals, PO Box 944, Tehachapi, CA 93581 USA
Website
url: www.ChristiFriesen.com
Facebook
url: “Christi Friesen”, “CF Originals”
and “Swellegant”
