Today we head to New York to visit another amazingly talented artist..
Name: Lisa Zador
Age: 53
Occupation: Artist
Etsy Shop: Curious Portraits and Curious Kitchen
When did you start
creating and how long have you been on Etsy?
I’ve been an artist as
long as I can remember, since my Father bought me my first oil paints as a
child. I work freelance as an illustrator and textile designer here in NY. I
opened my shop “Curious Portraits”on Etsy about 2 1/2 years ago.
How did you come up with
your business name, is there any special meaning behind it?
I really struggled with
my shop name. It was important to me that it convey the feeling of the work
within. I have always loved the words “curious” and “curiosity” when used to
mean something unusual and unexpected and I thought they described my work
perfectly.
Has your Etsy shop
become your full time job? If not, would you like it to be?
I would love to have my
shop be a full time job but it isn’t there yet. I think it takes time to
establish yourself and build a reputation. Maintaining a blog helps and allows
me to share the story behind the work and what inspires me with my folllowers.
How would you describe
your creative process?
Ideas come to me from
the most unusual places and at odd times, often when I am walking my dog out by
the river or sitting on the subway so I try to keep a small sketch book with me
to jot down ideas and sketches in before I forget. Once I have something
sketched out then I start building on that with color and composition in
colored pencil and eventually move to the painting. I always paint in oil
either on stretched canvas or on wood panels which I love. I also always begin
on a toned ground and build up an underpainting in sepia tones then add in the
color from there. I love that traditional process of seeing the painting evolve.
It allows me to really get the light and shadow in early which is very
important to me.
Where do you get your
inspiration from?
I am always inspired by
vintage items, many of which I have in my own collection. Vintage toys, kitchen
collectibles, vintage linens and clocks are a particular favorite of mine. I
also love animals in clothing involved in human activities! It must come from
children’s stories and books I loved as a child in which the animals were
always so clever. Of course my dog Bingo is a constant source of
wonder and I spend a lot of time observing his moods and personality.
Do you also sell your
work at craft shows?
I haven’t yet been in a
craft show but it is something I would very much like to do. I’ve applied to
Brooklyn Flea several times but it is very competitive. I am hoping to
participate in the new flea market in Williamsburg.
What is your most
cherished handmade item?
That is a tough question
to answer, rather like choosing one child over another! There are certain
paintings that just seem to flow through you in a perfect way and when you get
to the end of it you know it is exactly what you had in your mind from the very
first moment it occurred to you. Those are probably my favorite pieces. My
portrait of my dogs Toby and Bingo is one and my first Steiff animal painting
of Pieps the mouse, Daisy the Squirrel and Mr Peanut
are others.
Apart from creating
things, what do you like to do?
I love to knit and to do
crosstitch needlepoint. I love designing my own patterns. I find it relaxing in
the way jigwaw puzzles are (another of my passions but which I never get to do
unless I am on vacation!). I also love to cook and especially to bake.
If you weren’t an
artist, what would you be and why?
I love to read so much
and to get totally absorbed in a great novel so I think being a writer would be
a wonderful thing. I still dream of writing and illustrating children’s books
so we’ll see.
Five years from now you
will be…
Selling full time on
Etsy and making my living entirely through my own artwork.
Describe yourself in
five words:
curious, creative,
moody, quick, compassionate
Carrying on with the
five theme, if I were to turn on your CD player/mp3 player, what five
artists/songs would I see on your recently played list?
Ella Fitzgerald, Cesaria
Evora, Bryan Ferry, Vivaldi, Pink Martini
Lastly, do you have any
advice for anyone thinking about opening their own shop or participating in
craft shows?
Just to do what you
truly love because it takes an enormous amount of time and commitment to make
it as an artist or craftsman. You will always go through setbacks and disappointments
and only if you really believe in what you are doing will you be able to stick
with it.
