Visual Caffeine

Eclectism is a virtue. I don't know if it's a word, but it's definitely a virtue.

- Will Smith

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A peek inside the creative life of Krissi Sandvik

Today's special treat is a chat with artist Krissi Sandvik. She was kind enough to answer a few questions and share some peeks at her work and her studio. (Yay! I love getting to see other artists studios!)

First off, a little backstory. Who are you? What do you make?
I'm Krissi Sandvik. I am a suburban housewife with pink, magenta, purple and sometimes blue hair. I am a white girl with a love of Dia de los Muertos. I love to drive my little car fast on curvy roads and play with lots and lots of makeup. I like glitter and graveyards. I am often obscured by my character, Skelekitty; so much so that some people think I *am* Skelekitty.

What projects are you in the middle of right now that you should probably be working on instead of doing this?
I SHOULD be finishing two custom mats that I am painting to match a couple of my art prints and getting ready to hang an art show. There are also some half-finished mixed-media collage pendants that should be completely finished AND one of my groups, Glitter Bitches Handmade, that needs some blogging done. As far as my 'housewife' duties go, I should probably also be thinking about taking my Jack Russell Terrier for another walk before it rains.

Where do you primarily create?
I have a "studio" off the kitchen in our home. I believe it was designed as a family room, but I've obscured the original ideas with artwork and storage, so you'd practically never know it. My art table sits in the middle of the room with lots of outlets and lighting within a step or two of all my storage & my desk looks out a huge window into our overgrown backyard (mental note: add "gardening" to list of projects I should be doing).

Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in contradictions, pop culture icons, Day of the Dead, gothic and industrial aesthetics, bright colors and humor. My love of animals also comes through very strongly in many of my "muertos" works and in the custom pet portraits I've been painting lately.

Do you have a favorite book/blog/movie/etc you'd like to recommend?
I'm an Anglophile at heart and Withnail and I is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Where can readers see more of your work?
I feel like I'm all over the web!
My website is krissisandvik.com or you can visit Krissi's Art Studio on facebook at www.facebook.com/krissisandvik
Skelekitty is at skelekitty.com and has a fan page on facebook too: www.facebook.com/SkelekittyFans
You can be overwhelmed by photos on Flickr at www.flickr.com/misskrissi (just look for the art collection)
OR
My shop is open on ArtFire at skelekitty.artfire.com



Thanks for giving us a peek into your creative life, Krissi!

Letting the pictures speak for themselves...mostly.

This is what my painting desk looks like right now:

Daily Photo 10.08.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget

This is the painting I rushed to finish for SFG:

Autumn Fox
Originally uploaded by chicken widget

My eye's been twitching, and I've got that perpetual motion, jumping from one half finished project to another, gasping for air feeling. Must be pre-show time!

Chicken Tattoo

Chicken Tattoo
Originally uploaded by chicken widget

Over on Sugar Frosted Goodness, the weekly challenge was "Tattoo" (a few weeks ago). But, what with the vacationing and the coughing and the congestion and whatnot, I've only got it all together now. Too late for SFG, but still totally worth creating (and hopefully, viewing!). I colored this in with watercolor pencils. I've had them for years, but never really used them much. I must admit, I enjoyed using them and the finished effect very much!

What Do You Need?

What do you need?
Originally uploaded by chicken widget

Not to be confused with it's sister painting, "What do you want?"

Good to be a bee

Good to be a bee, originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Or so I imagine it would be. Zooming around, rolling around on flowers, getting all pollen-y. Good stuff.

Illustration Friday- Visitors

Opening the Gate, originally uploaded by chicken widget.

An example of the kind of visitor you don't want.The fox in a lamb suit strikes again! Another painting with my new favorite fox.

Bits. Also, bobs.

Here's a little peek at what yesterday was like:

Daily Photo 8.22.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

(click to see a larger version)
I tried something new-ish: painting on little blocks chopped from 2 x 4s. Super cute robots seemed like the best subject matter.
Here's a close up on the Chick Bot block.

Chick Bot
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Manic/ Depressive bracelet set
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

And, here's something I made a few weeks ago but am only getting around to photographing now: Mental Disorder Bracelets. This is the only one I intended to sell as a 'set'. Other bracelets: OCD, Germaphobe, Paranoid, Procrastinator...Once you get started, it's quite difficult to stop making them. This is my last stab at making jewelry (at least for now).

Illustration Friday- Poem

Away in a wooden shoe
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

I painted this to commemorate our birds, when they were brand new to us.
The first part of the old children's poem:
"Winken and Blinken and Nod
one night
sailed off in a wooden shoe"
had been running around in my mind for days. And for the life of me I couldn't remember how it ended! (Still can't.) I just got the most wonderful mental image from those lines...and here it is.

And for the very first time ever, I actually have it together enough that it is in the shop.
***UPDATE***
This painting is being featured in an Etsy treasury right now, put together by TheBeadedSockLady. Check it out and give her some clicky love, won't you?

On the wall

DSC02303
Originally uploaded by de:generate.

If you look really closely, you'll notice three of my paintings, framed and on the wall.
They're visiting Miami for the Tear/Off show. Hopefully they'll like it so much there that they decide to stay with some nice person.
More photos here!

You can see yet more photos here- these ones feature a lot of the actual art that's there- much less squinting this way!

Finally- a new painting to share

Stummy
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Actually, the painting has been done for a few days now. The scanning, resizing, etc- that is what takes forever.
This little guy is on his way to the diy:mia show.