Interview with Artist Robin Richardson

If you enjoy intricate illustrations of animals and people with a morbid storybook feel, then Robin Richardson's artwork would be right up your alley.  Not only does she sell original pen and ink drawings in her Etsy shop, but she also sells prints and incorporates her work into jewelry pieces.  I recently had the privilege to interview Robin and learn more about herself and her work.  Enjoy! 

Where are you from?

I'm from Toronto.

Do you live with family (significant other, kids, pets, houseplants, etc)?

I live with my boyfriend in a charming little attic apartment.

What made you want to be an artist?

I love to make things and I really like the idea of having a career that allows me to move around and make my own hours. That’s one of the biggest perks of any art in my opinion.

Where do you get ideas for an artwork?

I get ideas from everything: film, books, and other artists…. Usually when I start a new project I surround myself with reference photos and nature books that I’ve collected over the years. I also tend to start a drawing without any specific idea in mind just to see where it takes me.

Walk us through a typical day for you.

The first thing I do in a day is head out to a café and do about two to three hours of work on various projects. The rest of the day goes to whatever part time job I have at the time.

What do you like to do when you're not making art?

When I’m not making art I’m writing. I just graduate from OCAD with my BA in illustration only to decide to go ahead and get my MFA in poetry of al things. I’ll be leaving Toronto this Fall to attend Sarah Lawrence College, where I will hopefully be able to get a lot of writing and art done. I’m really hoping that my Etsy sales might help subsidize the whole thing. My hope is to one day combine my art and writing somehow, maybe an illustrated book…

Name two of your favorite artists (living or dead).

1. Aubrey Beardsely
2. Arthur Rackham

What advice do you have for new artists?

My only real piece of advice to young artists would be to work hard. Never settle for something when you know you can do better. Almost everyone I know who has any real success got it through sheer determination and had relentlessly high expectations of themselves.

Weekly Drawing: Celebration

Top 5: Television Shows

This is a list of my five favorite TV shows of all time.  You will notice the majority are comedies... I like to laugh :)

1. 3rd Rock from the Sun

This show was consistently hilarious.  It was very well cast, and wasn't afraid to be excessively goofy for the sake of a laugh.  I'm almost positive that I watched every single episode, and was really sad to see it go.

2. Seinfeld

I loved this show for a number of reasons, but my number one reason is because it really reflects on how friends behave.  Seinfeld always brought out the worst in people, in the funniest way.  It was unfortunate that the last episode was such a stinker, but considering the successful 9 year run they had, it's forgivable.

3. The X-Files

I must admit, I didn't watch this show when it was on air.  My husband and I decided to check it out a couple of years ago, and once we started watching we could not stop.  We watched the entire series in under a year, and were rarely disappointed.  It was a good dose of science fiction fun.

4. Bullshit

If you haven't checked out Penn & Teller's show Bullshit, please do.  It will change the way you think about a lot of issues.  It's just... incredible.

5. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

All of the characters in this show are absolutely despicable, which makes for a very amusing show!  Everyone's logic is completely bogus, and each episode is more ridiculous than the last.  What's not to love?

Weekly Drawing: Balloon Heads

The Secret Joy of Not Acting Your Age

Sometimes, I just can't help myself.  I know how to act appropriately in public and when to keep my mouth shut, but when something unexpected happens and is only witnessed by you and maybe one other person, it can be difficult to maintain maturity.  Allow me to demonstrate.

I went to Conner Prairie Park today with my sisters and nieces and nephew.  This place is an indoor and outdoor history museum that's really pretty cool.  We were walking around and we wandered into a little blacksmith hut where a man was hammering metal and talking about his trade to a group of people.

Suddenly, a bird swoops in and hovers over my sister's head for about 3 seconds, then takes off.  It was so bizarre, it just hovered right over her head!  I start giggling and tell her what just happened, which then got her laughing and saying things like,"I kind of wish you hadn't told me that!" and "I'm glad it didn't poop!"

I am also holding my infant nephew, who enjoys little games like blowing lightly on his face.  He was so entertained by my sister and I doing this to him that he would squeal with anticipation and throw back his head and laugh every time.

We are now giggling uncontrollably.  Though I attempted to muffle my laughter a few times, we got some dirty looks from the smithy and my other sister.  I'm sure we looked like utter fools, but it was a hilarious five minutes that I wouldn't ever take back.

Weekly Drawing: Smoke Break

I used to smoke cigarettes.  I could sit here and tell you all the negative consequences of smoking, but actually I really enjoyed it and don't regret the 5 or so years that I indulged in this habit.  It was great while it lasted, but I started to realize that it wasn't for me any more, and quit last January.

Etsy Shop and Blog Hop - Post Your Shop Here!

I found this great little idea at the Etsy blog HOST (Helping Others Street Team):

Looking for a little bit more exposure for your Etsy Shop and Blog?

Why not join our Etsy Shop Hop?  Here is how to participate.

1. Add your shop Avatar to the list below and use your etsy shop URL for it..
2. In a blog post on your blog, link to your favourite items from the two shops ahead of you on the list.
3. Add the Shop Hop code to your blog with these same instructions on how to participate.
4. Post your blog URL below in the comments.

So - when this is done, not only do you get at least two new links to your items from another blog which helps you be found, but you also might get more followers to your blogs and visits to your shops.

My favorite items from the two shops ahead of me were these:

From SlenderGrasshopper:

From DareDream:

20 Things That Don't Inspire Me

There are plenty of articles on the internet about what inspires people.  You may read them and feel uplifted and ready to take on the world.  Good for you.  Today has not inspired me in the least bit.  I keep trying to paint, write, draw, or find SOMETHING productive to do, but the inspiration ceases to come.  So I decided to write a list of what doesn't inspire me.

1. Rain.
2. Cereal that gets soggy two minutes after you pour milk on it.
3. Slow internet connection.
4. Running out of gum.
5. Not being able to paint the vision in my head.
6. Stubbed toes.
7. Heartburn.
8. Dead gnats in my juice.
9. Crappy erasers.
10. Burning my tongue.
11. Mosquito bites.
12. Cheese that gets a rind on it from being left out too long.
13. Holes in my skirts.
14. Stepping on the cat.
15. Pimples.
16. When the DVR cuts off the last part of a recorded show.
17. Back pain.
18. Falling down in public.
19. Dead batteries in my camera.
20. Menstruation.

What bums you out enough to distract you from doing any productive?

Weekly Drawing: Pear and Plums

This is a drawing I did in college with conte crayons.  I asked a friend (@sushirevenge on twitter) to take bites out of the plums and pear because at the time I wasn't really a fan of those fruits.

I should draw food more often.