Please introduce yourself.
Hello, I’m Sandy Lindblad.

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
I paint mostly in acrylic these days and sometimes in pastel. I’m a pretty fast painter, so I like that acrylic dries so quickly.  Pastel on the other hand is already dry and the colors are really vibrant.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
Henri Hensche, and the great impressionists.

What motivates you to create?
Motivation sometimes, depends of my mood and or the weather and or a commission!

When is your favorite time of day to create?
Usually, I like to paint in the mornings and or evenings. I like the mornings where my mind is fresh, and I like the evenings where there’s no distractions from a beautiful day outside! I try to get in a good bike ride when its super nice outside!!

Does art help you in other areas of your life? When I create art, generally I get into the zone and any sort of issues that I might have, goes away!

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Read Sandy’s previous interview here.
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Please introduce yourself.
I’m Barbie Smith.

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
I have been painting with oils for almost 18 years and more recently have been using gouache and casein which are water-based paints.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
I am influenced by early California impressionists whose paintings captured the atmosphere and emotions of the scene without striving for the details of realism.

What motivates you to create?
My motivation to create comes from deep within my being. It is a response to the beauty and design found in nature and is my way of expressing my ideas and feelings about the subject.

When is your favorite time of day to create?
I feel most productive in the earlier part of the day but often there are other obligations to fulfill before I can enjoy uninterrupted time at the easel. 

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Painting helps me to learn how to simplify a task, see the big picture before getting bogged down in detail, persevere through problem solving and is a great way to calm my mind and relieve anxiety.

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Read Barbie’s previous interview here.

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Please introduce yourself.
Hi, my name is Sierra, and I am a fiber artist.

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
A fiber artist uses textiles as the material to make their art. That pretty much describes what I do. I have been creating using textiles since I was around 8 years old when I got my first Barbie doll and began designing clothing for her, stitching them by hand. That need to create using textiles continued from there, when throughout my teenage years I designed and made clothing for myself and my friends. In early adulthood I began experimenting with dyes and continued to design garments. About 20 years ago I discovered eco print dyeing. The first time I saw it, I knew I had to learn more about it. So, I read, researched and experimented with the medium. Here I am today, still experimenting and designing. I continue to be excited and mystified that by using simple leaves I can create pieces of art.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
Nature is my biggest artistic influence.

What motivates you to create?
I find beauty around me every day and everywhere I look. I love the configurations of the clouds, right now the beautiful turning leaves, breathtaking, the way birds gather on the power lines, a colorful pebble in the river, the sunrise and sunset. Beauty is all around us every moment of the day. It excites me and motivates me to try my hand at creating something beautiful.

When is your favorite time of day to create?
I find myself creating at all times during the day.

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Nature and art play an important part in my daily life. They are a reminder of how lucky I am to be living the life I live, to have the freedom and opportunity to experience art in its many forms. I strive to acknowledge and remember that having art in my life truly is a gift.

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Read Sierra’s previous interview here.
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Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Ann Ranlett, a scratchboard artist. 

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
Scratchboard is not very well known, but it’s a wonderful medium which allows for an incredible level of detail. It’s that detail that I love. I’m a bio-nerd & detail freak and scratchboard is the perfect medium for creating the style of art that makes my science brain happy. My short description of scratchboard is: “drawing white with a knife”. I use a commercially prepared board (Ampersand brand), scratching through the top layer of black with an X-acto knife to reveal the white clay below. Using a variety of stroke widths and lengths creates textures and values. After I complete the scratching, I can add color or shades of grey with watercolor and/or ink.

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
Animals are my biggest influences, they’re my favorite subject and an important part of my life. I also credit my parents for fostering my love of animals and supporting my artistic endeavors!

What motivates you to create?
I want to express my view of the world in a creative way, in a technique that speaks to me.

When is your favorite time of day to create?
I’m a hard-core night owl, even though I can work on my art during the day, I prefer nighttime, when my husband has gone to bed & the dogs are settled down.

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
It does. It has given me an “eye” for my surroundings – making me more aware of the interest and beauty in the little things. It has also made me appreciate the business aspect of being a professional artist.

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Read Ann’s previous interview here.
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Please introduce yourself.
I’m Linda Miller. I’m in love with making art!

Tell us about your favorite art medium.
I love to paint, but I’m having quite the love affair with mosaics!

Who/what is your biggest artistic influences?
Nature is the big one. Color, patterns, design all influence me.

What motivates you to create?
I’m happy when I’m creating. It’s my favorite drug! 

When is your favorite time of day to create?
Anytime but early morning. NOT a morning person! 

Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Absolutely. Art trains the eye. Art helps me to see the world in different ways. It’s worth saying again – it makes me happy!

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Read Linda’s previous interview here.
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