FEATURED ETSY SHOPS - MEREDITH COLLINS & FIX DESIGN

Art Nouveau inspired silhouette

by

Meredith Collins

Ta Moko 1, oil on canvas original painting

by Meredith Collins

In this "artist feature", I am showing the work of Meredith Collins, who is a very talented artist as you can see by her original oil painting shown above entitled TA MOKO 1. Above that photo you will see another side of Meredith's creativity.....her "Art Nouveau inspired silhouette created in felt.

Meredith has two shops on Etsy, FIX DESIGN, which is where you will find her felt shapes of leaves, butterflies, feathers, birds, silhouettes and more, which you can purchase to embellish your own creations, and her other shop, MEREDITH COLLLINS, where you will see her original oil paintings. Let's learn a bit more about Meredith by reading her interview below.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I’ve been drawing since I could clutch a crayon in my hand (my left hand, incidently). Painting followed shortly after, but what really kept me going as a kid was my massive pencil case full of felt pens. I always knew I would go to art school and do the gallery/exhibiting thing. The thing that’s taken me by surprise is my relatively recent love of all things crafty! My sister (www.twolimeleaves.wordpress.com) is a genius quilter and crafter and it was her that really got me into it. Before that I guess you could say I was a bit of a purest snob! No longer!

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

Oil paint is glorious! Nothing compares, so that’s an easy decision. On the crafting side of things I love the feel and application of felt. Its extremely versatile and pleasantly tactile

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

It can be enormously satisfying to create something out of raw materials. A blank canvas to a mesmerising face, or a square of red felt to a pile of luscious flowers.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

An apple- Simple, divine, and balanced.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

I would love to add sculpting to my repertoire. I used to make all sorts of creatures from DAS when I was a kid, but its been a while since Ive had my hands in clay.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

That life is beautiful and worth celebrating.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Keep doing the best you can do. Create with your heart, not your mind. Listen to the critics but remember only the good comments! Someone once said that critics are to artists what a bicycle is to a fish. I like that!

Thanks, Meredith, for sharing both sides of your creativity with everyone, and giving us a bit of an insight as to what makes you the talented artist that you are.

You can visit either of Meredith's shops on Etsy by clicking on the links below.

FIX DESIGN BLOG