Martine Petra: Etsy Artist from Norway

This interview was originally posted on my own blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks, about a year ago. Martine Petra is one of the most gifted photographers I have ever run across. I wish I had known her 16 years ago when I was putting together a role playing game magazine, because her work would have fit perfectly.

Anyway, I am including the original interview with the original art (enlarged), plus a few extra pieces. And I have asked three new questions which the lovely Martine was kind enough to answer.

Martine Petra is a young woman with whom I've had the privilege of communicating for the past two months or so. I "discovered" her in a chat room at Etsy, saw her in a couple of others, and finally decided her photography was too intriguing to ignore so I invited her to join Design Style Guide, the Etsy team to which I belong.

She was born in Norway, has been living in Sweden, she's a dancer, and she's frequently the model for her own photographs. And away we go...

1. What is your shop name and what do you sell?

martinepetra.etsy.com where I sell different kinds of prints of my photography, artwork services/I edit other peoples photographs, and to come is small stuff like magnets, cards etc featuring my photography as well.

2. Where can you be found on the web?

Etsy

Main

Blog

FLICKR

Myspace

Design Style Guide

3. You're a dancer as well as a photographer. How do these two things work together?

I started to photograph because I felt the need to document my life, and I kinda see photography as a different way of dancing. My photography has taken on a life of itself apart from my dancing, but they still belong together. It is great when I feel I'm stuck in a choreography to work with it in photographs and try to see it in a different light.

They work very well together, and it's great when I need a rest from one of them to dive into the other before my well runs dry. That way I don't burn out.

•••••Be sure to check out Martine's dance video on YouTube.•••••

•••••Speaking of video, check out this Design Style Guide video, featuring many of our wonderful artisans, including Martine Petra•••••

• New Question: How did you end up being your own model in so many of your photographs?

It's convenient, just as simple as that. I enjoy makeup, clothes, expressions, moods etc. It is easier for me to convey what I have in mind myself rather than explain it to someone else. It's just eliminating that link. But photographing for me started out because I wanted to document and try to freeze movement, moods and ideas in dance, and that is how it began and then developed quickly to be something else when it came to photography for me.

4. How does your environment affect your art?

Huge impact on my emotional self! My environment always inspires me to do or not to do certain things, but I feel my art is from a different place. It lays below the surface, and when I make it or bring it forward it is not motivated by economic situations, political issues, or the people/cases/places/news that we all get so bombarded with every day. My art is my inner world, and it has its own references and values when it comes to what beauty, strength and wisdom is.

• New Question: I know that you are moving back to Norway soon. How will that affect your work?

More possibilities I think. I have my eyes set on a house where there's this relatively large space I could use as a dance studio, so space is a big factor when it comes to new work both within dance and photography. A clean studio environment where I can dabble more with ideas and execute them better than I can when creativity strikes in the comfort of my own home now. I always like to see change as something positive and exciting.

5. When did you start selling on Etsy?

In October 2008, but didn't really become active before November.

6. What is your favorite thing about Etsy?

It's art, and it reminds me of how important it is for us to continue to be stimulated creatively! There's a change going on in people. I remember visiting small independent stores with tons of charm and personality whilst growing up, a lot of those stores have had to bow down for bigger brands/malls and superstores, but Etsy kinda takes back those small special stores, and gives them a venue to connect and interact. And it really is a great way to make contact with people who are likeminded.

7. What is your favorite thing about what you sell?

The feedback of someone who really appreciates my work.

8. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why?

I am real keen on all metallic prints, they have a spark in them that I really enjoy studying!

9. I know that you are new to Design Style Guide and it's the only team you're on. What have you discovered about it that surprises or pleases you most?

That union and strength in numbers can land you in places you wouldn't necessarily have thought of yourself.

10. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop?

I actually find that appreciation pictures are fun to do, no strings attached, and no one's forcing it on you. To be able to show someone you appreciate their products is giving. It's not conventional promotion, but people see when you give back and I think that is worthy as promotion.

11. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers on Etsy?

There is so much great stuff out there that it's hard to single out a few, certain things catch my eye, and if I can't stop thinking about it, I buy it. But what really catches my eye are those who sell items and donate to charity/causes, and I think that is big.

12. What do you do in your spare time?

I realize more and more how important family and my family of friends are in my life, so I spend time with and enjoy those people that I find intriguing, exciting and interesting.

To work with dance/photography/music and art in general is spare time for me. Research and reading about history, people, animals and lifestories is something that captivates me as well.

• New Question: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Just thanks a lot for adding new questions, they make me search for answers myself.

You are very welcome, Maritne.

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If you make Handmade Home Decor Items, come and join our team by clicking on the image below. Not only will you be able to network with us, but also you will have the ability to post your listing on our team website.

If you like this blog entry you'll love my blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks. Check it out. I'll be glad you did.

Holding a Candle

I make candle holders out of wood. I got the idea for my first candle holder from an article I read in Woodworkers Journal a few years ago, and then the idea just snowballed into a small industry. I sell these things online and at craft shows, and I have a lot of fun making them.

The idea, at it's core, is to simply make something to hold a candle so it sits upright whilst burning. That way you don't burn your house down. This idea, of course, leaves lots of room for artistic expression, and there is no shortage of artisans taking a stab at building the better candle holder.

You see, it turns out I haven't exactly cornered the market on candle holders, and that's a good thing. Variety means competition, and that means everyone strives to get better. Here are some examples of the candles and holders -- including a pair of my own -- to be found at Design Style Guide.

Hand Painted Candle Cube

V Silcox Designs/ A Painted Setting

This glass candle holder refracts and reflects the flickering candle light, creating ever-changing patterns all over your room. Vickie Silcox says, "Amazing table top illumination comes from the candlelight passing through the transparent paint on the glass. Styled to resemble stained glass yet much more durable and robust." It holds one votive candle in any scent you desire.

Tealight Candle Holder by Charan Sachar

Creative with Clay

These are hand thrown clay candle holders, designed for use with tea lights. They sit low to the table, the light plays off the warm colors of the clay, and the mood is set. These would be wonderful around an intimate dinner for two, as lighting for a holiday setting, or in your master bath.

"Balanced" Candlestick

Boone's Hooks

From short to tall, here we have a forged steel double candle stick holder by Master Blacksmith Smyth Boone, a descendant of that guy with the coonskin cap. This unit makes a statement, and it would make a wonderful addition to an elegant dinner, or as a centerpiece whilst sampling a bottle of your favorite vintage. Personally, I'd like to have this sitting on my buffet for this year's Thanksgiving dinner.

Red Heart Candle Holders

jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks

And here's the pair of my candle holders, as promised. I built these out of Redheart, one of my favorite woods with which to work. I love the figure of the wood when finished. I also love the smell of the wood when I am working it. When the candles are burning low, and the lights are down, the flames seem to dance off the reds and browns in the wood, creating an effect similar to the clay holders above. Any room is the perfect room for this pair, but I prefer them in my library and my wife loves them in the master bath, where they create a mood of utter relaxation... when we're not trying to read, of course.

Contemporary Steel Wall Sconces with Wax Cylinders by Jacob Kennedy

Wink Art & Design

This is a pair of high end candle holders, designed to mount on your wall. Jacob Kennedy says, "Sculpture for your wall. Stunning waxed steel wall sconce and inset wax pillar candle creates a soft glow perfect for an entryway, dining room focal piece, or bedroom mood setter." I couldn't have put it better myself. But I can imagine these in an entry foyer, lighting the way for guests arriving for a Christmas party.

Premium 10 oz. Soy Jar Candle

Bliss Soybean Candles and Gifts

Which brings us to the candle in a jar. It arrives in it's own holder. All you have to do is take the top off, light the candle and enjoy. The piece you see here can be had in any of more than 185 scents. It burns clean, smells wonderful, looks great in your master bath, master bedroom or living room... what more could you want?

This is a 10 ounce jar, but you can also buy these in other sizes, including jelly jars, and I even build a candle holder specifically for the Bliss Soybean Candles Jelly Jar Candle. Check it out, and check out the other beautiful work from all these gifted artisans. They make decorating your home a pleasure.

There are other candles and holders available from these vendors and from several others as well, all under the Design Style Guide umbrella. Check it out. See what treasures you come up with.

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If you make Handmade Home Decor Items, come and join our team by clicking on the image below. Not only will you be able to network with us, but also you will have the ability to post your listing on our team website.

If you like this blog entry you'll love my blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks. Check it out. I'll be glad you did.

Tracy Selmer Gordon, Etsy Artist from Virginia

Before she answered these questions for me, here's what I knew about Tracy Selmer Grodon: She made cool stuff out of stone; She was a member of Design Style Guide; She had a cool name for her business. Now I know a lot more, and so will you, after reading this...

1. What is your shop name and what do you sell?

My shop is called New Dominion Blues. I sell nature-inspired home décor with a pinch of vintage home décor items as well. I currently have a large selection of stone coasters and trivets, some with designs painted on the surface. I am working on some larger scale stone pieces that can be installed as kitchen backsplashes, focal mosaics, or countertops. I also have a variety of beaded garlands and curtain tie-backs, and other small accent pieces. I started taking pottery classes in August of 2008, and I am thrilled to report that my skills have started to catch up to my aspirations, and I am able to offer some wheel-thrown pottery. I just recently added a vintage element to my shop, giving Etsy shoppers a more complete opportunity to browse through my interior décor aesthetic.

The origin of my shop name: My husband and I love blues music. We try to visit Chicago as often as possible, especially for the annual blues festival. We even got engaged there. While our hearts may often be in the Windy City, we live in the Old Dominion. Over the years, we have accumulated a large volume of blues music and memorabilia in our Virginia home; enough that we have created our own personal blues bar that merges the blues in our souls with our geographic location - New Dominion Blues.

2. What long series of events led to you doing this?

I grew up running through the woods, building forts, and collecting anything and everything that I might possibly be able to use for a future “project.” That meant rocks, wood, bits of trash abandoned in the woods, you name it. Once a utility worker made the mistake of leaving a specific tool under a bush next to the large green box it was created to open. My friends and I gathered all the loose wire out of the box, and kept the tool so we could go back when more would be left behind. The wires we took weren’t connected to anything – they must have been left as extra for future work. My neighbor and I made a lot of jewelry from these colorful plastic coated wires, and set up shop on her porch. I’m not sure we ever sold anything, but we certainly were ready.

I have always had an interest in art, and a certain level of natural skill that I haven’t spent much time nourishing until recently. I have always been very driven to succeed – in academia and my career. That left little room for “fun,” and I haven’t really had the necessary space to spread out and create, either. I am fortunate to now have plenty of space – having recently finished building an in-home studio – and the experience of a number of home improvement projects that have honed my practical skills and inspired new ideas.

Another insight into my creative process: I have one pretty bad dog and one pretty good dog. I believe in decorating for real life, meaning that you work with and around your circumstances. Having dogs means worrying about dog hair, mud and drool. And that’s just for starters. It also means accidents, unexpected regurgitation, and, in the case of my bad dog, mischievous stealing. A table is right at eye (and mouth) level for my mastiff. His favorite game is stealing objects and hoping I will chase him. I have lost many, many items over the years, and coasters were out of the question due to their typically light construction. One day it occurred to me that he would be less likely to steal a stone coaster. I now use slate coasters identical to those I sell in my shop, and he has not once stolen one. Good design, practical use, problem solved.

3. Who taught you the particular skills you use in your work?

I have to say that my mom is the biggest influence I have in terms of creating. She and I work in different media, and her abilities range from quilting and sewing to basket-weaving and mosaic work. But I have certainly inherited my can-do attitude from her, and nothing is more fun than when we find opportunities to combine our crafts. She also has an Etsy shop at loneweever.etsy.com.

My second biggest influence is probably trial and error. I will dream up some crazy idea, and give it a whirl on a prototype or two.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Fran at Manassas Clay. Everything I know about pottery I have learned from her in her classes there, and I cannot even begin to thank her enough for opening up the world of clay to me.

4. How long have you been selling online?

I joined Etsy on March 13 of 2008, and began listing items within a week or so of that date.

5. What is your favorite thing about Etsy?

I love the atmosphere, the palpable creativity, and the opportunity to find that perfect one-of-a-kind item.

6. What is your favorite thing about what you sell?

What I love about my shop is that I only sell things that I would use to decorate my own home. It is very much a reflection of my own style and aesthetic. More often than not, I made an original to solve a design problem in my own home, and decided to create more to sell in the shop.

7. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why?

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I am really excited about the new vintage items in my shop, and I will have a hard time parting with several of them. One of them is the vintage House & Garden magazine cover from June of 1937. It depicts a tree stump covered in blooming blue morning glories, and beautiful in its natural simplicity.

8. How does your work differ from the work of other artists in your field?

There are several shops on Etsy that offer stone coasters, but I have yet to see another shop that takes as much care to photograph the stones with as much detail as I show. Most of my competitors will list a set of coasters and indicate that the coasters they send to you will be similar to the ones shown. I find that choosing stones is a very personal thing, and I want my customers to be able to select the stones that speak to them. I try to select stones that go well together, but I want to leave it to the customer to choose the exact pieces that they want. I haven’t seen other stone coasters that have metallic leaf designs painted on them, nor stained images. I have also noticed that many shops cover the entire bottom of their coasters – which seems unnecessary to me, and unfortunate, since the beauty of the stone is a 360 degree experience.

9. What teams do you belong to and what do you like most about them?

I only belong to the Design Style Guide, and I love that it is such a broad base of creativity and artisanship. I also love that the team is focused on interior design, a subject I find interesting and dovetails well with my shop.

10. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop?

The most fun, and most labor-intensive, thing I do to promote my shop is my blog, New Dominion Blues. I try to give insight into my shop, my studio, and my creative process, but I also spend a lot of time featuring other artists, things that inspire me, and related subjects.

11. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers on Etsy?

I have many, many favorites, but I will share a few that I have bought, and a few that I will someday buy…

I swoon for alinahayes’ robins egg pieces.

I bought one of these salt shakers from StudioElan, and I still keep coming back to gaze at it online.

everyeskimo is one of my newest favorite shops.

I have several of these vintage skeleton keys with borosilicate glass beads, made by Venbead.

12. What do you do in your spare time?

I’m not sure I have much in the way of what I would call “spare time,” but I do tend to fill my time working on my Etsy shop, my blog, working in my studio, throwing pottery, home improvement projects, training and wrangling my dogs, and preparing to write a number of books that have been rolling around in my brain.

See also: Our Exclusive Interviews

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If you make Handmade Home Decor Items, come and join our team by clicking on the image below. Not only will you be able to network with us, but also you will have the ability to post your listing on our team website.

If you like this blog entry you'll love my blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks. Check it out. I'll be glad you did.