This week, we interviewed Tara of Tara Nova: Fine Art by Tara Sasiadek. Let's go!
Tell us a little about the items in your shop. What do you make?
I paint and sculpt ritual items and icons. Much of what I make never makes it to my etsy shop, but what is there is a reflection of the shows I am working on and the different myths and stories I am immersed in at the moment. I make images like meditations- and I hope the story my paintings and talismans tell is open enough to speak to others. My favorite materials are beeswax, stained glass, and reflective pigment powder.
What is your creative process?
I have a million ideas floating around in my brain and organize them in different lists, where they often sit collecting dust or living as mini sketches for a long period of time. Inspiration will strike all at once, and a previously incubating concept will flesh itself out all at once in a flurry of writing and drawing, and then I go to work for weeks or months of painting and sculpting. I love this part of the process best: I feel honored, humbled, proud and silly all at once dragging new things into being kicking and screaming.
When I paint, whether I use beeswax or acrylic, or pieces of glass, I start with a number of different compositional sketches and use life models or maquettes under set lighting. Once I get the base design or drawing set to my liking, then I let go and just create more openly, blending in colors and concepts on instinct.
Which Etsy Teams do you belong to?
I am a proud member of TeamBPAL, FAEteam, and the Pagan Team
When you are not creating things, what do you do?
Creating other things, like tents in the middle of my house. I love canning and preserving, and also cooking in general. I read voraciously- a mix of silly and serious: usually a book on art or philosophy next to a graphic novel or sci-fi series. I play WOW in the winter and garden in the summer. I love the art community in Buffalo and am involved in local galleries and Emerging Leader in the Arts, so I am blessed to get to interact with amazing creative types and see all of their different openings and projects.
Tell us two random, interesting things about you.
I recently played “Tintinabula” in a musical, and my favorite line was that I had “The pelvis of a camel.” I also got to have an awesome third eye painted in the middle of my forehead.
Every time we have a mural painting party in Buffalo, I somehow end up adding naked women to the mural… I just like to infuse Goddess energy ;)
What has been your proudest moment since opening your Etsy shop?
I recently sold a painting that means a lot to me, and had that classic artist reaction: I was feeling a bit of separation anxiety mixed with elation that someone else wanted to have a thing I made in their home. I can’t think of anything more affirming of an artists' work than others having your work speak to them enough to place them around their lives purposefully. The work I have from others infuses my life with good energy, beauty, and humor, and I hope to do the same for anyone who finds a home for my work.
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
You get exactly what you give. If you are open to the work, Etsy is a great place full of wonderful opportunities. It will always be work though, because it is such a big place and you have to commit to being a work in progress. You will never finish a to do list and be set here: you need to keep doing, doing, doing. If that makes you happy, this is the place for you!
Join groups and get involved: I have learned a lot from others here, especially on teams and through the etsy blog. I also would really recommend setting up a blog roll and flowing the rss feed of artists you admire, and perhaps a site like copyblogger that talks about internet marketing.
What handmade possession do you cherish?
I participate in art swaps quite frequently, so I have many beautiful items that have been made for me by incredible artists. A quilt and a set of tarot cards made by my late great artistic Aunt Kathy make that top the list. I also really love the wax-dipped book-lanterns a fellow artist made for an installation we made together that adorn my bookshelf, and a hand forged metal cuff and this incredible old trunk coated with tiny map bits that I traded paintings for.
Also, nothing tops a jar of homemade marmalade.
If you could have any item on Etsy regardless of price, what would it be?
Definitely this sculpture- it just sings out, even across the internet. Nike of the Forest.
What other skill or talent do you wish you could possess, if you had not taken this creative path?
I enjoy telling stories through my paintings- but I only touch on little bits of longer narratives. Writing fiction full scale is something I greatly admire and would love to have pursued as a career. I am in total awe of friends and family who have the ability to weave whole worlds into being that way. Storytellers are a huge resource that I feel get taken far too much for granted in a world of endless remakes and sequels.
Where else can we find you on the web?
Blog: TaraSas
Facebook: Tara Nova Fine Art and Design
Twitter: twitter.com/tarasas
That's all for this time! See you in two weeks. :)
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