Artists' Choice Awards Interview With Poxodd

An Inspired Hermit
An Interview With Artist Poxodd
by Loree Harrell

about the eBay Artists' Choice Awards,
selling art on eBay, and her artistic career.

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Congratulations on your wins in the 2005 Artists' Choice Awards... 2nd in Dark Art, 3rd in Imaginative, and an Honorable Mention in Most Creative - pretty impressive! I have to tell you, I love your work - am still mourning losing the bid on the fish man last year. Tell us what these awards have meant to you and a little about your experience on eBay.

Winning in the Artists' Choice Awards was a wonderful experience. To be selected from such a large number of artists who sell on ebay is such a great honor. To have earned the respect of other artists also means a lot to me especially since their the ones that really know how much work, imagination and care that goes into making a piece of art.

Selling on ebay has really been the best thing that's happened to my artistic career, although in the beginning it was rough. When I first started selling on ebay I had very little success and I nearly gave up. Fortunately I found out about Art Cards and gave them a try before I called it quits. I slowly gained more bids and customers by doing Art Cards, and now that I have a following, I can sell work in a variety of sizes without much trouble. Not only did ebay become a great venue to display and sell my art, but it became a reason to continue doing art, hone my skills, and to develop my own unique style.

You certainly do have a unique style, and your skills appear to be well honed. You describe yourself as "an inspired hermit". Is art your full-time job? And is the hermit bit a state of environment or a state of mind?

Yes indeed, art is a full time job for me. I start shortly after I get up and try to work eight hours, sometimes longer. Being in my studio for such long amounts of time is really what makes me feel most like a hermit. Alone in my cave I can feel free to create worlds of my own without the distractions of the real world outside. It's a lonely job sometimes, but someone's got to do it.

Ha! - yep, someone's gotta do it. Are you formally trained, Poxodd, or did you develop your skills and style on your own?

I developed my skills and style on my own for the most part. I took the basics in college (color, design, drawing) but after the first year of being an art major I decided to explore other areas of study and switched majors. Other people directing me on what to do regarding my art just took all the fun out of it really, and once I had the basics down I felt I would be able to develop my style on my own and I have no regrets about that since it has seemed to work out quite well for me that way.

Your work is incredibly detailed. How long does it take you to work, for instance, and art card?

I am very proud of the effort I put into the detail of my pieces. Usally it takes me about 3-4 hours to finish an art card. I most often do them in just pen and ink but if I use gouache it can take longer because even though I don't do any cross hatching in the gouache parts, it just takes a while to get it right.

Okay, so you knew it was coming... it's time to talk about... (pregnant pause)... The Name. Where did Poxodd come from?

When I was a kid, I just wanted a nick name, I don't even really know how I made up Poxodd, but it stuck. Today, Poxodd is my my legal name and I can barely stand to even hear my birth name. I've always wanted to think up a good story about how I got the name Poxodd or what it means, but to this day I haven't thought of anything sastisfactory.

Well, rats. I was rather hoping for some involved story about hallucinations during a bout of chicken pox or something. However, since we don't get a story about that, what's up with Flying Severed Cow Head Central??

In high school I started my own self published comic book and one of the characters in it was a Flying Severed Cow's Head who used to fly around and steal people's important manuscripts and such. It became quite a popular character so it ended up as the mascot for my fan club. I still think it's rather cute.

I just discovered the tank for your bike on your website. It's gorgeous - if you ever give up paper, you'd make a mint customizing bikes. How many you-designed tatts do you have to stay in character?

Thanks, I think the motocycle tank is coming out well so far, just wait till it's done! I've got no plans to do other people's though, sometimes you gotta just do stuff for yourself and make everybody else jealous. Surprisingly I have no tatts, I've always wanted some but I'm too scared to design them myself. I tend to look back on my older pieces and think "ewww, I've gotten so much better since then". It would be tragic to have that thought every time I look at my own tattoo, so if/when I do get one, I'm having someone else design it.

Well, that tank is going to create jealousy on the street. I've always wanted a tatt, but my sticking point is thinking of it all wrinkled up when I'm eighty. Ish.

I wouldn't mind a tatt wrinkling up when I'm old, it might end up looking like a Dali painting .

Ha!... good point - I'm off to get that one I've always wanted winding from the base of my spine around to my belly.

Oh, no, never mind, I forgot my twenties (okay, and thirties), have come and gone.

Where do your ideas come from? Your images are so thoroughly yours... do you just start working and they come out, or do you have an end result in your head before you begin? I am still mourning the loss of the fish man card - and that's been a year.

I'd say 75 Percent of the time I just start working and the ideas come out. The other 25 Percent of the time, I have a little morsel of an idea before I start (for example it may be a dream or something happening in the world around me that creates the morsel) then I incorporate it into a piece. Even then, I usally only have one vague idea or figure that I want to do and work it out on paper.

I just spent an hour browsing your EBSQ portfolio and am absolutely in awe. (And, no, I didn't get through all 630 images - I do have a life.) Every single piece is so identifiably yours, and yet some are funny, some are scary, some are spiritual, and some are almost incomprehensible. In a good way. Do you find that dark moods birth the darker pieces, or are most of those the dream-seeded works you mentioned earlier?

The darker pieces are actually not usually brought on by dark moods, I've had many a dark moment in the past, but at this point in my life I've never been happier. For some reason even though my life is pretty peaceful right now I still enjoy visiting the dark side, in fact I think the dark themes are my favorite to do. I think that considering dark posibillities only makes me feel that much more alive and appreaciative of what I have today.

While I was there, I noticed that you were recently juried into EBSQ-Plus. No small feat - that's not an easy jury. Do you enter any "real-world" shows or have your work in any galleries? It seems to me that you have the right mix of edgy and unique, plus technical ability, to get someone out there really excited about discovering you on the national art scene. Or are you even interested?

I was pretty excited to get in ebsq plus. It's my first time entering for it and it's so nice to be appreciated by those who look upon artworks with a critical eye. I even found out that out of all those who got into ebsq plus this time around I was the only one who was a unanimous yes vote! I did enter a contest for a real world gallery a few months ago and didn't get in. It was kind of disappointing, I'm not very fond of getting rejected (but then again who is?). However I'm sure that I will enter more gallery contests or eventually try to find a gallery that might like my work and try to get in. I suppose I'm one of those artists that really doesn't like going around and promoting themselves, so in a way, I've really mostly been waiting for galleries and such to come to me. Each day though I am gaining more confidence, perhaps it's just a matter of time and one day I will be able to get out there in the real world.

I think most artists don't like going around and promoting themselves... nature of the beast.

... and I just can't help it - my brain keeps playing around with your name - thinking about calling up a restaurant in Canton, Ohio, and making a reservation for Poxodd. Or getting pulled over for a burnt out left turn signal and handing the cop your license that says Poxodd. Or sitting in the dentist's full waiting room (dentists being somewhat on my mind these days) and having the assistant come to the door and say, "Poxodd?". Or paying with a VISA card that says Poxodd. I am just thoroughly fascinated! - what's it like? Do people just pretend not to notice or assume you're someone famous or what?

It's funny, I've kinda learned that the name Poxodd just kinda weirds people out. So when I go somewhere (like say to a restraunt) I usally have whoever I'm going with give the people their name, otherwise people just look at me with a confused look on thier face and say "what was that again?" it gets annoying. I've also been known to just make up a fake (more normal) name off the top of my head. When I have told people my name though they're usally interested like you are, they ask what it means, or where it came from, or they'll just say "that's an interesting name". Something else strange about my name is that people have a really hard time saying it. It's pronounced exactly as it's spelt Pox (as in Chicken Pox) and Odd (as in odd and even) then just stick them together, yet some people can't get it and call me Poxid, Poxoid or something like that. Quite often I just tell people to call me Pox cause that's a little bit easier for people to grasp. Oh and another funny story is that some people have refused to call me Poxodd cause the name disturbs them so much! They have an "I can't call her that!" type reaction. It is indeed not easy to have the name Poxodd, but I still like it regardless.

Well you certainly aren't ever going to get lost in a crowd. "Artist Carol Smith" might get passed over, but I'm bettin' a Poxodd will be remembered forever!

Poxodd, thank you so much for your time and for your art. I have thoroughly enjoyed talking with you, and will abandon my theoretical journalistic integrity long enough to personally tell everyone...

This woman has been high on my top ten lists of favorite artists since I saw the infamous Fish Man a year ago... grab a bottle of wine and go spend an evening with those 630 paintings!

Poxodd's eBay Store

Poxodd's Website and Blog

The 630 Paintings!

Loree Harrell is the author of Body Speaking Words and a working artist and writer. She occasionally lists new work on eBay under the i.d. otw_studios. Harrell was a 2005 ACA winner: 2nd in Large Abstract; 3rd in Small Abstract; and an honorable mention in Best New eBay Talent. Her complete original and print portfolio resides at artwanted.

Artists' Choice Interview with Gabriela Avila Leyva

Mi Casa Es Su Casa
An Interview With Artist Gabriela Avila Leyva
by Loree Harrell

about the eBay Artists' Choice Awards,
selling art on eBay, and her artistic career.

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...Being where the cat meets the painting.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Gabriela - your animals have delighted and amazed me from the first time I saw them, and I am looking forward to finding out more about you and your art. First, I have to ask about the thing that hit me in the face when I looked at your Me page. You started drawing in December of 2004?? That is remarkable. Tell us the story behind what made you pick up the pencils, and if you just immediately found you had a gift.

Hi Loree, thank you so much for having me.

I've always been somewhat surrounded by art and artists, my father was an architect and his sisters painters, but I think the biggest influence was always my grandfather. He has been creating art with colored pencils since I have memory. Whenever the family gathered at his house my cousins and I had access to pencils and paper and he would always encourage creativity by giving us all kinds of painting sets, but I think he saw "something" in me because he really started pushing it a little bit: getting me in art contests and the like. I was just a kid and to be honest, drawing was never my priority. Like any child I would doodle or color in books but I never was serious about it and I think I strayed away from it due to the pressure I felt from the people around me. Yes, I was a bit of a rebel, hehe.

Until my senior year of High School I was sure I'd follow a career in Biology but at the last minute I decided to give Graphic Design a shot. I got a degree and worked at an offset printing company for a while. Then I did some webdesign. It was all Commercial Art and computer design, so I never really got to pick up a pencil or brush.

Two years ago, in December of 2004, I found a Prismacolor Pencil boxed set my grandad gave me probably 10 or 12 years before that. It was still shrink wrapped! Anyway, I opened it, grabbed some paper and drew a portrait of my tabby cat. That was the begining and I haven't stopped drawing since then, I am completely hooked and I LOVE it.

... and the art world is a better place for it. The eyes on your animals and the fur detail are remarkable. You do a great job of capturing personalities. So we should probably back up a bit here - I got so excited about the short period of time you've been seriously pursuing your art, that I jumped ahead. In the 2005 Artists' Choice Awards, you won 1st in Small Format Animals, and 1st in Drawings, Favorite Overall. That is a remarkable pair of achievements. What did these awards mean to you?

Thank you! I was VERY surprised about winning first place on both categories! I seriously never thought I had a chance because there are so many wonderful artists that have been doing this for most of their lives, I am still a "newbie" so getting that recognition was not only the best compliment, but gave me more confidence in what I do.

These are the first art related awards I've got since I started two years ago and I thank everyone who took the time to nominate and vote for me, it means a lot.

Tell us about the world in Mexico City, I see you've lived there all your life. Is there a lively art scene, what do you do for recreation, do the touristas drive you nuts, like that...

Mexico City is a HUGE place, there are 20 million people living here! Like any metropolis we have the good and the bad; it is a very diverse city where you can find archeological ruins right next to a modern building, lots of culture not to mention the best food. But it is also an insecure place with corruption and crime.

I don't go out that much, and I guess I should take advantage of living in a city where there is SO much to do! I usually just go out to dinner and to the movie theaters with friends. I like to visit museums and catch a show or two. I LOVE going to Tepotzotlan which is a little town about 30 mins from here, still in the state. It is such a nice, quiet place where every Sunday artists and artcrafters gather at the main plaza to sell their work, I enjoy browising through it very much. I can't wait for the Day of the Dead celebrations going on there, it is amazing.

There is indeed a lively art scene in the city, we have tons of galleries (from the fanciest place to the underground cafe), music, theater, all kinds of shows, etc. I haven't really promoted my art outside of the online world (yet), I want to get a bit more experience and practice and definitely try new mediums. Also, I don't live in the "heart" of the City, I live in a suburb outside and to be honest I try to avoid going downtown as much as I can, driving around such a crowded place is INSANE, hehe. For now, working and selling in my PJ's from my home is very, very nice!

Ha!... well, you could work and sell in your PJs anyway - don't think it's been done yet, and artists are supposed to be eccentric, aren't we? I'm going to have to quit doing these interviews - they keep making me want to jump on a plane and go visit.

I'm just looking at your listings, and thinking that - particularly the works like the owl and the wolf - would be spectacular as large works. Have you considered working big? Or offering large prints of smaller works?

Well, I've gone to the store in PJ bottoms late at night, although that wasn't me being eccentric, just lazy.

Anyway, regarding larger works: the largest I've done is 11" x 14". Drawing with colored pencils, which is my main medium, is slow and you have to be very careful since you can't just cover it up like you could with oils or acrylics, plus my work is very detailed so it takes me a while to complete a piece. This is probably why I am so in love with ACEO's, not to mention the instant gratification of sitting down and completing a piece with basically no breaks, I have a bit of ADD, hehe, so sometimes I have a hard time starting a big piece and coming back to add a little more to it each day.

Larger works are usually commissioned pieces, most of what I sell on eBay is under 8" x 10". And I haven't done any prints, while I have been asked for them I have had a very hard time getting decent prints of my work, maybe it is because of the black paper and the textures, or because I have yet to get a very high resolution digital image. To be honest I am not too fond of prints anyway, I like to offer handmade pieces, which have a little bit of me and probably some cat fur as well.

Introduce us to your cats, both the one that initially inspired you, and the ones who are your models now. And are they your models now, or are you working mostly from photographs?

I usually work from photographs, even with my own cats. I take pictures of them (which is quite THE task, let me tell you!) and then work from those. I usually use them as reference mostly to get proportion, shape, perspective and then I add my own colors or longer fur or different eyes, etc. For instance, most of the black cats I draw are inspired by my tabby cat, it is like playing "dress-up" or "fur-up" in this case.

I've always loved cats and have had them as pets since I was a little girl. The kitty that inspired the very first portrait was Frida; I had her since she was a kitten and was with me until she was 8 years old, unfortunately she had to be put down because she got very sick.

My owners at the moment are three: Dora, who is a brown tabby girl with golden eyes I found under a car when she was about 6 weeks old. She is two years now and she is probably the cat I've drawn the most.

Then, there is Luz, she is a beautiful sandy-greyish color with very light green eyes. Luz had her kittens in my garage shed a year ago, only one baby made it which was later adopted by a good friend (and has the best life a cat could possibly have!) and Luz stayed with me, she is such a lazy, lap cat.

And last but not least, Erasmo. He is a male that we keep outside because he sprays, scratches and is basically a bit of a terror. He is shy and I rarely use his photos... boys will be boys!

Dora, Erasmo, and Luz

Sounds like quite a crew!

Thank you for your time, Gabriela. One of these days I'll get my traveling shoes on and show up on your doorstep for a trip to the art market and a margarita in the cantina. Meanwhile, keep creating beauty!

Thank you, Loree!

And I'd love to show you around, mi casa es su casa.

Editor's note: Gabriela's art cards (2.5"x3.5" format) consistently sell for over a hundred dollars each. On eBay, this is no small feat. In addition, her 238 feedback (100% positive) consists of 560 sales, which means she has sold to most of her buyers more than once. These two facts speak volumes to the excellence of her work.

Editor's note II: As I am finishing up the edit on this, after several days of us reworking art choices, I took a look at Gabriela's listings to make sure I had been accurate in the note above. With twelve hours to go, this Halloween cat is up over $200, and another (yup, Halloween cat) sold Thursday for over $200. I'm tellin' ya'... you wildlife fans need to get your bids in. That beautiful tiger and owl above went for under $30 each. Makes no sense to me, but there you are, there you be!

Gabriela's Website
eBay Me page
GabyCat eBay Auctions
art4critters

From Gabriela:
Art For Critters (A4C) is a wonderful group of artists who work together with charities and animal shelters. We donate a percentage of our profits to help buy food and provide veterinary care.

Right now there are over 100 artists auctioning their work on eBay and other venues. It is amazing to be able to contribute, even in small amounts and help animals in need.

For more information please visit http://www.art4critters.com/ and make sure to search "A4C" on eBay!

Addendum from a followup email

Gabriela, I feel like an ugly American for asking this, but when I was doing editing on your interview, I realized there were exactly no spelling or grammatical errors. I am assuming, from your location and your name, that English is not your first language? If that's the case, why is your English better than most of us who were born into it? Or am I as totally naive about the rest of the world as this question undoubtedly sounds?

Thanks for the compliment! English is not my first language, indeed. I was very fortunate and attended bilingual schools since I was in Kindergarten. In Elementary School half my classes were in Spanish and half of them in English. They had a very good program - actually we would use some of the text books that American Schools were using at the time, in the same grade.

I think the key is learning at a very young age, to me it feels almost natural because while I might not speak English on a daily basis I read it, write it and listen to it (TV, music) all the time. I am so grateful I had the oportunity to learn a second language because it has given me so many oportunities in my life, for instance, I could not be enjoying this conversation with you!

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Artists' Choice Interview With Jillian Crider

It's Who I Am
An Interview With Artist Jillian Crider
by Loree Harrell

about the eBay Artists' Choice Awards,
selling art on eBay, and her artistic career.

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Welcome, Jillian, and a huge congratulations on the 2005 Artists' Choice Awards! First place in Small Format Florals/Botanical, Seascapes, and second place in Small Format Cityscapes. That's a substantial accomplishment. I know you are the leader of a group working in and promoting small format art. Tell us a bit about the format - the requirements and the background, and what the group is trying to accomplish.

Thank you. Firstly, even to be nominated was awesome to me - after that was just a blur. I never dreamt that I would even come close to gaining one award, let alone three - especially seeing all the other wonderful artists, both nominated and not. I am totally humbled.

With art I sometimes call myself a 'Jill of all Shades' - I don't like being 'pigeon-holed' as there are not too many mediums or sizes I haven't worked in. I am also not likely to stay with one subject, I love so many different things, and I'm not intimidated by painting something I haven't before, part of why my awards covered 3 different subjects. Somehow I have been drawn to small format more than others and found that this was being sorely overlooked within the art community, and definitely difficult to look for on ebay.

I started the group for small format art around the same time as various sizes of small art were being explored, as I figured one 'banner' for all to go under, even if different types were there, would help bring many together.

I have long hated art being bought because it matches the sofa, walls, or drapes, and delight in having my walls filled with a mix of all kinds of art - mostly SFA (small format art). It is a talking point - people walk in my place, and over to my walls, and discussions start up. I love the collectibility - I can have so much art in a small space. Not only that, often the work is not very expensive. The term 'small format art' has been around for decades with galleries and exhibitions/competitions specializing in SFA. None has defined a definite size requirement. When I started the group we decided a maximum of 14" on the longest side would be our guideline.

The group is trying to get people to recognise that small works are not to be overlooked, that there can be a whole new appreciation for art that can be imaginatively displayed and collected. That a home filled with original art can be very appealing and unique with a character of its own. That it is work done by some very accomplished artists using sometimes different processes and skills.

I was exploring your blog and see you were on the cover of a magazine, with a gorgeous pastel of a Native American. Tell us how that came to be!

That particular artwork was 'discovered' by an editor/writer who participated in another magazine for which I illustrated short stories for some 4 or 5 years. She requested permission to put it on the cover. The subject, 'Lone Chief', allowed me to, though this was not a commissioned work, just one of my reasonably regular rodeo studies. He is a rodeo stunt rider, that I managed to capture in pastel - it is one of my large format artworks on a full sheet of pastel paper.

I have illustrated quite a few books and book covers - many nominated for awards. A child's book I illustrated was finalist for 'childrens' book of the year' in 2003.

Explain for us the difference between small format and miniature. I am not fully clear on it myself, but I see a lot of small works labeled miniature that I'm pretty certain aren't true miniatures. I know you're a collector of miniatures - are they also part of your art repertoire?

Not an easy question, a lengthy one, and I'm no expert. With 'miniature' we expect things to be small. The term 'miniature art' comes from medieval times with illustrated manuscripts. The illustrations were done in minute details that needed to be viewed through a magnifer to see the brush strokes. And often were quite large volumes. Even today, in miniature societies often judging is done by a judge with a magnifier. I've seen 'miniature' artwork well over 20" being sold here in Atlanta - with magnifiers so you could look at the fine detail. It's probably best understood if you think of it as 'miniature technique' instead of looking at the size - as even murals can be 'miniature'.

However, the general populus sees 'miniature' as artwork size. Different societies set their own rules but usually it is for work under 4"'x4" with brushstrokes in scale to 'miniature' - some artists work using a single-hair brush. Some of these sell for 4-figure sums. In fact, a miniature of George Washington sold for 1.3 million in 2003. A tiny painting of a tiny object still is not considered a miniature if it is more than one sixth the size of the subject.

[Ed. note: The painting below is approximately 1.5"x2".]

People will label various work 'miniature', probably because they don't know. It is the same as me seeing work over 20" sold as 'small format art'. There is a lot of confusion in the art world and it often results in fairly hearty debates with no decisive answer, and no way of enforcing anything.

I do collect miniatures - and built a miniature roombox art gallery to house them in. You can view it from my website. Several of the paintings in there are mine, so, yes, I do them. One such painting traveled for a year on a major world-wide gallery tour by a miniature society during 2001-2002.

I have had people travel several thousand miles to come buy some miniature paintings from me. They are often housed in dollhouses and roomboxes, as well as framed in a regular type of wall frame or table display.

It looks like you do a lot of teaching, Jillian... tell us what you teach and how that fits in with the art you do for yourself and for sale. You must have a monster schedule!

I love to teach. In particular I love to see people achieve what they thought they couldn't. One of the best compliments came from someone who had taken classes for over 2 years, regularly, with various teachers - some of quite some fame. She told me that my class had taught her the way she had wanted to paint in the beginning. That if she had come to me first she wouldn't have spent 2 years on other classes.

I have taught just about every art or craft class imaginable - I used to demonstrate at major department and craft stores. Often telling people that I hadn't been doing it long, when I had only done it the first time, the night before. I teach at a large craft store in Smyrna, and at Quinlan Arts Center in Gainesville, Georgia, currently. I love teaching sketchbook/journals as there are few who do this and I always find it exciting. My life is a constant juggle, and classes are not a regular thing. Currently I teach rubber stamping, altered books, scrapbooking, watercolors, screenprinting, sketchbooks/journals, and art cards, and am an accredited teacher for the Michael Wilcox School of Color.

So let's go a little further back in life, Jillian. Have you always considered yourself an artist, or at what point did the art really kick in for you?

I often tend to say - an artist is who I am, not what I am. Especially as I have no formal training. I remember in pre-school standing before an easel and it feeling like I belonged there. I never drew 'stick figures'. All my old school friends always remember me as being completely focused on art. I would scan through encyclopedias featuring the masters, even though 7 and 8 years old. I sold my first drawings to school mates when that same age. Unfortunately my life has not allowed me hardly any time for doing my art. I won a scholarship to go to art school when I was 15, but my parents wouldn't allow me to attend. I didn't know any artists, nor what it took to be an artist, so my passion was sorely misunderstood. I only 'really' started painting in 2000. My mother was declining and life was tough being around people at the ends of their lives so I opened an art gallery - not just to show my work, but to support other artists, also. It helped me through those difficult years.

Life takes some interesting turns sometimes. I'm adopted and I later found out that a close relative of mine who is a very renown and established artist was the same as 'always knowing' that he was an artist, same as I felt.

That's an interesting distinction - just a little to the left of how I'd thought of the "educated" vs. "self-taught" conversation. I think it is a very valid point that self-trained artists have that Who I Am ingrained somewhere in their cells. Not to say, at all, that schooled artists don't, but that perhaps when result is the only external credibility you have to offer, and the only immediate feedback you receive, that the internal commitment and identification has to be a bit stronger?

It's just that with my whole being and core, I have 'always' known I was an artist. I never 'practiced' at art. I never got books and copied lessons. If I wanted to draw something, I just drew it. At 8 years old when other kids were using messy tracing paper to draw geography maps, I was drawing them by hand, and the teacher never knew the difference. I couldn't paint most of my life. I was a care-giver and a single Mum, and fighting to keep my head above water, sometimes working many jobs at one time. Art was a 'luxury' and I had no time. It actually wasn't until 1998, when a friend of mine, artist John Murphy, took me to task for calling myself an artist when I had no art to show him, that I decided to 'prove it'. I started painting - more or less as an act of defiance - and immediately started winning awards and acclaim. I have done some odd things with my art through the years. I did theatre advertising, created stage props and scenery, painted popcorn cans and drew over 9,000 house sketches for Real estate companies, and more.

So tell one of your favorite stories about a piece or proudest accomplishment!

In 2001 I won 3rd prize at a major annual art competition and exhibition with this painting. This was out of 852 paintings with many of those participating being the top artists in the country. I was overawed. Also at another art show, they declared the show open, and a few minutes later I went to look at my painting and it had already sold - it was the first sold out of some 600 paintings exhibited!

Well, that's worth the telling! You obviously spend a lot of your time and energy supporting other artists, Jillian. Do you ever feel like this takes away from the time and energy you have available for your own work?

The time I spend on helping others, definitely cuts my own art time down to next to nothing. Somehow it's not my art that counts, anyway. It is just that it encompasses my passion for art and I love being with others that love creating art, too. If I can help, so be it. I particularly love to create an appreciation for art, to see it as unique, irreplaceable, and collectible. But within me, all I want to do, and be recognised for, is my art. But I have come to realise, that that may never be - not to the degree I'd like it to be - so in spreading things I've learned, and giving encouragement, and helping where I can to foster a great ground for artists to securely create their art, I am making a contribution, and I'm happy with that.

[Editor's Note: This is a 2.5"x3.5" ACEO!]

Well, you certainly deserve recognition for your work, Jillian - both as an artist and for your contribution to the community. Thank you so much for your time - I enjoyed it - and best wishes for your continued success and growth.

Jillian's eBay Store

Jillian's Website & Portfolio

Jillian's CafePress

Artists' Choice Interview With Fran Frank

Just A Large Child
An Interview With Artist Fran Frank
by Loree Harrell

about the eBay Artists' Choice Awards,
selling art on eBay, and his artistic career.

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Welcome, Fran, and congratulations on your third place award in Small Format Animals and Honorable Mention in Inspirational in the 2005 Artists' Choice Awards! Tell us what that meant to you, and - before we get too far into this - do you want to state your gender so we all know who we're talking to?

Thank you for asking me to do this interview. I was totally floored when I made the list of artists in the running for the final vote. When I placed third, I actually had to sit down and take a deep breath. I wish I was a poet or truly great writer to express how wonderful this honor made me feel. I was also honored about the 4th place in Large Inspirational. For me, anything that inspires one to create art is a great thing.

You asked if I mind you stating my gender. Of course I don't mind. That question has been asked more than a few times on the discussion boards. A few weeks ago I received this message in my eBay account:

"This really isn't a question - I just wanted to say that first, I thought you were a girl, and second, when I found out you were a guy, I thought - wow - he gets it! Your work is awesome and I absolutely know that -you get it- according to the animals. Thanks."

I wondered about this at first and was kind of bewildered. I even wrote back to the very nice lady that messaged me. The more I thought about it, the more I felt truly honored. I have been watching the other artists on the boards with more intensity than before and noticed that most of the female artists painted with a sensitivity and delicacy that I can only hope to aspire to. I really admire all of you.

Tell us a little about your journey as an artist. You "came out" late, didn't you? And how do you choose your subject matter. Do you tend to work towards what sells or what catches your heart? Or are those the same thing?

I "came out" on ebay a couple years ago. I don't want to put a negative light on my past, but, I was raised in a very old fashioned environment. The man hunted, fished, got his hands dirty working on cars, scratched, and burped in very inappropriate places. But, one thing a man didn't do was paint or draw. So, I became a "closet artist".

My family flipped out when I went on the road as a musician. I took all my sketch books and paints with me and had the greatest time ever making music and art.

I have always loved painting animals. I love going to zoos and long walks in the woods, photographing or sketching animals I see. I usually paint or draw the simple things that capture my attention. I only paint what is dear to my heart and what holds my interest. I don't surf eBay or anywhere else on the internet to see what sells. That wouldn't be me. Besides, when I look at the drawings and paintings that the marvelous artists on ebay produce, I am in awe. I just revel in the fact that some of them are my friends and consider me a friend.

I don't think that puts a negative light on your past at all - sound like a guy to me! A lot of your work with animals reflects a great deal of personality and humor - the ostrich comes immediately to mind. Are you actually finding them this way - or is that twist of humor coming from you?

This is a question that has come up recently, but was not asked as a question. It was told to me as a criticism. Someone that was very close to me said that my humour on the discussion boards detracts from my artwork and my sales.

I love to laugh as anyone that knows me will verify. My life is focused simply around children and animals. I am a simple man that surrounds himself with love. My eight grandchildren, my cat and four ferrets all think I am just a large child. That pleases me and drives my two daughters crazy. They have to curb my playtime with my grandchildren otherwise they will never go to bed. lol

I make jokes and tell funny stories about my past and even tell humorous little details that helped me create some of the artwork I painted. If this hinders my selling my artwork for more money, so be it. I love being happy!!

As it should be, Fran. Good-natured humor, where ever we can find it, is an invariably good thing. We had a little side conversation going about a bear picture you did, probably a year ago, that I loved.

I have done so many paintings of Bears that I have to really dig down deep for the one you were thinking of. I am working on a black bear cub right now that is a 6"x 4" Lately, I have been painting a lot of animals I saw at the Catskill Game Farm. It is my form of tribute to them, because the game farm is closing its doors this coming week. I have been visiting it since I was a child and feel deeply sad that my wonderful friends will no longer be there.

I am so sorry for the loss. It is always sad when the things close to our heart our no longer there. What animals were at the farm, and where are they going to go?

I can not accurately tell you the number of animals at the park. It totaled somewhere in the thousands. Between all the babies and adult animals, I was in heaven. From Llamas, Alpacas, Sheep, Pigs, Giraffes, Camels to Lions, Bison, Cougars, Monkeys, Rhinos, and the to numerous to count Birds. Alligators, Crocodiles and even baby Bear cubs all resided there.

There are now many animal groups that are inquiring as to the final destination of the animals. I hope they find wonderful homes.

Wow. That's a huge park - I certainly hope they all go to good places. It's a shame it's closing down.

So brag on those grandkids a bit. And then tell us, if you had one wish for them, what would it be?

My oldest daughter (33) has five children and they range from 13 to 16 months. My youngest daughter (31) has 3 children and they range from 9 to 3yrs. I cannot brag about my daughters and grandchildren enough. I love them all and they are my pride and joy.

I wish them all love, health and happiness for the rest of their lives. I know, that what they give me is priceless. My son-in-laws even fill me with pride. I am a lucky and rich man.

Thank you, Fran - I appreciate you taking the time to do this. Continued success with your art, and enjoy those kids!

Editor's Note: I realized as I was putting this final together, that we didn't talk about Fran's commission work or charitable contributions through his art. I encourage you to visit his website for more information.

The Frank Gallery

Loree Harrell is the author of Body Speaking Words and a working artist and writer. She occasionally lists new work on eBay under the i.d. otw_studios. Harrell was a 2005 ACA winner: 2nd in Large Abstract; 3rd in Small Abstract; and an honorable mention in Best New eBay Talent. Her complete original and print portfolio resides at artwanted.com/loree.

Artists' Choice Interview With Debi Hubbs

Rebel With A Cause
An Interview With Artist Debi Hubbs
by Loree Harrell

about the eBay Artists' Choice Awards,
selling art on eBay, and her artistic career.

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I appreciate you taking the time to talk about your work, Debi. Before we get started, I want to congratulate you on your wins in the 2005 Artists' Choice Awards. First in both Folk Art, Large, and Fun/Whimsical, Small, and Second in Fun/Whimsical, Large, if I caught them all. That's quite an accomplishment! Are these awards - or any awards for that matter - important to you?

Thanks! I was really thrilled! I can't get over how many great artists there are here on eBay. It is nice to know someone likes my dorky art, besides my mother. I think the best part about getting an award is that other artists are the people who vote. That makes it really special.

Your style, subject choices, and palette are thoroughly charming and accessible. Can you give us an idea how you achieved such a consistent tone to your work? Was it a progression, or did you identify it fairly early on? In other words, what would we see if we looked at your early work?

That is a good question. I have never thought of my art as being consistent, but I guess it is with color. I tend to get a bit matchy and think about where each color should go. I use the color, to move the eye around my paintings. And I only use colors I love. I also use black, which is a "no no" with watercolorists, but I'm a rebel without a cause.

All of my favorite artists are vibrant color painters with the exception of Norman Rockwell. His work makes me smile, and always tells a story almost everyone can relate to. His art is why I have always wanted to be an illustrator. I love art with humor, I love my life with humor too.

If you saw my early work, there was always humor, and my favorite colors.

When you say you always wanted to be an illustrator, can you talk a bit more about that? It seems a substantially different statement than "I always wanted to be an artist". I'm curious as to why you made that distinction - is it the storytelling aspect of illustration, or the potential for a wider audience, or something altogether different?

I feel an illustrator is an artist in every way. The difference for me is that illustrators try to tell a story or give an obvious message visually, in one frame. Hopefully, the viewer gets it. Whether this message is to sell something, or to tell a story, it should unite the viewer and the art in the way the artist meant.

As I said earlier, Norman Rockwell has really influenced me. Growing up we had his art hanging in our house rather than realism or landscapes. His art felt just as important and impressive as any other style, but with humor added in.

When I start a painting I'm thinking about the story I'm telling before I begin. Most of my art begins with the title and goes from there. I feel different when I just paint something without telling a story, like half of the piece is missing. For me this illustration style just comes naturally.

Your stories do certainly come through loud and clear. Tell us your favorite story about a work you sold - the one you were proudest of, or the piece that meant the most to the person who bought it.

My favorite art so far is my Italian Drama Series. I LOVE it so much! Not the art itself, just the story I include and the path it is taking me. The series is about an Italian gondola driver and his companion Angela the cat. On a daily basis they are chased by a charming bunch of dogs. It has love, action, humor, and it all takes place in Italy.

Here is some of Act Four,

MAMA MIA! A BISTRO FIASCO!

Savory fragrances wafting from Mama Mia's kitchen can make any bachelor's heart sing, yet, for Alfonso and his eager companion, desire and knowledge of the imminent edibles had them both finding it hard to embrace patience. Visions of the feast were flashing before their eyes. Tender chicken, a rich, yet, delicate creamy sauce smothering a'dente pasta, hot crusty bread...

Nothing short of a good shake could disturb the storm of joy pulsing through Alfonso's delightful dinner fantasy, but strangely, a glimmer of glory teased the corner of his eye, making him glance away from the kitchen door to the view of the sea.

What a vision! A glorious beauty wading femininely through the calm waters, singing a tune that could bring tears to any man caught in such a rapturous moment of spellbinding enchantment. Oh, to encounter this captivating creature would be a dream come true! Alfonso was begging his pounding heart to show him mercy and to somehow, some way, give him the strength to call out to this captivating goddess of the sea...

And then, chaos unlike anything seen before, consumed Mama Mia's Bistro with a force that shattered every patron's ears and Alfonso's hope for love. Bursting out of the kitchen with such an unfathomable racket and disturbance were the notorious "gruppo difettoso dei cani" (gang of bad dogs)!!! The shock was overwhelming! Alfonso sat motionless and helpless as he watched the caravan of hoodlums destroy his dreams of dining indulgence and wishes of love! Traumatic horror, and a morbid sense of gloom engulfed him as he witnessed the crime. Platters of delicacies crashing to the floor, fragile wine spilling in every direction, flea-bitten fur fleeing from the angry grasp of Mama Mia, and all Alfonso did was sit frozen in state of shock, as he watched his tender chicken dinner sail away in the distance.

Will these notorious hounds ever get their just desserts?

Ha! I love it art that comes with a story. How long have you been selling on eBay, and how long did it take you to get to PowerSeller status?

I have been selling on ebay over 3 years now. I don't remember when I made powerseller but I will guess about a year into it. I love ebay, and the connection you get with the buyers instantly.

You have been very involved in donating art and the proceeds of your art for charities. What causes motivate you to do this, and are you currently involved in any projects?

I wish I could donate more. Someday, I am hoping that I can. I like to donate to anything with children. I pick the charities that need such simple things. One time it was to a teacher whose classroom in Harlem needed pencils. The kids need so much and don't even have pencils. The class got $100.00 worth of pencils. They each wrote me thank you letters. That was so sweet.

I have an orphanage I donate to in Africa with 60 kids with AIDS. They get to stay there and learn and receive medical attention. They can have a childhood in safety. Many of them are little girls who were raped and are pregnant and tossed away from society. That kills me.

And I have to mention the breast cancer walk. My mother-in-law recently passed away from breast cancer and it is important that we find a cure for cancer. I have been training since January to walk this November in the 3day. 60 miles in 3 days! I have raised over $2700.00 for that. I will walk and walk every year until we have a cure.

Those are all wonderful causes, Debi - I admire you for thinking past your immediate life to where there are needs in the world. Makes your work more than just something to hang on the wall.

If you had one possible or impossible dream for your art career, what would it be?

I am living my dream. I feel it happening. I love the path I am on and can't wait to see where I end up. Besides painting almost every day, I am designing fabic, rubber stamps, and illustrating for a software company. All these things just unfolded in the past 3 or 4 months. I really think artists are so lucky because of this computer age. Our art can travel around the world in seconds and we are given the chance to get instant feedback. It's a fun journey.

And it's been a fun interview, Debi. Thank you, and best wishes for continued success.

Debi's Website

Debi's eBay Store
(seller i.d. artblooms*studio)

Debi's Blog

Loree Harrell is the author of Body Speaking Words and a working artist and writer. She occasionally lists new work on eBay under the i.d. otw_studios. Harrell was a 2005 ACA winner: 2nd in Large Abstract; 3rd in Small Abstract; and an honorable mention in Best New eBay Talent. Her complete original and print portfolio resides at:

www.artwanted.com/loree

Don't miss the other ACA interviews!
Patty Baker
Francesca Burras
Katey-D
Sally Swingewood
Crystal Neubauer

Hidden Recesses Of Soul
An Interview With Artist Crystal Neubauer
by Loree Harrell

about the eBay Artists' Choice Awards,
selling art on eBay, and her artistic career.

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Welcome, Crystal, I appreciate your taking the time to talk with me about your work. First, congratulations on your wins in the Wearable Art and Inspirational categories in the 2005 Artists' Choice Awards! How did it feel to be nominated by other artists and then to win?

Thanks! I feel so completely humbled by the whole thing. I just never expected anything like this. I had only been selling my art on ebay for a short while. I had developed some really good on-line friendships with other artists through some of the ebay groups, so I was really flattered when some of these people nominated me, but then I saw people who I had never heard of or other artists I had admired but didn't have a relationship with, nominate me and it just took me by complete surprise, completely humbling.

Isn't that great, when you know it isn't just that people like you - although that doesn't hurt, of course - but that your art stands up to the competition? How did you get into collage? Tell us a bit about your process and inspirations.

Well my whole journey into collage and mixed media was a real serendipitous route. I really believe it was a God led journey for me.

I married my husband a little over 5 years ago, he brought 4 kids to the marriage and I brought 3. I was working full time and had this huge new family and all of the sudden an auto-imune illness I had been dealing with for some time flared up and it became impossible for me to do it all. I cut back my hours at work to part time and started selling collectibles on ebay to earn some cash, but eventually I was overwhelmed with how long it took to carefully pack and ship these breakable items and I remember just sitting down one day and praying "God there has to be a better way." Not long after that a woman at work that I barely knew walked by my desk and threw a copy of Somerset Studio on it just saying over her shoulder "here you might be interested in this".

I'd have to say that was the understatement of the year! I had always dreamed of being an artist when I was in high school. I went to a private school and I took some fantastic art classes, but those dreams were put on the shelf when I became a teenage mom and wound up graduating early and going right out to work full time at a bank.

Opening that copy of Somerset Studio and seeing collage and mixed media work for the first time was like opening the hidden recesses of my soul. It all just resonated with familiarity to me. The images, the textures, the emotions evoked. I wanted this, I knew I had to be a part of it!

I began selling paper collectibles on ebay instead of breakables and soon I started putting together some really cool ephemera packs and selling them to other artists. The packs were really popular and I was always amazed at the bidding frenzy that would take place at the close of the auction. As I started checking out the buyers to see what they were making with the stuff they bought from me I was drawn in more and more and soon became bold enough to start listing my own work.

At first I sold collages and then started making little paper dolls out of old cabinet photos. Then I discovered the world of art trading cards and the ACEO group and things just took off from there. I was invited to join ZNE and just through the interaction with so many other talented artists I began to explore more and more different media.

I use very little if anything new in my work. I have always been a collector of odd bits and interesting pieces of the past. I scour flea markets, estate sales, and auctions for unique and interesting cast offs that other people tend to turn their noses up at. I just see so much beauty in the worn out and well used items. I love to see new life come from something discarded. I can relate to that with my faith. I was downtrodden, cast out, but have a new life now that was very much saved through faith.

I very rarely know ahead of time what the piece I am making will look like. Sometimes I know the message ahead of time and focus on that through the process, but usually some element will just call to me and I know I have to use it in my work. I pull things out and throw them on my work table that I think I might use and just start fitting things together and moving them around. I usually just know when something fits and when a piece is done.

Sometimes a piece is finished and I still don't know what it is saying. I will let it sit and just meditate on it for a while. Nine times out of ten I will start to see what it is saying and its like my subconscious knew all along. Elements that I didn't notice I had put together will just have a harmony. The majority of my inspiration is scripture from the Bible, often it is a message that God has been working out in my own life and it comes out in my work.

I find that when a piece is deeply personal and meaningful to me like that, it usually strikes a chord with the viewer. I frequently get e-mails from people telling me that a particular piece or verse really spoke to a situation they were in that week. It feels good to know that. To think that I've touched the life of somebody else in this way.

Wow, Crystal, I think you just finished the interview without me! Show and tell time... right this moment, what is your favorite piece?

Show and tell is a little tough. Whatever piece I'm working on at the moment is usually my favorite! I invest much of myself in so many of these pieces that I get very attached by the time I'm done.

One that really stands out in my mind is a necklace made from an old pair of folding Pince Nez glasses. It had a serendipitous route itself. I started with an old Kodak Jiffy camera and cut the lens out with my jewelers saw. Inside the lense I placed an antique tintype photo. I could see this piece in my mind as a necklace but I couldn't quite bring it together. I struggled with it for months. Then one day I was at this amazing estate sale, a huge old school building filled with piles and piles of antiques and junk and I saw this pair of Pince Nez glasses laying off to the side of a shelf, missing one lens. Just as an after thought I threw it in my basket. The two pieces, the glasses and the camera lens, lay side by side on my work table for a few weeks before it hit me that the camera lens was the exact same size as the missing glasses lens, the piece just exploded from there. There are times when I feel like my assemblages just put themselves together, I'm just the hands. This was one of those times. I wore that necklace for quite some time before I was able to sell it and when I did let it go I made a special altered tin to ship it off in. I couldn't bear to just put it in a shipping box!

I just looked at your Me page, and spent a little time with your blog - still laughing about the teeth. You clearly put heart and soul into everything you touch, and you communicate that depth well in your words and your art. Tell me, if you had a magic wand, and could grant one wish for your kids - collectively or individually - what would it be?

Well that's a loaded question! lol!

Collectively I think my one wish for the kids would be that they would develop roots and attachments with each other in this blended family. When my husband and I were married we had these grand ideas of bringing our two families together as one big happy family, and all would be well. That we would fill a gap in each other's kids lives, Brady Bunch style. Of course there were lots and lots of jokes about us being the Brady Bunch, but in reality its been more like Brady Bunch behind the scenes. You know, Cindy and Bobby hiding in the dog house in the backyard, getting high between takes. Okay, that is pretty candid, but it's reality. Kids from divorced homes have a lot of pain and baggage. Time heals many wounds and over time they are starting to develop a trust level in this family, but we're not quite there yet.

Individually its my hearts desire to see each of them find their true purpose in life. To recognize their own unique gifts and talents and to embrace them. God creates each of us with a specific purpose based on these talents and gifts. To find that purpose and live it out early on, wow, what a blessing!

... and Bingo just about sums that up. Thank you, Crystal, I have thoroughly enjoyed our time.

eBay seller's i.d.
other_peoples_flowers

Crystal's blog
http://otherpeoplesflowers.blogspot.com/

On flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/otherpeoplesflowers/

On zne
http://www.zneart.com/F/galleries/Crystal

On etsy
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=72055

Loree Harrell is the author of Body Speaking Words and a working artist and writer. She occasionally lists new work on eBay under the i.d. otw_studios. Harrell was a 2005 ACA winner: 2nd in Large Abstract; 3rd in Small Abstract; and an honorable mention in Best New eBay Talent. Her complete original and print portfolio resides at:

www.artwanted.com/loree

Don't miss the other ACA interviews!
Patty Baker
Francesca Burras
Katey-D
Sally Swingewood

Artists' Choice Awards Interview - Sally Swingewood

The Worm In The Rose
An Interview With Artist Sally Swingewood
by Loree Harrell

about the eBay Artists' Choice Awards,
selling art on eBay, and her artistic career.

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Sally, first I want to congratulate you on your award in Small Abstract in the 2005 Artists' Choice Awards! Can you give us an idea what being nominated and then being chosen meant to you?

I was so surprised to be nominated in the first place - and thrilled! I only came to ebay in early summer 2005 and felt like such a newcomer, to have been noticed by other artists to the extent that I made it to the finals of ACA was amazing. And fabulous!!! I only came second by one vote and that final few days was such fun. I had no problem with not coming first because the artist that did - Christine Wasankari - is wonderful, but I enjoyed the race!

I honestly thought I didn't have a hope, being a UK artist and not part of any of the big artist groups in the community - I simply didn't think people would know me.

Suffice to say, when I am feeling a bit low and my art isn't going as well as I would hope, the ACA award still picks me up.

eBay is such a global community, and I think we often don't notice that someone is on the other side of the world until we realize they're posting when we're asleep! Since most of us are in the U.S., what can you tell us about the art atmosphere in England? I am wondering if there might be differences in what is popular on the other side of the pond simply because of the differences in historical age of our cultures. Any thoughts?

What is popular here is definitely different I think. The UK art scene seems to have a darker heart than the US one. 'Cute' is rarely accepted by anyone over the age of 12 on face value - we look for the worm in the rose, the political satire or the irony in the tumbling kittens.

Abstraction has been embraced by the masses as the country has embraced interior design over the last decade and suddenly everyone wants a big bold or moody canvas over the sofa. It depresses me so much to go to Ikea - which is huge here - and watch couples picking out huge abstract canvas prints for their homes when we both know that they could buy an original piece for not much more.

I am, however, enjoying the fact that, at the 'top end' of the art scene, painting has made a come back after years of conceptual art being king. It's rarely straightforward painting at the highest level of recognition, but artists like Chris Offili and - hmmm, I need to find the name of the young guy I am thinking of who did wonderful huge oils examining the Brixton riots of the 1980s - really cheer me up after years of too many one-thought conceptual pieces.

The Turner prize has more and more visitors every year and has done wonders for making the public confront difficult contemporary work. I love hearing people who didn't go to college to study art or art history confidently discussing and offering opinions on video installations or the re-creation in the gallery of a wooden boat shed.

The art scene here is fun!

Well now I just want to hop on a plane and come camp in your living room for a few months. Where are you located - I see you have several exhibitions to your credit in London. Brag a little - talk to us about where you are at this point in your art career.

It took me years to recover from being a painter in a conceptual college. It was THE art college at the time, but wrong for me. So I am very happy with the way my art career is going at the moment. It was listing those first few tentative pieces on eBay that gave me the confidence – for the first time since graduating from college – to put my art out into the world. In the last 18 months I have had two solo shows, two US group shows, curated two international shows, participated in others and successfully completed quite a few commissions. I have a joint show in Spain coming up this autumn, too.

But probably best of all was being accepted into Skylark2 Gallery on London's South Bank in August. Skylark is an artist run gallery just metres from the Tate Modern and the artists who run it jury in new artists. It is such a thrill to be judged good enough by other artists - and so exciting to be in the heart of London showing my work.

Congratulations on the gallery - truly an international cosmopolitan artist now! Is London the heart of "the scene" in England and what would you consider the most vital current art scene in Europe?

London is certainly the heart of the art scene in England - but really that is to do with money. People simply don't earn as much in other parts of the UK so galleries congregate where the cash is!That isn't to say that the UK doesn't have a thriving art scene outside of London because it does. Cornwall is heaving with artists, the north east is really up and coming, Liverpool has long been vibrant and the Midlands are really rich in talent too. The UK arts scene is great right now.

In European terms I'm not sure. I'm out of touch!

I'm curious about your art college experience. Was it that specific college, or art college in general that wasn't right for you? Why?

College was an experience. I did my degree at Goldsmiths college, part of the University of London, starting the same year that Damien Hirst, and his now rich and famous crew, graduated. The Saatchi experience of buying up art directly from the degree shows made the college notorious and the tutors were pretty much entirely focused on being the best. On being totally avant garde. I spent three long years fighting for the right to paint while still trying to please tutors who wanted conceptual art at any cost. The result was appalling work from me and a total loss of confidence. That said, my art history tutors were incredible - some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I learned an immense amount from them which still informs my art on a daily basis. So I have no regrets - it was just interesting and delayed me going out into the world with the confidence to say "I am an artist". Maybe that was a good thing. I have lived a lot more now and my work is more interesting because of it I hope!

Your work absolutely is interesting. And I am fascinated with the whole England thing for some reason... has me itching to put on my traveling shoes. Art and delightful accents - doesn't get any better than that!

I know you spearheaded a2a, which is a remarkable project that has spread beyond eBay... tell us about it.

The whole Christmas greed thing got to me in a big way last year -and the way people would want to pay pennies for my art and not anything close to what I considered it's true worth - so I began to think about simply giving it away instead. I felt I would be happier to give art to someone who really really wanted it, than sell it to someone who was simply after a bargain.

So, I decided I would leave a small piece of original art in a public place once a week beginning in January 2006. I mentioned it to a few other ebay artists and suddenly the idea mushroomed.

WE now have almost 150 participating artists from countries like Australia, Mexico, the US, the UK, France and Spain. Possibly more - I'm losing track! Some artists leave more pieces than others, some months we are busier than others, but we all love the ethos - and have now extended it to allowing people to request a piece of free art for themselves or someone else too. It is such a pleasure to do - though we have had so many requests over the summer that we are little behind.

[Some of the work given away in the A2A project.]

It was a great response on your part, to choose to create something good out of a situation that was weighing on you. For those not familiar, A2A is an acronym for Art 2 Art. We will include the website with the links below.

I have just one last question for you, Sally, so that we have room for lots of your wonderful art... do you have a favorite piece of art? One that holds either a story of its creation, or of who it wound up with?

I am very fond of this piece, The Enforcer. It was inspired by the many letters, phone calls and knocks on the door I had to deal with when we first moved into our current home - all people who were owed money by the previous owner. So I started to collect the baliffs' letters, the court orders, etc and built them into a series of mixed media pieces which portrayed the debtor, the creditors, the enforcers, etc. It pushed me into new directions and became my first solo show.

How cool is that!... you really do have a knack for turning mud into - uh-oh, I can feel my metaphor breaking down even as it comes into being - for turning mud into...

clay! and then sculpting it into something magnificent!

Which silliness definitely concludes this interview, with thanks to you, Sally, for the glimpse into your world. Your art is wonderful, and I wish you many productive and prosperous years.

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Sally's blog:
http://www.salswinge.blogspot.com/

Sally's eBay i.d. & search term is salswinge
Sally's current eBay auction listings

The A2A website:
http://a2a2006.com/

Loree Harrell is the author of Body Speaking Words and a working artist and writer. She lists some work on eBay under the i.d. otw_studios. Harrell was a 2005 ACA winner: 2nd in Large Abstract; 3rd in Small Abstract; and an honorable mention in Best New eBay Talent. Her original and print portfolio can be found at:
www.artwanted.com/loree