Guest Artist – Wendy Burton

I enjoy reading artist interviews, allows me to get to know them a little better.  So, I wanted YOU to get to know some of my Artist Friends (some I’ve had the GREAT pleasure to meet in person and some I have gotten to know online). All photos are clickable.

My first guest ARTIST is my friend, Wendy Burton, whom I had the pleasure to spend a weekend with at the Art Retreat last year.  We have been online friends for a few years.  I would LOVE to spend another weekend with her & learn some of HER FABULOUS techniques!!!

Tell me a little about yourself…..and WHEN did you realize you are an ARTIST? As a child I had to make a lot of decisions around my diabetes from a very early age. I believe I had to grow up really quickly. I lost that childhood spirit. Now later in my life as I am working through some of those past areas of difficulties, I have made a choice. I try to convince myself that it is all right to play. It is all right to colour and paint and cut and tear paper and fabric. It is all right to spill things on my clothes. It is all right to wear mismatched socks. It is all right, or rather very good, to have fun and just let my spirit soar.
I was very fortunate to grow up on a farm. With that I developed a love of nature. I believe a natural instinct for colour grew up within me.
When did I realize that I am an artist? I believe I did have some inkling of it when I was a child. However the freedom of expression was wrapped up tightly inside a deeply buried spot. That understanding, perhaps realization, returned to me about five or six years ago through the world wide web and a great deal of playtime, self-learning and experimenting.

What BEST describes the work you do?
Mixed media. Depending on my mood I paint, photograph, sew, bead, cut, glue, plan, design, write, play with words, stitch, paint fabric, sew fabric, sew paper, dye fabric, colour on paper, splash ink, splash water, carve stamps, search through papers, search through vintage, thrift, dream, play, craft, concoct dyes, drool about rust, old wood, fabric, lace, buttons, and gather up bits and pieces of nature. I’ve probably missed a few things in that list but you get the drift.
And I should probably say that my art tends to be sometimes mysterious, sometimes magical.

How did your style evolve?
Tough one. Firstly – it is still evolving and probably will continue. I suppose I could say it started with photography and words. I come from a family of photographers and enjoyed snapping photos during travel to Australia and New Zealand where I traveled some 25 plus years ago. A few years later my husband was gifted a Canon camera. He did most of the photography UNTIL our daughter came to be a part of our family. The camera was then commonly in MY hands. She was extremely photogenic. I was into observing poses and light, the best places to capture the image I desired.  Kat was also somewhat into dramatization and of course that helped.
I will speak more about “the words” in the next question but can say that I first encountered an art blog: The Crafty – Girl in 2006. I realized that I could share words AND art. I realized that I could perhaps be heard. For a long time I had felt that I was not – heard that is. I had never been aware of a blog prior to that first one I encountered of Kelly Angard. From there a choice was made to blog, to learn, to practice, to play. I encountered fabulous artists. I found Flickr. I encountered fabulous challenges such as Inspire Me Thursday. I encountered swaps. Mixed media was the “art of the day.” I picked it up and ran with it.

I have your book “Autumn Richness” & I just LOVE your mix of photographs and words, what inspired you to publish the book and will you be doing more?
I was going through a time period where I was doing a whole lot of photography. I was being “lucky” in my captures. My photographs were very much appreciated and recognized. I had a lot of friends on Flickr who were inspiring me and being inspired by my photography. The “luck” probably was due to the fact that I took my camera with me nearly everywhere I went. I did special drives just for photo shoots. Because of an artistic eye, I knew the best times of day to take photographs and also seemed to instinctively choose interesting compositions. I was not afraid to walk on the side of the highway or just stop along some roadway to take photos and get the right composition.
The “autumn richness” idea entered my mind because, since allowing myself to be free with my artistic eye, I came to realize the fabulosity of autumn colours.
About the words – as I was growing up I enjoyed writing as well as creating. I was more so into essays for school as I recall. When I was granted some free time about six years ago to regain some perspective on my life, I chose to sit at the computer and write from the heart. The words seemed to flow from within. They were very healing words. I then made a choice to switch into the visual arts as they allowed me a greater area for expression. My writing had been described quite frequently as mysterious. People would ask me to elaborate on my words, my expression. I suppose with art an area of abstractness is much more acceptable. The mysterious effect is more common. Colours by themselves can provide so much feeling. I believe that I grow bored easily. Through the kind of art I do there are so many possibilities. I am no longer bored for very long.
Yet the words remain. I love word play, making up words, combining them in ways to also let the picture flow. Sometimes I find they just add so much more to the feeling of a piece. They can lead the observer’s thoughts into places they would perhaps otherwise not ever have approached. And this is how the combination of words with art came into play through my book.
Will I be doing more? Hmmm. I have so many projects and plans in the works right now I cannot really say. I would really like to be published for my art in one of the very popular art journals of the day. Right now that is more on my mind. I had submitted a couple of pieces in the past but I am thinking I should pursue THAT possibility again. I am not really good with deadlines so we will see where my muse may lead.

Who is your favourite artist? Why?
I love the art of so many artists in the present day. The question could be difficult to answer but I would have to say Misty Mawn. So much of her art touches a sensitive part of me. To me she is the ultimate provider of inspiration. I feel her style is so evocative. She has been inspiring me, teaching me, making me wonder and question since I practically first came into the art scene. I remember when I first found her website a number of years ago. I was totally intrigued by the home page. The use of colour and imagery drew me immediately into her world. I wanted to stay there. I wanted to feel what she was seeing. I wanted to see what she touched. Misty Mawn is my favourite artist.

Do you have a favourite art period? Why?
I would have to say the present day. Through technology the world is at our fingertips. With a few clicks on a screen or keyboard one can be transported through many wonderful artistic realms. Photography, videos, sculpture, cartoons, music, prose, inspiration – all are so readily available as a feast to our senses.

What is your favourite art supply? Why?
It almost changes from moment to moment. If I am sitting at my computer and doing art I am probably playing with my recently acquired Photoshop elements 8. I also received a Wacom Tablet as a gift. That is very cool to use in combination with my PS.
I have been using fabric paint a lot lately on non-stretched canvas. Together with that I have discovered the Cannon Spray paint applicator from Tulip. I have two, and I really enjoy them when in hand.
Black Sharpies have recently become a favourite. I have observed the fabulous marks I am able to make with them, especially on the non-stretched canvas. Decocolor markers are terrific for making marks also. Turquoise is my choice right now.
I like heavy body acrylics for painting, especially on stretched canvas and watercolour paper. Water-soluble Caran D’ache crayons are frequently chosen as well.

As artists, we sometimes have challenges that we have to face. Sometimes it acceptance, or understanding or family or ??? Do you and are you able to tell us?
Yes, there are challenges. I would say mostly the challenges revolve around the extensive amount of time and energy to deal with managing my own health issues of the long standing diabetes, as well as depression and a lack of self-esteem. Our daughter, now 18 years old, has her own problems on which I have expended much time and energy. Her sensory issues, placing her under the Autism Spectrum Disorder umbrella, create behavioral and social issues, as well as educational challenges. She is a beautiful young lady who has required much guidance along the way.

Another challenge is presented by where I live. In rural Saskatchewan, I am somewhat limited because of distance from artist friends and the cost it would entail to meet face to face. Online classes and sharing are not nearly the same, yet I am always grateful for the possibilities that have come my way because of the technology. In this community there is somewhat a lack of appreciation for mixed media artists and particularly self-taught artists. I am however very grateful to have an extensive community of online artist friends. That is for the largest part very gratifying for me.
Another difficulty about my location is that of having professional art and photo prints produced. This takes time and cost because there is not really any one locally. It is a piece for which I need to do more investigating.

Do you have goals – short term and/or long term?
The goals, projects and plans kind of run together but I will suggest these as short-term goals. I have quite a lot of nearly finished projects which are affecting my creativity.  I have not done any sewing for quite some time because I want to have a dedicated space for it – not the dining table where we eat. I am working slowly on finishing that space. There are three main areas I have developed in which to create. One is nearly finished but for painting the fronts of four drawers and reattaching the drawer pulls. I am certain my capability to create will be much expanded when these studio spaces are all usable.
I have a huge altered board book which needs mainly quite a lot of text added. I believe it is nearly finished otherwise.
I am intending to take my art to the local museum/gallery to have my art displayed there. I need only to book an available time. This will offer to me some visibility in my own community.
I already mentioned a desire to be published and would put that as a goal as well as attempting to have much more completed art to sell at my etsy shop and to sell at a little art shop in the area which people have suggested as a possible venue.

What else can we see from you this year? Any new projects, collaborations, plans…
I am almost always creating and frequently have projects in the works.
I am in the process of trying to make more videos for You tube as I have established a bit of a following there and I have been trying to arrange some local art workshops around art journaling. There is some thought as well to teaching children and youth but perhaps that would best be placed in the long-term goal area.
I was invited last autumn to participate in a collaborative art journaling group online. I need to investigate what is happening there. I have not been focusing very much on journaling recently but I love to do it and it is one of the areas through which I have done some really simple teaching online. Watch for developments.
I am always looking for new possibilities with my blog. That is something that I plan to try to enhance as well. I am trying to post more frequently there but the time challenge always comes into play.
Another thing I am thinking of now is that I want to make jewelry with my art and also bags and similiar items with the non-stretched canvases. This will require some learning of new techniques.
There are a couple of other projects and plans but I will keep those as an unknown right now.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?
I believe in angels and frequently I send angel blessings. Often times they are not written or spoken as words but they are perceived. I actually found with my “Autumn Richness” book that when I shared it initially with a dear friend, we could feel the angel presence, from within the book, all around us. I know this will not happen with everyone, but perhaps you have sensed this as well.
At times I need to focus on the angels and set aside the art. I believe the angel blessings came into play long before the art took priority. I also feel that when I just allow myself to let go and tune everything, at least nearly, out, if even for just a few moments, I create my most fabulous art. I frequently find that after painting a background I will see human faces, or perhaps animals, most especially eyes, appearing on the page or canvas. I just start drawing around the eyes and suddenly a face appears. These faces are often time misshapen, but to me this often makes them more appealing. Sometimes the faces are as close to what I could imagine a face to be. I believe that everyone has this ability within, if only they allow themselves the freedom.

Angels be with you.

THANK YOU Wendy for allowing me to interview you & feature you here on my blog.  PLEASE visit her Website, Blog and Etsy store.

Tagged as: Guest Artists, Inspire Me Thursday, Kelly Angard, Misty Mawn, Wendy Burton