You know what time it is--it's that time of the week where I get seriously smitten on some amazing artists and their work! This week I'd like you to meet Elise of Argyle Whale. I met Elise a couple years ago while we were working an art/craft show. I was immediately charmed by her humor--both in person and in her gocco prints--and we've been in touch since. I highly recommend her blog as well--sweet, very funny, and with lots of bunnies and a hedgehog named Acorn making some cameo appearances.
So let's get to know Elise, shall we? Here she is in action:
Maeg: Hi Elise! Thanks for interviewing with me. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Elise: I live in Salem with my beloved skinny music nerd, a lethargic lope-ear and a flirty little dwarf bunny as well as our hedgehog who is surly and nocturnal. I'm a big fan of board games and get very competitive when playing Scattergories. I keep a small flask of maple syrup on me at all times and I'm blessed/cursed with the ability to get anyone to tell me about their sex life. I like to wear a lot of bright colors.
Maeg: I know you’re balancing a lot of creative endeavors, from running Argyle Whale to being an upholsteress. What’s a day in your creative life like?
Elise: I'm not good at keeping a regular routine so my days are rarely the same. I upholster furniture every morning until lunchtime and after that it is blissful chaos. I may watch three shameful romantic comedies in a row while printing and packaging or I may look at pictures of cute animals online for "research". I spend lots of time sketching and lately I've been taking online courses so that I can get more comfortable using design programs.
Maeg: What are you up to when you’re not making art?
Elise: I am the queen of breakfast and I love making my friends a big pile of french toast and then heading out to the big antique flea market on the weekend. Now that the weather is warmer, I'll be getting my hands dirty in the garden and hiking around the Salem Woods every chance I get.
Maeg: What's your creative process like?
Elise: I try to keep it simple because the more steps I have to do, the more likely it is that I will get distracted and start something else. I keep plenty of supplies so I can go from idea to finished product in one day. When I sketch something in pencil that I think is on the right track, I go over it in a Micron pen, erase the pencil and it is ready to put in the ol' Gocco. I do spend plenty of time choosing the color ink and paper and getting the screen to print reliably but after that is done, I can zone out my mind and let my hands do the rest.
Maeg: I know you do lots of Gocco printing but sadly, Gocco has been discontinued. Have you stockpiled a bunch of Gocco supplies in an art bunker somewhere? And do you have plans for other materials once you’ve run out?
Elise: I have stockpiled quite a stash of Gocco goodies. When I found out Gocco was discontinued, I spent all I had in my savings account on supplies before the prices went up too high. I am afraid that by confessing this, I have left myself open to Gocco pirates who will soon be after my booty. The stash is hidded and guarded by a creature with sharp teeth and spikes who goes by the name of Acorn the terrible.
Having the gocco supplies become treasure has had the unexpected consequence of me becoming stingy with my ideas. I made far less impulsive prints and my drawings never seemed good enough to use a screen. I think I'm finally over that because lately I've been printing up a storm!
I know that my rations won't last forever so I have been trying to learn new techniques in hopes of finding something that feels good. I took a letterpress class last month and a friend has been teaching me silkscreening. I considered doing some designs on the computer too but I am finding that impossibly frustrating.
Maeg: What projects are you currently working on? Do you have any upcoming shows that we can visit?
Elise: The biggest project that I'm slowly plodding along on is my first illustrated story which I will be printing myself. My uncle passed away recently and he was the greatest storyteller. I'll be retelling his true story of how he ordered a pet alligator from a catalog and had it delivered to his third grade classroom. I am trying hard to tell it with as much charm as he did.
I took last year off from the craft fair circuit but I'm happy to be back this Summer. I'll be at Renegade in Brooklyn and Bazaar Bizarre in Boston.
Maeg: Please list all your links!
Elise, thank you so much for interviewing with me! You're the best!
