Thank you to everyone who braved the cold and wind and made it out to the s-t-i-t-c-h show last night. Many cute softies were adopted into loving homes. Since all of our artists were so prolific, there is still plenty left to see in this lovely show, so we’re extending it through next week.
View the set on Flickr. If you see something that you’d like, please inquire via email.
We’ve been long-time fans of the talented Yellena James. Her richly textured works feature intricate details that take their cue from nature. She’s already been featured on RM more than once. We knew an interview with one of our favorite artists was way overdue. Many thanks to Yellena for sharing her time with us!
REUBENMILLER: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Yellena James: I was born in Sarajevo. I went to art school there for a couple of years during the civil war. When I was 18, I moved to the States and went to UCF for my graphic design/painting degree. Besides exhibits and taking care of my Etsy shop, I also do a lot of freelance illustration work. I recently moved to Portland, OR and I love it here. When I’m not in my studio working or checking out my favorite design blogs, I’m usually tooling around town visiting galleries, eating good food, hanging out with new friends. I love to travel too, whenever I can. Having shows around the country is a great excuse to visit new places.
(Continue reading for complete interview.)
RM: What mediums do you use for creating your art?
YJ: I love using pens, markers and other inks on paper. I also love to paint with acrylics. For that, I prefer a wood panel over a canvas for the amount of control it gives me over the strokes.
RM: What is your main source of inspiration?
YJ: I’m inspired by so many things that it’s hard for me to pin point one main source of inspiration. I’m definitely intrigued by microscopic worlds. I love discovering strange new life forms, plants, fungi, undersea aliens, etc. They spark my imagination and often inspire me to invent my own flora and fauna. I try to create new shapes based on what I imagine to exist within the unseen world around us, and attempt to suggest movements in my designs that we’re not accustom to seeing in our everyday lives, to sort-of pass that spark of inspiration on to others as they complete the movements within their own minds.
Also, moss. I’m inspired by moss.
RM: Who do you think most influenced your work?
YJ: I love the flow, complexity and perspective play in the work of Julie Mehretu or Matthew Ritchie. I’m also drawn to the beautifully dark worlds of Jeff Soto and the colorful, microscopic landscapes of Jacob Magraw. The biggest influence, as far as my own work, is probably Mother Nature… the parts she tries to hide.
RM: Do you work in any other medium?
YJ: I have a Gocco printer that I absolutely adore. Every time I lift the screen, it’s like a little zen moment. I also have a old letterpress that I am planning to incorporate into my limited edition prints and other paper goods. I have a slight obsession with anything letterpressed and I was so happy when my husband found one for me for my birthday last year.
RM: Please describe your thought process in developing a piece.
YJ: My drawings or paintings are never planned in advance. I simply just start with one element and keep building on it and around it. I never use any references or sketches. The fact that I don’t know where the piece is going to end or what it will look like when it’s finished is very liberating to me. Throughout the process I think about balance and composition and how to connect all the elements into one entity. Although the artwork starts very freely, the end result often appears very controlled and calculated.
RM: Where is your work exhibited and sold?
YJ: I’m currently at the Grass Hut in Portland and working on some group shows for the Giant Robot in NY and SF. I’m also hoping for a solo exhibit at GR2 in LA sometime this year, but no date yet. I have a small show coming up in Seattle (at Velouria) in April, a Kokeshi doll I’m working on for the JANM, and I will have my first UK solo show this fall at the Here Shop Gallery in Bristol. There are others, but this is what comes to mind first. The best way to keep track is through my website, www.yellena.com/blog. I don’t do a lot of "blogging" but I try to keep the posts current as far as what I’m working on and where I’ll be. Of course, for affordable prints and more, visit www.yellena.etsy.com.
RM: What’s next on the horizon?
YJ: Lots of shows this year. I am also planning to expand my creations in a variety of ways, including some designs for clothing and various paper products. I’m eagerly anticipating the release of my new K2 snowboard and some patterns I did for Nike/ACG apparel to come out sometime this year as well. Mostly, I’m just looking forward to creating some fresh new images and embracing any opportunities that may come as a result.
RM: Wishing you the best of luck in everything, Yellena!
This gorgeous piece (and photograph) is by Janick of Neawear. This small embroidered piece is available exclusively in the gallery (visit Janick’s Etsy shop if you’re not in Calgary. She has plenty of beautiful things to choose from.)
Art and craft: sewn, crocheted, knitted, embroidered, adorned
We are a presenting a one-day show called Stitch which features the handiwork of many local and Canadian craftsters. The amount of effort that our participants have dedicated in making their pieces is quite remarkable. I am sure that you’ll fall in love with one of the softies, the exquisite embroidery, beautiful linens and illustrative sewn collages. You can take your purchases home with you immediately since this is a one-day show. (Sorry, this show is in the physical gallery only.)
Tracey Cameron
Janick Gravel
Amber Hebert
Karen Klassen
Kendyl Lauzon
Renata Liwska
Leah Santucci
Lori Joy Smith
Rosemary Travale
Danielle Wright
Crochet by Kendyl Lauzon
A secret hideaway high atop trees, the treehouse is a place of adventure, instinct, and imagination. In youth, treetop forts created a sanctuary for survival games. In adulthood, the allure of the treehouse speaks to the desire for a close encounter with nature.
From the adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Swiss Family Robinson to the neighbor’s backyard and beyond, the treehouse endures as a powerful and enchanting symbol of the wilderness spirit.
This spring, UPPERCASE will launch Treehouse, an art exhibition celebrating the drama, beauty, freedom, danger, and escape of treetop living. We invite you to live out your treehouse memories or fantasies in artistic form.
Send us a drawing of the treehouse you remember playing in as a child or an image of the one you would love to construct for your very own private island getaway. Photography, painting, collage and other visual mediums of representation are also welcome.
*Some submissions will be featured in our debut issue of UPPERCASE, a magazine for the creative and curious. If you are interested in participating, please email us. Submissions are due electronically by March 1. If your work is selected for inclusion in the gallery show, we will send further instructions.
I’ve designed some romantic and optimistic posters for our upcoming show, Love Letters. These prints are available now in the online shop in time for Valentine’s Day and upcoming engagements and weddings. The black, light grey and small hit of red would make a sophisticated and graphic addition to a bedroom or living room.
This upcoming show is a celebration of things stitched / sewn / knitted / crocheted / embroidered. Works on paper, fabric, appliqué, softies, art, accessories — a variety of styles and materials are welcome. We are looking for local and Canadian illustrators, artists and crafters who make extraordinary things. The show is planned for a one-day event on the First Thursday of March. Please send us some sample images or links to your website if you are interested in participating. (More details available here.)
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
