Hey ladies!

Artwork of Misha Blaise

by Kelly | May 26, 2012 | art, Crafts

A new feature today:  a very talented & creative artist (and busy mom- like me)  Misha Blaise  from Austin, TX. I am very inspired by her mixed media artwork that is a take on nature and cultural embroidery designs. I really love the floral prints as well as the intricate embroidery representations. Super excited to see what she comes up with next!

**Also, note that each purchase from her Etsy page  goes to help support a woman survivor of war that Misha sponsors through WomenForWomen.org **

Meet Misha :

Where do you get your inspiration?
I am obsessed with beautiful and elegant textile design from around the world.

For example, my father is from Croatia, and I have been collecting old Yugoslavian embroidery patterns to transfer into some of my digital pieces. These people make some of the coolest designs: the colors are super bold and the images are elegant and complex. I like reinventing patterns like this within my pieces by merging them with more modern elements.

What is your creative process ? 
My creative process took a major blow when I had my first child because I just didn’t have very much time to work anymore. But this limitation eventually became an asset to me. I started planning my art mentally ahead of time as detailed as possible. Then, when I would finally have the time to work all I would have to do is execute my ideas. So my usual process now is that I think through a piece of art while I am doing something with my son, like taking him on a walk or whatever, and then when he goes to sleep I run to my studio space like a bat out of hell and work as fast as I can!!!

What’s your favorite item you make? 
I love making mixed media prints! I enjoy just throwing down paint and drawing and then scanning it all into the computer where I can merge it all together into a cohesive piece. This format is also cool because it allows the final product to be printed at any size and on various mediums.

What’s your artistic philosophy?
I think the spirit of uninhibited experimentation is crucial to being an artist. It can be so hard to work when you are worrying if the piece will look good or if will be well received. I think there is something very mysterious about the creative process in the sciences and the arts that we can’t ever really understand—somehow humans have the capacity to bring forth something new that never existed before. I guess my philosophy is just to treat that process as something important and crucial to the human experience, even if all I am doing is making a pretty little art print. (Is that philosophical enough☺ )

When did you start creating ?  Like most people I made art as a child. I was influenced by other design around me that was cool at the time, so Idefinitely went through a phase of drawing psychedelic dolphins leaping over rainbows and hearts as inspired by the Lisa Frank art on my Trapper Keeper. Then I made some really bad art in college which I have most thrown away or kept hidden. I would say I only really started finding my “voice” as an artist when I was in my mid-twenties. I was living in Chicago and I was starting to meet a whole community of artists who lived and breathed their craft. This really pushed me to take my art more seriously and to develop my style in a more focused way.

What’s the future for your business?
I am working really hard this year to improve my on-line presence. I would love to be able to show art locally, and at the same time have an international audience who can browse and buy my work online!