Happy Friday, everyone!  Today I'd like to introduce you to An Li Liu, an artist from neighboring Massachusetts. Here at Craftland we sell some of her shirts for both the ladies and the gents. Read on to learn more about An Li and what inspires her.

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business.
Hi there! I am An Li Liu and I’m an artist and designer originally from Toronto, Canada now residing in Cambridge, MA. I have always been into cutting and pasting, mostly combining painting and collage, and this past year began to take my designs to t-shirts. My eponymous business, An Li, is super new so I’m always exploring better ways to make my stuff. I’m probably your typical novice, trying to figure out a balance of designing, making, marketing, and getting my work out there – which is tough for an introvert like myself. 

In addition to my handmade business, I’m also a yoga teacher. This is a great compliment to working alone because it gets me out into groups of people and having to be more verbal as opposed to visual. On an energetic level, yoga is fantastic because my slow meditative practice can really help clear the mind and allow for creativity to arise. Physically, it’s invaluable because I spend a lot of time bending over a table or sitting at a computer, which leads to all sorts of tightness. 

Describe your studio for us.
I hand-print all my shirts here in my home studio on a lively corner in Inman Square above a sandwich shop and next to an ice cream store. I feel so lucky to have this space to work -- it’s spacious and filled with light. In the summer, when the windows are open you get a lot of street noise, but I’m used to it, and actually like the atmosphere. Our neighbors upstairs have a bubble machine and on weekends I usually see some floating by atop the kids on the sidewalk chowing down on their ice cream cones. 

Explain how your affinity for collage and cut paper feature into your collection of t shirts?
I began to print on shirts using stencils as an extension of hand-cutting painted paper for my collages. I wanted to explore printing, but felt overwhelmed by the silkscreening process. Aside from a couple art classes in university, I’ve always been self-taught (both my mom and brother are artists, so the impetus is natural), and I figured out a nice and simple way to print by cutting stencils and applying them directly to silkscreens. I enjoy the cutting aspect, even though it’s slow and limiting in terms of the types of designs you can make. Very recently, I’ve been exploring more traditional methods of silkscreening because I’m realizing the long-term challenges of my methods, one of which is physical -- elbow tendonitis. Boo…

How has traveling through Asia inspired your work?
I’ve always traveled, and South Asia has been a most inspiring place for me. Places like India and Nepal are so culturally rich and visually vibrant. I spent time in cities, but my favorite time was spent up in the mountains. So you’d see the beauty of the natural landscape, the resident animals, then stumble upon a technicolor, ornate temple or shrine. It’s a circus of color everywhere – people’s clothing, trucks, hand-painted signs. There’s a palpable magic in the atmosphere that is rooted in the permeating spirituality.  Spontaneously wandering in such different environments than you’re used to can cause the mind and imagination to open up and manifest in all sorts of ways. 

What advice do you have for artists hoping to take their work from hobby to business?
I’ve been transitioning myself into a business mindset, so if anyone has any advice, I’m all ears! From my limited experience so far, I would say that being optimistic is essential. It’s so easy to become discouraged and fearful that people won’t like your stuff and that things won’t work out. You just have to keep on truckin’ and believe in what you do. 

What does handmade mean to you?
A handmade object has personality, and is an extension of the person who made it. I strive to make things the very best I can, but I’m not a machine – no two things will turn out the same. It’s not an excuse for sloppy work, but slight differences show the human touch. Not having the most professional equipment or a ton of money to spend on things can help to define one’s style, and over time styles will evolve and change. This I find really exciting. What ever will I be making in 5 year’s time?

 

How did you first become involved with Craftland?
I hear about Craftland through Elizabeth Brennick, who has sold work at the shop. We’re both part of Boston Handmade, a local artist, artisan, craft group here in town. I decided to apply for the holiday show, and most happily got in!

Guilty pleasure?
I’m strive to be a person of moderation, so feelings of guilt don’t really surface…but, if I could, I would eat at Oleana – a most divine neighborhood Mediterranean eatery – every day, or maybe every other day.

It is with great pleasure that I start back up my weekly artist interviews. I'm excited as I have lined up and incredible group of artists, and I can't wait to share them all with you. To kick things off, I interviewed Sarah Coyne from Egg-a-go-go. Her onesies sold like hot cakes this holiday season, so I was eager to get to her know a little better. Happy Friday, everyone!

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business.
Hello! I am Sarah Coyne and I am the artist/crafter behind Egg-A-Go-Go.  After receiving my illustration degree from MassArt in '03, I started selling hand-painted pillows and print gocco'ed stationery at craft fairs in Boston. Over the years I've switched to traditional screenprinting for most of my products. I make shirts and onesies, cards and postcards, and prints of my paintings.
Aside from all the art stuff, I work my part time day job for a Boston cancer research non-profit. I live with my boyfriend Curtis and our two cats Hanni and Mischa in Jamaica Plain, Boston. When I’m not drawing or printing, we watch the Wire and build Lego stuff and go for walks in the Arboretum.

Describe your studio for us.
Well, my studio does double duty - part time studio, full time kitchen. I do all of my screenprinting at a kitchen island that stores my printing and shipping supplies. My finished product resides in a closet upstairs - out of the reach of the helpful paws of the kitties.

What is the handmade scene like in Boston?
Boston, as well as Cambridge/Somerville, are super supportive of the crafty types! We have some pretty amazing events like Artbeat, SoWA, the Bazaar Bizarre, and the Mass Market. Shops like Magpie and galleries like Aviary are incredible resources for local artists. The open-studios in and around Boston are huge and very well attended - it almost seems like open studios are happening in a different neighborhood or town every month!

Tell us a little bit about your process of turning ideas into new products.
I don't do much prep-work before making something new. I usually run the idea past friends before letting it off the drawing table. There's always some sketching involved, color palette hemming and hawing, and then full-on production.

What was the inspiration behind your clever girl shirt?
In 2007 I made the joke that every crafty/clever lady I know has a dude (boyfriend, husband, business partner) with a beard and glasses. The phrasing is a play on the quote "Behind every great man there's a great woman" but gives a little credit to the beardy bespectacled fellows who support the ladies in their lives. I decided to put it on a card mostly as an inside joke for the community. Well, the trend expanded a lot further than I expected! Eventually folks started asking for shirts and I was more than happy to oblige. I've been selling cards, shirts and prints with this design for over 5 years now! My favorite story that a buyer of this design told me was that she bought the card for her very supportive dad. When he opened the card, he cried - and that made her cry! (I don't enjoy making people cry, generally, but this was touching.) Stories like that make this endeavor so rewarding.

What does handmade mean to you?
Handmade is anything designed or made with love by someone who really cares about what they're sharing with the world. 

How did you first become involved with Craftland?
I can't remember how I first heard about Craftland - probably from one of my other crafty buddies. My first time participating in Craftland was in 2006! I sent hand-painted pillows and some greeting cards down to Providence. That was way back when Craftland only happened once a year! It was my first time vending somewhere other than in and around Boston.

Guilty pleasure?
Eating too much chocolate, watching too many cat videos, buying too many books and art supplies... but I don't really feel all that guilty about any of those things.

Life is hard, readers. Do you find yourself despondent after the holidays? Are you suffering the doleful withdraws so familiar to those unaccustomed to finding their Christmas stocking conspicuously lacking in the departments of jewels, regalia, sparkles, twinkles, treats, and treasures? Fear not, darlings, for right under your nose lies a horizonless vista of the aforementioned delights, all hand made and infused with the special care that some would-be gift-giver failed to exude. While the season of giving passes, the time of "Because I'm worth it" reigns supreme. Though a dashing beau may come and go, Craftland remains to afford you every resplendent prize that you so deserve. Pamper yourself, readers! A tiny delight from our sorbet-hued displays is just the thing to shake a case of the Januaries. See you downcity!

 Thanks for helping to make the TENTH Annual Craftland Holiday Show one of the best ones yet. But we're not stopping, can't stop won't stop. Come on out to meet the makers tonight! And pick up something fantastic for your mom, or a mom-like person in your life.

Be sure to RSVP to our Meet The Artists event tonight, Thursday 12/15 from 5pm - 8pm. Snacks! Drinks! Artists! Artwork!Fun Timez USA! 

The TENTH Annual Craftland Holiday Show is in full-on swing and we are here to help you solve the dilemma: What to get your best friend!

And be sure to RSVP to the BUY ART reception which is tomorrow, Thursday 12/8 from 5pm - 8pm. Snacks! Drinks! Artists! Artwork! Southside Community Landtrust! Plus coupons for Small Point Cafe and Roots Cafe! Learn more about the BUY ART program here.