Today I'm very happy to introduce you to a lady with many talents. I met her on deviantArt and have since then looked forward to each of her new pieces.
Say hello to Nora from Borealis Art and Axis Photography 1 ... and to one of my favorite paintings of hers "Bewitching".
Tell us a little about who you are
and where you come from?
I'm from everywhere! I grew up all
over the world. I was exposed to so many cultures, beliefs and
countries growing up that I never really felt like I belonged in a
certain place. I was born in the US, but have since decided to settle
(finally!) in Canada.
What's your craft/art and how did
you get to do it in the first place?
First and foremost, I'm a
watercolour artist and utilize pointillism for effect. I've been
drawing and painting since I could hold a pencil and have the photos to
prove it! LOL There's never been a day in my life that I didn't want
to be an artist. As a child, I had other things I considered -- but
they were to be "along side" my art.
I think this is one of the most
asked questions – where does your inspiration come from?
Our
primary home address when I was growing up was Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I
was heavily inspired by the colourful geometric shapes and patterns in
Middle Eastern art and the henna patterns of the Bedouin people and East
Indians.
Tell us a fun thing about yourself.
I'm
a mother of three brilliant, beautiful children (two boys and one girl)
and I'm obsessed with my three chihuahuas (one boy and two girls)!
Do you do other crafts, if yes,
what?
I'm also a photographer, jewellery designer and make custom dolls.
The photography kind of went along with being raised
internationally. Every country we visited or lived in was a whole new
chance to whip out a camera and start taking photos. When I was very
young, my father purchased a top of the line Canon and as I got older, I
was allowed to photograph alongside my parents. The first time I was
given free reign to photograph whatever I wanted was on a safari in
Kenya. My first photograph was a wee bit morbid, but still interesting
to this day. Our safari "bus" passed by an elephant skull and I hung my
head out the window and snapped a photo. I still have the photo.
The
jewellery was originally an idea to help deal with my OCD. I thought
that the repetitive nature of stringing seed beads would help -- and
while it did, I was really excited by the jewellery I created and kept
going with it. I'm actually looking into trying a new style, soutache!
The
dolls began because for years in the US I made very simple "teddy
bears" to donate to the local hospital for when children come in. I
decided to make one just for fun here in Canada and my husband asked me,
"Why don't you do something more involved?" From there, I created my
own pattern and started making dolls depicting faeries, gypsies, witches, pixies,
fauns, etc.
Which one of your pieces is your
absolute favorite? Which one was the hardest to make and why?
You
know, this is a hard question because my absolute favourites change
often. With each new piece, I learn something new and get better at
reaching a goal I have set for myself. Currently my favourite piece was
also my most challenging piece, "October". I put thirty-two hours of
pointillism into the piece and then it still took another four+ hours to
paint it. I am extremely fond of that piece. Of course, I'm also
extremely fond of another recent piece, "I Remember".
Is there someone whom you admire
and who inspires you?
I find myself inspired on a daily basis by
so many artists it's tough to name them all! I do happen to be
completely in love with the Pre-Raphaelite work of John William Waterhouse.
If you had free choice of just one
supply you can use for your craft/art, what would you be dreaming
of, no matter how expensive?
I REALLY want a Cintiq tablet. I'd
like to give digital art a shot -- but I have a regular tablet and I
can't connect what I am doing on the tablet with what is happening on
the screen. My brain just can't seem to make the connection. On a
Cintiq tablet, you draw on the tablet and you can see what you are
drawing on the tablet. It's just like drawing on digital paper! I
think it would be extremely cool to have every colour imaginable
available to me with just the tap of a pen. Being able to erase without
fearing damaging the paper... Never having to drive an hour and a half
for paint or a new watercolour block! It would be like having a
never-ending supply of artist tools!
Do you sell online, if yes, where
can we find you?
Is there anything you feel you
need or want to tell the world outside now?
Get out there and create! ❤
