Make-It Mondays: Studio Visit #9 A Different View

This week's studio visit is with a one of our newest members, Chrys Callan, of A Different View. Like romantic poets of yore, working by candle light in a dark attic, Chrys makes what could just be a small basement space into her creative center. What comes from that place is an eclectic mix of "artistic adornments and assorted oddities". Let this enthusiasm rub off on you!

Buenahelena: Where do you work/where is your studio?

A Different View: I am living the dream!! Breaking it down to brass-tacks, I work in a corner of a basement. I have one table and the top of a dryer. But my apartment is in the heart of the arts district, right near Village Gate so I think I just get infused with all that creative air; which
makes my "studio" in a word: PERFECT.

B: What is your medium or product?

ADV: It varies! I dabble... with mix media... but I tend to go through phases. Right now I am focused on jewelry and accessories that combine man-made with natural items. I love stained glass, but working on large pieces just did not hold my infinitesimal attention span. On a whim I tried to find a way to combine glass, with flowers and jewelry; and I just ran with it. I am always looking for a way to take my work to the next level or see what's the next direction I can run in!


B: What is the biggest challenge about your space and how have you worked through it?

ADV: Well... space for one. And my cats for two. When I am working in the basement the space is the bigger issue; so I have gotten really creative with 'improv shelving'. Laundry baskets. Stools. My dryer. Anything that can be a flat-surface ends up becoming one. I do my 'finishing work' (ie: jewelry assembly) upstairs, and that is when my lovely assistants come out of hiding to help. That, generally takes smoke-and-mirror distraction techniques. And catnip. Lots and lots of Catnip.

B: Describe a typical day at the studio.

ADV: Is there ever one? For me it's an exercise in entropy and inspiration. When I get an urge to create, or a burning idea that must be realized, I do it. When I get tired, finished, or the muse leaves me, I stop. That's how I roll.


B: What do you love the most about being a crafter/artist/etsy seller?
ADV: The fact that I only answer to me. Of course I take custom requests, but it's all for what I love to do. I have final say on what I create and sell. I have full creative authority. I make my own hours. So it's always and ever fun for me. It's not a job. It's a passion. And that is how I always want my art to be.

Thanks for sharing you space and process with us Chrys! You can visit Chrys's Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/aDifferentView . You can also track her newest creations, treasuries and events on her Facebook fanpage.