What
is your
business called?
It is called Otulina.
Here is our business card:
My friend, a poet, came up with it. We called it "Otulina", which is a bit similar to the Welsh word "cwtch" - the Polish words that it's derived from have very nice connotations - "tulić" means to cuddle, and "otulić" means to tuck somebody in, to cover them with something warm. "Otulina" also means "insulation" or "an area of forest protecting a natural reserve".
Where
are you
based?
I am based in Abertillery, Gwent.
What
is your craft?
Felt-making.
Where
do you
craft?
I craft in
a very
messy non-photogenic
room.
How long have you been crafting?
Since November last year.
What
other crafts/skill do you have?
Some knitting skills- I like making oversize scarves, like the one in the photo above. I also like analogue photography.
Have
you got
any special
qualifications or
are you
self- taught?
I have been taught by a self taught friend :-)
What
inspires you?
Nature,
photographs and
films, any
colours that
I see
around me
in a
given moment.
Here’s
an example
of a
pouch I
made watching
a Pedro
Almodovar film:
Do
you ever
get “artist
block”?
Every week!
What
do you
do to
get out
of an
“artist block”?
Ignore it.
What
keeps you
going?
A
mixture of
boredom, wish
to express
myself and
curiosity.
What
others artists
inspire you?
My friend
Helena, any
felt-maker I
can spot
and some
painters and
photographers as
well. I’d
love to
recreate a
Joan Miro
painting in
felt one
day.
Do
you listen
to music
while you
work?
Sometimes.
I often
watch films.
What
music do
you listen
to?
Depends
on my
mood, mostly
folk and
rock.
Where do
you sell/exhibit?
I've recently started going to local craft fairs, here is a photo from my stall at Ty Ebbw Fach in Six Bells:
I exhibit
on my
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/otulinadesign
that I
share with
my friend
Helena, who
taught me
how to
felt. She
also makes
some amazing
hand-beaded jewellery.
I’ve
just set
up my
Etsy page
as well:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/otulina
What gets
your creative
juices going?
Nature:
A shawl whose design I based on photos from the Hubble Space Telescope:
What
do you do if something you make doesn't turn out how you envisaged
it?
Either take it apart and start again or leave it on the side for a while and wait for better ideas.
Do
you do this full-time, part-time or just as an hobby?
Do
you recycle?
I do,
and try
to get
recycled materials
from others.
Do
you use
materials made
by other
artists?
Yes, I
recently got
some great
threads from
a fellow
felt-maker Christina
and used
them in
a glasses
case:
Does
the Welsh
landscape/Culture inspire
you?
I'd like to make a shawl based on some views from South Wales.
What
is your
favourite colour?
Almost impossible
to tell
– maybe blue?
Does
it feature
a lot
in your
work?
Hmm,
not really...
I love
mixing lots
of colours.
Do
you have
a favourite
subject?
I
like abstract
subjects the
most.
Do
you have
any pets?
I’d
love to
have one
but unfortunately
I don’t.
Where
have your
items been
sold to?
I have sold to private
people at
craft fairs.
What
is the
most unusual/furthest
place your
items have
gone? Nothing
unusual so
far – but
I helped
get my
friend’s
shawl from
Poland through
Italy to
New Zealand.
I find it incredibly hard, I'm worried about overpricing, but on the other hand it costs me so much time and energy that I'd like my prices to be fair to me as well.
What
was the
first thing
you sold?
A black
and yellow
shawl with
a yellow
rose design:
Do
you remember
what it
felt like?
Great! I
was really
proud of
myself.
What
gets in
the way
of your
artistic endeavours?
Laziness and
everyday worries.
What
is your
favourite tool?
Wool.
Anyone
else in
your family
or a
close friend
who enjoys
crafting? My
mum used
to knit
a lot
and she’s
great at
sewing and
embroidery. My
grandmother used
to make
embroidered tablecloths.
Any
other links
you like
us to
look you
up?
A mention
on a
blog by
Julie Barnett
(it’s
an answer
to Julie’s
appeal to
crafters, so
not sure
it counts
;-)
http://julzcrafts.wordpress.com/
Show
us some
of your
work in
progress
A recently
made shawl
under construction
:-)
and here it is finished:
Anything
else you
want to
share?
A nuno-felted scarf on a piece of silk with an exotic flower pattern, inspired by the colours of Yellow Submarine :-)
A
photo from
a felting
workshop I
ran with
my Otulina
friend Helena
(she’s
the short-haired
person in
the middle,
I’m
the one
in a
yellow shawl
on the
right)
My
tags, designed by me and my boyfriend:
I love your work Zosia, particularly the shawl based on the Hubble telescope - it's truly out of this world :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Katy!
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