Interview with Erin McManness

Today I am really excited to get to share with you an artist that I discovered at one of the boutiques I sell at in Decatur, Georgia. Her name is Erin McManness and creates the most vivid and beautiful pieces of art.

I was instantly blown away by her use of colors and the stunning female forms she creates.

I hope you enjoy getting to know more about her as much as I did!

P.S....Click on any of the photos in this post to be taken to her etsy store!

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started.

I'm Erin, and I'm currently working towards my Masters degree in Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I like rock music and drink way too much coffee. I have been an artist all of my life, but I got started on my illustration career path almost 10 years ago, when I traded in my Musical Theatre Major for a Studio Art major. I was trained as an oil painter, but now make illustrations in a lot of different media.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?!

When I'm not working on art, I'm usually baking and trying new recipes out on my boyfriend and our friends. I make a mean Scottish Shortbread, and my personal favourite is my Lemon Zucchini Bread. If it's got vegetables in it, it can't be all bad, right? I am also currently searching for a furry friend to call my sidekick.

Where does your inspiration come from?

My commercial work tends to lean over to the fashion and editorial side of illustration. I am extremely interested in fantasy, psychological space, and surrealism. The figure is my favourite thing to draw, and I am constantly inspired by it.

What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade is extremely important to me. I used to create wedding jewelry, and really cherish the mark of the artist. The brides I worked with were always so thrilled to have a custom piece for their special day - and an heirloom for years to come. I am involved in a local co-op in Decatur, HomeGrown, where we sell only handmade art, and I shop exclusively online and in local stores and small businesses for gifts. It means so much to me when others value my work, and I've taken the pledge to never go to the mall at Christmas again! I want to give my support to people just like me.

How would you describe your creative process?

My creative process almost always involves coffee. I currently have a great worktable in my sunny studio, where I like to jam out and focus on a number of different projects. As a freelancer, I often have multiple projects at once, and often find it helpful that I can keep my mind and eyes fresh by working on all types of work - from an illustrated fashion book, to apparel designs, to a 10 foot banner for a gaming convention. I love the variety!

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

My boyfriend is also an illustrator and screen-printer, and he always makes me little drawings. I don't think he realizes just how much I love them! I keep them all around my apartment, and tack them to my inspiration board and refrigerator.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

When I'm in a creative rut, I always go back to this quote, "Winners just get shit done." Especially in graduate school, it's difficult to sort yourself out of a creative rut - you're not really allowed to have them at SCAD! While it's really intense work, I am grateful for the hustle-attitude. If I really need a break, I'll go out and grab a smoothie and listen to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack really loudly in my headphones, have a zen moment, and then get back to it. I try to push myself in times of creative exhaust - sometimes you get your best ideas when you think you're out of ideas!

Where do you see yourself and your business in a few years?

I have been feeling a sense of anticipation for the past year that my business is about to reach the end of its latest plateau and begin climbing up to the next level again. My goal for the New Year is to start it off with an agent and take my freelance up to the next level. In the next few years I'd like to be working on large-scale commercial illustrations and continue my financial stability of paying my bills with my art work!

What is the best and worst thing about being an artisan?

The best thing is seeing someone wearing your work on the street, or seeing your work in print. Yesterday I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a lady wearing one of my necklaces. I wasn't able to catch her to say hello, but that warm fuzzy feeling stayed with me the whole day. Second best is the schedule and freedom. I have almost complete flexibility in my schedule and get to tackle projects that really excite and inspire me! But on the flip side, working for yourself - and working as a creative - often means putting in a ton of hours (and not always getting paid for them). Most weeks I work 60-70 hours and barely leave my desk. I find, though, that coffee with friends or taking a jog will refresh my eyes and my mind, though!

What advice would you give to other artisans trying to sell their wares?

My professor has a saying, "Go as fast as you can for as long as you can while the fire is hot." To be successful artist is to adopt a lifestyle, and the lifestyle is going to require a lot of time, energy, and personal investment. The lucky thing though, is that if you truly love what you do, these things come as a natural inclination to grow.

What is the most popular item you sell?

Since we're in Atlanta, my most popular print is Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead. This past Spring I had sent his agency 2 prints as a thank you for the inspiration the show has given me -- I was shocked to have them sent back to me signed by Andrew Lincoln himself! One says "Big Zombie Love" and the other says "Best Wishes from the Zombie Apocalypse". It was the coolest thing EVER.

What are your top five books, movies, musicians and websites?

Favourite Books are the Game of Thrones series. I am a huge fan!

My favourite movies are all "guy" movies: Braveheart, Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones... I also love watching old black and white samurai movies with my boyfriend. And I have a big soft spot for Miyazaki (doesn't every illustrator?)

As for music, my favourites include Dave Matthews Band and The Black Keys. I was a Musical Theatre major, so I also love operas and shows like Les Miserables, RENT, Phantom of the Opera, etc.

Where can we find you online and off?

Website: http://erinmcmanness.com/

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiribirdIllustrates

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinmcmannessillustration

Instagram: http://instagram.com/miribirdillustrates

Offline, my work can be found at Homegrown Boutique in Decatur, and very soon at HodgePodge Coffeeshop and Gallery in East Atlanta.

Thank you so much Erin for taking the time to let us get to know you better! Please be sure to check her out online or stop by Homegrown Boutique if you are in Atlanta!

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

Handmade 365

At the beginning of October, I read about a project started by The Tales of Ted and Agnes blog.

To put it simply, the idea is to wear a handmade item everyday for a year and take a photo of it. It can be a scarf knit by your grandmother, a dress made by your extra crafty friend or a little piece of shine you created for yourself.

I figured that since I spend all day every day making handmade stuff....this project has got to be a piece of cake, right?! Right?

Well...taking a photo of myself wearing a pair of my handmade jewels has been a little bit less consistant than I hoped for, but they say that it takes 3 months to build a habit so hopefully I will be able to get this down soon. I have really enjoyed wearing a new item everyday though that I made. It has made me wear a variety of items, not just my old standbys (even though I create mounds of jewelry, I still wear the same five things over and over and over again).

I've been at it for about a week now and have seven days of photos to share with you. I thought each week I would do a recap on the blog, but be sure to check out my instagram or facebook page if you want to see the photos each day.

/Day 1\

Rose gold Swarovski crystals with 14K rose gold filled earwires. Super sparkly and don't you just love the rose gold trend right now? Not available yet in my etsy store, but by the end of the week they will be all photographed and in stock.

/Day 2\

Vintage czech glass jewels with vintage gold plated hammered drops. These are deceptively light and I have them available in a few colors and wear them so often. These are one of my new favorites in my current rotation. Available in my etsy store here.

/Day 3\

One of the first pair of earrings I ever made for myself and my absolute favorite. These have light blue Peruvian opals which have been wire-wrapped in 14K gold and hang from thin, light earwires. These are the only ones available and they are all mine!

/Day 4\

I made these just last week while playing around with some splashes of color. These are vintage brass dangles which have been hand painted with coral on top and fuchsia on the bottom. The ear wires are antiqued brass, so it has the mixed metal and color block trend going on. Available in my etsy store here.

/Day 5\

Sometimes it is best to keep these simple. This is one of those necklaces. Simple, sweet and perfect for everyday wear. A bright sparrow and 14K gold. Available in my etsy store here.

/Day 6\

  

I liked this necklace so much that I wore it two days in a row, messing up my goal of wearing a different item for each day of this project. That is how much I like it. The lotus flower is stamped into the sterling silver and the contrast with the oxidized metal and bright sterling really highlights the design. The chain and pendant are both sterling silver. Available in my etsy store here. 

/Day 7\

 I am really loving gold lately. I never really liked gold jewelry growing up and never thought that I would wear gold. Now....it is what I wear 90% of the time. I love the warmth of the color, I love how it looks on my skin and it really goes well with colors. These earrings have vintage lucite beads in a coral hue with the same gold plated hammered pendants that I wore a few days earlier. I am a creature of habit, what can I say? Available in my etsy store here.

So that about wraps up my first week into the project. I am really loving this idea and am going to try my hardest to stick to it. I think that it will help me grow as a jeweler as well as I get to create fun new pieces more often.

Have a great night everyone!

PS....I am having a 20% off everything sale in my etsy store, so all the pieces above aren't priced any higher than $20.80. Woohoo!

~ With Love, Ashlee ~ 

Five Things

{five things I have a passion for}
1. My husband. He is the central thing in my life and I always want to show him how much he means to me.
2. Learning about history. I really love listening to podcasts and reading books to get a broader knowledge on all the random things that have occurred throughout time.
3. Teaching. Perhaps it's because I'm bossy but I love showing people what to do.
4. My puppy dog. Duh.

5. Yarn. Knitting. Anything involving yarn or knitting. 

{five things I'd like to do before I die}
1. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro has been on my bucket list since I watched an IMAX movie about it in the 10th grade.
2. Buy/own/wear a pair of leather pants that look really amazing on (a teensy bit shallow but gosh darn it...I want it).
3. Make babies!!
4. Backpack through Europe and doing all the stereotypical touristy things like pretending to hold up the leaning tower of Pisa and being sung to in a boat by an Italian man in a striped shirt.   
5. I want to run the Easter Island marathon.

{five books or magazines I've read lately}
1. Winger by Andrew Smith
2. The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
3. The Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver
4. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
5. The Fault In Our Stars by John Greene

{five favorite movies}
1. Donnie Darko
2. Grease
3. Life Is Beautiful
4. Steel Magnolias
5. Charlie Bartlett

{five places I'd love to travel to}
1. India is my number one destination right now. 
2. Masaii Mara Wildlife Reserve in Kenya
3. All over Italy
4. Costa Rica
5. I really want to take my husband all along the west coast to where my family is from. He has never seen the redwoods or the beauty of Oregon and Washington.

{five things I say alot}
1. 'I do what I want.' This is usually given as a sassy explanation to my husband about why I didn't do a chore or task like I said I would earlier.
2. 'Who do you think we are? The Rockefellers?' This is something that I picked up from my mom and once again, is said in a sassy voice whenever we talk about finances.
3. I sigh a lot. Loudly and probably at inappropriate times. It's just a form of stress relief but it's kind of a ridiculous habit.
4. 'Who's got a big stick?' No weirdo...I don't say this to my husband but rather my puppy dog whenever he finds a stick in the backyard to play with.
5. 'I can't hear you.' My husband seems to always want to talk whenever I am brushing my teeth, doing dishes, washing my face, etc. I have my head near running water and he decides to talk to me about something from the other room. It happens without fail.

{five blogs I love} 
1. The Other Juliette. Such a funny and witty lady. If I could pick any blogger who I would be BFF's with, it would be with this gal (said in a completely normal and non-stalkerish sort of way).
2. It's Kayla Layla. So this lady has only been blogging for like a month, maybe two but she is already one of the sassiest, funniest ladies around.
3. Kisses and Croissants. If you have ever had the dream of going abroad, falling in love with a frenchman, marrying said frenchman and then moving to France permanently - read this blog. This girl did it and writes about being an American in France and all the fun things that come with marrying someone from a different culture/background/language.
4. Nat the Fat Rat (now Hey Natalie Jean). She is a blogging goddess and made the cutest baby in the world. I love me some Huck!
5. Hubby Jack's Blog Attack! The only male blogger that I read and the only one I will ever need. Think of Jim from the Office, and a little bit more attitude and you have Jack.

Find me on instagram, facebook, pinterest and twitter. Because I am cool like that.

 

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

Currently...

Reading - This past weekend while camping I read two really enjoyable books. The first was this month's book for my 'Not So Young Adult' book club at a local bookstore. It was called 'The Shadow of Blackbirds' by Cat Winters and was a historical fiction/young adult/paranormal/mystery book all about the year 1918 with WWI and the Spanish Flu pandemic that swept through the US that year. It was also a ghost love story and I do love myself some ghosts. 

The second book I read was called 'Winger' by Andrew Smith and I didn't know a thing about it when I started reading it. Didn't even read the blurb on the back or anything. Just liked the cover and went with it. It started out as an endearing and hilarious book and ended up being probably in my top 5 books of all time. I don't want to say anything about it really because I really think it is just better to go into it blind. You just need to know that it is a young adult fiction novel and from the perspective of a charming 14 year old boy. I have already told my husband that he has to read it during his winter break this school year.

Watching - I may be the only person in America still watching this show, but every week I watch 'Siberia' and hope that it either a) explains itself or b) redeems itself. I am so confused at what the heck is going on, mad at it for not divulging more plot, and disappointed in the writing....but yet I keep watching it each week to my husband's chagrin.

Eating - We got a little bit lazy in the cooking department these past two weeks with me being sick, going camping and then coming home to an empty fridge. As a result, we went out a bit and many of my favorite foods were eaten such as Chipotle, take-n-bake pizza, biscuits and gravy, ice cream, more pizza, Moe's burritos, fried green tomatoes, and more pizza. It's been a delicious two weeks for my belly but a bit sad to my saddlebags.

Working On - Our home has been a complete mess the past two weeks. This is one of the first years that we have lived in the same place two years in a row, so I am trying to do a deep clean of the place and doing all the sort of crazy cleaning you do when you are trying to get back your security deposit. But I am moving slow thanks to my business doing well and not so thanks to being sick. So this Saturday, my partner in crime has agreed to help me clean the ceiling fan blades, bleach our windowsills and take a toothbrush to our grout so we can finally get this place settled again.

Thinking About - One of my favorite memories from camping this weekend was bouncing around ideas and brainstorming with my husband about the book that I want to write. You guys have no idea how many good ideas John has. I swear, this book is going to be all of his ideas and my voice behind them. I now have pages of notebook paper with details on what I want this book to be about and where I want it to go. I still have a ton of gaps and content that needs to be filled, but I finally feel like I have enough of a concrete idea that I can actually put pen to paper.

Listening To - I don't know when it happened and I fully blame living in the South, but guys....I like country music. I can't believe it myself, but Luke Bryan has stolen my country heart.

 

Mantra - I read this quote in a magazine over the weekend and I have seen it three other times since then. I feel like the universe is really trying to pound it in my head.

via etsy

Am I alone in watching Siberia and do you have any good book suggestions? I need some new ones!

~ With Love, Ashlee ~

Oh hey there...

Oh hello. 

After having a cold that knocked me off my feet for a week and then taking a long weekend to go camping, I haven't been around these parts much lately.

But after spending the weekend going 'balls to the wall' and eating a bag of non-vegan marshmallows and my body weight in guacamole, I am back with a vengeance (and a tummy ache).

Sidenote: I ran 17 miles today and my body H.A.T.E.S. me right now. Feeding my body crap for a week and a half and then pushing it to it's breaking point with running makes for a sad Ashlee and sad tummy.

But back to more awesome things. Like camping with an adorable puppy and handsome husband.

If you don't remember, I recently wrote about my last camping experience here and our encounter with a bear. Needless to say, I was beyond terrified to go camping again but decided to suck it up and went back into the woods armed with a bear bell and bear mace (which I bought off of a stranger I met online and had to go to a local gas station to get the goods/exchange money. Isn't the internet so weird?).

Other sidenote: I am pretty sure my punctuation on that last sentence with the parenthesis was way off and I am sorry if that bothered you or you judged me for it. I get confused and flustered with commas and parenthesis. I have been told by many of teachers that I am too comma happy.

So besides having bear mace in hand and better flashlights than before (so I could peer into the woods every minute after it got dark), I still was unbelievably stressed out the first night. My anxiety level was at an all-time high and I honestly didn't fall asleep until the sun began to rise in the early am. From 8pm to 6am, I was convinced that a bear was sneaking up on me to maul me to death (or steal my marshmallows). Each night got a little bit better but I never did sleep through the night and had terrible nightmares when I did finally pass out. 

Wait...wasn't I supposed to be talking about awesome things, not how much of a freak I am now about bears? 

So on to the cool things...

/My husband made me some of his amazing guacamole to eat for lunch/dinner one day. I was in an avocado lover's heaven\

/We stayed at a campground called Cooper's Creek and it definitely lived up to its hype for our black lab Cooper. PS...we may or may not have been swayed on staying there because of the name.\

 You can see the creek in the background on the right hand side of the photo. 

/Cooper is a very good and appreciative camper.\

 

/Our camping trips consist mostly of reading, drinking, playing games and letting our inner pyros out.\

/On Monday, we hiked up a little bit of the Appalachian Trail which was a first for me and it was so incredibly beautiful. I have to remember that not all the pretty mountains are in Colorado. Although most are. Also, I get to cross this off of my 52 in 2013 list.\

 

/Guys....fall's coming. And isn't nature so cool.\

 

I hope you guys had a great labor day weekend and are pretty much recovered from whatever mischief you found yourself in. 

 

 

Linking up with Sami for some Shenanigans. 

PS....I'm embarassared to say how many shots it took to get this pic and now looking at it....I don't look all strong and awesome, just awkward and constipated. 

 

~ With Love, Ashlee ~