I am excited to share my Artist Crush this month. Linda Ledbetter is someone I have stalked followed for years. Not only is she a super talented artist, I have adored her wit and charm that oozes from her posts. I had the privilege of meeting her in person last month at the CHA Mega Show in Anaheim. She is even more charming and sweet in person and I'm even more thrilled to now be able to call her a personal friend as well. I look forward to getting to know Linda even better and this interview was a perfect intro.
Make sure you also follow Linda at her website Studio L3. And don't miss a chance to fall in love with Baby Violet, her adorable pig baby!
How would you describe yourself or your art?
Oh, my gosh, it's all over the place, so I guess "mixed media " is the most appropriate term.
Are you a full time artist? If not, what is your 'other' profession?
By day, I'm a mild-mannered (ha!) barista at our local food Co-op.
What is your favorite medium?
Really, whichever one I happen to be transfixed by at the given moment. Recently, it's been largely about photography for me, and I'm taking lots of online classes on post-processing and layering. I love the idea of fancy-ing up my photos with other crafting mediums like ink and paint.
Is there a medium you desire to learn more about?
Watercolor! I just adore it, and I don't understand how to do it at all.
What inspires your art?
Color inspires me. I love color, mixing it, layering it, learning how one tone interacts with another. Light inspires me A LOT. I think that's a function of being a photographer- you're always looking for that perfect play of light. And, fuzzy, furry, winged and finned creatures inspire me. I'm an animal lover, and any time I can work one into a piece of art, it feels more complete.
Do you have professional training as an artist or self taught?
No professional training per se, but I've had the great fortune to learn from quite a few amazing artists via workshops and online classes. The internet has revolutionized life for artist wannabes like myself!
Do you sell your work?
Not yet, but...
Do you exhibit your work outside of your website or blog?
To be honest, I've never sought out opportunities to show my work outside my own website. I did participate in an employee exhibit through my job, where I showed some of my hummingbird photos. It was an easy way to dip my toe in the very shallow water of a cafe' gallery, but it felt like a big deal, nonetheless.
Tell me about your studio set-up:
My studio is the spare bedroom on the second floor of our little townhouse. I share it with Violet, our potbelly pig, whose pen takes up a large portion of the available floor space. The room is always kind of chaotic and messy, but somehow it manages to work. One of the best investment I ever made was an Original Scrapbox. It's a massive six-foot tall cabinet that holds most of my supplies, and closes up to hide the pandemonium inside when I need to look like I'm a tidy person.
What is the one thing in your art arsenal that you can't do without?
Coffee. Oh, you mean art supply, don't you? My camera, for sure.
Please explain your creative process:
Because I'm not a professional and don't rely on my art to pay the mortgage, I have the luxury of following whatever whim strikes on any given day. I tend to be a dabbler, the result of having too many interests rattling around in my brain. If I see a cool product or technique, I can't help but give it a try. Apparently, I'm highly suggestible! This means I usually have several projects happening concurrently, and I bounce back and forth between them, tweaking things on each as I go.
Expand on the concept of how you are Living the Art Life™:
I think one of the loveliest consequences of being a visual artist is the tendency to look at the world more closely, to see details and textures you might otherwise overlook.
What is your greatest joy in your art life?
This one's easy. It's the connection I make with like-minded people. Some of my dearest friends- most, in fact- are people I've met with via this industry.
What is your greatest struggle in your art life?
Narrowing it all down. There are SO MANY things I want to do, to experiment with, to learn, that the sheer volume of it all can overwhelm me.
What other things would you like to share with our readers about Living The Art Life™:
I'm certainly not an authority on the subject, but one thing I really recommend doing is creating an Inspiration Log. It can be a journal, a private (or not) Pinterest board, a photo album on your smart phone, a corkboard on your wall. When you see something that sparks your creative urge, snap a photo and place it there. Look for colors that grab you, textures, shapes... anything at all. I find vintage magazines from the late 50s/early 60s to be particularly fertile ground for my imagination these days, for whatever reason. Don't overthink it or talk yourself out of what you love. If you're drawn to soft pastels while all your favorite artists are using earth tones, you're NOT doing it wrong! Be you. Always.
Thank you, Linda!
I learned so much more about Linda and loved getting to know her. Linda has also started a new blog called Creative Carte Blanche ( www.creativecarteblanche.com) which launches this Friday, February 5 , at Central Time. The tagline is "Discover and embrace your own artistic style," and that's really what we're all about: Encouraging crafters to try new things and figure out which techniques, color palettes, mediums and themes bring them the most joy, regardless of what might currently be "in style."
Linda says, "This new blog is a collaboration with some of her dearest friends, who also happen to be among the most talented craft artists I know, and we're taking these creative adventures along with our readers. We're really excited about it, and we're kicking it off with a video from CHA!" I hear that video includes an interview they did with me, so go check it out at Creative Carte Blanche.
Leave me a comment below and let me know who else might you want to learn more about? Who is your Artist Crush?