Watch me paint again.

Hey! I thought you might like to see another "watch me paint". This is my buddy Logan. 

Here's the final product.

 

Acrylics on paper. 

You like?

Pretty girls

We had a lot of fun yesterday in the building even though it was hot as an oven. Our good friend David Jennings painted us real pretty and took some beautiful photos. 

I'll post some soon, but for now here's a sneak peek.

We love you David, we've never felt more beautiful!

Artsy Monday.

I know it's Tuesday, but I could have put my hand on a stack of bibles and told you it wasn't...oops!

I am so excited to introduce y'all to Zawn Villines.

Other than having a totally rad name Zawn has a totally rad Etsy shop where she sells ridiculously beautiful clay and metal jewelry. I think her creations are PERFECT for any summertime outfit because the colors are so vibrant. 

Zawn was sweet enough to answer some questions and share some stories about her life, loves and craft.

 When did you know that you were an artist?

I'm not sure that even now I "know" I'm an artist. I've just never thought of things I do in those terms. If I had to pin down when the jewelry obsession started, though, I'd say David Koresh, the famed and insane cult leader started it.

No really, I'm serious. I was 9 when his compound killed themselves/were killed by the ATF (depending on who you want to believe), and I had this fabulous hippie nanny named Jill. We were listening to the news together and she told me that we should try to bring some creativity into the world to counteract the evil that was presently going on. So she taught me how to make things out of polymer clay. And from that moment, it was an obsession. I started making jewelry stands instead of lemonade stands. My 9-year-old self really believed that I could somehow counteract the bad in the world by making jewelry.

Where do you pull your inspiration form?

Both of my grandmothers went to incredible lengths to grow beautiful gardens. My dad's mom decorated her roof with inflatable snakes to keep birds from destroying her garden and got up at 6AM every day to tend to her various plants, flowers and fruit trees. My mom's mom, meanwhile, had this hilarious lifelong battle with the moles who lived in her garden. They dug up her yard and destroyed her plants. Every year the battle with the moles would escalate just a little bit more. She started by putting tobacco and chewing gum in their holes, which didn't work. By the time I was ten, she had escalated to full-on warfare. I distinctly recall her telling me of her plans to place a modified bomb in the mole holes.

 I always admired my grandmothers' commitment to creating a slice of heaven in their yards. Both of them had a huge impact on my life. Unfortunately, unlike the two of them, I am not a particularly talented gardener, and I just don't have the kind of commitment required to build a bomb or climb up on my roof at 5AM with rubber snakes. This, no doubt, has them both rolling over in their graves. However, I think that making flower jewelry is a tribute to them. I may not be able to competently grow flowers, but I can imitate them. I recently got engaged, and I've found that I want to make even more flowers. I think this is my way of feeling like they are still here with me and will be there for my wedding. My mom's mom told me before she died that she intended to be reincarnated as a butterfly. I think creating flowers that might attract butterflies is my way of making sure she's here for the important moments in my life.

What is the most difficult part about being an artist?

The art isn't hard. It's the business end that is challenging. With so much mass-produced stuff available, it's hard to get people to see the value of something that is lovingly handmade.

What is your favorite piece that you have created?

That's an easy one. I love this piece so much that I hope it never sells:

The reason is that, like so much of what I make, it's inspired by my grandmother. My dad's mom loved lilies and daffodils. The day before she died, I was over at her house helping her plant lilies. Now every spring when daffodils and lilies come up I think of her. I woke up one day with an overwhelming desire to make a bright, springy piece only to realize that I was doing so on the precise 10-year anniversary of her death. 

What piece of art would you most like to put up in your own home?

If I could find some way to completely cover my house in flowers, I absolutely would. I never get sick of them. My mom says that I was impossible to live with as a child because, no matter how much gardening she did, no matter how much girly art she had, I'd always demand that she find a way to incorporate more flowers. 

What are your goals for your art?

My only goals are to have fun making things and to give people things they will love. This is probably why I'm not a very competent businessperson.   

What is your favorite thing about Atlanta?

People complain about the heat here, but I love it. I get to wear sundresses nine months out of the year, and this makes my life substantially better. I can't imagine living somewhere where I had to cover up for most of the year.

What is your favorite drink at a coffee shop?

A well-made chai is my addiction of choice. I am probably chronically malnourished because I consume so many calories in the form of chai lattes. 

Thanks so much Zawn, We think you're awesome!!
I love rocking my coffeecup earrings :)

To buy some of Zawns sweet and super affordable jewelry click
HERE