Member Spotlight - Nancy Slaby

How did you find Paper Traders?

Yahoo has a group search function, and I searched for “mixed media”.  If I find that I am not participating as a member of one group I will search for another option.  I am currently involved in three groups, one specifically for cards, one for ATC’s and Paper Traders.  I enjoy them all, the members are helpful, and the swaps are interesting and fun.

How long have you been a member?

I have been with Paper Traders March, 2011

Where do you live?

My home is in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Two Rivers is a city of 13,000 located north of Milwaukee right on the Lake Michigan shoreline.

How have your surroundings affected your art?

Having the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter affects my art.  I love the changes of the seasons, and love working with the coloring changes, in conjunction with the season colors.  Autumn gold’s, reds, rich dark oranges and deep greens, are probably my favorites.  But when spring rolls around, I change direction and find a new love of pastels, subtle colors, and glitzy Easter colors.  Winter brings out my cool blues, stark whites, purples, which is a welcome contrast to the colors of Christmas.  Summer brings yellows, orange, bright blues and greens.  What is not to love about the changes of the seasons?

Please share a little about your own art experience.

As much as I wish I would have had formal art training, my career has been working with technology and numbers.  My father was an avid crafter, and my mother was in the background working on various hand embroidery projects.  I suspect I got my love of art from these beginnings.  Over the years, I have always been creative, working in quilting, sewing, ceramics, embroidery, and other projects.  My paper art background started when a friend invited me to a Stamping Up party about 15 years ago, maybe even 20 years ago now.  I do remember her telling me on the way to the party….”be careful, this is an addiction”.  How correct she was!

One of the most valuable sources of my humble art background was an online eight week collage course.  The class included collage design but also was an overview of design elements and principals.  I cannot say how this directly helped my art; I just know that it did.  My collage skills improved and after that class I was not afraid to experiment and the items that I was not happy with, shrank to be just a few.   Unfortunately this class is no longer taught and the instructor has moved on, as I would love to revisit the experience.

Do you have a blog or photo site?

No, I do not have a blog or photo site.  My group work is usually posted in the group photo albums.  I do however scan and store photo files of all my work.  Several years ago I purchased a high resolution scanner.  The scanning of art, and working with Photoshop, keeps me busy.  I confess that I have tried about three times to start a blog, but have always failed to commit to keeping it up to date.  So I opt to keep my photos mostly unpublished.

What are some of your favorite techniques or genres?

This is a tough question as my techniques change.  I love to try new things or create new things.  One of my favorite “tools” is a set of metallic rubs.  I use them quite a bit for backgrounds, highlighting, framing, etc.  I love to alter just anything, and often buy the insides of things just to have the “outsides”.  I think most of us are guilty of this. I have a vast stack of used books and magazines either purchased at second hand book stores or the Goodwill stores I love to work with the images in the books, or use the papers for backgrounds.  My matte medium and acrylic colors are two of my must haves, as well as a variety of sanding blocks.

What inspires you?

I may have covered this in the question about my surroundings and location, having the four defined seasons and the colors that work with the seasons.  I am also inspired by the Yahoo groups and what other artists have successfully tried.  I appreciate the artists that share their experiences, always a plus trait of the members of a Yahoo group.

Who are some famous artists whose work you admire and what especially appeals to you about this?

My favorite pastime is visiting museums on the Internet.  I do not really have a favorite artist, but I use my computer to “see” and research works of art.  Does anyone realize the value of this medium?  To be able to find paintings, sculptures, old master collections, at a click of the mouse is a treasure.  I have “been” to the Louvre and have “seen” the Mona Lisa, I have been to Milan and have “visited” the Last Supper by Da vinci.   The Smithsonian is another of my favorites.  Some sites now offer high resolution options and you can actually zoom and see brush strokes.  This does not make me an expert in art, but it gives me satisfaction to be able to look at works, as I know I will never physically be able to visit these places.

Describe your work area... Do you have your own studio or craft room?

My work room is in our home lower floor.  During the winter I move my supplies to the upstairs living room to be comfortable and warm.  I have a very nice work area, with lots of room, and organized and structured.  I get very I get frustrated when things are out of place and I cannot put my finger on just that one thing.  I enjoy working with my array of tools and substrates, coloring tools, and images, embellishments and items to alter.  There are many things that are fun while doing artwork, but most of all I enjoy the peace and quiet and especially the satisfaction of completing a piece that I enjoy, and will be enjoyed.

What tips or tricks have you found to help carve out a niche for your supplies and art?

Doing artwork is not fun if you have to look for something when you are trying to create.  I have many favorite tools, too numerous to mention.  Try to stay organized.  Even if it means setting aside a half an hour to clean up and put away.  I have a favorite matte medium and that is and has always been Plaid Royal Coat finish.  (No I do not own stock in the company,J)  I do have a handy tip that I stumbled upon several years ago.  We always receive some thick mail order catalogs.  I use these as a work surface.  When a page is dirty or sticky, rip the one page and discard, a fresh page is instantly available. 

Please share a little about your family and pets.

My home family consists of my husband and two sweet dogs, Chance and Lucky.  They are our babies, and I fear the time when we will have to get along without them.  We have been married since 1965, and my hubby puts up with my hobbies, and I do the same for him.  We do not share the same hobby types so as “Martha” would say, “It’s a Good Thing” that we can pretend interest with each other’s passions and give the other the room to be free to enjoy each hobby.  We have three adult sons, and three wonderful daughters-in-law.  Each family has given us two grandchildren, six total, four girls and two young men.  The oldest girl is 21, and the youngest boy is in 7^th grade.

If you'd like, please share a little about your childhood, where you grew up, and when your creativity began.

My creativity comes from my father.  I think I shared that earlier.  I grew up in a small, very small town. The population of the town was 177 and I lived there until I was 18.  I had eight brothers and sisters, and because there were so many, we were always responsible for our own free time.  We created things to do, be it games, explorations, or working with art. I consider myself fortunate to have grown in this environment and my sisters and brothers are pure treasures. We were all fortunate to grow together in love with creative and fun days.

Do you have any other hobbies or interests?

My second favorite hobby is reading.  I love to read books, and am currently making my way through interesting classics.  My favorite book is East of Eden, by Steinbeck, but I also loved, The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I also have many favorite books of my time, too numerous to mention.

A final thought

Thank you to the Paper Traders group for the honor of being chosen as Artist of the Month for Nov/2011.  There are such wonderful artists in this group; I am privileged to be considered a member.