Spotlight on Queer Team member SB DESIGN

sbdesign interviewed by fauxsure

What sorts of things do you offer in your shop?
Jewelry, specializing in resin and fine silver designs.



How did you first start selling on etsy? How long have you been selling? Do you sell anywhere else?
I started selling on etsy in September, 2007. My jewelry habit had gone from a pastime to an obsession, so I either had to start selling my pieces or stop making them. Someone mentioned etsy at a jewelry class I was taking, and once I saw it I was hooked. I started posting items that day. I also sell my jewelry at art fairs and a couple boutiques in Minnesota.

Tell us a little about your typical creative process and how you go about making your work. What kinds of steps do you usually go through?
Generally speaking I just sit down and start creating. I get inspired by the things around me and what's going on that day, so I tend to create based on my mood. I sketch designs out all the time but rarely use them. I like to be spontaneous and let the materials dictate what I make.

What are your favorite materials to work with?
resin and Precious Metal Clay (PMC)
PMC is completely addictive. I come from a clay background and loved working with clay, so finding a material that acts like clay and becomes silver is truly amazing. I'm also getting into fused glass. I took a great class at the Bead and Button Conference in Milwaukee this past summer on plaid glass. It's such a unique look and the possibilities are endless! That's definitely something I want to play with more.



Are there other creative projects you are involved in outside of your work in your etsy shop?
I've recently started a blog, which I really enjoy - http://sbjewelrydesign.blogspot.com/. As far as creating things is concerned, I am always taking classes. I love to learn about anything every remotely related to jewelry. In the last 6 months I've taken classes in stained glass, soldering, glass fusing, and BronzClay. I'm a teacher by day so taking classes really motivates and intrigues me. It's also a great way to make connections with other artists.

Besides art/ crafty stuff, what else do you like doing in your free time?
I'm a librarian, so I love to read. I also love hanging out with my partner and our 2 dogs, walking by the Mississippi River, biking, watching movies, and traveling. I also write. I'm in the process of creating a children's book. I spend my days surrounded by kids and books, so writing my own stories seemed inevitable.



Does your queer identity come into play in your work?
Definitely! I had a booth at the Twin Cities Pride event last year and designed a whole rainbow jewelry line. I have a rainbow necklace that I wear all the time and I love, and I wanted to be able to make something like that for others. My goal was to create something that was fun and elegant at the same time, and that people could wear whether they were out or not. I think having these designs at my non-queer events helps me to connect with queer customers. One day I would like to put together a juried queer art show, to showcase the work of queer artists.



What are your hopes for the Queer Etsy Street Team? What brought you to join?
I really enjoy connecting with artists, and it's so great to find a group of people that you can be completely open with. I've been part of other arts organizations that are more conservative, and for me, art is all about being honest. Being queer is an important part of my identity that I don't want to have to hide. I am so excited that there is this incredibly talented, vibrant group of queer artists on etsy, and that I get to be part of it!

Queer Team Face time and Tweets!

The Queer team now has a Twitter and a Facebook fan page! Please add us to keep updated about team news and snazzy new Queer made art and crafts!

http://twitter.com/QueerEtsy
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Queer-Etsy-Street-Team

Spotlight on Queer Team member Fauxsure

Interviewed by queenofqueens

Tell us who you are and what the name of your shop is:
i'm keith and my shop is fauxsure

How did you start screen printing?
printmaking was my studio concentration in my undergrad work, and i first worked with screenprinting in '99. i mostly printed on paper (flat prints and also artists' books) and aluminium sheets. i started making t shirts in '02.

Do you work in other mediums besides printing?
How do they compare? i do a lot of drawing, but that's about it for visual stuff. i dj and produce dance music with my husband(myspace.com/ladycreme) but there's not really a strong connection to my visual work. in our production work, we try to make fun music that references elements of classic dance music but still sounds mondern. our dj mixes vary, but are usually in the synthy disco/ melodic electro vein.

You're located in Brooklyn. Has the art scene there had an impact upon your work?
i'm definitely influenced by street art and graffitti. i don't get out to see as much art as i would like, but in my day job i work with artists (managing artist-in-residency programs in nyc public schools and training artists/mfa students to become teaching artists). living in new york is a huge influence on my work in general. i find inspiration all over the place (as cliche as that sounds.)

How does being queer influence your work as an artist?
it's hard to say... there's a definite influence, but it varies and is always changing. in college, my prints dealt a lot with themes around masculinity and masculine archetypes (through superheroes). right now, the "queerest" thing i've done is my "village pigeons" design... pigeons are one of the few forms of wildlife we new yorkers see on a daily basis, so i thought it would be cute/funny to put them in the costumes of the village people. i guess that's pretty gay...

You created the Queer Team logo, what inspired you to use the imagery you chose?
i was inspired by the "purple rhino" logo designed by activist bernie toal from 1974 that was created to help bring attention to gay rights in boston. i thought it would be a fun way to pay tribute to a little-known queer symbol. plus i liked the idea of "charging forward" and the rhino was a fun animal to work with.

What else do you want us to know about you?
i love to cook. i'm disappointed with obama (although i thought i had pretty realistic expectations). i've been with my husband for almost 11 years, and just got married in july. we have an abyssinian cat named sebastian who's super-cute and a little high-maintence. lately i've been reading a lot of zombie-related stuff. i'm a sucker for bad tv. i'm allergic to dairy and beer. i can't stand showtunes. i have an irish temper that pops up every so often. i think the etsy forums are a bit scary. i wonder about the people who buy my stuff and would love to see pictures of them...