I am so pleased to present this week’s shop of the week: TamaraGarvey, which is owned and operated by original artist and illustrator Tamara Garvey.
Tamara creates Original art, illustration prints, fabric, note card sets, and lockets, all of her whimsical and nature-based pen-and-ink drawings. The quirky and cheerful illustrations combined with her unique sense of humor are perfect for the young and young-at-heart and are what sets TamaraGarvey apart from the competition.
We interviewed Tamara and learned quite a few interesting things about her as an artist and person.
You may be surprised to know that Tamara loves horror and thriller movies (a girl after my own heart), she lives in Brooklyn, and she has a soft spot for animals. Her illustrations are playful and quirky and she is inspired by a bold and fearless artist who is not afraid to push the boundaries.
Tamara’s work is inspired and influenced by the seasons. She loves drawing trees and they are often present in her work, as well as color schemes and imagery that change with the seasons.
When we asked Tamara if she could live anywhere EXCEPT where she was currently living, she stated that she just moved to Brooklyn last year, but would love to go back to Savannah, Georgia.
We also asked Tamara if she had a million dollars and she HAD to give every penny of it away, who would she give it to and why? She said, “I would split it between the Humane Society and as many local animal spay/neuter organizations as I could find. Ever since I was little, I've been a huge animal lover. If I could fix anything at all, it would be the epidemic of unwanted pets whose lives are wasted.”
Tamara’s favorite artist is Yayoi Kusama, because she is fearless! Her work is conceptual, decorative, bold, crazy, touching, boundary-pushing, and ridiculous, all at once. And the most influential person in teaching her her craft was “A figure drawing professor who was very big on beginning our drawing sessions with gesture drawings. They're such a great way to loosen up, and even though my current illustrations don't rely on a realistic human figure, going to neighborhood figure drawing sessions is still one of my favorite pastimes, just for the exercise and process of it.”
When she was asked if she were stuck on a deserted island, what three things would she want, she simply stated “a close friend, music, and a stick so I could doodle in the sand”.
Finally, since this is the EtsyTwitter Team, we have to ask something about Twitter… We asked if she had any advice to give to a new Twitter user and she said, “Take the time to find people to follow whose tweets/links you're really interested in, and interact with them. You can use Twitter to hold bonafide conversations, not just make one-way declarations.”
Be sure to stop by her shop and check out all of her lovely items. It comes nicely packaged and ready to use or frame.
She also ships internationally and best of all, she is having a special Buy one print, get one FREE! Just mention the free print in your checkout notes when you buy the first one.
Etsy Shop: http://tamaragarvey.etsy.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tamaragarvey
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tamaragarvey
