This week seemed like the perfect time for my first artist interview.  I talked to one of my favorite artists, Tulsa’s own Heather Sleightholm of Audrey Eclectic.

For the readers who don’t know you, can you briefly describe your work?

I make mixed media folk art, usually portraits that are a little bit whimsical, a little bit rustic, and sometimes a little bit on the Goth side.

Where did you come up with the name Audrey Eclectic?

I named my folk art business after my daughter, Audrey. Obviously, I love the name and its vintage feel. I added ‘Eclectic’ as sort of a vague description….it also leaves me lots of room to change and grow and not outgrow my business name.

How did you get started as an artist?

I think many people who are artists or crafters will tell you they’ve been that way since they were a kid. I am no exception. I took a lot of art classes in school, and attended the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute as a high school student. Making things was just a part of my identity. However, it took a good long while to feel like I could call myself an ‘artist’. It’s been a recent step!

Your work is quite unique, where do you find your inspiration?

Thank you! I get inspiration in a great many places. First of all, there are some amazing art publications out there, and it was through them that I was first exposed to collage and mixed media art. For my personal creations, I get inspiration from many places — such as book, history, folk lore, music, fashion…inspiration is every where!

Could you tell us a little about your medium and process?

I like to work with either wood or canvas to create my pieces. There’s a lot of layering involved in what I do. First I make a collage base on the wood or canvas. When that is dry, I create my painting on top of it, letting the collage show through in sections of the painting to add extra depth. Then I use acrylic paint, ink, and charcoal to create the painting.

I know you will be contributing art work to ArtBeat’s Unbirthday gallery; tell us about what we’ll find there.

This is going to be such a fun event! We’ll be celebrating a great art publication, Art Beat Oklahoma, which is devoted to artists right here in Oklahoma. We’ll have a great time dressing up and seeing some fabulous art. I have submitted two paintings for the event, both with portions of their proceeds going towards the magazine. One is a large collage Alice in Wonderland painting and the other is a small ink and watercolor illustration. The Unbirthday Party starts at 8 pm at the Nightingale Theater in Tulsa on Friday, March 26.

Where can our readers go to see your work?

I love to do local events like Indie Emporium in Tulsa and Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar in Oklahoma City, so you can usually find me there! Throughout the year, however, you can always find originals, prints and postcards of my work at www.audreyeclectic.com. You can also visit my blog www.reverieart.blogspot.com.

I am also very happy to share that you will be able to see my art in upcoming publications! A painting of mine will be featured in the new art magazine “Prims,” which is about art inspired by a bygone era. The issue will be on newsstands on April 1. I will also be featured in a collaborative art book called “Sharing Stitches”, written by Chrissie Grace. That book should be out sometime this fall.

Can you tell us 3 of your favorite Oklahoma artists?

There are so many great Oklahoma artists out there, there is such a wonderful handmade artistic scene here in our state. Three of my favorites include the fantastically vintage and fantastically sweet Holly Hall of Sweetheartville, photographer Samantha Lamb who captures our beautiful state like no other, and my longtime friend and great collage artist (and doll maker!) Beth Gentry of Art by Bethany.

I saw on your blog you post a “Tasha Tuesday” every week; what is that?

Well, “Tasha Tuesdays” is basically an ongoing homage to one of my favorite artists, Tasha Tudor. She was an amazing woman who had a love of history, farming, art and family, and basically fashioned her life to be exactly as she wanted. She was also one of the most prolific children’s writers and illustrators in American literature. Her career spanned 70 years! I found that a lot of my fellow artists and bloggers had a love for Ms. Tudor, so I set aside Tuesdays to talk about some random Tasha thought and it has become extremely popular on my blog. It’s also a lot of fun to host, Tasha Tuesdays has started to catch on on other blogs as well.

Heather’s website: www.audreyeclectic.com
Heather’s journal: www.reverieart.blogspot.com
Heather’s shop: http://audreyeclectic.bigcartel.com/

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