Here's my interview with Tracy, the fantastic Vancouver, BC artist behind
Living Feral:, the etsy shop where she sells her work.
1) Your images look like they come from old magazines. Do you have a favorite source? Where do you find them?
Yes, I use pieces I cut from vintage magazines, and occasionally books. I prefer material from the 60s and 70s (nothing more recent) because I like the imagery and colors and print quality from that period. I usually find them scouting around thrift stores (one of my favorite activities). I use pretty much anything I can get my hands on, as it’s getting harder to find older materials - particularly magazines, since so many people throw them out.
2) Your titles are fantastic! How do you come up with them?
Thanks! I wish I had a magic formula, because it sometimes takes me longer to come up with the title than the collage (and I work pretty slowly anyway). Then I sit with the piece and play with word combinations until I find the one that makes the most sense to me. Other times though, I start with a word or phrase – a thought I’m having about something, or a fragment of text that’s stuck with me for years – and that will inform the title. Often I’ll work without any set ideas, and the title will come in a flash. My collage “alice and the rabbit – the later years” was like that. I really wanted to use the image of the woman, and the rabbit worked its way into the composition, and then the title just popped.
3)How long have you been making collages? Do you create in other mediums or styles?
I started making the collages again this past spring, though I’ve made them on and off over the years. For a while I was making little books of collages, and I’d like to do that again. I also currently work with photography and drawing, I really like to sew, and I occasionally paint. In the past I’ve enjoyed etching, and I often incorporated collage techniques into that work.
4) I'm really drawn to your collages, especially the following images: "Farewells are Difficult", "She Addressed Herself to the Dark Hearts...", "For Many Years She Fished..." and "Alice and the Rabbit". My grandmom, Alice looked alot like the woman in "Alice"!
I think it’s a lovely bit of serendipity about your grandmom and the woman in “Alice.” I hope she retained a sense of adventure in her later years!
5)Your work recollects retro sci fi book covers (to me). Are you a fan of sci fi or the art covers?
That’s so interesting! Now that you say it I can really see the connection - especially with the sense of the human in the familiar/yet unfamiliar landscape. I’ve always been interested in science, and my dad’s always been a big science fiction fan, so that’s probably where it comes from.
Bookmark it now! I'll be getting pieces up there soon! 
Here's my newest painting! It's another scene I photographed at the Woodford house in Fairmount Park, here in Philly. I have to tour these other houses.
I'm giving away one free 8 x 10 Photograph of your choice, and you can choose from any image in my etsy shop that is 8 x 10 or larger! All it takes to enter is to leave a comment someplace here on my blog (any posting)! When you leave your comment, be sure to mention you'd like to be included in the giveaway! The drawing will be in two weeks and I will notify the winner by e-mail.
and what makes New Orleans different from getting muddied by post-Katrina influx and disorganization. With sections on celebrations like the Feast of St. Joseph and Revillion, features on strawberries (from the North Shore strawberry festivals), creole tomatoes, 
figs, seafood and odd items like mirlitons you'll find out alot about New Orleans you didn't even know. 
The writing is beautiful. Besh grew up in Slidell, LA and trained in restaurants there and in Europe, fought in Desert Storm and returned to the area to settle with his family where he runs several restaurants, so the stories are personal and the photos feature family and people he knows from the city.
Besh also raises his own hogs and cattle in town for use in his recipes. His comittment to local food is a huge asset to rebuilding a sustainable local economy that benefits the residents of New Orleans.
It was amazing to walk and run in the powder, though it made building the snowmen pretty difficult.
Mill Creek's Fundraiser is taking place tonight at the First Unitarian Church at 20th and Chestnut Streets in Philly. If you can't make it, still consider donating to their Urban Farm to keep them growing food with neighbors and for neighbors!
I'm selling the photo below to benefit Mill Creek, It's the sign on their gate that explains their philosophy. Click on the photo to go to my etsy site to purchase it. All of the proceeds go to Mill Creek!
This Saturday, Dec 5th with be the opening night of the 2009 craft sale at University City Arts League at 4226 Spruce St. from 5 to 9 pm. The sale continues until Sunday, Dec. 20th, M-F, 3 - 9 pm, Sat-Sun, 12 - 6 pm. Over thirty artists will be selling ceramics, photography, paintings, prints, jewlery, pottery, cards, clothing, textiles, handbags at very affordable prices. Drinks and snacks will be provided and it's a great time to see this beautiful building and the fantastic classes they offer. I just finished taking a clay handbuilding class which was a great break from the usual work week grind. I'm going to start a new class in January, depending on how much you buy at the sale! I'm selling photographs and cards of Philly.
Suare Peg Artery & Salvage has a second shop open for the holidays 
They have lots of cute clothes (I think I spotted a cute screenprinted button up for a guy friend), jewlery, cards (like mine above!), candles, soaps and wall art including some cool square paintings/thread collages and my photos!
See, that's the Westin drive through in the background of my Love Park photo.
