… and also such a good friend. {suzie chaney} has been one of those friends that i found through this blog. though we both live very different lives, she lives in south of france, she is a mother of three teenagers, she has a degree in sculture… but we have so many things in common, starting by our love for film photography and the way we see the world… what we aim for our lives. it is incredible that being so different, we can actually have so much in common, or search for common things for our lives. i asked suzie a few questions and you will be delighted with her answers…
hello there! how are you feeling today? let’s pretend we do not know each other and tell me something about you… hi! i’m feeling good thanks! i live in aude in the south of france; near to spain, the mediterranean, carcassonne and toulouse. carcassonne is a lovely yet traditional city, whereas toulouse is much more cosmopolitan, just the best place for wandering round and soaking up inspiration, and a great contemporary art scene. i live in a tumbledown village house that’s mostly untidy (read: i hate housework) with my family and dogs, cat and guinea pigs. i have degree in sculpture, but i work in all sorts of ways on lots of different ideas. i take photographs with film, create mixed media pieces, books, printmaking and of course sculpture! in french they say “artiste plasticien” to describe someone who works in this way. but no matter what materials i use, my work is always concerned with the same basic themes: words/storytelling, the passing of time and anatomy.
hum… now i have a few questions that might be different… and the first one might be hard… but what are you proud of? not hard at all… my 3 children! i have one son and two girls, all teenagers and the most important thing in my life. i am constantly amazed by them and so proud of the young people they have grown to be.
do you know something… i will meet your best friend in a while… what could he/she say to me about you? that i am very easy going, not likely to get in a flap about very much, but rather prone to melancholy.
imagine that it is 1985… what are you doing? drawing while listening to siouxsie and the banshees on my record player!
in three words… can you describe me your work? subtle, delicate, curious.
let’s say i am a potential buyer… why should I buy from you? my work is very easy to live with, quiet with a feeling of fragility and a little unusual but it has timelessness you will always enjoy. by keeping the unique pieces smaller or by creating limited editions of books, printmaking and my hand developed black and white photographs you will never get the same piece twice. it is a great way to own original art at affordable prices!
what would be your next step as an artist? having spent a while away from etsy while i pursued other goals as well as some online teaching i have re-opened my {art shop} refreshed and excited. i will continue to expand this shop as well as my commitment to exhibiting. i really believe this is one of the keys to keeping your work alive, allowing you to regularly examine your portfolio as well as making valuable contact with other artists and buyers.
what is your own favorite piece of art? do you mean one of my own or one that i own? if you mean one i own it is a toss up between my {stanley donwood} screenprint or a book made by my friend melanie for my birthday. if you mean my own work, that’s harder as i change my mind constantly! but right now it would be {this} photograph.
my youngest daughter was so completely lost in her imagination, looking through at the pyrenees. i love it too because it was taken with my oldest praktica camera but my newest film crush: rollei retro. but it could also be the little nests series i have been working on these past few months. i have been revisiting an old technique of mine and i think {this} is my favorite of these.
thank you so much claudia!
suzie is indeed a very interesting artist… and the way she has been promoting and sharing her knowledge about film photography is also an inspiration for me to carry on with my love. i actually have this lovely {lady} under my eye, which also belongs to suzie. we will see what the new year will bring, if she does not run away to someone else! asides from the {etsy shop}, suzie also has a {blog}, {website} and {facebook}!
images: suzie chaney (click on each image for further details)
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