Jude McConkey is one of the many inspiring artist I've found on etsy. Her photo's are, in her own perfect description, 'dreamy, intense, and yes, even creepy images full of emotion'...and they are, which is why I love them.
Aside from selling her prints, Jude has also recently opened a shop where she sells her art on bookmarks, necklaces, bracelets, and zipper/purse pulls. I've purchased one of her bookmarks and it made a beautiful gift!
It is my pleasure to feature Jude here:
Aside from selling her prints, Jude has also recently opened a shop where she sells her art on bookmarks, necklaces, bracelets, and zipper/purse pulls. I've purchased one of her bookmarks and it made a beautiful gift!
It is my pleasure to feature Jude here:
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your photography:
Although my father was a photographer I never picked up a camera with serious intent until an especially bad "glamour shot" incident. Women are just not supposed to look like that. The original plan was to take lovely photographs of women but it sort of spun in a different direction when I realized I loved emotional, atmospheric scenes. I am drawn to desolate, dark, weird, and all things dead.
Well, maybe not all things :O
The Color of Winter Leaves & The Tapestry of Trees
About 1 1/2 years later I applied and got the photojournalist position at a newspaper - the same one I wrote for 20 years earlier. Some day (soon, I hope) I'll "quit my day job" but until then I am very lucky to get into places and meet people that is not easy for the public to do.
In the winter of 2008 the sale of my work in various galleries and brick and mortar shops really slowed down. I asked the owner of a gallery in a pretty well-to-do area what she thought and she said that none of the two-dimensional work was selling - maybe the economy? Well, I thought about a way to get my art out there and came up with wearable/useable art - bookmarks, necklaces, bracelets - and opened wearableartbyjude on Etsy. I also began to sell in galleries and shops, too. It's been very successful so far and I enjoy doing it even if I had to get bifocals to help while cutting out the teeny photos...
Solitary Tree - Pendant Necklace & Eternal - Pendant Bookmark
Where do you get your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from seeing the common things around me in a different way. It could be as simple as looking at something from an unusual angle or from shallow depth of field where I pay attention to a part of a scene and blur out the rest or even from layering my photographs with other photos of texture. It might just be from necessity since there's not much going on or much to see in this rural area. Wait, there are trees .. lots and lots of trees ;)
Lone Tree in a Purple Storm
Who are some of your favorite artists?
My favorite photographer is W. Eugene Smith - a wonderful photojournalist who was famous for his WWII photographs. Also, the photograph of his children leaving a tunnel of trees in the woods called "The Walk to Paradise Garden" is my favorite. The surrealist artist Joan Miro's work appeals to me greatly.
End of Days, Haunted, and Through a Sea of White Flowers
What is your current favorite item from shops? or favorite photo you've taken?
It's hard to choose my favorites out of my own photographs. I have to say every time I look at "Snow and Lace" I just fall in love over and over. One of the new ones I did "Toxic Days" is being printed on canvas in a gallery wrap VERY huge for my living room wall. In fact, we just moved to our new house in November and I took a photograph of Toxic Days to the paint store so the paint could be matched to a shade within it. I think the paint mix guy thought I was nuts when I said it was going on my wall..lol
Winter Winds & Snow and Lace
What is your favorite thing bought from another etsy seller?
Since I've discovered the handmade movement I have not only purchased from others on Etsy but I've also spread the word. I'm amazed at the work and I'd rather have something made with someone's hands than store-bought. I have to say I'm obsessed with the monsters/creatures made by CreaturesNorthwest here on Etsy.. oh, my children (adults) and my grandchildren have several apiece. I even have some in the closet in case I need to be shaken out of the blues. My husband asked me when enough was enough. I laughed at him.
What is the last:
Movie you saw in the theater?
The last movie I saw was The Lovely Bones. It was a fantastic book
and a good movie in parts.CD you bought?
I can't remember the last time I bought a CD!
Book you read?
I'm in the middle of reading "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
" which is a fun twist on Jane Austen's book (I love her). I'm desperately searching for a copy of Stephen King's "Under the Dome
" ... quite a few of my family members received that one for Christmas yet they say they've "lent" it to other people. It could just be that I've been known to leave cheeto fingerprints on pages, but I could just be paranoid.Where else can we find you?
www.judemcconkey.com
judemcconkey.etsy.com
wearableartbyjude.etsy.com
and on Facebook I have a fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/jude-mcconkey-photography/74026000745?ref=ts
Jude has generously offered two of my readers the chance to win one of these beautiful items from her shops:
Only Angels Know - 5x5 fine art photograph & Holding On - Pendant Bookmark
To Enter: Just leave a comment about this post and don't forget to include your email address!
Want an extra chance to win? Tweet about this post @JanuaryWish and come back and leave the link here in a separate comment.
Giveaway Ends: Saturday 2/6 at 12pm EST
Two winners will be picked via Random.org and notified by email.
The first person picked will have their choice of either the Print or Bookmark, the second will get whichever remains.
