SOTW ChezEury

What's your name?

My name is Maggie and many people know me as Eury or Eurydiceas that has been my nick online for the last 7 years at least, hence
the name of my shop ChezEury, It's French for Eury's place.

Where do you live?

I live in the province of Quebec, Canada in a small town where about 95% of the population speaks French.

So you live in Canada, but I see you ship from the US. how is that?

I collaborate with a artist friend (Zee) that I know from many years ago when we were both admins at the same site (Worth1000.com). He lives
in Georgia and does archival quality printing and mats and mounts all my work in acid-free professional art papers, pigmented inks and museum
quality mats mounting them all using exceptional materials. I trust him as he's a perfectionist and I want people to be proud of anything they buy from me, and I want those
pieces to last a lifetime. (at least ):-)

What do you offer in your shop?

I offer both Fantasy art prints (fairies, mermaids etc., ) and fine art photography.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

For my fantasy art pieces, I'm often inspired by the seasons and by nature and by day and night I guess just about anything can be an inspiration. I like to
create a magical little person that feels like she's telling the world, spring is here. Or perhaps she's curled up in a leaf in the fall. I have always loved butterflies and dragonflies
and ideas just come to me and I try to bring them to life. I love detail, so when people look, they often find little touches of detail that just make the pieces
that more enjoyable to do. They are usually my last touches and always helps me feel
like a piece is truly complete.


As for photography, I have 2 ways of working. I sometimes do concepts, so have an idea and play around with objects to try to tell some sort of story.

I also love odd weather, so not as tempted to go out and shoot during nice sunshine as I am when there is fog (oh, I love fog) or when there is frost and ice on the
branches of trees etc. I don't really like to go out in freezing weather, as my hands are sensitive to the cold and hurt but I always come back pleased that I did. A good rule,
when most people think it's a good time to stay at home cause the weather is not so great.. probably a good time to go out and shoot. Those images always have such beautiful mood.


As I mentioned with my art pieces, I love details and often when walking around to take pictures, my eyes often focus on those and not the general picture.. so you will find many of my photographs showing something simple, like a lantern and a flower box left outside someone's door. I'm also very inspired by benches, bikes, chairs...
objects that make me wonder about the people that sat on them.

Do you have more shops than just at Etsy and what are they?

My etsy shop is called Chez Eury
http://etsy.com/shop/ChezEury

I also have a shop that I just opened the other day with edgier photos for a particular clientele. I have a series of beautiful
cemetery pictures and tombstones etc., that I would like to share but thought they might not work well with the images on my ChezEury shop.


You can find these pieces on Photos From the Edge:
http://etsy.com/shop/PhotosFromTheEdge.

I have artwork on Zibbet
http://Zibbet.com/ChezEury


Any art that you have created that has a particular significance to you?

Yes, much of my art has a meaning to me. I attribute life analogies towards certain pieces. I also believe that we create to say what we cannot say with
words. I have a certain abstract piece I did that really expressed what I was going through as a woman trying to be exactly the person I was and not whom
I was expected to be. The piece is called Woman unfolding, and was a self-portrait.

What gave you the idea to do the type of art that you do now.

For my art pieces, I've always drawn since I was young and have almost always included people in my art pieces. For a period of time I did abstract pieces, but still if you
look at them, you will always find the human form in them. I couldn't get away from adding that in my work. I always wanted to draw and paint, but wasn't always inspired
to what to do with the people I put in my art. How could I convey something. Once I did a few pieces where I had taken people and turned them more into a fantasy type setting
it allowed me to be more creative and less stagnant and I really had fun trying to put them in a setting that was magical and fun. I knew I had found my niche.

As for photography, it took a bit of time to get over the fact that a lot of the thing I took pictures of may be considered cliche .. trees, flowers, benches, but they are the
things that I love and want to put on my wall, so maybe my images are not grungy as seems to be the "fad" today. They don't have dirt on them and are not scratched up for effect,
but I need to stay true to myself. I like pretty pictures. Not everyone's cup of tea, but they reflect me and my attitude toward life and nature and a positive lookout. There are
plenty of people out there showing you the crap of life. I'll try to show you the little things that may make you smile, if you only take the time to actually look.

Do you ever change your style.

Oh,sure! i know a lot of artists, and very few stick to only one thing. Part experimentation, part needing to explore who we are and learn about ourselves and part boredom. Since I've
been young, I've done watercolors, oils, acrylics, sculpture, sewing, cooking, photography, illustration, graphic design and even within these different types of art, you can try
many different styles. I think when you are artistic, you just can't help yourself. If you don't create, you die. (maybe not literally, but it's part of your essence)

How do you feel about buying and selling handmade stuff or artwork.

I feel good about it. For many years, I just didn't think I would be good enough for anyone to want anything that i created. You will find many artists doubt themselves but I think
it is a lack of confidence. It is hard to put yourself out there, since what you create is part of you; they are like your children. If people don't like them, you can feel hurt.
When someone buys something from you, it's very exhilarating. Most people don't easily part with their money for non-essentials unless they fall in love with something. Except for the very few,
most people don't buy art for the investment, they buy it cause it speaks to them. It may be that it makes them smile, or makes them sad, but they see something in it, not just
a tree or a bench, but something about themselves. Anaïs Nin said, "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are".

When I buy something for myself (I would love to have loads of money to buy many things that i love) it is because somehow the piece speaks to me. I find the shapes beautiful,
or it has a gypsy flavor and sometimes it just takes my breath away.

Favorite materials to work with?

For art.. for many years, my favorite was oils on canvas. But since the last couple of years, I've mostly migrated to drawing digitally with a digital pen and tablet. It was not an
easy progression from one to the other, but once I learned the techniques, I found I could allow yourself much more creativity as it lets you explore much more.
I normally work mostly In Corel Painter and do the last few cleaning- up touches in Photoshop.

For photography, my tools are quite simple. My Canon 40D, my lenses, slingback case and when in luck, great light!

How long have you been doing your art and photography.

I don't remember ever not drawing but the first time I took up a paintbrush I was about 15 (?). I drew an Eskimo girl with a fur hood. Someone in the family still has that. :-D. As you can see, even back
then I drew people. Funny, I just realized how when I was in my teens, I would draw and hide the hands in pockets or behind their backs as I was too afraid to draw them, for fear they would look like
scrawly chicken feet. Now it's one of the things I enjoy the most.

I started doing photography about 7 years ago when I joined http://Worth1000.com . I didn't have a camera when I joined and was there to do photo manipulations
and found the photography section and people were so giving and generous of their talents, I went out and got a camera and started.
I fell in love the first day I took pictures. Even though they were not fabulous, I still remember those first shots and how I was affected when I realized I could do that. That it was something
that I could really come to enjoy and keep doing for the rest of my life. I went on to be the photography admin there for several years. It brought me much joy and was very fulfilling.

What message do you want to get out to the world about what you do?

The message I think is that I do what I do because I have no other choice. If you are a clerk and you hate it you can become a doctor or a mechanic or whatever you want. I'm an artist.
It's part of who I am. I cannot be anything else. I need to create, period. Anyone that is out there that creates, understands what I'm saying. As for a message besides about who I am? The message
would be to see the positive in the world, to to put it back out there. There is beauty all around. Open your eyes to it; don't trash it, treasure it. Fill your life with dreams and fantasy.
Have the courage to give your dreams to the world. You never know what will come back to you; new life, new friends, new love. Your life will expand to the extent of your courage.

Did you ever feel like giving up before getting to where you are today?

I got to say, maybe not giving up, but several moments in my life, I've felt like I was mediocreas an artist. That what I had to say, had little worth. I doubted my talent. I saw and knew people
that I felt had way more talent than me. Sometimes you wonder if it's all worth it. There's a song that I like by a band called "Pain of Salvation" called "Road Salt". In the lyrics, it says:

Maybe it’s not enough
Maybe this time it’s just too much
Maybe I’m not that tough
Maybe this time the road is just too rough
To take me home
But I walk on.

And I guess that's how I am. There are moments when I just feel I can't get better or show who I am through what I do, but I just keep on going. There are rewards along the road and I think it's sort of normal to have certain challenges and struggles along the way. I've had my share of things that have happened to me that hurt and broke my heart and I'm sure I will have more in my life to come; hopefully they will be lessons that will not break my courage to continue. Life and art are intertwined. Mine is anyways.

How do you feel when someone interprets your work differently than you?

Well, as I said earlier, I think we see things as we are, so it is sort of normal that we don't all interpret the same way. If someone likes it, we feel good, if they don't, we can turn around and say, Too bad, this is me! but I think the worst is if they are completely indifferent, cause that can make you feel insignificant.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

Be brave and have the courage to take the risk of growing in your art and learning about yourself. When you see the challenges and the struggles ahead, ram into them.
Don't be afraid of becoming hard and insensitive, you will not. You are who you are, you will still be sensitive and artistic, but you will also become strong. Don't
close yourself off with fear of what others will think. You don't have to follow the crowd; you can be you. It's scary, but it is more painful to not evolve than to not take the risk to grow and evolve.

Do you have a space or work area or do you just work anywhere.

For my art, It used to be in a corner of my living room, but lately, it has been right in front of my computer, on my desk with my Wacom pad and pen.

For photography, if I am doing it indoors, mostly my studio is my kitchen counter or sometimes if I need more space, my living room, and then there is all of the outdoors! :-)

What is your favorite childhood memory involving arts.

I have a distinct memory of sitting at the table when I'm about 5, I guess, and my mom is showing me an easy way to draw roses starting with a small swirl in the middle and adding petals around. I have others, but I think this one is the first I can remember my mom actually sitting and drawing with me. I miss her.

Do you feel accomplished when you have finished creating?

The process is usually the most fun, but sometimes when I'm done, I look at my piece and say to myself "Wow, you did that! and that feels really good. :-)

Do you like custom orders.

I have in the past done quite a few portraits for people and sometimes even turned them into fairies or princesses and that is fun. It does present certain artistic restrictions though; most Women tend to not want to be portrayed in the nude and I have several fairies that just couldn't find any clothes in their size! Go figure! :-D It's very fulfilling though when people love how you have depicted them especially in a fantasy setting.

Do you have any favorite Etsy shops.

Well, I've not been on etsy a long time, and I mostly favorite pieces that I love instead of shops, but I looked through my favorites and found that several were from the same places.

Not only does this guy do some wonderful and very colorful watercolor pieces, he's become a friend and
we share our etsy experiences.
http://etsy.com/shop/hartelart

and I love this guys photography:
http://etsy.com/shop/elgarbo

This lady had some gorgeous jewelry pieces I saw in a treasury
http://etsy.com/shop/Shalayneoriginals

and since I love dragonflies and such
http://etsy.com/shop/2ravenchicks

There are more but these are the first that come to mind.

Do you have a website or blog?

I have a personal website where I display much of my art, but I have been a bit lazy uploading to it lately.
http://chezeury.com

I have an old blog I have revived:
http://eury.blogspot.com
but I intend to do a new art blog, that works better and looks more like me,
where I will focus on showing the actual progress of the pieces I do. This will hopefully be soon.

For photography, I've restarted a project that was on hold and may take
a bit of time but it will be:
http://ShutterTactics.com

Any final words?

I would like to encourage people that are at a point in their lives where they may want to test the waters and see if they can sell their artwork to take the leap. They say that if you do what you love, you will be successful. I'm testing that theory at this very moment in time. ;-)

I can say, however, that I came to a special realization with this poll. When I started on Etsy, I had one sale, then nothing for over a month. I was discouraged. When this poll came out, suddenly people were visiting my shop. And in the few days that the poll ran, I got several sales. Some for more than 1 piece. It was very eye-opening. People's tastes run a wide gamut. The world is a huge place and there is someone out there that likes your style, may even love your work, they just have to find you. Etsy is a big place. There are so many sellers, that sometimes we can feel like we are just a needle in a haystack. That doesn't mean your work is no good, or invalid. It may just means, that nobody has had a chance to see your art. If a door opens and allows you to showcase your work, such as this poll and winning Shop of the Week has done for me, take the opportunity! Don't be afraid, fly little bird, fly! :-)


Thanks, Jess for giving me this opportunity to show off my art and to let people know a little bit about
the person behind the artwork.