This week we welcome Stasia Burrington – a young artist with amazing talent! And lucky for you, she’s giving away a $25 gift voucher to her beautiful shop… Stasia B Illustration.

Where do you live?

Aurora, CO – pretty close to smack in the middle of the U.S.

Where do you do your work?

I work out of a little studio I’ve set up in our one-bedroom apartment. It’s small, but opens out to the porch and is perfect for the amount of work I’m currently doing.

What’s your favourite place in the world, and why?

Right now, the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It’s beautiful, surreal, and the giant red rock outcroppings remind me of how little we are.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself! Your ‘day job’ or business, family, hobbies…

Right now, remarkably, freelance illustration is my full time job. Previously, I’ve done a lot of waitressing and bartending, which was fun because of all the people you meet. Currently, I spend a lot of time with our pet hedgehog, play a lot of Magic the Gathering and watch a lot of X-files (wow, I’m a nerd) with my husband. We also love to go to the international market and bring home mysterious foods to cook with.

What did you want to be ‘when you grew up’?

First, an astronaut, of course, then a magician, and then a children’s book illustrator.

How did you first get into your craft/art?

Luckily my family is full of artists and my mother took us to lots of craft fairs, where she would sell her beautiful, intricate little leather-and-horsehair cowboy and Indian dolls, her prints and greeting cards, my brother would sell his origami, my sister her jewelry, and I would occasionally have my own prints and greeting cards.

What do you make?

I do lots of personal illustration; draw a lot of little cute girls, insects, and vaguely fairy-tale inspired scenarios. I use pencil, traditional Japanese sumi ink and watercolors on watercolor paper, and do some digital drawing as well I sell original artwork, and also do prints, greeting cards, and journals.

What are you most proud of making?

For Christmas one year I wrote and illustrated comic books featuring my high school friends – it was an epic tale of shipwreck and survival – printed and bound. That was the first book I ever made.

What do you like the most/least about selling your wares online?

I love the scope and reach of the online marketplace. It’s always thrilling to ship work off to the other side of the world – it makes the world seem so much smaller and closer. I do miss the face-time with customers that you get at a craft fair or art opening; it is difficult to maintain intimacy online. I love hearing people’s immediate reactions to the work and hearing their own stories.

I love…

my husband, our hedgehog, Thai food, cheesy techno, hiking, low-brow art shows, mystics, poets, artists, people who are passionate about what they do.

It drives me crazy when…

people (or I) jump to conclusions.

What’s your favourite word?

I… don’t think I have one.

If you could sum yourself or your work up in one sentence, it would say…

The world is full of fragile, broken, flitting things; I only hope to respond to this beauty that is already here.

Visit Stasia Online!

Shop
Blog
Facebook

Stasia is offering a $25 gift voucher to use in her shop – oh lucky you! (And yes, this is open internationally!)

To Enter:

1. Visit Stasia Burrington Illustration and come back here leaving a comment about your favourite piece from the store.

2. For additional entries, leave a comment saying that you: followed or subscribed to Epheriell Designs (or already do); have twittered about the givewaway; have shared the giveaway with friends on Facebook, or; you have written a blog post about it.

3. Entries close next Friday, the 3rd of September, at 12pm Australian EST.

The winner will be chosen via Random.org

Remember to leave me a way of contacting you.. and Good Luck!

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The winner of last week’s giveaway was Khris – congrats!

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