Feral Sister Arts

New Ventures

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Emily

It may be obvious (or may not) that I haven’t been as active on here for a little while.

The desire to create art is not uncommon for me. I feel the urge at times, I get ideas, but then I look around my space-

It’s worth mentioning here that life has been interesting, to say the least, for the last couple of years now. I have moved far too often in that period of time, I have pared down belongings and regained them, only to pare down again and again (and again and again…).

My latest move, and I hope the last move for some extended period (A year, Maybe? Do you think that’s a short period? I would be lucky to feel that way), has brought me back to the city of Toronto. I went to school here for Psychology, living in Regent park alone for a bit in a basement apartment, and then with a boyfriend (in a basement apartment). Life happened, I moved away, and life happened again. And then I moved, and life continued happening and I ended up back in Toronto – in a basement apartment with a boyfriend.

You see, I’ve moved around so much, joined and separated partners, that most of my art supplies have been jostled about, broken, leaking, lost, given away to lighten the load, or simply left in boxes. A reliable studio space hasn’t been common in my living situations. So there’s never been a space for me to simply walk into and to have all my needed supplies awaiting me.

Ideally, I would have my ongoing projects all out and in their own space, a table for this and an easel for that, their needed supplies in arms reach. There would be ample light, a radio, maybe a few chairs, and no care for splattering the floors and walls and ceiling. It’s my own space to make any sort of mess I please in. Hasn’t happened yet.

As of right now, my art supplies are in boxes in my workbench, accessible, but only if I move everything else out of the way first. It is another apartment, a place I don’t own, so I can’t just make a mess of. I don’t live alone, so I have that to take into consideration as well. Sometimes, we just get too busy, too tired, too overwhelmed by the simple task of moving things around to draw a picture or work on a painting.

I have several projects “on the go”, but as of right now, they are stalled. This happens. It is my creative and living process. In some undetermined period of time, I will finish those projects (but hopefully in less time than the painting I started in high school and have yet to finish a baker’s dozen years later).

Speaking of baking- I haven’t been idle. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last five years learning to cook and bake. It is another creative process for me, and one I find consistent, consistent enough that I have decided to take the plunge. This September, I will be a full-time student again at George Brown College. I will be taking the Chef’s Training program, with the intention of starting my own food related business in the future.

So, for the time being, those unfinished projects will remain unfinished (unless some intense urge strikes one day and I manage to get to one), at least until school is on and I need to procrastinate from a project. But, seeing as how this is college and not university, I imagine I will be fairly exhausted from the day-to-day class and work schedule.

Don’t abandon me though! Art is in my blood, and while not a lot may be going up all at once here, they are all still swirling in my head and heart, and will be here eventually. Until then, I still have my Etsy and Society 6 shops running, and if you live in the Toronto area, you can always stop by to see what I’ve got stowed away in my bins.

It would actually help if you did stop by and lighten my load a bit!

Curious about my food? Check out my Instagram, Food Fuggery

Selling on Society 6!

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Emily

For several months, I had my art available in print-form on a site called Nuvango. It was a Toronto based company, once going by the name Gela-Skins, known for their phone cases and skins. At first they only had select artists who’s art would be sold in these formats, but soon the site began to boom as people outside of the select-group were given the ability to upload their own images to make into phone cases. This customization quickly evolved into a broader opportunity for every artist who stumbled upon the site to get their art out into the world for sale. The site began selling items like Canvas Prints, T-Shirts, even Leggings and Pillows!

However, with this expansion came one issue: the site became inundated with art. It became impossible for artists to become featured on the main site of the page- there were so MANY of them! Exposure was hard to get.

So, a few months ago, Gela-skins (now operating under the Nuvango title) changed their format back to their earlier days, focusing on a select few artists, and taking away the ability for artists to post on the site.

So, looking for a similar outlet to sell prints and such, I found Society 6. The concept is the same, and so are the issues, but That’s not much of my concern. I’m aware that it’s difficult to get traffic to my site and to purchases. However, it is still a place to send those who DO express interest in supporting my art.

So, I present you with my Society 6 page, under the Feral Sister name!

The Re-Branding of Both of Seven

Posted on September 15, 2015September 15, 2015 by Emily

A name is born of circumstances and timing, and the time has come for a change!

Both of Seven was conceived as a professional venture for an artist. It will remain as such. However, some things must change.

The name Both of Seven originated as an obscure description of the way I was living my life. On the south side of Highway 7 in Ontario, I was born and raised, and my family continues to live there. My roots are in the farm country there, the open fields and the sweet, homely scent of manure and hay. Cows and barns dot the landscape, but not forever- there is life nearby, never too far, never too boring but never too pressing either.

However, love brought me North of the highway, into the land of lakes and deep forests and back-country talk. Hunting and Fishing were a way of life there, and I embraced it wholly.

But change comes sometimes, and as much as the north side of the road still holds a place in my heart, I am no longer straddling 7 on a regular basis, and so I am no longer both of it.

The process in finding a name can be difficult. Sometimes a name will jump out at you and speak to you, but there are some people who can’t find a name so easily, and I am one of them.

My parameters were to pick something descriptive of my self, no matter where my life may take me. I had used a name once to represent my lifestyle, but lifestyles change, and this was unforeseen at the time.

So this time it’s personal!

I also wanted to have more fun with this name, and when I finally decided on it, the style changed as well. Both of Seven was a wild venture, born in the trees and swamps, the essence of the countryside. But now, it’s to be born in me.

Feral Sister is an homage to both my family and my lifestyle. I have taken much from living North of 7, and hold those I loved there deep in my heart for my life to come. And having grown into the wild-side of myself because of it! But I have returned home, if only for a time, to remember my roots and what first inspired me.