Why Handmade?
“You won’t run into someone wearing or using the same thing. If this does happen, though, you have an awesome chance to exchange stories with this person about finding the product and marvel, awestruck at the rare occurrence.”
Marty May
Random Facts About You?I spent this past summer couch surfing, guerrilla camping and hitchhiking through spain, france, belgium and holland.
I love making all art! music, painting, sculpture, dance and of course fiber art and design.
The closer I am to traditional living, the more at peace I feel.
The best advice I can give is to find what you love to do and do it.
What got you started crafting?
I began sewing because all the clothes in stores were either too plain and cheaply made or too flashy and expensive. I inherited my grandmother's sewing machine and we've been together ever since.
What is your source of inspiration?
Everything. Really. Nature, books, friends, my kitchen sink, music, weird art, cat smell, rainy days, crazy hair styles, echos, rain. Everything.
What have you made recently?
I made three new designs this week which I will silk screen on shirts. My favorite is this circus one. There's a lady in a vintage looking circus outfit flying from a trapeze into this other performer's arms who is swinging from another trapeze. Then there's this roaring tiger jumping through two flaming hoops!
The process is like this:
First, I have this great vision of what I want to draw. Then, I sketch it. Then I perfect the sketch and trace it onto a transparency with dark ink pens. After that's dry, I take the screens (I already stretched and coated with emulsion) into a dark room with the transparency, place them together, shine a really bright light for a while and use the jet spray on my hose to wash out all the emulsion the light didn't hit. After this process, I'm pretty wet so I dry my hair while the screen dries and maybe play a little guitar or eat some delicious chocolate. Now I choose colors and print!
Where do you sell your crafts presently?
Etsy and various shops around the States:
Cuffs Urban Apparel (Sacramento), Never Felt Better (Sacramento), Practical Cycle (Old Sac), Needles and Pens (San Francisco), Oak (Boston), Wholly Craft (Columbus, OH), Young Blood Gallery & Boutique (Atlanta, GA), Double Dutch Boutique (Baltimore, MD)
And any amazing craft shows I feel inspired to enter.
Why are handmade crafts important to you?
So many reasons for handmade!
Getting what you need without supporting corporations (which are deteriorating humanity) is the number one reason for me.
Also, you get a really unique item. You won't run into someone wearing or using the same thing. If this does happen, though, you have an awesome chance to exchange stories with this person about finding the product and marvel, awestruck at the rare occurrence.
Find Me
LocationNorthern California
Email Address
Marty May
Personal Website
http://www.martymay.com
Store Website
http://www.martymay.etsy.com
