I like to draw and photograph birds, I study their feathers in order to dye domestic feathers to mimic them. I like everything about birds except … actual birds. Any bird bigger than a sparrow scares the hell out of me!
Anji Marth
Random Facts About You?I have driven to and through every state except for hawaii and alaska.
My dog weighs six pounds.
I curse more than I should.
I spend my days off outside. Even in winter.
What got you started crafting?
My grandmother used to make all kinds of crafts, so when I was a kid it was just part of life to always be making and doing. I do crafts still, a lot of the same ones she did.
I have a deep interest in organic forms, so working in taxidermy and with nature and oddities feels very natural for me.
What is your source of inspiration?
Nature. The cycle of life and death fascinates me. I find the sky, the trees, the wind exciting. I spend a lot of time at the coast. When I am down I remind myself that the ocean will always be there, that Orion will always be there.
I am inspired by so many other artists, too.
What have you made recently?
Recently I have been playing with macrame. I suffer from schizoaffective disorder, and my medication gives me anxious moments which are difficult for me to deal with. I discovered through my DBT therapy that grounding myself in the present moment truly helps me get through these, and started using a worry stone as a grounding object.
I made macrame tethers for a few of my favorite stones, and then realized other people who have anxiety might also like them. So I have been making a few of these lately.
Just pressing or rubbing my fingertips against the stone helps me stay present, and twisting the macrame cord keeps me calm, gives me a fidget toy.
Where do you sell your crafts presently?
I tattoo professionally in Oregon- so I sell tattoos at my tattoo shop. I sell my paintings at gallery shows locally, on my own site at resonanteye.net, and a few at resonanteye.etsy.com.
I also do a lot of commissioned work.
My natural works I only sell on etsy; except for the taxidermy work, which I have sold mostly through gallery shows here in Oregon.
Why are handmade crafts important to you?
I am very much interested in people being able to live freely. I feel that making things by hand offers a self-sufficiency and esteem that can't be gotten by producing on an assembly line, or to someone else's specifications.
I like the idea that instead of being treated like replaceable cogs in a giant production machine, people can survive by using their own minds and hands to create, and to build.
A friend of mine has caleld me, jokingly, a "commie pinko" and it's not too far off the mark. I think that people are far more important than profit, and that everyone should have equal opportunities to use their own skills and hard work to succeed. I don't think our current economy and culture allows for this, so supporting handmade artisans and builders is a way I can contribute to the real, human economy that I would like to see grow.
Find Me
LocationUnited States
Email Address
Anji Marth
Personal Website
http://resonanteye.net
Store Website
http://paperanji.etsy.com
BNRIYFYAY
@resonanteye
http://facebook.com/anjimarth
