Let's talk to another of the rad vendors who will be selling at our Holiday Booty Market on December 15th!

We here in the Craft Mutiny have been eyeing Saint Bob since Crafty Bastards, wishing we'd had time to step away from our own booths and take a look at the fun! We are glad he's joining us... we almost had to promise him our first-born or something to convince him to come!

What do you make and do you have a website?
I make artwork dedicated to celebrating PBS painting legend Bob Ross. Though I don't use the same techniques he taught on his show, The Joy of Painting, I draw inspiration from his soft words of encouragement. Bob was fond of saying that when you buy your first tube of paint, it comes with an Artist's License that says you can paint whatever you want. I believe him.
website: http://www.squished.com/saintbob.html

Why do you make things?
I sense a feeling inside me that needs to be expressed, a sort of energy that needs to escape. It's nothing tangible or even easily explained. It's like a word that's juuuuust on the tip of your tongue, yet you can't quite grasp it. Making things is my way of reaching for that word, for the elusive ability to express something from within. Maybe someday I'll finally get it out, but hopefully not.

When did you start making things?
When I was just 10 minutes old, I fashioned my own umbilical cord into a balloon animal.

Why buy handmade?
There is a direct connection to the hand that makes the piece. You can meet the creator in person, and see whose labor bore your fruit. It's like going to a farm and selecting your own cow to be slaughtered. Seeing the face close up makes you appreciate the tastiness of the burger that much more.

Hmmm. Maybe that's not the best analogy, but you get the point.

What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?
Spray adhesive, rubber cement, and spray paint. After I got high on those, I suppose I'd need a paint brush or something, too.

What crafters or artists do you love?
Tough one, but I'll have to go with Bob Ross. His paintings are kind of ugly, but his philosophy is noble: you are the artist, and you can do whatever you want. Think of how many limits we have on ourselves, generated both externally and internally. Any artistic pursuit should be a release from those limitations, and if it's not, you've got the wrong hobby.

What new craft/skill do you want to learn?
Printmaking. There is something soothing about the gentle repetition of crafting.

Tell us something funny about yourself.
I discovered that, though cans of spray adhesive and cockroach spray may look similar, their contents are not. Poor, poor, slow-motion cockroach.

Remember to check out Saint Bob at the Holiday Booty Market, Saturday December 15, 2007 * 12-6pm, Hilda's @ National City Christian Church * 5 Thomas Circle Washington, D.C.