Jamie painting her taka horse at Craft MNL’s first Etsy Craft Party (last year).
We first met the talented Jamie Bauza at the 10A Alabama Arts and Crafts Fair. She was selling her Bite-Sized Accessories, as well as some of her whimsical illustrations. For the Paper Popup that concluded last Sunday, we carried some of her watercolor pieces and illustrated postcards.
How long have you been illustrating/painting/shaping little pieces of food? What got you started?
Ever since I was little, I’ve liked doing things with my hands. My mom encouraged us to get into arts and crafts by letting us play with different materials. That got the ball rolling and eventually I fell in love with illustration.
Sunrise. An illustrated postcard by Jamie Bauza.
How did your craft evolve into a business? How long have you been doing this?
I only thought about making this into a business in college. People liked the stuff I did, and it was awesome when they started paying me for it! Haha
What’s your favorite medium?
I’m biased towards watercolor, but I also love acrylics and collage.
Heart and Soul. Mixed media.
Tell us about your favorite projects.
I love drawing flowers and letters! I like making calligraphy-inspired posters in my spare time.
I also love making children’s books. This year I illustrated 2 books, “Ang Photo Album” written by Genaro Gojo Cruz, and “Sandwich to the Moon” written by me, both published by Vibal. It’s so rewarding to see the finished product – something you’ve been working on for months and finally getting to hold it in your hands.
What’s the one crafting skill you’ve always wanted to master/learn?
Knitting! I want to make scarves and sweaters and socks and hats! And glass-blowing! It looks super cool.
Space Corn
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on illustrations for another children’s book. The text is shorted than usual, so there’s more room for me to play around and fill up the page.
What’s your dream project? What have you done to make it happen so far?
I’d love to make a Google doodle one day! Haven’t really reached out to Google just yet, but maybe once I have enough under my belt I’ll have the guts to call them up haha.
Bloom. Illustration and typography.
Aside from crafting what else do you do?
During the day I work as a graphic designer for a design studio. We make websites and stuff 🙂
How does creativity influence the other areas in your life?
Hmm…I’d like to think all
Any advice for other aspiring crafters?
Just do what you love and don’t be afraid to share it with the world. Learn as much as you can.
Cosmic. Illustration.
What do you do to beat a ‘creative block’?
Sometimes I take a walk (even just around my room) to shake it off. Eating also works.
Give us 3 crafting essentials you must have in your toolbox at all times.
• Pencils – can’t live without pencils!
• Brush pen – very handy for when I need something to look more “finished” in a small amount of time
• Glue stick – I use glue sticks instead of white glue (when sticking paper on paper) because it doesn’t get wrinkly and soggy
Travel. Illustration.
Why should people get their hands busy (and start crafting)?
With everything going ‘digital’ and mass-produced these days it’s so nice to do something by yourself, from scratch, even if it takes a bit longer. You can create something special, and just knowing you put so much of yourself into what you made is great.
Where can we find your work?
My website is still in the works haha but I have a portfolio site at www.jamiebauza.com, and I blog at blog.jamiebauza.com.
Great Distances. Illustration.
What’s something you learned from getting into the craft business?
It helps to have a lot of patience! Don’t get discouraged if things don’t go that way you thought they would. Also, crafters are great, fun, and helpful! Everybody’s nice and willing to help everyone else out. 🙂