Credit: Birdqueen
When people look at crafting as a hobby, they usually assume that a crafter has one type of craft that she practices exclusively. It's sort of like how a Phillies fan would never imagine Chase Utley playing second base and right field. But from the artist's perspective, crafting is just one way of expressing yourself among a whole library of media. Kind of like how the judges on So You Think You Can Dance appreciate the dancers that can do everything from "poppin' and lockin'" to the foxtrot.
Gretchen Diehl is much more So You Think You Can Dance than Chase Utley, as the work she showcases in her Etsy store is just the tip of her artistic iceberg. She even has multiple work lives, as she creates artwork, teaches fashion marketing at the Art Institute, and buys lingerie for The Mood on South Street. The 27-year old, who lives on Antiques Row in Philadelphia, makes painted dolls, ink drawings, acrylic paintings, and even has a performance art piece in the works. "I am [also] currently working independently on a comic book, and a book of short stories based off of images from my often surreal dreams. But in my spare time I like to dance," she says with a laugh. Her Birdqueen shop on Etsy is evidence of yet another talent that Diehl possesses: jewelry making.
Diehl started making ink-jet shrink film jewelry a little under a year ago, after a friend showed her the technique. "I began by using images I already had on hand, printing and shrinking pieces of my own artwork into necklaces," she explains to me. "Then I started making little paintings designed specifically to be made into necklaces or earrings." Most of the jewelry is scanned images of Diehl's original artwork, some is scanned fabric patterns, and some pieces use images of friend Caitlin Kuhwald's acrylic illustrations. The pieces are bold because of their size, but many have a certain sweetness to them as they all depict peaceful woodsy imagery like the stag pictured above (my absolute favorite), or fantasy figures of angels and robots. Many of the necklaces have multiple pieces that are hinged together, introducing the additional element of movement.
The combination of quirkiness and grace in Diehl's work is reflected in her feelings on what inspires her to craft. "My general philosophy on art, crafts, and creating would be to always be willing to change, adapt and grow. I think the most impressive artists, whether they be visual artists or musical artists, have a degree of wonderment and awe in their work," she says. Diehl believes that her artwork guides her, prompting her to learn new and innovative ways of expressing herself, even if it boils down to using duct tape and sharpies instead of traditional fine arts materials. "My artwork is very demanding," she claims. "I always try my best to give it what it wants." Nigel and Mary would be so proud!
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