The Membership Profile for May is Tracy Austin and her business, Steampetal. Bio / A bit about your

The Membership Profile for May is Tracy Austin and her business, Steampetal. Bio / A bit about your professional backgroundI graduated from NBCCD Fashion in 2007 and have been involved in Ball Jointed Doll (BJD) Fashion since 2008. I officially launched my business, Steampetal, in January 2013 and have been showcasing work, attending conventions and selling online. Tell us about your business and how you came up with the idea.I’ve been immersed in Steampunk culture for a few years now, but always felt the desire to bring botanical themes in to my pieces. I decided to stick with this theme and create Steampetal; while I focus on BJD’s, I wanted to be able to create my accessory line for people and work under the same business name. What exactly are the dolls? The dolls are an artistic outlet, in many ways really.  BJD’s originated in Japan and are hand sculpted and cast in resin which is customizable and you can sand and alter it if you like. Eyes and wigs are used to further customize the dolls, as well as faceups (painting their faces) for distinct looks. On top of that, and more my venue, is the ability to clothe the dolls however you like. Photography has been a big art with BJD’s as well. It’s a hobby with something for everyone. How do you get yourself inspired? I make a point to keep myself in a creative environment and around other artists. Brainstorming constantly helps; keeping an ever growing collection of photographs and fabrics that inspire me, and making sure to sketch, design and really push myself to try and create makes it easier to keep up the momentum. Who are some of your favourite artists in your field? Bird and Lace, a couple of BJD artists in Ontario are a big inspiration for me, as well as Belladonna from Quebec and Dorset Clothing from Australia. They’re all amazing artists and people and I’ve followed their work since I’ve been in the BJD hobby. What project have you worked on that you enjoyed most and why?A couple years back I partnered with Sherry Kinnear, a local artist and we created a BJD gallery,  “Illusion.” It was a really great experience and pushed my love of displaying pieces in miniature settings and prompted my entry into working with miniature props and furniture as well as the dolls and clothing. It was an experience that really got the ball rolling and opened up other creative windows for me. Do you use Social Media for your business? How has impacted your business? Absolutely, I’m on Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  Since my business is primarily online, it’s a huge impact. Since I was already a part of the community before I started my business, I was already using social media and forums for the hobby itself. For my business I’ve continued to use these platforms and they’ve been very effective. As a member of FFC, what do you hope to see the council achieve?I really want the FFC to build a community, to be a special place where people in the fashion field can really come together. I think sometimes that people forget the amount of people and jobs that fall under the Fashion umbrella and I think the FFC has the ability to really bring that community together and flourish. What’s next for you?May 24th and 23rd I’m vending at Doll North, a side convention being held within Anime North. I attended the convention in 2013 and it was such a great time and I met so many amazing people. I can’t wait for my chance to return this year! To see more from Steampetal follow at: Etsy  –  Tumblr  –  Facebook  -  Twitter -- source link

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