Disconsolator: Interview and Giveaway! (CLOSED)

Disconsolator is an etsy shop that was created by Derrick Velasquez as a method in which to showcase his amazing design talents, perfected while getting a art studio degree at UC Santa Barbara as well as a MFA in sculpture at The Ohio State University. So you can already guess that he is an amazing artist!

His shop is full of amazing handbound journals that are almost too pretty to write in! The covers are really eyecatching, and best of all many of his products are eco-friendly! Definitely an added bonus!! He also has these amazing screened prints in such vibrant colours and designs; they will look awesome in any room!

Here is an interview with the artist:

Name: Derrick Velasquez

Name of shop: http://www.blogger.com/www.disconsolator.etsy.com

Location: Denver, Colorado

Favourite item from your shop: My gold leaf heart journals. It took a while to find an appropriate method to get this to work without leaving marks on the fabric. But I think they look fantastic and will coming out with new designs soon.

Tell us a little bit about yourself: I grew up in the central valley of california where there was a bit of agriculture. I was always drawing and crafting my own gifts as a child and eventually went on to earn an art studio degree at UC Santa Barbara. A couple of years later, I went on to graduate school where I got my MFA in sculpture at The Ohio State University. I recently moved to Denver just to get out of the midwest and find the city to be vibrant and full of opportunity.

When and what made you want to open up your shop? I think being in a state of transition and wanting to try new things inspired me to open my etsy shop. I just opened it about three months ago. I'm trying new avenues in my art making as well as trying to learn new skills. I also thought the shop would be a good way to meet local crafters - and this has turned out to be true.

Tell us a little bit more about your creation process: I'm a very processual maker. Within my artwork, I always try new things and don't let doubt get in the way of making. I just make. I'm not going to say I'm a designer - so I have to try about 10 designs before I settle on a new one to print.

Where do you draw inspiration for all your amazing designs? My inspiration comes from my surroundings which change often. I've lived in Portland, San Francisco, Columbus, and now Denver. So seeing different states of being in different parts of the country and actually living in those areas is a point of drawing experience and visual ideation. I also love variation - so I'm just trying to design all the time.

If you could be an animal what would you be and why? At age 10 I would have said bald eagle, I used to draw them all the time and find ways to incorporate them into class projects. Now I would say some kind of bird, perhaps a swallow. The air up there is one of the most free places to be now.

If you could have one super power what would it be and why? Stopping and restarting time for sure. Sometimes you just need a breather!

The Giveaway:

Derrick was so awesome to offer someone an amazing prize package that includes a small journal ($7.50) as well as a print ($25) that is so exclusive it’s not even in his own shop!! What a great prize package ($32.50)!


How to Enter:

1) Go to Derrick’s etsy shop and comment on your most favourite item for one entry!
2) If you become a new follower you get four more entries
3) If you are currently a follower you get six more entries (Yay for being loyal blog followers!)
4) If you post my button on your blog you get five extra entries
5) If you blog about this contest and include a link you gain five more entries
6) Go visit Derricks’s blog and leave him some blog love, you get two extra entries
7) If you buy anything from his shop you get ten additional entries
8) If you enter any of my current giveaways held on my blog, you can get one entry for each contest you enter! Make sure you let me know which ones you entered!

Wow that’s a lot of entries you can receive! And please have a way for me to contact you!! If your email is on your blog profile that will also work! If you are entering more than once you only have to give me your email in one comment...that way you don't have to put it on all of them, to save you a bit of time! =)

The contest will run until April 11th!