Straight Talk With Crooked Little Studio

God's Creation

Crooked Little Studio is based in Shreveport. Artist, Diana Hamiter's religious-themed pendants made from Scrabble tiles and original art can be found at Jacob's Well, a Catholic book and gift store located at 2459 E. 70th St. in Shreveport.

Do you have any formal art training? (Where and what did you study?)

I have a bachelor's of fine art in graphic design from Louisiana Tech University, 1986. I worked full-time as a graphic artist from the time I graduated till about six years ago when I went back to school for a semester to get my alternative teaching certificate. Now I'm teaching art to elementary and middle school students at St. Joseph School in Shreveport. I still take a few freelance design projects from time to time.

Brown Bird, Pink Flowers ACEO, ATC print

What medium do you generally work in on paper/canvas?

I usually work in ink (Micron pens) and add color with watercolor pencils. Occasionally I'll use colored pencil, too.

What inspires your work?

Mostly nature. I can sit and watch God's smallest of creatures for hours...dragonflies, lizards, frogs, insects. I have bird feeders right outside my studio window so I can watch the birds. My family owns a "farm" (the kind without cows and chickens - lol) in Carmel. There's LOTS of inspiration for me there. Stress just melts away when I ride into the woods and just sit and take in my surroundings.

Dragonfly Garden

For the uninitiated, explain what ACEO and ATC's are.

ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions and Originals." ATC stands for "Art Trading Cards." Basically, they're trading cards created by artists. Artists have produced miniatures as a means for trading or self-promotion throughout modern history. Some artists today believe they should only be traded (ATC), but some artists produce them to sell them (ACEO). There's only one rule: the size must be 2.5" by 3.5" -- the same size as a trading card or playing card. Beyond that, the sky's the limit. I've seen them made of all kinds of media. Their size makes them affordable and easy to collect. I have a great little collection of them myself.