PhotoMelange – a Fine Mix of Photos and Textures
Artwork and Fine Art Textures by Susan Weller
Cat Hair Studios – where it all started.
In 2004 I purchased my first digital camera and began a journey. It started with photographing something I loved – Art Nouveau pottery and tiles. Using those photos I created and sold stationery, greeting cards and note cards under the name Cat Hair Studios.
Cat Hair Studios Official Troublemaker!
The name Cat Hair Studios came from the Art Nouveau tiles I made and subsequently photographed. The tiles were made using a process of coating the top of a pre-fired ceramic tile with a gesso paste, then letting that paste dry over night. At the time one of my cats liked to sit next to me as I worked. The gesso was a thick and sloppy and I guess the cat liked the smell or something!!
The tiles would be left out to dry all night. And it seemed that with every batch of painted tiles one would have a tiny cat hair embedded right in the middle of the tile. There was no way to remove it, the paste dried hard as a rock and in the trash it went — good thing I made more than one at a time!
Once I began creating the cards and selling them I needed a fun, creative name for the studio which is when I thought back to my little cat issue and voila! Cat Hair Studios!! My cat became the mascot of the studio, he posed for website photos, even had a note card with is beautiful little face on it! Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago, I still miss him very much, with him went my interest in creating note cards and greeting cards until eventually I stopped making cards all together.
Fast Forward…to something new and wonderful!
In 2008 I was designing a blog for my family to use and considered using Flickr as a place where family members could upload any photos they wanted on the blog. I had never really looked at Flickr before, I just knew it was a photo-sharing website.
So I took a look around Flickr and came across some beautiful and stunning images that used a one-of-a-kind digital texture to add atmosphere to the artwork. I was so taken with the artwork that I had to find out how they were making these images!!!
I am now and have been a Commercial Artist/Graphic Designer for over 30 years. My main studio graphic design studio, CreativeAide, can be viewed here.
As a designer I’ve been working with Photoshop since it came out, so I was no stranger to manipulating photos but how I totally missed this… I don’t know! The only thing I can think is that it was not a technique often used in advertising which is where my concentration has been focused…but now I found it and I’m not going to let go!!
Creating artwork using fine art digital textures and overlays has become a passion. It has rekindled my interest in photography, it’s awakened me to a whole new world of art, and it’s become a way to share my passion with other emerging or professional artists by creating textures and overlays for them to use in their fine art creations.
The Journey Continues… Photomelange Little Treasures
I am currently in the process of introducing a new online shop the combines my original roots with Cat Hair Studios, my photography work with Photomelange and my advertising and marketing roots from CreativeAide. Photomelange Little Treasures offer personal and business promotional tools in the form of gift card holders, note cards, business cards and thank you cards that can be personalized for yourself or your business.
Sending loved ones a handwritten note card is still the best way to communicate your gratitude, sympathy, love, and best wishes. Using unique and creative gift card holders makes your gift that much more memorable! Using them for business promotion also hands customers a something hat they’ll want to keep around. Check out the new store here!