Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx with Jan DiCintio of Daisy Janie

Sharing my interview with one of fave people on the Internet, Jan DiCintio of Daisy Janie, for today’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx. Jan is fabric & surface designer & a regular must read blogger.

Couple of new things going on for Jan…her new 2010 calendar.  I bought last year’s edition and I loved it, so I will being getting 2010 for sure. Also, Jan has just announced Geo Grand, which is her new organic fabric collection available for wholesale.

Learn more about Jan & her biz in my interview below.

1. What’s the name of your business, what do create and sell and how did you get your start?

In my business, Daisy Janie, I design & sell organic fabrics as well as a yearly calendar printed with my original designs. I also create/customize and sell surface designs to clients who use them for various applications. I started painting 11 years ago, creating surface designs on mirrors, furniture and walls. When my painting biz came to an end, I started sewing handbags to keep busy. It was not intended to be a new business, but one thing led to another and, soon, I was designing my own fabrics for my handbags. With consistent inquiries about buying my fabric designs, I dropped the handbags to focus solely on creating & selling fabric!

2. Share some of your inspirations.

I am inspired by textures, colors and patterns in nature and by lines & shapes created by sun and shadows dancing through a window. I also love design from the late 1920s to early 1970s, particular mid-century modern. It’s not only the actual styles of these periods, but also the stirring nostalgia I feel when I look at them.

3. Do you cook? If so, what is your favorite thing to cook? Have a recipe?

I love to cook! I am very improv with my family’s meals, just depends what we have on-hand. Last night, I threw together broccoli florets, roasted red pepper and tomato (cut everything tiny); added 3:1 dressing of extra-virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar; freshly ground salt & pepper; sprinkled some garlic powder and a few crumbles of feta cheese (you don’t need a lot!). YUM!

4. What have you recently been reading, watching and listening to?

Reading…the newspaper and holiday cookie recipes. Some friends and I are getting together to swap books tomorrow – can’t wait!

Watching…Glee!, SYTYCD, Project Runway, Ace of Cakes, Good Eats

Listening to… http://www.radio1045.com – streaming audio; http://www.pandora.com – Feist station.

 5. What’s your creative process like?

Daydreaming, walking, observing, thinking, imagining, doodling, drawing, experimenting, tweaking, tweaking, tweaking, dancing (and sometimes clapping as you’ll soon find out).

6. Share something silly about yourself.

Oh man, I had to ask my husband! He offered 3 gems: I eat triscuits row-by-row, I make up songs to the tune of nursery rhymes and sing them ad nauseum (sometimes opera style…), and I clap. A lot. I clap coming & going, happy & often. Why not?!

7. What’s the best thing about what you do? And the worst?

Lately, I think the best and worst things are exactly the same: charting my own course day-in and day-out. It’s delightful to be able to take any creative direction of my choosing, but it’s daunting to whittle down my grand ideas into a few that are worth pursuing b/c they have profit potential. Thinking of my ideas as business units is a major reality check.

8. What does indie mean to you? You can give a literal definition, choose to be a little esoteric or a combination of both.

Indie is passion. Indie is caring. Indie is better than. Indie can be a mindset, personality trait and lifestyle. Get indie why dontcha!