Wednesday, January 19, 2011

FEATURED SELLER: PMStudio - Pawel Mikoluk



Pawel Mikoluk is one of the few Poletsy Men. He's got two unique shops: PM Studio where he offers woodwork - some sculptures, some jewelry and some boxes and Rough Fusion  that specializes in items made out of hand dyed concrete: mainly planters, candle holders, and bowls. 
Pawel has been working with wood on and off for more than a decade, concrete on the other hand is a new adventure for him. He treats both store as hobby. For right now, anyway.

Tell us something about yourself 

I spent the first 10 years of my life in the country. Probably, because of that, green is my favorite color and I have a tendency of giving my work organic shapes. Then, I lived in a small town in the West of Poland. I really enjoyed frequent get aways to big cities like Krakow, Wroclaw or Gdansk, where I got to venture thru the galleries and museums, as well as admire the architecture. At the same time I loved going back on nature trails, like hitting Bieszczady. Later on I went to Holland, Germany, Denmark and just once to Prague. The Prague visit is the one, that I will never forget, due to the amazing architecture of that city. 
And 5 years ago, I moved to South East Pennsylvania, to a house in the american country. It's beautiful out here, there are some hills, a lake and huge park nearby. Now, I venture off to Philadelphia, Cape May and New York. 

What else do you do besides creating?

I have a wonderful wife - Joanna, who is a teacher but can also make awesome things out of wood. I have really cool kids: a daughter - Kasia, who lives in India now, where she studies math and philosophy and a son - Cezary, who's still in High School and has a knack for graphic design. The youngest member of our family is our dog Mia - 90 pounds full of love.
I work full time at Design Studio Campania International where I create original models for company's products. They're mainly planters, statues, bird baths and other decorative items.


What made you want to become an artist? 

Back at school I tried writing. I ended up being published once at Swiat Mlodych (Polish magazine for children). That was probably my only success with literature. At the same time I participated in school plays  both as a screenwriter and an actor (I still can't believe that). Later on I wanted to become a rock star, but that didn't work out either. In the end I made some wooden toy for my daughter. That's when I found out that I have a knack for sculpturing, that I can make something out of a plain piece of wood, something that is pleasing to the eye. And I feel in love with it.
I feel like deep inside I've always wanted to be an artist. I feel more like a crafter, but that's not a bad thing.

What inspires you?


When I see something that I like, and it doesn't matter what it is, jewelry, sculpture or something of every day use, I think to myself: "God, I'd love to make something that awesome!". Sometimes, I find something interesting in a piece of bent branch or in a shape of a rock. In other words, I think I'm mainly inspired by nature. Lately, also by music, or even a few tones can spark that artistic feeling in my brain.

Please describe your creative process


That's not always the same. Sometimes, something sparks in my mind, then sketching, correcting, and making it follow. But not always. Sometimes, after being inspired by something, a long painful process of making something great begins. And then sometimes after the idea hits me, the whole process takes about 30 seconds. You can see final results of that work in my stores.

What does your day look like?


Most of the days are similar to each other. They all begin with drinking coffee in front of the computer. On work day, after that, I go to work and start and new project or continue working on existing one. After work, I work on Etsy related projects. On weekends, I take an hour and a half morning walk with my dog. During that time, I let my mind wonder about project while enjoying the nature around me. Later on, I try to find time to create something new.

How do you promote yourself?

I try to do more in this area. So far, but not very regularly, I've been relisting and making treasuries. A few times I showed up in the Forum Chats. Recently, I've also gotten a Twitter account and two Facebook fan pages - one for PM Studio and one for Rough Fusion. I'm not really proficient, but I'm making progress.



Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In a large studio with huge windows that provide a lot of light. In between tables covered with started sculptures and displays with finished work...

What are your favorite products on Etsy?

The are plenty of talented people on Etsy, the list would have to be very long.

To keep up with what's going with Pawel and his wonderful work, don't forget to follow him on Twitter and / or Facebook.

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