The Hassle Flea is happening THIS SUNDAY, February 13th from 12-6 @ The Middle East Upstairs and Downstairs. To help promote out lovely event, we interviewed some of our vendors to ask them about their business and what they are most looking forward to this upcoming year. Check out their responses below and don’t forget to come to the Hassle Flea!
ChiChi Ryan AKA THE MOONVVITCH
BH: How has business been since COVID started? What adjustments have you been making?
ChiChi: Once Covid started I had made a decision in my life that I was no longer going to be working for other people, I made the decision to start my own business. I started my business jewelry business and started falling in love with other mediums. I now describe myself as a botanical artist that takes inspiration from nature and transfers it into art. One of my mediums is woodworking and resin and being able to encapsulate wildflowers that I find from all over MA. Being able to preserve wildflowers is deeply therapeutic for me! But I also do wire wrapping, jewelry making, and metal smithing.
BH: Do you have a soundtrack for your creation process?
ChiChi: I don’t always have a soundtrack as I listen to a lot of different things, I will either have witchy podcasts on, television or movies or whatever music I am in the mood for!
BH: What is one of your favorite pieces that you’re selling at this upcoming market?
I really enjoy selling mystery boxes. I do themed mystery boxes where I make a bunch of little things and add them to a box. But I also enjoy my botanical ashtrays that I make!
BH: Artistically, what do you look forward to in 2022?
ChiChi: I have only recently become part of the BH flea team and running it so I’m very much looking forward to my upcoming year of doing flea market and the return of summer and wildflowers since that’s when I am most inspired and where I hand forage most of my materials 🙂
BH: Lastly, we would like to know where you would like to be found, like your website or social media accounts.
ChiChi: You can find me on Instagram The_MoonVvitch (two V’s). All my links to other accounts and my shop are in my bio on there! My Etsy ship can be found under The Moon Vvitch.
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BH: How has business been since COVID started? What adjustments have you been making?
PlainBoyCeramics: I launched my business at the start of COVID so it has been especially challenging and quite a slow start. My fiancé helped me build my website two years ago and we did a totally online launch for all of my paintings, ceramics, and other works. I have done a couple in-person markets which help with marketing, networking and sales significantly, but it is always a difficult decision to vend in-person now because of COVID.
BH: Do you have a soundtrack for your creation process?
PlainBoyCeramics: I find it really difficult to get into a flow state without music; I always put it on before I start making. My fiancé works from home while I work in my apartment-studio in the same room so we are often listening to music together. We have been listening to NTS, a global music streaming site, regularly and I love the Sweat infinite mix tape on there. Being Puerto Rican, I grew up listening to latinx music all the time at home, and I still love latinx music-especially reggaetón. Bad Bunny is number one in my heart, next to Rawayana, Bomba Estéreo, and chicarica at the moment.
BH: What is one of your favorite pieces that you’re selling at this upcoming market?
PlainBoyCeramics: I’m most excited about the vase forms I’ve been making lately. They are a really nice form for experimentation and a bit of a challenge, too. I’ve been learning a lot from making them, and it’s been really fun to see how far I can push my material while maintaining a functional piece. I can’t show those to you though because they haven’t been fired yet! I’m also super excited for the planters that I’ll have on the table. I’ve been propagating a few of my plants at home and it feels rewarding to help them find new homes along with the new planters.
BH: Artistically, what do you look forward to in 2022?
PlainBoyCeramics: I’m looking forward to expanding the reach of my practice more this year by continuing to apply to more gallery, and grant opportunities. I have also started a mutual aid raffle this month that I am going to continue to hold regularly throughout the year. Although I’ll be teaching ceramics a lot more, I also want to make a point to make more artwork. When I’m teaching, it can be difficult for me to keep the pace of my art practice as consistent. I look forward to overcoming my obstacles with time and planning in 2022.
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BH: How has business been since COVID started? What adjustments have you been making?
Business has been pretty good all things considered. Pre-COVID I had only ever done a few small shows here and there. I had myself all geared up to do every show possible in 2020 right before the hammer fell. It just gave me some more time to prep and 2021 ended up being a good show year for me.
BH: Do you have a soundtrack for your creation process?
Hmm… is there a soundtrack that encompasses my work? Maybe it would be something moody and atmospheric with more than a few creaks, groans and waterphone divebombs. Do I listen to anything while I create? Oh ya. Sometimes music, sometimes audiobooks or podcasts. Right now I’ve been enjoying Manchester Orchestra’s 2021 album “The Million Masks of God”
BH: What is one of your favorite pieces that you’re selling at this upcoming market?
I would say it’s my huge Creature From the Black Lagoon painting. It’s rather large but would really make a statement in a room, especially with it’s opulent GOLDEN BAMBOO frame. (If the original is a bit out of your price range do not fear, I have prints!)
BH: Artistically, what do you look forward to in 2022?
I’m looking forward to making some serious progress on my first illustrated book “Mummy.” which features an original short story written and richly illustrated by me! You can read the first draft and check out some of the illustrations (as well as getting behind the scenes insight to the process and creation of the project) by becoming a patron over at www.patreon.com/maxmartelliart. Membership starts at $1 per month (if everyone reading this did THAT Iight even finish this by the end of the year?)
Website: www.maxmartelli.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/maxmartelliart
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maxmartelliart
Patreon: www.patreon.com/maxmartelliart
