Creating Christa~Steampunk, to start, then move on to art...

...then munch a bunch, and design more after.

*all artwork done by Christa and will take you to a piece of her world*

Christa St. Jean first came onto my radar back in my avid twitter days. Brett Williams was pimping his book Family Business and was very proud of the cover that Christa designed for him. And, because the cover was beautiful, I had to check out the rest of her work. Let me tell you folks out there: There is much more to Christa than just images.

Christa St. Jean is a sort of visual Jill-of-all-trades. From her home page/blog, you can find links to her art portfolio, steampunk store, recipes, and a design business geared toward your online needs.

Christa is here today on short notice. Thank you so much for stepping up and opting to be my victim...er...my guest, Christa!

Christa: Hi Heather and thank you for this opportunity :) 

First off, being a lover of all things art and still a baby in that world, I'm curious about “steampunk.”

For those of us who only recently became aware of that brand of style, can you give us a little background on what it means in general, and also what it means to you?

Christa: When it comes to Steampunk I can only tell you what it is to me since it is a design style that is changing depending on who you ask. But to me it's a mix of Victorian and Industrial design, like mixing lace with cogs. To me it means that I can recycle things that most people would throw away. It's environmentally friendly, it's unique and it's a challenge to put together a pendant or a ring from bits and pieces that already have their solid shape.

Hmmm...I have no idea why I didn't know much about this before. That defines my personality to a tee.

I know you create these designs and sell them on your site. But, do you do custom work as well? And if so, how does one go about acquiring your services?

Christa: Yes, I do custom work too. To contact me for a commission the easiest way is to get in touch with me via Steampunk Box, let me know what kind of object you want. I've kept pretty much everything I've made in the gallery at Steampunk Box since most people have a difficult time describing what they want, so I suggest you start there before getting in touch. I can't make the same thing twice, but if you want something similar to what I've already done, it's easier for me to know what style you're after.

Highly recommended, folks. But, if you aren't into steampunk, there's more!

I, personally, love finger painting, the way the paint coats and cools my hands, heats my emotions, and draws all kinds of craziness out of me, through my fingers, and onto a blank paper. I can't for the life of me make anything other than abstract gunk, but I love doing it!

Christa, in browsing your art, I can tell you put a lot more time and effort into your final product than I do. The different facets are well defined and detailed, and you also have quite the variety in not only images but in style.

How long does it take for you to do an individual painting?

Christa: Let me tell you a secret - I'm rubbish when it comes to abstract art :p Just can't do it. Guess I need the details and the reality in my paintings. The time it takes to complete a painting depends very much on what I'm painting, how detailed it is and how big it is too. If I paint for a print the area to fill is so much bigger than if I paint one of my portraits of someone famous for example...or anything else I can't sell. But it can be from 12 hours up to 2 months. The book cover I did for Brett Williams took nearly 2 months to complete since it was so complex with so many characters involved.

Wow! That sure says a lot about the quality of your work.

Is all your current art digital, or do you still do the good old-fashioned hands on style of art as well?

Christa: I do some regular sketches the old fashion way still, but unfortunately I don't have the space to paint in oil any more. The last painting I did was in 2007 and because oil paint requires a couple of weeks to dry, the canvas was living a very dangerous life on the easel in the living room :p So I've decided to put that on hold until we find a bigger place. Then I might claim a room as all mine and make it into a studio :D

Oh, yes! You should definitely commandeer a room for your art!

For those more interested in the art side than the steampunk, are you also available for custom art projects? If so, what types, styles, and how can those interested find you for a consultation?

Christa: I do book covers, CD covers and pretty much anything else a graphic designer does since that's my "real" profession. The style is anything you need and can think of. To get a consultation I'm available for questions or quote through Paperbag Designs contact form.

Yes, folks, besides the artistic stylings already mentioned, Christa is also a partner in a business called Paperbag Designs.

Christa, what services are provided by this company, and what do you have to offer that others don't?

Christa: We have a very cost effective alternative to the more expensive type of e-commerce platforms you can find today and we do a lot of work for customers who simply can't afford to pay for expensive updates. I've seen this becoming more and more common, but we have done this for the past couple of years now since we got Paperbag Designs up and running just as the recession started, and it's given a lot of small business the opportunity to either get their store online and pick up on a customer base, or to transform their already existing e-commerce into something that actually gives them a profit in the end. So it's been a win-win situation for everyone :)

Win-win is always a good thing. *grin*

But there is more to it than just e-commerce, am I correct? 

Christa: Other than that we also offer web hosting, programming, installation services and graphic design as I mentioned above.

See, I warned you all that Christa was a Jill-of-all-trades. Want to know a little about other sides of Christa? Me too!

*smacks lips* It must be getting close to snack time or something, my tummy's growling at me. But that might just be from looking at all the yummy recipes and images on the “My Swedish Kitchen” link on Christa's page.

Now, Christa, is this just a hobby of yours, or is cooking as much an art to you as steampunk, painting, and graphic design?

Christa: How about obsession? LOL No...maybe not obsession, but I enjoy cooking. It's fun and maybe it can be creative if you want it to. Baking is probably one of my big problems really since I've got a sweet tooth that is all but good for me...too many pies and cookies and cakes together with not enough exercise makes you look and feel like a mammoth in the end.

And that is what friends were invented for. *smirk* So we can all be in that condition together. *wink* Hmm...I'll have to try some of those recipes. *yoink* I'll probably butcher them, I can't cook to save my life... well, I guess in a way that's not true. I do eat my own cooking. *grin*

I'm going to whip up a few morsels. Anyone else out there want to join me as a member of the mammoth club?

Christa, thank you again for stopping by today on such short notice. Is there anything else you'd like to add that I forgot to mention? Any parting tidbits, shameless plugs or promotions, or random facts of useless knowledge that may not be so useless at a time we least expect it?

Christa: I think we should keep my skeletons in the closet for now ;) The only thing I'd like to add is that if you are interested in the progress of digital painting, I do post almost daily at Paperbag Designs blog. Usually it is progress images from the current painting I'm working on together with a description. I also sell my prints at http://prints.paperbagdesigns.net and most of them have their own progress post in that blog at Paperbag Designs. But that should be it :)

Steampunk, e-commerce, art, and food. Yeah, I think we covered all the basics. The skeletons can stay in hiding. :P

Let's have a great big round of applause for our impromptu guest today. It takes one heck of a person to run my gauntlet on such short notice, and Christa did fantastic! Better yet, go check out her sites and show a bit of love by supporting a hard working creative soul!

You can find Christa at these places:

Keep up with her at her Blog.

Work your way through her Website.

Friend her on Facebook.

Tweet with her on Twitter.

Purchase a print at her Print Store.

Stock up on jewelry at Steampunk Box.

Make mmm mmm memories at My Swedish Kitchen.

Ladies and gentlemen, and lovers of all things art, I open the comments to your creative questions and honorable mentions. Feel free to leave your mark below!