Q&A with Artist Heather Lynn!

Heather Lynn’s unique art first caught my eye when she applied to be a member of Etsy’s Dark Side Street Team. Her Coffin Critters are irresistibly, morbidly, cute and she is talented with more than just clay, as her original illustrations and graphic design work will show! Here she gives us a little insight into her world:

CZ: Tell us a little about yourself!
HL: Well if a vampire seduced a faery and spawned a child...that would be me. :) I appreciate the light and dark in everything (sometimes with too much emphasis on "dark"), and try to bring it to life with my creations.

CZ: What type of items do you sell?
HL: I get bored easily, so I have a lot of different styles and media that I play with. Everything is in the fantasy/gothic genre, but pieces range from shadow boxes and shrines to paintings to jewelry to sculpture...and anything in between. I go through phases with materials, techniques and media.

CZ: What is the inspiration behind your shop?

HL: I have 3 shops:
Gossamer Hollow (faerydustpixy) http://www.faerydustpixy.etsy.com
Coffin Critters http://www.coffincritters.etsy.com
Gossamer Graphics http://www.gossamergraphics.etsy.com

I'll try to keep my answer here short, but inspiration comes from so many places! In regards to Gossamer Hollow, it is fancy and light beauty, Witchery and dreams. I made my first Coffin Critter one Christmas day...not really sure what inspired them. I was just playing with new clay I had gotten, and they brought themselves to life! My ex was a bit disturbed that they surfaced on Christmas. I always chuckle about that. Gossamer Graphics is my design shop. It is unlike any other graphics shop you will find on Etsy. A designer by trade, that shop is heavily influenced by fantasy art and the tattoo culture (big fan!).


CZ: What is the greatest compliment you have received about your work?
HL: "It is the stuff of my nightmares", told to me by a very happy customer. I love that one. :)


CZ: When did you first realize that you weren’t “like the other kids”?
HL: I lived in a haunted house (yes, a for real one!) until I was 8, and I knew even back then. Kids in the neighborhood knew about the hauntings, as my home was featured on TV and in newspapers. Not to mention being the "talk of the town". So I remember feeling different then. I think the experience of that house also influenced my life heavily in many ways, separating me from your average childhood and adolescent normalcy. I learned to accept, love, and nurture it. :)

CZ: What’s a typical day in the life of this Dark Sider like?
HL: It really depends on the day! Typically it involves everyday stuff...eating, sleeping, cleaning (yuck, only when I HAVE to), socializing. It is just done with a darker flair, and with some arts and crafts thrown in here and there. When not creating or working or doing mundane tasks, much of my time is spent researching the internet, nature, and my own brain to try to conjure ideas for my next artistic challenge. I am also a singer and enjoy a good horror movie. Hell, I enjoy a bad horror movie too.

CZ: Zombies or Vampires?

HL: Although I really LOVE both of them, I would have to choose vampires. BUT NOT SPARKLY TEENAGERS! *I have to admit I do like "True Blood" though.* Mostly I like old-fashioned Dracula, Nosferatu. I'm completed fascinated by Elizabeth Bathory. I also enjoy a romantic Bram Stoker and Ann Rice read. Zombies rock hardcore, but I feel a stronger connection with vampires. I think I like the dark beauty and romance often associated with them. And am envious because I would love to be young and beautiful forever!

CZ: Which horror character do you identify with most?

HL: I love May [Lucky McKee's "May", 2002]. Not that I plan on killing people and sewing them together, but deep down she has a good heart. She's just different and misunderstood, desperate for someone who could understand her and give her love unconditionally. Don't we all want that, really?

CZ: What scares you?
HL: Time. Trends. Animal cruelty. Heights. Beauty ads. Germs. Mirrors. Hot pink. Creatures that have more than 4 legs. Plastic surgery. The dude in the Burger King costume.

CZ: When my undead masses take over will you be with us or against us?
HL: Count me IN! Can I be in command of something? I want to feel important.