Crafty People Series #12 - Joseph Segaran

I met Joseph at my favorite bookstore here in Amsterdam, where I've admired his work (not knowing it was his work until recently) while walking up the stairs to the first floor. His work takes you through the heart of Amsterdam in black and white. Beautiful and delicate paper cuts of the amazing buildings you can see in the city.

He arrived here from the UK 8 years ago having just finished his fine arts degree, meaning to stay for only 3 months. He loved it so much, he never left. He works mainly on commission capturing people's favorite buildings on paper.

I'm so excited about this crafty series, not only because his work is truly fascinating but because I got to see his very gorgeous home (one of the perks of this series). It is evident through out his home the perfection and preciseness found in his work.

1. First Crafty Memory?
    I have a memory, and I'm not exactly sure of when it was, but I had made drawings of many animals and had cut 
    them to put them in my cupboard to decorate it, somehow they got destroyed and I remember that being very upsetting.

2. Favorite Craft you've ever made?
   A craft that I made when I was around 19. It represents a relationship I was at that moment. I like it a lot because it is so
   different from what I do now (third picture).

3. Favorite material to work with?
    A black pen. Staedtler 0.05

4. Inspiring words you like?
    A poem by Dorothy Parker called Faute de Mieux.
           Travel, trouble, music, art,
        A kiss, a frock, a rhyme-
        I never said they feed my heart,
        But still they pass my time. 

5. Favorite Color?
    It really depends for what, but officially it is green.

6. Coffee or Tea?
    Both equally, although I can only drink 2 cups of coffee and I can drink tea the entire day.

7. Mountains or Beach?
    Where the mountains meet the sea. I grew up in Yorkshire and that is the most beautiful landscape, the moors and the

    sea. I really like cliffs.

8. Where do you find inspiration?
    Architecture and nature. It has always been architecture for me, even when I was doing figurative drawings at school, I 

    was inspired by it. I have a drawing I made when I was little, in it I recorded all the houses in a street, which ones were
    attached, which others semi-attached and so on.

9. What do you collect?
     Blue and white china.  -*I must say here how utterly beautiful the collection is-.

10. What would you like to make that you haven't yet?

     Probably something huge, something sculptural or an installation or a big painting.

11. And because Joseph works in a bookstore I was really curious what his favorites books were; 

       Mrs. Dalloway, 1984 and The Cut Glass Bowl 

I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I did.

     
To learn more about Joseph you can find him  here and here

Have a great weekend. I hope it is a very crafty one. Mine looks like it will.
Giova