Artist Spotlight - J Blake

Do you remember an art project in elementary school where your teacher had you cover a sheet of paper with differently colored crayons followed by a layer of black crayon? After that you were instructed to create a scene on this sheet of paper by scratching off portions of the black crayon, revealing the colors below? A similar process is mastered by J. Blake as you can see in examples of her scratchboard art.

My first purchase on Etsy, less than one month after I opened my shop EDCCollective with my mom in 2009, was from this artist. I don't remember how I stumbled across her wonderful artwork on Etsy but I was taken with the detail and presence she imbued in her subjects. Much of her work was close ups or portraits of wild creatures. Whether a local squirrel or an exotic tiger, the images were well executed and engaging. I especially liked her images of big cats.

I purchased a set of five, 5x7 note cards that were reproductions of her originals. I framed and hung them in the entrance to my office. My husband named the grouping cats and snacks, which I found to be quite humorous. I had not been going for a theme when I picked the five images that I wanted. I just picked the five I liked the best. Unfortunately her Etsy shop is no longer open but you can see other examples of her work at her link above.