Why Shoes?

Shoes picked me....I was painting in my studio and this thought came into my head that made me laugh, "Et tu, Shoe-te", a toga shoe. So I painted it. And then I wondered what else I could come up with by playing with the word 'shoe'. It all started with the word. Then came the two other criteria: Does it make me laugh? Is it pretty?

How many Shoeniverse paintings have you done so far?

At this point, I've done 56 paintings. Some are private commissions and the rest are in the new 2007 calendar published by Andrews McMeel. Who would have thought that from one thought that made me laugh, a whole series and a calendar were created!

How did you come up with your ideas for titles?

This may sound strange, but I didn't try to over think it. It was all playful to me. I love words, puns, rhyming...usually I thought of a theme that I wanted to do, and then I got out of the way and waited for the title to come to me. Once I got the calendar deal, the creativity needing to be cranked up to high...I wanted to do one for each of the main holidays. I think the Thanksgiving shoe gave me the biggest challenge. When I took a moment and simply asked 'what would a turkey shoe sound like?' and I came up with Cobble Cobble.

What are some of your favorite shoes?

I love them all, for different reasons. Some are just plain funny. I think Mother Shoeperior does that for me. And the lawyer shoe 'So Shoe Me'. That one is pretty funny and sexy, too. Others are just so beautiful, like the egyptian Shoetankamen and japanese Shoegun. Statshoe of Liberty is elegant because of the simple coloring and Taming of the Shoe is just saucy with that whip snaking around the heel...Let's just say they all delight me and I hope they bring as much fun to people as I have had in creating them.

You mentioned private commissions. How does that work?

I work with individual clients who are interested in having an original painting in a particular theme, style, or color scheme. It's fun for me, and once they're finished, I wrap them up and lovingly send them off to their new home. If anyone is interest in an original painting, they can contact me directly.

What's next for you and The Shoeniverse?

It's hard for me to believe, but the titles just keep coming...so, for now, I will say the the Shoeniverse is definitely expanding. I would love to see the paintings translated into ornaments. I think that would be fun for Christmas!

If you are interested in having an original shoe painting created especially for you, please contact Jennifer at 503.317.9209 or jgstrait@easystreet.net.