Meet Eagle Rock Werkshop

Where are you from and how does that affect your work?
I was born in Kansas City, although my upbringing was a bit different than most kids. Both my mother and father are both from a small village in Croatia and I grew up in a bilingual household ... which also happened to be a small (non-commercial) farm.
We had chickens, sheep, cows, rabbits, a duck and a fully stocked pond. I love animals. So I tend to draw animals a lot.
I think growing up on a farm likely helped put a soft/organic spin on my art.

Very cool! Who/what are your biggest artistic influences?
I always wanted to be a Disney Animator growing up ... so good 'ol Walt was definitely an artistic/professional hero of mine.
Nowadays though, I always find myself gravitating toward artists with a unique voice and a specialized craft/medium ...
I think 90% of the accounts I personally follow on instagram are tattooist.
I find fineline/detailed tattoo art so inspiring that I actually started teaching myself how to tattoo just before COVID hit.
I have been told countless times that people think the artwork on my leggings are tattoos and I have had a handful of customers reach out asking if they could get my art tattooed on themselves.
Hopefully I will be able to dive into tattooing more in the future.

We could definitely see that! How do you define success as an artist?
Success has two meanings for me ... If you are able to make a living through art, that is a massive win.
But more importantly, does the work satisfy a need to create. Sometimes when your passion becomes your job, the passion fades.
I have worked creative jobs in the past that were incredibly unfulfilling ... drawing things that other people wanted me to draw vs. drawing things that make my heart sing.
True success is a balance of both. Being able to feel good about the work you are putting out while also paying rent on time =)

A true balance challenge! Does your art help you in other areas of your life?

I haven't been posting much Etch A Sketch art as of late, but for a while I was going live nightly on TikTok and there is a super weird sense of calm to Etch A Sketch with a large audience knowing that you cannot erase as you go along. Etch A Sketch art is a very unique form of meditation for me. It's one of the only times where I can zone out, focus on what is in front of me, and not let my brain stress about 700 other things simultaneously. My personal insta and tiktok profiles share a lot of my etch a sketch art and both can be found at @chriztinamarie

We will have to check that out! How have you developed your skill at your craft?
I have been a visual artist for as long as I can remember. In being mostly self-taught, my technique has slowly evolved over the last 30+ years and I am constantly learning and trying new things. I started with 100% hand illustrations and paintings. Over time, I had to learn how to recreate my artwork in photoshop for it to be print-ready. That has been quite the evolution. Being mostly self-taught in photoshop puts me at a bit of a disadvantage because I do not know most of the shortcuts and tricks to finish a project faster ... but I approach my photoshop as though I am illustrating on a sheet of paper or painting on a canvas. I think that gives my work a bit more of a familiar/organic feeling vs perfectly crisp clip art. (Although that is not to say that I wouldn't welcome a couple tips/tricks and shortcuts now and then, lol)!

What is the hardest part of your creation process?
The balancing act between what I want to draw vs what I think will sell.
Sometimes, I want to draw things that aren't so commercially appealing and I am not sure if I can invest in the cost of production to bring it to life. It's hard to put what you want to do on the back burner to instead work on the things that you think would be more popular/salable.

Also, and I am sure a lot of other small business owners can relate to this: I find it hard to magically find inspiration the moment that my schedule finally allows me to draw. Lately, 95% of my time revolves around administrative/operational/management tasks like bookkeeping, licensing, customer service emails (oof), permits, photoshoots and photo editing, writing email newsletters, working on the website, running production, etc .... I have about 3,197 hats to wear and it can be very hard to juggle all those things and then flip the switch when time allows for the creative process. More often than not, I find myself wishing I had a business partner who could manage a lot of the not-so-creative operations so I could focus on my art and what really makes me happy. A girl can dream.

A true entrepreneur! How has your style changed over time?
WERKSHOP Collections have evolved a lot over the years. I used to focus on single/large billboard style artwork on the leggings but have slowly shifted toward smaller details and mature styling. It's been a slow evolution though, because I have been trying to maintain a recognizable brand identity. The biggest shift in style has happened within the last year with the introduction of my Featherlight Collection. The Featherlight collection of leggings, bells, skirts, shorts and tops is the biggest change that WERKSHOP has embraced since I founded the company 9 years ago. WERKSHOP started as just Capri Length Triathlon/Compression leggings and has evolved into a full lifestyle brand over the years.

Very cool. What’s the best thing about being an artist?

Honestly, the best thing is being able to express what I feel/think in a way that can be shared with others even if I am not in the room with them. I imagine it is about the same feeling for all artists: musicians, writers, sculptors, etc ... we feel something, see (or hear it) in our head, and then get to share it with the world. I couldn't imagine a life without being able to share that side of myself.

What’s your favorite item that you’re created, and why?

Oh gosh, what a hard question! There is no way for me to pick one single item as my favorite ... but I will say that my new bicycle length shorts (with pockets) are my current obsession.
I wear them literally every single day. My favorite print out of the eight I have created so far would have to be the new Pit Viper. The print is also available as an active skirt (also with pockets) which is definitely my second-most worn style for the last few months.

Cute! Anything special you’d like to share?

If anyone out there is reading this and likes my art/clothing, I would be forever grateful if you checked out my website and came to visit my booth at the upcoming Jackalope Art Fair. As a small business, I sincerely appreciate the support more than words can say. Without a big marketing budget, I rely mostly on word-of-mouth and always strive to treat our customers like family. Welcome to #teamWERKSHOP! Thank You!!

Well we can’t wait to see you in person this November 19th & 20th at Jackalope Pasadena!

Where to see more of Eagle Rock Werkshop:

Website | www.werkshop.com

Instagram | @werkshop