Name: Pika aka Mrs. Burtner
Age: 11,760 days or 32 years and 8 months
Location: Ballard in Washington near Canada (TM Lib Tech)
Astrological sign: Libra, if I was a super hero I'd be the "seeker of harmony and justice!"
Medium: These days acrylics, cheap, fast, and easy. Just how I like it. Oil paint only when time isn't a luxury or if I feel up to spending a lot of time cleaning out really expensive brushes in stinky "odorless" mineral spirits after painting. Why are they called "mineral spirits" anyways? Are they the ghosts of long lost minerals?
Website? christinaburtner.com and christinaolsenburtner.blogspot.com

Do you like to get weird, if so why and what do you do, if not why not?
You don't want to know. But really, if I had to choose something where there was a normal choice, and a weird choice, I'd probably pick the weird one. Food, socks, art, kites, friends; I'd go for weird and original for sure. I don't get weird with mutual funds and post-apocalyptic survival scenarios and those kinds of things.

Do you work in a studio / office / in the park?
In my home, I have a room that I call a studio, but it's really a mix between where piles of paper and magazines go to get filed and never do, and a place to make art. Right now the piles of paper are winning.

Whats an average day in your life right now?
2AM answering artist bios. Average day though is wake up, get coffee at Equal Exchange, skate at Greenlake with Jesse, try to do a kickflip on cement, and if that doesn't work after 10 or so attempts, try them in the grass where the kids with razor scooters' moms walk the dog. Then it's work time for Think Thank, with freelance sprinkled in and I'm just finishing up school. At night Jesse and I always need to zone out to some bad tv for an hour or so before bed. Mac and Cheese for the brain, nothing too serious. If Jesse's traveling it's all romance novels all the time. The more eyebrow-arching, the better. We also try to make an effort to hang with buddies a few nights a week, as long as it's within walking distance from our house. We don't tend to leave Ballard when we're home.

Optimist / Pessimist? Realist? WEIRDISTS?
Realistically an optimist. It gets me into trouble, then I get pessimistic.

Do make a living off your art? How do you pay all your bar tabs?
I wouldn't call it enough to live on by most people's standards, but it makes me happy and I'm pretty low maintenance. Bar tabs are paid for at least and I spend my time and energy doing what I'm passionate about.

What does Gnu mean to you?
It's a wild cow, it's the first snowboard I ever rode when I was 12 that I rented at the Mt. Baker Ski Area, it's Barrett Christy, it's Danny Kass, it's Forest Bailey; it's weird, fun and pushing limits, it's made in the USA.

Besides artmaking, what do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy doing my husband. ;)

What gets you out of bed in the morning, what inspires you?
My husband, Jesse Burtner who is my best friend, partner in crime and beau hunk.

Can you tell us a little about the graphic you did for GNU?
The Velvet Guru. Inspired by Barrett's eye for jungle pants. It will take you on a wild ride.

Currently listening to?
Oberhoffer, Learning Team, Arcade Fire, Pixies.

Currently looking at?
My computer screen for the twelfth hour straight. Favorite website or blog? NPR.ORG

Thanks?
My husband, Jesse Burtner, who inspires me every nanosecond of everyday. Lib Tech and Gnu for giving me the opportunities to be apart of something that I believe in and make original art in the process!