Make Mistakes, Make Good Art.

"Make interesting mistakes,

make amazing mistakes,

make glorious and fantastic mistakes.

And then.....

Husband runs off with a politician?

Make good art.

Leg crushed and then eaten by a mutated boa constrictor?

Make good art.

IRS on your trail?

Make good art.

Cat exploded?

Make good art."

Break rules.

Leave the world more interesting for your being here.

Make good art."

Neil Gaiman, from a commencement speech given at the 

University of the Arts in Philadelphia, in May of 2012.

I found this quote in the book "Neil Gaiman the View from the Cheap Seats", a collection of his non-fiction - essays, speeches, book reviews, interviews, etc.  The book came from our local library, so I must give it back, but the book impressed me so much that I intend to find a used copy on line and buy it. This review of the book by the journalist and author Caitlin Moran explains exactly why I want my own copy.

"If this book came to you during a despairing night, by dawn you would believe in ideas and hope and humans again. This is a beautiful book."

Motivational Slump

I admit, for the last month and especially after Tuesday's election, I have been pretty depressed. For lack of a better term, my "muse" has gone into hiding. I don't blame her.

There were two projects started.

 Back in September/October it was the cropped jacket experiment, the inspiration for which I found on Pinterest. I got as far customizing and futzing with making the pattern, getting the material, and cutting out the outer layer, which will eventually be stenciled and beaded. Part of the delay with this was the stencil I had intended to use just didn't work, so I will have to drive into the next county, hit the Michael's over there, and try to find one that works. The other setback was the work table I use for cutting out cloth and stenciling got buried under...stuff. So I had to clear that off...again. It seems to attract "stuff" like honey attracts bees. Then the election became utterly terrifying, and my worst nightmares came horrifyingly true. I cried! I actually cried over the results of an election! Unfortunately, I am still depressed. I decided to give myself time to grieve before attempting anything creative. I am afraid it would color in a negative way whatever I tried to do.

The other project was a painting I started toward the middle of summer. I love the concept, and I am really happy with the drawing. I struggled with the painting, but felt things were moving along okay. Then some outside circumstances put things on hold for a few weeks, then the light fixture over my drafting table wouldn't work, then the weather got cold and rainy (I work in the garage), then the election added to the gloom. For me, it was a no-win situation. Now the garage corner where I paint is cold, and because we get no sun until late in the day, if at all, my corner, even though the light fixture is working again, is still on the dark side. That is something that needs to be addressed. Also, some kind of heater will help with the cold, but it has to be radiant heat, not something with a fan, or the paint will dry too fast.

This probably sounds like a litany of "woe is me" and to a certain extent, I guess that's true. But when your soul is in such despair, it's really hard to get motivated. I look at my poor painting, which is pleading with me to finish it, and I have good intensions, and then...just can't. Until I can reboot myself, I have brought it into the house so it doesn't get dusty. Since it is in the same room as the computer, it also forces me to look at it guiltily every day. Maybe the guilt will eventually overpower the depression, or something will happen to get me fired up again. Or maybe a week or so to do nothing but read, work my horses, and just breath will solve the problem. At this point, I just don't know.

This is the progress/progression on Embrace the Night so far. The last photo was taken in the house today, which is why the colors look darker, although parts of the painting were darkened before I left it. At this stage, I consider the painting about halfway finished.

Hopefully, this artistic funk I am in won't last. Maybe I can entice my muse out of hiding with a nice glass of wine, one of my favorite art books, and a lovely chat about inspiration?

New Year, New Ideas, and a Few True Confessions

I don't make New Year's resolutions. I used to, with every good intention of keeping them, but that never happened. Then I'd feel guilty because I failed to keep my resolution. It was not a win-win situation, so I quit doing it.

For the last few years I have tried to concentrate on new ways to think about things, or ways to improve my life. Mostly that has been to simplify. Getting rid of things I don't use that have been sitting around the house, closet, or garage for years collecting dust.  That has been a very satisfying endeavor, and I have given away lots of things to people who were thrilled to get them. Last week I donated a large bag of mixed beads to a non-profit organization for kids projects. Tomorrow I am delivering a small drafting table (I have two others) to a young girl who is a great budding artist. She will get a lot of use out of that table, which has been sitting in a storage unit for six years.

Another thing that I am going to work hard on, and this is a tough one for me, is to be more a person who sees the glass half full, rather than half empty. I admit, I am a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic, and tend not to trust people. I suspect this might be part and parcel with my introvert personality.

One of the big things for me to overcome, both in life and in art, is to stop worrying about what other people think, and to stop comparing my work/life with theirs. To be inspired is one thing, and that is great, but to be envious, especially if that person is successful and/or popular, is a hard thing to avoid. The risk is that I might try to make my artwork or beading projects look more like theirs, even if their style is not mine. The reasoning behind that being, "Well, maybe if my work is more like theirs, I will be more popular." When I find myself thinking like that, I have to back up, slap my forehead, and tell myself to "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Most of my adult life I was given to believe that unless you could make money at your artwork, you weren't an artist, you were just dorking around with a fun hobby.  My first husband was really great at making me feel like the artwork I needed to do to feel human and get me through some tough times, wasn't worth much because it wasn't "a job" that created income. Fortunately, my second husband of 25 years is just the opposite, which is a relief. But there is always that niggle that if I can't make the artwork/jewelry pay for itself it means that what I am doing isn't worthy, because no one else wants it. This is the wrong attitude to take, and very self-defeating.

Lately I have been reading more and more about what is called "Guerilla Artwork." Small pieces of artwork or inspirational sayings left in public places for people to find, like a gift from the universe— no strings attached, not a stealth advertisement, not self-promotion. Its only purpose is to make someones day a little brighter. Art just for art's sake. Art for the simple joy it will give to a total stranger. I love the idea and want to play. This simple act dispels for me the idea that in order for artwork to be valid, it must make money. And no, I am not badmouthing artists who make money. I admire them. I have made a bit of money myself. But for me, this idea of a gift of art for whomever finds it, just appeals. The world can be a depressing place. Wouldn't it be great of someone was having a totally crap day and found my gift and it made them smile?

To that end, I have started sending out my small contributions to this fun way to spread a little joy. Over the years, I have found dozens of bookmarks left in books I have checked out from the library. I decided that putting small bookmarks that I have made in the books before returning them would be a easy way to start. On the back of each bookmark, I am writing a note that says, "This is for you to keep, or to leave in the book for the next person to enjoy." I also thought that a pair of simple earrings, taped to an index card and left, say in a ladies restroom, would be another fun way to play. On the card it would say something like, "This is a gift to you from the Universe. Hope it brings a smile."

So, no New Year's resolutions, no promises to myself that I know I won't keep. Just a desire to keep working on simplifying my life, play more with my art/jewelry/beading, and at the same time send some small bits of artwork out into the world. Ideas I think I can stick with and enjoy, totally guilt free.  

Belle Epoch Necklace

Two things happened recently that inspired this necklace. The first was two friends sending me boxes of beads and findings, because they were things they couldn't use. Between the two, I scored a huge stash of agate, jade and quartz beads, faceted glass beads, painted wood beads, and a large collection of silver coins with bales already attached, from several foreign countries. Also my mother gave me a inexpensive (from a Big Box Store) heart bracelet that she didn't want. So, a ton of new stuff to play with, which is always fun.

The second, was finding a site on Pinterest that showed dozens and dozens of period clothing, hats  and jewelry from the Edwardian and the Belle Epoch eras...approximately late 1800s to the outbreak of WWI. These are my favorite eras for ideas in unique color combinations, designs to tweak and adapt for stencils, appliques, and beading on clothing of my own. Also for wire jewelry ideas. Obviously, there is NO way I can copy the amazing work by jewelers of that time. Those pieces are works of art, and most reside in museums. But I can simplify...a lot...the swirls and leaf/vine shapes of those Art Nouveau and Edwardian pieces.

Which brings me to this latest necklace, made from agate beads, faceted glass beads, glass leaves and flowers, turquoise chips, dusky-blue ceramic beads, drop pearls, two slides with rhinestones, "silver" worked wire, purchased chain, one of the dozen lanyard clips included in one of the gift box stashes, and faux-silver marcasite hearts from that bracelet of my mom's. As you can tell, I am all into recycling, upcycling...or whatever they call it these days.

Work table...necklace in progress.

The lovely green pearls did not end up in the finished work.  The three connected hearts to the left of the photo are what is left of the little bracelet my mom gave me to play with.

And here is the finished piece.

And here is an FYI: My Etsy site is temporarily closed. I am in the process of updating all of my jewelry pieces and revamping the site. This piece is the first one in that process. I got to the point where the site looked dated, and a lot of the jewelry were things that had been on and off the site since I opened it, about three years ago, and hadn't sold. Also, I am trying VERY hard to improve the quality and workmanship. Which is another reason why most of the old pieces will be taken apart and made into something else. I was new to a lot of the techniques needed, and have improved, I hope, since then. Still improving and learning, which is a lot of fun. And I'm still collecting bits and bobs, haunting junk/antique stores for that special find...like the mason jar full of broken bits I just scored the other day for $9, which ended up being 75% usable for upcycling. I don't usually get that lucky, and end up tossing or giving to the Goodwill almost half to 75%, with only that last 25% being anything I would want in a piece.

So, thanks to my mom, friends, and a lucky junk store find, I have lots of new things to play with, and an eye-candy web site to inspire me to keep pushing that design envelope.

Back to Projects

Now that the ARC mounted archery event is over, I can go back to my normal (?) life of working on different projects. Here are the latest. These are being done simultaneously with the Riding Costume, but I like variety and hopping from one project to another. It's the same reason I read two and three books at the same time.

Here is number one. I apologize of the lousy quality of the photos, but trying to take pictures in my house in winter is like trying to take photos in a cave without a flash. Usually I take things outside to photo, but it's pouring rain today, so that option was out.

My latest Goodwill score. A Christopher & Banks cropped linen jacket, bought for only $4.99. New they run over $40. I think this is the natural, un-dyed color of the linen, but not sure. It's a soft, sorta greenish beige. It has same-color machine embroidery in a leaf pattern up the front, on the collar, and a detail on the back. There is also what looks like narrow, pulled thread work up the front along the buttons and buttonholes. Rice, over at the Voodoo Cafe, would dye this some bright, zingy color, but I'm not really into the whole dyeing thing. I will, however, add more thread detail and beading. I might also swap out the buttons, if I can find some others I like better, which shouldn't be hard, as these are pretty bland. I really liked the gold thread work I did on my red bolero, and I think that would also look good on this jacket. Maybe small gold beads, or shiny rust colored ones. Not sure. I will have to play around with stuff to see what works best.

Anyway, I love the feel of the linen, it's pretty heavy, but very comfortable to wear. I did laugh when I bought it though, as the cashier lady made the comment, "Oh, this will be really nice when you iron it." Yeah, like that's ever going to happen!

 

Here it is hanging in my bedroom. The machine embroidery actually shows up better than I thought it would.

Here is the detail along the front, and on the collar. Now that I really look at it, I think the pulled thread work is just more machine embroidery. Oh well. Still looks nice.

Back detail.

So, that's one project.

Project number two is a necklace.

The main section is an old vintage bracelet, with lovely sky-blue crystals. The end link is missing the main stone, and I will remove it, maybe find a stone later and use that piece in something else. I have three blue teardrop crystals, some darker blue glass beads and will probably hunt up some other small metal detail beads or spacers. To extend the length, I'll make links with gold wire, add a dark blue bead to every link, and if I have enough, make the extensions a double strand of links. The links will be hooked into these really wonderful peacock-blue jump rings I found. The teardrop crystals will hang from the vintage bracelet.

Overview of the components.

Closeup of the vintage bracelet.

And that is project number two. Can't wait to do this one. It will be an experiment in mixing vintage with the modern, more flashy jump rings. I've had that section of vintage bracelet for ages, just waiting for the right other pieces to fall into place. It was finding those peacock blue jump rings that sparked inspiration. Funny old world, isn't it.

Inspiration

I think I've stated before, somewhere in this blog, that I really like vintage/antique jewelry, In particular, Edwardian. It has a cleaner, more graceful line than Victorian, which to me can seem overly fussy. On the other extreme, I like the look and colors of religious icons, medallions, and medals. So, to that end, I danced off to the library and brought home two books that have tons of inspirational ideas in them. You just gotta love the library!

Vintage Jewelry Design by Caroline Cox
Relicarios—Devotional Miniatures From the Americas by Martha J. Egan

I have long wanted to be able to reproduce, at least in feel, the Edwardian jewelry that I love. Since most of it is made in finely crafted gold, silver, diamonds, and various jewels—not something I could readily afford or reproduce, even if I wanted to—my quest was to reinterpret those designs in something, well, let's face it, more mundane—wire, beads, crystals, pearls. I'm not attempting to copy these jewels, but get their, for lack of a better tern, aura, using fairly inexpensive supplies, easily acquired.

Today was my first attempt at this, trying to replicate the lines and feel of a beautiful Edwardian pendant done in white gold, pave diamonds, and pearls. After five hours, and four failed prototypes, I finally got one pendant that is close to what I am after. It's not quite "there" yet, but I'm getting close. More work and experimentation is needed, but I have to confess, I kinda like the way this last one of the day turned out. It showed me that progress had, indeed, been made. However, a lot of wire ended up in the trash before I could get this design to work, even at this early stage. Lots more playing is needed. But here is the pendant = Hammered "silver" wire, steel wire, slider with crystal, faceted AB crystal bead, drop crystal, and emerald-green glass beads. Pendant is about 3 inches long.

More pendant ideas are floating around in my head. I want to do one in "gold" wire and one in black wire. Well, actually, lots more in silver, gold, and black. As "they" say (who are "they" anyway?) practice, practice, practice.

Next I'm going to play around with the relicario pendants...maybe do small works of collage/drawings on wood, and put them in metal bezel frames? Not sure. More playing is needed.

Playing...it's a good thing. :=)

Earrings

I love making earrings. They are quick, fun, and a great way to use up bits and bobs left over from other projects. You can play around with ideas, color combinations, and wrapping techniques, and if the idea doesn't work out, you haven't put loads of time and effort in, so taking it all apart doesn't give you heart palpitations. Also, you can keep the prices down, so they tend to sell quicker than larger pieces with higher price tags.  They are also easy when it comes to doing seasonal/holiday specific designs. So, if I am stumped for an idea, I make earrings. It's always fun, and inspiring.