Illustration

The illustrations in children's books have always captured my heart. They are ripe with color and full of fun and mischief. When I was a little girl, I especially enjoyed the Raggedy Ann books, written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle. They were among the first books I ever read.

I have been wanting to post about the beautiful illustration accompanying this post for quite some time. This is an original illustration that I have in my personal art collection (be sure to click on the picture to see it full-sized, as it was meant to be seen). I found it at a flea market a few years ago, behind a pile of dusty, neglected paintings, in a tattered frame. I was instantly charmed by the unquestionable talent of the artist to illustrate exquisite detail in such an appealing manner (look closely at the texture of the water). When I got it home, I removed it from its frame and was thrilled to see information about the artist handwritten in pencil on the back of the illustration. I thought it was probably an illustration for a children's book and I was apparently correct. The illustrator is one Karl Evans Hoefle. This was the third of an unknown number of illustrations for the story, "Arlie, the Misunderstood Horse", by Janet Reynolds Felt. I do not know if this story was ever published. I have researched it on the internet and haven't gotten very far with my sleuthing. I did manage to discover that the illustrator and the author were married to each other and had a daughter. I, for one, would love to see the story that is meant to accompany this illustration. So, if anyone reading this has any leads for me, please let me know!

Flea markets can be such interesting places. You never know what may be discovered in your quest. Sometimes a little treasure just may jump out at you, like this lovely picture. I plan to go again soon to hunt for vintage jewelry and other goodies to use in some of my designs. Usually, I'm not a big fan of garage sales and the like. I am starting to change my viewpoint, though. So many unique inspirations are available to the open-minded artist- the possibilities are truly endless. Happy hunting!

"Almost every unselfish wish in the world comes true"- from "Raggedy Ann in the Deep, Deep Woods" by Johnny Gruelle

Subjective

I dearly love visiting art museums and galleries. I view this activity as a smorgasbord for the eyes. The visual offerings are staggering, the variety, overwhelming. I once traveled over 300 miles to see a special art exhibit that was not coming to my local museum. The theme of the exhibit focused on works of the great impressionists, over 300 rarely exhibited paintings from the Metropolitan Museum in Manhattan. It literally took HOURS to see it all (and that was without the recorded tour). The exhibit was incredibly rich. I was exhausted afterward, utterly spent. But my imagination was euphoric, stimulated beyond measure by all that I had seen. The long journey to view that show was completely worthwhile.

I had a similar experience in Santa Fe about two years ago. I decided to stroll down the famous Canyon Road, a mile-long stretch of gallery after gallery. I entered every single gallery that day! Again, hours later, I emerged from the last gallery, my feet weary, my mind oversaturated by the experience and my heart happy.

These art excursions are so good for me. They refine my taste and help me to regain my artistic focus. They inspire fresh form and color combinations in my own work. I am also ever intrigued by each object that is represented as "art". Of course, some things are universally considered to be art- for instance, the Grand Canyon, a spectacular sunset, or a tender rose. Hoever, all HUMAN representations of art are subjective, that is, based on or influenced by personal opinions. What may be considered high art in this day and age might have been viewed as garbage in another time period, absolutely laughable as art. Today the word "art" has a much broader application. Many things designated as art by one person may not truly be seen as such by another.

Art has always required an open mind. For example, when what we call the 'great impressionists' first presented their now famous/ infamous paintings, they were soundly rejected by the art world of their day. With few exceptions, these 'impressionists' were not allowed to exhibit in the great art salons of their time. The rejection they experienced could have been crushing. Instead, these artists did not let the narrow view of art critics dampen their spirits or deter them from the continual creation of their art. They arranged their own exhibitions, promoted themselves and their fresh take on art. Gradually, impressionistic art became a smashing success, still greatly admired today.

I try to keep all of this in mind when thinking of my own art productions. I think it is all about having confidence in your own work and abilities. Some of the things I make I feel incredibly confident about. I love these pieces without question and find it difficult to part with them. In my opinion, they are "art". There are other pieces I've made that I'm not so wild about. Usually these are commissioned pieces. I guess the reason I don't bond so readily with these pieces is because they do not spring entirely from my own imagination. Commissioned art is a collaborative effort, involving both artist and client. The client's own ideas influence the direction the piece will take. Collaboration can be interesting- you never know what the end result may be. Sometimes, when that end is reached, I think to myself, " The client will either love this or hate this. The jury is still out for me.". To my surprise, most of the time the client is more than satisfied. I almost feel as if I just got away with something. This feeling is probably attributable to the fact that I feel a little less confident about making something that incorporates another's ideas. Admittedly, commissions do make me a little nervous because they involve a great deal of communication. Sometimes people don't communicate very well. When that happens, it's back to the drawing board.

There are times when I am tempted to disassemble a rejected piece. I recently experienced this very thing. One of my commissions was rejected by the client. I was rather frustrated because I had worked hard on it. I set it aside until I could decide what to do with it. The next day, a friend visited me in my studio, saw the piece and swooped. She now owns it. I feel infinitely better about it. You just never know how someone is going to view your creation. What one person rejects, another may adore. I find it difficult to remain objective about my own work. For me, the moral of the story is to present my work with confidence. Make sure the quality of the piece is high and put it out there. Someone might just love it!

"Painting is a faith, and it imposes the duty to disregard public opinion."- Vincent van Gogh

"Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality."- Les Brown

(Bead featured in this post for sale in my Etsy shop.)

Inscrutable

It is a mystery to me how to accomplish all I want to do. My studio is a muddle of beads and wire. My mind is whirling with design ideas. At the same time, I have dinner to cook and laundry to attend to, shirts to iron and sinks to clean. I am pulled in many directions. A common problem for most women. The good part? I get to make art a lot! Not as much as I'd like, but that's OK. I think the biggest challenge is getting the goodies in the shop once I make them. I have to photograph them, Photoshop the photos (size them, adjust lighting, etc.), post pics in my gallery, list the items in one of my shops and then post a tweet and/or a blog post to notify folks of the new listings. Whew!

Right now I am scrambling to get a number of new items into my shops, so keep your eyes peeled for coming attractions! (I wonder about the origin of the phrase 'keep your eyes peeled'. Not a very appetizing picture.)

"I would rather live in a world where my life is surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it."- Harry Emerson Fosdick

The beads pictured in this post are now available in my Etsy shop.

Culmination

I am amazed at what can be accomplished when a deadline looms before my eyes. Does this mean I work best under pressure? Perhaps. I know that a deadline gives me a sense of purpose; and a sense of purpose spurs my production level. My inspiration is stirred when I KNOW that I must complete a project within a given timeframe. The only thing that freezes my blood to ice is when I am being hounded to completion. In that case, inspiration flees my mind, to huddle in dark corners. I cannot lure it out unless I leave it alone for a time, make it crave to be wandering free once again. Knowing this about myself forces me to plan must-do projects accordingly. A little pressure is not undesirable, so long as it does not morph into a pushy monster that destroys my creative joy.

Today I completed the lovely trio of necklaces arrayed so fetchingly in the accompanying photo. I adore all three of them and hope the new owners of them will feel the same affection for them. These necklaces are intended as gifts for teachers at my child's school. The designs simply flowed from my imagination like water. They are basically simple and straightforward in their complexity; but I am quite satisfied with them. I especially love the faceted pearl design on the left. The lampwork focal bead is my own and sparked the color combo for this piece. I think it has a Bollywood flavor- love it! Today's deadline made me feel happy with my art, even motivating me to follow through on some non-art related work. How cool is that?

"A goal is a dream with a deadline."- Napoleon Hill

"All you have to do is know where you're going. The answers will come to you of their own accord."- Earl Nightingale

"Nothing encourages creativity like the chance to fall flat on one's face."- James D. Finley

"The little dissatisfaction which every artist feels at the completion of a work forms the germ of a new work."- Berthold Auerbach

Singular

Custom orders stimulate my imagination, especially when I know the person I am creating a piece for. I like nothing better than to receive a jewelry or bead custom order that is built around a specific color combination or style. If I know the customer personally, I think about who they are, what they love, their clothes, whether they are introverted or extroverted, quiet or animated. All of these factors influence what I ultimately create. If I do not know the customer, things get a bit more challenging. Then I have to do a bit of sleuthing to determine a design direction. Ask questions, talk to people who are close to the client. To be successful at custom work, I think you need to be in tune to people to some degree. As an artist, you definitely desire to be free to create what inspires you. To do custom work, though, requires you sacrifice some of your own desires to consider exactly what the client enjoys and then interpret that using you own artistic style. To me, this is the ultimate test as an artist. I love it, though sometimes I miss the mark and need to start over again. It keeps me humble.

Lately, I have been doing a great deal of custom work with a twist: remodeling old jewelry pieces. It seems like a form of recycling, in a way, getting those neglected old pieces of jewelry in your collection out and finding a way to rework them into something wonderful! So, please feel free to contact me if you feel a jewelry renovation is in order. Or if only something new is the answer, you know what to do!

(The bracelet in photo is available in my Artfire shop.)

"Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles."- Sonja Henie

"These gems have life in them: their colors speak, say what words fail of."- George Eliot

Misunderstood

I am ever interested in the misunderstood persons who pepper our lives. Each one of us has, at times, felt the discomfort of being read incorrectly. When we have been misread, trying to convince the one who has misunderstood us is so often fruitless and frustrating. Complex personalities especially suffer in this regard. Even when we are well-acquainted with a complex person, we may impute wrong motives to their expressed thoughts and actions. For the misunderstood soul, life can be very frustrating, indeed. Sometimes the easiest way to express oneself can be through art. Since art is so visual, the artist's meaning can often be plainly expressed. When I think of oft-misunderstood persons, Vincent Van Gogh comes to my mind. Van Gogh undeniably had "issues". He was edgy and unstable. He was frequently depressed, and frequently hospitalized for his mental instabilities. Sadly, he died at a fairly young age by his own hand. I imagine he would have been a challenging person to befriend in life. I sense that he needed friends desperately. He needed to be understood and loved, as all humans do.

I attended a wonderful museum exhibit of Van Gogh's work a few months ago. Interestingly, some of the things that stood out consistently in his art are his compassion for humanity, his growth as a human and his evolving use of joyous color in his later works. Those who study Van Gogh often refer to his somewhat unhinged use of line and form in his art; but I can't help but appreciate the simple joy Van Gogh obviously found in nature, people and high-color contrasts. Color has a healing effect on our moods. To the extent possible, whether he realized it or not, art served as a form of self-therapy for Van Gogh. He was amazingly prolific, producing more than 2000 works in the last ten years of his life. I can only imagine what wonders he might have produced had he lived out a normal lifespan. In his lifetime, he only sold one of his paintings four months before his death. Ironically, now his works are studied and revered the world over.

Van Gogh's use of color inspires me in my own artwork. I love the quirkiness of line and form in his work, as well. The lines he used look as if the subjects of his works are melting together in a swirling riot of color. Van Gogh's art was incredibly expressive of his emotions and passions and utterly unique. I feel as if, in some small way, he has succeeded in revealing his inmost self to us and proved that he harbored great beauty inside his troubled exterior. What more could any artist hope to achieve?

"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream."

"A good picture is equivalent to a good deed."

"One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way."

(All of the above quotes are by Vincent Van Gogh)

Receptacle

A journal is a storage container for the soul. In times past, I never kept a diary. I feared recording my innermost thoughts because I feared discovery. It is intimidating to reveal yourself. Of course, the term "diary" carries with it the implication of privacy. I imagine a little book under lock and key in my mind's eye. The term "journal", on the other hand, implies a more public display. I have recently immersed myself in a colorful form of journaling, specifically, art journaling. I am amazed at how creatively stimulating it is. My mind is brimming with inspiration every time I make an entry in my journal. I awaken ideas for bead and jewelry designs, poems, paintings, even blog posts! I learn to put things together in unexpected ways. An art journal is a factory for inspiration generation and spirit re-generation. Art journaling is surprisingly therapeutic. I highly recommend beginning your own art journal. Don't tell yourself, "I can't draw!" or "I have nothing important to say". Everyone can draw; you used to do it all the time when you were a kid. It's not a contest and doesn't have to be perfect. Even if you only draw abstract forms, the colors and shapes you choose reveal much regarding your moods. And as for what to say: if you don't know where to start, there are a number of websites that have prompts to get your mental juices flowing. Who knows where journaling may lead you? In the meantime, enjoy the process.

"Memory… is the diary that we all carry about with us."- Oscar Wilde

"Every man's memory is his private literature."- Aldous Huxley

"There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein." - Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith

Unfurl

Winter-nude branches, frosted with buds./ Shy spring peeks around the door./ Can she come out now?

The party guests have only just begun to arrive. All dressed up in soft greens, lavendars, pinks, creamy yellows- frilly, lacy, feminine frocks. A light-hearted feeling of anticipation is in the air; yet, overlaid like a fragile cobweb is a bit of reserve, a skosh of frigidity- leftovers of a more formal winter season. Spring is brimming with artistic inspiraton. Picture a grassy lawn after a heavy spring rain, a twittering bird-crowd happily splashing in cool puddles, pecking greedily for bird-worthy treats. Aesthetic spring design for the lampwork artist might include floral motifs (naturally), the use of pale and delicate opalino colors, wispy greens and lots of clear encasing. For the beaded jewelry artist, a leaning towards lightly structured feminine design with small, intricate beads, soft pearls, pastel colors, floral accents, sparkly crystal (reminiscent of dewdrops) and airy chainwork might be in order. Begin this spring anew with fresh, shy, tender and joyful art. Spring has sprung!

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'"- Robin Williams

"An optimist is the human personification of spring."- Susan J. Bissonette

(Necklace featured in this post available in my Artfire shop.)

Chaos

LEGOS as far as the eye can see, underfoot, everywhere! That is my living room at present. I can hardly complain. My studio bears a strong resemblance to this LEGO scene. I am inclined to orderliness in my world. I actually enjoy having a place for everything and everything in it's place. So why, WHY is my workspace so disorderly? Some people work best in a tidy space. Having things in order helps them to peacefully focus on the task at hand, without distraction. Others need a modicum of disorder in order to see the possibilities, in order to picture the options. But there are a few artists who get ideas from complete chaos. Their imagination is sparked by seeing colors randomly thrown together in unexpected combinations, shapes playing off of each other, stirring an unexpected response. In my studio, I usually begin with harmony which quickly converts to visual dissonance. Or is it really dissonance? Isn't the creative process almost always a bit untidy? What happens when we make a lasagna for dinner, or any food, for that matter? We are washing dishes for hours afterward. But when we sink our teeth in that stellar home-cooked meal, we realize that the mess was worth it. Women who have given birth know that it is a messy business. But what an incredible result. Look at all creative efforts in the same way. We can always clean up later.

"Beginnings are always messy."- John Galsworthy

Catharsis

We all feel as if we could explode sometimes. Tensions of daily life rend our emotions, tear us apart. We seek a release when the pressure becomes too great. But explosions are destructive, only leaving messy debris in their wake. How do we unleash our anguish, our anger, our despair in a productive manner? How can we turn these seemingly negative feelings into a force for good? Use that tension as a violinist might use a taut bow-- create something melodious with it, something exquisite and memorable. The sculptor, Henry Moore, once stated, "It is a mistake for a sculptor or a painter to speak or write very often about his job. It releases tension needed for his work." What an interesting observation he made. Artists actually NEED tension! The tension we feel inside should be harnessed as a tool for creation, a way to express inexpressible emotions.

Catalyst

What puts a twinkle in your eye? What dazzles your view, overwhelms your senses, tickles your wit, leaves you thunderstruck? These are the things that will drive you to create your art.

Gray matter can be infused with shimmering color when it is riveted on what stirs you deep within. Focus on what brings you bliss. The possibilities are infinite: a purring cat, curled in your lap; a meteor shower hurtling overhead; the merry crackle of a campfire; the bubbly laughter of children; a smooth, silky chocolate treat; the deep silence of a cave; an exquisitely crafted piece of music; a show of affection from a dearly loved one. Take time to reflect on what triggers your passion and use that as a tool to create.