Just checked the calendar today, and realized that today is my one-year anniversary. Last year on January 25, 2005, I was laid off of my full time job as a web designer and began my profession as a full time jewelry designer and business owner.
Looking back made me realize how long it really took me to transition from unemployed to self-employed. The actual act didn't take long at all. The last day I walked into the office, my boss met me at my desk and asked to talk to me in his office, a half hour later...I packed up my few belongings and left that office forever. In that instant, my part time occupation of business owner and jewelry designer, became my full time profession. But it took even longer for my mind and heart to fully realize what had happened.
For the first week, I was in total shock. Even though I had been unhappy and had dreamed about quitting and taking my business full-time, it's still very disconcerting to walk out the door as an employed person one hour and walk back in unemployed an hour and half later. I had been working since I was fifteen and had never left a job where it wasn't on my own terms. It was strange not having a place to go in the mornings. I spent more time daily with my co-workers than I did with my own husband and all of a sudden, those familiar faces were gone. After the shock wore off, my husband and I discussed what should happen next. For him, there was no question about me running my jewelry design business full time. The writing was on the wall he said, this layoff was just a sign that I needed to go ahead and pursue my dream. (I had in fact gotten a wholesale order for some jewelry on the day I got laid off...talk about signs!)
So I got to work, booked some local shows, got more wholesale accounts and went about the task of building a full time business. It took friends and some family members a bit of time to get the fact that I was going to do the jewelry thing full time. Through the next three or four months, I had to tactfully turn down the many job leads well-meaning loved ones threw my way. Strangely enough, my mind took even longer than my family to catch up. When people asked what I did, I said that I used to be a web designer and that I now made jewelry. When family and friends needed some help during hours in which most people would be going to work, I volunteered because "I didn't have a job anyway". The very last time I made a comment like this was in the late summer just as I was preparing for a two day show over the weekend. My twelve-year old god-daughter had volunteered to help with the preparations and with the actual show. When I made the comment about "not having a job", she looked at me and said, "But you do have a job. You're running a business." Funny how it took a twelve-year old to point out the obvious. After that, I made a concerted effort never to make that statement again.
As I write this, I realize the moment that my mind finally caught up to my heart and reality. James and I was at his boss' annual Christmas party last month. After the usual round of introductions, one of the female guests asked me what I did for a living. Without a beat or hesitation, I said "I'm a jewelry designer and I run my own company". Within ten minutes I had a small crowd around me as I explained my jewelry and talked about the local retailers that carried my work. By the end of the evening I had passed out almost all of my business cards and for the first time I felt like what I had been since January 25, 2005.
A jewelry designer and business owner.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
They deliver for you
These are the remains of a postcard I sent to a customer that the U.S. Post Office inadvertently destroyed and sent back to me. Apparently, when the post office accidently mangles a piece of mail beyond recognition, they send it back to you in this neatly packaged window envelope with an apology on the back.
While it's a nicely worded apology, the whole thing leaves you a bit nonplussed. While you're obviously po'd at the fact that the post office shredded your mail, yet managed to return the pieces back to you in this nice envelope in pristine condition. Though you have to appreciate the fact that they took the time to retrieve the pieces and return them to you so you won't wonder what happened to that missing electric bill.
I'm not quite sure what disturbs me the most. The fact that this is a postcard that I sent over two months ago or the fact that this is the fifth envelope I've received in the past three months.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
The Application Dance...or dot, dot, who has the dot?- Pt 2
Once an artist has their slides all gathered for their application, the real work begins. The labeling of the slides. With the show applications, anywhere from 3 to 5 properly labeled slides depicting a representative sample of artwork and at least one slide of the show booth is required along with the application.
However, every organization has their own ideas about what a "properly labeled slide" looks like. Unfortunately, none of the these ideas actually agree. Just today, I'm filling out two applications and "properly" labeling my slides. One application wants me to put my name on the top of the slide, the medium category I'm applying to (in this case, jewelry) on the lower right hand corner of the slide with the slide number immediately under it, and a red dot in the lower left corner of the slide. The other application wants my last name only on the upper left corner of the slide, the medium category I'm applying to on the lower center of the slide, a red dot on the upper right corner of the slide, and the slide number on the lower right corner of the slide. On an application I did two weeks ago, the instructions were to have the slide number and my full name on the upper center of the slide and an arrow depicting the bottom of the slide drawn on the right side of the slide. An application that's due in two weeks just wants your name on the bottom of the slide and a black dot on the upper right corner of the slide.
Don't get me wrong. I completely understand why I have to label my slides. Juries handle hundreds, even thousands of slides in a jury session. They have to have a way to know whose slide goes with who's application. And the purpose of the red dot is to know to indicate how to load the slide in the slide projector so you won't be viewing the slide upside down or sideways and waste precious jury time adjusting slides. And if your medium is abstract art, it's sometimes tough to know which is the right side up without some identifier. But after following 10 different instructions on how to label your slides, you start to wish that everyone can come to more of a consensus on how these slides should be labeled. Or at least have everyone agree on just where that little red dot should go, or at least that it should be a little red dot and not a black dot, or an arrow, or a label that reads "bottom". The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that you don't use self-adhesive labels and that the labeling should be done with a permanent marker. That pretty much guarantees that I will have to remount all of my slides once I get them back, since the next time I want to re-use this properly labeled slide, it will be improperly labeled, in permanent marker, for someone else's application.
A couple years back, one of the national organization for artists, I forgot which, wrote some standards on slide labeling and are trying to get art festival organizations to adopt these standards. Lots of luck, I say. If they can accomplish that, their next job should be negotiating peace in the Middle East.
Once slides are properly labeled, the application is filled, the all important issue of fees must be addressed, for of course no show worth doing is free. Some organizations merely charge a fee for renting a space at the show. Some charge a fee for the space and electricity. Still others also charge an administration fee or a jury fee that is non-refundable. There is somewhat of an industry-wide conversation on whether administration or jury fees should be charged in addition to what an artist has to pay for the privilege of participating in a show. Booth fees are refundable in the event that an artist does not get accepted into a show. Administration and jury fees are not. So if an artist does not make the cut, they're basically SOL and are relieved of anywhere from 25 to 50 bucks. If you apply to a number of shows, as many artists do (I myself will be applying to over 20 this year), and perhaps half of them have some sort of application fee, you see what the complaint is.
Some artists openly refuse to do show that charge administration fees. I myself don't apply to shows where I don't think I have a reasonable chance of getting in whether it charges a jury fee or not. For me these tangle of fees, presents the more pragmatic problem of bookkeeping. Jury fees are usually due upon receipt of the application, whereas your booth and electricity fee is due upon acceptance, which may be months down the road. That means two checks per application...perhaps three if you must pay for the electricity separately...all of them due at different points in time because in many cases you need to postdate your check and include it with your application. Other times, you include the check for your booth fee and the organization promises not to cash it until you are accepted, or until a certain deadline is past. That means you have dozens of potential check bombs worth hundreds of dollars floating out there in the ether, just waiting to go off at the most inopportune time. Yikes! I've had to develop a small database to keep track of all the checks I've written for my shows. And artists don't have the steadiest income stream in the world. So close monitoring of your checking account is a must for at least the next four to five months to avoid...well, you know, highly flexible checks. Trust me...I've learned the hard way.
That done, apps are checked over and packaged for a trip to the post office. Then you wait. You wait for the reply. Are you in? Are you out? Are you relegated to waitlist limbo where due to space restrictions you're not exactly out, but also not in? You're basically waiting around like a vulture for another artist to drop out so you can take their space. Most artists I've spoken to said that they are usually accepted to anywhere from 40 to 70 percent of the shows they apply to. It doesn't matter if they've done the show before. Like Heidi Klum of Project Runway says, "One day you're in, the next day you're out." In order to keep a full schedule, a lot of artists overbook their shows. That is they apply to two or more shows scheduled on the same weekend to avoid holes in their schedule. If they're accepted into both shows, they pick the better one and cancel the other. The only danger is if you don't cancel your show in time you may not get all of your booth fee back or any back at all.
I don't want anyone to think that I'm being a diva about the whole application process. I love doing shows and I respect the jurors and organizers who work hard to maintain the quality of the shows. The application process and the mosh pit of requirements is one of those idiosyncratic elements that is mostly a result of the fact that the art and craft festival industry doesn't have some sort of centralized list of standards and requirements that they all have to follow. While this is great for allowing organizations to do their own thing, and trust me, I wouldn't want it any other way, it also makes life a bit, ummm...interesting for the working artist. It's just nice and stress relieving to poke fun at the minor annoyances that makes one want to pull their hair out every year. And I thank you allowing me to vent...
...now, if you'll excuse me, I need to figure out where the little red dot goes on this slide...
However, every organization has their own ideas about what a "properly labeled slide" looks like. Unfortunately, none of the these ideas actually agree. Just today, I'm filling out two applications and "properly" labeling my slides. One application wants me to put my name on the top of the slide, the medium category I'm applying to (in this case, jewelry) on the lower right hand corner of the slide with the slide number immediately under it, and a red dot in the lower left corner of the slide. The other application wants my last name only on the upper left corner of the slide, the medium category I'm applying to on the lower center of the slide, a red dot on the upper right corner of the slide, and the slide number on the lower right corner of the slide. On an application I did two weeks ago, the instructions were to have the slide number and my full name on the upper center of the slide and an arrow depicting the bottom of the slide drawn on the right side of the slide. An application that's due in two weeks just wants your name on the bottom of the slide and a black dot on the upper right corner of the slide.
Don't get me wrong. I completely understand why I have to label my slides. Juries handle hundreds, even thousands of slides in a jury session. They have to have a way to know whose slide goes with who's application. And the purpose of the red dot is to know to indicate how to load the slide in the slide projector so you won't be viewing the slide upside down or sideways and waste precious jury time adjusting slides. And if your medium is abstract art, it's sometimes tough to know which is the right side up without some identifier. But after following 10 different instructions on how to label your slides, you start to wish that everyone can come to more of a consensus on how these slides should be labeled. Or at least have everyone agree on just where that little red dot should go, or at least that it should be a little red dot and not a black dot, or an arrow, or a label that reads "bottom". The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that you don't use self-adhesive labels and that the labeling should be done with a permanent marker. That pretty much guarantees that I will have to remount all of my slides once I get them back, since the next time I want to re-use this properly labeled slide, it will be improperly labeled, in permanent marker, for someone else's application.
A couple years back, one of the national organization for artists, I forgot which, wrote some standards on slide labeling and are trying to get art festival organizations to adopt these standards. Lots of luck, I say. If they can accomplish that, their next job should be negotiating peace in the Middle East.
Once slides are properly labeled, the application is filled, the all important issue of fees must be addressed, for of course no show worth doing is free. Some organizations merely charge a fee for renting a space at the show. Some charge a fee for the space and electricity. Still others also charge an administration fee or a jury fee that is non-refundable. There is somewhat of an industry-wide conversation on whether administration or jury fees should be charged in addition to what an artist has to pay for the privilege of participating in a show. Booth fees are refundable in the event that an artist does not get accepted into a show. Administration and jury fees are not. So if an artist does not make the cut, they're basically SOL and are relieved of anywhere from 25 to 50 bucks. If you apply to a number of shows, as many artists do (I myself will be applying to over 20 this year), and perhaps half of them have some sort of application fee, you see what the complaint is.
Some artists openly refuse to do show that charge administration fees. I myself don't apply to shows where I don't think I have a reasonable chance of getting in whether it charges a jury fee or not. For me these tangle of fees, presents the more pragmatic problem of bookkeeping. Jury fees are usually due upon receipt of the application, whereas your booth and electricity fee is due upon acceptance, which may be months down the road. That means two checks per application...perhaps three if you must pay for the electricity separately...all of them due at different points in time because in many cases you need to postdate your check and include it with your application. Other times, you include the check for your booth fee and the organization promises not to cash it until you are accepted, or until a certain deadline is past. That means you have dozens of potential check bombs worth hundreds of dollars floating out there in the ether, just waiting to go off at the most inopportune time. Yikes! I've had to develop a small database to keep track of all the checks I've written for my shows. And artists don't have the steadiest income stream in the world. So close monitoring of your checking account is a must for at least the next four to five months to avoid...well, you know, highly flexible checks. Trust me...I've learned the hard way.
That done, apps are checked over and packaged for a trip to the post office. Then you wait. You wait for the reply. Are you in? Are you out? Are you relegated to waitlist limbo where due to space restrictions you're not exactly out, but also not in? You're basically waiting around like a vulture for another artist to drop out so you can take their space. Most artists I've spoken to said that they are usually accepted to anywhere from 40 to 70 percent of the shows they apply to. It doesn't matter if they've done the show before. Like Heidi Klum of Project Runway says, "One day you're in, the next day you're out." In order to keep a full schedule, a lot of artists overbook their shows. That is they apply to two or more shows scheduled on the same weekend to avoid holes in their schedule. If they're accepted into both shows, they pick the better one and cancel the other. The only danger is if you don't cancel your show in time you may not get all of your booth fee back or any back at all.
I don't want anyone to think that I'm being a diva about the whole application process. I love doing shows and I respect the jurors and organizers who work hard to maintain the quality of the shows. The application process and the mosh pit of requirements is one of those idiosyncratic elements that is mostly a result of the fact that the art and craft festival industry doesn't have some sort of centralized list of standards and requirements that they all have to follow. While this is great for allowing organizations to do their own thing, and trust me, I wouldn't want it any other way, it also makes life a bit, ummm...interesting for the working artist. It's just nice and stress relieving to poke fun at the minor annoyances that makes one want to pull their hair out every year. And I thank you allowing me to vent...
...now, if you'll excuse me, I need to figure out where the little red dot goes on this slide...
Friday, January 13, 2006
The Application Dance...or how to describe your artwork in 25, 35, 50 words or less. -Part 1
Around this time, all artists who show their work in art festivals and craft shows are all tuning up for an annual ordeal. Every day, envelopes from art organizations containing prospectuses, calls for entry, and applications appear in mailboxes. And as the applications mount, artists gird themselves to get through a complex and conflicting tangle or rules and requirements to book their shows for the year.
Every year, hundreds of artists apply to a variety of craft shows and art festivals. Just about any show or festival that's worth attending choose the artists that exhibit at their show by using the jury system. A panel of one to five people review artist applications and slides to determine who is chosen to exhibit at a festival. Jurors review images of an artist's work, information from the application and any other material to help them make their decision. This process helps to ensure the the quality of an art festival or craft show. Unfortunately, it can also make for a minor headache for artists, one that grows with the number of shows that they do throughout the year.
As one might expect, not all applications on the same. All the applications require the same basic information of course, your name, the name of your company if you have one, what kind of medium you work in, address, phone and the like. But once you get beyond the basics, all bets are off. Some applications require an artist to list all the states in which they had a current sales tax id number. Some applications require artists to list details about their public liability insurance policy (a type of insurance that covers injuries, and accidents that may occur in a booth during a festival). Some shows won't even consider artists that don't have liability insurance. Other organizations may require an artist statement describing your creative process in addition to the application. Some organizations may also want an artist statement...but in 25, 35, 50 words or less. Some organizations require artists to submit a resume of show they have participated in in the past. Other shows forbid the submission of any artist statements, marketing materials, or resumes of any kind. And don't forget the self-addressed stamped envelope, so the organization can mail out the artist's rejection letter for free. Or an organization could just want two 37 cent stamps, never mind the envelope. Oops, it's 2006...make that two 39 cent stamps, never mind the envelope.
And then there's the slides....
Any artist who exhibits as shows has an entire slide library that's dedicated to applying to art festivals. This library typically doesn't come cheap. These days having a professional photographer take images of an artist's artwork is not an option, it's pretty much a requirement. A set of master slides of 4 different pieces of art can easily set one back at least $200 more if it involves groups of artwork or a model. Once the master slides are done, an artist must get duplicates made so they can send them out with their applications. The more shows an artists does, the more duplicates they'll need to have made because once the slides go out, it will be at least two to four months before they're seen again...if ever. I typically have at least 8 to 12 duplicates made out of each of my master slides, maybe more if I use a particular image for PR purposes. At about $2 to $2.50 a pop...well, lets just say that my local photofinisher knows me on a first name basis.
Typically, most organizations will also want a slide of an artist's booth, fully stocked and set up. This is somewhat of a problem if this is an artist's first show. In addition, some organizations require that there is no identifying information in the booth that indicate what artist's booth they are looking at. That's somewhat of a problem for me since I have large pictures of my jewelry as a part of my display and a big sign with my logo and business name promenently displayed in my own booth. Fortunately, professional photography for show booth images are not as critical...at least not yet...and artists can take those images themselves. At the first show of the year, I usually take photos of my booth in preparation for next year, remembering to make 8 to 10 duplicates of those slides as well.
Once all the slides and the requisite duplicates are assembled...the real work begins...
to be continued....
Every year, hundreds of artists apply to a variety of craft shows and art festivals. Just about any show or festival that's worth attending choose the artists that exhibit at their show by using the jury system. A panel of one to five people review artist applications and slides to determine who is chosen to exhibit at a festival. Jurors review images of an artist's work, information from the application and any other material to help them make their decision. This process helps to ensure the the quality of an art festival or craft show. Unfortunately, it can also make for a minor headache for artists, one that grows with the number of shows that they do throughout the year.
As one might expect, not all applications on the same. All the applications require the same basic information of course, your name, the name of your company if you have one, what kind of medium you work in, address, phone and the like. But once you get beyond the basics, all bets are off. Some applications require an artist to list all the states in which they had a current sales tax id number. Some applications require artists to list details about their public liability insurance policy (a type of insurance that covers injuries, and accidents that may occur in a booth during a festival). Some shows won't even consider artists that don't have liability insurance. Other organizations may require an artist statement describing your creative process in addition to the application. Some organizations may also want an artist statement...but in 25, 35, 50 words or less. Some organizations require artists to submit a resume of show they have participated in in the past. Other shows forbid the submission of any artist statements, marketing materials, or resumes of any kind. And don't forget the self-addressed stamped envelope, so the organization can mail out the artist's rejection letter for free. Or an organization could just want two 37 cent stamps, never mind the envelope. Oops, it's 2006...make that two 39 cent stamps, never mind the envelope.
And then there's the slides....
Any artist who exhibits as shows has an entire slide library that's dedicated to applying to art festivals. This library typically doesn't come cheap. These days having a professional photographer take images of an artist's artwork is not an option, it's pretty much a requirement. A set of master slides of 4 different pieces of art can easily set one back at least $200 more if it involves groups of artwork or a model. Once the master slides are done, an artist must get duplicates made so they can send them out with their applications. The more shows an artists does, the more duplicates they'll need to have made because once the slides go out, it will be at least two to four months before they're seen again...if ever. I typically have at least 8 to 12 duplicates made out of each of my master slides, maybe more if I use a particular image for PR purposes. At about $2 to $2.50 a pop...well, lets just say that my local photofinisher knows me on a first name basis.
Typically, most organizations will also want a slide of an artist's booth, fully stocked and set up. This is somewhat of a problem if this is an artist's first show. In addition, some organizations require that there is no identifying information in the booth that indicate what artist's booth they are looking at. That's somewhat of a problem for me since I have large pictures of my jewelry as a part of my display and a big sign with my logo and business name promenently displayed in my own booth. Fortunately, professional photography for show booth images are not as critical...at least not yet...and artists can take those images themselves. At the first show of the year, I usually take photos of my booth in preparation for next year, remembering to make 8 to 10 duplicates of those slides as well.
Once all the slides and the requisite duplicates are assembled...the real work begins...
to be continued....
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
What goes around...
When you are an artist, you sometimes send your work out into the world with no idea of were it will go or where it will end up. But every now and then, you do find out where your creations end up and in many cases, it just goes to show how small the world really is.
Last week my husband James and I went to visit our old school, Radford University. Radford University is located in Radford, Virginia, a town in the mountains of the southwestern part of the state. It's located right next to Blacksburg, Virginia which is the home of Virginia Tech. Radford is the place where we both met and we still keep in touch with some of our favorite professors, so this is a trip that we make every few years. We stayed with, Laurie, an old friend of ours and an alum of Radford who also happens to live there. The evening we arrived, we spent some time catching up and told Laurie about my jewelry and showed her some pictures of my recent work. She told me that my work reminded her of a pair of earrings that a friend of hers had bought as a gift for her. After we spend a little more time talking, she went to her room and brought back the earrings she received from her friend. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was a pair that I had made!
It turns out that Laurie's friend had visited Portsmouth, Virginia last year and bought the earrings at Riverview Gallery, one of my retailers! We had a good laugh and talked a little about how small the world really is, a point that I still think of a week after the incident. James once said to me, "Imagine, there are probably dozens, even hundreds of people in this world, walking around wearing your jewelry. Wouldn't it be cool to walk down the street one day and see someone wearing something you made?"
Yep, it sure is.
Last week my husband James and I went to visit our old school, Radford University. Radford University is located in Radford, Virginia, a town in the mountains of the southwestern part of the state. It's located right next to Blacksburg, Virginia which is the home of Virginia Tech. Radford is the place where we both met and we still keep in touch with some of our favorite professors, so this is a trip that we make every few years. We stayed with, Laurie, an old friend of ours and an alum of Radford who also happens to live there. The evening we arrived, we spent some time catching up and told Laurie about my jewelry and showed her some pictures of my recent work. She told me that my work reminded her of a pair of earrings that a friend of hers had bought as a gift for her. After we spend a little more time talking, she went to her room and brought back the earrings she received from her friend. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was a pair that I had made!
It turns out that Laurie's friend had visited Portsmouth, Virginia last year and bought the earrings at Riverview Gallery, one of my retailers! We had a good laugh and talked a little about how small the world really is, a point that I still think of a week after the incident. James once said to me, "Imagine, there are probably dozens, even hundreds of people in this world, walking around wearing your jewelry. Wouldn't it be cool to walk down the street one day and see someone wearing something you made?"
Yep, it sure is.
Friday, January 06, 2006
What's new in 2006
It's been a long time since I have written in my blog. With the busy holiday season behind me, I've already started production for the new year. I've designed a number of exciting new pieces for the Ojos line to be introduced in this year's spring shows. I'll also be expanding beyond Virginia in shows this year and will be traveling out-of-state to Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, Hartford, Connecticut, and Baltimore, Maryland. I'm looking forward to traveling to these new venues and can't wait to see these places. Right now I'm in the midst of finalizing my 2006 spring show schedule and arranging the 2006 fall show schedule, so be sure to check the show schedule periodically or sign up for my mailing list to keep up to date.
On a more somber note, one of my local retailers: 49A: Gallery of Fine Crafts & Arts, has decided to close. This gallery which was located in Newport News, Virginia was a great little gallery that featured many fabulous local artists and was run by some of the nicest people I've met. Thank you 49A for giving my work a chance and good luck on your new ventures!
On a more somber note, one of my local retailers: 49A: Gallery of Fine Crafts & Arts, has decided to close. This gallery which was located in Newport News, Virginia was a great little gallery that featured many fabulous local artists and was run by some of the nicest people I've met. Thank you 49A for giving my work a chance and good luck on your new ventures!
Monday, October 17, 2005
New Retailer
I'm pleased to announce that my work is being displayed at the Blue Skies Gallery located in Hampton, Virginia. Blue Skies Gallery is located across the street from the Air and Space Museum in downtown Hampton. Blue Skies is a fairly large gallery with a number of artists on display and events throughout the year, including a Holiday Open House from November 11 to 13. If you're in the area, be sure to stop by!
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Last minute show schedule update
Just last night I wrote that this weekend marks the end of the outdoor show season for me. Then I get a call from the wonderful people from Hope House to offer me an open spot in the Stockely Gardens Arts Festival on October 15 through 16. This is a very well-known show in the Hampton Roads area and it is always full of artists vying for a spot. I had managed to get on the alternate list back in August, but as most artists know, getting off the alternate list when a show is that popular can be pretty slim. So imagine my surprise at getting that phone call this afternoon when I had written only last night that this weekend was my last outdoor shows! Just goes to show that things are never set in stone!
So, just a reminder, take a look at the 2005 show schedule here. This list reflects all of the shows I'm currently confirmed for. I am also in the process of finalizing my schedule for 2006 and will be posting that within a couple of weeks. You can return to the show schedule page to keep up to date, but a simpler way is just to sign up for my mailing list and get updates every time the schedule changes.
So, just a reminder, take a look at the 2005 show schedule here. This list reflects all of the shows I'm currently confirmed for. I am also in the process of finalizing my schedule for 2006 and will be posting that within a couple of weeks. You can return to the show schedule page to keep up to date, but a simpler way is just to sign up for my mailing list and get updates every time the schedule changes.
Outdoor Show Awards
This weekend marks the end of the outdoor show season, with a two-show doubleheader; the 10th Annual Art on the Avenue show in Alexandria, Virginia on Saturday, October 1 and An Occasion for the Arts in Williamsburg, Virginia on Sunday, October 2. With the end of the outdoor season eminent, I would like to make a brief rundown of some of my most memorable shows.
The Picture Perfect Locale Award- The 4th of July Celebration, Yorktown, Virginia
This show had the prettiest location of all my shows. Located on the Chischiak Green on the bank of the York River, I had a great view of people in their sailboats cruising up and down the river, people sunning themselves on the beach, and had a great breeze to counteract the scorching 4th of July in Virginia heat.
The Bug Attack Award- The Hanover Tomato Festival, Hanover, Virginia and Princess Anne Arts and Crafts Show, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
This category had a two-way tie between the Hanover Tomato Festival and the Princess Anne Arts. Bugs and all manner of creatures are inevitable when doing outdoor shows, but their presence in these two shows are quite memorable.
Ever heard Japanese beetles? Around these parts, they are called June bugs for reasons unknown to me. In case you've never seen one, June bugs are big dark green beetles that fly about as if they have no of sight or direction. You can hear one coming since they have a buzz like a miniature chainsaw. And the only way you can hurt these suckers is if you hit them with something heavy...like a bank safe. Seeing one fly around is interesting...seeing a swarm of say 500 is something a little more than interesting. At the Hanover Tomato Festival, swarms of these bugs flew all over the field in which the festival was held in which they dive bombed festival goers, landed in people's hair, and fell in and drowned in people's drinks. People were seen swatting at the bugs with the cardboard fans festival officials handed out and some were seen actually running from these clumsy pests. Several customers were chased out of my booth when a pair of June bugs flew in and got trapped as they buzzed from one end to the other. One lady actually had one fly into her mouth, and I had a bug hit me in the back of my head while I was talking to a customer.
The other Bug Attack Award has to go to the Princess Anne Art and Craft Festival. My body has an interesting reaction to mosquito bites. When mosquitos bite me, the bites turn into huge bright red welts which in time fades into dark bruiselike areas on my skin. The picture above is a picture of what my legs looked like after I did the Princess Anne Festival when I got bitten approximately 3 dozen times by some pretty vicious mosquitos. I had forgotten the cardinal rule of outdoor shows and had arrived without a pair of long pants or some type of bug repellent. This moment I stepped out onto the show grounds, I was promptly attacked by swarms of mosquitos. Within five minutes, I was running to a neighboring artist begging for bug repellent, which he graciously allowed me to use.
The Shiny Happy People Award- The 3rd Annual Festival of the Grape, Powhatan, Virginia
Generally, the crowds at most festivals and craft shows are typically in a good mood, especially if the weather isn't too hot and they didn't have to park too far. But I've never seen a happier crowd than the one I saw at the Festival of the Grape. Of course, the fact that it happened to be a wine tasting festival may have had something to do with it. As the day wore on, people steadily got friendly and happier until they began to dance on the courthouse green. This was actually one of my favorite shows of the year because not only was everyone friendly and watching the festival goers was great fun, but as one other vendor had put it, people buy anything when they're drunk enough.
The Dry Shirt Award- 21st Annual Christmas in September, Richmond, Virginia
Summer in Virginia can be a hellish experience. Visitors to my booth constantly remark on the energy draining and debilitating effects of humidity and heat and ask me how I can stand it. If you do outdoor shows, you pretty much just get used to it. After about the third or fourth show of the year, your body and mind adapts to the heat and you remember to carry plenty of water. But no matter how much you get used to it, you still go home at the end of the day hot and sweaty with your shirt plastered to your back. So it's always a treat when the weather turns tolerable and you have a nice pleasant day like the one I had last week at the Christmas in September show. With weather in the seventies and no humidity I went home with a dry shirt that day.
The Picture Perfect Locale Award- The 4th of July Celebration, Yorktown, Virginia
This show had the prettiest location of all my shows. Located on the Chischiak Green on the bank of the York River, I had a great view of people in their sailboats cruising up and down the river, people sunning themselves on the beach, and had a great breeze to counteract the scorching 4th of July in Virginia heat.
The Bug Attack Award- The Hanover Tomato Festival, Hanover, Virginia and Princess Anne Arts and Crafts Show, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
This category had a two-way tie between the Hanover Tomato Festival and the Princess Anne Arts. Bugs and all manner of creatures are inevitable when doing outdoor shows, but their presence in these two shows are quite memorable.
Ever heard Japanese beetles? Around these parts, they are called June bugs for reasons unknown to me. In case you've never seen one, June bugs are big dark green beetles that fly about as if they have no of sight or direction. You can hear one coming since they have a buzz like a miniature chainsaw. And the only way you can hurt these suckers is if you hit them with something heavy...like a bank safe. Seeing one fly around is interesting...seeing a swarm of say 500 is something a little more than interesting. At the Hanover Tomato Festival, swarms of these bugs flew all over the field in which the festival was held in which they dive bombed festival goers, landed in people's hair, and fell in and drowned in people's drinks. People were seen swatting at the bugs with the cardboard fans festival officials handed out and some were seen actually running from these clumsy pests. Several customers were chased out of my booth when a pair of June bugs flew in and got trapped as they buzzed from one end to the other. One lady actually had one fly into her mouth, and I had a bug hit me in the back of my head while I was talking to a customer.
The other Bug Attack Award has to go to the Princess Anne Art and Craft Festival. My body has an interesting reaction to mosquito bites. When mosquitos bite me, the bites turn into huge bright red welts which in time fades into dark bruiselike areas on my skin. The picture above is a picture of what my legs looked like after I did the Princess Anne Festival when I got bitten approximately 3 dozen times by some pretty vicious mosquitos. I had forgotten the cardinal rule of outdoor shows and had arrived without a pair of long pants or some type of bug repellent. This moment I stepped out onto the show grounds, I was promptly attacked by swarms of mosquitos. Within five minutes, I was running to a neighboring artist begging for bug repellent, which he graciously allowed me to use.
The Shiny Happy People Award- The 3rd Annual Festival of the Grape, Powhatan, Virginia
Generally, the crowds at most festivals and craft shows are typically in a good mood, especially if the weather isn't too hot and they didn't have to park too far. But I've never seen a happier crowd than the one I saw at the Festival of the Grape. Of course, the fact that it happened to be a wine tasting festival may have had something to do with it. As the day wore on, people steadily got friendly and happier until they began to dance on the courthouse green. This was actually one of my favorite shows of the year because not only was everyone friendly and watching the festival goers was great fun, but as one other vendor had put it, people buy anything when they're drunk enough.
The Dry Shirt Award- 21st Annual Christmas in September, Richmond, Virginia
Summer in Virginia can be a hellish experience. Visitors to my booth constantly remark on the energy draining and debilitating effects of humidity and heat and ask me how I can stand it. If you do outdoor shows, you pretty much just get used to it. After about the third or fourth show of the year, your body and mind adapts to the heat and you remember to carry plenty of water. But no matter how much you get used to it, you still go home at the end of the day hot and sweaty with your shirt plastered to your back. So it's always a treat when the weather turns tolerable and you have a nice pleasant day like the one I had last week at the Christmas in September show. With weather in the seventies and no humidity I went home with a dry shirt that day.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Honorably Mentioned
This weekend during the 26th Annual Princess Anne Festival, I received an honorable mention for my work. While I always have a great time at shows, it's always a thrill to get some recognition. My thanks to Caroline Ansel of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Special Events and all the volunteers who made this a great show.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
It must be great to just work on the weekends...
One of the reasons I enjoy shows is because it gives me an opportunity to meet my customers. It's a thrill to get feedback on your work. There are many changes I've made to my work that is due to a particularly astute suggestion by a customer or a remark made by a show attendee. I do get sourpusses at shows from time to time, people that offer criticism that is hurtful or even downright insulting. Fortunately those are in the minority and veterans to the circuit learn not to let these sourpuss ruin their day.
But addition to suggestions and criticism, both useful and hurtful, are remarks that leaves many a working artist either scratching their heads or suppressing an ironic grin.
Here's an example of such a remark. At my last show, after spending several minutes deciding on a pair of earrings, a lady selected a pair of Paper Bead earrings to purchase for a friend. While I tallied her order and boxed the earrings, she chatted about how much she liked my jewelry and how much her friend will love the earrings. I smiled at her and told her how much I appreciated her compliments. It's always a good feeling when someone compliments your work, and I always appreciate positive comments and helpful suggestions. Then as I handed my new customer her package, she said, "It must be wonderful to only have to work only on the weekends and to have free time during the week." Inwardly I said, "Hah!". To my new customer I said, "Well, shows do give me an opportunity to get out of my studio for a change. I always have a great time at them," and thanked her for her purchase.
A saltier artist may have taken this comment as an insult or as a sign of the lack respect for the arts and would have used this as an opportunity to inform this lady on the trials and difficulties of being an artist. Personally, I don't believe in chastising customers for remarks such as these because, 1) People come to festivals to have a good time, not to get a lecture on how hard it is to be an artist and on how art is under-appreciated in the world of Wal-Mart and cheap goods from Asia, 2) Many people have this romantic vision of what life is like as an artist, and I really hate to burst their bubble, and 3) I've learned to decipher the difference between what people say and what people actually mean.
I found out that what most people actually mean when they say "It must be wonderful to only have to work on the weekends" or "You must have some much free time during the week" is that "It must be great to be able to make a living doing what you love and to have the freedom to set your own hours...I wish I could do that." If you scratch the surface, most people do realize that artists do have to work on weekdays too. Most of the time, they are expressing their fascination with the concept of the artist's life. The fact that artists can be creative and do something that they love and make a living at it.
I've been in and out of the craft industry for fifteen years on a part time basis until very recently and had daydreams of sitting in my studio with my dogs at my feet making jewelry in the middle of the day instead of when I could scratch out time after work or on the weekends. With these daydreams came the thought of, "If only I could afford to do this full time, then I'll get a lot more work done and I'll have time to expand".
Then in late January this year, I was told that my full time job of web designer was being eliminated and just like that...I had the opportunity to make my daydreams into a reality. I wasn't completely naive, I knew that being a full time artist wouldn't be all fun and and games and that it would take a level of discipline and sacrifice.
It's true that I now spend many a day sitting in my studio with my dogs at my feet making jewelry. But that's only about 40, maybe 45% of the time. The other 55 to 60% of my time is spent sitting in front of the computer making out budgets and marketing plans, logging in sales and expenses, filling sales taxes, updating my web site, and answering email. It's also spent talking on the phone with customers, chasing new wholesale accounts, and ordering materials. It's spent processing and packing orders, taking daily trips to the post office, biweekly trips to the bank, and monthly trips to the half dozen local galleries to check on sales and to fill orders. In other words, 55 to 60% of my time is spent doing the same things that other small business owners do, actually running a business. In reality, I'm actually working much harder than I ever did when working at a full time job. Instead of working an 8 hour day, I typically work a 10 to 13 hour day and sometimes longer if there is a show coming up or a large order due.
Do I get to set my own hours? Sure, I can choose what part of the day to work my 10 to 12 hours. Do I get to make a living doing what I love? Well, I get to do what I love and I hope to one day soon be able to live off it. I'm quite lucky to have a spouse that has a regular job with medical benefits so that we have at least one steady paycheck and medical insurance until the day comes that I can equally support the household with my jewelry. The number of artists without medical insurance is pretty staggering and many must take part time jobs to get by while building their business. Art is pretty much a feast or famine enterprise. Do I get to do work that excites me? Most of the time, yes. If an artist is lucky, the type of work they love to do and that type that sells are the same thing.
Perhaps what the salty, lecturing artists most want their customers to know is, yes, it's great to be able to set your own hours and to go to the gym, the bank, and the store at 10 a.m. on the week days., and to not have to punch a time clock, to be able to decide the course of your own destiny, and to be able to work on what you enjoy. Yes, all those things are great. But life as a successful working artist is not for the faint of heart. It's not for the lazy and undisciplined. It's not for the thin skinned and for those who lack perseverance. That the myth of the temperamental, suffering, starving artist is just that, a myth (well, it's mostly a myth). And most of all, life as a working artist is not for those who don't have a passion for what they do.
But addition to suggestions and criticism, both useful and hurtful, are remarks that leaves many a working artist either scratching their heads or suppressing an ironic grin.
Here's an example of such a remark. At my last show, after spending several minutes deciding on a pair of earrings, a lady selected a pair of Paper Bead earrings to purchase for a friend. While I tallied her order and boxed the earrings, she chatted about how much she liked my jewelry and how much her friend will love the earrings. I smiled at her and told her how much I appreciated her compliments. It's always a good feeling when someone compliments your work, and I always appreciate positive comments and helpful suggestions. Then as I handed my new customer her package, she said, "It must be wonderful to only have to work only on the weekends and to have free time during the week." Inwardly I said, "Hah!". To my new customer I said, "Well, shows do give me an opportunity to get out of my studio for a change. I always have a great time at them," and thanked her for her purchase.
A saltier artist may have taken this comment as an insult or as a sign of the lack respect for the arts and would have used this as an opportunity to inform this lady on the trials and difficulties of being an artist. Personally, I don't believe in chastising customers for remarks such as these because, 1) People come to festivals to have a good time, not to get a lecture on how hard it is to be an artist and on how art is under-appreciated in the world of Wal-Mart and cheap goods from Asia, 2) Many people have this romantic vision of what life is like as an artist, and I really hate to burst their bubble, and 3) I've learned to decipher the difference between what people say and what people actually mean.
I found out that what most people actually mean when they say "It must be wonderful to only have to work on the weekends" or "You must have some much free time during the week" is that "It must be great to be able to make a living doing what you love and to have the freedom to set your own hours...I wish I could do that." If you scratch the surface, most people do realize that artists do have to work on weekdays too. Most of the time, they are expressing their fascination with the concept of the artist's life. The fact that artists can be creative and do something that they love and make a living at it.
I've been in and out of the craft industry for fifteen years on a part time basis until very recently and had daydreams of sitting in my studio with my dogs at my feet making jewelry in the middle of the day instead of when I could scratch out time after work or on the weekends. With these daydreams came the thought of, "If only I could afford to do this full time, then I'll get a lot more work done and I'll have time to expand".
Then in late January this year, I was told that my full time job of web designer was being eliminated and just like that...I had the opportunity to make my daydreams into a reality. I wasn't completely naive, I knew that being a full time artist wouldn't be all fun and and games and that it would take a level of discipline and sacrifice.
It's true that I now spend many a day sitting in my studio with my dogs at my feet making jewelry. But that's only about 40, maybe 45% of the time. The other 55 to 60% of my time is spent sitting in front of the computer making out budgets and marketing plans, logging in sales and expenses, filling sales taxes, updating my web site, and answering email. It's also spent talking on the phone with customers, chasing new wholesale accounts, and ordering materials. It's spent processing and packing orders, taking daily trips to the post office, biweekly trips to the bank, and monthly trips to the half dozen local galleries to check on sales and to fill orders. In other words, 55 to 60% of my time is spent doing the same things that other small business owners do, actually running a business. In reality, I'm actually working much harder than I ever did when working at a full time job. Instead of working an 8 hour day, I typically work a 10 to 13 hour day and sometimes longer if there is a show coming up or a large order due.
Do I get to set my own hours? Sure, I can choose what part of the day to work my 10 to 12 hours. Do I get to make a living doing what I love? Well, I get to do what I love and I hope to one day soon be able to live off it. I'm quite lucky to have a spouse that has a regular job with medical benefits so that we have at least one steady paycheck and medical insurance until the day comes that I can equally support the household with my jewelry. The number of artists without medical insurance is pretty staggering and many must take part time jobs to get by while building their business. Art is pretty much a feast or famine enterprise. Do I get to do work that excites me? Most of the time, yes. If an artist is lucky, the type of work they love to do and that type that sells are the same thing.
Perhaps what the salty, lecturing artists most want their customers to know is, yes, it's great to be able to set your own hours and to go to the gym, the bank, and the store at 10 a.m. on the week days., and to not have to punch a time clock, to be able to decide the course of your own destiny, and to be able to work on what you enjoy. Yes, all those things are great. But life as a successful working artist is not for the faint of heart. It's not for the lazy and undisciplined. It's not for the thin skinned and for those who lack perseverance. That the myth of the temperamental, suffering, starving artist is just that, a myth (well, it's mostly a myth). And most of all, life as a working artist is not for those who don't have a passion for what they do.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Hello Again!
It's been a long while since I've written in my design diary. A lot of time and a lot of changes have taken place between now and then. Including a brand new lines of jewelry, two brand new retailers and and a schedule of retail shows.
In late March and early April, I've acquired two new retailers, Crossings at Carnegie in Zumbrota, Minnesota and woodbloom in Portland, Oregon. These two retailers are particularly exciting for me because up until now, most of my retailers have been located on the East Coast. With these new retailers located in the Midwest and West Coast, I have the opportunity to introduce my work in these areas. Much thanks to Marie Marvin of Crossings and Ken Kane of woodbloom for this opportunity!
I've also created a new line of jewelry and expanded the Ojos Series. The new line of jewelry, tentatively called the Beaded Chain Series is a line of bracelets, anklets, necklaces, and earrings of handmade beaded chain. Beads in the chains encompass a variety of materials, wood, Czech glass, Swarovski® crystal, and semi-precious stones. My most popular line in the Beaded Chain series is the Birthstone line which includes earrings, anklets, earrings, and necklaces made in gold, sterling silver and Swarovski® in each of the twelve birthstone colors. I also include custom mixing and matching of crystals to create personalized jewelry...a very popular gift item for Mother's Day. The bracelet shown below is the October Birthstone Bracelet in gold.
I've also expanded the Ojos Series to include rosaries and necklaces. The necklaces shown below are my first designs and are made of sterling silver.
The Ojos Rosaries are made of sterling silver and gold and beads made of a variety of materials including wood, crystal, and a a variety of uncommon materials. The rosary shown here is made of sterling silver and Buri Nut beads.
You can find my Ojos Necklaces at Vincent Hester Gallery in Portsmouth, Virginia and at any of my retail shows. My Beaded Chain Series and Ojos Rosaries are available only at shows.
And speaking of shows, the 2005 craft show schedule is now in full swing. My first show of the year was hosted by one of my favorite retailers, Elizabeth Sorrell of The Leaping Lizard. Dubbed the "Creating Woman Art Show", this 1st annual show is the brainchild of Cathy Smith and Elizabeth Sorrell. This show featured over 25 women artists in the local Hampton Roads area (including myself). Cathy is currently working on a book about women artists called "Creating Woman: Her Art and Spirit at Work in the World", and she and Elizabeth struck on the idea of having an art show at The Leaping Lizard that feature all women artists. Not only was I fortunate enough to receive an invitation from them to participate, but I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of talented female artists and to share exhibition space with them. Despite the threat of rain and thunderstorms, a perpetual hazard of outdoor show life, the day was a smashing success! The show even got a mention in The Beacon, the local newspaper for Virginia Beach. The show was such a success, we lady artists are lobbying for a 2nd Annual Creating Women Art Show. Not a bad way to start the 2005 show season!
You can take a look at the 2005 show schedule here. This list reflects all of the shows I'm currently confirmed for, but I will be adding to the list once I get more confirmations. You can return to the show schedule page to keep up to date, but an easier way is to sign up for my mailing list...then you'll get updates every time the schedule changes.
In late March and early April, I've acquired two new retailers, Crossings at Carnegie in Zumbrota, Minnesota and woodbloom in Portland, Oregon. These two retailers are particularly exciting for me because up until now, most of my retailers have been located on the East Coast. With these new retailers located in the Midwest and West Coast, I have the opportunity to introduce my work in these areas. Much thanks to Marie Marvin of Crossings and Ken Kane of woodbloom for this opportunity!
I've also created a new line of jewelry and expanded the Ojos Series. The new line of jewelry, tentatively called the Beaded Chain Series is a line of bracelets, anklets, necklaces, and earrings of handmade beaded chain. Beads in the chains encompass a variety of materials, wood, Czech glass, Swarovski® crystal, and semi-precious stones. My most popular line in the Beaded Chain series is the Birthstone line which includes earrings, anklets, earrings, and necklaces made in gold, sterling silver and Swarovski® in each of the twelve birthstone colors. I also include custom mixing and matching of crystals to create personalized jewelry...a very popular gift item for Mother's Day. The bracelet shown below is the October Birthstone Bracelet in gold.
I've also expanded the Ojos Series to include rosaries and necklaces. The necklaces shown below are my first designs and are made of sterling silver.
The Ojos Rosaries are made of sterling silver and gold and beads made of a variety of materials including wood, crystal, and a a variety of uncommon materials. The rosary shown here is made of sterling silver and Buri Nut beads.
You can find my Ojos Necklaces at Vincent Hester Gallery in Portsmouth, Virginia and at any of my retail shows. My Beaded Chain Series and Ojos Rosaries are available only at shows.
And speaking of shows, the 2005 craft show schedule is now in full swing. My first show of the year was hosted by one of my favorite retailers, Elizabeth Sorrell of The Leaping Lizard. Dubbed the "Creating Woman Art Show", this 1st annual show is the brainchild of Cathy Smith and Elizabeth Sorrell. This show featured over 25 women artists in the local Hampton Roads area (including myself). Cathy is currently working on a book about women artists called "Creating Woman: Her Art and Spirit at Work in the World", and she and Elizabeth struck on the idea of having an art show at The Leaping Lizard that feature all women artists. Not only was I fortunate enough to receive an invitation from them to participate, but I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of talented female artists and to share exhibition space with them. Despite the threat of rain and thunderstorms, a perpetual hazard of outdoor show life, the day was a smashing success! The show even got a mention in The Beacon, the local newspaper for Virginia Beach. The show was such a success, we lady artists are lobbying for a 2nd Annual Creating Women Art Show. Not a bad way to start the 2005 show season!
You can take a look at the 2005 show schedule here. This list reflects all of the shows I'm currently confirmed for, but I will be adding to the list once I get more confirmations. You can return to the show schedule page to keep up to date, but an easier way is to sign up for my mailing list...then you'll get updates every time the schedule changes.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
A New Retailer- The Leaping Lizard
I'm pleased to announce that my work has been accepted by a new retailer, The Leaping Lizard, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Leaping Lizard is located on Shore Drive minutes away from the beach and only 15 minutes away from the popular Virginia Beach boardwalk. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, millions of tourists visits Virginia Beach and the boardwalk. Shore Drive is one of the main roads leading to the beach and is lined with a variety of shops and great restaurants. If you're summer plans include a visit to Virginia Beach, be sure to take Shore Drive and stop by The Leaping Lizard!
The Leaping Lizard is located on Shore Drive minutes away from the beach and only 15 minutes away from the popular Virginia Beach boardwalk. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, millions of tourists visits Virginia Beach and the boardwalk. Shore Drive is one of the main roads leading to the beach and is lined with a variety of shops and great restaurants. If you're summer plans include a visit to Virginia Beach, be sure to take Shore Drive and stop by The Leaping Lizard!
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
I'm in a magazine!
February seems to be a rather good month so far. I've just received word that my jewelry has a mention in the March 2005 issue of The Crafts Report.
No...I'm not on the cover (can't have it all I suppose...), a photo of one of my bracelets, Untitled #1 and a brief interview is on page 14.
The Crafts Report is the trade magazine for the professional crafts art industry...yep..we're an official industry :) Each month, the magazine focuses on one particular medium, be it ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, etc and invites working artists to participate in showing their work. I'm one of 11 jewelry artists being featured in the jewelry issue for 2005. Take a look if you happen to see a copy of The Crafts Report at your local bookstore.
No...I'm not on the cover (can't have it all I suppose...), a photo of one of my bracelets, Untitled #1 and a brief interview is on page 14.
The Crafts Report is the trade magazine for the professional crafts art industry...yep..we're an official industry :) Each month, the magazine focuses on one particular medium, be it ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, etc and invites working artists to participate in showing their work. I'm one of 11 jewelry artists being featured in the jewelry issue for 2005. Take a look if you happen to see a copy of The Crafts Report at your local bookstore.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Another New Retailer- The Peninsula Fine Arts Center
I'm pleased to announce that my work is now being displayed at The Peninsula Fine Arts Center Gift Shop located in Newport News, Virginia.
The Peninsula Fine Arts Center or PFAC as it's known in Hampton Roads is a fabulous world of sculpture, paintings, photographs and ancient artifacts. Once a week, PFAC host's the PFAC Cafe, an evening of music, wine, and conversation. For those of you interested in naval history, The Mariner's Museum is located right beside PFAC, so you can make a day of cultural and historical fun. If you happen to be in Newport News, be sure to swing by PFAC for some culture and art and don't forget to stop by the Center gift shop!
P.S. Thanks to the wonderful managers at the PFAC gift shop!
The Peninsula Fine Arts Center or PFAC as it's known in Hampton Roads is a fabulous world of sculpture, paintings, photographs and ancient artifacts. Once a week, PFAC host's the PFAC Cafe, an evening of music, wine, and conversation. For those of you interested in naval history, The Mariner's Museum is located right beside PFAC, so you can make a day of cultural and historical fun. If you happen to be in Newport News, be sure to swing by PFAC for some culture and art and don't forget to stop by the Center gift shop!
P.S. Thanks to the wonderful managers at the PFAC gift shop!
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
A blast from the past, pt 2
The 1990's seemed to be the height of the faux finish craze in my town, especially that "crackled paint" finish.
The above set was my "homage" to crackle paint finishes. After making my first set painted paper beads, I decided to try using faux finish on my beads. Again using scrap paper for the beads, (this set was made out of an old term paper), I first painted a base coat on each bead. After that dried, I applied a layer of "crackle" paint to each bead. Finally, I added the top coat to the "crackle" layer. As expected, the top coat crackled quite nicely and I let that top coat dry before doing a final coat of clear acrylic to make the bead shinier.
This turned out to be even more labor intensive than just the plain painted beads. I took me about two weeks to do my first painted paper bead set. This set took about a month.
The above set was my "homage" to crackle paint finishes. After making my first set painted paper beads, I decided to try using faux finish on my beads. Again using scrap paper for the beads, (this set was made out of an old term paper), I first painted a base coat on each bead. After that dried, I applied a layer of "crackle" paint to each bead. Finally, I added the top coat to the "crackle" layer. As expected, the top coat crackled quite nicely and I let that top coat dry before doing a final coat of clear acrylic to make the bead shinier.
This turned out to be even more labor intensive than just the plain painted beads. I took me about two weeks to do my first painted paper bead set. This set took about a month.
Monday, January 17, 2005
A blast from the past, pt 1
Digging through some of my old photographs and slides, I found some pictures (albeit bad ones) of some of my earlier experiments with paper beads.
The above picture is the very first jewelry set of a necklace, bracelet and earrings that I made that was designed entirely of paper beads. I made this set in 1991 and it was mostly experimental. I had bought a small little craft gadget called a "Bead Crafter" that was basically a jig for making paper beads. When I first got the tool, I experimented with wrapping paper, ripped out pages from magazines, even scrap paper. The results were interesting, but they weren't exactly what I envisioned and I was worried of course about durability. Wrapping paper made for a rather flimsy bead.
Later, I experimented with painting the wrapping paper beads with a kind of clear acrylic coating to protect the beads and make them a little harder. A light bulb snapped in my head, "What would they look like painted?". I made a bunch of rolled beads out of scrap paper (I believe this particular set was made out of an old chemistry exam) and hand painted each of them with acrylic paint. The result was paper beads that had a sort of plastic look. They were still light, but much harder and much more waterproof. That set spawned a small series of painted paper bead jewelry.
The above picture is the very first jewelry set of a necklace, bracelet and earrings that I made that was designed entirely of paper beads. I made this set in 1991 and it was mostly experimental. I had bought a small little craft gadget called a "Bead Crafter" that was basically a jig for making paper beads. When I first got the tool, I experimented with wrapping paper, ripped out pages from magazines, even scrap paper. The results were interesting, but they weren't exactly what I envisioned and I was worried of course about durability. Wrapping paper made for a rather flimsy bead.
Later, I experimented with painting the wrapping paper beads with a kind of clear acrylic coating to protect the beads and make them a little harder. A light bulb snapped in my head, "What would they look like painted?". I made a bunch of rolled beads out of scrap paper (I believe this particular set was made out of an old chemistry exam) and hand painted each of them with acrylic paint. The result was paper beads that had a sort of plastic look. They were still light, but much harder and much more waterproof. That set spawned a small series of painted paper bead jewelry.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
A new retailer- The Chrysler Museum of Art
I'm happy to say that I just got a new retailer to carry my work. The new venue is the Chrysler Museum of Art Museum Shop located in Norfolk, Virginia.
For those of you who love taking cruises, you may already know that Norfolk, Virginia is a port of call for all kinds of cruise liners. If you happen to be taking a cruise and your ship stops in the fair city of Norfolk, shake out those sea legs and visit the Chrysler Museum for some of the most fabulous art collections around. And on the way out, don't forget to visit the Museum Shop, which is filled of all kinds of beautiful goodness, not the least of which, some of my work! :)
P.S. Thanks to Diane of the Museum Shop for taking the time to check out my stuff!
For those of you who love taking cruises, you may already know that Norfolk, Virginia is a port of call for all kinds of cruise liners. If you happen to be taking a cruise and your ship stops in the fair city of Norfolk, shake out those sea legs and visit the Chrysler Museum for some of the most fabulous art collections around. And on the way out, don't forget to visit the Museum Shop, which is filled of all kinds of beautiful goodness, not the least of which, some of my work! :)
P.S. Thanks to Diane of the Museum Shop for taking the time to check out my stuff!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Untitled #1
The above bracelet is called Untitled #1, the first in my series of Paper Bead Bracelets. This bracelet is made out of one of my favorite papers. It's a dyed cotton rag paper that has some really nice uneven dyeing to it. The paper also has random silver geometric shapes silk screened on it that really sets off the blue marbling. The freshwater pearls give the bracelet some amount of heft, as many of these bracelets are rather light. But it's a pleasant kind of heft.
Untitled #1 is on display at Vincent Hester Gallery in Portsmouth, Virginia. If you happen to be in the area, go take a look!
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Little Box of Horrors
A couple months ago, my husband James and I were packing the car and preparing to drive home after a visit to my mother's house. Just before we got ready to leave, brought several cardboard boxes out to the car. "I think you forgot this the last time we went through the attic, so I brought them down", she said, "Thought you might want them." I hadn't a clue what was in the boxes, but I took them and packed them in the car.
At home, my James and my sister-in-law Mary went through the boxes. We soon discovered that these were boxes of some of my old work I did when I was just dabbling into making jewelry. Back then, I had worked in a craft store and I pretty much made jewelry out of anything I laid my hands out, painted wooden beads, Friendly plastic, FIMO, you name it, I probably made something out of it. Some of it turned out nice, some of it didn't. These were the boxes that didn't...which explained what they were still moldering in my mother's attic 10 years later.
Mary, who like her brother James, is a person that doesn't mince words. "Hey Nikki, I know you're talented and all, but some of these things are really ugly."
I had thought the same thing when I opened up the box, but it's one thing to think it and another to hear someone else say it. I felt pretty sheepish, "Yeah I know...but it was a long time ago."
"I mean it's not all ugly," she continued, twisting the knife in further, "This is kinda cool." She held up brown, lumpy Fimo decorated string tie, "But I mean...what's this?"
After that, I pretty much decided that I was going to toss all of the boxes. Why have such ugliness around the house? Later that day I was talking to my friend Dawn about my mom's unlovely find and told her my intentions of tossing my little boxes of horrors.
"You mean you're not going to keep any of it?" she asked.
"No way! I get ill just looking at that stuff," I said. "I mean, I'm embarrassed to say I even made that stuff."
Dawn, who's the type of person who can spin anything into a positive said, "Well, I know you think it's ugly, but look how far you've come since then. It would be a shame to not have some reminder of where you started from."
She was right of course. And the truth of her statement was enough to make me stop my whining. The real problem was that I was just embarrassed for people to see my mistakes. It was embarrassing to see that you can make something that was really ugly, think that was neat looking at the time, only to dig it up several years later to see how ugly it truly was.
In college, the art instructor that I remember most was a short and spare Indian woman who taught classes in drawing, collage and assemblage, and fiber design. She had a very straightforward, no-nonsense demeanor and such an intense gaze that James who was then my fiancé, had nicknamed her "The Eye". She wasn't the type to hand out compliments freely. She was very critical. Very blunt. Very brilliant. More than once I came home from her classes in tears. And she was one of the best art teachers I ever had...I learned a lot from her.
One of the many things "The Eye" had always stressed was the importance of artists documenting their work. "Document!" she would admonish us in her thick Indian accent, "Document your finished work! Document your unfinished work! But most especially document your mistakes! From your failures comes your greatest success! Take photographs, make drawings, take notes...anything you can to catalogue your work! If you do not document, then you do not have a roadmap for your future work! If you do not document, your work does not exist!"
And document we did. She would not award full points to any piece that didn't have some sort of documentation discussing the process. And considering how critical she could be, those documentation points would sometimes be all that you had to keep you from failing completely. I documented first in defense of my G.P.A., then out of habit, and then when I went into business, out of usefulness. Every earring I make, every design I develop is scanned or photographed. Each image is accompanied with information about materials and process. If you bought something from me three years ago, you can show it to me and I can tell you when I made it, what it's made from, and where I sold it at. After talking to Dawn I realized that although this was true with my post collage work and the work I have for sale, I had nothing documenting what I did before then. And here I was about to destroy the evidence.
So I'm going to go back through those boxes. Yes, it may be ugly. Yes, I will come across something that will make me think, "What the hell was I thinking?". But maybe along the way I can find bits of that roadmap that led me to where I am today. And when I do, I'm going to document, document, document.
At home, my James and my sister-in-law Mary went through the boxes. We soon discovered that these were boxes of some of my old work I did when I was just dabbling into making jewelry. Back then, I had worked in a craft store and I pretty much made jewelry out of anything I laid my hands out, painted wooden beads, Friendly plastic, FIMO, you name it, I probably made something out of it. Some of it turned out nice, some of it didn't. These were the boxes that didn't...which explained what they were still moldering in my mother's attic 10 years later.
Mary, who like her brother James, is a person that doesn't mince words. "Hey Nikki, I know you're talented and all, but some of these things are really ugly."
I had thought the same thing when I opened up the box, but it's one thing to think it and another to hear someone else say it. I felt pretty sheepish, "Yeah I know...but it was a long time ago."
"I mean it's not all ugly," she continued, twisting the knife in further, "This is kinda cool." She held up brown, lumpy Fimo decorated string tie, "But I mean...what's this?"
After that, I pretty much decided that I was going to toss all of the boxes. Why have such ugliness around the house? Later that day I was talking to my friend Dawn about my mom's unlovely find and told her my intentions of tossing my little boxes of horrors.
"You mean you're not going to keep any of it?" she asked.
"No way! I get ill just looking at that stuff," I said. "I mean, I'm embarrassed to say I even made that stuff."
Dawn, who's the type of person who can spin anything into a positive said, "Well, I know you think it's ugly, but look how far you've come since then. It would be a shame to not have some reminder of where you started from."
She was right of course. And the truth of her statement was enough to make me stop my whining. The real problem was that I was just embarrassed for people to see my mistakes. It was embarrassing to see that you can make something that was really ugly, think that was neat looking at the time, only to dig it up several years later to see how ugly it truly was.
In college, the art instructor that I remember most was a short and spare Indian woman who taught classes in drawing, collage and assemblage, and fiber design. She had a very straightforward, no-nonsense demeanor and such an intense gaze that James who was then my fiancé, had nicknamed her "The Eye". She wasn't the type to hand out compliments freely. She was very critical. Very blunt. Very brilliant. More than once I came home from her classes in tears. And she was one of the best art teachers I ever had...I learned a lot from her.
One of the many things "The Eye" had always stressed was the importance of artists documenting their work. "Document!" she would admonish us in her thick Indian accent, "Document your finished work! Document your unfinished work! But most especially document your mistakes! From your failures comes your greatest success! Take photographs, make drawings, take notes...anything you can to catalogue your work! If you do not document, then you do not have a roadmap for your future work! If you do not document, your work does not exist!"
And document we did. She would not award full points to any piece that didn't have some sort of documentation discussing the process. And considering how critical she could be, those documentation points would sometimes be all that you had to keep you from failing completely. I documented first in defense of my G.P.A., then out of habit, and then when I went into business, out of usefulness. Every earring I make, every design I develop is scanned or photographed. Each image is accompanied with information about materials and process. If you bought something from me three years ago, you can show it to me and I can tell you when I made it, what it's made from, and where I sold it at. After talking to Dawn I realized that although this was true with my post collage work and the work I have for sale, I had nothing documenting what I did before then. And here I was about to destroy the evidence.
So I'm going to go back through those boxes. Yes, it may be ugly. Yes, I will come across something that will make me think, "What the hell was I thinking?". But maybe along the way I can find bits of that roadmap that led me to where I am today. And when I do, I'm going to document, document, document.
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