What to do while navigating the sea of infinite possibilities

Pieces for Week 24: about 210 in fact

I believe that every artist should take a break from their usual medium and so something completely different.

For example:
Painters should try beading, bead artists take up paper mache, sculptures take up embroidery and metalsmiths take up painting. Or some sort of combination. The point is to step away from your usual tool/creative toy box and do something totally different.

Don't say to me:
OH NO!!!! I could never do that.

Yes, you can. You may choose NOT TO do something different...but you CAN do something different.
It's good for you. Makes you younger, more interesting and sexy.

That being said...last week, at the last minute, I tried something different. After hours in the studio my creative brain, while still very active, needed a break. While wandering around I discovered some interesting components and my very active creative brain screamed "WHAT IF????"

And so I ran with it. I hand painted some acrylic components, put earring findings on them and took the results up to Tahoe...

AND SOLD OUT!

Every artist who vends has to have that balance between their "art" and the "bread and butter" work. The trick is to find the "bread and butter" work...and still be true to "art." Low materials cost, quick to make, low price point, grab and go, but still quality and hand-made....and holds the attention of the public. More than holds the attention... CHARMS the public. Delights the public. Never seen before and, WOW, it's HAND-PAINTED? For only this much money? (don't worry, materials, time etc...was all factored in...)

I had stumbled across the charm+delight+novel+wow-factor+hand-painted+silly low cost= SELL OUT! formula!

We have a three day weekend up at Tahoe coming up. Three days and a huge carnaval in the parking lot behind us. This type of crowd draw does not lend to people making big purchases, but they WILL make small token/momento purchaes...this is what we are ready for.

We spent $60 in materials and spent ten hours hand painting 210 pieces (all day Monday*). This will make 105 pairs of earrings that we are selling at $10 a pair...the math is good.

The pictures I took are purposefully not the best. These must be seen in person...with light shining through them...but I at least wanted to document this week's "Pieces."

And yes...it's only Tuesday. I'm gonna take Wednesday and Thursday OFF, and then Friday at 5am we are off to Tahoe!

 

the smaller painted pieces with have beads and chain incorporated

*Yesterday I was all poised and primed to take myself out on an adventure, but was so excited about making these, that I cut the date with myself short, came home and started painting. This is what PASSION is about.

Something Very Different (by Lisa)

Sharing something new. A collaborative piece. 

My friend, Tania von Allmen, handed me a moldavite...

I tossed in an onyx...

she said my favorite line, "Go for it...whatever you come up with."

I did some drumming and journey work and kept seeing the same vision.
I argued with myself...
"No...I don't do that kind of work..."

Repeat this scenario two more times!

At the end of the third journey session I realized that I needed to contact another to work with - and so I did.

So here is my design with the beautiful craftwomanship of North Marques. 

North did the wax carving, silver casting and stone setting. 

(Actually, she carved the hand and I did the surrounding work in wax...and she fine tuned it a bit.)

When amazing minds come together to create - amazing new life forms emerge!

Had I stayed "small" and argued with myself..."I can not do this..."

this never would have made it into the world.

End Credits:
Friend and amazing artist....Tania von Allmen... check out her work as a Symbolist.
Friend and amazing artist....North Marques... check out her artisan designed sterling silver sculptures.

A Piece A Week #13. Really Week THIRTEEN?

Ominous. Week 13. I am not one to give in to superstitious numbers, black cats, or what the moon is doing...ok, yes, what the moon is doing (it is Void of Course right now btw).

Week 13. A week where I injured myself on Monday and can not do any of my usual creative work. I tried...but I do not have the ability to grasp things in my left hand...important in metal work, wire wrapping and even beading. Tried it all. Even tried to lift my camera the other day, can't quite get the left arm to work right for that either...ok.

Well, now what?

(For those who don't know, I tripped, bounced and did an amazing slide while running along the American River Bike Trail...lots of skinned skin...and a left arm that, while nothing is broken, is extremely strained. Lifting, grasping etc., is coming back in very slow increments...)

Anyway - I am about to take a huge turn in another direction...get kinda motivational, kinda philosophical, kinda in your face about something.

Over the past few weeks I have had conversations with females - of all ages - who poo-poo the idea of cooking a delicious meal JUST FOR HER SELF.

"Oh no....I only cook for others, there is no point in cooking for myself..."

That is the biggest piece of molarky...and one that I will instantly get in your face if you say the same to me.

Why you should cook solo meals:

1) "Cooking is the ultimate act of self-appreciation." (click HERE to read the whole Washington Post article).
2) How else are you going to practice? If you practice on yourself first, you will have more confidence when serving others. (this goes a long way with all kinds of .... things.)

Sure, I have my favorite "pop in the microwave" foods...there is a place for that - but it is an amazing thing to give to yourself an amazing meal. I believe it is a sign of incredible self-maturity AND unstoppable self-worth.

I think there is a difference in the food when the cook has this confidence and love of cooking versus someone who just follows a recipe. Big difference.

Not unlike an art class...there are individuals who just make what the instructor makes - and there are those who learn the technique and then make something different.

Those that just follow along...well...how to say...mmmmmm there is no "soul" in the food. It tastes fine...maybe even GREAT...but food with no soul doesn't make you "moan." (this applies to many other ... things.)
I think that food served should make people moan with wonder.
Like a great piece of art will make people stop in their tracks...
A beautiful piece of jewelry will make people gasp.

So...cook something for yourself. Keep working with the ingredients until you can make yourself moan.
This works for many other ... things.

Once you KNOW you have a great plan for that fresh basil and garlic, because you have made it for yourself first...

Then share it with someone else.

Piece a Week #3: Creating Peace

I can not work in chaos. I get frustrated and grumpy. Too bad I don't have a before picture of the workbench. Trust me -  it was piled with...stuff. The bench was a confused multitude of things. I needed to get rid of the excess.

After we expanded the entire studio, I began the process of making sense of the confused multitude of things on the workbench. Scrap copper goes in that bin. Little bits of silver saved. Tools have their space. Pieces of paper towels tossed and dust swept up.

Cleaning was its own creative act.

The Zen Workbench

Pristine! Clear of clutter! No stuff! A peaceful place to create!

I thought about pushing through and making something "just" to have a piece to post - but realized that creating a pleasing space is just as valid.

For next week: I have a rather wild idea for setting a chunky raw cut yellow opal...

Life outside of the studio...Lisa's POV

A few snapshots of my day today...Josh and I wandered through Sutter Creek and Jackson, California.

For the bride who wants to go vintage, this set up had it all. All very pretty...so not me, but I can appreciate the charm of it all.

Ok...this is me! LOVE LOVE LOVE these shoes!! Even the little handbag.

Note it is a Chevy. Note the crunched bumper. Note the Nissan tag.

 

This vase gave me quite the creative idea. Instead of surrounding a stone with metal, why not surround metal with a stone...????

 

I am fascinated with old, falling apart buildings. Here is a window that someone once gazed out of...and now...the flora has taken over.

When did this lace curtain fall?

Cafe De Coco. Very good cappucino!

Need to hold a meeting? This strange little room was adjacent to the main dining area in Cafe De Coco. Just a big plain room. This is the view when you exit the bathroom!

I found white buttons...brought them home and began to paint them.

Doodles and Dreams

A frequent question we are asked is, "Where do you get your inspiration?"

Anywhere! After almost back-to-back viewings of "Avatar"... I have walked away with TONS of ideas! We have a vine growing around our front porch that has these spiral tendrils...I've made lots of spiral tendrils out of wire! Leaves are another favorite of mine...plenty of those blowing around this time of year! I look at a lot of pictures on line. I like to do a google search on different pendant images. I keep my favorite ones...I don't copy those pieces, I just study them for my own ideas...here's an example from my notebook...

Another source of ideas are from my own doodles...mostly done during meetings at work! (I'm listening...really!!!)

Another source...my dreams! In the image below, there is a sketch of a broken wine glass with wine flowing out of the break...the wine becoming a chrysanthemum on top of a snake spiraling around the wine glass. I drew that sketch the next day at work...along with some other doodles. The wine glass/snake was actually a tattoo on a woman's cheek in my dream. Don't know what any of that means...but the image was so powerful that it stayed with me and even translated well to paper! (sketching is NOT my strongest skill)

Last night I was having another dream. In the dream I was opening a jewelry box to show a buyer an amazing piece I had made. In the dream I had the awareness that this piece was outstanding and demanded a very high price. I was opening the box for the buyer to see it one more time before it was sealed for the recipient. As I moved the lid of the box to the side, I caught a glimpse of the silver with a spiral...and then...

one of my cats FREAKED OUT AND SCAMPERED ACROSS THE BED...waking me up before I could see the entire piece.

DERN CAT!!!!

The frustration of not seeing the entire piece is about as frustrating as the time I dreamed I won the lotto...and was staring at my winning ticket...and could not read the numbers!!! ARGHHH!

Most of my waking hours today have been trying to remember what I knew in my dream. :)

Anyway...inspiration...comes from anywhere... from anything... at anytime. The artist's goal is to catch it when it happens...and in the meantime...always be working...sometimes it can be an accident while working on something else. You just never know.

(authored by Lisa)

Pulling an all nighter

The nights preceeding a craft fair tends to be chaotic in our house...a'hem - studio. Ok...house. The kitchen is a mess...what used to be the dining room is ridiculous and the dining room table, which is in the living room is covered with product.

The reason why its so chaotic is because we have had back-to-back weekends of events. We will be selling our jewelry this Friday, Saturday and Sunday...and doing the same next weekend as well. And then...we both agree that we are going to take some serious time off and during that time off to slow down and create more complex pieces. We have pages and pages of ideas, just not enough time to bring them into this world.

Despite the chaos, there are moments of fun and frolic. It gets a little scary when the dining room table is covered in product and the frolicking begins...it looks like this...

That is Tarzan-the-monkey-cat above there demanding some quality time with his peeps. He is accustomed to "TV" time, and when that doesn't happen, he finds other ways in which to get attention.

In the shot you can see the backside of some of our new work...here's a front view:

Nice table, huh? We eat out a lot when we are prepping for a show!

Ok...how about a closer look and a sneak peak at some of my new designs:

I've been having all kinds of fun with alcohol ink on copper. Oh yeah.

The next piece was inspired by a recent full moon rising over the hills...I have a thing for anything Luna...and have been trying for some time now to capture it in jewelry. (And even a longer amount of time trying to capture a picture of a full moon!) I spent several HOURS tonight trying to put this piece on a beaded cord, but a beader I am not...that is, not yet. However, I am really liking the results I'm getting with the ink on copper series...

This one is called "Full Moon" -

And here is one more piece "The Rising Moon" -

These pieces and many others will be making their debut in about nine hours from right now (1:00am). I'm excited to see how they are received!

(authored by Lisa)