Wow! Suddenly Busy.

We love meeting new people (well, new to us anyway!) and, frankly, that's the only way to stay in business...by making new contacts and maintaining current ones. Of course, there is more than one business model out there, but for Lisa and I meeting people face to face seems to work best at this stage.

True, we have a web presence with this blog and our Etsy storefront, but so far our greatest successes have been at festivals where we can interact with people. And when I use the term "successes" I am not only referring to sales, but also contacts. People do not always buy one of our pieces, but seeing the work up close, talking with the artists (that's us!) makes an impression.

Perhaps as important as prospective customers are prospective business partners--gallery owners, store owners, officials from other festivals. We have met several people that fall into this second category. Many of them have expressed interest with working with us. Time will tell how many of these contacts prove fruiteful, but the simple truth is we would have met none of them if we simply sat in our house uploading images onto the web.

It is hard to describe, but it feels like we are beginning to be noticed. A few people have recognized us from other events. And we even had our first repeat customer. Yeah!

So, it was heartening to realize that the pace of our public apearances is picking up. With that in mind, here are a few upcoming events we will be selling at. If you can make it to any of them, we would love to meet you.

AUGUST 1, 2009: "Art In the Gardens." 10 AM to 5 PM. Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden. More info at http://www.gardenbythesea.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=1

AUGUST 15, 2009: "Design Downtown." Sacramento, CA. A monthly music and arts festival. Sponsored by Sacramento News and Review. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/third_saturday_design_downtown/event

AUGUST 22-23, 2009 (10am - 6pm) "Inaugural Newark SummerFest"
Newpark Mall - 2086 Newpark Mall, Newark, CA, 94560. http://www.newarksummerfest.com/

SEPTEMBER 26-27, 2009: "Pacific Coast Fog Festival" Pacifica, CA
Palmetto Ave. Pacifica, CA 94546. http://www.pacificcoastfogfest.com/

Peace,

Joshua

Art In The Gardens

Well, starting any new business takes time--time to produce your product, time to market your business, time to travel, heck...even time to think. Lisa and I have been doing a lot of thinking and experimenting with different venues to sell our work.

We have setup our booth at roadside stops in the Sierra Nevada Moutains, we have setup in storefronts and even the Berkeley, CA Marina for their 4th of July event. We are seeing the first glimmers of our "niche." Events specifically meant for artist to sell their work seem to be better for us. With this in mind, we submitted some of our work to be juried for the 18th annual "Art In The Gardens" event in the Mendocina Coast Botanical Garden, Fort Bragg, CA. We are very pleased to announce that we have been accepted into this event!

This is a big deal for us, and not just because it is likely to draw more people interested in what we sell than any event so far. It is a big deal because of the sense of satisfaction we feel, the sense of acceptance. It is one thing to know that your art is good and quite another for it to be accepted by someone who doesn't know you---someone who is looking at your work with an eye toward quality. Even the most self-secure artist needs this on some levels.

If you can make the trip, this would be a lovely place to visit....art, wine, music and all in a beautiful botanical garden near the California Coast. Check out their event website http://www.gardenbythesea.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=1 for details. Maybe we'll see you there!

Peace.

Joshua

** Note: Postcard artwork "Back to the Garden" an original acrylic painting by artist Julie Higgins

4th of July at Berkeley, CA

Hello everyone. Lisa and I are excited to announce that we will be at the 4th of July @ the Berkeley Marina -

This event is going to be fantastic! Lots of crafters and artists will be setup at the Berkeley marina near the beautiful San Francisco Bay. The organizers insist that ALL vendors at this event are the actual artists, so everything will be hand made by the person in each booth.

Its the perfect event for people who like supporting working artists by purchasing original, hand-crafted art.

There will be fireworks over the water around 9:30 PM--a perfect end to a perfect day.

Come out and meet us and have a great time! Lisa and I are very excited about this event. It is much bigger than anything else we have done so far and we feel our work will connect with a lot of people who live in the area.

Event web site:
http://www.anotherbullwinkelshow.com/4th-of-july/4th-of-july.html

A Closer Economic Circle

Yesterday I (Joshua) worked a table selling our jewelry in a funky-cool little store in downtown Sacramento called Bows and Arrows, while Lisa took advantage of the time to work with the metals at home.

The store sells vintage items, clothing, jewelry, furniture, etc...but all in excellent, if offbeat taste. To get a true sense of the place you only have to read their own advertising cards which proudly announce "all the dope shit" right beneath the name of the store. The fact that they played two hours of rap music followed by five hours of 1960s French pop music might also tell you something about the place. Cool.

The event is called Sellout Buyout. Every three months they graciously open up the front half of their store to craftspeople like Lisa and I to set up a table. All we had to do was deliver their advertising cards to a couple of nearby businesses a few weeks ago. We were happy to do it and it turned out to be a great experience.

The money we made was very modest, but the people! Way cool. Very diverse, Very eclectic. Very interested in supporting local craftspeople. I met so many wonderful people who genuinely loved our work. (Thank you to all of you who stopped by!)

Anyway, today Lisa and I went to a local farm called Davis Ranch and used some of our cash from the Sellout Buyout event to purchase fresh (very fresh!) fruit and vegetables. That's when it struck me how great it felt to be supported by local people who like what we make...and in turn support local farmers whom we definitely appreciate. I mean, it felt really really good...like we were part of a community, all supporting one another.

It is a simpler way of life in some ways, but the human connections, face to face, make it a far wealthier experience.

A closer economic circle.

Peace.

Joshua

The Adventures of "I 'heart' ME"

I had the day to myself in the studio. Josh was (well, still is) away working a show...and everything is mine all mine. I sat at the workbench staring at piles of copper and silver wire. I believe in working even if not inspired. Just work, and inspiration will appear as you are actively involved in creating. But, there I sat. Rummaged through this pile...gazed at that. Looked at a few stones. Nothing.

I went online to Facebook, and uncovered a post from a friend of mine. She wrote some beautiful things and at the end suggested to put on lipstick and give one's self a smooch in a mirror.

a HA!

Sat back down with a silver disc...took some wire and formed two words and one symbol.

I "heart" ME.

Took the items to the block to hammer and flatten out the words and symbol. The first "I" shot out from under the hammer and who knows where it ended. I looked around, but not for long and not carefully. Rather half-hearted as a matter of fact.

Ok..form another "I". Hm...interesting that this one came out more interesting than the first "I". Take it to the block, hammer and THIS one shot out onto the floor somewhere. Looked for a bit...well, I suppose one day when I get around to vacuuming, I will hear the "I" get sucked into the dusty whirlwind of the Great Suck Monster (our cats' name for 'vacuume').

Well, isn't that kinda how life is. You think you have it all together...and off you shoot into nowhere only to have to pull it together and re-create your self again. Well...it's a profound thought for ME anyway!

I formed a third "I"...took it to the block and carefully hammered it flat. So far so good.

Fused the words and heart onto the silver disc. Pickle...clean...apply a texture...brass brush it...

I stood admiring it.

I do not know how it happened...but suddenly my lovely charm exclaiming one's first order of life's business...JUMPED...yes JUMPED from my hand and went flying SOMEWHERE!

Crap...I dismantled the shelves that hold all our supplies and moved the casing a few feet from the wall...THERE it was. "I "Heart" Me" laying in the middle of some dust bunnies.

OK OK I breathe to my subconscious...I GET the message.

(Lisa)

Earth Day--And a Lesson In Ignoring Your Inner Editor

On Saturday, 25 April, Lisa and I attended the Earth Day celebration in Placerville, CA.

The day started out a bit strange when a toothless gentleman wandered up to our booth just as we finished setting up and announced that he had to kill his fish because he didn't like what it was saying to him. And for a few tense moments he just stood there going on and on about about his fish. Needless to say, this was not the most auspicious start to our day. However, he soon wandered off and the real festivities got underway.

The weather was great, sunny, perhaps more windy than we would have liked, but overall we could not have asked for a better day for an outdoor event. We were fortunate to have a place right on the grass with a view of the stage.

Lots of people stopped by our booth and most seemed to genuinely like our work, but they weren't buying...at least not at first. But then, a woman working two booths over from ours came by and fell in love with one of our simple copper hybiscus designs with a rouge patina. It was the least expensive item on the table, but she truly loved it and wore it all day. Her purchase turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. All day long her customers asked about that pendent and she happily pointed them to us. After that, sales were brisk! Thank you flower lady!!!

The funny thing is, I was not fond of that piece and wouldn't have even brought it if Lisa hadn't insisted. She saw something that I missed and rounded up the half dozen or so of those hybiscus flowers I had made and polished them and fired a patina onto each one. All four of the copper versions sold and one of the brass too! Lesson learned. Never assume you know what people will like and never underestimate the value of a simple, direct design. Every time we sold another one of those flowers it was like having a walking talking billboard praising our work. Every woman who bought one immediate put it on and proudly pointed to our booth when people enquired about it.

--Joshua

Noticing the Negative

In Dr. Randy Borum’s article entitled, “Re-Train the Negative Brain” (first appears in Black Belt Magazine, January, 2008, pp. 48-50) he explains that numerous studies have shown that the electrical (or neural) connections in your brain are stronger and faster when they are responding to something unpleasant than when responding to something neutral or pleasant. Since the negativity gets the most ‘juice’, it seems obvious why negativity can become the major orientation. This is a survival tactic from antiquity to insure our survival since our brain needs to evaluate information automatically and often without our conscious participation in order to remain safe. When given the choice of positive, neutral, or negative, it will choose negative almost every time research shows. (From http://optimalperformancetraining.com/can-you-re-train-the-negative-brain/)

I have observed (over the past few years)...
Someone asks, "How are you?" If my answer is , "Good" (or something better)... there is not too much of a continuation of the conversation.
If my answer is anywhere along negative lines...then I get asked out for coffee, lunch, dinner, pedicures, massages, movies, drinks...

I began to notice this when I was very young. My mother would spend Sundays visiting the other church ladies. If one was in a positive space, the visit wasn't very long. If a woman was "going through something", there would be tears and holding and attention and yummy foods eaten. Even though I was "just a kid", I recognized the pattern.

I still see the pattern.
I've decided...to break free.

For I also read about neuroplasticity...and that we can change.
Doesn't even phase me that I'm up against evolution...or am I?

(Ponderings and Photograph by Lisa)