Winterfest: Arts & Trolley Tour

Come join over 145 artists (including me!) this upcoming weekend!  I’ll be demonstrating my glass bead making with my torch among other wonderful artists to visit!

February 18 & 19, 2017, Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center is partnering with Unicoi State Park & Lodge and Helen Arts & Heritage Center for its inaugural WinterFest: Arts & Trolley Tour. This festival will include 145 Artists over 2 Days in 3 Locations for 1 ticket price. The Festival hours on will be from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days.

When your multi-location ticket is stamped at all three venues, the you become eligible to enter a drawing for a special surprise package. This is a fundraiser for Sautee Nacoochee Community Association. The Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center will sell additional raffle tickets for regional artists’ prizes. Come a day early and attend the Preview Party & Wine Tasting at the Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center on Friday, February 17 at 6pm.

Visit this link for more info:   http://www.unicoilodge.com/winterfest-2017/

Spring Collection

My Etsy shop is currently updated to include my new Spring collection pieces.  Just in time for Mother’s Day!

Feel free to share with friends and family.  My next show is May 21-22, 2016 at the Canton Festival of the Arts, Canton, GA.  Come and see me!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/reflections1?ref=hdr_shop_menu

 

 

It’s Been a While . . .

So, taking off a couple of months during winter has become longer than I anticipated.  I wondered what was happening?  I have a good supply of clay, lots of ideas sketched and loads of fun tools to work with.  Shouldn’t I be a little bit enthused to begin the new collection for this year?  Well?

And that’s where I am today–a definitive period of non-work because I believe I’m a little burned out.  Not in full flames, but just enough to be singed.  I know it happens (writer’s block, anyone?) but I just wish my passion was a little brighter by now.  I have been experiencing a few medical problems which have contributed to lack of energy and I’m sure my brain has taken on that same mentality.  Yep, I think I’ve become Eeyore!

I had a fabulous show in February at Unicoi State Lodge and Park, and I’ve got another show coming up in about 2 weeks.  I think I need to get moving on the collection!  Especially since most of the previous collection sold in February!

So, here’s what I’ve learned, courtesy of mind tools.com:

“While there are many causes of burnout, people are more likely to experience it when they work in a physically or emotionally demanding role, or when their efforts at work don’t produce the results that they expected.

Symptoms of burnout include depression, hopelessness, feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities and using escapist behaviors to cope.

It’s important to make the effort to recover properly from burnout. To do this, try the following strategies.

• Think about the “why.”
• Focus on the basics.
• Take a good vacation or a leave of absence.
• Reassess your goals.
• Say “no.”

Practice positive thinking.”

Good tips to try.  Let’s see how it goes.  In the meantime, here is a fabulous tip for wearing those lobster claw bracelets!

 

 

 

Winter Hiatus

My winter hiatus has come a bit early this year, as I didn’t book any shows for the late fall/Christmas season.  Ah well, my choice and now it is the time for updating my skills, continued learning, and participating more actively within my field.  Specifically for me, that is metal clay art.  A new group has organized that makes me very excited.  It’s called the IMPACT Artist Project and here’s their mission statement:

“IMPACT Artist Project–The International Metal Clay Project Advancing Creativity & Talent is a non-profit Metal Clay arts community building and outreach program.  The mission of IMPACT and its philosophy stems from a generous attitude of giving and sharing which is overtly present in the Metal Clay arts community.  We have a developed a “team-like” program where IMPACT members, guilds, teachers, teaching facilities, and business work in conjunction to advance and strengthen the creativity, talent of its artists, and support healthy thriving businesses within our international Metal Clay community.”

What a great beginning to a form of organization and purpose.  I have often found that within the world of art, there are very few (beyond guilds)  standards, guidelines and professional guidance as one would see in a business setting.  I think that artists are underrepresented because they have no unifying voice.  I am thankful that the metal clay community is attempting to change that for our form of art.

I will continue to make this blog about my journey with metal clay and as a show circuit artist.  I love to share and teach and I hope that I will be more diligent is this task.  If you are a fellow metal clay artist, check out the website for IMPACT at http://www.impactartistproject.org and see how you can contribute or benefit from.

I am busy keeping my Etsy shop full for any Christmas shoppers and am also working on some custom pieces for Christmas gifts.  I love the challenge of custom work and hope that what I do pleases everyone involved.

Also, a task I don’t look forward to during winter hiatus, is the continued research and learning about upcoming shows and to schedule for 2016.  It starts early (as in right now) for many of the spring shows and even some fall and winter shows for 2016.

 

 

All about that Ribbon

Well, it’s been a long summer and as we head into Fall, there are thoughts I’d like to share, specifically about the show circuit.  My experience is pretty wide and pretty long when it comes to working on the show circuit–I’ve been active now for about 18 years and have attended many shows across the southeast.  Craft shows, Art shows, Art and Craft shows, indoor and outdoor, juried, non-juried–they’ve all been a part of my journey as an artist.  My niche is the Fine Art shows with judges and strict juries.  My work is quite unique and most of the time well appreciated in those circles.  I attended one such show this Fall with a judge and strict jury.  The quality of the show was fine and the expectation was given that the judge would visit each booth.  We were not guaranteed a conversation, but a least a look.  By the time the judging ended I realized the judge never even visited my booth.

Should that be a problem?  Should I feel neglected, or at least a little bit miffed that I was left out of his scrutiny?  Well, to say the least, I felt frustrated and a bit angry that I was treated with little professionalism.  Many of my experiences with judges is for them to pass me by since I’m “just another jewelry booth” which is far from the truth.  While I appear to be “just another jewelry booth” my work is most distinctive and there are very few metal clay artists let alone enamelists.

So, I casually asked the show director if the judging has ended.  My underlying purpose was to make sure the director knew that we had not been given the courtesy of a viewing from the judge.  I had also watched as the judge spent over 20 minutes in the neighboring booth from me.  She was insistent that he had indeed come by, but said she would bring him by again.  Well, she at least pointed my booth out to him as they stood across the street from me.  Yeah, I was watching.

That little stunt brought me even more frustration as the lack of integrity and fairness.  I have come to learn that many of these juried shows are done locally and have focused mostly on the local artists–a clique is already in force for the awards.  However, it was never as blatant as this was for me.

The results?  Yeah, the guy in the neighboring booth won Best of Show . . .hmmm, could be they were able to spend time with the judge and talk about their processes as an artist.  Obviously, my sense of professionalism kicked in and I was just done with this show.

It is disheartening when you work so passionately and put all your energy into your art and to be ignored.  While I’ve gotten used to the jewelry categories rarely winning any awards, I still think professional courtesy should never be ignored.  It is truly a level of respect for all artists.  Many promoters have a bad reputation because they are just selling real estate to fill their shows, but many of them show respect.  This show director didn’t know the meaning of respect during the judging portion.  Needless to say, I won’t be attending or recommending this show again.

Which is sad, because it was one of my least expensive shows to do.  But you can’t put a price on integrity.

There is still hope out there for my work to be recognized.  It has been awhile since I’ve had a ribbon but I also know that the awards I have earned in the past were legit and that my customers are my ultimate judge when they buy a piece.  And it is good to remember that I did win “Best of Show” in a juried art show where there were three judges scoring independently.  In fact, one of the judges shared with me that one of the reasons I won was because of my passion.  Many artists were pleased as jewelry rarely nabs the top spot.

Honesty, transparency and fairness are still out there–we just have to find the right shows for our work!

New Directions?

One-of-a-kind or production work?  This is something I think every jewelry artist (and other artists) must consider at some point in their career.  For so long, my mentality has been that what I create is simply enough no matter what.  It makes is special and unique and certainly something my customers look for.  This is what keeps my “art cred” in check.  I have validity as an artist because no one else can do what I do.  In fact, working with metal clay keeps my focus very centered on how my hands and the clay and my brain interact.  And then, something fabulous happens and a piece is born!

Except, that there are many, many other jewelry artists that have been successful because they’ve been able to produce quantities of their work.  In one way or another.  In fact, many jewelry artists call this their “bread and butter” work to keep their business afloat.  Not a bad idea, but doesn’t this take away from the unique perspective of my work?

A friend of mine said it very well.  “Robin, production is where the money is. I remember getting very upset years ago when someone told me my husband was a production worker, not an artist. He’s an artist who’s able to do production so he can afford to do the art . . .”  Wise words from a good friend.  Even when we do a production piece each piece is still uniquely made and by our hands.  Some jewelry artists actually send their castings or designs to a mass producer.  I don’t think that’s something that works for me.

So, the question then becomes, what becomes a production piece?  After reading and researching and digging through all kinds of jewelry sites and forums, I believe that for me, the right answer to that question is to design a separate themed line of work that I can easily reproduce in my studio yet keeping each piece still my handmade process.

Now the fun begins.  While this won’t redefine my entire body of work, it will allow me to experiment and see how production can work with this separate line.  I’ve already created my concept and am working on some prototypes.  My hope is that this design will be something that I can translate into different pieces of work from necklaces and bracelets to earrings and charms.  The presentation of my design will be unique and maybe there will be “limited editions” of a piece.  Right now, my creative juices are flowing and as I develop my technique with this new design, I’m sure I’ll make changes along the way.

The question will always be there–unique v. production . . .but I think that one can do both if done with the main concept of “handmade” in mind.  We’ll see what happens!

Is it Worth it?

It’s been quite a while since my last blog which is another indicator of a very slow season for me.  While i had a great spring run of shows, the summer has proven the opposite.  Despite receiving strong and favorable feedback from all the visits during my shows, very few actually bought.  This ended up being the case for many of the artists at each show.  Seems like this summer was more entertainment for folks, then serious buying.  In this business of the traveling artist, you must be prepared not only for all sorts of weather, but also lack of sales.

No sales?  Three sales?  These are certainly things I’ve said incredulously while working a 2 or 3 day show.  Wow, who would’ve imagined that after all this work, you only had three sales!  This is where the rubber meets the road.  In other words, as an artist on the show circuit, you MUST enjoy the work.  You MUST enjoy the people.  Making a profit and a living from this work, is incredibly hard.  Especially when you do only one-of-a-kind pieces.  So, I tell folks that I love putting my pieces out there for the public to see and hopefully buy.  I love interacting with lots of interesting people and telling my story of my art and my processes.  I love being outside (inside shows are harder for me!) and I love meeting the weather challenges (or the lighting challenges of an inside show).

What about that profit?  Aren’t you at a show to sell?  Isn’t that the point?

Yes, it is.  But sometimes you are humbled and you are there maybe to do something else.  These shows I record as my “marketing” shows.  I’ve marketed myself, my work and my pieces.  I’ve exchanged my business card, my art statement and my website.  I’ve shared my life with fellow artists and spent time with my husband–which we rarely have.  So, there is purpose in what I do.  It just doesn’t always look like a profit.  That is what I hold onto when the shows run dry.  This summer there was a drought!

Officially, the fall season starts after Labor Day.  September and October hold promise as we enter this next season of shows.  It is easy to second-guess your show decisions and your choices.  But, as a professional, I have to stay committed to the schedule and to the show and work hard and hope hard.  Ultimately, this business for me is so much more than just a profit.  It is about the people, the art and the process.  It is about the strength God gives me . . the promise of His provision and the active use of my faith.

Sometimes droughts can bring great fruit once the rain begins again.  Sometimes you have to re-evaluate the direction you’re in and discover if there are options you haven’t explored before.  Thus, begins my next journey and development as an artist trying to make this a serious business.

Mistakes, Art and Learning

Inevitably, working with any media in art you will always make mistakes . . for that matter, we make mistakes whenever we are doing things because we are human.  While some mistakes in my field can be costly (silver clay fired incorrectly, copper didn’t melt, shattered glass in the kiln) it can also be a new direction in the process of the creation.  Just this week, I’ve been trying out some new techniques–adding dichroic glass to my silver work, melding white copper with regular copper and working with sheet metal clay.  So, out of the new techniques I was successful with 2 out of 3.  The melding of the two coppers didn’t go as well as planned.

Both copper clays can be combined and fired simultaneously, which opens up lots of creative ideas.  My shaping and sanding when well, however, I made a rookie mistake–one copper cuff I rolled out too thin–when working with metal clay, it is best to keep your bracelets or cuffs between 5-7 cards thick.  Otherwise, you invite cracks and splits when the firing happens–I lost one of the cuffs due to this very reason.  The second cuff was certainly thick enough however, my design was too deep into the clay and allowed natural cracks after the clay dried which I tried to repair.  Most of the time, I have success by shaping the cuffs before firing.  But, you can also shape the cuff after the firing.  This time I shaped the cuff and discovered that the imprint lines of my design caused cracks.

The good news . . I can still salvage parts of this thicker cuff.  Sawing off the cracks and doing some extra sanding with my dremel will create two new pendents that will display the two types of copper.  Due to my other pieces needing my attention these will wait till later.

Here is another failed attempt at blending coppers.  My mistake here was making the base too thin to support the white copper on top.  While this one didn’t turn into anything, it was still a lesson learned!

Paste, and more Paste, please

Spring has sprung again and that means time for my yearly collection of blossoms and leaves.  Still waiting on my dogwoods to bloom, but have started on some leaves for earrings.  When working with metal clay paste, you have to be sure your organic materials are strong and the ideal size for jewelry.  My collection every year begins with this one simple rule–collect multiple branches and blossoms and then find the right ones to work with back in the studio.  Of course, I work in volume during Spring for the whole collection of my organic pieces for my shows, so I have to make sure I have plenty of paste.

While you can always go the easier route and impress your organics into the clay itself, I find that using the actual organic in the process brings a nicer depth to the piece.  It does require patience and diligence to paste the 20+ layers of metal clay paste but the end results are worth it.

Because of the cost of the silver clay, I have learned to reclaim all my shavings, bits of clay that have hardened and pieces that just didn’t work for me before I fired them.  I keep an ongoing collection of my dust and powder from sanding pieces before firing. That’s some valuable silver in all that dust.  Keep it in a dry, air tight container so that you don’t collect dust and junk flying around our air.  When you have enough (I usually use about 6 oz or more of collected material) then you are ready to begin making the paste.  I always buy the ready made paste for each season and then I keep all the jars to use for my reclaimed paste.  Here’s the process:

Gather together the following tools:

Mortar and Pestle (for grinding and mixing), pallet blade, water, PasteMaker by Sherri Haub, Glycerin, by Cool Tools, empty jars for storing paste, mixing bowl with airtight lid (I use the Glad ware bowls) and your reclaimed dust!

Your material will look like this when you start–lumps and broken clay pieces.

Keep grinding to reduce your material to powder or small particles.  Use a razor blade to help break down the small pieces into even finer pieces.

Once you’ve achieved a fine powder, put in mixing bowl and add several drops of the PasteMaker as well as the Glycerin.  You can certainly use water (distilled) as well, but I find the glycerin makes the paste very smooth.

Keep adding the glycerin, the PasteMaker and/or water to keep developing the powder into clay.  Use lots of motion with your mixing and keep cutting into the paste with your blade.

The mixture will eventually look like this–really work this with your blade–then you’ll see the paste getting better and better!  At this point, develop the paste to the consistency you want to work with–thinner or thicker–all based on the organic you are pasting to make this decision.

Once you’ve worked the paste to your chosen consistency–simply place the paste into your empty containers.  I don’t clean them at all–I just scrape out the leftovers to my powder mix and reclaim it all!

As you can see from the pictures below, I had several types of organic to work with. And plenty of paste to go around. Have fun and feel free to experiment as you now have more material to work with that you already purchased!

And that tool goes there . . .

After being on Hiatus for a while and getting back into my workshop/studio I realized it was time for an update.  I’m all about organized space and this is especially true in the studio.  There are just too many things that I use that need to be convenient and connected to my work flow.  Being a mid-level manager for many years in corporate America, it was critical to keep all my files, resources and more in the perfect spot in my offices so that I could be my most efficient.  While my middle initial is “E” and stands for my middle name “Eve”, I most often refer to it as standing for “Efficient”. . . .that’s just how my brain works when it comes to work!

When we moved into our new house several years ago, I was beyond thrilled to have a dedicated space for my workshop.  We are blessed with a large finished basement that we have all broken up into “creative areas”–my husband’s wood working tools and sawdust, my MIL’s office and sewing area, and my studio.  Basically, I extended my current setup to include double the space and work surface area.  Most important for me was the ability to have my kiln in the studio with me, yet in an open space to allow for heat “space”.  I was able to include another table and keep my photo area still next to the one window.  I began my jewelry making area in the corner of my very small kitchen at my old house and I used a large part of the back porch for firing torches and kilns.  To have everything in one area for me is luxury at its best for my work.  The only thing I would ever add is a work sink but with no plumbing in our basement that’s something I’ll have to do without.  But I make it work with my “wash tub”, rags and distilled water.

Here are some views of the improved space:

Here is the entry into my space . . .my brag wall is important to remind my of past success and to keep me focused on doing my very best with each piece.  My main work station is the table with extra lighting for those very small details when fabricating and assembling my pieces.

 

 

As you go past my work table you’ll note the extra shelves for my clay work and an idea board on the wall.  My great window which gives me great light for my photography.  Another board up on the wall into my new space.

 

 

Over to the left of my studio space . .more shelves–can never have enough.  I love the ability to see all of what I have since I collect so many things over the past years to use.  The tall shelf is basically current work stuff–my resources, office supplies, pricing materials, and working trays of pieces.  The shorter white shelf and the table next to it is my sanding station/cleaning station.  I do all my sanding of metal clay away from the primary work space due to the dust and and mess.  I keep separate sanding sponges, cloths and sticks for each metal clay so not to mix the dust particles.  I also collect the shavings to make into paste and more clay (especially the silver).

A closer look at the photography station.  Most of it is just sitting there.  The exact set up includes using the light boxes and lights and different backgrounds.  I use the materials from  Modahaus Tabletop Studios.  A truly compact and simple set up along with a good photo app from my IPhone.  I used to use a basic digital camera, however the new technology and the camera apps are quite cost effective and give you great shots.  Just be sure to learn all you can about positioning and lighting your work as well as know what your camera can do.  If this is your business, you need to understand that photos of your work are the only representation you have to jurors and buyers.  Photos can make or break your appearance.

 

 

This was my most important update, to have my firing supplies within the studio.  I added this table to the backside of my space and left it wide open to give the kiln free space at it heats up to 2350 degrees!  My tumbler, charcoal pans, enameling stands all make up the rest of the table space.  Another reason for a separate work area for firing gives me space as the charcoal firings can be messy with the dust.  Also, freedom to work my handheld torch with my enameling into metal is important.

So, here is a glimpse of my work space and where I dream, design and do!  Everyone has unique spaces and unique work habits that are just right for you.  In fact, a funny aside from my corporate days.  I was the training coordinator for my area and had dedicated space to conduct the training classes.  One day, setting up for a new class, I was walking around the room with a Kleenex box looking for the perfect place to set it.  My HR friend walked by and was questioning me about why I was taking this task so seriously.  I remember stating to her that there is a spot for everything and that your space and how it was arranged makes a big difference in how your learn.  She simply smiled and shook her head.  Understanding the importance of space and where things work best it not simply a fantasy.  It is a skill that you can learn and an important part of your productivity.  While you could argue that “my messy office works for me”, one only has to look at your production and results to determine if that really is true.  For me and my creative muses, my studio/workshop works for me!