Art is a Blessing: Polymer Play and Mixed Media Musings

by Staci Louise Smith

Art is such a blessing.  I think someday's I take creativity and that I get to do this for a living for granted.  Art is such a huge part of who I am.  I see art in almost anything.  I take in colors, and textures and composition no matter what I look at.  It leaks into all parts of my life, and for that, I am grateful!

It's that time of year, where I have spent the entire year making beads and jewelry.  I try to allow myself some playtime around the holidays.  It allows time to make gifts for people and get out some of my other art supplies.

One of the blessings, is that my children get to be creative too.  they learn the fun of play, and the business of selling their work too.

To start off the season of creative playtime, Julia and I worked on some polymer pendants for the Hereford Bazaar.  It's a craft show her school puts on.  All three of my kids made stuff for it and I got them a "real" crafter table there!  

It was a lot of fun to prep for a show that was NOT my own.

Now, Julia (age 11) is not known for her organizational skills, and she brought me these bags of polymer clay.  They contained every color of the rainbow and then some.  So I said, how about we mix them up and swirl them, and then she could use that as a base to stamp her designs onto!  

We had a blast putting odd colors together and running them through the pasta machine and finding the  surprise patterns that arose.  She is a color junkie, so she was in rainbow heaven!

After that was done, she stamped them and cut out the circles to add to her bezels.

I had so much fun with the kids in the studio.

Collin (9) made little owls and got to use alcohol inks for the first time.  I showed him how to make these easy little "squish" owls and he picked it right up!

My oldest, Aiden (14) makes jewelry.  

Here they were at the show- they all did really good and had a blast, and I must say, IT WAS THE MOST FUN SHOW I DID ALL YEAR!

Here they all are, and yes, I am a proud mama!

Here are Collin's key chains and bracelets he made

Here is Julia's set up, with magnets and necklaces in polymer

 And here is Aiden's work.  He loves working in gemstones and beads, but has started doing more wire work and polymer too

So, that was a great week to get the creative juices flowing.

As you may know, I have dabbled in mixed media before.  But I have wanted to add more of my polymer into the mix.  I have had ideas, but no time to try them.  

So finally I gave myself a week to play.  It's almost up, and I am almost done these piece.  They are finished, all but the three in the lower right corner.  I hope to make a few more today and finish these, and then its back to business for a week.

I love being able to pull from all the different media I have worked in to create art.  It is such a blessing to my soul to be able to freely make what is in my head and heart.  It is also nice to know that I get to use all those things I have learned through the years, a million different ways.  I REALLY encourage you to always keep learning new techniques and mediums.  You never know when the skills you learn will pop back up!  

So be blessed and create art!  Never stop learning and playing.  It's all part of the process.

Time. Treasure It. By Karen McGovern

I don't know how to start this post. As I sit here I am fraught with anxiety because I am late.  I'm late to begin this post, I'm late to go grocery shopping, I'm late to feed my bajillion critters, I'm late FOR EVERYTHING because I don't have enough time.

Time.  TIME.  That elusive, ephemeral, intangible thing WE ALL STRUGGLE TO FIND. Sometimes I HATE time. I hate how fast it passes and how little of it I seem to have. I sometimes hate what my time is often filled with. Minutia, stress, RIDICULOUS PEOPLE. 

I also fear what time can represent. Age....UGH...mortality....UGH AGAIN. I think a lot about time these days--when I have the time to think.

There are upsides to the passage of time as well--don't get me wrong.  Wisdom (hopefully), focus, acceptance, tolerance, love, embracing ADULTHOOD (can I get another UGH here??).

I would like to think I am on the track to finding focus.  For me that means taking time, even when I don't think I have any, to be conscious of  what I do in my life. I try to remain aware as much as possible. WHAT THE HELL IS SHE BABBLING ABOUT, you ask? Well, it's hard to describe.  My close friends of a certain age (WE'RE ALL PAST 50, OKAY?) get what I'm talking about.  Self awareness. True self awareness. I'm working on it. I think it's reflected in my artistic life as well. I'm focusing on work that feels right to me, speaks in my voice. I'm not 1000% there yet, but I'm on the path. 

When I turned 50 I wrote this poem. Maya Angelou influenced, but how I felt in that moment, how I still feel. The words fit perfectly with a necklace I created for a photographer friend of mine. It features photographs of vintage nudes wrapped in steel. That's what we are as women--curves and beauty wrapped in steel. Some of us may feel caged, but we're strong...so strong. Central is a pendant with a crowned mirror, vials of affirmations feature throughout.

I'm almost on the verge of liking myself right now, and time, that elusive BITCH, is precious to me. NEVER feel the time you take to create is stolen or wasted. IT'S VITAL, it's the time that makes the rest of our lives fuller, makes us fuller as individuals. Take time. MAKE time. Appreciate time and EMBRACE time. You are worth ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD.

I mean, seriously, it's not like we can dodge time....so I'm trying to befriend it. 

What age am I you ask?

I'm the age where I answer to no one but myself

I'm the age where the opinion that matters most is my own

I'm the age where my hair, my clothes and my body are configured, adorned and displayed to please only me

I'm the age where a great sense of humor and a strong sense of self

are a thousand times sexier than any muscle a man can flex

I'm the age where the people I love and choose to spend time with understand what that time is--

A GIFT

I'm the age where time has meaning and if you waste mine you have stolen from me and I will have none left for you

I'm the age where the brand, make and model mean nothing, but quality and craftsmanship mean everything

I'm the age where art is like breathing and I choose to breath deeply

I'm the age where I can weep for the world--and I do

I'm the age where I could choose to look away--but I don't

My age is a wave that carries me across time, and I'm riding the swell as long and as fast as I can

My age, in a word, is ENVIABLE.

Now, go make something AMAZING!

We are All Made to Create

Carol Dekle-Foss

To my fellow creative souls,

Do you ever beat yourself up and think that you are not talented enough? 

Or that you don't have what it takes to make beautiful art?

Do you compare your work to that of others and feel yours doesn't measure up?

I'm guilty of this from time to time. If I'm feeling down and depressed, I think why am I creating? Who do I think I am? There is so much talent out there, let others be the creators. 

But then, I step into my studio and just create. I quit judging myself and just have fun.

So what I want to say is this, lets forget about what others are doing and be patient with ourselves. Everyone has to start at the beginning. Sometimes it takes years to hone a craft, and when we are learning, we should only compare our work to OUR OWN. When we practice and experiment we develop a stronger sense of our creative self, and our craft becomes a part of who we are.

Last month, my creative journey took me down a new path. Ceramics! I blame MaryAnn for my love of ceramic beads, I just can't resist her little wood-fired gems!

It took me awhile to figure out the basics, and I am especially grateful for all the talented ladies over at the Beads of Clay Blog. Our very own Marsha did a post here where she shows how she loads her kiln with bead trees. I was quite impressed with how she made all those beads fit so nice and organized. Thank you Marsha for sharing!

Here is my very first kiln opening!

There was squealing involved. I was shocked that none of the beads fell off or that there wasn't drips of glaze everywhere.

My loot. All these pieces were just experiments, and I have a lot to learn about clay and glazes. But that's ok, this is the fun part, the learning and honing of a craft. I have to be patient with this process, and take my time.

 My favorite piece.This little guy has been SANDBLASTED. Who would have thought you could sandblast bisque? Not me. But I experimented and this little odd thing evolved. It's sure ugly, but nonetheless, my favorite piece. I plan to expand on this and maybe even sandblast after glazing. My head is spinning with creative ideas!

We are each on our own creative journey. We should focus on crushing our own limitations, so we can develop into the creative person we were meant to be. 

Thank you for reading!

Who Am I? By Karen McGovern

As I read Mary Jane Dodd's post from Valentine's Day, I realize it is the perfect prelude to today's post.  THANKS, MARY JANE!

I have been following a couple threads online, and found myself contributing comments to a post by an artist who was asking about finding her "artistic voice". She was worried about this, about creating a body of work that was reflective of who she is as an artist, and a body of work that would be recognized as "hers".  We've touched on this topic before here at LMAJ, but I figure any post that gets a flood of replies (over 60 in just a few hours) meant that it is a topic that many of us are very interested in.

We all have, on the tips of our tongues, artists whose work we instantly recognize on sight, whether the artist name is listed or not.  I just attended a fabulous art, jewelry and antique show over the past weekend and found myself zeroing in with laser precision on works instantly recognizable to me.  Oh, that's a Calder!  Tiffany!  Lalique! Iconic creations from famous jewelers and artists.

Calder, Tiffany and Lalique......sigh......

I'm no Lalique. But I do feel I have, after many years, found what I consider to be my "voice" artistically.  

What does that mean, and more importantly, how do we as artists get to this point? Hmmmmmm. Hard to explain, actually.

What does it mean to have a "body of work"?  Words like "cohesion" and "line" are often used when discussing jewelry of a particular artist. Artists that are well-known create works of a certain recognizable style.  You know a Susan Lenart Kazmer design on site (at least I do...).  Richard Salley is another artist I can pick out of a crowd of work. (AND, completely off topic, I just purchased my first Salley design and I am VIBRATING WITH EXCITEMENT and holding my breath continually until it arrives. EEEEP!)  

Richard Salley and it's MINE, MINE I TELL YOU!!!!! HAHAHAHA!

I read this quote from Cynthia Tinapple of Polymer Clay Daily's Studio Mojo Newsletter (thanks Ronna Sarvas Weltman for posting this). Cynthia makes a very important point here...."How would you describe your work and your intentions?  Can you say why you are obsessed with the colors, the patterns, the objects you choose to make? Thinking about the "why" of your work can be the first step toward getting your studio mojo in gear." This resonates with me, because we all, whether we know it or not, have a reason (or reasons) we create.  Initially, that reason may be as simple as creating just to see if we can. Early in my jewelry design journey, I created randomly, learning techniques and basic stuff. This is what we all do.  But, as we evolve and grow as artists, I believe that finding the "why" of your work will lead you directly to your "voice" or style.

I always called myself a schizophrenic artist. I don't like to create the same thing twice, and I am always trying new techniques.  But, this doesn't mean I have a random, unconnected body of work. Far from it.  BUT, early on, I worried about this just like you may be doing now. Was my work "cohesive" did I have what a gallery might consider a "line"? I was extremely envious of those artists I so admired that did have an obvious, recognizable style....until I wasn't.

For me, the moment I "clicked" creatively is when I really started creating according to the "why" of my work.  I create jewelry inspired by nature.  That is a simple, simple statement that a gazillion artists also give when asked what inspires them.  But, for me, it is the true reason I create.  And, I have hit on some key design elements that have become the underlying thread--the "melody" if you will--of my work.  And, without even really "realizing" it, I found that I did, in fact, have a story to tell, and a body of work that reflects this story. Figuring out why you create what you create, why a particular technique or material blows your skirt up or makes your hair stand on end will pretty much pave the way for you in your journey to find your voice.

A recent design of mine that reflects where I am at the moment, exploring
spirals and the continuous flow of nature and our world. 

To inject a bit of a giggle here...artists are often asked to create an "Artist Statement" for themselves. This is sometimes required when entering shows, etc. I find that writing an artist statement is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT and very frustrating.  How can you condense your entire journey as an artist into a few sentences? AND, many artist statements I read sound so FAKE to me and also seemed to be taken WAAAAAY too seriously. That's when I found the Artist Statement Generator. HA!!!!

This is my screensaver...for reals.

Moving on....

They say you find love when you stop looking for it. I believe the same thing applies here. Finding your style will be impossible if you over think it or try to force it. Take classes if you can afford it. Scour the Internet for videos and tutorials offered by artists you love.  READ, READ, READ.  There are SO MANY GREAT BLOGS AND WEBSITES that offer wonderful advice. Join an art/jewelry forum or groups online.  LMAJ is great, Creative Bead Chat is great, Aspiring Metalsmiths is GREAT. These are all found on Facebook and are filled with generous, wonderful artists that will answer your questions and welcome new artists with open virtual arms. AND, be aware that your style and voice will evolve and CHANGE over time. Embrace the process and the changes!  Who you are artistically today may be nothing like who you are in a few months or years.

AND, back to what Mary Jane touched on in her last post.  If you create from the heart, you cannot go wrong.  Make what YOU like, what makes YOU happy. If you can do this, without distracting yourself with outside influences or worries about "trends" or fear, you will create something that is truly reflective of who you are and the story you want to tell.  Don't rush it, don't obsess on it.  Don't take yourself too seriously. Respect yourself and your work. BE PATIENT. You will find yourself reaching for that one "thing" over and over, creating with a flow you didn't even know you had. You will find that each piece you create is another sentence or chapter in your story to tell.  You'll get there, I promise.  Now, go make something AMAZING!

Hello! Is This Thing ON?? By Karen McGovern

Welcome to 2015!  Feels like I’ve been away for a year instead of a month.  Thank you to my LMAJ peeps for covering for me this past month.  You are the BEST. I hope all our readers and artists had a wonderful holiday season and are striding into 2015 with purpose and sky-high expectations!

For me, entering into 2015 has been sort of weird.  I took some time off from all things jewelry related since early December.  I made a promise to myself that I was going to begin 2015 with reduced stress, more focus and some restructuring of priorities both personally and professionally. I don’t do “resolutions”, because I believe the entire concept is flawed and sets you up for inevitable failure.   Resolutions suck, in my opinion.  I promised myself to simply make a few changes immediately that would more or less guarantee a tangible, real change in my life.  Simple?  Not even close.

First off, I am practicing my ability to say “no”.  As you all may know, I am a conservation biologist with the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, www.rarespecies.org.  This is my “real life” and it is 24/7.  I live on 30+acres filled with critters demanding my attention from dawn till dusk and beyond.  It is my passion.  I live it and love it.  Jewelry design and art have always been an outlet for me, a blessed outlet, one that lets me express myself creatively and balance my world in a way that is beyond therapeutic.  BUT, it is not my first priority. It’s high on the list, but not my first and never will be.  I am lucky to be able to create by choice.  My artwork does not pay the bills (Hell, the most I hope for is to cover the cost) but it is another way for me to tell my story, to share my love of wildlife and wild places to the world through art. The past couple years have been very productive for me artistically.  I made new connections, was picked up by new galleries and was published in several print and online magazines and blogs.  All really good stuff.  REALLY GOOD STUFF FOR WHICH I AM GRATEFUL.  I also found that I was juggling my time in what became a very frantic way.  Trying to “sneak” in a few moments here, an hour there, to fill and order or meet a deadline.  And, in the end, my work suffered for it, both on the “farm” and in the studio.  So, I put on my big girl panties and made some tough decisions. 

The first and most difficult was my decision to leave the Nunn Design Innovation Team, www.nunndesign.com.  I have been a part of Becky Nunn’s team for a couple years now, and it has been BEYOND WONDERFUL.  Becky is a fantastic artist, business woman and friend.  I have had so much fun working with her and it is because of Becky that I have been published AT ALL. I can’t say enough good things about her product line—seriously—if you haven’t looked at if DO IT NOW.  So, why leave such a fantastic gig you ask?  Simply put, because I began to feel like I was totally taking advantage of the opportunity, and not in a good way.  I didn’t have the time to really commit to the projects I promised and was “dialing it in” at best.  Becky deserved more and so did I.  The work I was creating was…..BLAH.  I lost the creative spark, buried under other commitments, stress and simply not having enough time to work properly.  When I looked at the body of work created for her, I saw a dramatic decline.  I think it really hit me how oblivious I was to what I was doing when I organized the magazines I had collected that published my work through Nunn.  Sitting on the floor next to my bookcase I realized that I HAD NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT THE MAGAZINES BEYOND THE PAGE I WAS FEATURED ON.  WTH???  I was so lucky to be included amongst some of the most talented art jewelry designers out there and hadn’t even taken the time to LOOK AT THE ENTIRE PUBLICATION.  I felt so embarrassed and ashamed.  So I said, “NO” when asked to participate in 2015.  Becky is such a lovely person.  We talked about it and she was more than supportive and understanding.  I hope we get to meet in REAL LIFE someday—I owe her a HUGE HUG and a kiss on the mouth! So that was my first NO of 2015. 

One of my personal favorite designs created for Nunn.  My etched
copper sugar skull with Nunn brass componants, twig connectors,
rosary chain, charm and clasp.  I LOVE NUNN DESIGN!!!

Also, as 2014 drew to a close, I began to assess the galleries I am affiliated with and withdrew from all but three.  Again, I was flinging work wherever I could as opposed to finding “homes” within galleries.  I really believe that creating a more intimate connection with galleries showing my work is extremely important.  I realized that a few of the galleries and shops carrying my work I had nearly abandoned anyways.  No new work going in, no work going out either.  So, as 2015 arrived, I said NO, gathered it all and moved on.  I now have three homes representing my work and I feel completely comfortable in each.  And I have good, open relationships with the gallery owners as well—absolutely vital for me.  I also now have a box of old designs just waiting to be torn apart and reworked, which is something I really love doing. Nothing like resurrecting a piece—giving it a brand new life! 

These few decisions immediately affected me in a positive way, even though the decisions themselves were very difficult.  I feel like I can “breathe” now.  The pressures have lessened and I am at peace with the choices I've made. I am ready for 2015.

All that being said, getting back into the studio has been very difficult so far.  My brain was focusing on so many scattered things, I feel like my artsy brain is in some kind of deep hibernation and DOES NOT WANT TO COME OUT, THANKYOUVERYMUCH. I’ve shared my frustrations with my LMAJ family, and they all have had similar experiences hauling themselves out of HOLIDAY HEAD and into 2015.  Got to knock the rust off ASAP, people! With that in mind, after a disastrous day of burning perfectly good silver bezel wire into oblivion, I decided to stop.  I walked away.  You can’t force this stuff, we all know it.  I made a plan. Instead of beating myself over the head and feeling miserable about everything, I am going to take another route.  I have decided to begin 2015 by teaching myself something completely new and to challenge myself whenever I can.  Four things came to mind immediately. 

First, I want to learn how to make pins and brooches from scratch.  I’ve been wanting to do this FOREVER.  Stick pins, sweater pins, hat pins—artisan pins!  I have so much inspiration for this—Lorena Angulo’s book, Behind the Brooch is a wonder.  Linda Larson is another artist I drool over, her brooches and pins are amazing.  You can spend the rest of your life on Pinterest using the search terms “art jewelry brooches”.

Next, hinges.  Hinges have defeated me in the past, but I want to master this.  I love making lockets and boxes, now I am going to make hinged tops and doors and hinged cuffs ala Richard Salley (what a masterful artist he is!!!).  I WILL DO THIS.

The top two images are of the first ever locket I made a few years ago,
the others are RICHARD SALLEY GREATNESS!

Third, enamel.  Staci Louise sold me a box full of beautiful enameling supplies and I AM GOING TO LEARN THIS SKILL!  No worries, MaryAnn Carroll, I still need your gorgeous discs (in fact, I can't live without them...).  I am going to try to apply this technique to pendants, bangles and pins.  I have Barbara Lewis’s fantastic book, Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry, and I plan to use it.

Finally, I am going to teach more.  I have taught a few simple classes in cold connecting, and I want to do more.  Teaching is very intimidating to me, but so rewarding!  I learn just as much as my students, each and every time, and am constantly amazed with what we discover and create as a group.  This goes for more tutorials on the LMAJ blog as well.  At least one a month, Folks, so be READY!!!  Staci, I know we talked about a Southern Bead Retreat, we need to pick up on that conversation!!!

Spectacular ladies from my Party Hat Ring class....LOVE!!!!

If I have to call anything I am contemplating a “resolution”, I certainly will not fall into the ridiculous annual traps we all seem destined for.  I am NOT JOINING A GYM!  I am NOT GOING TO GIVE UP SUGAR! I will NOT BE LEARNING A FORGIEN LANGUAGE! I will focus on being kinder to myself and others, I will be buying more art from artists I love and want to support, and I will give more of my art away because that is one of the best highs you can give yourself and someone else. I am going to spend 2015 rediscovering my artistic voice.  I feel that I have strayed from the origins of my desire to create jewelry.  I have always loved creating designs that tell a story.  Sometimes over the top art installations that may or may not be worn and sometimes simple, wearable designs.  All with a written story or poem behind them.  This is what started my journey into art jewelry design, and I miss it.  I’ve become too dependent on designs that “sell” well.  I never wanted to create jewelry based on whether or not it was “sellable”.  I’ve always wanted to create a reflection of my view of the world—designs beyond “pretty”.  That may sound ridiculous or arrogant, but the word “art” before the word “jewelry” means something specific to me.  So, watch out.  There are going to be some new and intensely personal designs coming from my studio this year!!!!

A few older designs created around a short story or poem that I wrote for each.
These are some of my most favorites!  All incorporate antiques and unusual elements.

Bottom line, time will no longer run away from me.  I will strive to be in the moment, and appreciate every day as an individual opportunity to accomplish something positive in the world.  I wish the same to each and every one of you!!!

Now, GO MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL!

Finding Your Creative Muse

Carol Dekle-Foss

How do you deal with your creative muse? Can you summon it instantaneously and just begin working on your art? Or is it elusive and fleeting and require moments of solace and peace to show its face? I believe everyone has creative ability, and that some have no idea how talented they actually are. I think it's just a matter of slowing down, unplugging from all the chatter and listening to your inner muse.

We all have our own ways of invoking our creative force as well, be it lighting candles, playing music that lifts our spirits, or even well placed crystals or natural elements collected from a cherished family outing. What helps you to be creative?

My creative muse and I, well we have issues. Sometimes I have self-doubt about myself and my ability, and also, at times the need for perfection overrides my passion to explore and create. But...when I do create something that makes my heart sing, or if I get a compliment while wearing one of my pieces, well those moments make me feel validated as an artist, and give me that extra nudge to create even more.

If you are just starting out designing jewelry or you are trying to create and are in a rut, I invite you to look past your fears and self doubts. Don't worry about perfectionism, and start being open to what your muse is saying to you. Also, just enjoy the creative process. Grab a pencil and paper, and start drawing to see what happens!

I recently discovered or I should say rediscovered what makes my creative muse come out and play. I read that it's a good idea to draw out your jewelry designs. I never fully grasped this concept until I saw this image. I'm grateful to Erin Prais-Hintz for posting this drawing of her necklace and showing one of her creative processes. This picture made me have an aha! moment and helped me realize how to rekindle my inner muse. Thank you again Erin!

I take a journal everywhere now. I have one in my car, in my purse and also by my nightstand. You just never know when creativity will strike. Sometimes I will be driving down the road, working out, or just daydreaming and my mind will drift to a design I am working on. I immediately grab my journal or whatever I can find and start to draw.

For example, I was recently giving my chickens some treats and noticed my roosters tail feathers flopping in the wind. They were long and wispy, so I tried to capture them here in these earrings.

 He is a damn fine rooster isn't he? Such a sweet thing too, not aggressive at all. Although at times I would like to ring his neck for being so loud and annoying!

Here is another example of how drawing out designs was helpful. I have this mound of leather samples from my previous job and wanted to make bracelets from them. The problem is they are only 2.5" by 4" in size. TIP: If you are looking for leather, you can try furniture stores to see if they have any discontinued pieces.

So, while enjoying a cup of coffee this morning, I drew out this design. Drawing it out really helped to see what it would look like and also helped with the actual size because of the graph paper.

Here are a couple more designs showing how drawing helped with the overall creative process. 

The dragonfly necklace was at first supposed to be a ring and then by drawing it out I realized I should make a necklace instead.

I have no idea why the heck I keep creating with swirls and flourishes!

Etched nickel bracelet.

Necklace made with a raku bead from Star Spirit Studio.

 These earrings were originally going to be round! I didn't like how they looked on paper and changed the shape.

This Pleiades necklace took me about 4 drawings before I came to this design.

I would like to share this special box. It was a project in our last metal smith class. I etched the hand drawn image on copper, then fire-kissed it with a light torch flame. The location, Ruth's Pond, is special to my family, particularly to my mom. She passed away in 2004, and it was her favorite spot to go and have fun. I made the box as a tribute to her. She would have loved where my creativity has taken me and sometimes I even think she is here helping me along. I also engraved the inside with her actual handwriting. Hopefully my family will appreciate the box and cherish it as a family heirloom.

I hope this post will help you find and embrace your creative muse!

Some of the above designs are not listed on my website because I have been prepping like a madwoman for the American River Music Festival, my biggest event of the year.

 Over the last couple of months, I have been more focused on creating than marketing. My website has suffered. After the festival, I plan to find new ways to drive traffic to my site, and will share any that work. Stay tuned!