guest post - lori anderson

Blogging Your Art Out

I've been making jewelry for about eight years, but long, long before that, I was a writer.

(one of my vintage typewriters)

I've had a love of books since I was a child, and if I had to make a choice between beads or books -- heaven help me, but I'd choose books. Books help me escape.

Books teach me things. Books, in some instances, have brought me closer to the author, resulting in email conversations and letters in the mail that I cherish.

(The library section of my living room.)

I've also written journals for years. Not only have they been chock-full of stories, musings, and a fair amount of dreams, they've been pasted up with photos and bits of ephemera that take me back to a certain day out (a ticket stub) or a special meal (chopstick wrappers). There are so many things I don't want to forget!

(a variety of my journals over the years)

But in 2005, I discovered blogging, and a whole new world opened up to me. Not only could I write, but now I could SHARE. There were so many things I wanted to say, to ask, to ponder, but no one to bounce ideas to and have them come back. With blogging, I found a huge world of like-minded people I could not only share my writing with, but share my burgeoning jewelry designs, my new Bead Soup Blog Party blog hop, book reviews, and even (and especially!) the most random of thoughts.

(one of my jewelry designs with my own enameled beads)

This year, I wrote my first eBook, "Following the Path", a 59-page book with tons of photos, ideas, and blog prompts for creative writing. I wanted to share my love of writing with anyone who felt stuck in a rut, and the book is full of photos from a lot of fellow bloggers. Just as I've enjoyed sharing my love of beads and jewelry design with anyone who will listen, I'm now thrilled to share my love of writing with new and seasoned bloggers alike.

Blogging has helped me as a jewelry artist by getting my name and photos out into a far larger world than my jewelry web site could ever reach. Writing my blog has opened doors to book publishers -- for instance, my first beading book, "Bead Soup", comes out this fall via Kalmbach Publishing thanks to the Bead Soup Blog Party postings. I've met some of the MOST amazing people from all walks of life via the comments section of my blog. I've found a LOT of wonderful bead-makers to buy from by visiting their blogs, most of whom I never would have known about but for their blogging.

Some people choose to keep their blog focused on a centric point, while others are more random, covering a variety of subjects. I love them all and spend a large chunk of my day "listening" to people talk. Blogging brings the world to my computer, which is wonderful as my world-traveling days seem to be over. Plus, no need to spend $3,217.15 on a plane ticket anymore!

(Venice, Italy)

Ultimately, I find blogging to be not just a cathartic outpouring of the heart, but a way to teach what I know and to learn so much more from other bloggers. Blogging gets your name out into the world. Blogging reaches more people than you know. And blogging can be a wonderful way to express yourself in art.

So blog your art out.

(all photos by Lori Anderson)

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you can find lori in these places

blog

shop

guest post - fiona dempster

Thank you for having me along as a guest blogger… at first I wasn’t so sure
that I fitted in with the whole jewellery focus; but I was convinced by others
that in reality; this was a place as much about sharing passion and creativity
as it was about the final product, so here I am!

My first love was calligraphy but now I call myself a calligraphic artist and
book artist. Mostly because I love books, words, marks and text and my
artistic world has deviated far from writing poems or quotes and getting them
framed to hang on a wall.

I respond to quiet art. I like artwork that doesn’t shout; artwork that is calm
and quietly draws you in and asks you to spend some time with it. My art
encourages the viewer to be intimate with the work and to have a one on one
experience with it; to be drawn into it’s world, often quietly and slowly.

My work explores themes and ideas about peace and meditation, about
reflection and introspection and about journey and place. I use text, words
and images to express sentiments, feelings, thoughts and beliefs. I believe
that in sharing these thoughts and inspirations in a beautiful and creative way
we encourage peace and calm in our every day lives.

A few years ago I made a few pieces of jewellery – in particular these earrings
that are made from heavy paper 9about 500gsm). I wrote words of healing
and belief on the paper, over and over again, then cut them into tiny squares
and stacked them – so the wearer carried the positive thoughts with them
through their treatment.

Whilst my work is often paper-based and takes the form of books; more
recently I have begun working with metal, timber and Perspex to express
words and texts in ways that take calligraphy off the page and into the
outdoors.

I love the intimate and personal nature of the book form. I like that a person
gets to hold the art work in their hands and slowly and gently move through
it, ‘reading’ a story of images or thoughts or ideas.

I also love rust and worn things and the enduring nature of metal books. I like
the message of steadfastness that metal books tell – that they will endure.
I also think the contrary nature of a book (which should be soft and pliable)
made of metal (which is strong and unyielding) is an unexpected and quizzical
experience.

And to finish; some earrings I actually made myself at a recent workshop.
They are quite long (about 7.5 cm x 2 cm wide). The backing plate is a smoky
Perspex and the decorative element is aluminum which I heated, folded and
formed and then burnished by heating olive oil on it – giving it that nice warm
look. I proudly say that I even made the rivets! I love jewellery and the tools
that jewelers have; but in the end I expect the words, the text, the marks and
the books will keep my heart; and I’ll pop over and play with the metal and
Perspex occasionally…

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to learn more about fiona you can visit her in these places...

website: fionadempster.com
blog: paperponderings.blogspot.com