What's Next? Well......Cliff Jumping.

Well another summer show season is winding down, and I am looking forward to putting away the tent for a few months~ I have happily loaded and unloaded all of this stuff into my tiny minivan more times than I can count; in sun, rain, heat, cold, thunder, lightning, wind, HAIL, in three states, and even into an airport hangar!  There are surprises at every turn,
      and I love the life I have. 

2012 has been a year of firsts. 
It was my first show season in 12 years without being interrupted by tornado sirens, (thank goodness) as well as the first time I've had unexpected 'visitors' in my booth overnight.... muddy raccoons.  2012  was also the first year I really screwed up my calendar.  I actually drove through the wee hours of darkness to arrive before the crack of dawn in Delaware.... a week late.  
This also marks the year that my two oldest daughters were big enough to be recruited as show hands; It surely is much easier and much more fun setting up with them now than it was when they were in diapers.

This year will be different...
Like me, I think that most artists have difficulty balancing the time we spend making things that we know will sell, and the time we allow ourselves to create things that are true to our hearts, regardless of whether or not they ever sell.  It is largely a situation of economics, and it can be very frustrating as an artist to succumb to the side of sensibility.  I find myself wondering how many artists are kept from doing their best work because they feel they have to make widgets to pay the bills. I decided that win or lose, this year was going to be different.  It was an easy thing to say, but doing it felt a bit like jumping off a cliff.  I have never jumped off an actual cliff, but I had a few preconceived notions about cliff jumping... 


1. Before you jump, you probably look closely at your feet.  I imagine I would have details of all the pebbles on the ground memorized too.

2. Once you've jumped, you can bet you're going to land somewhere else. It's just a matter of whether you land safely in one piece, or dash yourself into the rocks.

3. When you are in the air it is pretty much impossible to start over.

I looked at my feet and then I threw my sensibility out the window. I bought a bunch of materials that I couldn't afford and I made the things I needed to see come to fruition whether or not anyone cared to buy them.  

Cliff jumping turned out to be a very good thing for me. I looked at my feet until I understood them.  I landed in a different place, a better one.  I discovered that it really isn't a matter of landing safely in one piece or dashing into the rocks after all; because as an artist, I would much rather dash into the rocks as myself than to safely land somewhere not knowing who I am.   I am definitely going to jump more often. Maybe even yet today.

Full Speed Ahead

Wow, it's already June... how can this be??

It's been a great start to these busy summer months~ the nice weather has brought large, happy, non-sweaty crowds to shows in Cincinnati and Indianapolis.  I have met some very lovely people, and some of my favorite pieces have gone home to live with their new caretakers.

This week begins an exciting time for glass artists, the International Glass Art Society's convention is coming to Toledo to celebrate the roots of studio glass in America.  I am very anxious to go, it is practically in my back yard and it will be my first time to be able to attend.  It is hard to sit still in anticipation of seeing in person the works of so many very talented artists I admire from all over the world.  I traded working time for a reduced admission fee to the convention, and I will be assisting on the tour busses.  That sounds like a great place to meet new 'glass friends' to me.  I'll be sure to post LOTS of details from the week, and heaven forbid I should have my camera with me... Ha.

Tomorrow and Sunday I will be at home in my studio (my favorite place in all the world) with a new class of sgraffito folks.  I am really looking forward to sharing the technique and seeing what they will come up with.  I truly love teaching, and I never tire of witnessing the A-ha moments when creativity is happening right before my eyes.  

Next weekend I will be taking off on Friday night from the GAS Conference and heading to Worthington, OH for an art show with my glass and jewelry work.  Last year it poured rain and hail the entire weekend and still the crowds came... with really cool artsy umbrellas!

I should probably be going to bed sometime in the near future.  Until tomorrow....

Broad Ripple Art Fair, A new season begins!

Well, here I am in Indianapolis, IN for the first art show of the 2012 season. Already? And as usual, I have a small slew of things to work on at the hotel. Somehow I can never be finished with things before it's time to go, and I usually forget something...this time I forgot my headphones (a tragedy!) medication, double rats....come tomorrow, I will have a nice list of " I forgot..." I have never been to Indianapolis, except for a Jane's Addiction concert in the 90's which doesn't really count. Broad Ripple is a beautiful place to have a show. I have to admit that it is scary to be showing only work that is truly dear to my heart. It is much easier for me to sell jewelry; people buy it for different reasons. The work I brought to this show will likely not sell as quickly, and because it is dear to me, every comment is seared into my soul. I chose the subjects for my work without caring what colors are 'in', and the connection I feel to these pieces far outweighs the feelings I have for making glass jewelry. Nijinsky's Grave, children playing on a playground in Cleveland, a little boy reading...I shaped their faces and paid attention to the wrinkles in their clothes. I made sure the twinkle in their eyes showed life... It is much harder to stand there waiting for 'the person' who will love them to come in and connect with them than it is to pack up a pair of earrings. Tomorrow is a new day. God watches over me. I am going to sleep:)

Glass Sgraffito Drawing Class, Finished Student Work

Time for a new update on my experimental class last weekend.  I am so impressed by the work produced by the attendees of my little class, and I am excited to do this again!  As promised, I will let you in on some of their comments and suggestions about their experiences as well as a look at their finished work......

April 

Tyler

Tyler

Tyler

Kristen

Dean

Comments/Suggestions

 I love art but feel challenged in it. I didn't even take art in highschool because I felt that I was that bad at it, Thanks again for letting me test out your class, I really thought I would do horrible but I'm really happy with my first stab at it...

had a great time this weekend taking Kelly Crosser Alge's sgraffito glass class. can't wait to see the finished product after it's done firing!

it was fun getting to use a technique that was totally new to me. i'm not a "glass artist" but Kelly made the class fun and interesting.

I wondered with a beginners class or other type of class if you would be open to doing a class that doesn't cost as much but then use smaller pieces of glass and maybe a one day class for beginners and offer a 2 day class for advanced.

Today I tried something entirely new and interesting!  I used to do a lot with fused glass, mostly jewelry, but I became bored because I felt like all I was doing was "making widgets" and it ofwasn't creative or interesting.....So I gave it up and turned to painting, thinking that someday I would somehow try to incorporate the two.....Well that day is today and I'm so excited to be a part Kelly Alge's experimantal class on fused glass powder sgraffito drawings.  Kelly is an expert glass fuser who experiments all the time with new techniques in glass.  Her latest is using powdered frit and an easy to learn, no drawing skills necessary technique for creating one of a kind art that is permanently fused into glass..

Today, she showed us several techniques for making certain marks in glass powder, and basically just playing around in the glass...It was a bit like being a kid in a sandbox again, no pressure to create anything that looked "real"   She then showed us how she marks out a photo referance on the edges of her glass so the layout is accurate......(see the photo with all the lines and notes.)   Tomorrow, we will complete our masterpiece and add a bit of color if relevent.....I can't wait to see the results...

This is Kelly's first workshop for this technique, and her teaching skills and simple manner of explaining technique are amazing (she has over 10 years of teaching experience in fused glass, but this is the first for this method)  Her 4 guinea pigs as she calls us students were hand selected by her to cover the range of experience from absolutely no art experience to very experienced...and quite honestly the ones with limited experience are doing some impressive work.....here are several pics of Kelly's work and the workshop today......If you're ever interested in her future workshops let me know...I have a feeling they will fill up fast!

Experimental Class... Want to Peek?

Wow!  The experimental fused glass powder drawing class was a success! 


VIEW THE SLIDESHOW OF THE CLASS HERE


As you may already know, the class was a tester to find out if I could offer this as a workshop in the future. There were four 'guinea pigs', each with different levels of art experience.  Three of the students had no experience in glass, one claimed not to be able to draw, one is a successful painter, another- a computer guy who likes metalsmithing and lapidary work, and finally, a girl who attends my church that wanted to learn the process.


Day one was spent on demos and fun little games of experimentation with different 'tools', and set up some right-brain thinking.  We discussed layout and composition, practiced cutting glass, and chose photos to work from. At first, everyone seemed a bit unsure of their ability to do this and they were pretty sure they would be 'bad' at doing the drawings.  However, by the end of the day everyone had started on their drawings and we were well on our way...but...


Something was bothering me.  My 'non-drawing guinea' seemed frustrated. The piece I started as a demo was a river scene of Venice, and it involved a lot of architectural details.  I think it was too deep too fast. SO...


Day two I cleaned off the work table and took away all of the pieces from day one, and everyone was a bit surprised and unsettled when came back and saw their things missing.  HA!


We started Day Two in a way that I should have started Day One.  I took away all of the tools and we spent about half an hour working to music using only our fingers in the glass powder on a large piece of glass.  We ditched our chairs and got into 'performance mode'.  Everyone seemed to loosen up, and we rotated pieces so we all worked without worrying about things being perfect.  To be quite honest, some of the quick pieces we did during these exercises really would have been great to fire and keep!  I do think that working in a non-committed way helps to take away the fear of making mistakes, and opens up a new version of creativity in each of us.  


We worked on some smaller tester pieces, which we put in the small kiln and watched during the firing to see what results different tools gave.  I was curious to know which tools my guineas liked the best... a small feather, a piece of aluminum grate, silicone tipped painting tools, and card stock.  Cardstock is my favorite too.  


As of today, the kiln is loaded and waiting for the passing thunderstorm to go away so I can start the big firing!  I will post pics of the finished works and student comments in the next blog later this week, but for now, enjoy the slideshow of the class :)

Bracelets, Friends, and neglected beads

Bracelets, friends, and neglected beads...

"Choo Choo" bracelets made with my double- hole fused glass beads

watch for these on ETSY in the next few days

Years ago, I started making beads. I know that's a huge surprise to all of you... Anyway, I absolutely love making them. I fuss over the color schemes, the glass particulars, etc. enjoying all of the parts, but after they come out of the kiln something unfortunate seems to happen. I pore over them for awhile, seeing the beauty in each individual one, lovingly noticing the uneven edges, the chance air bubbles, the new color I couldn't wait to try...

Then I pile them in a coffee can or plastic tub where they sit.  
Sometimes for years.

I discovered that while I really love making the beads, I am not a fan of putting them together into bracelets. I don't forget about them, in fact, they are on my mind a lot more than they appear to be. I tend to fool around 'getting ready' to make bracelets, laying the beads out in a nice order, second-guessing which vintage beads look best, wondering/worrying whether anyone will like the finished product. It stresses me out. Also, I hate dropping the little parts and chasing them across the floor only to drop them again and start over. Frustration takes over and back in the can they go. Usually, I wait until they have been neglected for a very long time, then force myself to spend the time to put them together.  
When I finally get to that place, I find that putting bracelets together it isn't horrible.  Once I get going I really do enjoy it in a lot of ways.  (not the dropping stuff part though) The finished bracelets come to life with much more beauty than the individual beads. I like looking at them and feel some accomplishment.  But most of all, when they are taken home with someone who loves them, the circle is made and I have the desire to do it again.


This brings me to the friends part...
Like beads, I appreciate and truly enjoy the individuality of people in my life, getting to know the 'little parts' that make up the person. I have no problems making friends but being an art hermit of sorts, I often find myself struggling with maintaining my friendships; neglectful in my ways of developing people (the beads) into relationships (the bracelets). My coffee can holds a lot of important people. I fool around 'getting ready' to spend time making relationships into something tangible.  I don't deal well with drama (chasing parts across the floor), and am easily rattled with wondering what the 'bracelet' will be like in the end...
My friend Kristen came over this week to put together the beads she made in my studio into a bracelet for her mother. Of course, here was me falling out of my seat at the table going on "ughh I hate putting them together, you can use my beads but you have to string them yourself, don't make me go there ",etc. 
(I know, it's totally pathetic.) It was then that I realized how beads and bracelets and relationships can be alike.  I put the bracelet together while enjoying my friend's company. Time flew by and it was just what I needed to make me see. 

Kristen's Beads

Kristen's Bracelet

Standing Naked

I did my first real art show in 1998, in my hometown of Findlay, Ohio.  Terrified, I sat in the back of my booth waiting impatiently for someone to walk in and look through the things I had made.  I remember the feeling was like being on the verge of having a heart attack.  What if they look and say nothing? What if they don't like my work?  I don't know what to say....I can't even look them in the eye.


The things I make really matter to me.  The stress of putting these things I made with my hands and my heart before the eyes of the public was hard.  Even harder was to stand there and worry about how they would be received. I truly felt as if I were standing naked before the world, waiting for them to pick out my fears, my faults, my imperfections....  


That show ended well, in spite of the fact that an unexpected storm picked up my tent and blew it a good block and a half down the street.  Wet assembly directions in hand, I left the show with pieces of a tent I took apart upside down, but with a smile in my heart.  


I have been successful at 'being an artist', but now I am once again 'standing naked'.  Never did I think I would write a blog or have a website to sell from, I love meeting the people who buy my art in person.  I am hoping that I can connect now in a different way, one that would allow me to spend more time MAKING art and less time in a hot tent.... Also, I think it's time to share what I have learned a bit.  :)