Working with my hands

So last week I spent working with polymer clay.  I've had the supplies since Christmas 2010.  I did fiddle around with it a bit at the start of last year, but wasn't having much success and got caught up in designing White.  Everything got shunted aside while I went back to work and then all the summer/fall markets, when I just need to keep up with the supply of my regular pieces.

However, during the Harrison Hot Springs labour day craft fair, I met a very talented artist named Andy (facebook: A. Brown Designs) who creates fabulous jewelry in clay.  I bought of pair of her fooler gauge earrings and a ring.  I fell in love with her octopus tentacle earrings and raven head pendants.  She gave me the inspiration to try again.

With no markets in sight, I was able then to spend several carefree days rolling out clay and experimenting.  First project was to make calla lilies.  I have always loved Diego Rivera's paintings of lilies, and of course, I have my own Lily.  After sketching them, I began to roll them out, intertwined with leaves and vines.  I wasn't interested in making them realistic in terms of colours, and the ones in deep purples, blacks and reds are my favourites so far.  Even the gold and black looks pretty good. 

You have to understand, while I love working with my hands, working in clay has always been a sore point.  Even as a child, I had a small kiddie pottery wheel.  And I spent hours trying and trying to make a simple, smooth pinch pot, to no avail.  They were horrid, mishapen lumps.  Even in university when I was studying for my B. Ed, our art classes touched on clay, and I was again left with some shrivelled lumps.  Several years ago, I even took a class at the Rotary Arts Centre in Kelowna on working with PMC (Precious Metal Clay - fine silver).  While the class was supposed to be beginnner level, my fellow 'students' were sculptors.  I ended up with hard lumps of mangled silver compared to their detailed pendants.  Trust me, PMC is very expensive and is not something you keep practicing with unless you know you can produce something reasonably attractive.

Why on earth would I invest in purchasing all the tools I needed for polymer clay?

I guess we all have yearnings for secret talents.  Anyway, I like how things have so far come out, and I think I've figured out what works for me.  The beads and art pieces in the books by Donna Kato and Carol Blackburn are very pretty.  And I'm not even going to try to make them.  I'm sticking with simple lines, flowing shapes.  It's what works for me in my silver jewelry, and it seems to work for me in clay.

Technical notes on clay:  I've only worked with Fimo so far, but have some packages of Sculptey which bakes at a different temperature.  I'll try it out next and compare the two for ease of manipulation, texture, etc. 

Short nails seem to be best for working with clay - you don't want to mar a piece with a poke of your fingernail. 

Don't drop unbaked clay onto the dog bed.  It picks up hair very easily.

And so we try again

Move ahead 6 months since I last sat here and wrote something, and I find myself staring at the white screen with the cursor's nagging blinking urging me to come up with something interesting or witty to say.  I have been putting this off.  It's really not that I don't think about writing these posts, but somedays what I want to talk about isn't really the norm for a jewelry blog.  Somedays I just need to vent about something, or am looking for a sympathetic ear.  When there isn't really anyone in one's life who can fill those roles, then cyberspace calls, but that's TMI for anyone reading out there.  I read other crafty blogs from time to time, and they are all about the creative process, with great tutorials and the like.  Moving forward, should I decide to continue this seriously, that is what I should be doing. 

Overall, last year was a good year for Pink Gargoyle.  Sales were consistent with 2010, which I guess in a fragile economy, is a good thing.  Some new shows were absolutely fantastic - the Bloom Markets in Ft Langley were superbly organized, marketed and attended.  A Crafty Affaire in South Surrey shows tremendous potential.  Make It Vancouver continues to grow in scope and attendance.  My hat is off to these talented people who conceptualize and realize these great markets.  I know it's not easy, especially to do it so graciously as well.  I really respect their dedication to promoting local artists and designers. 

I learned a hard lesson too.  Responding to an invite for a series of new Christmas markets, called "Made in BC," I learned that no matter how professional the application looks, or the apparent capabilities of the organizer, some people are strictly there to scam you.  Losing several hundred dollars in application fees to shows that didn't happen is a bitter pill to swallow.

Looking ahead to 2012, I'm going to try for some of the even bigger shows - One of a Kind, the Harmony Arts Festival.  With so much beautiful jewelry in Vancouver, it's hard to know if I stand a chance.  However, my collage paintings got such a great response during the last few markets, I am continuing with them this year and will actually agree to sell them this time.  I have also been learning how to do bookbinding, with the covers being smaller versions of my collages.  I hope that by adding to what I have available beyond jewelry, then I can venture into new markets.  At any rate, creating these have been a tremendous outlet when I need to take a break from jump rings and polishing.

That's pretty much it for now.  I've been more of a recluse the last six months, except for going to markets.  Maybe recluse is a bit strong - let's say I'm more selective about whom I spend time with.  After a rather harsh comment about the future of a friendship at the end of the school year, I tend to keep to myself and my family.  Ultimately, they are what matters most anyway, and I am so tired of the way a lot of women seem to treat each other.  Frankly, it's no surprise that some of my best friendships in my life have been with men.  They are not so quick to pass a damning judgement and terminate a friendship over some imagined slight.

Off to yoga now to find some inner zen, and to try to not fall over.  Then back into the studio, to explore what possibilities await.