Welcome to the rebellious blog of an obsessively overly perfectionistic artist, who is compelled to create and occasionally write about the proccess. Do artists really have to be crazy to create? Perhaps not, but the water is warm, so dive in and find out! RSS Feed "Be a good craftsman; it won't stop you being a genius." - Auguste Renoir 6/27/2007 Jammin' with the Rock Stars & Metalheads: SNAG 2007 There is no substitute in life for the thrill of speaking the same language with like minds, and for 4-1/2 days I spent an unexpectedly blissful time doing just that at the Society of North American Goldsmiths conference in Memphis, TN. Alas, I have been slowly crashing back down to 'reality' ever since. I've never been interested in much of anything that is mainstream, and such a bent toward the creative and seemingly obscure equals a lifetime of not finding tons of people to relate to at parties or anywhere else for that matter. Despite the throngs of people, who take classes in gold or silversmithing during the course of their lives, I and my career choice remain ever from Mars as far as most strangers, the majority of acquaintances, and a large portion of my friends are concerned. That all changed for a brief time, beginning when I slammed down the door to the overhead luggage compartment, moved my backpack to sit down, and the young woman in the airplane seat next to mine said, "Going to SNAG?" I held up my 6 rings near my choker and earrings, and said, "How did you guess?" with a big smirk. From that moment until my flight landed back in Atlanta Sunday night, I was in a world where not only was what I do normal, people could actually talk about what motivates us to do what we do as well as all the fun technical talk, and no one's eyes glazed over nor did anyone look bored. It was paradise (and I didn't even visit Graceland). In part, I was there to help one of my vendors promote my DVD, which went well, and I ended up with yet another vendor for the conference as well. I watched a demo given by Mary Lee Hu, whose published work I've drooled over since I was in college, saw a slide presentation on art knives, given by Phil Baldwin, which permanently awoke my long buried desire to make sharp things in Damascene steel, and was moved beyond all belief by a presentation of work by blacksmith, Tom Joyce. I'd seen Tom on PBS's Craft in America a few weeks ago, and while I had been familiar with some of his work, the interview and then the presentation moved me more than I can find words to express. It is rare that someone in the world of 'craft' will open up and speak of the personal inspiration behind his or her work, and hearing Tom do so gave me more courage to talk about mine particularly since there were so many parallels in what inspires me. - If having to explain what a metalsmith is (and why I'm not a jewelry designer) to people produces the glazed over look, then believe me, saying that I am mesmerized by metal because each atom I work with was, like you, me and everything else in our world, once cooked in a star, only makes people smile politely before resuming talking about themselves or finding an excuse to get away quickly. - The presentation went 45 minutes overtime, and I didn't want it to end. Unfortunately, not having more than a couple of friends (artists and performers of course), who can relate, is painful, and the result of my not sharing more about what makes me want to get up in the morning has left me with too many morning that I didn't want to get out of bed. At SNAG I never wanted to go to bed in the first place. In fact, on this trip when I was going to catch up on sleep, since Skyler went to the beach with his Gran, I ended up staying up until sunrise most nights, talking with friend and fellow Atlanta based metalsmith, Helen Blythe-Hart. We even outlasted the third member of our entourage, fellow smith, student and friend, Lisa Winn, and, trust me, outlasting Lisa is saying something. That we three became closer and can still get together is no small thing, but the other 450 people certainly lent a warmth, support, and ambience of enthusiasm that could not follow us home. So if meeting those greats, who have gone before me, talking ideas with people from around the world, and making important contacts with people, who were so much fun to talk with I wouldn't have even cared what their positions were, weren't enough, I discovered that I have groupies. (Yes, Elvis, move over.) In the meantime, I have accepted that I can no longer listen politely to friends, who expect me to understand their jobs and professions, yet after years of knowing them still don't get mine. Better Stellaluna be alone in the studio than ever a bat among birds. I'll probably survive until the next conference in Savannah in March, but I will be counting the days. 11:15 PM - permanent link email this entry to a friend 0 comments 6/12/2007 V on TV! Friday, June 15 at 9:30am HGTV will finally air the segment of me working that they taped in April of 2006 for their show, That's Clever! As the date approaches at last, I've been remembering snippets of the experience of a 4 person crew + me in my studio (and how punchy we were by the end). 6 hours of work into 7 minutes to show and CLOSELY following their usual formula... It should be very interesting. There's also a strong possibility that Skyler will be in the intro, depending on which take they use. It's all in the editing. Yesterday I received Rio Grande's 600-page 2007 Tools & Equipment Catalog with my DVD conspicuously displayed in the 'new products' section. (For those of you not in the know, Rio is the largest supplier to both the commercial and artistic sides of jewelry. Their catalogs are the end all be all of cool stuff... sort of like the Sears catalog circa 1950.) The day before my national TV debut is Flag Day here in the U.S., which is also known as the anniversary of when I last turned 29. ;-) For this year's birthday I get... fame. (It better last longer than 15 minutes.) 10:54 AM - permanent link email this entry to a friend 0 comments 6/04/2007 13 Things Never to Say to an Artist I caught most of PBS's new series of Crafts in America (and taped the rest), which premiered this past week. They were exceedingly well done. In fact the only fault I could find with them was that of all the people I've asked, no one seems to have watched them. The series does a great job depicting what makes artists inspired to work in different materials and techniques, ones that only the ignorant and the dreadfully postmodern don't define as the stuff of Art. Ever since I got out of college I've had a lot of trouble with the word 'craft.' In school, I was in an atmosphere so demanding that I never experienced any snobbery from those majoring in what I'd later learn was 'fine art.' The trouble with the word 'craft' is that it puts people, who create painfully exquisite one-of-a-kind works lower down on the heirarchy than, oh, gee, I don't know, some dude, who thinks art is putting a shark in a tank of formaldehyde (not that I'm naming any names or anything). In fact, it puts our work in a category lower down than 'artisan cheese.' The day I heard the term, 'rap recording artist' I'd had enough. "Move over, Prince," I said. "I am permanently known as the Artist Known as Victoria." Alas, though, such declaration did little for what I would still encounter at parties when people would ask what I do. Despite the throngs of people, who get into flame throwing as a hobby or even a profession, the way I do what I do, and the level (of intensity and insanity) at which I do it remains obscure and off the radar of a culture steeped in Wallmart and Targzhay. As I was admiring the handmade books by a fellow exhibitor at a show last year, their creator handed me a fan book with a smirk and said, "Here, as another artist you'll enjoy this one." It was titled 13 Things Never to Say to an Artist." (The text was quoted from I forgot where, so if anyone could give me a source, I'd be greatful.) On each page was the kind of tactless and clueless line that makes people like me consider the merits of permanent seclusion, followed by what most artists wish they could really reply. My favorite was, "I really like your work, but it doesn't go with my sofa. Could you paint another one it in magenta, teal, and puce?" In smaller type below was, "Get a new sofa!" The book has inspired me to write a list of my own. Upon meeting someone, whose profession was as obscure to me as mine is to most, I asked a question so stupid and patronizing that I have actually blocked it from my memory, and so in the name of helping others not to endure such embarrassment as well as my peers and myself to have a better time at parties, may I present 13 Things Never to Say to a Metalsmith 1. I have a piece JUST like that that I bought in Mexico! No, you really don't. If you think you do, you're not actually looking at my work. 2. I have a piece I bought on my trip to _____ that you would just LOVE to see. Not as in "come see my etchings," but as in sometimes people feel compelled to relate by... well... just talking rather than actually looking at the art of the artist to whom they are speaking. 3. I really like your work and would buy it for my wife, but she likes platinum and diamonds. I make art men can wear too. (At least your wife had good taste in picking out you.) 4. This is my friend, Victoria. She's a jewelry designer. I know you're wondering what's wrong with this one, so let me explain. Technically a designer is someone, who draws what something should look like, so that other people can make it, as opposed to an artist/smith, who might or might not draw an idea on paper first, but creates the work him/herself. Unfortunately, every person, who puts 2 beads on a string now calls themselves a "jewelry designer." (I'm not knocking bead people here! Be assured that people, who put flame to glass or weave intricate complex compositions from tiny spheres are rolling their eyes right along with me.) Being introduced as a jewelry designer at parties with few artists attending will produce a lot #1, 2, 3, and 9, and a cacophony of #5 and 8. (The last time this happened to me, some strange woman, who disapproved of my prices, began lovingly fondling my rings, a very understandable reaction, which would have been appreciated had I not been wearing them at the time.) While we're at it, I don't consider myself a jeweler either. A jeweler is usually someone, who sits hunched over a bench, soldering replacement prongs on depressingly unartful and mass produced diamond rings or maybe carves wax to order for custom work (or more likely orders such things out of catalogs). If some smiths want to call themselves jewelers as well, fine; they certainly can, but you'll note that no where on this entire site have I ever used the word until now. 5. Someone told me you 'do' jewelry. Can you fix every broken thing in my jewelry box and convert my earrings from posts to clips (or clips to posts)? I don't mind referring someone in need to a repair place. Hey, we all break stuff. I'm annoyed when people I don't even know act put out and start arguing with me as to why I won't fix their stuff when I've patiently explained that I don't do repairs and don't even possess the necessary equipment. If I were to tell someone I was a painter, would their next sentence be, "I have this painting that got ripped; can you fix it?" Probably not. 6. Did you cast that? Ugh, no. Ok, I admit there are one or two smiths out there, who do some cool things with one of a kind castings (no mold is made), but for the most part cast = mass produced = junk = dude, who will probably never buy anything while trying to impress me that he knows the name of an actual metal technique. 7. Ooo, ya know what you should make? Yes, that's part of why I work all the time. I get these ideas you see... One friend used to say this me all the time until she took a painting class, and with a big grin I said, "Hey, ya know what you ought to paint?" It's good we can laugh about it now. (I know your reading this!) ;-) 8. Why is you're work so expensive?!? Because it takes a bloody long time to make! Do you feel the need to be monetarily compensated for what you do? Me too. A friend once overheard another artist at a show reply to this questions by saying, "Quality isn't for everyone." I wish I had that kind of nerve. 9. How long did it take you to make that? A fair question, but one for which the only honest answer is my entire lifetime thus far. If you put your soul and the sum total of your experience into something... 10.What gauge is it?!? This is only funny to my students, who have been known frequently to yell the question as they pop their heads up from their diligent and furious note taking like demented prairie dogs to inquire the thickness of the metal I'm using in a demonstration. The problem isn't that they ask but that 3 people have already asked, 3 more will ask within the next 5 minutes, and I'm still struggling to say without interruption, "Hi, today we're making a..." 11. Where do you get your stones? It's not that weird a question, and I usually amuse people by telling them about my opal dealer, who owns his own mine in Australia and tells tales of sitting around the campfire at night, trading kangaroo marinade recipes with other miners. (I know, I know, but apparently they are like deer there.) Unfortunately this question makes the list because, when asked right away, it is an indication that someone regards all my very hard work and artistry as merely being a way to make stones stick on your fingers, neck, or earlobes. 12. You make jewelry? I have some ______ (usually lapis) at home. I never know why I'm supposed to be impressed by this. Not that there's anything wrong with lapis or whatever someone has on hand, in fact, odds are I have or have had way more of it laying around my house than they do (unless they're talking crystals). Unlike #2, however, this is usually uttered in the spirit of come see my etchings, and really if this is the best a guy can do... 13. You just need to get _________ (usually Sara Jessica Parker or Atl resident, Jane Fonda) to wear your stuff. If they want to buy it, I'm thrilled. They'll go to the top of the Selected Collectors and Collections section on my resume. If, however, I'm just supposed to lend or give work away to get it moving down a red carpet, I'd be doomed. Within a week jewelry designers (no, the other kind) would be sending orders off to China or Indonesia for bad knock off versions of what little of my work could actually be reproduced. In a month the Style Channel would be showing Voguers where to buy that look for less, and all my serious collectors would instead collect other artists, whose work is still one-of-a-kind. No, far better the person with the marketing schemes pulls out his/her credit card and buys my work. That always impresses me. Call me a bitch, but if I were a guy, you'd just say I have artistic integrity. ;-) 1:23 AM - permanent link email this entry to a friend 0 comments

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