Etsymetal Blog Carnival

Topic: "Artist's Work That Has Influenced My Own"

 I am inspired by artists who work with respect for traditional techniques and create well-crafted objects. One artist that immediately comes to mind is the sculptor Martin Puryear. I have been in love with his work since I was an undergrad and saw some large pieces at the MFA in Boston.

I like the way he distills forms, but they still have warmth and soul. The markings of the maker and the labor-intensive energy is evident in the work. Reverence for material and process provide much of the meaning. There is a beautiful and tactile quality that is appealing to me as a crafts person and artist.

Here is a picture of Martin Puyear in his studio. Check out all of those tools!

Here is an installation of his work at SF MOMA last year.

Click the links below to see what others in etsymetal have to say about artists that inspire them:

 Theresa - http://tkmetalarts.blogspot.com
 Fluxplay Jewellery (Maria Whetman) - http://www.fluxplay.blogspot.com
  2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
  Elizabeth Scott - http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog
  Andrea Ring- http://www.amuckdesign.blogspot.com
  Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/
  Beth Cyr http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
  Inbar Bareket http://inbarbareket.net
  Cynthia Del Giudice: http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com
  Evelyn Markasky: http://markasky.blogspot.com/
  AdobeSol - http://www.AdobeSol.com/blog
  Quercus Silver http://quercussilver.blogspot.com/

Etsy Listings

This year, I was accepted to an Etsy team, Etsymetal. It is a group of very skilled metalsmiths and entrepreneurs who have very successful shops on Etsy. It has inspired me to make some real improvements on my shop. I have been on Etsy for a few years, but it has never been a great money maker, and I feel that the few sales I have made were the result of dumb luck...


One of the things I am working on this year is to take my Etsy shop more seriously and try to get noticed in that huge abyss of crafting.I have been working hard photographing and listing some work on Etsy.  



Here are some recent listings to the shop:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68748115/polka-dot-ring-in-sterling-silver

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68820196/zigzag-hoops-in-sterling-silver

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68749050/oxidized-sterling-drop-earrings

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68820524/polka-dot-sterling-hoop-earrings

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65534135/baby-dot-hoops

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68552275/simple-sterling-curved-earrings

What is the secret to get attention on Etsy? Who knows. I know my photography needs help, and I have been trying to make improvements to it.  I am determined to figure this out!

EtsyMetal Blog Carnival

EtsyMetal Blog Carnival 

February Topic: Non-Metal/Jewelry Creativity 

Tell us about other kinds of art and craft you do. What other media do you work and play with? How often do you get to create? Does it relate to or inspire your metalworking?

Although metalwork is my comfort zone, I enjoy working in other media as well. I don't think that most artists really limit themselves to particular media. It is all about the need and desire to work through the creative process of designing and making things.
 Between my job as a teacher and being a mother to a two-year old, I have to be somewhat obsessed with finding time, usually at night.  There is always work in progress, as sometimes things take me months to finish, and I work on MANY projects at once. It doesn't really matter to me how long it takes to finish the 2D work, as I don't exhibit or sell it, it is for me.


 I am interested in organic and anatomical structure, and the perfect design and pattern found in nature. These natural forms and networks can speak about the fragility/strength of the human condition. This is a mixed media (collage, acrylic, pastel) on board: 

structure, 2010

I love printmaking processes, as they are very tactile and material based, much like metal. I do woodcut, etching, and some lithography. At work, I am lucky to have use of a  printing press.   This is a lithograph portrait of my husband, Jim:

jim, 2008

This is another mixed media piece, (collage, acrylic, ink, on paper). I was experimenting with mixed media techniques and enjoying the process of letting go--hard to do with metal. Sometimes it is nice to not have an idea of where something is going, but I am still drawn to the same types of forms, not matter what media I am working in. 

landscape, 2010

As a high school art teacher, I make exemplars for many lessons that I assign my students. It gives me an opportunity to understand the issues that they may face as they work through the processes that I assign. I enjoy going back to observational drawing practice, as it helps to inform any artist. It is all about SEEING, after all. 
It is important to my teaching practice that I serve as an artist exemplar, so that they can see that being an artist is a life-long pursuit. The following self-portraits were done alongside my students as an assignment on blind contour, looking at details of the subject, only peeking minimally at the paper.  This convinced the students to trust the hand-eye coordination to record details accurately, as these look quite a bit like me.  When I do an assignment with them, it also diminishes the hierarchy of the teacher/student relationship, and we relate to each other as fellow artists. I wish I had the time in my workday to do this more often. 

modified blind contour self, 2010

modified blind self, 2010

Check out the other members of the Etsy Metal Team to see their response to this month's Blog Carnival:

  

kathryn cole  

 2Roses -  

 Twigs and Heather  

  Erin Austin 

  Thomasin Durgin    

  Nodeform   

  Beth Cyr  

  stacey hansen  

  Nina Gibson  

  elizabeth scott  

  Evelyn Markasky     

  Amanda Conley  

  Jenny Baughman 
Catherine Chandler

    

RAW 2011

Welcome to RAW 2011!
This is a more sedate version of the insanity born from RAD (Ring a Day).  The idea is to embark on a personal journey of creativity, by creating one ring a week, for an entire year. Finished results are posted to the flikr group, which now boasts over 140 members. I am five weeks in and here are my finished pieces, so far:

Right now, I am teaching myself how to set stones. I have never worked with stones before, and am enjoying the challenge very much, getting out of the production mode for a change.   Beware, though, buying stones from Etsy stores is extremely addictive!  Here are some of my favorite sources for buying stones on Etsy:

Cabbinrough

Dalerocks 09

Stones in Motion

StoneTemple