jeanie thorn

Master Class

2012-01-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

My answer to Seth Apter's Pulse survey appears on Sunday January 22. The question asked was 'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?' Please visit his site to see my answer and the answers from other artists who took part in the survey.

Thanks Seth!

Larry's

2012-01-21T14:07:00.001-07:00

My brother was in town visiting me from Boston this week. So we made a few day trips to my favorite places. One is Jerome, an old mining town up north, which is perched on the side of the mountain overlooking the Verde Valley.

Lots of history, art galleries and great places to eat.

I also had to visit my favorite *antique* shop, Larry's, in nearby Cottonwood.

If you can't find what you're looking for at Larry's you can't find it anywhere. It's a mecca for any mixed media or metal artist.

I'm actually a lot happier than I look in that photo. I just don't like to be bothered when I'm on the hunt.

sometimes even I’m surprised

2012-01-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

When I was a child I played with my share of dolls and girl toys so I never imagined I’d be welding and wielding a torch but that’s what I do now and sometimes even I’m surprised.

I don’t consider myself a tool junkie but I do need a fair amount of things (grinders, files, drill press etc.) to make the art I make. Every year I think about what tool would make my life easier and allow me to take my work to another level. And this year what I want is a band saw.

My husband things I’m a riot. What guy doesn’t like tools and what could be more perfect than a wife who would rather shop at Home Depot than the mall.

I never would have imagined….

new years day opinion

2012-01-01T13:27:00.002-07:00

I don’t make resolutions any more. First of all they are typically doomed to fail and second if there’s something I really want to do I usually just do it at whatever time of year it happens to be. But I’ve had a lot of time to think this week and decided to get some things off my chest.

First topic: Just the details

Last week at art walk, the gallery owner told me that someone who was looking at my art asked if I was obsessive-compulsive. My reaction, I burst out laughing. If they could only see the mess that is my studio or other parts of my life they would know that *no* I am definitely not either of those things. I am however a bit intense when it comes to my artwork and pay *a lot* of attention to detail.

“I was working on a proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back in.” - Oscar Wilde

I’m no writer but I totally understand what Oscar is talking about. I’m not the kind of artist that throws everything at the wall to see what sticks. However I love abstract art and can see the thoughtfulness that goes into its creation. The same design principles of composition apply to all art whether realistic or abstract. But what I do is all about geometry and being a minimalist those details become even more important. The particular piece that the client was referring to contained bolts and bolts have characters on them that indicate the manufacturer. Well I felt it was important to line up the letters so they would all be in the same orientation. I also thought it was important to align the reveals with the bolts and the center of the mesh.

It’s that attention to detail that I not only strive for but love figuring out. I find it ironic that we praise great writing for its use of grammar and sentence structure or great music for its melody or lyrics but we question the visual arts when it *uses commas correctly* or *doesn’t split an infinitive*.

Okay next topic. Earning a living is not secondary to what I do.

Lately I’ve noticed quite a few on line classes by other artists. Topics range from jewelry making to journaling to collage to quilt making. All look like fun and informative and I think they are great ways to make money. Now I’m all about earning a living by doing something you love. I don’t care what your profession. It’s much easier to get up in the morning if you are looking forward to what you are going to do that day.

Wanting to know more about these instructors I of course visit their blogs and websites to see their work and read what they have to say. What do I find? I find someone who’s saying that being creative and making art should be about *more* than making money. And I would agree except they are charging a fee for what they are about to teach. If they truly feel that way then why not offer the class for free? After all if you are going to tell me that I should be creative for the sake of being creative and just produce art without giving any thought to its sale then how about your teaching just for the sake of teaching? So if you share all you know for free then I can be more creative without having to worry about making a living. Because goodness knows I wouldn't be able to afford to pay you otherwise.

Okay I have to jump in here with this… typically we pick a profession because we feel it will be something we enjoy and to which we have an affinity. Then after we get the proper training, usually some kind of education, we seek employment so that we can be compensated for the job we perform or for what we create. Sometimes we are even willing to work for free such as an internship to gain experience. Regardless of the line of work this is pretty much the path we all take. Please note that I said it started with a desire to do something, then education then experience then compensation. Any endeavor, art especially, that is strictly motivated by money typically does not produce a very good product and it shows, although there are exceptions to every rule.

I view being an artist (unless you do it as a hobby and that’s fabulous) as a profession much like being a chef. I think great chefs are very creative but do we tell them that preparing a delicious meal should be about more than making money? Typically cooking is their passion but they still expect to get paid. They don’t see earning a living as secondary to what they do. Whether it’s by serving great food or writing a cook book filled with wonderful recipes, they earn money for their creativity. So why is making art any different? If making art should be about more than selling then so should playing music or writing or fashion design or any other creative enterprise. If making money selling art is an advantageous byproduct shouldn’t it be considered the same for everything else?

I guess if I did have a New Year’s resolution it would be to ignore these things and typically I do or at least try but today I just had to put it out there. Just my opinion….

night at the gallery

2011-12-30T10:46:00.045-07:00

Last night was Art Walk for the downtown Scottsdale galleries. Xanadu which is one of the galleries that represents me did a small feature on my work in Art Collector magazine and invited me to come in and do a meet and greet. It's always a fun time and there was a great turn out of art lovers enjoying the festivities.

That's me and gallery owner Jason Horejs standing in front of some of my new work. In addition to running the gallery Jason is also the author of two great books,

"Starving to Successful, The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting Into Galleries and Selling More Art" and "How to Sell Art". They're very informative and helped me a great deal in presenting my work to galleries.

One of my favorite artists and good friend Dave Newman is also in Xanadu. His work is on the left wall. He does amazing mixed media art and his Fender guitars are to die for.

Another of my favorite artists is John Horejs standing in front of his wonderful landscapes.

I was so pleased (and flattered) that Jeff Reich and his wife Farraday Newsome came out to see my art. Jeff constructs sculptural ceramics (they're very architectural so I especially like them) and directs the ceramic program at Mesa Arts Center. Farraday also makes ceramics and is known for her colorful, luscious forms and surfaces. Together they publish a great newsletter from their Indigo Street Pottery studio. I recently took a clay class with Jeff and am now adding clay to my steel pieces. Stay tuned for pictures in future blogs.

My good friend Janet Quan also came out to see me. She always makes me laugh and really cracks me up.

As you can see it really was a great turn out.

The gallery from the street.

You couldn't ask for a better gallery director than Elaine. So supportive and always smiling. That's another one of my steel pieces behind us. Hopefully last night's energy is an indication of a great gallery season to come.

today is the first day of the rest of your life

2011-12-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

I received some sad news last night. A long time friend died in his sleep yesterday at the young age of 61. I say young because I’m 56 and feel and *act* very young. At least I think I do and 61 does not seem that far in the future. There seems to be a lot of death around me lately. More than likely it’s always been there because last time I checked no one gets out of here alive…but I didn’t think much about it when I was say 25 or 35 or even 45 years old. After all death is something that happens to other people and only when you’re *really, really* old but I’m finding that’s not true anymore. I’ve lost three friends in the last couple of years. Two to colon cancer, ages 42 and 50 and one to pancreatic cancer age 60. And I recently heard about a girl I went to high school with that died this year of breast cancer. She was one of those really pretty and popular girls who married her high school sweet heart and was suppose to live happily ever after. And this year when Steve Jobs died it really hit home. When people with the same birth year as you and all the money in the world die you sit up and take notice.

After Job’s death his commencement address to the Stanford University graduating class (if you haven’t read it you should, it’s wonderful) was all over the internet. Here’s part of what he had to say…

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

So this post isn’t really about dying it’s about living. It’s about not making excuses why you can’t do the things you want to do or live the life you want to live.

I myself am at a cross roads…currently I split my time between a *day* job and making art. What I would like to do is art full time. But hey I’m like everyone else. I have to keep a roof over my head and food on the table. But at the same time I’m not getting any younger so when do I make the break? In some ways I have an ideal situation. I have a job that pays the bills and I am able to make art that pleases me without the constraints of worrying if it will sell. Luckily it does sell and I’m fortunate enough to be represented by three galleries. So should I keep going the way that I’m going? Or will I regret not taking a leap of faith?

So that’s what I’m thinking about today. What decisions would I make if today was the last day of my life? What would I change?

What would you change?

simple saturday

2011-11-26T12:01:00.001-07:00

Hey. It's the Saturday after Thanksgiving and it's time to get busy again making art. I took the last two days off to enjoy some time with family and friends although it was all pretty low key. Being originally from the Boston area this is the time of year I miss the New England Autumn. The crisp air and vivid red and orange of the maple trees can make me a touch homesick. But it doesn't last long because I know what's to come...SNOW...and I don't like that severe cold. So I'm happy here in Arizona with it's mild sunny winters.

Even the red yuccas are confused by the weather and have started to bloom again.

Right now I'm trying to select a plate to go with a larger piece of steel. Steel believe it or not has a lot of character. There's different markings and colorations much like wood.

When I'm working on a piece I tend to spread out everywhere...studio, shop, the entire backyard.

It's all part of the process.

Hope you're enjoying your day where ever you are.

quartzsite

2011-11-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I wrote about how I was contemplating / investigating the possibility of doing a fine art / craft show. So on Friday we headed out to Rancho Mirage California with our artist friend Michael to see first hand the process of setting up for a show. Rancho Mirage is about a four hour drive west of Phoenix. The location for the show was wonderful...a very nice park with mountain views. We unloaded all the gear, set up the tent and went out for dinner. Saturday morning we arrived early to welcome the buying public and much to out dismay it began to rain. Not a great day to walk around and look at art but probably good for us to experience. Best to know all sides of the art fair life style. But people still turned out and we met a lot of the other artists. It's was a very wonderful and supportive community. The fair was a two day event but we needed to head back to Phoenix so we left around noon. On the way home we stopped in Quartzsite which is called the gem capital of Arizona and for good reason. There were dozens of rock and jewelry shops. One place was like a candy store for mixed media artists. It was really fun to explore and poke around in and I know I'll be back. Here's a sample of what was available.....

crystals

dried desert wood

geodes

tables full of rocks and gem stones

old bottles

cool glass shades

wood finials

more geodes

hundreds of glass jars filled with old buttons and beads

And this was just in one shop.

It would take a weekend to see it all. Be sure to bring cash, many shops don't take credit cards and plan to bargain.

rock wall

2011-11-05T17:02:00.001-07:00

Love the combination of a concrete wall with exposed rocks and blocks. So cool...

variations on a theme

2011-10-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've been working on several series and have found that each piece seems to spawn the idea for the next...

These are from my "Still Life on Steel" series.

These lead me to smaller, similar, almost a combination of the elements I was using...

I'm really enjoying this creative process of having a common thread weave it's way through the work.

iron oxide

2011-10-19T19:05:00.001-07:00

Iron oxide also know as rust is the chemical reaction between steel and the elements of water and oxygen. Simply put it's a form of decay...and I think the stains are wonderful.

"It is a beauty of things modest and humble." *

"It is the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete." *

"It is the beauty of things unconventional." *

"The suggestion of natural process...expressions of time frozen." *

*Quoted from Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers by Leonard Koren.

tent raising

2011-10-16T11:01:00.003-07:00

As artists we’re always thinking about and exploring ways to get our art in front of the public. Whether it’s teaching at art retreats, writing books, entering our work in competitions, showing our work in galleries or having an on line presence through or websites, blogs and Etsy stores it’s important to be “out there”. This becomes even more crucial if we want to be full time artists and make our living through selling what we create.

Another venue that I haven’t tried but that I’ve been thinking about lately is the fine art/craft show…you know those street shows with the white tents all lined up. My artist/painter friend Michael does quite a few of these shows and offered to bring his tent to my house and set it up so I could see the process. My husband Gary helped while I took pictures and notes.

First the top is assembled on the ground.

The top is covered.

Then the side supports are attached

and the tent is lifted.

Then the side panels are attached.

I have many artist friends who insist that every artist should do at least one show in their life time because it teaches so many lessons. First it forces you into the studio to make product and meet a dead line because you can’t show up and have nothing to sell. You learn how to submit your work to the show producers for entry into the show, how to price your work, how to talk about your work to prospective clients and how to make a sale. You wear every hat imaginable at your own art show and as in any situation there are pluses and minuses. However, I prefer not to label things as good or bad because everyone has their own perspective on these issues. What I see as a positive someone else may see as a negative.

Things to think about…There’s an incredible amount of freedom and autonomy; you are your own boss. It’s an incredible amount of work. While we treated the day as a fun way to send time with a friend, putting the tent up required a lot of physical activity. The shows can involve a lot of travel and since you’re trying to make money and not spend it, you may be camping or staying at low budget motels. You’re outdoors all day and the weather can be beautiful or terrible. You’re with like minded creative people. You make a lot of contacts. Many artists have told me that they were discovered by gallery owners at the shows who invited them into their galleries. You have the opportunity to have your work seen by hundreds or thousands of people. You will quickly learn if people are willing to buy what you have created. This probably has to be the most difficult thing to discover. The validation can be wonderful and the lack of it can be devastating. Can you handle rejection and keep creating? On the other hand you may sell everything.

So if you’ve done a fine art show I’d love to hear about your experience.

Sienna the wonder dog helped too.

road trip

2011-10-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Obsidian Gallery that represents my art in Tucson recently moved to the downtown arts district aka the Central Tucson Gallery Association. Yesterday was First Saturday which means all the galleries were open from 6pm to 9pm for an art walk. I didn’t know this when my husband Gary and our good friend Michael Swearngin headed down to Tucson to check out the new location but it turned out to be a happy coincidence.

Michael is a talented painter who is living the dream of being a full time artist. Something I aspire to (I still have my part time day job). He is very supportive and quick to share his knowledge of the art world. I like to think of him as my “go to guy” when situations arise regarding business and best of all he’s someone I can talk to about the creative process.

Tucson is about an hour and forty five minute drive from our house and unfortunately very flat and not very exciting but with good company and conversation the time went by quickly. We arrived, parked the car and began walking. To my pleasant surprise there were some pretty funky spaces and some interesting art. And I’m happy to say there were no traditional southwest paintings of cowboys and Indians and cattle drives. I know there is an audience for that subject matter but it’s not me. I’m a lover of all things contemporary and cutting edge. And the storefronts of these building were just terrific. Steel frames and doors….

I love, love, love this stuff and I think I need to make one for the front door to my house which would be the entry to my studio.

That's Gary and Michael in the distance.

The highlights of the trip:

Davis Dominguez Gallery which is located in this wonderful cavernous space with arched trusses.

Dinner at Casa Poca Cosa where the food is super fresh and the menu changes every day. We ordered two plates where the chef chooses six samples of what’s on the menu so you don’t know what you’re going to get. It was great.

The paintings of Jesse Wood at Platform Gallery.

And best of all Obsidian Gallery run by Monica and James. My steel work is hanging on the wall behind the ceramic people.

I love the new location: great downtown vibe with lots of wonderful restaurants and pubs. We even had a beer at the Hotel Congress where John Dillinger was killed.

Bad

2011-10-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's October 1st already. Where has the time gone? And on top of that I haven't written here in several weeks. I feel so bad. Is it just me or do others have this problem? It's just that the weather is finally starting to cool off here in Phoenix and all I want to do is make art. I have so many new things I want to try. Anyway tomorrow my response to Seth's Pulse survey will be up on his blog....so check it out.

Photo Day

2011-09-13T15:13:00.001-07:00

Photographing steel has many challenges; the biggest one being glare. So over the years my husband Gary and I have tried many, many ways to solve this problem. Here’s our latest…we actually set this up in our hallway between our kitchen and my living room/studio.

Lighting from the sides graze the piece minimizing the glare that would be created if the light was pointed straight at the piece.

This piece is the first of another new series called “Hang”. And of course I had to hang rocks in the first one I designed. I see this as a combination of my steel sculpture and my interest in making jewelry. Why does jewelry only have to adorn a person? Why can’t it adorn our walls? So this is the first of many (I hope) more pieces where I will suspend an object from a hanger of sorts….however I do think I will make a pendant like this…it could be pretty cool.

One Email

2011-09-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

Some time late last year, I’m not sure exactly the date, I did a web search of my name. Just curious I guess about what was being said, if anything, about my artwork. That search led me to a review about one of my steel wall pieces by Ricë Freeman Zachery. She liked it and wrote some nice things. So I emailed her and thanked her. That led to more emails and then to a pod cast which led to more emails and an on line friendship was born. Then last month I got to meet Ricë and her husband Earl at Art Unraveled here in Phoenix. They are both fabulous people but there’s more. Maybe it was the timing. They say the universe will bring you what you need 1. when you need it or 2. when you’re ready for it. For me it was the latter, I was ready.

I guess the best way to describe what the last few months have been like is a road trip. You’re driving along and all of a sudden there’s this great attraction and you’ve got to stop and see it up close. It’s at that moment that you realize that the point of the journey is not the destination but all the stops you make along the way. Every time you turn a corner there is something else to experience. And if you’re ready and open minded you also realize that these are not meaningless side trips. You are supposed to be here at this place and at this time because something extraordinary is happening. Your consciousness is expanding and along with it you begin to see all the new places you can take your creativity. And along with that there is the discovery of a world of talented mixed media artists (I now know about Robyn Gordon), of altering fabric (I now know about Alabama Chanin, Jude Hill and Lori Marsha), of Ted Talks, and of many more people and ideas than I can name in this post.

So for me it feels like the journey has only started and it all began with one email. Thanks Ricë.

As Neat As It Gets

2011-08-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of posts ago someone commented/asked to see photos of my studio. At the time I was in the throws of reorganizing. Then Art Unraveled happened and my studio, well, it was a pretty big mess. Things are better now but it seems that as soon as I get my table cleaned off I start designing something and everything gets pulled back off the shelves. Maybe it will never be as neat and organized as I would like. But maybe that’s a good thing because it means I’m always creating something.

Anyway, I actually have two places I make art: my studio for designing and my shop for fabricating. The shop is detached from my house which is great because welding is a very dirty process.

The studio was once my living room. I often hear people say they have no room for a studio. I used to think like that until I realized I have a living room that I seldom used but kept furnished just in case I had guests. But the truth is I seldom have company and when I do we typically sit on the patio. One day I decided that the house needed to serve me better and so out went most of the furniture (some items were redistributed to other parts of the house and some items were donated or sold) and the living room became my studio. I welded table bases and put large surplus wood counter tops on them. Then I bought some inexpensive shelving units and that’s it. I have lots of basket type drawers for tools and rubber bins for storage. I even have these great box shelves that a neighbor was throwing away. Nothing too fancy. It happens to be the largest room in my house and it’s so nice not to have to always pick everything up and put it all away at the end of the day.

So yeah, people have to walk through my studio when they come to my house and I’ve had a couple of strange looks (this may have bothered me a few years ago but I guess I don’t worry about it any more) but for the most part everyone thinks it pretty cool. Besides shouldn’t your house adapt for you instead of the other way around?

Art Unraveled 2011

2011-08-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well Art Unraveled is over for another year and for me it was the best. Not only did I get to meet many wonderful artists and instructors but I got to hang out with Ricë Freeman Zachery and her husband the Ever Gorgeous Earl. It was such a treat.

It was my 3rd time at the event and this year I enrolled in a few classes that I would not normally think to take and they turned out to be some of my favorites.

First was Karen Michal's Wood Collage Totems. After we painted and collaged and hammered wood we ended up with this very cool assemblage. I added a braided rawhide hanger and was quite happy with the way it turned out.

I also took 2 classes with Daniel Essig. Daniel makes the most amazing books and in these classes we created sample boards. One was how to create different windows and the other was for closures. My thought is to somehow incorporate these into my steel pieces some day.

Leighanna Light's Beyond the Vintage Metal Deck was probably my favorite because we worked with metal.

And of course I had to take some jewelry classes.

Here are the bangles I made in Deryn Mentock's class.

The choker from Diana Frey's class.

And last but certainly not least. The box pendant from Jane Wynn's class.

My studio is almost back to normal. Packing and unpacking supplies for each class left it in quite a state of chaos but it was so worth it. I feel very inspired and hope to keep the momentum going as I head into a new season of art making.

Playing With Fire

2011-07-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

Working with steel will probably always be my first love but I have been experimenting with some other materials lately. I took a casting class a few months ago and made some interesting things in bronze. I would like to have used silver but the cost is just too high right now. With casting you can make objects from wax... here's wax carved into a cactus.

Or you can cast organic objects. Those are the bronze castings next to the "real" pine cone in the rear and the "real" pods on the right.

The wax or organic item is placed in a metal cylinder called a flask and it is filled with a high temperature plaster called investment. Then the flask is placed in an oven and the wax or organic material is burned away leaving a void in the investment that acts like a mold. The flask is then placed in a chamber and the assembly is wound up putting it under tension. Then bronze casting beads are melted in a ceramic crucible (the white dish) with a torch. Once melted the assembly is released and it spins the melted bronze into the mold.

Once you get used to the idea of handling the torch and the heat, we're probably talking about 1500 plus degrees to melt bronze, the process is really a lot of fun. The other thing I'm playing with is making glass beads. In this process you melt glass rods around a steel mandrel. Okay I'm starting to see a reoccurring theme here....I guess I like fire and working with hot materials.

So with my casting of the cactus and one of my glass beads I decided to make an assemblage. Here's the finished (6"x8") piece. It's a little bit like my still life on steel series but with a mixed media twist. I welded a steel back plate with a hanger on the back so I could hang the piece on the wall. Then I wrapped a board with some textured fabric for a background. The small piece of wood I found on one of my desert hikes. Not sure where this is all headed but I like the combination of hand made materials along with found objects.

Welcome To My Blog

2011-07-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

Not only is Seth Apter a talented artist but he is also very generous with his time in helping to promote other artists through endeavors such as The Pulse and Buried Treasure. So if you've found me through those posts....welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy the visit and leave a message. I’d love to hear from you.

Someone recently asked me about the steel shelves on the walls around my back yard. I mentioned them when I discussed my process in Ricë Freeman Zachery's Creative Spark. They wanted to know if I made other stuff with steel and the answer is yes I do. Welding is kind of addicting. Anyway I thought I'd share some of the other steel items I’ve made and collected that are starting to take over my house.

If you look at my artwork you'll know I like rocks. Here I've made them into candle holders.

This rolling gate closes off the entry to my studio. A painted steel kimono hangs on it.

More candle holders. These sit in the fireplace on a large steel I-beam.

Some times I get carried away and wrap the walls.

Steel table with rock basket base.

Found objects.

Drill bit bouquet. The steel vase is part of some farm equipment.

Every metal artist has their pile of rusted junk.

Mail box.

Patio "chandelier".

Patio wall sconce made from c-channel, perforated metal and mica.

Railroad spike and antique glass insulator candle holder.

Backyard talisman.

Steel wrapped glass vase.

Wall grid.

Wall shelves.

Wall shelves with candles.

Antique shoe form.

Steel trellis.

The trellis makes wonderful shadows.

Concrete and steel patio dining table. Yes it's really heavy but it's on wheels.

The amazing Arizona sunset.

Doesn't that cloud look like a fire breathing dragon?

Thanks for visiting.

The Creative Spark Continues

2011-07-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted about The Pulse and how it led me to a new series of steel pieces. And then Ricë asked me to write about my creative process for her Creative Spark series which was perfect timing for telling my story.

Well it’s done…”Still Life on Steel 2”. Here it is on the left. That's "Still Life on Steel 1" on the right.

This one is even more about connections: welds, rivets, tabs, threaded rods, nuts and bolts.

What I love about steel is working with the components that it’s normally manufactured in for making structures: plate, round and square tube, I-beams, c-channel, flat stock…these are perfect shapes and proportions in and of themselves and using them without manipulating them respects their integrity. I hope that makes sense.

Maybe Louie Kahn, who is perhaps my favorite architect, can explain it better than I can. He talked a lot about materials and how they should be honored and that you shouldn’t try and make something into something it’s not (the same is true for people) or use a material in a way that it was not intended to be used. Here’s what he said about the brick:

“If you think of brick, and you’re consulting the Orders, you consider the nature of brick. You say to brick, “What do you want, brick?” Brick says to you, “I like an arch.” If you say to brick, “Arches are expensive, and I can use a concrete lintel over an opening. What do you think of that brick?” Brick says, “I like an arch.”

“It is important that you honor the material you use. You don’t bandy it about as though to say, “Well, we have a lot of material, we can do it one way, we can do it another way.” It’s not true. You must honor and glorify the brick instead of shortchanging it and giving it an inferior job to do in which is loses its character, as for example, when you use it as infill material, which I have done and you have done. Using brick so it makes it feel as though it is a servant, and brick is a beautiful material. It has done beautiful work in many places and still does. Brick is a completely live material in areas that occupy three quarters of the world, where it is the only logical material to use. Concrete is a highly sophisticated material, not so available as you think."

“You can have the same conversation with concrete, with papier-mache, or with plastic or marble, or any other material. The beauty of what you create comes if you honor the material for what it really is. Never use it in a subsidiary way so as to make the material wait for the next person to come along and honor its character.”

Those paragraphs gives me goose bumps. I never realized how much that thought process influenced me until now. I’m going to have to remember, as I experiment with different materials, to ask them “what do they want to be” before I force them into a role unsuited for their essence. This is powerful stuff. I hope I’m up for the challenge.

Any way, on to the next still life…I already have the next few designed in my head and I’ll post them as they hopefully emerge into real life.

Mixed Media, Me?

2011-07-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

I’m the kind of person who thinks about things for a long time before I actually say anything. I don’t know why this is. Perhaps I want to be sure of my intentions before I announce it to the world. Once I say I’m going to do something I sort of feel I have to go through with it.

Anyway I’ve wanted to do a couple of new series of steel art. The first is the “Still Life on Steel” inspired by that photograph I took for the “Pulse” survey. (I'm already working on the 2nd piece.) The other is a mixed media series I'm playing with. I have to admit I’m intrigued by all the mixed media art that I’ve seen lately. Of course it will have to be in my voice but what it has shown me is the opportunity to add color and other materials to my work.

So a couple of months ago I enrolled in a flameworking class and for weeks now I have been learning how to make glass beads. The process is a lot of fun. Some of the beads will go into those "Snap Shot" on steel pieces (I'm thinking of them as representing a moment in time) and some of them will go into some jewelry.

Here’s a picture of some of the beads. (The white centers are the bead release I haven't cleaned yet.)

What’s really strange is that while my artwork is so structured my jewelry is much more “easy” going. Because I’m a beginner my beads are all kind of irregular but I really like them that way. I actually don’t like perfection, much to the dismay of my instructor who is one of the best bead makers in the country. I feel so bad because she’s really trying to help me make perfect beads and I’m totally resisting.

And here’s a funky bracelet I made. I have a very casual, bohemian style. I mixed in some leather cord, fabric and a piece of left over chain. Bet you couldn’t guess I like green. Throw in some orange and I’m a happy camper.

It's Too Darn Hot and One Thing Leads to Another

2011-07-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

It's been unbelievably hot here. Yesterday it hit a high of 118 degrees. My welding shop is not air conditioned so I'm taking a few days off and spending my time in my studio designing some new things.

Anyway I mentioned in an earlier blog how I answered Seth Apter’s survey for "The Pulse" and that along with a series of questions Seth asked us to “photograph a still life that you create using an array of objects”. Well that picture has led me to want to create a new series of wall pieces. Here’s the photograph and the first sculpture it inspired. The entire process can be read on Create Mix Media in a new series of postings about “The Creative Spark” by Ricë Freeman Zachery. Thanks Ricë and thank you Seth!

Life on the Edge

2011-06-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

I worked on a lot of different things this week. Well, agonized over a lot of things may be a more accurate description. For what ever reason, personality, training, bad karma or my love of order and minimalism in art, I find there is little wiggle room for the way I design. Maybe it’s just in my head but it all seems to matter, every fraction of an inch, every relationship between forms, and sometimes it drives me crazy. After all there are no machines doing the cutting and welding, just me and my bad (aging) eye sight and shaky hands.

There was one instance this week when I was making a mock-up of a section of my next wall sculpture. I had thought that I would use 1-1/4” material which would create a 1/2” space between the shapes on both sides. But it just didn’t look right. I needed another set of eyes so I called my husband out to the shop to get his opinion. “I think I should use 1-1/2” so the reveal is only 3/8”…what do you think? “Let me see if I understand this,” he said, “you’re talking a difference of 1/8” on either side?” “Yes,” I said, “exactly.” He smiled. He knows me too well.

I often read how other artists embrace their mistakes and see them as opportunities for discovery. That unintended color or misplaced pen stroke turns into a serendipitous moment for them. I envy those people. That just doesn’t happen for me. One crooked cut or stray weld and I usually have to start over. Steel is very unforgiving. Perhaps if I were working in such a way where I had no other plan except to allow the objects to tell me how they wanted to go together I’d be better off. But then it wouldn’t be me and it wouldn’t be my art.

Designing in a minimalistic way is a subtractive process. It means editing the work until it is stripped down to its essence. It’s like playing four notes and immediately knowing the name of the song. Some think that such constraints would be limiting but I find it empowering. I know that people debate the “less is more” concept all the time and yes, less is really less and more is really more. But for the most part anyone can make a gourmet meal with a hundred ingredients. Try making one with three. I can tell you this, less may be less, but it’s certainly more of a challenge. It means that everything counts and you must be more thoughtful in your decisions. And it’s not about being perfect, far from it. It’s about the idea that the mindfulness and intention required in a minimalistic approach can express the soul and poetry of art in a very unique way. Add to that the style of constructivism and it’s a recipe for sending me over the edge. Constructivism is all about geometry. And geometry came from the classic orders, think the Parthenon and other timeless forms. It came to prominence in more modern times by the Russians, the Dutch (De Stijl) and the Germans (the Bauhaus) at the beginning of the 20th century. Constructivism is not abstract art. Constructivism takes our perceptions about space and seeks to arrange them in an exact and logical manner. I have to say it, I love grids. Okay, this all sounds pretty complicated, a bit intellectual, and a whole lot of work but it’s so worth it. Art is closely aligned with the history of any culture. And knowing what came before is important to how we think today. The past most definitely informs the present. Am I always successful in incorporating all this into my work? Heck no, but it provides me with direction. It’s my design compass.

I know people like and appreciate my work. At least that’s what the galleries who represent me say. The nicest compliment I ever received is when a gallery patron told me that my art "creates a stillness that captures a moment in time". I was blown away.

And I do love the finished product. I love the simplicity of the forms and exactness of the geometry. Even so, the process can be rigorous. So I ask myself, “can I let go a little?” But maybe the more important question is “do I want to let go?” I think I already know the answer. I may be on the edge, but at least for now, I like the view.

There’s Always Something New to Learn

2011-06-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent two days in Tucson at a wonderful metals workshop hosted by the Arizona Designer Craftsmen. Kristina Glick, our instructor, took us through the steps of adding texture and dimension to our jewelry creations. You can see her fabulous work here www.kristinaglick.com/jewelry.

Now while I’m only getting started in jewelry I love playing with metal and seeing how I can use techniques from other disciplines for my sculptural art work. I’ve always believed that everything you learn will eventually inform a future project. Your mind just becomes this wonderful storehouse of ideas and new ways of putting things together. So I guess my advice is to never stop educating yourself. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at…you can always learn something new.

The other thing that was so great about last weekend was the venue. The Metal Arts Village is a community of working metal artists. There are welders and blacksmiths and jewelry artists all with studios that are open to the public. And the buildings they occupy are these architecturally inspired clusters that are made out of… what else… metal. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every city had a living/working artist community? If you have one where you live I’d love to hear about it.

the cool building designs

the sculpture garden

our classroom...where the action took place

A Blog I Highly Recommend

2011-06-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a wonderful two day metals workshop in Tucson. I’ll tell you more when I post about it next week.

In the mean time I want to recommend this blog http://www.joannemattera.blogspot.com/.

Joanne Mattera is a fabulous painter whose work in encaustics I have long admired and who I had the pleasure of meeting many years ago at a Thursday night Art Walk in Scottsdale. In addition to keeping her viewers up to date on the contemporary art scene she posts a column on her blog called Marketing Mondays that covers issues relating to professional practice and the business of art. The topics are listed in the side bar by date so they are easily accessible and because Joanne has a following of other wonderful professional artists the comments are really informative. If you’ve ever had a question about being an artist it’s probably addressed there. So check it out.

See you next Sunday.

The Art of Design

2011-05-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to be more consistent at posting I’ve decided to make Sunday my day to sit down and write something. It will be a great way to reflect on my week. Time goes by so fast that when I get to the weekend I’m not sure if I accomplished anything but I know I’ve been really busy…must be an age thing.

Anyway, this past week I decided to participate in Seth Apter’s “The Pulse”. Seth, who is an amazing mixed media artist, www.thealteredpage.blogspot.com describes it as “an online and print project…Its purpose is to “tap into the pulse” of the online, mixed-media arts community.”

So I emailed Seth and asked for more information. What I received was a survey with some great questions and an assignment. Now I’m not even sure my work fits the criteria of mixed media art but hey, what the heck, it never hurts to try.

You know, some days we seem to be on automatic pilot. Questions like “how did I get to this place with my art?” or “why do I make the decisions I do?” are not things we think about very often if at all so answering this survey had me doing some pretty deep pondering.

I remember when I was in design school every project had to begin with a concept and you had to express that concept in a statement before you could begin designing. The concept was presented during a critique by reading it aloud and if your instructor could “see it” meaning it created a picture in his mind then you could go on to the next phase of the project. Believe it or not this was extremely difficult to do. I remember some students who would struggle for weeks to get their concepts approved. You also have to remember that we had a deadline in which to finish the project so we were in panic mode most of the time. But that concept would be a life saver. Any time you got stuck during the design process you could return to that concept and it would always help you solve your design problems.

This survey was a lot like that for me. It made me stop and define myself much like writing that concept. And although I have a pretty good idea of who I am this has helped me further understand my art. Lately it seems I design more with my heart than with my head but answering these questions reminded me that it all begins with the fundamentals and with an intellectual foundation. It supports the idea that you need to know the rules (of design) to be able to break the rules. That is what enables a person to create on an intuitive (gut feeling) level. If you look at an artist like Picasso’s early work you realize he was a master at realism before he painted in his cubism style. Picasso made it look easy and I’m sure he was able to do this because in addition to learning the technique of painting he learned the elements of composition, color theory and whole a lot more. I know this all sounds like a lot of work but understanding design is as important as being a good craftsman. It allows you to know when “something” isn’t quite right but more important it gives you the ability to fix that “thing” that isn’t working. After all, the “struggle” of making art should take place inside the artist and not be visible in the art, unless of course that’s your intention but even that would be a design decision. The principles of design are just one of the many tools that can be applied to all things creative and it’s a solid groundwork on which to build your art.

Now I don’t mean to be a spoiler but this had more meaning for me than I would have imagined so I thought I would share a couple (not all) of my answers with you and I promise I won’t reveal any further responses to The Pulse surveys. For that you’ll have to wait for Seth’s compilation. I would encourage everyone to think about similar questions. It’s a great exercise to do no matter what your medium. The answers may surprise you. It can reveal a lot about you and your art.

“Show a picture of a favorite piece of art that you have created and explain its meaning for you.”

This is “Patch” (steel 13x45) which is composed of the basic elements of lines, planes and shapes. In addition to the engineering challenge of fabrication and assembly it contains many of the elements of design I find so important: balance (in this case asymmetrical balance), harmony, rhythm, texture, emphasis and focus, contrast and variety, proportion and scale.

“How would you describe your artistic style? Include one image that shows this off."

I think it’s a combination of two styles: The first is Constructivism which is a precise and logical ordering of space inherited from the Classical world and the second style is Minimalism. I always try to simplify and remove what is unnecessary to tell my story…you know, less is more. Unfortunately less is more difficult…not a lot to hide behind. This is “It’s Hip To Be Square” (steel and rocks 12x48) …I love grids.

“Photograph a still life that you create using an array of objects.”

It just had to be steel……

Constructive Criticism

2011-05-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I was invited to attend a meeting of Spirit of the Senses, www.spiritofthesenses.org, a group here in Phoenix that meets to discuss art, science and cultural topics. At this particular salon I got to see the work of conceptual figurative sculptor Benjamin Phillips http://www.benjaminphillips.info/home.html (he’s currently pursuing his Masters Degree in Sculpture at ASU) and to hear him speak about his work. It was described in the introduction by host Bill Tonnesen www.billtonnesen.com as bold, spontaneous and maybe a little hard to digest and it was all of those things. But what struck me most about the evening was the truthfulness in the work and in that description. Benjamin works with fragmented human forms which are metaphors for the human condition and while they were in an eerie way beautiful they were indeed thought provoking. And that’s the point of this post. When I was in design school, at the conclusion of every project you went before your peers and faculty and presented your work. It was a scary and sometimes painful process as it didn’t always go well. It was very difficult after several weeks of hard work, sometimes “pulling all nighters” as we used to say, to hear your design trashed. Now it was always done constructively and through civil discussion but nevertheless it felt terrible. But you know what? My work always got better because of it and more important I was able to separate myself from my art so that I no longer took it personally. I accepted the fact that once I created something and put it out there it was fair game for comment, whether good or bad. And so I ask, what’s wrong with that? Often I see artists posting their work and asking for feedback and what they hear is “oh how beautiful” when maybe they should be engaged in a conversation about technique or composition. Oh, I know I can hear my mother’s voice telling me “If you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all”. I’m not saying we should be heartless but have we become so politically correct or so sensitive that we can no longer voice our opinions in a constructive way without being taken to task?

Tipping Point

2011-04-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy month. Thanks to a couple of fabulous clients I just completed my first outdoor sculpture. I've never done anything this big and I had concerns. Steel is heavy to work with but I was very excited about the opportunity so I decided to go for it.

The basic criteria is: it needs to be contemporary, about 5'-0" tall, possibly have some color and sit at the walkway that leads to the front door of their house.

The first thing I do is start sketching and then cutting shapes. My work table turns into utter chaos until some three dimensional forms emerge that I can use to discuss what the sculpture might look like.

I take the concept models and go meet with the clients.

I am so happy when they select the one I like the best.

There's still a lot to figure out, like how to turn a 4" model into a 5'-0" steel sculpture, so I make a full scale version out of cardboard. I take the full size model back to the clients and we decide that the smaller part will be two thin sheets that are held together with bolts and the larger part will be a hollow form with a window that the sandwiched pieces will go through. We also decide that the steel will remain the natural steel color and the bolts will be powder-coated blue. When complete it should look like the smaller piece is keeping the larger piece from tipping back. Until now the piece does not have a name but at that moment "Tipping Point" is born.

Back at my shop I start cutting the shapes. Here are the pieces that will be held together with the bolts.

Here is the hollow form frame and the steel plate I will weld to it like a skin. I still need to add the window, but how? I decide to frame it it out of c-channel. This will add a lot of weight but I figure what's another 40 pounds.

Here's the first test to see if this thing will fit together. So far so good.

I then turn my attention to the base. The clients want to set this in concrete so I weld pieces of angle with holes drilled in them to the bottom of a 24"x24"x1/2" thick piece of steel. The holes in the angle will act as a locking mechanism with the wet concrete. Just this piece alone weighs 85 pounds.

The skin has now been welded to the frame and all is set on the base. It takes several (7-8) tries to get everything positioned correctly. Then I tack weld everything in place. At this point I can no longer move any part of this thing by myself. Just the completed hollow form weighs 170 pounds. My husband Gary (I refer to him jokingly as my studio assistant) is helping me. Thanks dear, I couldn't have done this without you. I begin to refer to the sculpture as the "beast".

I'm welding in short sleeves and sandals. Not recommended. Sparks burn and so does the ultraviolet light from the welder but it's almost 100 degrees today and I refuse to put on long sleeves and shoes.

It's done. I sign and date it. All that's left to do is spray the metal with a clear sealer.

The clients (did I mention how wonderful they are) come over and help load the piece in the truck for the journey to their house. The final weight: 310 pounds.

"Tipping Point" at it's new home.

Now I've got to get busy with new pieces for the galleries.

New Years Day

2011-01-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm a bad blogger. I have the best of intentions but never seem to have enough time. Creating art comes first, writing about it takes a weak second place. But here it is New Years Day and maybe I can develop better habits. It's been cold here in Phoenix lately...very cold. I was suppose to deliver a new piece of art to my gallery in Jerome last Thursday but a winter storm rolled through and closed I-17 north. So I'm going to make the trip today. The temperature reads 32 degrees this morning....not why I moved to Arizona.

After I finish a piece I always hang it in the house. It gives me time to make sure that it hangs correctly and I get to look at it for a while before I say good-bye. So here I am taking it off the wall...I like to wear gloves...it keeps my finger prints off the finish and that metal turns really cold when it gets outside.

I named this piece "Portal". I really like eastern art and this design reminded me of an entry to an Asian building.

I pack the car and we're off.

Who would have believed it....snow in the desert. This is north Phoenix. My co-pilot and picture taker is my wonderful husband Gary.

Jerome is about a 2-1/2 hour drive. It's an old mining town that was built on the side of the hill. A great place to visit. Lot's of cool shops and places to eat and the most amazing view of the Verde Valley.

At last we arrive. It's a balmy 26 degrees but at least the roads are clear and the sun is out. I feel very fortunate to be in Raku. Nancy and Tracy, the owners, have a great eye for design and have a beautiful gallery. Tracy is an amazing glass blower. In nicer weather you can watch him work in his studio below the gallery. He puts on quite a show...well worth the trip.