It May Be Hideous, But It's MINE - Karen McGovern

The studio is less important than other things, like the burning desire to paint. If you don't have this disease, you can't catch it from a nice studio. (Warren Criswell)

 

Never apologize for your studio. (Denise Bezanson)

 

At the moment I have about 7,256 projects awaiting my attention—including hosting our annual board meeting (housing 6 people for four days and preparing an intimate dinner for 12…), training new resident staff, hosting tours nearly every day, and….oh yeah, FILLING SOME JEWELRY DESIGN ORDERS.

While the board meeting covered many important topics, our baby bongo,
Delilah, was the focal of many gatherings.  She is a wonderful hostess.
The Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, www.rarespeices.org

My life, like many of yours, is an exercise in controlled chaos.  For me, that means during extremely busy times, like now, working in my studio is measured in stolen minutes, not hours or days.  I’ve gotten so used to this schedule that I often create my best work standing over my bench, one eye on the clock, never even sitting down.

Do I LIKE this pace?  HELL NO! But, I live with it because creating art is 99.9% therapy for me helps me work through the insanity that is often my life.

One of the many by-products of this crazy lifestyle is what my bench becomes.  Right now, I can say with all honesty that my bench is as disorganized as it has ever been.  Believe me, that’s saying a lot.  Sure, my bench has been a mess before, but this…this is SPECIAL.  This is EPIC.  Not only that…I AM POSTING A PICTURE OF THE WASTELAND THAT IS MY WORK SPACE RIGHT NOW!  Yes, you may see many beads and wire coated in blue paint, because I spilled some about…oh…a month ago and never cleaned it up.  As for the rest of it—WHO THE HELL KNOWS?

 

We all go through periods like this where our work spaces take on the appearance of an exploded craft store, but I must say, I believe this is my personal best when it comes to a CRAPTASTIC display of mess.  I mean, just LOOK AT IT!

 

You want to know the amazing thing, though?  At this moment I have achieved something I never thought I would.  An unholy balance between my brain and the dump—I mean bench.  It hit me this past Saturday, when I realized I had to quickly complete an order for a client.  I stood at my bench and, with incredible ease, was able to finish the project (a cuff and ring combo) in under an hour.  It was like a dream-sequence.  My hands somehow knew where everything was, even though my tools and most of the components I needed were BURIED IN LAYERS OF JUNK.  I mean, it was magic!  Rivet flare tool?  Couldn’t see it if you paid me, but viola, it appeared in my hand.  I was able to find everything I needed so EASILY it totally freaked me out.  I swear I was in a fugue state or something.  At one point I actually asked myself, “Is this really happening?” 

 

I haven’t been back to the bench since then, absolutely no free time.  Later this week should be better, and I have several designs waiting to be finished, so I know I will have to face this soon.  And I know I have to bite the bullet and clean/organize in a really big way.  But, for now, I hope the magic continues and I can negotiate the land-fill as it sits.  I’ve never been one to require a totally clean and organized space to work, but this…well, I don’t think I have say anything more.   Spring cleaning, here I come, cursing and grumbling every unwilling step of the way. 

Ultimately, I realize that this space, in all it's messiness, is MINE.  My place to create, to play, to turn off the outside world and enter a new one where anything I imagine can be possible.  When I began this post it was to poke fun at myself, but in writing it I also realize that it's not about the quality of space in your studio, it's about tapping into the magic space in your head and heart.  That's where you truly create.   

Since I have bared my filthy soul so to speak with this photo, I dare you all to do the same and share photos of your work space at its worst.  And, let me know if you have found a way to work within the chaos.  Come on, let me see if you can top my mess!!!

NOTE:  The day after I wrote this piece I got an email from an online craft magazine (that will remain nameless) asking if I would submit photos of my studio for a story they are doing on artist work spaces.  The sample photos included showed dreamy rooms in pastel colors, bright windows with flowing white curtains and benches as clean as a deserted Caribbean white sand beach with boxes and jars of supplies beautifully labeled and displayed on hand-hewn shelving.  THERE WERE VASES OF FRESH-CUT FLOWERS FOR GOD’S SAKE.  Needless to say, after I finished LAUGHING LIKE A DERANGED HYENA I regretfully declined the invite.

Artist Interview - Keith Lo Bue!

Interview by Karen McGovern
All images courtesy and property of Keith Lo Bue

 

I am a geeked out fan of so many amazing artists and jewelry designers.  I follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and more.  One of my all-time top ten favorite jewelry designers/artists is Keith Lo Bue.  Keith is a master when it comes to combining unusual elements and materials to create stunning works of truly wearable art.  He is totally fearless when it comes to design, and I am thrilled and grateful he took time for us here at LMAJ to answer a few questions and share some insights.  So...here we go!

 

LMAJ:  For those that don’t know you, please tell us a little about yourself (where you live, how long you have been an artist, affiliations if you want, a bit about your home life)

 

KLB:  I've made my home in Sydney, Australia for 14 years now, but my creative journey began in Connecticut where I grew up. Ever since I was about nine years old I've known that I wanted to be an artist in some form or another, and I followed that path ever since then. Drawing was always my first love as a kid, and it eventually led to me becoming a freelance illustrator out of art school (SUNY Purchase in New York). Two summers as a security guard at the Museum of Modern Art in New York fed a love for art made from found materials, and in 1988 I started toying around by gathering junk and working with it. I immediately fell in love with it and as the years went by, left my illustration career behind to work in 3-D full-time.  

 

LMAJ:  How would you classify (if you can) your work?  Mixed media?  Assemblage?  What would you call it?

KLB:  I've always disliked the word assemblage. I think of what I make as objects, wearable and not. For many years it was a bit frustrating when someone asked me what I did for a living; I would fish around saying that I do jewelry - but it's like sculpture - and I don't use precious materials, blah blah blah blah. And then about 10 years ago I invented the perfect tongue-in-cheek word for what I do: "Stuffsmith". Whereas most jewelers classify themselves as metalsmiths because of the material they work with primarily, I realized that my palette is stuff – anything and everything. The word stuck and I feel really comfortable with it now.

 

Just a few of Keith's stunnig works, including one of my personal favorites--
a ring made from the handle of a porcelain cup!

LMAJ: The elements you use in your designs are unusual to say the least.  How do you find them, and what would you say is one of the most unusual “things”you have incorporated into a jewelry design?

 

KLB: I like to think my materials find me! As I walk around out there in the world, things will fall into view that stop me, and there's a spark I can't explain that makes me take it back to the studio. It climbs into a box or a drawer or sits on the shelf and waits patiently - sometimes for 25 years - before it's called into action.  Of course I have 'junk angels' all over the world who like to send me things. Someone will spot an object that makes them think of me and they send it and it's always a delightful surprise. I've gotten a lot of exquisite objects that way over the years.  The question of the most unusual object I've used is a really difficult one, because so many of my pieces have very odd things in them. Many many pieces, for instance, use insect specimens in them – some of them quite extraordinary insects. Some of the organic objects that I use people can find a bit disturbing, but nothing I use strikes me that way. For example, I've just finished creating a neckpiece for my daughter's 16th birthday that incorporates her baby teeth, so she can walk around with that history on her chest. People can be very funny about teeth in a piece of jewelry, and I get that, but I also think teeth are like little jewels – they're even enameled! 

Keith's lovely daughter Mira wearing the amazing necklace he created for her.
 

LMAJ:  Can you give us a glimpse into your “process”?  When looking at a rusted spur or antique silver flatware, is there a process you go through to create a design?  What’s the spark?

 

KLB: The first object I pick up to use is the spark -  and I spend time with that object, holding it and studying it, until I'm ready to start bringing other objects to it, at which time it's a delightful process of mixing and matching until my first connection takes place. The piece then grows organically outward, completely intuitively, until the finish. One of the nicest things is that I'm always as surprised as anyone else by my pieces when they're done. I think I've established a way to work almost subconsciously, under the radar, so that my brain doesn't get in the way of what I'm making.

 

LMAJ:  I notice you often incorporate soil and organic materials into your design, which intrigues me.  Is there significance behind this? 

Detail of the neck piece "Endure"

KLB: Many of the materials around us that are of organic origin are so incredible and so texturally  fascinating that it seems the most natural thing in the world to use them. My use of soil has a different purpose, however. The soil is put into the cracks and crevices of the work, to visually tie the elements together and give it the appearance of having been that way for a very long time.

 

LMAJ:  You obviously have a deep love of antiquities.  Can you discuss why?  What does that mean in your jewelry creations?

KLB: I've been a museum junkie my whole life. I used to wonder the halls of Yale's Peabody Museum in New Haven, Connecticut when I was a kid and I would never tire of the atmosphere in there. And it's not only the old objects that intrigue me –it's man's compulsion to present these objects and harness their world –that is the impulse that keeps me returning to old materials.

Another thing about using genuinely old objects is that these things have outlived mostly everyone who would have been around when it was new. This packs that object with a lifetime of history, but it also removes it from our present-day reality in a very potent way, and it enters the world of myth. It's in that world that my pieces can assume the dreamlikee quality that I'm after.

LMAJ: You travel the world teaching and offer some wonderful online resources.  What you do you enjoy most about teaching, and what do you enjoy least?

KLB: Whether I'm teaching in a classroom or online, it's a passion for me to share all of the things I'm so excited about in making art. I know that anyone who opens themselves to creating can do it and do it well. I feel that one of my gifts is to be able to lay things out in a very easy to understand and contextual way, so that people not only learn how to do something but why they're doing it.

I can't really name a single thing I don't like about teaching –yes, it takes me out of the studio so I can't make work during that time. But what I get in that time out of the studio is a tremendous jolt of inspiration from my students, so that when I get back to Studio Stuffsmith I am raring to go and parlay that excitement into new work.

"Four, and What they Did"
This amazing design incorporates a 19th-century
emboridered Masonic ceremonial sash

LMAJ:  When I look at your work and website, I imagine a sort of mad scientist/genius type person behind the curtain.  Yet, when I see you online in videos (bear in mind, we’ve never met, so forgive any assumptions) I see you seem to have a really fun and goofy personality.  Is there an alter ego that creates the elaborate StuffSmith designs?

 

KLB:  This question may have been answered earlier, when I was talking about how intuitive the process of making is for me. I really give myself up to my creative process when I'm in the studio, and the result can sometimes surprise me, but the consistency over the years has shown me that this is a big side of my personality. Of course there's a tremendous amount of myself in this work, but it can't be all of what I am. I love living, I love being a dad and partner, I love to teach and to meet others with similar hopes and dreams.

 

LMAJ:  What artists out there influence you, are your favorites, and why?

 

KLB:  There have been many artists over the years that have been very influential: JosephCornell and Kurt Schwitters when I was starting out, the Brothers Quay also early on in my career, all for their very particular and subtle use of found objects in their work. More recently Alexander Calder and his mind blowing mobiles have captivated my brain and made me run off in that direction as well. I think it's telling that I'm not looking to other jewelers for inspiration per se, because I don't feel that what I make is jewelry in the traditional sense. 

On a day-to-day basis by far the most influential artists on my own work are musicians. I am a voracious music lover, and I practically never work without music playing. Whatever the music may be, it can't help but have an effect on what my hands and mind are doing and the decisions being made. The music of Steve Reich, for example, has actively been with me since way back in high school and has influenced my work immeasurably.

LMAJ:  You’ve had the wonderful experience of success as a (what I call) non-traditional jewelry designer.  What is your most treasured accomplishment to date?

 

KLB:  I can't think of anything more exciting then for my work to be held in an important museum collection. I am truly lucky to have work in many museums, particularly the Smithsonian in Washington, in the National Museum of American Art, and in the MADMuseum, which is the Museum of Arts & Design in New York City. The irony doesn't escape me that so many of my pieces mimic museum display, so to see those pieces displayed in museums is a little bit like a hall of mirrors, and a delightful reinforcement of my aesthetic interests. I also love the idea that people will be able to view my work publicly way after I'm gone. That's humbling.
 

LMAJ:  Okay, for something completely different, what’s up with the vintage hat stuff?  I see you have recently begun a page dedicated to men's vintage caps.  Have you always been a fan of the vintage lid?  Do you collect?
 

KLB:  As my partner Irena will often say, I don't do hobbies halfway. I've worn hats continuously since 1990 when I shaved my head and never grew it back. Mostly fedoras, beanies and such. But about a year ago I discovered that there are rare surviving caps from the early 20th century and started collecting them to wear. As my collection grew bigger and bigger, I began to realize that I need to rotate them and that's how The Well-Dressed Head was born. I really find it amazing that 100 years ago - heck, 60 years ago - every single man and boy wore a hat or cap every single day, and yet there is very little information about these things now. And the style of these things is so much more beautifulthan what you can buy new. They just look really cool and contemporary, and I just want more guys wearing them in the world.

 

LMAJ:  Finally, what words of advice do you have for struggling artists out there in the world?

 

KLB:  My biggest piece of advice to any artist who feels like they're struggling, trying to move forward: Show your work – get it seen, on any wall, in any display case, blog, website, anywhere. The more eyes that are laid on it, the greater your opportunities will be. If it doesn't get seen, nothing can happen with it. If I hadn't shown a few little bits of jewelry in a local shop in southwestern Connecticut, I might still be an illustrator today. It was that black & white for me.

Our heartfelt thanks to Keith for letting us take a peek behind his creative curtain, so to speak.  For more images of Keith's work, his teaching schedule and more, please visit his amazing website and online shop, follow him on Facebook and read his insightful blog!  Now, go create some thing AMAZING!

Technology - Friend or Foe? By Karen McGovern

We live in a digital age.  We hover online via computer or hand-held device nearly constantly.  We have almost instant access to a sea of information, 24/7.  You are online right now to read this blog, whether it is on your laptop, desktop. tablet or smartphone.  I know I am a fan of gadgetry--quietly lusting after the newest iPad (iPhone not so much--I am a Samsung phone fan), and am drooling over the recent Office Depot commercial that features THAT UNBELIEVABLE BLUETOOTH LAZER KEYBOARD AND THE TEENY-TINY PROJECTOR!!!  Yes, I am all over that stuff, whether I need it or not.  I just WANT IT SO BAD!

 

The mighty Internet and Google Machine are no longer references used occasionally, they have become an integral part of our lives.  I know I rely on these tools of technology on a daily basis.  Heck, I just checked on Google to make sure I spelled "technology" correctly! (which I did not.  I stuck a "k" in there for no apparent reason.  I suck at spelling)  Whether used for mundane reasons or as a teaching tool, the digital world is just that...a tool.  How you use it is up to you (Seriously, how many cat videos have you watched today?). 

 

Whether you think of the Internet as a soul stealing time vampire or gateway to nirvana, it has transformed our lives without question.  The word "Frenemy" comes to mind--"refering to either an enemy pretending to be a friend or someone who really is a friend but is also a rival. The term is used to describe personal, geopolitical, and commercial relationships both among individuals and groups or institutions."  I just got that from Wikipedia, which I looked up via Google.  See???????

 

I have written about how YouTube has helped me IMMENSELY through the availability of instructional jewelry design videos and tutorials.  You can find a video for just about any technique you can think of, all free for the viewing.  I learned fold-forming, simple soldering, riveting, and SO MUCH MORE all courtesy of YouTube and the generous artists that post videos free of charge. 

 

How many of your supplies are purchased online?  Can you imagine not being able to purchase online?  I doubt it.  The virtual world is here to stay and most of us would not be able to do the work we do without it.

 

And, on to selling.  Online storefronts like Etsy, Artfire and more (plus Facebook and individual websites) are the only way many of us sell our works, besides out of our homes or the occassional local art show.  (Applause to you that make your work full-time and travel to art shows around the country, etc.).  And when we are at those art shows (which we applied to enter via online application) we use our smartphones and apps like Square and PayPal to accept payments.  As a marketing tool the Internet is vital.  Period.

 

So, how do we best harness this technology in our trade?  First of all, LEARN HOW TO USE IT.  A few of my good friends who are artists are still balking at using selling tools like Square and online storefronts.  I am in the process of walking them through some of this and strongly suggest everyone become 100% comfortable with handling online transactions.  These tools are the bare bones of business, and you can't ignore them or expect your clients to work around your reluctance to use them.  Now-a-days there really is no excuse for not being able to accept a credit card, anywhere, anytime, using nothing but your smartphone.  All of these online resources offer in-depth online tutorials that walk you through every step of the process.  You do not have to be a computer geek to do this, I swear.  Just go to the website and follow along.  I use Square and love it, and Square as relatively recently launched its own online selling platform, Square Market.  I'm looking into that... 

Speaking of online storefronts...it's not that hard to set up your own, you know.  I decided to do that since Etsy and I are on a "break" (It's complicated, I found out Etsy has been cheating on me with overseas re-sellers.  We're in couples therapy, but I'm not sure we can ever truly trust each other again...sigh).  I set up my own website and shop through Wix, and am very happy with the results.  Yes, it costs a bit more, and yes, you need to be a bit web savvy.  But, the site is very, VERY easy to use with tons of instructional pages and videos, as well as tons of storefronts and themes to choose.  All the hard work is done for you--you just choose the look you like and go!  Sets up with a PayPal account for sales, or you can use Wix's own marketing platform.

 

Beyond buying and selling, the Internet is also a source of endless inspiration.  I can't imagine not being able to reference favorite artists, view current works and exhibits I am interested in, and having access to a BAJILLION images.  Pintrest, anyone?  All my favorite magazines have online versions, all jam-packed with drool worthy designs and insightful articles.  THERE IS SO MUCH OUT THERE!!!  I am inspired every time I am on Facebook by the works artists I follow are creating, and I use Facebook to show my own work and am ETERNALLY GRATFUL for the feedback I get.  I recently got a "like" on one of my designs from Richard Salley.  RICHARD SALLEY!!!  I am such a fan of his that when I saw the "like" I got goosebumps.  FOR REAL. (Yes, I am a nerd.  Deal with it)

One of Richard's delicious designs...sigh.

Even if you hate the 'Net, your computer can be a vital tool to store information.  I photograph all of my work using my smartphone.  I then download all of that to my computer so I have a record of what I am working on as well as access to past designs.  Just going through that can be an inspiring (and mortifying) adventure.  Sometimes I will stumble across an old design I had totally forgotten about and become inspired to revisit it.  I also look at some of my first works and cringe a bit, but still am very proud of how far I have come.  Everyone should photograph their work and keep these images for reference!!!  Then display them on a wall using the AMAZING TEENY-TINY PROJECTOR FROM OFFICE DEPOT.  Ahem, I digress....

 

Speaking of design--a tablet is now a WONDERFUL design tool.  Currently I am obsessing over the Apple "Paper" app and the electronic pencil/stylus 53 that works with it.  My iPad is too old and doesn not work with the 53, and IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE.  If you like to sketch out your design ideas on the fly, a tablet is for you.  I sketch ideas quite a bit, but don't always have the appropriate pen and paper handy when the muse stikes me.  That is why so many scraps of envelopes, lined note pad paper, napkins, etc, end up strewn all over the place with ideas scrawled on them.  With one of the bazillion art apps available, a tablet and stylus (or your finger), you can sketch like mad, save, and viola!  You have an easy reference.  Take a peek at the cool stuff Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio is creating with Paper.  A fantastic way to sketch your ideas and connect instantly with your computer...Like Etch-A-Sketch on MASSIVE STEROIDS. (Sue me, I'm old).

 

Not all of us can afford the newest tablet or gadget, but we all use smartphones and computers, and many of these apps and programs are available (inexpensively or even FREE) for both.  Bottom line, when we discuss the tools of our trade, the Internet, smartphones, computers and tablets all have to be included in one form or another.  And just like all the other tools we need, we must become proficient in the proper use of ALL OF THEM.  Who doesn't love a new tool???  So, go out there and play with all the tools available and create something WONDERFUL!

I just finished the pendant shown here, inspired by a spectacular work by Linda Ladurner I saw on Facebook.  Now available in my online shop!

 

 **Update - I just got an updated Ipad and Pencil for Valentine's Day!!!!!!  So, I am completely obsessed with the app and gadget.  If you don't hear from me ever again, I am in my bedroom doodling like mad.  Please send in the occasional pizza....

 

Art in Asymmetry

by Staci Louise Smith

Why asymmetry in design?  Well, when you switch up the color, the texture, the direction and flow of a piece, it creates interest.  It keeps the viewer looking at it, and back over it, following little details, back and forth and through it.  It makes it stand out from other designs, it makes it unique, original.  It gives it a natural organic feel, since nature is not symmetrical.  

Art is not symmetrical.  Whether you are viewing a painting, or a sculpture, the subject keeps your eye moving around, up and down, and through the entire piece.  This is intentional, it is the composition of the piece.

Sculptures are made to be viewed from all angles, keeping interest the entire way around the piece, as Steve Frank certainly does with his piece below.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151412336/modern-abstract-wood-sculpture?ref=shop_home_active_4

There are ways to get the eye to do that.  Repeating things is one way.  You can repeat shapes, colors, or textures throughout a piece.  This will keep the eye traveling around the piece, as well as create a visual balance in an asymmetrical design.  Also, adding some contrast in your piece will continue to create interest and make the pieces that are repeated pop.

I love this lino cut by Jess Freeman.  It uses vertical free form trees repeated to move your eye across the picture- and contrast is added by horizontal lines in varying thickness'.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/88851195/abstract-landscape-linocut-print-9?ref=related-2

I also picked this lovely painting by Amanda of Earth Angels Art.  Look at how she uses the moths, and dots throughout the picture to keep your eye moving around.  They are lighter color, to contrast the dark sky, and repeated, to keep your eye looking for them.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/99101108/the-owl-and-moon-art-print-by-amanda?ref=shop_home_active_5

I think that often we do these things while designing without even knowing it.  However, it helps to know and understand these things, because sometimes we are stuck, sometimes we just can't figure out why something doesn't look right, and then we have these rules and guidelines and tips to fall back on.

Lorelei did a great job using repetitive shapes in this piece.  The similarity in shape keeps your eye moving right through the necklace, and the variety of textures and color hold your interest.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LoreleiEurtoJewelry

It's also a good example of visual balance, as it has the appearance of being symmetrical, even though it isn't.

Visual balance can be created in many ways.  This piece / style below is one of my favorite pieces.  It is in no way symmetrical, yet, it is balanced using muted colors, and basic shape and size.  It comes to a focal point at the bottom center, and graduates by size on each side.  Swirls and repeated shapes and colors pull the eye through the piece.

I think that for those of you who gravitate to symmetry in your designs, this is a great way to start trying out asymmetry.  Try to create that visual balance while at the same time, adding interest by using different components, with varying texture, shape and color.

I also like this piece by Glowfly, which is just a very intricate pendant.  It looks very symmetrical at first glance.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/175524562/vday-sale-in-the-field-necklace-poppy?ref=shop_home_active_7

However, it is not symmetrical.  They have used the flowers and leaves and lines of the stems to create repetition in the piece, though it is definitely not symmetrical.  It creates a wonderful feel of symmetry while adding the interest of an asymmetrical piece.


Now- you can also do a great asymmetrical piece that is not visually balanced.  However, there still needs to be some sort of cohesive nature to  make the piece work.  I often like to make pieces that are bold, and unbalanced.  With only a couple components- you don't have much to work with to create flow.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

This large chunky one works, and its one of my favorite pieces.  With only two large focal components, there is still enough flow so that it doesn't look awkward.

www.stacilouiseoriginals.com 

I really encourage you guys to try out some asymmetrical designs.  It is very freeing, once you start to see that they can be balanced, without ever having two of the same bead in the entire piece!

Monday we will be talking about physical balance in a piece to bring your designs home.

Remember to share you progress in our Flickr group!  We'd love to see what you are up to!