When is a piece of art successful? It could be successful if it sells, is shown in a gallery or gets a ton of hearts on Instagram. Art for me is more about how it feels than how it looks. It doesn't need to look right in terms of composition or other formal elements. If it helps me "move"move emotions that have been stuck inside for a long time then it really is an important piece, regardless of whether it looks good or even connects with other people.
I've started seeing a new therapist so I've had to talk about my childhood a lot. Ugh, this was really difficult because even after so many years many of the memories are still very raw. I did this piece about the intersection of the world of childhood and the incomprehensible grown up world where really terrible things can happen. (My dad was very ill and died when I was six.) I feel like I've finally made a bit of progress by connecting with the feelings and translating them into images I put on paper, owning them and honoring them. When you work in your art journal what makes a "successful" page?
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Years ago I got a bag of these cute dog house charms in a variety of colors. I had no idea what I was going to do with them but they were just too cute to resist. Recently one of my jewelry students gave me this wonderful antique brass dog head. It's original function is a mystery, perhaps the end of a cane? The antique brass dog actually looked a bit like the dad of the puppy in the dog house, so I knew they were destined to be together!
I gave the 20 gauge wire a heat patina with a small butane torch and attached the leather neck cord with tiny eyelets. I always get a kick out of making and wearing jewelry that has a expresses my quirky sense of humor. Why not make a necklace with a fully functional can opener as a pendant? This can opener has been in the kitchen drawer for a very long time but recently I noticed its potential as a base for a resin pendant. I used an image of a retro gal on a swing with clouds in the background, ice resin, and added a few rhinestones to fancy it up. I mixed it up with a piece of a rosary with beads and charms I had in my stash.
Yes! It really does still open a beer quite effectively and it quite a hit at parties. Creating a piece of jewelry using a digital keychain breathalyzer would also be a hit at parties but much, much more challenging aesthetically. When I was a child I overheard relatives talking about wild times in Cuba the 50s and it sounded really glamorous and exotic. I've always answered the question "Where would you most like to visit?" with "Cuba!"
Even though travel restrictions have lifted a bit my budgetary restrictions have not, so my son gave the the beautiful book "I Was Cuba" for Christmas this year. The bottom image is a photo from the book, copied on a color laser printer and transferred onto wood. The rest is the Cuba of my imagination. I've had lots of time to create my imaginary "Cuba" and really hope to visit the real Cuba someday soon. |
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