Creative Art! Contemporary Art!

What exactly is contemporary art? According to Websters online dictionary contemporary art is described:

"As it has done in the past, today's art both combines different traditional forms, but also pushes the boundaries of people's perception. It includes things that people consider immoral or taboo. More so than many other forms of art, contemporary art is often focused on the abstract".

I find that most contemporary artists have a lot to say and that each artist has a unique and original style. One of the most unique and delightful styles I have experienced recently is the art of Goldwoman

Goldwoman as she is called in the southwest describes herself as

"a contemporary pointillist who paints whimsical, magical interpretations of life to celebrate the human spirit.

Her contemporary art paintings are very intricate and full of color. There is no doubt when you view one of Goldwomans paintings that she loves each piece that she does. I cannot even imagine the hours that goes into the detail of each piece she creates.

Each piece takes some very real location or object and gives it color that we as the viewer never imagined was there or maybe we just didn't take that extra moment to enjoy the view and see what was really there. I am a huge lover of the southwest and its majestic saguaro. I love how they stand like giants in a low landscape that goes on for as far as my eyes can see. Goldwoman captures that essence of power and endless landscape well in her "Homage to Saguaro" and "Desert Mesa" paintings.

The paintings I have added above are also some of my favorite. I love how she captures the shear beauty of the flowers and how happy the butterfly's must be to own them in her "Butterflies on momaday" painting.

"Secret Cave" really intrigues me with all the rich earthy colors that signify each piece of landscape, each water obstacle that I would have to traverse in order to find the "secret cave entrance" where it is hidden by the trampings of color that for me must signify the many pieces of earth that have grown and accumulated year after year creating a cave roof that will last for eons brightly colored by mother nature and truly a most worthy canopy for an entrance to the unknown.

The detail is striking and it lets the imagination wonder.

I think that if you are hesitant to view and find joy in "contemporary" art, you will change your mind after viewing the spirit of Goldwoman

Did You Say Bread Dough!

It has always amazed me how some people can take a simple mound of clay or other compound and create the most perfect objects.

I often wonder if they feel what they see as it is created. I recently have had the pleasure of experiencing the bread dough and cold porcelain art of Norma Rudloff Talk about amazing! Norma makes flowers that look so real you can literally imagine the fragrance of the flowers.

The roses are so delicate and beautiful. Each piece is handcrafted. The color is added to the Bread dough and kneaded in then Norma gently forms the flowers. Her cold porcelain pieces remind me of the porcelain pieces my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother owned.

Norma has created Victorian style pictures, jewelry, Barrett's and even single flowers for people to buy their loved ones. She told me that some people have had her roses for over 20 years. They are easy to clean she said by using canned air, a hair dryer, small brush or feather duster.

Next time you want to buy that special someone a unique gift think about a rose made by Norma Rudloff.

Tourmaline Oh baby give me some watermelon

Tourmaline is a very unique mineral that has more varied colors than any other gemstone available. The mineral elbaite is a member of the tourmaline group and is responsible for almost all the gem quality varieties.

There are three other members to this group Dravite,Schorl, and Liddicoatite. These varieties are seldom used as gems for making jewelry. Dravite is brown and seldom clear, Schorl is dark gray or black and has no gem value. Liddicoatite is to rare to be use extensively at this time.

One of my favorite gemstone quality tourmalines is the tri-color variety known as watermelon. Watermelon Tourmaline has green and red hues that are separated by white. It literally looks like a piece of watermelon. It is very beautiful and really distinct pieces are valuable.

I also enjoy the Paraiba variety also known as Neon Tourmaline. this is the only variety that has the mineral copper in it and the stone colors are vibrant blues and greens.

Tracy Pettingill an exceptional jewelry artist uses many different varieties of tourmaline in her work. As you can see from the photographs, the quality of her material is triple AAA and her craftsmanship, designs and style are like no other.

Artisans Market a e-commerce marketplace for artists features one of the many galleries that Tracy shows in. We enjoy Tracy's work and love how she inter-mixes a wide variety of gemstone quality tourmaline to make mouth-watering creations.

You'll find Tracy using Elbaite (green tourmaline), Indicolite (blue), Paraiba (neon-or blues and greens mixed), Pink, Watermelon and even the beautiful Rubellite variety which is a ruby red color.

We think the reason Tracy does so well is her photography really brings forth the true beauty of her creations. If you love Tourmaline especially tourmaline jewelry you'll love viewing Tracy's jewelry collection.

The Tides Of Change

I think that we all know how life's changes come and go in cycles. It seems like a new discovery is made and the next thing you know with that discovery or method comes a whole new cycle of commerce for us all.

In the past 10-15 years it has been the free trade market. Goods from all over the world have made their way to our homes and businesses. Many items made and sold for a fraction of the cost of like items made here at home in America.

Oh how we Americans have indulged! Its so easy to do. A little girls dress for only 4 dollars verses the $12.99 that it used to cost me in the late 1980's! This being only one example of a hundred I could make. However as always trends peak and then the tide ebbs as it seems to be with items made in vast quantity for cheap.

People are realizing that those low dollar items may mean you can buy multiples and certainly in a days shopping you can purchase a whole lot of stuff. But with that said where is the quality? Where is the workmanship that we all used to love so much? Buying a two dollar picture in a 1 dollar frame just doesn't hold the same intimacy of knowing the artist or hunting for that perfect piece of art or furniture for your home.

I feel like many Americans are returning to their roots and buying handcrafted items, and original fine art. The connection they feel is much more intense and the quality long lasting. There is a lot to be said about a home that shows that personal touch of quality furnishings, art, and other fine made items.

Its easy to feel the love and care given to the home and of course it lets you see what the homeowner is all about. I am always impressed when I enter a home and I notice that the owner has carefully collected items that are handmade. Many times I can feel the spiritual qualities in these items.

I really love it when I notice that a home is not only decorated with handmade items but is also using them for their every day tasks such as real brooms, cotton dish towels that have been emboridred like grandma used to do. Handcrafted botanticals and cleaners for bathroom and kitchen, door matts, furniture, mirrors, pictures, clothing, jewelry,candles and candle holders, windchimes and so much more.

Yea to any and all that snub that dollar item and instead save a few dollars each pay period and then go shopping for something that is made with joy and love, a handcrafted item that will last a life time and someday be a family heirloom with a history.

Beading Therapy

What should you do when life gives you lemons? Well, according to Terri Jacoby you make Lemonade!

Terri was in a terrible car accident in 1998. Her injuries were severe. Terri was told she would never walk again yet she persevered and slowly she made progress eventually, against all odds walking once more.

Although she could walk again Terri never did regain the motor skills in her left hand. Again this didn't stop her instead she took up beading. "I enjoy making beautiful work" she wrote in her ArtisansMarket.com gallery Bio.

As you can see from the added photo of her Quartz, shell and pearl necklace she does make beautiful beaded jewelry. Terri's determinations takes her ability far beyond what most of us can accomplish with two hands and manages to do it with one. Creating many beautiful beaded pieces. Earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

She has inspired people all over the world with her simple yet diverse style of jewelry and her perseverance. Teri has found that there are individuals all over the world that have suffered her same situation and she has made friends as far away as Australia in her quest to promote healing through beads.

She understands that creating something beautiful can really bring forth a strong healing process and she is determined to share that with others.

We are honored to have Terri as one of our bead artists. Each piece Terri makes holds the power of healing in every component. The love of beads can be seen in the combination of colors and materials. We think Terri Rocks! Checkout her gallery and we think you'll agree.

Clowns - Little Clown Man pencil drawing

Clowns,

They make us laugh, they make us cry and some are just scary. Clowning has been a tradition dating back to the times of Pharaohs in Egypt and possibly before. Many cultures all over the world have history of a village clown or entertainer.

A pygmy clown performed as a jester in the court of Pharaoh Dadkeri-Assi during Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty about 2500 B.C. Court jesters have performed in China since 1818 B.C. (information pulled from the clown ministry website)

The kings of Europe had a court jester and the Hopi Indian from The American Southwest had a "kachina" that was a clown figure. The Aztec's also had clowns similar to those in Europe.

Clown and jester collectibles have become very popular over the years and many gift stores carry them. I personally love clowns and own many paintings and drawings by the artist shown in this blog. Gary Newcomb a versatile artist that resides in the far Northwest uses pastels, colored pencils and lead pencils in most of his pictures. The clown series that he does is very detailed and worth collecting. Each clown or jester has immense emotion in the facial features and Gary captures the true traditional clown look in his art.

I prefer Clown art to statuary as I find it more challenging to find the "perfect" addition to my collection. Because I love the more "traditional" clowns of the "circus era" I look for the emotional pull in the art I buy. Each picture must have detailed facial features with costumes that portray the period I enjoy most.

The most personal clown I own is actually a court jester and the only "picture" that I own of a clown with a "jester" style hat. It is a tattoo that I had done in 1979 by Larry Allen at Anchorage Tattoo. I loved it the day I got it and I love it still.

For me Clowns are not about just making a person laugh... a clown shows great strength in the struggle of life always finding a lighter side that will preserver and pull the soul upward into a better light. Clowns are strong and can find deep in their heart compassion for any and all living creatures no matter their status. I can imagine the court jester who daily made the king laugh and then cried a tear each night for the burden that kept the king so apart from his fellow man. While most would envy the king, in my mind the clown found a sadness that bordered on pity for a man so isolated yet so public.

Semi-Precious Stone Jewelry

Style! Flair! Unique! One - of - a - kind!

woman want it all in their jewelry. Especially now as jewelry takes on an even more demanding presence.

The traditional jewelry trends such as pure gold jewelry and precious gemstones is alive and well however with the intense interest in beaded jewelry so has the interest in other types of stone and organic materials.

In fact so much interest that many signature jewelry stores now carry some beaded jewelry made with a variety of stones that are not considered "precious" but fit in a catagory of "semi-precious or just "stone". Other materials such as fossils, coral, amber, pearls and shell are also being used to make beads and pendants.

A huge majority of the stone and organic material that is being worked and used in jewelry demands our attention. Rocks of any kind are unique in their own right with patterns and colors that will quickly catch the attention of any observer. This has made their value go from garden rock to wearable gems!

A fossil once sitting on a shelf now is found encased in precious metal and incorporated with beads of all types. Fresh water pearls dyed in fabulous colors shimmer in mulitstrand necklaces and amber a fossilized tree sap worked into amazing pendants with gold and silver.

You can see why the jewelry market has expanded with the discovery of so much new material. If it can be worked you'll see jewelry made out of it. Even a variety of man-made materials have hit the market

What used to be just a rock hounds fantasy is now coveted material for jewelry making. Stones and other organic materials unique to different parts of the world are making their way to many bead and gemstone shows. All this and more is being used by a diverse group of artists who take the material and create breathtaking pieces of jewelry that are in my view considered wearable art!

A good example of a simple yet amazing piece with a variety of stones is Deerwoman Designs "Moss Agate" pendant piece this eye-catching necklace is 28 inches long and features Moss Agate, Amethyst, Orbicular Jasper and Quartz crystals with green inclusions. each stone hand wrapped with sterling wire and then connected to a sterling silver chain.

Note the color and individuality of each stone. This necklace just speaks out for attention! It is so simple yet the stones designs complex. The cubed amethyst adds a startling bit of gemstone color and really matches the other stones well. Who would have thought..... A fabulous bead artist of course!

No matter what your taste and style is in jewelry, there is a stone or other beautiful material out there to please you and a jewelry artist who will make you squeal with delight at their creations.

Masks!

Collecting masks has been a favorite of collectors for many many years. Victorian masks were always a favorite as were African masks.

The more modern art form of masks that collectors have taken to are made of goards adorned with a variety of natural and brightly dyed feathers. Many of the masks are tribal in design and depict a variety of the North American Indian tribes with their symbols and colors.

One of my favorite gourd artist who now resides in New Mexico is Kathe Stark. Her gourd art masks cover a wide range of tastes. She really pushes the envelope and goes beyond the "traditional style". One of my favorite is her "Sassy Bitch" mask. The mask as you see here is bright and ornate. Kathe has really enhaunced the traditonal hues of gold and brown with her bold statement of color. The addition of the bright red feathers brings out the natural beauty of the other feathers and gives the mask that extra touch of flair.

Kathe also makes vessels that are very detailed and decorative. She uses many different designs. Some are very simple such as her turtle pot and others more complex each art piece is very well done and you can feel the time and energy that she gave to each gourd that she creates.

Landscapes Are Forever

I absolutely love art. Ask me I'll tell you; Art makes the world go round. It brightens walls, provokes thought, pronounces decor and really is the window to a persons soul if you view the art they collect whether it be fine paintings or handcrafted art such as sculptures, basketry, pottery etc.

One of my favorite art forms is landscape paintings, especially if I am familiar with the location. Les Lull an artist who resides in the Southwest. He is an exceptional artist who really captures the landscape and makes it a personal experience. Here is one of my favorites, its called Oktoberfest. The painting portrays the beautiful fall colors as the changing season descends on the forest north of Flagstaff Arizona. Anyone familiar with this area will see it is like looking out a window the likeness is so captivating. Les paints with a variety of mediums this paticular painting is done in oil.

Les has several pictures in the permanent collection of some of Arizona's finest museums and his versatility is what helps make him such a successful artist.

Another very interesting type of landscape painting that intrigued me, also done by Les Lull is call "After The Rain" it concentrates on the deep red rocks that were volcanically formed in the Sedona area of Arizona and the awesome color they take on after the rain washes the everyday dust away. Always after a good rain in the high desert mountains the sky is blue and reflective you really get the feel of this in the spot of blue that lingers in the pooled rain water.

As I mentioned before Les is versatile he does many paintings of many types of landscape, potriats, still life and even incorporates a touch of contemporary work into his southwestern images. This gives him a wide range of clientel and really makes for a nice display when showing his work. Each painting is labeled and has some history attached to it. This helps the viewer center themselves in the time and place of each painting.

If you have a Landscape artist that you love and would like to share with me please respond!

Jewelry Makers - Don't Forget! Quality Counts!!!!!

Beaded jewelry has become very popular in America over the past 15 years and beads are being made out of every type of stone, glass, plastic and organic material that can be found. thousands of distributors sell beads of all kinds, precious stones to shells. It is a business that has become very profitable.

You would think having a glutton of suppliers would mean good competitive prices and lots of choices of good quality material and it certainly looks that way if you go to many of the large shows such as the Tucson gem and mineral show or the G&LW Wholesalers show. Also many retail stores and web stores have more material then you have time to look at.

The problem with so many choices is that quality is hard to find. Yesterday I was at the G&LW inc wholesalers show in Tucson Arizona. Tables were overflowing with beautiful strands of pearls, stone beads, precious metal beads, shell beads and glass beads. Hundreds of vendors vying for a sale. Signs everywhere promoting beads for $2-$3 a strand.

As I stood there viewing a crowded table I was amazed at the frenzy of people filling their trays as a woman behind a table literally threw strands on the jumbled pile already displayed. As I looked closer I noticed may strands of beads were dulled by rubbing on each other, cracked corners and deep scratches could visibly be seen. Yet the price, oh that wonderfully low price seemed to have captured the crowd and led them beyond all consciousness.

hmmmm. I wandered on and seriously starting viewing every table. I became obsessed and instead of purchasing I went to every table I could and observed the treatment of the product by the seller and also viewed prices. I was amazed at the indifference,rough handling and some dishonesty I found in a portion of the vendors that were on site. After I made the rounds I went back and started comparing in my mind the cost and actual usable product from some of the vendors that had such captivating prices.

Please keep in mind there were hundreds of vendors and I did not view all of them. Also please note the organizers of any show can not be held responsible for the actions of all the vendors nor do they do quality control it is up to the customer who is buying to make good choices.

With that said my final summation was this:
If your a jewelry artist QUALITY COUNTS don't go looking to spend very little on a lot and expect to make a ton of jewelry that will satisfy the high end jewelry lover.

Look for quality material and spend a little more money. Buy a little less and be more selective. I found the vendors that had their material in trays or on soft material and separated had a lot less damage to the pieces. Vendors that concentrated on a few varieties or a specific area of stone also seemed to have much better quality. I noticed vendors who stood or sat with their material and helped you move the large hanks treated their wares professionally and with care.
Also vendors that were willing to back up their product authenticity and quality with a money back guarantee had beads that really out shined the majority of the tables piled high.

I think jewelry artists should remember that people who love jewelry and purchase a lot of jewelry tend to spend a little more money for quality.

If your a jewelry artist and you are out there shopping for beads to make that perfect beaded jewelry piece step away from the ruse of "good material cheep" and find your way back to the guys with quality material. You will be happier with your end results and your customers will be a lot happier to. Your name as a bead artist will be more remembered when you produce quality work with quality product then just quality work alone.

Do you love Wood

OMG I love wood and anything handcrafted out of wood. It is difficult today to find really nice wood products. Oh yes you can go out there and see a million and one websites or a million and one items made of wood for sale, however quality is what I want! I want to feel the wood artist love for wood in the created product.

Some of my favorite wood is diamond willow,maple, zircot, mohogany oh I could go on and on it is all so lovely, so earthy so breathtakingly beautiful when worked by a master.

I have found that wood artists tend to lean towards certain items they like to make and then they work at making them perfectly or they use the imperfections of the wood to enhaunce the piece.

I love the feel of wood bowels, wood boxes and wood furniture it really adds to my life style.

Nothing makes me happier then to clean the finely made wood furnishings I have collected, oil the wonderful wood bowls that adorn my kitchen and feel the fine workmanship of the wood boxes I keep all my treasures in.

Having these items brings a spiritual touch to my home and I find that people respond in a very positive manner when they are surrounded by handcrafted goods made with mother earths finest gifts.

I have found that I decorate in wood also, I find old cacti skeletons and add them to my potted plants, I find wood toys for the grandkids and I use the most wonderful wood walking sticks made by a 89 year old gentleman in Indiana. Wood spoons for cooking and wood handled brooms for sweeping (their the best) Wood beads and wood frames for my pictures custom made of course. No I am not rich I just save my dollars and do. Surrounding yourself in what you love makes for a happier person.
Anyway so I have shared my love of wood anyone else out there love it as well?

Marketing your handcrafted goods and fine art online

There are a lot of websites out there that promote selling for artists. Many times these websites take more then they give. I would to share some of our experiences with you.

Selling online of course is really a wonderful idea and if an artist or craftsperson can sell online, the ease of selling from the comfort of your workshop or studio is hard to beat. However with that said lets talk about what it takes.

Having a website is easy however it is the maintenance of the website that is misunderstood. Without some type of "search engine optimization" done by the website owner or an outside professional the said website will be lost in a growing sea of personal websites that will never see the top 100 in any of the major search engines.

Also having a merchant service account is costly if your not making sales. An 800 number and business address are also important.

This is what many Online Marketplaces offer, the convenience of a Marketplace that is already in place with services provided. It networks a variety of artists on its site so that customers have a huge shopping platform that offers a huge selection of goods.

If you’re an artist and you join one of these sites here are some suggestions for success. Start with one. Check their references; make sure they have a good reputation. Do not shy away from a company because they are new, rather make sure that their ranking is adequate and that they have a working website.

If you decide to join an e-commerce website for the purpose of selling your wares or fine art commit to the site. Most of these types of sites spend huge amounts of money for SEO optimization, merchant services, customer service and 800 numbers for customer support.

The money they spend comes from your sign up fees, membership fees or percentage of sales. Remember the idea of an online gallery is to make you successful selling online, Joining a group has the benefit of spending a small amount of money and having more time to do your handcraft or art.
But promoting you does cost. Help yourself and use your “gallery” space wisely, urge your current customer base to look at your gallery and purchase from it. When you have “out of town” customers who want to see your new work, post it to your gallery and request they view it and use the easy and convenient shopping cart to purchase. When you make a sale put in information about your online gallery. This gives the customer the choice to go back and purchase again online if they would like or it informs new customers that you have an online gallery for the convenience.

Many artist sign up with online Marketplaces and then only promote their personal website or send personal home information. This totally defeats the purpose of having the online gallery. It’s a waste of the artist time and money and also a huge waste of time and money to the website they joined. Remember these companies are out there promoting your gallery. It also hurts the other artists on the website by promoting customers to shop somewhere else thus defeating the purpose of networking the artists.

Of course any professional and secure e-commerce site will not ask you to sell exclusively on their website. It is important that you do market yourself in many different areas in order to succeed. However with that said if you join an online marketplace make it a professional tool that promotes success not a frustrating money pit that will offer little or no results because as an artist you did not match the effort made by the website staff to promote your gallery.