Parts of Art

 It happened again today. I’m at an art show with my Parts of Art jewelry. Now mind you, my inventory is pretty extensive, since last year we went into pause mode on shows and I spent extra time making wearable art. Still though, sometimes at the end of the day of making jewelry I look at the work and think “Oh. My. God. What was I thinking? Who would wear this?” So on and so on. That inner dialogue can just go like a runaway train. But then, I go to a show and put out my wares, and sooner or later here she comes.        We had a wonderful time sharing our love for wearable art as well as a few laughs. She had spotted it right away in my display case, and although I showed her a few other pieces, this was clearly the one I made for her before we met. And we both knew it. There were earrings that matched the bracelet, but she said that in her opinion “matching” is for older women. Then she added that “When I turn 70, which is soon, I might come back for those!” ...

    I wrote a few months ago about my series of mixed media collages entitled "Of the Woods".  I was originally inspired to do this series in 2015, when I began going out to the woods to paint, draw, think and pray. Of that time period, I wrote the following, which is almost prophetic as I read it now.  “I am personally drawn to the place like a hungry person is to a good meal. It feeds my soul to spend time out here. I have already formulated a plan for a body of work. Not jewelry, but mixed media woodland paintings. Being in the woods is reminiscent of childhood, where I spent hours in the woods next door and across the street. In my imagination I lived out there. That is, after all, where I would go as a child to talk to God. So once again I have come full circle to the cabin in the woods.”      By 2018 I had developed several paintings that were, by their very nature, "of the woods". The colors and textures were very muted and neutral, just like t...

 So I’m back in the woods, and here’s what I mean by that:       It all started when we moved back to Indiana from Florida eight years ago. We moved here to help my in-laws in their last season of life. It was a decision that had been bathed in prayer and much discussion over a long period of time. Finally, the timing became clear and right. So we moved here, to my husbands boyhood home in rural Indiana, in late summer, 2013. Not because it was convenient (it wasn’t) but because there was a need and we were the best choice to fill the need.        It took awhile but we adjusted to our new home and new responsibilities. David’s dad’s health was declining rapidly by the time we moved here, but he was gracious and thankful to the end, and I am so glad to have had the time with him that we had.       Once he passed, life and routine changed, especially in regards to my mother in law. David became increasingly wrapped up in her care...

     “I made this for you before we met!” It’s one of my favorite comments when I’m at an art show with my Parts of Art jewelry. It happens at least once at every show: that piece that, after I designed and built it in the studio, and afterwards thought “O my God, who would ever want this? What was I thinking? Am I out of my mind?” Then I put it out there and sooner or later she comes along, spots it, and it is clearly, unquestionably made just for her. It’s the one aspect of doing shows that I love and dearly miss.       I have recently become a vendor at the Alexandria farmers and artists market in my little rural town. It’s literally the only gig in town, and all my actual juried art shows have been cancelled. So it happened, albeit with face masks and social distancing intact. Here she came, it was made for her, and it happily went from my neck to hers. Want to see what I made just for you? Visit my shop at Sandyartparts.etsy.com

      Let’s consider for a moment the importance of your display booth at an art fair.      When applying for a juried art festival, the criteria for acceptance comes down to four images of your work and one of your booth. That is the sum total of what the judges use to base their decisions. The artwork, of course,  is the most important element. The jury images need to show a professional, consistent body of work. But where is the artwork displayed? The booth in which the artwork is displayed is equally important.      Your booth, quite simply, needs to be a mini gallery that showcases your work. It needs to be attractive, uncluttered, and of course, weatherproof.      Say you are a judge for an art show, tasked with deciding between two equally great painters. One has a booth that is a reflection of his work. It is streamlined, welcoming, and uncluttered. The paintings are tastefu...

    My time in my peaceful country studio revolves around waiting for the paint to dry.         This expression implies mind-numbing boredom. After all, what could be more dumbing down than watching paint dry? I recently saw an experiment where a group of adults were tasked with watching paint dry, just to document how it affected them mentally. It’s pretty easy to guess what happened. Mind. Numbing. Boredom.     Because it actually does take time for paint to dry, it’s a good idea  to have other tasks and projects going on in the studio.  My day starts here, at the watercolor easel, with my current illustrated journal. It’s a new day, which translates into a new white, blank page.  The first thing I do is fill a brush with water, wet the paper, and add color.          One beautiful feature of watercolor paint is that it’s simply colored water. Its very nature is to bleed into the w...

       Shenanigans  | SHəˈnanəgənz |  pl. noun  informal  secret or dishonest activity or maneuvering :  “ widespread financial shenanigans had ruined the fortunes of many .” •  silly or high-spirited behavior;  mischief . ORIGIN  mid 19th cent. : of unknown  origin .         There will come a time when said shenanigans are over and our lives  will return to some version of normal. So what, until then, do we do?           This past year and a half, as you may already know, I have been immersed in a body of work called “Of the Woods ”. It has been quite an exercise of patient endurance for me, to come up with a series of new pieces and get them completed, photographed, and professionally framed. It’s been like planting seeds in ground that would produce fruit eventually, but its artwork instead of food. And because I had made the decision to give it a year and...

        This week I got some unfortunate news about a show I was so excited about and honored to have been invited to. The show promoters had to made the difficult decision to postpone the show from May to August 1 & 2. Now they want to know if we, the artists, want to still participate on the new date or get our booth fee refunded.               At first I thought, of course I’ll still participate! After all,  it took me so many unsuccessful attempts to get into that show, and by now I have produced and framed many art pieces. It was clearly an answered prayer for me to get in that show!       Then I looked at the calendar and realized that anot her show is on that same weekend.  Will it be this or will it be that?      It’s a show I did last year; a really good one for me. Dang it. I’d hate to miss out on that show! The other factor I have to consider is t...

      I am super excited to announce that the Broad Ripple Art Fair decided to take me off the wait list and add me to the invited list! All that work and preparation, putting my booth up outside on the coldest day of the year so we could take a photo of it- it was all worth it after all, because I got in! I’m totally doing the happy dance. I have applied to that show four times in the last six years, and up to now have not been able to get my foot in the door.        It might have to do with the fact that I am now jurying in with mixed media instead of jewelry. It’s just as competitive, but there are fewer entrants in the category of mixed media, thus increasing my chances for getting in. Not that I believe in chance, but the percentages were more in my favor. Anyway, I got in, and I am so jazzed!         This is the time of year for artists like me who participate in juried art shows to apply. Check out my show schedu...