For all of us, it is to some degree a form of therapy, a chance to stare the world in the eye and say, “I made this.” Whether we’re holding a masterpiece or a crude first attempt, the value lies less in the object than in the fact that we made it.

These are partly personal expressions and, in part, introspective activities. We intuitively turn to the traditions of creating as a means to counter the enormous weight of all that is manufactured and packaged in our lives. Almost everything we own is made for us, as consumers. There is enormous satisfaction in creating something for ourselves and for those we love.

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This is a great assignment, as it gives me an overview of new artists entering the field along with the growth and development of artists I’ve known for years. I’m always amazed to see the paths their creative minds take; artists continuously push the envelope and move their art forms in new directions.

I was particularly struck in this jurying session by the plethora of amazing jewelry that our contemporary jewelers are producing. What a treasure trove a beautiful things! The descriptive adjectives are boundless: sensual, elegant, playful, colorful, conceptual. And of course, all created with technical mastery that boggles the mind.

I suspect it’s going to be a long, hard winter. Already, I’m making plans for a spring trip to Palm Beach for this outstanding show!

Molly Stone in the Cohn-Stone pumpkin patch

A guest post from Artful Home CEO Lisa Bayne

It has been interesting and exciting to watch the “Slow Food” movement growing within the United States. The desire for consumers to know the source of their food – where it was grown, and who produced it – is gaining ground. With this awareness in mind, I think it is exciting to get to know the origin of the artwork I am attracted to – who are the artists, where do they live, what inspires them. For the next two weekends, there is an event in Richmond, CA which offers an interesting blend of what I like to think of as “Slow Design,” that is, the chance to meet glass artists who are engaging in the creation of their work and inviting the public in to share their enthusiasm, learn about the work, and have a good time. Specifically, Artful Home artists Michael Cohn and Molly Stone, who were the first artists to create art glass pumpkins, have turned the garden outside their studio into a “pumpkin patch” setting out hundreds of blown-glass pumpkins, squash, fruits, leaves, and other works of glass art in all shapes and sizes for visitors to come and “pick.” Their family-friendly event also features glass-blowing demonstrations, hot apple cider and cookies. If you can’t make it to the West Coast, Molly and Michael also have an installation at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, through Nov. 23. You can also meet the artists through a virtual “Studio Visit” on the Artful Home website where Molly gives the details about how the glass pumpkin patch tradition began.

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Sinuous Shelf
Richard Judd

In these turbulent times when the traditional rules no longer apply, perhaps the most important tools we need to survive are common sense and creativity. Common sense and good judgment help us as we are faced with situations that we have never faced before. (I was born after the Great Depression, therefore have no foundation of knowledge for how I should respond when the financial markets are falling apart around me.)

Creative thinking is the ability to see a connection between elements that are not usually associated. Creativity usually starts by asking the right question, or asking a question in the right way.

Artists are generally blessed with an abundance of both creativity and common sense, and we often see these qualities revealed in the objects they produce. A good example is Richard Judd’s “Sinuous Shelf.” This artist, one of my all-time favorite furniture makers, begins a journey to create a simple, functional shelf. Common sense. Somewhere along the way, he shapes a piece of wood into a graceful line that supports the glass shelf in a new and different way and delights the eye.

These days, we all need common sense and creativity to navigate the currents of our daily lives. We should care for these qualities as we would favorite pets – feed them well and exercise them daily. And perhaps, pay attention to the work of artists for the lessons they provide.

How can I break the cycle of fear? Personally, I’m trying even harder to fill my life with the things that really matter to me: good food shared with family and friends, music and art that lifts my spirit, long walks by the lake near my home.

It is so important, in these turbulent times, to stop and think about what makes life worthwhile: houses of worship, great universities, poetry and great books, singing and dancing of all types, long marriages, and a healthy earth. Using the commercial metrics of Wall Street, these may show a poor financial return. But, using the metrics of the soul, these are our very best investments – and the ones that are most important.

Structures #34
Lisa Call

This blog has always been about incorporating the beautiful into the everyday and finding the work of talented artists and making it part of our lives and homes. This week I thought it would be interesting to turn the tables and hear from one of those talented artists about the other side of the process. Artful Home fiber artist Lisa Call recently wrote on her own blog about what success as an artist means to her. With her permission, I am excerpting just a small portion of her post below. You can read the full post at http://blog.lisacall.com.
~Toni

What Does Success Mean to Me?

Adding Value

Some of the change in direction I’m now planning came about when I was willing to realize and accept that:

1. 1. It’s okay to sell art.
2. 2. I can work to be the best artist I can and market my work at the same time. This involved learning to ignore all the voices that speak to the contrary.
3. 3. Getting money for something I love doing is pretty darn cool.

I love Steve Pavlina’s comments on twitter the other day that read:

Becoming a millionaire (through honest means) requires delivering $1 million worth of value to other people. That’s generous, not greedy!

It’s a good reminder that as an artist I am providing value to the world and as such it’s okay to be reimbursed for that value.

Cynthia Guajardo had some interesting thoughts the other day as she was pondering what value she might be adding as a ceramic artist in her blog post about living simply. I was very happy to read that she came to the conclusion that she was adding value and will continue to make her pottery.

I suspect it’s fairly common for artists to question what value they might be adding to the universe with their art and craft. I know I have. And I’m happy I also came to the conclusion that we add a lot and it is essential we keep creating. And expecting to be compensated fairly for that value.

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This coming weekend marks the end of the Dale Chihuly show at the de Young Museum. If you have not seen this spectacular extravaganza of art glass and can possibly get to the de Young before the show closes on Sunday I would strongly urge you to do so. As a former Seattleite, I thought I “knew” Chihuly. I had been to the boathouse, had attended many a charity auction where a “real Chihuly” had been part of the mix. Yeah, yeah, yeah, a Chihuly show. Big deal. Miss Know-It-All thought she knew what she’d see. Well, my socks were absolutely knocked off with this blockbuster of a show. The exuberance of color in glass displayed by this artist, the risk-taking and explorations in form, the beauty, scale, and herculean effort involved in the installation were life-altering.

I came out of the show looking at forms, both natural and man-made, in a completely new way. My respect and admiration for the many glass artists at Artful Home grew even greater than it had already been. Wow! What it takes to create those tiny ornaments by Mary Mullaney and Ralph Mossman, those magnificent tours de force of Victor Chiarizia, those incredibly lifelike and elegant pumpkins by Molly Stone and Michael Cohn! The paths begun by greats such as Dale Chihuly and Harvey Littleton are well traveled by glass artists throughout this country.

Enjoy the show! It is open until 10 on Friday night, 9 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Lisa Bayne
Chief Executive Officer

Collar
JoAnne Russo
Photo by Jeff Baird

Baskets speak a universal language. For the historian, they are a signature of time and place. I grew up coveting the Native American baskets of the Blue Ridge mountains. Basket weaving is the oldest known Native American craft – there are some ancient baskets from the Southwest that have been identified as 8,000 years old.

For the collector, baskets are a contemporary art form of wonderful variety and beauty. I am continuously astounded at artists who provide fresh inspiration with this canvas called a basket.

Recently, JoAnne Russo’s “Collar” basket arrived on the Artful Home website. JoAnne is the master of surface embellishment, adding elements that are not essential for the construction of the basket but that change the appearance of the basket. In this piece, she has decorated the surface with traditional hook and eyes, transforming an ordinary object into a work of art.

I was reminded, once again, that the magic of the talented artist is to be able to reach beyond the physical nature of her basic materials, to create a work that transcends its own ordinariness and becomes something far more profound.

Green & Honey Teapot
Ryan Greenheck

Those of us who are afflicted with the collecting bug know that it’s hard to kick. So hard, in fact, that we see no reason to kick it at all! Gradually, we fill our shelves, rooms, and houses with the stuff of our dreams and passions.

Recently, I read an article by ceramics collector Richard Jacobs in which he talks about his passion: “I do not need to justify my motivation. I know a need from a want. I want pottery because I have an obligation to support human imagination and creativity in a world where human destruction and tragedy often appears to be triumphant. I need pottery because I am daily enhanced and enriched by the presence of pottery.” (Ceramics Monthly, August 2008)

Yes, collecting is an unruly passion. As for myself, I own way too many teapots. My husband will tell you that I don’t need any more teapots. And yet…when I see Ryan Greenheck’s beautiful “Green & Honey Teapot,” I catch my breath and mentally start re-arranging my shelves. ]]> http://blog.guild.com/?feed=rss2&p=415 0 http://blog.guild.com/?p=412 http://blog.guild.com/?p=412#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:59:02 +0000 http://blog.guild.com/?p=412 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]>

Middlebury Chair Lavender/Green
Mary Lynn O’Shea
Photo by Glenn Moody

Shorter days and cooler nights have a visceral effect on my behavior. I find myself searching my bookshelves for long, thoughtful books that absolutely require a good reading light and a cozy chair. One of Mary Lynn O’Shea’s chairs, for instance.

We project our moods and personalities by the chairs we sit in. In one mood a big, fat chair is just right; in another mood, a rocking chair. Our purposes for sitting are often very different. People sit back and muse; people sit formally waiting for dinner to be served.

It would be great fun to have a room filled with chairs, all slightly different, as this would immediately create an atmosphere of rich experience, moods, and personalities. This sounds like my own group of close women-friends – each one has a very different character deserving of her own, unique chair! ]]> http://blog.guild.com/?feed=rss2&p=412 0 http://www.npcg.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=498&Itemid=104 http://www.npcg.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=498&Itemid=104#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:21:40 +0000

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