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Posted on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
by Jewelry making supplies New York City
by Julie Holmes
Do you ever look around at the materials gathered, tools purchased, studio arranged, brand created and thought…well I’ve done it now; this is what I HAVE to do. I have become a thingamabob maker and that’s who I am. I thought that. I wasn’t particularly having fun making settings, really just wanted to make cloisonné and so I started wracking my brain for other ways to present the stuff. Debbie Parent of Apparently Art had some amazing cloisonné pieces on Grains of glass that were mounted in frames. They’re gorgeous. (go look!) I went to her website to look some more at her enamel work and to my utter astonishment found she also does wonderful stained glass work, watercolors, pastels, sculpture, beading. (go look!) Is this allowed? Can we do that? Isn’t this coloring outside the lines, thinking out of the box…isn’t this against the rules?  |
| Bad art by Julie Holmes |
...and speaking of rules, I was once talking with John Rose of 2 Roses Studios and going on about how I’d seen a very poor attempt at copying a design of a well known enamel artist and how wrong that was. John shrugged philosophically and said pretty much that the copy-cat hadn’t done themselves any favor by making a bad copy and that we all get inspiration from others. It’s the intention that’s important. It’s been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. He’s right. So, go look, use Pinterest and Flickr and Tumblr. Visit art galleries and shows, talk to your fellow artists, take classes. Get inspired, be inspiring. Make bad art. What you make isn’t who you are, it is how you express who you are, which is a fluid being, with a soul that wants to stretch and grow and experience. Don’t deny yourself the opportunity to fully be. | I stretched from making cloisonné to trying my hand at something different. I’m drawn to strong lines and vibrant colors….so I tried pyrography and painting on wood. It was fun! Fun enough that I opened a second Etsy store called The Waiting Place. It’s what I do while I wait to figure out what comes next with the cloisonné, the sons growing up, the laundry that needs doing and the full time job of being me. I hope you all try anything new you want to try, follow your hearts without fear, they will always lead you back to what you truly love. |
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| Pyrography and water colors |
