Model Me!

Last fall I signed up for Tonya Davidson's "Artful Success Class."   This is an online course and  I have to admit that I wasn't the best student.  By the time I sat down in the evening to listen to the class I was so tired (that's what happens when you get old) that I often found myself dozing.  (Sorry Tonya, but your voice is very soothing.)

Thankfully, Tonya had it set up so that we could download each of the class sessions.  I had big plans to listen to them while I worked at the studio.  For me, that is actually the best option.  (And again, I have to admit that I haven't made use of that option very often.)

I did most of the initial paper assignments so that part is done, but there is still so much that I need to work on (like self promotion.)  I'm the person who ran for class treasurer in high school and voted for the other person because I thought that was what nice people do.  (Silly me....... she won by one vote!)

Anyway,  enough rambling.   One of the points of the class was to advertise our jewelry by showing someone wearing it.  (I did think that was a great idea and chose some people I thought would make good models.  Never followed through on that one though, except for using my daughter in law as my hand model.   (Can't beat young hands with an impeccable manicure.)

But it is true!  Showing people wearing my jewelry is the way to go.  Every time I do some kind of show, people like what I have on.  It never fails.  They look everything over, ooh and ah about how nice everything is and then say..... what I really like is what you are wearing.   Usually, I'm wearing some of my personal collection which I don't want to part with.  Better start wearing the "for sale" stuff (and leave the price tags on since I can't remember the price once I take the tag off.)  Besides needing bi-focals and falling asleep early, memory loss is also one of those getting older bonuses.  

Accountability buddy

Van Gogh Palette earring collages by Cassy Muronaka

     As was mentioned in an earlier post, I'm taking the Artful Success class from Tonya Davidson.  The class is packed full of good information (which is an overwhelming task to process.)  But, bit by bit we are all making progress (at our own pace) and will eventually put into practice what we are learning.

    We have "Accountability Buddies" in this class to help keep us on track and to have someone to bounce ideas off.  My buddy is Cassy Muronaka from California.  Cassy is a photographer, writer and polymer clay artist.   We've communicated by email and by phone.   Due to the time difference it's a good thing I'm a night owl.  We've discovered that we are very much alike in many ways and talk like we've been friends for years.

    Check out Cassy's website, http;//cassymuronaka.com (which will also take you to her blog.)  Especially look at her publications, many of which I recognized as being something I was interested in.  How cool (okay, I've dated myself again) to know people who write articles that I've read.

(Getting into metal clay has also afforded me the chance to know lots of people who write magazine articles and books.)   And while I'm at it, here's a shout out to my friend Carol Scheftic who had two of her pieces published in Hadar Jacobson's latest book.   Check her out at the Convergent Series link in the right hand column of my blog.

 

 

A Paradox

 In my Artful Success class we were asked to think about who we are, why we make the jewelry that we make and how our jewelry shows who we are.  In the past I've been asked to do this in other classes but never really took the time until now.  Instead of just thinking about it I started to write it down.

Here is where the paradox comes in.  Do I really know myself.  I say my decorating style leans towards the mission style (actually it's mostly eclectic but I like the mission style.  Except when it come to dusting in between those little slats!)  But my jewelry does not have the clean simple lines of the mission style, it's very organic.   This contradiction, I've noticed before.

But with this new class I've discovered another contradiction between who I think I am and my work.  We have accountability buddies in the class and I told mine that my ideal day would begin by waking up in the mountains and seeing the mountain tops shrouded in mist.  So..... why do I have so many pieces that deal with water?  I'm not a beach type of person (although if someone wants to give me a free vacation on the beach I'm not about to pass it up.)  My latest piece "Diving for Pearls" pendant is about water.  I haven't actually counted the number of water pieces yet (but I will.)  I have a feeling I'll be surprised.

So what does this say about me?  Oh, too much to think about!