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Saturday, March 01, 2008

What is your process as an artist?
















For me, I get into a certain style or technique and get totally absorbed with it.

First the good 'ole swirl. Then trans floral and leaf canes with the swirls, inclusions added, caps added. Then Kaleidoscope caning, thanks to a workshop with Sarah Shriver, tile pendants were born. Ooh, how about swirling some k-canes? How about pillow beads with the k-canes? I'm gonna trying capping some pillow beads now. Then came Christi Friesen's dragon book and it was little bits added to Tile Pendants. Then came the Unearthed series. Hey add that to some swirls and caps...then the Necklace that was at Ravensdale 2006.

Of course, all of this doesn't happen in an orderly fashion. I keep going back and forth between techniques and style and before you know it, it all starts to merge together. There's lots more things too, that happened in between these progressions. But I think I'll cover that in another post.

Anyhow, I guess what I've been realizing as I look at my work in years past and especially this past year is that I evolve as much as that style or technique will let me. I think about it constantly..."what else can I do to it? how can I make it different? " I think these questions keep me growing as an artist.

I'm definitely not done with Floral Beads. I think I can do much more, so they are here to stay for a while. But, to illustrate what I mean here are the first ones I made almost exactly one year ago...and here's what they look like today. They've more than doubled in size and I think I'll be using the perfect pearls for a bit longer :o)

What is your process and some of your history with clay?



5 comments:

Debbie Bellibone Goodrow said...

Thank you for sharing the progression of your work, both visually and your thoughts.

I've been thinking about my progress in clay lately, and distressed with the scatter-shot approach I've been taking. I love the many ways pc can be used, and love taking classes that show me yet a new way of expanding the polymer clay horizon. (To say nothing of all the priceless little tips one gets just from the artist during any class!)

But I have too many lovely techniques that I haven't assimilated yet, so that my subconscious can glean ideas from there when I'm creating. The light shined for me with your statement of getting absorbed in a style or technique. Yet going back and forth from it to previous pools of learning and technique, when then something entirely new appears.

Thanks for helping define it.

Kim Cavender said...

Barb,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your own personal experience with this. I love how your flowers have evolved. I didn't realize how much bigger they were now until I saw these photos together. I think you're an incredibly talented artist and I admire you and your work more than I can say!

rubarb said...

You are very welcome Debbie. I love hearing how other artists work and how ideas come to them. Best of luck to you, and just remember to enjoy every minute of your adventure with clay!

Oh Kimmie...what *am* I gonna do with you :o)

I remember when Libby saw some of those first florals at Bead and Button and she thought they would be so much bigger in person. I think they can look large on-line because of the close-ups...

Anyhow, she made me realize that they needed to be bigger, so bit by bit, the bigger they became.

Thanks Kim...it always means so much to hear you say such nice things!

Barb

Libby said...

Actually I was completely amazed that you were able to achieve so much detail into such a small bead. LOL Thanks for sharing the comparative photos. I like the way you are really exploring how far you can go with a basic concept.

Barb Fajardo said...

Thanks Lib...I'll see you soon right?