DATE: 05/12/2008 20:33:39 / MOOD: in love

With a sigh of relief, the gallery meeting today went fabulously well! In the next week or so I'll have 11 new pieces in there. It feels so good! I don't know why I get worked up over things like this; there's never anything to worry about. The owner had some really good feedback, and I appreciate the patience of the two purchasers that were there. I pummeled the one nearly to death with all of my questions, but she didn't care and was sweet the whole time!

Everything was laid back, fairly quick, and to the point. Nice. I am so tired now... I think it'll be early to bed tonight and start cranking out studio work early tomorrow.

I love this work

~Jeni

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DATE: 05/10/2008 08:32:57 / MOOD: other

There's a gallery meeting peering over the horizon at me, and I'm looking for advice.  I'm excited about the potential of being represented for the first time, but a bit terrified all at once!

What should I expect?  There will be at least three people there (two owners and a purchaser rep).  I got in by being in contact w/ them for almost a year, sending in photos of my work, and then finally getting that call to come in.  They said to bring work for immediate purchase or an order form w/ samples.

It sounds good, but I have little experience in gallery representation.  Any suggestions?

 

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DATE: 05/05/2008 22:43:31 / MOOD: full of life

Isn't spring beautiful? This is a photo of the grand old magnolia seen through my eastern facing studio window. Wonderful and gorgeous!

Just got done with a small art show this weekend, and met some interesting artists. I have to say the highlight was talking to John Jude Palencar, internationally recognized illustrator. Oh wow. He makes all of the dragon covers for the Sci Fi series Eragon, so if you've ever seen the very dark and regal looking beastie profiles, you'd recognize his style immediately. He also illustrates covers for Stephen King, TIME magazine, National Geographic, and holds two Gold Book awards from Spectrum. What else can I say - he's awesome! Unfortunately, he doesn't have a web site yet so I can't post his link, but here's a pic on Wikipedia and hopefully he'll get one soon so we can see his work in one place! 


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DATE: 04/28/2008 21:31:51 / MOOD: happy

Lots of people have heard of cloisonne; my latest gallery post is a related technique called champleve.   The difference is that the walls of each color section are formed differently.  In cloisonne the walls are built up or added in, for champleve I create the walls by etching into a solid piece of metal until each section is the proper depth.

I mix my own colors and add them in drop by drop using a toothpick, adding patina to create age and depth.  I love the vibrancy of the colors and especially the sense that I'm wearing a miniature portrait.

Enjoy!

~Jeni



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DATE: 04/23/2008 22:03:56 / MOOD: happy

The letter opener is finally done, and I posted the results in the gallery.  The picture doesn't capture the detail the way I'd like, but you can still see quite a lot.  I ended up adding in a sterling back plate for strength and stability, and then oxidized it to

 create a dramatic back drop.  I love how it turned out!!

I have just had a wonderful week since I last posted!  Good news seems to come in bunches, and despite getting another rejection letter, I was pleasantly surprised to get an acceptance letter to a holiday show in Pittsburgh.  On the heels of that I've been invited to show at an exhibition near Toledo that runs next month.  It's small, but nice. :)  ...And a trunk show I had this weekend did terrific and added to my list of folks who want show updates to see new pieces.  

It's been good to be this busy with orders and creating new work - I'm going to really have to step it up so that I have enough to display at my next art show (and then the gallery meeting).  That's why it's been so long since my last post.  I've been working full speed ahead and balancing my home life; going to bed exhausted only to start again in the morning.  But I'm so happy!

During my long hours this last week I also managed to run the drill through my finger not once, but twice.  The second time it happened, the thin bit broke off and stuck out near the nail - hope you're not squeamish!  I've never done anything quite like this before.  I think it's important to expand horizons and try new things (snicker, snicker!).  No stitches, thank goodness, but I'm wondering should I charge a little extra for the actual shedding of blood during the creative process?

~Jeni

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DATE: 04/14/2008 21:59:16 / MOOD: in love

So glad I whined the other day!  I'm glad it's out of my system, although I don't want to diminish the real concerns about the difficulty I'm having getting into higher end shows.  Of course, it's easier to say this after what happened the very day after I posted...

Almost a year ago I visited an upscale and trendy-ish gallery in a fairly large city.  Impressed by the flood of sales they were having (on a Monday or Tuesday nowhere near a holiday), I asked to speak to the person in charge of purchasing to see if they would be interested in carrying my work.  After speaking with her over the next several months I was able to send in a portfolio sampling.  I tell ya, the waiting was like pins and needles up and down my legs!!!  I waited as long as I felt I possibly could in polite society, called to see what they thought, and then found they hadn't viewed anything yet.  (oh gosh. must not have made much of an impression?)  

A week after that I got the most beautiful call in the world.  I screamed!  I laughed!  I was near giddy hysterics!!  An appointment with both gallery owners along with the instructions to bring either pieces for immediate purchase or samples with order sheets.  What a change from the other day (I guess I should crab more often if this is what happens)!

As for getting into the shows, it dawned on me while I was working in my studio - totally out of the blue -  that it wasn't my work that was the problem.  I never took pics of my booth display last year, so I hastily set up inside my house for a quick photo.  Probably the worst choice I've made yet.  The light was yellowed, the background not professional enough, and it was slightly out of focus.  It didn't seem to be a big deal in the moment, but it's proven fatal for my applications.  I'm just glad I finally figured out what was going wrong.  I won't make the mistake a second time, so I'll use the time off this year to prepare for all guns blasting in 2009 - watch for me!

Oh yeah!

~Jeni 

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DATE: 04/08/2008 22:08:41 / MOOD: other

This year I've committed to submitting to better shows, more calls for artists, and contests.  As an emerging artist I still haven't settled on a single look; I'd rather explore different techniques and materials.  That doesn't always work well when applying to the higher level fine art/craft shows.  I've heard they prefer a strong, cohesive body which may not come through in my photos.  For me that's translated into waitlists and rejections that I was not prepared for.  Yes, the jewelry category spot is one of the most fiercely fought for, but that doesn't make me feel any less sore!  My work is well-liked locally, and I've done great at the shows I've attended in the past.  It gives pause for me to reflect...


On a happier note, one of the boutiques I wholesale with just purchased a huge order yesterday.  I feel a bit redeemed!  They've consistently sold my work with a steady increase in sales - they've more than doubled since this time last year, even in the light of the current economy.  So how does it work?  I do well in retail but struggle to get past jurors and into the better shows.  Is it I'm out of step with the cutting edge trends or need a more cohesive look? Is it just not my year for shows, or will there be acceptance letters for the remainder still out there?

~Jeni

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DATE: 03/31/2008 22:12:15 / MOOD: in love

Spring really is trying to peek out from under winter's blanket - finally!  There are fattening buds on the quince bushes, crocuses (croci?) smile cheerily, and the iris' are sprouting quickly.  I've had little time to enjoy it all the way I'd like because of a recent bout of flu, but thankfully spring has just begun. :)  


Lots of custom jobs, project research, and new designs (in time for the starting show season) have kept me busy while waiting for warmer weather.  I picked up some absolutely beautiful and rare stones at the Tucson gem show that I'm starting to use in my new designs.  I've been looking forward to trying out some new styles and techniques, too.  I'll post more as I get the photos in.  

I posted a copper shovel with an apple wood handle to help bring in springtime (it's in the gallery).  I had so much fun making it; I kept thinking of some tiny little garden gnome using it to plant his vegetables!  I even took a specialized hammer to make miniscule tool marks on the shovel blade so that it looks real.  Crazy, but fun!

~Jeni

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DATE: 02/28/2008 21:48:58 / MOOD: full of life

I was horribly spunky as a kid, and there's still a lot of that still in me.  Remember doing stunts like soaping windows or TP'ing?  Well, being an artist at heart I was always looking for a unique way to interpret things.

 Soaping windows could never be that simple - who wanted to just put plain soap on a window, it's been done before!  I had to add eggs and cornflakes to the dishsoap concoction.  Why?  I'm so glad you asked!!  When the "installation" was found out and the poor victim tried to wash it all off (usually w/ a garden hose), the protein in the eggs acted as a glue for the cereal and the dishsoap created a lot of extra foam, making it nearly impossible to remove.

And then there's the dreaded jello balloon.  Why bother throwing plain water from the roof when you can have color too?  Throw them fresh for a nice splash, half set for a terrific *squish!*, or fully set for people you really don't like - not that I'm advocating such things!...ahh... happy times!

 Anybody else have favorites? Pass the fun around!  

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