So, today's little blurb isn't so much about my shop or my artwork... actually, it's part of a contest I'm entering over on DeviantArt. haha!
This is the first contest I've tried my hand at on DA, and really, it's the first one I've had any interest in participating in! And so, I must give it my best shot!
The contest is being hosted by the amazing duo Worms and Bones. They specialize in making sculpted plushy monsters and I LOVE THEIR WORK TO DEATH!! ^__^ It's on my "Hit List of Cool Artists to Buy Stuff From"
http://wormsandbones.deviantart.com/
And here is the information on the contest itself! It'll explain why I'm posting this info up on here. And while you're checking that out, cruise through the comments and see what other people have submitted. There's a lot of great talent there to be appreciated.
http://wormsandbones.deviantart.com/journal/Barbary-Whelp-Contest-is-Open-312879006
Now, since this blog IS mainly for my studio and my art, I do feel the need to jot down some of my thoughts on contests and such.
Hosting a contest is something I've considered a bit, but haven't actually put into progress. It seems to be a good way to get the word out about the artist and give people the opportunity to custom make something they wouldn't otherwise have a chance to purchase otherwise. So I've been taking notes while working on the above contest. Checking out other artists awesome submissions, considering possible rules and restrictions and timelines and such for if I ever decide to do sometime similar.
It's something to keep an eye out for in the future! In the mean time... enjoy the creative works of these 2 talented artists.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Now that I'm half way through the summer...
Time to review the results of the last couple weeks of work and the two events I attended!
First off... I think I maybe have covered this a bit in my previous posts... but those 2 weeks leading up to July 4th? Yea... nuts. I had a lot of things I wanted to craft for that event and not NEARLY enough time.
One of those things you want to aim for when you're preparing for festivals is that, along with a selection of high quality items that showcase your skills and talents, you also want to have a good selection of smaller, more affordable items that customers can just pick up and walk away with. Nobody wants to lug around a big, heavy art piece no matter how much they love it. And if all you have to offer are very expensive items, it might be hard to sell anything since most people don't have hundreds of dollars just burning a hole in their pocket.
For this reason, I tried to have a variety. I brought a few of my pricier items, such as my monkeys, as well as my larger items like the Hubcap Turtle and Alligator, and shovel animals.
I must admit, I was pretty excited for this event. I had a bunch of brand new designs. I'd updated a ton of my old designs. I had a good haul. And I was expecting to do really well. Unfortunately... expectations don't really translate into reality. The 4th of July Street Festival was a lot of fun. I was able to meet and talk with a ton of people. Made some awesome connections that have proven to be very helpful and informative, not only in finding materials, but also in learning about other sales avenues to explore. Sadly, I didn't do as well in sales as I had expected... none of the little things that I had made, like my bugs, sold, which really surprised me. Nobody seemed to take notice of my Barn Owls. The Wise Luck's did pretty well, so I definitely think I'll have to go with more of those. All in all, I did about as well this year as I did last year. Which was surprising and a little disappointing, seeing as my work this year was about a million times better.
First off... I think I maybe have covered this a bit in my previous posts... but those 2 weeks leading up to July 4th? Yea... nuts. I had a lot of things I wanted to craft for that event and not NEARLY enough time.
One of those things you want to aim for when you're preparing for festivals is that, along with a selection of high quality items that showcase your skills and talents, you also want to have a good selection of smaller, more affordable items that customers can just pick up and walk away with. Nobody wants to lug around a big, heavy art piece no matter how much they love it. And if all you have to offer are very expensive items, it might be hard to sell anything since most people don't have hundreds of dollars just burning a hole in their pocket.
For this reason, I tried to have a variety. I brought a few of my pricier items, such as my monkeys, as well as my larger items like the Hubcap Turtle and Alligator, and shovel animals.
But then I had a bunch of smaller items that people could choose from that could be picked up and easily carried off. Since it's summer, most people are decorating their yards, so I had a variety of small bugs on sticks (dragonflies, butterflies, and bees), a couple large butterflies and dragonflies on sticks, and one flower. I had intended to make a half dozen flowers... but I was feeling kinda burned out on flowers considering how many I've been making the first half of this year. So I didn't make any... well, I made one token flower, but that was about it.
I also made up an assortment of cute, fun, horseshoe critters!
With my new and updated Barn Owl design, I threw together a few of those to see how they'd perform. I crafted a half dozen Wise Luck owls and painted them a variety of colors. Then I threw together another half dozen horseshoe creations known as Rawr! Monsters.
I am seriously loving these little guys. Not only are they perfect for all those old horseshoes with nails in them (which I don't have to cut out), but they offer a huge variety of design options and are super cute in a gape-mouthed, scraggle-toothed monster kinda way.
I must admit, I was pretty excited for this event. I had a bunch of brand new designs. I'd updated a ton of my old designs. I had a good haul. And I was expecting to do really well. Unfortunately... expectations don't really translate into reality. The 4th of July Street Festival was a lot of fun. I was able to meet and talk with a ton of people. Made some awesome connections that have proven to be very helpful and informative, not only in finding materials, but also in learning about other sales avenues to explore. Sadly, I didn't do as well in sales as I had expected... none of the little things that I had made, like my bugs, sold, which really surprised me. Nobody seemed to take notice of my Barn Owls. The Wise Luck's did pretty well, so I definitely think I'll have to go with more of those. All in all, I did about as well this year as I did last year. Which was surprising and a little disappointing, seeing as my work this year was about a million times better.
That is, of course, part of the learning experience. It's hard to figure out what people will like and not like.
The plus side to this was that, since I didn't sell a lot, I still had a lot left over to take to the Sugarhouse Farmers Market that following Friday!
This was my first year attending that market. I wanted to try it out, see if it was a venue that my work would do well in. And this time I had some flowers! I'm still loathing the thought of using up good materials on those things.... but I threw together a handful of them so I'd have them available. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect of this market. Well... other then expecting it to be larger then it actually was... but what I certainly wasn't expecting was for the weather to roll in and muck things up!
For those of you who're not native to Utah, or who weren't here this summer (2011), it has been extremely hot and dry. We've had next to no rain for 3 or 4 months now, and the whole state has dried up and turned into wild fire kindling. So of course, the one day when I'm going to be outside attending an event as a vendor... a big storm system has to roll in. And boy, did that storm blow! Literally!
Everything was fine... doing just fine... weather was cooling off... figured I could stand a bit of sprinkling if it came to that. And then.... WHOOOOOOSH!!!! OK, NOT FINE! THINGS ARE NOT FINE!! OMG!!!
That's literally how it went. Everyone was just chillin, there was only a slight breeze, then OMG!!! everyone's canopies attempted a mass stampede across the parking lot. My booth was hit pretty bad by this. Knocked over a bunch of my stuff on the tables, knocked my Iron Phoenix onto the ground, blew a stack of my business cards away to god knows where. Had to enlist the aid of a couple people to hold my canopy in place until I could drag the cloth off the top.
Yea... market shut down pretty fast at that point. It was up and running for only about 2hrs before everyone had to bail, as opposed to the 4 or 5 that it was originally intended for.
That was a disappointment, especially because I had at least one person there who really wanted to check out my artwork and didn't have a chance to. But despite the abrupt end to the day, the market turned out good in other ways.
I was able to meet up with a client so I could deliver her completed commissions to her. I've been working on these off and on for the last couple months. I've had to redesign them a few times, and put them on hold so that I could complete other project which were on deadlines. But finally I had everything done and ready to go, so that was great getting that settled so I could turn my attention to other things.
I also met up with a nice lady that I met at the 4th of July Festival who brought me a whole ton of shovels! We had talked about my art and what I was doing on the 4th, and I had mentioned how difficult it was finding old shovels, and that's when she swept in to the rescue! Apparently she goes to a lot of estate sales and finds tools all the time. So we worked out a deal and it looks like she'll be sending more tools my way! That was really awesome and unexpected, so a big thank you to her!
So, that was my fun and exciting time these last couple of weeks. Now that I've had a little down time to relax and work on some personal things, it's time to get back to the shop and crank out more products for Summerfest. There's just 2 1/2 weeks left until my first official art festival!
I really hope I'm ready for this!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
So much going on, So little time...
Remember how I said this week was really busy?
Well, here's round 2 of blogging!
In my first post, I rambled a bit about the joys of creation. This post gets down to the grittier aspects of the week.
First off... this whole month has been very expensive for me.
Truck registration had to be renewed. Spent some time down at the Scottish festival. Had to cut back hours at work in order to spend more time at my studio. Haven't really sold anything recently, but have been buying up supplies because I need to craft a ton of things in a very short amount of time. Had bills to pay.
In short... I ended up broke, really quick.
I tell you what... nothing ruins a week faster then realizing your broke and needing money and knowing you're S.O.L. until the next paycheck rolls in.
As fate would have it though... my aunt sent me a down payment on a big project she wants me to do. Thank god for good timing! Woo! Now I was finally able to sort out the expenses that had been hanging over my head.
I made sure to stash part of the payment into savings, but the rest went towards paying for that art festival and the torch kit. It's going to be months before I can get to her project... and in the mean time, my business has to make money, which means grabbing up opportunities to do just that. Like festivals. And markets.
I also need equipment. In this case... a new oxyacetylene torch kit! This has been on my 'Must Have' list for quite a while, and I finally had an opportunity to get it!
I am now lined up to attend the 4th of July, Sugar House Street Festival! It's a one day event where local artists and crafters gather to hock their wares. I did pretty good last year if I recall... and I'm hoping to do even better this year. Especially now that I have a better idea of what I'm doing. I just hope I can put together enough of an inventory for this, in the week or so I have left.
Despite the need to be at my shop, part of my business is networking. I have to talk to people. I have to make connections. I have to find places to show and sell my work locally. And I'm the only to do it.
So part of my week was spent chatting with a local nursery called Growing Wild which features some of my art. I hadn't talked with the owner much since last year, so I was telling him what I was up to and what I'd been working on. In particular, I told him about how I was putting together animals out of tools, and that I'd been having a hard time finding things like shovels, rakes, etc... at which point he walks over to his shed and says "Oh, I have a ton of broken shovels. I don't know what to do with them, so I've just been sticking them in this bucket. You're welcome to have them."
...No way... Really!?
In 2 months of scrounging on my own, I'd only been able to turn up 2 shovels and a pitch fork. And now, in the span of a 10min conversation, I had a dozen of them, all set and ready to go!
That just made my day. I will have to make him a nice beetle or something out of one of those shovels.
Now, this was just the start of my week. I still had to swing over to the steel yard to pick up some more items I needed for a current commission, as well as some other supplies from Home Depot, and I had that Barn owl order to ship out. And once I had all this done, it was back to the shop.
I have a commission for a pet urn I've been working on, on and off, for a while now, and it's nearly done. It's proven to be more difficult and time consuming then I anticipated, and I've had to push it back a few times in order to complete orders for things on a deadline. But finally I'm nearly done and should be wrapping that up pretty quick and getting it out of my hair.
I also finally sat down and completed the other half of the above commission, which are a set of paws to go on a mailbox. These were surprisingly time consuming to craft, but all in all, turned out very well. They're big paws too, with the largest being around 8in, and the smaller ones around 5 1/2in.
I'd say the biggest accomplishment of this week was finally creating a GOOD sign for my shop! Or rather... my booth I should say.
I've never really had a decent sign for my shop for when I was out attending markets and festivals and fairs. The old one was this super simple, ugly looking thing about the size of a dinner plate. Just a metal filter with a simple cut out over the top of it. It was meant only to be a placeholder until I crafted a good sign... which I never seemed to get around to... for like... the last year...
But with an art festival coming up, and new markets to try out, I decided it was time I made me a GOOD sign. One that properly represented my studio, my art, and my capabilities.
The Iron Phoenix. It is the name of my studio... it is the first design I ever created and built... it is my mascot... and thus, it seems appropriate that I should have an Iron Phoenix to hold my sign!
At 6ft tall, and 2ft across, this is definitely going to catch peoples attention, and its a unique and interesting way to display my studio and my work.
Since I have to set up / tear down my stands by myself fairly often, and everything has to fit in my truck, I made sure this whole thing could come apart, so that it could be transported easily.
This also gave me the perfect opportunity to try out my new toy! The biggest reason I picked up the torch kit was so I could create the beautiful rainbow heat coloring across my sculptures. And what better subject for its maiden voyage then my Iron Phoenix? After all... that's how I colored the original as well.
The week wrapped up with me dropping off this and my Punk Monkey (as seen above) at the Lehi Round Up art show. I'll know the results of that later this week.
I then had the pleasure of exploring the Utah Arts Festival! I dragged my bro and cousin up there and we looked around at all the vendors. I had to say hi to my former boss and another local artist, Fred Conlon of the Sugarpost. This was one of the art festival I had applied to, and had been rejected. Looking at it now, I'm glad I didn't make it in... I'm not sure I would've had anything to sell! Not with how swamped I've been. But I'm glad I went... it was cool seeing all the different varieties of art. But even more importantly... I realized that all the things I was seeing... weren't exactly incredible pieces of art. Yea, they were nice... but they weren't absolutely amazing. It helped me realize that my work was going to fit in just fine. And that was a nice confidence booster that I needed.
Well, here's round 2 of blogging!
In my first post, I rambled a bit about the joys of creation. This post gets down to the grittier aspects of the week.
First off... this whole month has been very expensive for me.
Truck registration had to be renewed. Spent some time down at the Scottish festival. Had to cut back hours at work in order to spend more time at my studio. Haven't really sold anything recently, but have been buying up supplies because I need to craft a ton of things in a very short amount of time. Had bills to pay.
In short... I ended up broke, really quick.
I tell you what... nothing ruins a week faster then realizing your broke and needing money and knowing you're S.O.L. until the next paycheck rolls in.
As fate would have it though... my aunt sent me a down payment on a big project she wants me to do. Thank god for good timing! Woo! Now I was finally able to sort out the expenses that had been hanging over my head.
I made sure to stash part of the payment into savings, but the rest went towards paying for that art festival and the torch kit. It's going to be months before I can get to her project... and in the mean time, my business has to make money, which means grabbing up opportunities to do just that. Like festivals. And markets.
I also need equipment. In this case... a new oxyacetylene torch kit! This has been on my 'Must Have' list for quite a while, and I finally had an opportunity to get it!
I am now lined up to attend the 4th of July, Sugar House Street Festival! It's a one day event where local artists and crafters gather to hock their wares. I did pretty good last year if I recall... and I'm hoping to do even better this year. Especially now that I have a better idea of what I'm doing. I just hope I can put together enough of an inventory for this, in the week or so I have left.
Despite the need to be at my shop, part of my business is networking. I have to talk to people. I have to make connections. I have to find places to show and sell my work locally. And I'm the only to do it.
So part of my week was spent chatting with a local nursery called Growing Wild which features some of my art. I hadn't talked with the owner much since last year, so I was telling him what I was up to and what I'd been working on. In particular, I told him about how I was putting together animals out of tools, and that I'd been having a hard time finding things like shovels, rakes, etc... at which point he walks over to his shed and says "Oh, I have a ton of broken shovels. I don't know what to do with them, so I've just been sticking them in this bucket. You're welcome to have them."
...No way... Really!?
In 2 months of scrounging on my own, I'd only been able to turn up 2 shovels and a pitch fork. And now, in the span of a 10min conversation, I had a dozen of them, all set and ready to go!
That just made my day. I will have to make him a nice beetle or something out of one of those shovels.
Now, this was just the start of my week. I still had to swing over to the steel yard to pick up some more items I needed for a current commission, as well as some other supplies from Home Depot, and I had that Barn owl order to ship out. And once I had all this done, it was back to the shop.
I have a commission for a pet urn I've been working on, on and off, for a while now, and it's nearly done. It's proven to be more difficult and time consuming then I anticipated, and I've had to push it back a few times in order to complete orders for things on a deadline. But finally I'm nearly done and should be wrapping that up pretty quick and getting it out of my hair.I also finally sat down and completed the other half of the above commission, which are a set of paws to go on a mailbox. These were surprisingly time consuming to craft, but all in all, turned out very well. They're big paws too, with the largest being around 8in, and the smaller ones around 5 1/2in.
I'd say the biggest accomplishment of this week was finally creating a GOOD sign for my shop! Or rather... my booth I should say.
I've never really had a decent sign for my shop for when I was out attending markets and festivals and fairs. The old one was this super simple, ugly looking thing about the size of a dinner plate. Just a metal filter with a simple cut out over the top of it. It was meant only to be a placeholder until I crafted a good sign... which I never seemed to get around to... for like... the last year...
But with an art festival coming up, and new markets to try out, I decided it was time I made me a GOOD sign. One that properly represented my studio, my art, and my capabilities.
The Iron Phoenix. It is the name of my studio... it is the first design I ever created and built... it is my mascot... and thus, it seems appropriate that I should have an Iron Phoenix to hold my sign!
At 6ft tall, and 2ft across, this is definitely going to catch peoples attention, and its a unique and interesting way to display my studio and my work.
Since I have to set up / tear down my stands by myself fairly often, and everything has to fit in my truck, I made sure this whole thing could come apart, so that it could be transported easily.
This also gave me the perfect opportunity to try out my new toy! The biggest reason I picked up the torch kit was so I could create the beautiful rainbow heat coloring across my sculptures. And what better subject for its maiden voyage then my Iron Phoenix? After all... that's how I colored the original as well.
The week wrapped up with me dropping off this and my Punk Monkey (as seen above) at the Lehi Round Up art show. I'll know the results of that later this week.
I then had the pleasure of exploring the Utah Arts Festival! I dragged my bro and cousin up there and we looked around at all the vendors. I had to say hi to my former boss and another local artist, Fred Conlon of the Sugarpost. This was one of the art festival I had applied to, and had been rejected. Looking at it now, I'm glad I didn't make it in... I'm not sure I would've had anything to sell! Not with how swamped I've been. But I'm glad I went... it was cool seeing all the different varieties of art. But even more importantly... I realized that all the things I was seeing... weren't exactly incredible pieces of art. Yea, they were nice... but they weren't absolutely amazing. It helped me realize that my work was going to fit in just fine. And that was a nice confidence booster that I needed.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Hands you surprises...
Oh man, this week has been nuts!
So much has been going on in fact, that I'm gonna have to write a couple blog posts!
Unless of course ya'll like reading small novels....
-------
You know what I like about art?
About a week and a half ago, a customer purchased one of my Barn Owls from my Etsy Shop.
Since the only one I had left was the rusted up one on the back porch, I whipped her up a brand new one.
Now, the Barn Owl was a design I created last year (summer of 2011) while I was experimenting with horseshoes and wind chimes.
This was a really rough time for me. My business wasn't doing very well. I didn't have any work. My finances were hurting a lot. And I was always receiving 'suggestions' about what my art SHOULD be (which apparently was copies of the cheap, mass produced Walmart crap, because that's what people supposedly liked).
This all amounted to making me incredibly depressed and struggling to find ways of making fast, easy designs that didn't look like cheap crap. Which for some people, is very easy... but for me? Not so much... I don't do 'simple and cute' very well.
I also stumbled upon the discovery that making functional wind chimes that actually DID what they were suppose to do was not as easy as I thought it would be... apparently there's actually some SCIENCE that goes into those things, other then just hanging some bells off chains.
In the end... the best I could come up with was a spinner type thing. A spinner I tried to make as simple as possible, because I wanted these to be nice, affordable decorations that wouldn't consume a lot of time.
Well... unfortunately... though the design is fairly cute, it was still time consuming, and ultimately a little lacking. Which resulted in it not being much of a big seller. Which to me, felt like I'd wasted a huge amount of time and materials on a dud.
I didn't bother touching the design again.
Fast forward to a week and a half ago. Oh snap! Someone actually BOUGHT one of these little guys! Looks like I'll have to make one up!
Except... the design hadn't gotten any prettier in the year it'd been sitting around collecting dust. And if I was going to make up a new one... then gosh darn it! I was gonna do it right!
One of the things I am always doing is revising, adjusting, stream lining, and sometimes scrapping, old designs and ideas. Rarely is the first incarnation of a sculpture the best it will ever be. There is always room for improvement, and I like to improve.
That boring, kinda cute, kinda bleh Barn Owl design needed an overhaul. And I'd just been handed the perfect opportunity to do so.
I wanted to stick with the original design concept, but the tiny, pointy wings had to go! So did that ugly, wilty tail! And in their place... something much fluffier, broader, and cuter. Barn Owls are going to look stumpy and fat because of the horseshoe, so emphasizing that was going to look better.
I also replaced the flat, dead washer eyes with some big, bright, blue ones! My washer-and-marble technique has improved drastically since those early days, and I had a bunch of round marbles that needed a purpose.
The beak also broadened a bit, making it a little less angular.
All of this resulted in 'filling out' the owls shape, so it looked more natural, rather then super fat with a tiny face and tiny wings.
I tried out a new kind of chain... much smaller and lighter weight then the original chain, and a lot cleaner looking. The owl also received a new paint job. My previous owls paint was due to the fact that I'd cut the tail out of an old business sign. That wasn't going to work forever, and I wanted a cleaner, prettier alternative.
This same afternoon, I decided to try out another owl design. I was really liking where the new and improved Barn Owl was going, but I wanted to go a different route with the horseshoe, while still using the same design patterns.
That's another thing I like to do... patterns are almost NEVER solely exclusive to the sculpture I originally designed them for. Almost anything can have alternate applications.
You know what I really like about art?
Even though you are the creator, the designer, the architect, the painter, the writer, the 'wizard behind the magic'... even though you are there for every step of the creation process... the finished product can still surprise you.
Art has a mind of its own. Whether it's writing, dancing, singing, painting, digitalizing, sculpting, photographing... whatever it may be... when you sit down and start making something, there's no guarantee that it'll turn out how you had planned. Sometimes a design picks itself up and takes off in a direction you weren't expecting, and by the time you sit back and look at your finished piece, you think "Damn! You are one sexy devil."
That's kind of how I felt with this owl. I had a fair idea of what I was going for. Something a bit bigger then the Barn Owl, utilizing the same patterns. The only new thing really was making an actual head.
But when I finished putting this together... buffed him up, brushed some paint across its wings... all I could think was "OMG!! You turned out SO MORE AWESOME and cute and fluffy and 'hangs-perfectly-on-the-wall' then I had anticipated!"
That is what I love about art. Even though I create every piece with my own hand, it will still surprise me. It will do things I wasn't planning on. It'll change shapes and sizes and themes. Sudden flashes of inspiration will send me romping down a creative path I hadn't anticipated, dragging my poor sculpture behind me and winging it into a form it hadn't originally been intended for. And sometimes... yes, a fair bit of those sometimes... it'll turn out way uglier then I thought it would. But that is the beauty of art. It lives, it moves, it does the unexpected. Even its creators don't always know how it turns out.
And I for one like it that way!
So much has been going on in fact, that I'm gonna have to write a couple blog posts!
Unless of course ya'll like reading small novels....
-------
You know what I like about art?
About a week and a half ago, a customer purchased one of my Barn Owls from my Etsy Shop.
Since the only one I had left was the rusted up one on the back porch, I whipped her up a brand new one.Now, the Barn Owl was a design I created last year (summer of 2011) while I was experimenting with horseshoes and wind chimes.
This was a really rough time for me. My business wasn't doing very well. I didn't have any work. My finances were hurting a lot. And I was always receiving 'suggestions' about what my art SHOULD be (which apparently was copies of the cheap, mass produced Walmart crap, because that's what people supposedly liked).
This all amounted to making me incredibly depressed and struggling to find ways of making fast, easy designs that didn't look like cheap crap. Which for some people, is very easy... but for me? Not so much... I don't do 'simple and cute' very well.
I also stumbled upon the discovery that making functional wind chimes that actually DID what they were suppose to do was not as easy as I thought it would be... apparently there's actually some SCIENCE that goes into those things, other then just hanging some bells off chains.
In the end... the best I could come up with was a spinner type thing. A spinner I tried to make as simple as possible, because I wanted these to be nice, affordable decorations that wouldn't consume a lot of time.
Well... unfortunately... though the design is fairly cute, it was still time consuming, and ultimately a little lacking. Which resulted in it not being much of a big seller. Which to me, felt like I'd wasted a huge amount of time and materials on a dud.
I didn't bother touching the design again.
Fast forward to a week and a half ago. Oh snap! Someone actually BOUGHT one of these little guys! Looks like I'll have to make one up!
Except... the design hadn't gotten any prettier in the year it'd been sitting around collecting dust. And if I was going to make up a new one... then gosh darn it! I was gonna do it right!
One of the things I am always doing is revising, adjusting, stream lining, and sometimes scrapping, old designs and ideas. Rarely is the first incarnation of a sculpture the best it will ever be. There is always room for improvement, and I like to improve.
That boring, kinda cute, kinda bleh Barn Owl design needed an overhaul. And I'd just been handed the perfect opportunity to do so.
I also replaced the flat, dead washer eyes with some big, bright, blue ones! My washer-and-marble technique has improved drastically since those early days, and I had a bunch of round marbles that needed a purpose.
The beak also broadened a bit, making it a little less angular.
All of this resulted in 'filling out' the owls shape, so it looked more natural, rather then super fat with a tiny face and tiny wings.
I tried out a new kind of chain... much smaller and lighter weight then the original chain, and a lot cleaner looking. The owl also received a new paint job. My previous owls paint was due to the fact that I'd cut the tail out of an old business sign. That wasn't going to work forever, and I wanted a cleaner, prettier alternative.
This same afternoon, I decided to try out another owl design. I was really liking where the new and improved Barn Owl was going, but I wanted to go a different route with the horseshoe, while still using the same design patterns.
That's another thing I like to do... patterns are almost NEVER solely exclusive to the sculpture I originally designed them for. Almost anything can have alternate applications.
You know what I really like about art?
Even though you are the creator, the designer, the architect, the painter, the writer, the 'wizard behind the magic'... even though you are there for every step of the creation process... the finished product can still surprise you.
Art has a mind of its own. Whether it's writing, dancing, singing, painting, digitalizing, sculpting, photographing... whatever it may be... when you sit down and start making something, there's no guarantee that it'll turn out how you had planned. Sometimes a design picks itself up and takes off in a direction you weren't expecting, and by the time you sit back and look at your finished piece, you think "Damn! You are one sexy devil."
That's kind of how I felt with this owl. I had a fair idea of what I was going for. Something a bit bigger then the Barn Owl, utilizing the same patterns. The only new thing really was making an actual head.
But when I finished putting this together... buffed him up, brushed some paint across its wings... all I could think was "OMG!! You turned out SO MORE AWESOME and cute and fluffy and 'hangs-perfectly-on-the-wall' then I had anticipated!"
That is what I love about art. Even though I create every piece with my own hand, it will still surprise me. It will do things I wasn't planning on. It'll change shapes and sizes and themes. Sudden flashes of inspiration will send me romping down a creative path I hadn't anticipated, dragging my poor sculpture behind me and winging it into a form it hadn't originally been intended for. And sometimes... yes, a fair bit of those sometimes... it'll turn out way uglier then I thought it would. But that is the beauty of art. It lives, it moves, it does the unexpected. Even its creators don't always know how it turns out.
And I for one like it that way!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
This Year I will Be.... 2012
Hey everyone!
Been a while since I updated here... so much for that whole 'update every week thing' huh?
Well, in my defense... been pretty busy... and not neccessarily with much to report on!
Seeing as the summer is winding up and things are going to start getting really interesting here, I decided I needed to lay out my schedule! I'm not attending as many events as I did last year (mainly cuz most of those were huge flops and not worth wasting time on again), but the ones I am attending are new and pretty significant. For those of you who're interested in meeting me in person, or who'd like to support my work, or who're just interesting in knowing when and where I am doing things, then mark your calendars!
Note: All locations are in Utah. I don't have anything going on outside of Utah just yet.
South Jordan Art Show @ the Gale Center (10300 S. Beckstead Lane, S. Jordan)
May 15 - June 16
(I entered Umbrella Monkey and Tuleep Crawler in this show, and won 1st on the monkey. Woo! Had some stiff competition this year with a pair of cool ceramic vases)
Lehi Round-Up Art Show @ Lehi Arts Building (685 N. Center, Lehi)
June 25 - 30
(I entered my new Iron Phoenix sign stand and my Punk Monkey. Results still pending)
American Fork Steel Days Art Show @ American Fork Library (64 S. 100 E., American Fork)
July 19 - 21
Midvale Harvest Days Art Show @ Midvale City Park Bowery(425 W. 6th Ave., Midvale)
August 8 - 11
Sandy City Art Show @ Sandy Senior Center (9310 S. 1300 E., Sandy)
Not yet Listed
Sugar House Farmers Market @ Sugar House Park (1500 E 2100 S., Sugar House)
Runs July 13 - Oct. 19 - every Friday
I will be attending the opening day, and the ending day (as listed above). Depending on how the first day goes, I may or may not apply for other days later in the summer
(Possibly) Park City Silly Market @ Park City
This one is still up for debate. Last year was not very lucrative, and it's very expensive. I may give it a shot towards the end of summer, but we'll see how things are going at that point.
(Possibly) Wheeler Farm Farmers Market @ Wheeler Farm (6351 S. 900 E.)
Runs every Sunday, 9am-2pm - June through October
I just recently found out about this, but after scouting it out, it looks promising! I'm a little too busy to try and do this right now, but I may give it a shot during September and October.
Summerfest @ Bountiful City Park (200 W. 400N., Bountiful)
August 4 - 6
This will be my first official art festival! OMG!! This is going to be quite an experience... and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be totally unprepared and make a mess of it... But hopefully this will be the first in more big festivals to come!
4th of July Street Festival @ 2100 S. Highland Dr. (Sugar House)
July 4th
I will be attending this one day street festival this year. This is a really neat local event, and if you're looking for something to do on July 4th, then come down and support your local art community!
The Bird House - 8610 S. State St., Sandy (there's also a location in St. George) [Link]
This is a lawn and garden shop that sells outdoor decorations. It is a really cool place, with a lot of cool stuff. I've sold quite a bit of my work here, and I've gotten a lot of commissions through the owner. So far this has been my best success, and is a definite must if you're looking for yard art.
Growing Wild - 372 E. 2100 S. Sugar House [Link]
This is a small nursery that specializes in native Utah plants and landscaping. It's a really cool place, with a different outlook on yard decorating. I have a few sculptures on display here that are available for sale. Really need to get over there and drop off a few more things!
Epic Puzzles and Games - 3612 W. 4700 S. West Valley & 785 E. 200 S. Ste 1. Lehi [Link]
I am not yet selling my work at these locations... but I've talked to the owners a bit and they've shown a lot of interest. I just need to contact them to sit down and actually make some plans! These will be great avenues to sell my fantasy art and gives me more excuses to craft gaming binders.
Game Haven - 1609 W. 9000 S. West Jordan [Link]
I am not yet selling my work here, but I've talked to the owner a bit and he's shown a lot of interest. I just need to sit down with him and actually make some plans! This will also be another good avenue for selling my fantasy art and gaming accessories.
Have I covered everything? I think so!
These plans are subject to change, of course, depending on how things shape up during the year. My fall and winter schedules are open so far, but we'll see if anything wanders in and takes up residence.
I'm really happy with how this year is turning out. I've had a lot more work, I have new opportunities, trying some new things, and have been, by far, much more successful then last year. With some luck, business will keep right on rolling into the holidays and hopefully next year will be even better!
Been a while since I updated here... so much for that whole 'update every week thing' huh?
Well, in my defense... been pretty busy... and not neccessarily with much to report on!
Seeing as the summer is winding up and things are going to start getting really interesting here, I decided I needed to lay out my schedule! I'm not attending as many events as I did last year (mainly cuz most of those were huge flops and not worth wasting time on again), but the ones I am attending are new and pretty significant. For those of you who're interested in meeting me in person, or who'd like to support my work, or who're just interesting in knowing when and where I am doing things, then mark your calendars!
Note: All locations are in Utah. I don't have anything going on outside of Utah just yet.
Art Shows
- These are small, local art competitions I enter sculptures in. I did really well last year, so hopefully this year will be a winner as well!South Jordan Art Show @ the Gale Center (10300 S. Beckstead Lane, S. Jordan)
May 15 - June 16
(I entered Umbrella Monkey and Tuleep Crawler in this show, and won 1st on the monkey. Woo! Had some stiff competition this year with a pair of cool ceramic vases)
Lehi Round-Up Art Show @ Lehi Arts Building (685 N. Center, Lehi)
June 25 - 30
(I entered my new Iron Phoenix sign stand and my Punk Monkey. Results still pending)
American Fork Steel Days Art Show @ American Fork Library (64 S. 100 E., American Fork)
July 19 - 21
Midvale Harvest Days Art Show @ Midvale City Park Bowery(425 W. 6th Ave., Midvale)
August 8 - 11
Sandy City Art Show @ Sandy Senior Center (9310 S. 1300 E., Sandy)
Not yet Listed
Farmers Markets
- A lot of local markets host not only food vendors but local artists as well. Last year I tried out a few, with minimal success. This year I wasn't able to attend many, but I am trying out a new one.
Sugar House Farmers Market @ Sugar House Park (1500 E 2100 S., Sugar House)
Runs July 13 - Oct. 19 - every Friday
I will be attending the opening day, and the ending day (as listed above). Depending on how the first day goes, I may or may not apply for other days later in the summer
(Possibly) Park City Silly Market @ Park City
This one is still up for debate. Last year was not very lucrative, and it's very expensive. I may give it a shot towards the end of summer, but we'll see how things are going at that point.
(Possibly) Wheeler Farm Farmers Market @ Wheeler Farm (6351 S. 900 E.)
Runs every Sunday, 9am-2pm - June through October
I just recently found out about this, but after scouting it out, it looks promising! I'm a little too busy to try and do this right now, but I may give it a shot during September and October.
Art Festival
- Art Festivals are events specially designed to showcase artists and their work. These are usually big events, they require you to apply months in advance and are pretty significant if you can get in. I must have applied to at least a dozen this year, and got turned down by every one except...
Summerfest @ Bountiful City Park (200 W. 400N., Bountiful)
August 4 - 6
This will be my first official art festival! OMG!! This is going to be quite an experience... and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be totally unprepared and make a mess of it... But hopefully this will be the first in more big festivals to come!
4th of July Street Festival @ 2100 S. Highland Dr. (Sugar House)
July 4th
I will be attending this one day street festival this year. This is a really neat local event, and if you're looking for something to do on July 4th, then come down and support your local art community!
Local Shops to find my Art
- These are some local shops where I sell my work, or have it on display! There's also a few places here that I've talked to, and hopefully I will be able to make arrangements with them to sell my work on consignment!
The Bird House - 8610 S. State St., Sandy (there's also a location in St. George) [Link]
This is a lawn and garden shop that sells outdoor decorations. It is a really cool place, with a lot of cool stuff. I've sold quite a bit of my work here, and I've gotten a lot of commissions through the owner. So far this has been my best success, and is a definite must if you're looking for yard art.
Growing Wild - 372 E. 2100 S. Sugar House [Link]
This is a small nursery that specializes in native Utah plants and landscaping. It's a really cool place, with a different outlook on yard decorating. I have a few sculptures on display here that are available for sale. Really need to get over there and drop off a few more things!
Epic Puzzles and Games - 3612 W. 4700 S. West Valley & 785 E. 200 S. Ste 1. Lehi [Link]
I am not yet selling my work at these locations... but I've talked to the owners a bit and they've shown a lot of interest. I just need to contact them to sit down and actually make some plans! These will be great avenues to sell my fantasy art and gives me more excuses to craft gaming binders.
Game Haven - 1609 W. 9000 S. West Jordan [Link]
I am not yet selling my work here, but I've talked to the owner a bit and he's shown a lot of interest. I just need to sit down with him and actually make some plans! This will also be another good avenue for selling my fantasy art and gaming accessories.
Have I covered everything? I think so!
These plans are subject to change, of course, depending on how things shape up during the year. My fall and winter schedules are open so far, but we'll see if anything wanders in and takes up residence.
I'm really happy with how this year is turning out. I've had a lot more work, I have new opportunities, trying some new things, and have been, by far, much more successful then last year. With some luck, business will keep right on rolling into the holidays and hopefully next year will be even better!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Scrappin' It Up
If you are at all familiar with artists or art in general, I'm sure you've heard of 'phases'.
Artists go into 'phases' for a variety of reasons. Maybe they're expanding their knowledge and trying out a new design element. Perhaps they're experiencing a particularly difficult or joyful period in their lives and it's influencing their work. Maybe they're working with a new partner, and so they're learning to mesh their collective ideas and creativity.
Or they could just be trying to clear out some of the accumulated crap in their shop...
That's about where you find me right now!
I don't indulge in 'themes' and 'phases' all that much... mainly on account of A) Being too busy. B) Don't have the resources to indulge in that. Or C) No creative new projects in mind.
But for once, I have a goal! A theme if you will... one that is both potentially lucrative, doesn't cost me extra money, and is benefiting me and my shop.
Since most of my work is done in sheet metal, cutting out various patterns and designs, I always have bits and pieces of scrap left over. This scrap... if it doesn't find a home in some art project or another, ends up accumulating in my cutting table... on the flower... on tables... and in various buckets. And it's finally getting to the point where I just have TOO MUCH!!!
Seriously... there was like... three 5gal buckets of assorted bits of scrap... not to mention the scrap piled up in the catch-trough of my cutting table. That's a lot of perfectly good steel. Way too much to be throwing away, but none of it really large enough or functional enough for my to actively incorporate into my work.
And so, in an effort to try and clean up this scrap without throwing it out, I've started finding creative uses for it!
Of course, there has been some trial and error... it's not that easy to just through a bunch of scrap together and create something chaotic and messy but with a defined shape and design and have it actually LOOK good. Believe it or not... there's a lot of consideration that goes into building things with scrap and how it will look, how it presents, and whether or not you should be using the big pieces or the little pieces.
I've already managed to wreck 2 small containers and made a not-so-fantastic flower before I finally got some designs rolling I liked. And I think I'm finally getting the hand of this... kickin' out some good look sculptures now.
This is an avenue I am both familiar with... and unfamiliar with...
As an artist who likes creating recycled art, I actively try and use old, worn out things, or reuse my own left overs. Particularly scrap... if I can fit a pattern onto a piece of scrap, I'd rather cut that up then my nice, whole piece of sheet metal. That being said... I am not much of an abstract thinking or creator. Nor have I actively tried to incorporate random scrap into my work, as it is a fine balance between 'artistically messy and chaotic' and 'wow, that looks like crap'. So there's actually quite a bit of learning going on for me. Getting in touch with my 'abstract and messy' side if you will.So far... I'm actually rather enjoying it!
It's a fun and interesting process building these 3D forms out of bits and pieces that are in no way designed to fit together, and then making them fit together in a cohesive fashion so that when you look at it, you can see exactly what it is I am trying to do, while still keeping that empty, negative space. (and keeping it friendly to the touch)
Not only that... but my scrap pile is getting smaller! Woo!
I chewed through an entire bucket of scrap that's been following me for the last 2yrs! Granted, I've probably half-filled that bucket already with some of the other things I've been making... but I still put a dent in it! And I've got 2 more buckets to go still!
I wonder if this is how abstract artists get into their work sometimes? I'm sure most artists have trouble dealing with the assorted bits and pieces that inevitably start gathering in the corners of their shops and studios...
Artist: "Hmmm... I can't think of anything to turn all this crap into! Maybe I'll just start sticking it together and see what happens..." BOOM!! Instant abstract success!
Perhaps I'll have to try that next... hmmm....
Oooor... maybe I'll just stick with the ideas I already have... I'm sure I could make a really awesome turtle out of this stuff...
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Mothers Day
Once again, it is that time of year where families across the globe pay homage and respect to the women in their lives who raised them, nurtured them, played with them, guided them, taught them, healed them, and supported them.
It is also that time of year when we remember and laugh about all the times that mothers yelled at us, grounded us, smacked our hands, paddled our butts, dragged us to church, kicked us out of the house, took our toys, and made our homework bleed red ink.
Yes, despite what the advertising companies would have you believe, mothers are not all sweet and wonderful paragons of virtue and kindness. There is a darkness in all mothers.... a savage wrath that lurks just beneath the surface of those warm smiles and comforting hugs, just waiting to be unleashed upon their unsuspecting offspring.... generally as a result of said offspring doing something stupid or dangerous that they should know better not to...
I come from a family that is not particularly well known for their sappiness. So all the pink frills and fluffy and flowery words and poems and phrases that are currently plastered all over the card racks at the store don't really inspire any sentimental feelings when it comes to our mom.
Which isn't to say that my mom is some sort of savage, cold-hearted brute.
I have a wonderful mom. In fact, both my parents are wonderful, and I have so much respect and gratitude for them and how they raised us and all the things they taught us.
Though it took me till my mid-20's to realize this... which was about the time where things began to occur in my life and I found myself thinking "Dang it! My parents were right..."
NOT... that I would opening admit this to them, of course... *ahem*
As I grow older, I find that the things I reflect on change from year to year. As a child, Mothers Day didn't hold that much interest. It was a day where my siblings and I would be harassed into cleaning up the house, then we'd all write a quick "I love you mom" in a card, which would then be presented to her along with a gift my dad chose for her (occasionally with input from us).
When I hit my teens and early 20's, Mothers Day was just another small holiday that I always forgot about... I am so terrible with remember dates... for-warnings usually consisted of "So what're you doing for Mothers Day?" to which my response was "Huh? Oh... is it time for that?" So suffice it to say... not much happened on my end... though I usually managed to at least jot down the traditional 'Love you Mom' in a card.
To this day I still forget about Mothers Day... every year I remember it only because someone else mentions it. And even then, I never know the actual date until that Sunday, at which point its a bit late to do anything. But Mothers Day is no longer just 'another holiday', to be briefly mentioned then forgotten.
As I said, as I've gotten older and set out into the world as an adult, learning to take care of myself and live on my own, going to college, getting jobs... many of the teachings I received from my parents have come back to haunt me. All those annoying 'parental' things suddenly began to make sense.
I'm not going to go on a long, sappy shpeel about how kind and wonderful and loving my mom is... there's enough people doing that today. That's also not how I remember my mom... its not what stands out to me.
The things I remember... the things I reminisce about and respect about my mom... were the things she taught us, and the things she didn't. It was the every day practical things that you never think about, but are what enable you to go out into the world and live and survive.
My mom has never been a girly kind of mom. She didn't care for make-up or fashion, and so that was something that my sisters had to pick up from others... though I was far too corrupted by my father by that point. While it seems an odd point to be proud of... I am. Because of that, my siblings and I grew up playing in the mud and the dirt. We raised chickens and turkeys and geese, as well as cats, dogs, bunnies, and sheep. We learned to take care of a variety of animals that most people only ever see on farms or in books. We learned how to pull weeds, how to mow lawns, how to trim bushes, and how to rake leaves. We didn't mind getting dirt or paint all over our clothes, or running around barefoot, or drinking out of hoses.
We didn't waste time or money on fancy clothing, or fashionable brands, or expensive make-up. We didn't need that to feel special, or pretty. In fact... my mom taught us that fashion didn't matter if it wasn't comfortable. I know, who sits here on Mothers Day and thinks about the pros and cons of comfortable clothes? But it's true... nothing beats a good, comfortable pair of shoes when you spend all day on your feet at work, or hiking up a trail. All those frills and lace don't mean anything if the clothing isn't comfortable to move in, or gets ruined in the dirt, or gets torn by a bush.
My mom taught us the importance of comfort when it comes to our clothes, our beds, our cars, our travels. Such simple, practical knowledge, but it's something I think about and I am grateful for.
But there's more to my mom then fashion and dirt. Growing up, my mom was very poor. Her dad worked in the army, and so her family was always moving to new places. As soon as she was old enough to start working, she moved out and got a job. Education and hard work was something she strongly believed in, and something she strived for. I am happy to say she wasn't the kind of woman who simply wanted to get married and raise a family (no offense to women who do that).
I think the greatest thing that my mom instilled in all us children was a strong sense of the importance of work and education.
She was, and still is, a straight A student. As a teenager and young adult, she worked hard to support herself, spending 40+hrs a week behind a register, while also attending school. She was active in the church and church activities. And when she did have children and began to raise a family, she was able to stay home and devote her time and energies to being with us.
My parents weren't willing to settle for 'just ok' when it came to schooling. All of us kids were expected to pull A's and B's in all of our classes, and so they were always there to help us with the work. They made sure to ask us every day "What homework do you have?". They made sure we sat down and did it before we could play. Then they would look over it and check our work, and if something was wrong, they'd show us how to fix it.
I am proud to say that I and all my siblings averaged a 3.5-4.0 GPA all through grade school. And I know, without a doubt, that it was because of my parents, my moms, dedication to education that allowed us to do that. Because let me tell you... Math, English, History... not my best subjects... And once college began, I was able to take that knowledge, those skills, and apply them to my classes. And if I needed help with my homework, I had someone who I could turn to.
Because of my mom, I was able to graduate with an AAS in Biotechnology. I was able to average a 3.2-3.5 GPA all through college. Because I knew the importance of an education.
My first job was working in a Little Caesars Cafe in a Kmart. It was stressful, busy, messy, unpleasant work... but I stuck with it while I attended college. My parents, my mom, had instilled in my siblings and I a strong sense of work ethic and responsibility. I made sure I was always on time for work. When I was at work, I was there to do work, and I made sure my daily tasks and assignments were completed. This ethic, this strong sense of responsibility, has followed me all my adult life in every job I've had. I cannot simply sit back and settle for 'just enough', because I had a mom who was not content with 'just enough' and she passed that on to us.
When I was 23 I had the opportunity to move out of state to live with my cousin. This was also the first opportunity I had to move out of my parents house. And let me tell you... I was more then ready to do so!
Another thing I am exceedingly grateful for that my mom taught us kids... Independence.
I have met many people who, once they moved out on their own, couldn't not function properly in common, every day tasks. They had no idea how to wash their own clothes. They couldn't use a washing machine. They didn't understand how to clean their home and take care of themselves. They couldn't cook. They had no idea how to manage their finances. All these practical, every day things that were so ordinary to me, were beyond them... because they had mothers who took care of everything for them and never taught them how to do it.
My parents understood the value of teachings us how to live on our own and take care of our home and ourselves. And they knew the importance of not letting us get comfortable just staying home. This is something they've definitely achieved. As much as we all love our parents... none of us kids have any desire to be at home longer then we have to be. We have had a taste of the freedom of living on our own... and it pleases us... and I am so grateful that I have a mother who instilled that into us. Who taught us how to be independent and encouraged it. So that we can step out into the world without fear.
I respect my mother and everything she has taught me so much. I am grateful that I was able to sit down with my family and eat dinner every night. I am grateful for all the vacations we went on and all the things we've seen, because I had a mother who loved to travel. I am grateful to have had a childhood that didn't have much money, because it taught me the importance of money, and the importance of not being too picky about the places you live. I'm grateful for having a mother who could stay home to raise her family and teach us about life and work and love.
Even when she got mad at us, grounded us, spanked us, dragged us to events we didn't want to go to, lectured us, etc... I look back at those moments and I can see how they have shaped my life and made me into the good person that I am. Yes, even the bad moments were what made my mom such a good mother, because we learned what was right and what was wrong.
I myself am not a mother. Not entirely sure if I ever will be... but my sister is. She has a little boy and a little girl on the way. I watch her and wonder how things will turn out for her and her family.
I also think of my life and the 'what-if's' of having a family. If I do have children some day, I know I will follow in my mothers footsteps and teach them many of the things she has taught me. She has helped shape me into the person that I am today, and I can't begin to find the words to properly say thank you to her, or to explain all the ways that she has influenced me.
I just hope that if I have children, I am able to do as good a job with them as she did with us.
It is also that time of year when we remember and laugh about all the times that mothers yelled at us, grounded us, smacked our hands, paddled our butts, dragged us to church, kicked us out of the house, took our toys, and made our homework bleed red ink.
Yes, despite what the advertising companies would have you believe, mothers are not all sweet and wonderful paragons of virtue and kindness. There is a darkness in all mothers.... a savage wrath that lurks just beneath the surface of those warm smiles and comforting hugs, just waiting to be unleashed upon their unsuspecting offspring.... generally as a result of said offspring doing something stupid or dangerous that they should know better not to...
I come from a family that is not particularly well known for their sappiness. So all the pink frills and fluffy and flowery words and poems and phrases that are currently plastered all over the card racks at the store don't really inspire any sentimental feelings when it comes to our mom.
Which isn't to say that my mom is some sort of savage, cold-hearted brute.
I have a wonderful mom. In fact, both my parents are wonderful, and I have so much respect and gratitude for them and how they raised us and all the things they taught us.
Though it took me till my mid-20's to realize this... which was about the time where things began to occur in my life and I found myself thinking "Dang it! My parents were right..."
NOT... that I would opening admit this to them, of course... *ahem*
As I grow older, I find that the things I reflect on change from year to year. As a child, Mothers Day didn't hold that much interest. It was a day where my siblings and I would be harassed into cleaning up the house, then we'd all write a quick "I love you mom" in a card, which would then be presented to her along with a gift my dad chose for her (occasionally with input from us).
When I hit my teens and early 20's, Mothers Day was just another small holiday that I always forgot about... I am so terrible with remember dates... for-warnings usually consisted of "So what're you doing for Mothers Day?" to which my response was "Huh? Oh... is it time for that?" So suffice it to say... not much happened on my end... though I usually managed to at least jot down the traditional 'Love you Mom' in a card.
To this day I still forget about Mothers Day... every year I remember it only because someone else mentions it. And even then, I never know the actual date until that Sunday, at which point its a bit late to do anything. But Mothers Day is no longer just 'another holiday', to be briefly mentioned then forgotten.
As I said, as I've gotten older and set out into the world as an adult, learning to take care of myself and live on my own, going to college, getting jobs... many of the teachings I received from my parents have come back to haunt me. All those annoying 'parental' things suddenly began to make sense.
I'm not going to go on a long, sappy shpeel about how kind and wonderful and loving my mom is... there's enough people doing that today. That's also not how I remember my mom... its not what stands out to me.
The things I remember... the things I reminisce about and respect about my mom... were the things she taught us, and the things she didn't. It was the every day practical things that you never think about, but are what enable you to go out into the world and live and survive.
My mom has never been a girly kind of mom. She didn't care for make-up or fashion, and so that was something that my sisters had to pick up from others... though I was far too corrupted by my father by that point. While it seems an odd point to be proud of... I am. Because of that, my siblings and I grew up playing in the mud and the dirt. We raised chickens and turkeys and geese, as well as cats, dogs, bunnies, and sheep. We learned to take care of a variety of animals that most people only ever see on farms or in books. We learned how to pull weeds, how to mow lawns, how to trim bushes, and how to rake leaves. We didn't mind getting dirt or paint all over our clothes, or running around barefoot, or drinking out of hoses.
We didn't waste time or money on fancy clothing, or fashionable brands, or expensive make-up. We didn't need that to feel special, or pretty. In fact... my mom taught us that fashion didn't matter if it wasn't comfortable. I know, who sits here on Mothers Day and thinks about the pros and cons of comfortable clothes? But it's true... nothing beats a good, comfortable pair of shoes when you spend all day on your feet at work, or hiking up a trail. All those frills and lace don't mean anything if the clothing isn't comfortable to move in, or gets ruined in the dirt, or gets torn by a bush.
My mom taught us the importance of comfort when it comes to our clothes, our beds, our cars, our travels. Such simple, practical knowledge, but it's something I think about and I am grateful for.
But there's more to my mom then fashion and dirt. Growing up, my mom was very poor. Her dad worked in the army, and so her family was always moving to new places. As soon as she was old enough to start working, she moved out and got a job. Education and hard work was something she strongly believed in, and something she strived for. I am happy to say she wasn't the kind of woman who simply wanted to get married and raise a family (no offense to women who do that).
I think the greatest thing that my mom instilled in all us children was a strong sense of the importance of work and education.
She was, and still is, a straight A student. As a teenager and young adult, she worked hard to support herself, spending 40+hrs a week behind a register, while also attending school. She was active in the church and church activities. And when she did have children and began to raise a family, she was able to stay home and devote her time and energies to being with us.
My parents weren't willing to settle for 'just ok' when it came to schooling. All of us kids were expected to pull A's and B's in all of our classes, and so they were always there to help us with the work. They made sure to ask us every day "What homework do you have?". They made sure we sat down and did it before we could play. Then they would look over it and check our work, and if something was wrong, they'd show us how to fix it.
I am proud to say that I and all my siblings averaged a 3.5-4.0 GPA all through grade school. And I know, without a doubt, that it was because of my parents, my moms, dedication to education that allowed us to do that. Because let me tell you... Math, English, History... not my best subjects... And once college began, I was able to take that knowledge, those skills, and apply them to my classes. And if I needed help with my homework, I had someone who I could turn to.
Because of my mom, I was able to graduate with an AAS in Biotechnology. I was able to average a 3.2-3.5 GPA all through college. Because I knew the importance of an education.
My first job was working in a Little Caesars Cafe in a Kmart. It was stressful, busy, messy, unpleasant work... but I stuck with it while I attended college. My parents, my mom, had instilled in my siblings and I a strong sense of work ethic and responsibility. I made sure I was always on time for work. When I was at work, I was there to do work, and I made sure my daily tasks and assignments were completed. This ethic, this strong sense of responsibility, has followed me all my adult life in every job I've had. I cannot simply sit back and settle for 'just enough', because I had a mom who was not content with 'just enough' and she passed that on to us.
When I was 23 I had the opportunity to move out of state to live with my cousin. This was also the first opportunity I had to move out of my parents house. And let me tell you... I was more then ready to do so!
Another thing I am exceedingly grateful for that my mom taught us kids... Independence.
I have met many people who, once they moved out on their own, couldn't not function properly in common, every day tasks. They had no idea how to wash their own clothes. They couldn't use a washing machine. They didn't understand how to clean their home and take care of themselves. They couldn't cook. They had no idea how to manage their finances. All these practical, every day things that were so ordinary to me, were beyond them... because they had mothers who took care of everything for them and never taught them how to do it.
My parents understood the value of teachings us how to live on our own and take care of our home and ourselves. And they knew the importance of not letting us get comfortable just staying home. This is something they've definitely achieved. As much as we all love our parents... none of us kids have any desire to be at home longer then we have to be. We have had a taste of the freedom of living on our own... and it pleases us... and I am so grateful that I have a mother who instilled that into us. Who taught us how to be independent and encouraged it. So that we can step out into the world without fear.
I respect my mother and everything she has taught me so much. I am grateful that I was able to sit down with my family and eat dinner every night. I am grateful for all the vacations we went on and all the things we've seen, because I had a mother who loved to travel. I am grateful to have had a childhood that didn't have much money, because it taught me the importance of money, and the importance of not being too picky about the places you live. I'm grateful for having a mother who could stay home to raise her family and teach us about life and work and love.
Even when she got mad at us, grounded us, spanked us, dragged us to events we didn't want to go to, lectured us, etc... I look back at those moments and I can see how they have shaped my life and made me into the good person that I am. Yes, even the bad moments were what made my mom such a good mother, because we learned what was right and what was wrong.
I myself am not a mother. Not entirely sure if I ever will be... but my sister is. She has a little boy and a little girl on the way. I watch her and wonder how things will turn out for her and her family.
I also think of my life and the 'what-if's' of having a family. If I do have children some day, I know I will follow in my mothers footsteps and teach them many of the things she has taught me. She has helped shape me into the person that I am today, and I can't begin to find the words to properly say thank you to her, or to explain all the ways that she has influenced me.
I just hope that if I have children, I am able to do as good a job with them as she did with us.
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