As someone who sells artwork created with my hands and from my imagination every sale is gratifying, a confirmation that I'm not alone in the beauty I see. However, when the purchase is made because of an intense connection where the buyer feels I must have created it just for them, it's magic. I feel the joy throughout my body!
Handmade jewelry makes a connection that mass-produced jewelry cannot. Recently I finished a whale tail pendant and earrings set and blogged about my inspiration.
Whale Tail Pendant and Bubbles Earrings
A friend and fan of mine asked me almost immediately whether they were still available. I explained to her the materials and her eyes lit up. The stones are Leland Bluestone which is a byproduct of iron foundry slag that mixed with Borax and formed these beautiful blue stones in Lake Michigan. Her late adored father, Lou Welsh, was the owner of Washington Ironworks. Of their many achievements is the beautiful ironwork at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Her maternal grandfather, Stephen Vidos and his brother Joseph, immigrants from Yugoslavia, founded the ironworks company.
What drew her to the piece initially was either her love of the ocean or the poignant reminder of a five year old who loved to draw whales. As a child growing up in southern California she drew whales, her favorite subject, with a fat body, tail and a smile and one particular time left a mark on her psyche. All the children had easels so their work was propped up and it made them feel like the real artists all children are. She was happily painting away, mixing blues and greens and coloring her whale scene. She saw her kindergarten teacher coming and was so proud and excited to show her the beautiful result. The teacher grabbed the art paper and asked her what she thought she was doing mixing paints? That she's told her many times not to mix paints. Then she tore up her masterpiece. ................................ Stunned child the result...
I was appalled! I cannot imagine an artist professor doing that in college let alone a grade school teacher doing that to a young child. Can you imagine what that did to her carefree delight in creating? As she herself puts it, she became "just another lawyer." (If you know her, you're chuckling out loud right now!) Thankfully anything but!! My friend is not a shy flower nor one to watch the world go by. She took up surfing in her early 40's and if I ever wanted to bungy jump or do the Amazing Race, she'd go off first and take the wheel respectively.
