Transforming Nature To Art

What it takes to complete a cast leaf pendant and necklace...

Sometimes I'm asked, "How long did this take you to make?" or, not as pleasantly, "Why do these necklaces cost so much?" Since a lot of people just do not realize the time and labor it takes to create craft or art pieces, I decided to add up the time it takes to make just one of my pendants (because, actually, I want to know, too!)

(The numbers in parentheses represent the approximate time for each phase).

First, I have to select a leaf. Do I just run out to the garden and cut a leaf off a plant? No. The leaf has to be without rips, bends, bites, or blemishes, it has to be pleasingly uniform and the right size, and if I'm making earrings they also have to match! THAT alone is a toughie! (10). Then I have to mix the cement and carefully spread it on this light, flyaway 1" leaf. If the air temperature is not just right, it may be too thin and I then have to apply another layer in a day. (20) I then have to peel the leaf off a day or two later, file any messy edges and soak it in water a few days so it cures (20). Then I hand paint it (15). Next the bail is glued on and the "dewdrop" is attached (FYI, I make the dewdrops by actually SPLITTING beads in half!) (15).

 The final procedure is mixing the two part polyurethane THOROUGHLY and spreading the sticky, messy compound on the leaf, going back several times to brush off the excess that pools on the piece (60) It takes 24 hours to dry, and if at that time I discover it had not been mixed enough, the poly will be cloudy and the piece is junk! There is no way to determine that while it is setting. This polyurethane was developed for furniture and the like ~ as usual for me, I use a lot of products for reasons NOT intended for that product, so I have to improvise ~ there are no guidelines or instructions!

SO... once that is finished, I can choose to sell it as a loose pendant, in which case I only have to place them in ziploc bags, punch a hole in it to hang, place a card of heavy black paper (I cut out myself) behind it with the name of the leaf written on it, place the care and description card (also written, printed and cut out by hand) in the bag, and price it! (10)

I sell these for $18.50 (plus tax). So, for 2 1/2 hours of work,this comes to $7.40 hr.

If I do make one of the custom neckchains for it, with the "organic" components such as Freshwater pearls, beads made from semiprecious stones or shell, terra cotta, brass, silver, copper, horn, etc., that adds at least another 45 minutes to the piece (along with the extra cost of the beads). Stringing beads is not brain surgery, BUT it does take time to think about the design and determine which colors and components to use. I sell the pendants with these for about $28, which sets me at the same hourly wage.This is not counting ANY materials cost! Unfortunately,for a lot of artisans, these are GOOD wages, too!

Do they LOOK as if all that work goes into them? I don't think so, and I don't feel that they SHOULD ~ they should look as if the leaf and colors just quietly came together. And that's what I believe is just an element of good Art.

Art In The Family

I grew up around a very good artist- my father. It was just a fact that he would be involved in the creation of one or another painting at any given time during my childhood. He complains now that I never complimented his work. That's because I took it for granted. Weren't everyones' fathers painters? Unfortunately, one of my parents' faults was overprotecting me to the point that I never got out around other humans to find out that actually, no, NOT everyone's parents were artists! But, that's the way it was.

If you are a follower of mine on Facebook, you probably know that dad is now currently in a nursing home, whether to eventually come home or not is still to be decided. But I visited his neighbor last week (who is actually the owner of a business next to his house) and took some pics of a couple of paintings he purchased from Dad hanging in their office. 

I have a secret, though....that large painting spent many years under my bed, unfinished. only the Native Americans were painted - no background. When my husband saw it, he told Dad he would pay him just to FINISH it, not even to sell to us! Took him many more years to finally decide to complete the painting, his neighbor happened to see it just before it was finished and immediately made an offer on it! So it has lived in above pictured room ever since.

Also unfortunately, my dad is one of those artists who think that if you're not a PAINTER, you're not really an artist! So I keep hearing the sentence: "Too bad you never became an artist!"  {{{sigh....}}}

Black Swamp Arts Festival 2010

Although every art show is the same in many ways, they are also very different from any of the others. Of course, we set up basically the same, have to bring the same materials and supplies, and have the same hopes and goals for the day(s) of the show.

But then, the weather always is an unknown (Check with the weathermen? Yeah, right... ), our "neighbors" are usually artisans we have not seen/met before, and the space or area is never the same. Of course, since I never have two pieces exactly alike,my inventory is constantly changing, too!

Sunday was beautiful...

And something new and exciting (to me!...) always happens at each event I participate in. This past weekend it was...

 1) Several people telling me that out of all the artists there, it was my art they liked the best (a few were men, too),

2) Someone affiliated with the Arts Commission asked me if I would be interested in having a one person show (no details were discussed; but hey, even being ASKED meant a lot!),
3) Hans Ruebel, one of the other artists in the Kuhlman Corp. exhibit, stopped by my booth to say hi, which was very nice of him

4) I made a great trade with Larry (of Lars Glass ~ one of my "Art Show mentors") for one of his Sun Chains, something I had been yearning for thru the past 3 shows we had both been to, and
 5) One woman who acquired a Faerie Door from me 3 weeks ago shared with me that she had been having an awfully bad day at the time, and finding her Faerie Door really brightened her mood ~ wow ~ what more could an artist want?!

...And I'm ashamed to say that I judged someone by their appearance, something I always try not to do ('Cause I have no room to talk!Have you seen how I dress at these things?!)

Anyway, coming back to our booth around the close of the second day, I discovered my husband conversing with a man who looked...well, I'll use his words- "I've been a "bum" all my life!" ( Hey, I work in downtown Toledo ~ believe me, I see a LOT of "bum" like creatures!)...So that was my initial thought, until we spoke with him for awhile, and realized he was no bum, just an artistic, free spirit who lives happily with his wife of 29 years (like us), childfree (also like us!) but not very many similarities beyond that. His wife then joined us, and we had an interesting and fun conversation with them about their lifestyle, (minimalist and mostly "off the grid"), our life, and art ~ and my preconceived idea of them quickly disappeared. These are folks I will remember for a long time... and Sam and Brenda, I look forward to seeing you again!

New Places...

Some of my work is now carried by Silver Lining Gallery in Waterville - I'm in their newsletter this month!~

Opening the treasure chest of local art!

Join Us at the Zoo


The Silver Lining Gallery is participating in the Destination Toledo Summer Expo at the zoo on Monday, May 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We will have a display booth featuring, not only the gallery, but all of the other wonderful businesses in Waterville . Be sure to stop by our booth to say hello and sign up for the Silver Lining Gallery gift certificate drawing.

Waterville Clock Tower

There’s Always Something NEW at the Silver Lining Gallery!


Stop by soon to check out all the new art at the gallery. The Silver Lining Gallery is fortunate to have many new artists interested in showing their work in our shop. In addition, our established artists frequently bring in new items so there is always something new to see! Stop by soon to be amazed by all of the wonderful choices available.


Here are just a few of the new artists at the gallery:

Acrylic paintings by Michael D. Hall

Glass by Debbie and Bob Less

Leaf casting by Nanci Shufritz  (!)

Silver Lining Gallery business hours:

 Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
 Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
 Thursdays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
 Fridays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
 Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays and Mondays



The Silver Lining Gallery Mission Statement - Opening the treasure chest of local art

• PROMOTE local artists by displaying their work

• OFFER eclectic creations for the enjoyment of all

• ENCOURAGE giving the gift of art to others

• ENHANCE the community by creating an environment for the arts

The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.


~William Faulkner

Silver Lining Gallery
122 Mechanic St.
Waterville, OH
419-441-0025
www.silverliningart.com
Co-owners: Sherry Seiler and Lisa Exner
silverlining@bex.net
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Things You May Not Know...

My work has sometimes been seen in unusual places. The most interesting setting might be here, at St. Luke's Hospital in Maumee, Ohio, where a red cabbage leaf decorates the Birthing Center!

It's a cute spot ; I guess I shouldn't have moved the baby in the picture below- but it was covering my leaf! 

The next spot we are visiting is the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, in Oak Harbor, Oh.....

 

Some of my work has been in their Visitor Center - here are some of my leaf pendants in a display.

Curb's Candle Co. in Toledo has carried some of my castings as well.

I am in the process of collecting photos of any of my leaves displayed in the gardens  or homes of people who have purchased them or had received one as a gift. If you also have one, please send it- when I compile enough of them, I'll post those, too.

The Leaves of Winter

 

The snow had melted some, so I went out to check my "inventory" of raw cement pieces I still have. "Hey!" I thought, "Not much more to do!" ..Then I looked to the left, And noticed....

OY! I guess I still have a while to go.....The large painted one is the largest Castor Bean leaf I've ever done - but it's too bulky to take anywhere!

While, indoors, here's one finished and one waiting....

Work Is Continuing

I have been on a quest for white cement (or any kind of a white cement or concrete product - mortar, resurfacer, whatever) ever since I cast my first piece, because I know the colors would be so much more vibrant if they were painted on white instead of grey. For some reason, everytime I read something ANYWHERE that goes like, "AND it can be found at any of your local home and garden stores!", OURS doesn't carry it. I have a Lowe's, a Home Depot, and a Menard's all within a couple miles of my house, and they don't carry white cement products, or things like smaller diameter copper pipe than 1/2" (which I could really use, also), etc., - and if I ask them if they can special order it, they all tell me No, in that special way that REALLY means, " Yeah, right! And go through a little extra work for YOU? No Way!". So much for being helpful to the do it yourselfers - sure,they can help, as long as it's something they already have in store! Yes, I have found it online, but I'm not paying shipping costs for CEMENT!

My second choice would be to paint a base coating of white, but the colors don't blend as easily on white paint. I HAVE found that white primer works quite well, and of course it is primer, so it would bond the paint to the piece better, and, although I usually don't have trouble with the paint adhering, it couldn't hurt! Here's my first try at a primed Rhubarb leaf, and I'm really happy with it! (Yes, the "worktable" that you see is the clothes washer!) This is only the first color after the white base coat....

..and here is the next color! I already see a drastic difference, and I'm really happy with it! I'm afraid I just added another step to my procedures, but if it improves the quality, that's what I'll have to do!

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Back To Beadin'

As I was beading the other day (yes, I still work on jewelry - I love doing it, and I have oh, probably tens of thousands of beads [millions, if you'd count each SEED bead!] all over in my house - gotta do SOMETHING with 'em! ), I realized I really wanted to incorporate the jewelry aspect of my art with the garden side of it.

(NOTE: Don't mention to my husband what a great love I have for beading - he has another side to it! Basically, he just says quietly," I can hear you cussing over there - must be beading again, huh? " I have no idea what he's talkin' about...)


I still do have the cast leaf pendants, but I also have a LOT of what I would call "natural" or "organic" beads - coral, bone, semi precious (garnet, turquoise, pearls), Job's Tears (which I grow myself) - even manmade materials, but still closer to what occurs in Nature - copper, silver, terra cotta, etc. I guess I could even slide by with glass, since it does occur naturally sometimes (near volcanoes!) I have already opened an Etsy shop, but decided to open up a separate store, just for this jewelry, so I now have "Nanci's Organic Jewelry Creations"! I will post the link soon, but since I only have 3 items in there at the moment, it's not too exciting right now!

..Just a fraction of all the beads I really have!

 I'm also making some "Pseudo Pandora" bracelets, just because they're so popular (AND so expensive!). It IS a nice idea, a high quality fashion accessory in which you can add different components or beads to follow seasons, or holidays, or just how you feel that day- and they ARE pretty! But $35 -$45 dollar per BEAD? Seriously? There are websites where you can build yourself a virtual Pandora bracelet online, I tried it out and none of my bracelets came in under $1000.00! So much for that.

..So I decided to make my own, using the many beads I have collected thru years of shopping in bead catalogs, bead stores, craft shops, thrift stores, parents' and grandparents' jewelry boxes - noo, they're not interchangeable like the Pandoras, but I

figure I can make oh, maybe 40 of these for what one of THOSE would cost me! A bead for different holidays? How about a whole bracelet for each holiday!

Leafin' In The Snow

Sorry about the lack of posts recently - mid winter's not an exciting time of year for garden art! I do have an event lined up for early March now, though, so things need to speed up! My New Year's Resolution is going pretty well - I am determined to get all my raw cement pieces painted before the Spring leaves start appearing, and so far I'm "keeping my nose to the grindstone" - (you'd think it'd at least get smaller -LOL) and, despite my losing interest a little after the holidays, I believe I have my Mojo back and am again enjoying my chosen craft. Every winter I worry myself - I have started many projects over the years - art related or otherwise- and the normal lifespan of most of them was maybe a few months! I am beginning my fifth year as a leaf caster / nature artist, and after four years and well over 600 finished cement leaves I am amazing myself at my continued interest and excitement with my work. A lot of people think I'm kidding about this (except the ones who know me VERY well), but I am extremely lazy! If I could sit at home and do what I want WHEN I want, I would be very happy. If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would be working full time AND working every other spare moment on garden art, I would have laughed them out of the room! A full time job was plenty of work for me, thank you! And necessary - unfortunately, quitting to cast leaves full time is not an option. Believe me, I am not doing this because I have nothing else to do, or that I need to keep busy - it's

just something I have to do.

Don't feel sorry for me - I'm definitely not killing myself - I know a few people who could probably do a lot more than what I'm doing, but this is it for me! I have a philosophy in life - and I hate to say something so cliche' as "Stop and smell the roses", but that IS how I

feel. I think a lot of people rush around and do so much that they're killing themselves! Most of the workaholics I know either have cancer, or heart disease, or are diabetic, OR are dead already! I see it over and over again. I do feel it's important to be productive on a daily basis, but it is also important to relax on a daily basis, also. OK, I'm off my soapbox now (Wow, this must be Cliche Day!).

Time For Resolutions

...They're watching me!...

Well, the holiday's over, so that means vacation's over! I have at least 40 cast leaves inside and outside, waiting to be painted. Every year I swear I'll have everything finished before the new leaves are ready to cast, but I always have a few left! So there are 3 leaves waiting for their final coating of sealer waiting for me right now in the studio (i.e., the laundry room), and I need to buckle down and paint at least one each day especially before March, which is when seed starting season begins! That is when I have to fit yet another purpose into the studio/laundry/cat's room! But that is hopefully when I will be able to transition some of my "leafin" work back outside! So my New Year's resolution is to get the paints out and continue with this commitment I began 4 years ago!

Things I Have Learned (About Working With Cement/Concrete)

First of all, I'm surprised that no one has yet told me "You do not work with CEMENT - Portland cement is just one ingredient in CONCRETE, which is cement with additives in it (sand, aggregate, latex, fortifier, etc.)". ....And they would be correct! - technically, my work is with concrete; I just decided that "cement" sounds better. Hey, a little artistic latitude, plus most people don't know the difference anyway, but I wanted to put that out there, to clarify the correct term and to prove that I actually know the correct term!

So, with that out of the way, I have to start right at the beginning, when I used my bare hands in the cement, no dust mask, etcetera! Oy. Finally started to research this material I was playing with, and discovered that it is definitely a little more involved than "mud". First, apparently cement can BURN skin on sensitive individuals (evidently I'm not one of those), and even if it does not, repeated exposure could result in the development of contact dermatitis, and that would NOT be good!

Repeated inhalation of the dust can also eventually cause Silicosis, and that is , well, here's what I found online -

"Silicosis is a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by overexposure to respirable crystalline silica. Silica is the second most common mineral in the earth's crust and is a major component of sand, rock, and mineral ores. Overexposure to dust that contains microscopic particles of crystalline silica can cause scar tissue to form in the lungs, which reduces the lungs' ability to extract oxygen from the air we breathe. Typical sand found at the beach does not pose a silicosis threat.
More than 1 million U.S. workers are exposed to crystalline silica. Each year, more than 250 American workers die with silicosis. There is no cure for the disease, but it is 100 percent preventable if employers, workers, and health professionals work together to reduce exposures.
In addition to silicosis, inhalation of crystalline silica particles has been associated with other diseases, such as bronchitis and tuberculosis. Some studies also indicate an association with lung cancer"

- Hmmm, looks like something I may want to avoid, eh?

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Materials that contain crystalline silica:

Brick
Blasting abrasives
Concrete
Cement mortar
Granite
Sandstone
Slate
Mineral deposits
Rock and stone
Sand
Topsoil
Asphalt

Occupations that put workers at an increased risk of silica exposure include:
Construction
Demolition
Mining
Sandblasting
Stone masonry
Abrasives manufacturing
Agriculture (dusty conditions from disturbing the soil, such as plowing or harvesting)

(Oh, great; I'm a gardener, too!)

Glass manufacturing
Ceramics, Clay, Pottery (Pottery?!)
Railroad track setting, laying, and repair
Painting
Plumbing

Leaf Sandcasting

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Okay, so I added that last one! But I'm pretty sure it belongs there!

Woo-hoo! Sorry, boys, I'm taken - hold yourselves back

Now, I'm quite certain that if you make 3 cast leaves for your garden, you do not need all that protection. But I'm going on 4 years now of working with that stuff almost daily, so I figure I'd better be safe than sorry. Still, everytime I develop any kind of cough, I start to think, "Oh, no! Silicosis!" (did I mention I'm sort of a hypochondriac?).

The Life Of A Sandcast Leaf * Part 5

I usually paint the Rhubarb leaves as close to their natural color as any of my leaves, since the pink/red veins and light olive of the leaf itself is a pretty combination, but on this one I'm trying something different. Starting off with a gold color...

The second layer goes on as a wine color

Continuing with greens...I'm not sure about it, though...don't think I'm finished with it yet!...

Looks like one more installment to go!

The Music of Nature + The Music of Man (...or Woman!)

I now have an iPod ( Hey, I'm old-it takes us longer to "tech up"!). The main reason I have one is my discovery that when I'm working on my castings in the backyar...er...studio, songs run through my mind but , for some reason, they're songs I don't really care for! Very weird. I'm either humming a Christmas song (I like those the WEEK of Christmas, that's it. The rest of the year, I don't want to be reminded of that time of year- i.e., cold, dark, snow...), or something from Mary Poppins (Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, of all things!!!). Over and over! So, I have my iPod so I can "clear the palate", be inspired by song, and quite often, I actually REMEMBER what I listened to when working on some of the pieces. That is fairly humorous, considering I usually can't remember what I did ten minutes ago! These are some I remember...

"Layla" - Derek and the Dominos

"Toussaint L'Overture" - Santana (This is in my garden)

"Ain't My Bitch" - Metallica ( Hey, I don't write 'em, I just listen to 'em!)

As you can see, I listen to a broad range of music - there's a comparison I use regarding songs AND plants (and some of the reasons I like both) - there is a nearly endless variety to choose from, there are always some out there that have been around for years but become "new to me" when I discover them, and there are hundreds or thousands of brand new ones every year! Don't think I'd ever want to do without either.

I don't always see the correlation in what I'm listening to and how the pieces turn out, although I find sometimes that the faster the beat of the music, the faster I get done (LOL!) I also catch myself listening to different styles and songs than I would while, say, driving!

Am I An Artist???

My father is - no question about it- these are a couple of his works of his that I own. Dad always believed that "art" was synonymous with "painting" - an "artist" is a "painter", not a glassblower, not a sculptor, nothing three dimensional. I'm not sure what exactly he thinks those disciplines are, but apparently they're just not Art. He's 86 years old, though, so I forgive him! ;o)

As for me, I like to think I'm an artist, too. O.K, not Fine Art, but definitely beyond crafts. There's the big question among craftspeople and artisans, "Is it Art or Crafts?"

I did read an article just recently that explained it well. Crafts are something that anyone who is creative can do with a little training, but Art is more specialized, and something not everyone can master. Hopefully what I do falls into that category! I know I shouldn't concern myself about it, but of course, I want to say I am an artist, and following in my father's footsteps!

I have had people tell me that my leaf castings are very artistic, which I'm very grateful for - what do YOU think? (I won't get upset if you don't agree, I promise!)

A Little Work in the Studio

...By "studio", I mean my picnic table in my backyard! Was finally warm enough yesterday to work outside. These are just little "birdfeeders" that screw onto aluminum rods that I began to make for people who may not want an actual piece of artwork, or who want an inexpensive yet unique gift for someone. Before painting...V

...And AFTER painting!>