At my friend's house, we discussed the coat she's sewing and some ideas for felting a design around the collar as well as possibilities for a knitting project from a mixed and multi-colored collection of yarn that she'd been given. After that...
... we walked around the corner to a high end dress boutique operated out of one of her neighbour's homes. The shop carries the same clothing lines that I've talked about before, the ones I visit at Crazy River Clothing in Salmon Arm. Lorraine and I poured over the yummy details together and discussed how to recreate this or that technique. It was even more fun being there with someone who sews and can appreciate what you're looking at and understand what you're talking about and contribute equally. My mind buzzed with ideas. We discussed those and more over lunch.
It was a morning filled with my favourite things to do.
After lunch, we stopped at a gallery that carries what I call statement art - like dead rabbits on the ground in a pool of blood with a white spirit rabbit suspended from a hangman's noose above. That's not my kind of art. I am drawn to and create pretty pieces, both functional and decorative, that if they have a message is a message about relationships with ourself, with others, or one object to another. Most statement art leaves me wondering what do you do with that. It was a discussion about statement and political art a few years ago that had me concluding I didn't really belong in that world. I'm not obsessed nor compelled in that way and while I've studied design, I haven't studied art history and I couldn't care less. Our visit was an excellent reminder of what's important to me. I'm glad we stopped there.
And then, I went for the jewelry talk. This gallery owner - Carolina - is one of the best I've ever met. She will discuss the subject thoroughly, tell you the truth, and then do everything in her power to help you attain your goal. She's an incredibly talented artist in her own right and her respect for my work means a lot to me.
We talked about the art of creating jewelry, about the importance of real gold and silver findings and other quality ingredients, about keeping up with clothing and color trends because those are the garments the clients will wear your jewelry with, about price points, and about how many bread and butter products would be needed to support how many high end, real money making, pieces. Of those high end pieces, she told me to anticipate selling two a year.
For our visit, I'd printed out a pile of pictures gathered from a variety of sources. Each had sparked ideas that were transferrable to textile jewelry. Carolina sorted the pile into three groups based on the strength of their designs. Of the thirty-nine, there were 6 yes, 28 no, and 5 only okay designs. What intrigued me was that the 6 were the type of designs that I was most drawn to and the direction that I was most likely to begin in which tells me that I probably could do well in this area.
On the drive home, I thought about the the dress store and how excited I was about those possibilities. I kept wishing that I'd taken a camera with me or sketched some of the ideas. Already, I want to go back. I thought about my time, money and energy and how I could spend it attempting to develop a creative career that may or may not fly or I could spend it attempting to develop a wardrobe that may or may not flatter me. In either case, there is an investment and a return. In the later, the odds of a positive return in my favour are much greater. And the thought came to me that of all the things I enjoy creating, if I were to risk in one of those areas, it would be to write another book otherwise, I'm all for spending my creativite time on sewing for me and I'm ready to raise the bar. YES YES
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - how delightful to start the day with questions and come home with answers. It doesn't always go that way. I'm grateful.
Your dress shop experience reminds me a bit of your post a little while ago about Ron Collins and Sandra Betzina
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