When I discovered Marcie Forest and her wonderful work at the Forest Candle Studio, I was simply transfixed. She wasn't just making candles from beeswax, she was actually creating the most amazingly beautiful small flower sculptures. And not only that, but they were in the shape of one of my "favorite" flowers, the rose. Since roses are considered to be one of the three sacred flowers and Marcie's work is so artistic, I thought that I would like to know a bit more about this highly creative person, her rose sculptures and her candle business. I hope you will enjoy this inspirational interview with Marcie Forest as much as I did!
~ diane fergurson
MBS: Can you tell us a little about your background? How did you get started making art?
Marcie: As far back as I can remember I've loved art and felt a strong need
to be creative. Some of my most joyful childhood memories growing up in
the 1950's in Houston, Texas are: my mother taking me to art museums on
weekends and my father playing jazz on his saxophone to me at bedtime.
And with each new class in ballet, piano, drama and art I thought, "I'll
be a dancer, a pianist, an actress, an artist!". I learned early on
that creative expression has many forms. Exposure to talented artists in
many fields made me want to explore what I could become talented at and
eventually have a career in.
Over the next two decades, through formal study and
self-teaching, I learned a wide variety of art skills. Some
were passing fancies, others I became very committed to. I also had the
opportunity to travel the
US and Europe, soaking up the art, architecture, landscape and culture.
These were all fantastic experiences that continue to inform my
art-making today!
Settling in Southern California, my husband and I sold our
hand painted and silk-screened clothing at a little boutique we opened on
the Venice Boardwalk. The children's art classes I taught privately and
in the community also helped contribute to supporting ourselves and our two
young children. It was an exciting time and the future looked promising.
Then, as life would have it, my husband was seriously injured in an
accident and suddenly it was all up to me to take care of the family. I
decided to trust my faith in myself as an artist and my ability to adapt
to the situation and attempted a bigger leap into making a living as an artist. What an unexpected turn of events followed
that decision!
I was studying encaustic painting with Ann
Thornycroft
and fell in love with working with beeswax. Then a friend took me to
lunch at a place I hadn't yet been to -
The Rose Cafe in Venice, CA. It
was beautiful with an art gallery atmosphere and rose gardens surrounding the cafe. I approached the buyer for
their gift shop about making hand painted clothing with unique rose designs
exclusively for them. The buyer said they weren't interested in clothing
but they would be interested in candles. Immediately an image came into
my mind of a candle shaped like a rose, mounted on rock, surrounded by
dried roses. She was excited about it and told me to bring her a sample.
I had always loved candles but had never made them before. So day and night over the
next 6 weeks I studied traditional candle-making methods and then
developed my own. It was important to me that my candles be individual sculptures, evoke feelings
of love for nature's beauty, and be made of pure beeswax, natural stone and
air-dried roses. As soon as I made the first finished "candle
sculptures" available to the public they were a big hit! That was in
1996 and they are still going strong. Over the years my candle designs
have continued to evolve. I am always learning something new from experimenting with my own ideas and customers' requests.
MBS: It seems like the image of a rose has been a reoccurring theme in your work over the years.
The rose, as you may know, is one of the three historical
sacred flowers. What is it about that image that you find so appealing?
Marcie: As visual inspiration they
are amazing - so many colors, shapes and varieties. It's much more than
that though. Roses thoroughly engage my senses in a way that brings
serenity and deep satisfaction. They are enchanting with their
captivating scents, velvety soft texture, the natural light glowing
through their delicate circular layers, and the way they change from
day-to-day as their densely packed petals unfurl to expose a beautiful
and mysterious center. As an artist I hope to spark a similar sensory
and emotional engagement for those who encounter my work. I find a deep
connection of sensuous and symbolic aspects shared between roses,
beeswax and candles. Highly valued throughout history, they are
life-affirming symbols of love, celebration and remembrance. To me they
are ideal together to create powerful works of art that convey their
combined aesthetic, emotional and spiritual qualities.
MBS: Tell us about your process. How do you create your candle sculptures?
Marcie: Rose
gardens are abundant here in Los Angeles, providing me with continual
inspiration. On my walks, I sometimes take photos for
later reference. At random times, fully-formed images of new work will
pop into my mind and I make sketches with notes so I don't forget what
I'm thinking about. New ideas also come when customers ask if specific
details can be incorporated or to fit a particular situation. It gives
me joy to connect with others through my work, knowing it brings them
joy as well.
Crafting the candle sculptures is quite complex.
Over the years I've learned that some aspects require very exacting
skill and critical timing whereas others allow for spontaneity and
freedom. The process demands close attention, adaptability and
patience, nourishing me intellectually, creatively and spiritually.
Shaping each rose candle is a meditative experience, instilling in me a
love for my work and the people who will receive it.
The
beeswax, being a natural material, handles differently depending on the
weather and seasons. In fact, I can tell when the weather is changing
just from how the beeswax handles! In winter it's especially more
difficult to work with than in summer - it takes much longer to melt
&/or warm up for pliability, and cools faster so that I have to
reheat it more often and work with it more quickly.
I
begin by pouring wavy-edged sheets that I tear
into smaller pieces. Then in a series of stages taking many
hours over several days or more, I hand-build, shape and dip the
delicate
layers of beeswax until satisfied with each candle design. For
adornment, I air dry whole roses, petals and leaves, hand-dipping them
in beeswax to preserve their natural
beauty. I also use other flowers, organic spices and herbs, and
eco-friendly metallic paints and glitters on some designs. For the
candle bases, I hand-cut granite and other beautiful or unusual types of
stone. My intention
is that each candle be unique and have its own identity.
MBS: You've created these wonderful designs for a number of years now. How have they evolved from your original idea?
Marcie: For the first year I only made what I call "Rose
Candle Sculpture", which are the ones mounted permanently on a stone
base with dried whole roses attached. Many of those first candle
sculptures were much smaller than the ones I make now. In retrospect, I
think they were small because I was figuring out how to make them and
how to sell them.
Within one year my candles were selling well in over 10 local candle
and gift shops, and the shop owners all told me that their customers
said they were so pretty they would never burn them. That was a wake-up
call! So next I designed little rose-shaped refill candles so customers
would know they could light the candle sculpture and replace the burned
out core and still have it look like a rose. During the next year I also
designed several different sizes of large free standing rose-shaped
candles (what I now call Rose Garden Pillars). The year after that
customers were asking for tapers. It took me a long time to design a
taper that had a feeling of looking rose-like and kept those sculptural
qualities as the taper burned down.
All the styles were popular which kept me extremely busy, helping my
technique and the work itself to improve. Over the years I became more
adventurous with shape and the rose candles are more flared out now than
they were early on. Also I started making rose candles that I call
"column style". These are basically straight-sided but have my signature
wavy-edged thin layers so that the candles still have a delicate
rose-like layered look. In the last couple of years I added to my
designs by trying out various new adornments: organic spices, crushed
rose petals, organic lavender buds, glitter, etc. The most recent new
design is my luminary rose candle, which took nearly two years (off and
on) in development.
Another evolution has to do with color. Those first few years I was
only working with honey amber beeswax and customers started asking if I
had any other colors. I was hesitant to try that because I knew there
would be multiple problems to sort out both logistically (need a dipping
pot for each color) and design-wise (it's much harder to choose which
rose petals look best than on white or amber beeswax). Eventually I
became so intrigued by what I might design that I started experimenting
with hand-dying the beeswax. I'm so glad I did because I love it! It's
definitely harder to work with from a technical standpoint (each color
handles differently) but it's worth it. About two years ago I began to
occasionally use more than one color combined in a single candle.
MBS: Any ideas on where on expanding the designs for the future?
Marcie: I think of my candles as dynamic "living"
sculptures, responsive to
their environment, with their own light from within and their changing
form as they burn down. Being fascinated with how light and color reveal
form, create mood, and evoke emotion, I plan to continue playing around
with shape, form and coloration in different ways.
Occasionally I
try other designs that pop into my mind, completely different from the
roses. I've been slowly working on several ideas for candle sculptures
poured in sand. One of these ideas is based on organic shapes found in
the ocean (i.e., jellyfish). I have a particular image in my mind though
and due to the limitations of the beeswax and the delicate tentacles of
a jellyfish, I don't know if it will work out to be able to package and
ship to customers, so we'll see...
MBS: What is a typical work day like for you?
Marcie: On a weekly basis I have three basic types of work
days: 1 day out of the studio for picking up supplies, mailing packages,
library for research materials, and any other business errands; and 4-5
days working in the studio that vary in length from 6-12 hours a day.
Time in the studio is divided among making the candles, administrative
tasks, and researching and developing new ideas. Most days I work long
hours but I love the flexibility and independence that comes with
working for myself.
My work day usually starts around 10am. The first thing I
do is put my two largest wax pots (one amber, one white) on the stove.
It can take 2-4 hours for the beeswax to melt depending on the weather
temperature. Meanwhile I eat breakfast, do my morning stretches, check
my Etsy shop, emails and phone calls. Then I look over my order sheets
and weekly calendar notes and decide what tasks need to be accomplished.
The candles have a lot of steps that need to be taken in a
certain order for the various stages of production. Also, there are a
lot of materials used in the making and packaging of the candles and
they all require prep work. Prepping the materials and crafting the
candles require intense mental and physical focus, so I usually work in
2-3 hour increments with 1-2 hour breaks in between. For part of the
break time I may do administrative tasks, the rest is spent relaxing,
talking to family and friends, eating and replenishing my energy. At
some point in the afternoon I take a long walk to enjoy the outdoors,
get exercise, and clear my head.
I usually listen to music on Pandora when candlemaking - I love a
wide variety of music, choosing whatever enhances my energy level and
mental state at the time. I sketch ideas and make notes whenever ideas
come to me.
Some of the work time is spent taking care of the business side of
things. I photograph my work, design and print all my marketing
materials, create the content for my Etsy shop and social media pages,
and network online and in person to meet colleagues and make new
business contacts.
I end my work day with checking my emails and Etsy shop
again, participating in Etsy team activities, making notes in my weekly
and monthly calendars, and reading research material I've gotten at the
library.
MBS: I originally ran across your wonderful work
online. How has the whole online/social networking experience been for
you?
Marcie: So far it's been a great experience. I've met
lots of wonderful people and made new friends online through having my
Etsy shop, participating in
Etsy teams, and having a
Facebook business
page. I have a
Pinterest page too but haven't had time to work on it as
much as I'd like. It takes a lot more time to establish and maintain an
online presence than I initially expected, but in reality it's probably
less than it would take to have one's own brick and mortar shop. It's
fantastic seeing other artist's work and reading about their journeys,
and being connected to people around the world. People have been very
supportive of my work online and I'm so grateful this opportunity
exists.
MBS: What are you currently working on? Any particular projects or shows in the works?
Marcie: Weddings and gifts for special occasions are now a
major focus for my work. These candles are usually made to order with
customized details, so I no longer sell wholesale to shops, preferring
to work in direct contact with my customers through my online venues.
It's exciting work as each candle is different and offers challenges to
me as an artist. I love working together with these customers to create
something that has so much meaning to them.
Because my candles
are so unique, romantic, and can be made to match the wedding couple's
vision for their special day, they have become sought after for Unity
ceremonies, wedding reception table decor, and gifts for weddings and
engagements. New colors and adornments are in the works to give wedding
couples more choices.
Future projects revolve around wedding, holidays and home decor.
I've been approached by several wedding and home decor magazines and
blogs to feature my candles in their print and online publications. I'm
working on creating new designs to showcase this summer and fall.
MBS: You had an idea, or vision to create this very inspiring work. You
had the courage to follow that vision...which is not something that I'm
sure was easy to do...and many people in your position would not have
done. Through your experience what advice do you have for others.
"Following your heart" a lot of times is easier said then done.
Marcie: I agree it's not easy, but if you have a desire to make art then do
it, especially if not doing it makes you feel like you aren't being true
to yourself. Whether you want to create things for yourself or for
others, as a part-time or full-time endeavor, each small step creates
momentum and progress. Take bigger steps whenever you're ready and
embrace courage over fear. Expect ups and downs and mistakes. Be open to
change. If you hope to support yourself as an artist you need to don a
business hat - take the time to learn the business side of things! Ask
for help when you need it and trust you'll find solutions if the help
isn't available from where you sought it out. Make notes about your
ideas no matter how good you think your memory is. Notes will refresh
your mind to the original details and can spark an even better idea at a
later time. Share your vision and learn from others. Inspiration and
guidance is abundant if you look for it and stay open to it. Watch out
for signs of physical and mental exhaustion - take good care of yourself
because being an artist takes stamina, patience and perseverance. Enjoy
each success, though they can come fast and sometimes be overwhelming
like a flood - you'll grow from each experience, and after all, it's
what you've been working towards all along :)
Thank you Marcie!
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