Mind Body Spirit Artist Series - Marcie Forest

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

Rose Candles

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.

Pale Pink Summer Rose Tapers

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.

Rose Candle Sculpture

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.

Rose Tapers

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.

Unity Candle Set

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.

Pink Rose Candle

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! 

You can find out more about Marcie Forest and the Forest Candle Studio at:

www.ForestCandleStudio.com

www.ForestCandleStudio.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/ForestCandleStudio

www.pinterest.com/forestcandle

Links to other interviews in the Mind Body Spirit Artist Series.

         

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Writer.ly - An Interview With Co-founder Abigail Carter

When we interviewed Abigail Carter a few years ago, it was about the publication of her book, "Alchemy of Loss: A Young Widow's Transformation".  What has she been up to since then?  Well, she's co-founded the online marketplace Writer.ly to help bring together the talents of writers, publishers, editors, and designers into a mutually beneficial online community.  Since there are so many people in the Self Help and Spiritual Community who write, would like to write, or have self published their own work, I felt that learning a bit more about this wonderful new service could be valuable to quite a few people.  Make sure to pass this article on to anyone you know who may be interested in this terrific service!

                                                                                                                 ~ diane fergurson

MBS:  What is Writer.ly?

Abigail:  Writer.ly is an online marketplace where a writer can find service providers who will help them publish and market their work. It's a place where a writer can find a book editor, a cover designer, a social media expert, a web designer – you name it. It's also a place where someone can find a writer to help them, such as writing coach or a ghost writer. Conversely, it's also a place where service providers such as editors and designers can find work.

You can post a job – perhaps a manuscript that needs editing – give it a budget and a deadline and have editors bid on your job. You choose based on price, experience and ratings on the site posted by other people who have worked with that editor.

Writer.ly is also a community of writers and publishing experts working together to produce a successful, quality product.

 MBS:  Is it for illustration work too, or just writing content?  What about businesses who are just geared towards distribution?

Abigail:  Yes, there are illustrators on Writer.ly too. Writers need help with distribution as well. There are other websites out there who specialize in the distribution of ebooks (Bookbaby.com, for instance), but if you were to post a job needing help with distribution you would get bids.

MBS:  How did the idea for Writer.ly evolve?

Abigail:  My co-founder Kelsye Nelson and I met at a writing Meetup that she started several years ago, called Seattle Daylight Writers.   I had just published my book and had no idea that I was meant to do my own marketing, but learned a few things by talking to some of the other writers there. Some people in our group talked about needing an editor or a book designer and we realized there was no place where writers could find the people they needed to help them. Publishing a book requires a team of people and with the surge of self publishing going on right now, that has never been more true. Kelsye and I talked about this a lot and we got excited about this idea of bringing writers together with self publishing experts. But it was really Kelsye who formulated the idea for an online marketplace and was accepted into The Founder's Institute (http://fi.co/), a start-up incubator program that helped to build it into a real business. When she was a few weeks into the program, she came to me and asked me if I wanted to join her. I didn't hesitate, since I knew the need for such a marketplace first-hand.
We launched Writer.ly on January 25th, 2013 and now have over 3,600 people registered. It's been super exciting.

MBS:  Is Writer.ly for all levels or writers, or mostly just for those new to the world of writing and publishing?


Abigail: Writer.ly is for all writers, both brand new, self published and traditionally published. Even traditionally published, well established authors need marketing help, and new writers need coaches and good editors. There's something for everyone at Writer.ly.

MBS: Is this a pay service, or is it free?  When people sign on to the service, what can they expect?

Abigail: It is free to register, post a job and bid on a job. Writer.ly takes at 10% transaction fee, so it's up to the freelancer whether they want to pass that cost onto the writer, or absorb it into their own cost.

MBS:  In the Mind Body Spirit Community there are many first time writers and self published writers.  How can a service like Writer.ly benefit them?

Abigail: There is lots for a first time writer. It's a place where you could find a writing coach, and soon we will have services that will allow writers to select from a variety of services offered by our freelancers. Sometimes new writers don't actually know what services they need, so this new section will be a showcase of what's out there. As well, we are close to launching an educational section of the site that will enable people to learn about the craft of writing, self publishing and everything in between. Our philosophy is all about helping writers become successful, so everything we do is geared toward that goal.

MBS: Where do you see Writer.ly headed in the future?  What are some of the upcoming plans you have for it?

Abigail: I mentioned our "Offers" section which will be launching in a few weeks, and our "Community" educational section coming soon as well. We hope to create a vibrant community of writers, freelancers and self publishing specialists who work together to improve the quality of work that is being published in all the new forms available right now. It's exciting days for publishing right now, and we hope to open the door for more great work to be accessible.

MBS:  When you wrote your book, what were some of the biggest learning lessons you took away from it?

Abigail: In writing my book, I learned how much I actually needed to do myself. I honestly thought I could just sit back and let the publisher take care of everything. The reality is that I needed to build my audience, market my book and distribute it in any way I could. Some of those things happened almost by accident through writing my blog, but I could have done a LOT more to get my book into people's hands.

I am definitely going to self publish my novel. It will be a big undertaking, but I'm excited for the challenge.

Abigail Carter and Kelsye Nelson

Some other things about Writer.ly -

    •    We will be at Book Expo America on May 29-June 1st  at Javitz Center in NYC. (wanna come and visit our booth?).
    •    Guy Kawasaki (apethebook.com) is on our advisory board and is a big advocate of our service (see video below)
    •    Visit our Facebook page
    •    Twitter (@writerlytweets)
    •    Google+
    •    We also have a couple of really good webinars teaching people who to use Twitter
Part 1 and Part 2.

Thanks Abby, and good luck!

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Keeping Things in Perspective - Positive Affirmation

Morning Droplets by Jude McConkey

It's easy to look on the bright side of

things when all is going well...when

the smiles outweigh the frowns and the 

sunshine is streaming in the window.

But the happiest people are the ones who can say-

when all is going wrong, when the clouds get in

the way - that a little unhappiness must balance

the joys and that a bit of sadness has its place in

the world, too.

For these special people know of the balance of

nature's ways.  They know that nothing grows

where the sun always shines and that gray skies

and rain can be an unregrettable sign of the day.

For these fortunate people, their favorite season 

is always the one they are in, and they continue to

look on the bright side, knowing that the sunshine

might leave for a while, but that it will never be

gone for long.

~ Jamie Delere

Prints of Jude McConkey's "Morning Droplets" can be found in her shop on Etsy.

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Thoughts on Mother's Day

We recently moved my 87 year old mother into an Assisted Living facility.  It wasn't really a sad or bad thing - just an acceptance of time passing - what is.  While we were packing up her apartment I ran across the note, pictured above, taped rather haphazardly to the back of a framed photo that was on top of her bookcase.  My mother was never one to keep my things from childhood.

  Photos yes, but not sentimental mementos or any of my artwork. 

So when I saw this note that she had saved for over 50 years, I knew it must 

have held a special place in her heart.

Putting an elderly parent in an Assisted Living or Nursing Home will inevitably throw you into a backtrack through time.  As I ran across the note and starting thinking about growing up, I not only thought about my mother, but all the other motherly figures who were important during different periods of my life too.  My grandma, aunts, godmother, my friend's mother, neighbors - the list is a long one.

   My mother never pretended to be supermom.  She was outstanding at some things - ahead of her time really - good at others, and fell short on others.  But what for what she didn't manage to do, there was always someone from that cluster of women who was there to fill in the gaps of my ever 
growing knowledge base.

Definitely a divine plan of some sort.

 

 So to all those women, and especially to my own mom - cheers!
Thanks a bunch!

Enjoy your Mother's Day!

 

*as a post note - I open my sketch book, thumb through the pages, and what do I see?  

All these years later and I'm still drawing flowers - over and over and over.  

I guess some things never change!

                                                                                                          ~ diane fergurson

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Healing With Gemstones - Getting to Know Carnelian

Hello, and welcome to the return of the gemstone series.  The first year focused on gemstones of the zodiac, and, specifically, the mystic gemstone for each sign of the zodiac. 

This year, we’re going to be a little more freeform.  We’ll still try and focus on stones that have a connection to the month in which they are featured.  However, it could be a regular birthstone, a sun sign, or have any one of a number of different connections.  This way, we can focus on a wider variety of stones, and also keep your guessing as to what the next month’s topic will be.  

We are going to kick off this phase of the gemstone series with one of my favorite stones to use, Carnelian.  Carnelian is one of the alternate stones for Taurus, making it a good stone to discuss this month.

Origin and History

Carnelian is a chalcedony, making it a member of the quartz family.  Carnelian beads dating back to between 4000 and 5000 BC were found in an archeological dig in Pakistan.  Today, much of the carnelian used commercially comes from India, some from Madagascar, and a little from Uruguay and Brazil in South America.  The Rajpipla mines in Gularat, India, have been producing commercial carnelian since 1500AD.  They have a way of heat treating it in earthenware pots to give it its fiery red color.

At an archeological dig in Ur, in the tomb of Pu-Abi, a Sumerian Queen, believed to be from the the third millennium BC was found wearing a robe that contained carnelians.  You can see the items in the photo below:

Ancient Egyptians used carnelian, lapis lazuli and turquoise most often.  The Goddess Isis used a carnelian amulet to protect the dead.  The amulet was named Tyet.  It would go through a process in which is was placed on a sycamore tile, soaked in Ankhami flower water and then placed on the body of the deceased.  This was done so that the soul (or Ka) could be protected from any harm while it moved on through the afterlife.

In Ancient Rome, it was used to make signet rings and seal rings, for imprinting onto the wax that sealed an important letter.  Carnelian was used because the wax would not stick to it.  They also used it for cameos and intaglios.  Whereas a cameo is carved on the front, an intaglio is carved from behind, so that the image is inside the stone, not on top of it.

Both the Greeks and the Babylonians considered it a good luck stone.  There is an ancient proverb that says “No man who wore a carnelian was ever found in a collapsed house or beneath a fallen well.”

Many Muslims value carnelian as a stone that brings peace and happiness to the wearer.  This is due to the fact that Mohammed wore a ring with a carnelian seal.

Healing Properties

Carnelian is looked at a stone that provides strength, courage, ambition and inspiration.  It has been used in decision making because of its ability to motivate and focus.  It helps dispel passiveness and idleness.

For those who meditate, this is a good stone for grounding you and connecting you to your surroundings.  It is associated with the root and sacral chakras and can help clear out those areas and aide in getting the energy to flow through them.

It is believed to protect against negative energy and ward off negative emotion.  It is believed to encourage love and to bring about peace and serenity.

Placed near the front door, some believe it can help keep your home a safe and happy place.

The Romans used it as a symbol of courage and power.  Ancient Buddhists used it for protection.  They would set it with lapis and turquoise to enhance the power of the carnelian.

On a more sexual note, carnelian was used in ancient times to help treat infertility, menstrual cramps, impotency, and frigidity. 

There are also interesting legends about having dreams of carnelian.  Dreaming about the stone itself is believed to mean that there is a strong, positive force of energy heading in your direction.  Dreaming of actually holding carnelian is thought to help you in your waking life, as it is meant to inspire you to new heights of creativity and action.

Carnelian Jewelry

Carnelian is one of my favorite stones to work with because of its vibrant color.  Here are a couple of carnelian pieces from my own collection available on Craftstar:

Carnelian Necklace 1

Carnelian Necklace 2

Carnelian and Pearl Necklace

Cleanse and Purify Your Stones

For information on how to cleanse your stones, see this wonderful article by Diane Fergurson, published recently on Mind Body Spirit Odyssey.


~ Giani




Articles from our series on Healing With Gemstones of the Zodiac can be found here.

You can read Giani's Tarot reviews in the Review section of this blog.

This is the first article in this wonderful series, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more

 in the upcoming months!  I thank Giani

 for his wonderful continued contributions to Mind Body Spirit Odyssey. 

The beautiful jewelry pictured above can be found in Giani's website and on CraftStar.

                                                                                  

 ~ diane

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Mind Body Spirit Artist Series - Diane Clancy

Ever since I first saw Diane Clancy's stunning visual landscapes - with the beautiful little balls -  coming across by computer screen, I have been completely fascinated.  What are they?  How are they created?  What do they represent?  All I know is that once you see one, the images tend to stay with you ~  I hope you enjoy this interview with Diane Clancy as much as I did.  It's a fascinating peek into a beautiful world!

                                                                                                         ~ diane fergurson

Peach Fantasy

MBS: Can you tell us a little about your background? How did you get started in art?

Diane:  When I was 3 and 4, I spent a lot of time (when I was supposed to be napping) watching the shadows across the ceiling where the light snuck in.  We also had this cool blanket (and I still have it) that is peach and cream with the reverse designs on each side.  I flipped it back and forth, back and forth, to see the difference in how it looked depending where the colors were. My Mom would listen as I showed her these things.

I have always loved color and rainbows.  As a young adult I quilted and crocheted some using color in a way different from what I saw others use.

In my late 30's while struggling with a lot of health issues, I looked through every single offering in the U Mass catalog and found only one that I was interested in - Textile Design.  I was a double computer science and math major and I just needed a break.  In that class my work was different from others and they couldn't believe I wasn't already an art major.  They all encouraged me to go take classes in the art department and the rest is history - I never looked back.

For me, math and computer science were comforting and art was like jumping off a cliff … but I went ahead and jumped.

 

Conundrum 1 - Rainbow Woman

MBS:  Well I guess I have to ask the obvious - what did you find?  Both on the way down and also at the bottom of the cliff (or is there a bottom)?

Diane:  When I was very sick for a long time, I had a lot of time to meditate, connect with my inner self and Spirit.  Often I would make up spiritual exercises or read them in books or tapes and try them out.  Remember, I spent a lot of time in prayer and mediation - I couldn't really do much else.  One exercise I read about was being in a very large enclosed bubble.

The activity was to climb up and up a very tall ladder to the top.  At the top was a diving board that I was to walk out to the end and then allow myself to step off.  It was scary for me walking up that high, but it was still solid matter. Walking off the diving board was another thing.  I knew I would not really die, so I took the risk to go ahead and step off.  Absolute terror overwhelmed me as I was falling.  The feeling was totally real and present.

I knew I couldn't physically die, so I kept just allowing myself to fall.  And all of a sudden I was caught and held mid-air.  It was a very physical feeling. I have never felt the same level of fear since then - this healed something inside me.  This was totally transformative for my relationship with my inner self, soul, the universe. I have more trust in the unseen.

So computers and math are a foundation for me, a known quantity, an internal pattern of the universe.  Those first times I put a pastel to paper in drawing class were very scary to me.  Bits of terror flooded me.  But I did it anyway, with the knowledge that I had been caught when I jumped off that other cliff.  It often got easier.  But now, sometimes I still get panicked with a blank piece of paper or the start of a new project.  But I have that inner place now inside that has some essential confidence and connection that allows me to reconnect and thus keep going.

Church-Lady

MBS:  I've always wondered about the bubble imagery.  It's such a predominate part of your your work, but I didn't know if it was a bubble, circle, orb or something else of spiritual significance.  Can you tell us a little bit more about it?  The image is just always so beautiful,immediate and captivating.

Diane:  For me, while creating digital art there is always an element of surprise. There are lots of paths one may pursue as one is developing computer art. I played with KPT filters with Photoshop and came upon the bubbles.  When I first saw the bubbles, I was totally and immediately captivated.  This was a direction I knew I wanted to follow and explore.

The Bubblescapes look like mini-universes to me so I was hooked!  I love seeing things cosmically! The inner and the outer are reflections of each other.  These creations can be micro-worlds within a cell or the very outer edges of space and time (or anywhere in between).  To me, there is also a wholeness of a bubble … a perfect sphere that represents the whole.  I also am quite taken with the way some bubbles are transparent and then there are layers upon layers.  So, they are a reflection of life. These are some fractal Bubblescapes that I see very spiritually.

I then started to create Bubblescapes in a different way (with the Bryce computer program).  Lots of folks create worlds and landscapes with Bryce but I have never seen anyone else use it like I do.  This is partly why I say one chooses the ways to work within the multitude of possibilities with computer programs.  I got totally hooked on creating bubbles and Bubblescapes.

With Bryce the bubbles became more of images of people some of the time.  I have one digital painting (Evening Stroll) with a couple walking down the street with streetlights; I imagine that they are window shopping.   At other times with the ocean bubble landscapes, I also use the bubbles as people. With these kind of images I see the bubbles very much as representations of humans or other beings.

Sometimes the Bubblesapes are landscapes over an ocean with the bubbles floating. These Bubblescapes again seem more cosmic and mystical.  The series that has faces in the bubbles are overtly spiritual since the faces I used are from my Goddess series.  I have some Goddess images that I have created in traditional mediums (oil, mixed-media, acrylic, pastel).   Often the bubbles are transparent and thus back to the mysticism.  Other times they are opaque and reflect light and create color in wild and beautiful ways.

Bottom line, I connect with my inner self, soul and Spirit when I create, to the best of my ability.  So I am especially happy when my art reflects the whole, inspiration, goodness, spirituality in some small way.  Bubblescapes seem to help me reflect spirituality.

Spring Creation

MBS:  Are all of the Bubblescapes Digital, or have you created them using other mediums as well?

Diane:  I have a little bit of precursor work with Bubblescapes in traditional mediums, but as of now all my true Bubblescapes are digital.  I have tons of ideas for bubbles in pastel, collage, colored pencil, acrylics and even watercolor.  I am hoping as I get stronger and healthier, I will be able to get back into the studio.

MBS:  How long does it normally take you to complete a piece?  Do you work on more than one piece at a time?  Do you work in a series?

Diane:  There is an incredible variety in how long it takes me to complete a piece!!  My signature piece of Conundrum I, mixed-media, took me over 100 hours over several months to complete.  Some of the digital work can have total synchronicity and pop out in a half an hour.  Many digital pieces take an hour or two while others it is hours.  Of course after I create a piece there is a lot of other work to be done.  In many ways the creation is the easy part.

I do work on several pieces at once - I find it helps me keep the momentum going.  Almost always I work in series.  I like to work from one direction, then another and shifting again.  I feel that helps me explore a subject, a feeling, a vision better.  Sometimes the series occur over a period of years.

MBS:  Do you have any themes surrounding the Bubbblescapes that you find yourself coming back to?

Diane:  I very much want to get back to the KPT filters to create more Bubblescapes like the Inner Flow series.  KPT only works on an older version of Photoshop and on an older computer (system 9 for Mac folks).  So I have that next to me to get going on them.  I love the sense of inner and outer connection that I get from this type of Bubblescape - it draws me deeply in.  So this pulls me back.

For the Bryce Bubblescapes I need to go back to an older computer also because Bryce is not supported in the current Mac system versions that one needs to use for protection on the web.  So again, I really want to get back to creating with Bryce!!  Those ocean bubbles speak to me so loudly!!  Ideas and values are fun to play with in the ocean Bubblescapes.  I have been working on a Simple Pleasures series that I would like to return to.  These are oceans with ideas like Whimsy, Love, Solitude, Joy.  It is such fun to create feelings based on color and design.

I also want to explore some of the landscapes like Peach Fantasy, Spring Renewal and Bubble Garden to see where I can go with them.  And many people have been responding deeply to ones that I have temporarily called Instincts and Bittersweet.  I like this clearer sense of bubbles as people and values.  So I want to dive more deeply into Bryce again to push the limits to see where else I can go and explore.

As I can, I sure want to expand the bubbles into traditional (non-digital) mediums.  In my mind I am testing what it would be like to work with Bubblescapes in different mediums.  I test ideas out so that when I face blank paper I will have some idea of what I want to play with.  So, as you can see, bubbles are always floating around my mind!

Love Birds

MBS:  Do you have any current projects or shows in the works?  What are you currently working on?

Diane:  I am working on a project with a friend in Norway and one in Denmark to showcase art and artistic images on home decor products to make it easier for people to find a wide variety in one convenient place.  Many of our friends promote others work (besides their own) as a way to make extra money from marketing others' products to get a small percentage of the sale (affiliation).  I have been working very hard to get many of my paintings on a wide variety of items both at CafePress and Zazzle to make sure I can be part of this promotion.

The range of merchandise is wild!!  It goes from shower curtains, duvet covers,  pillows  and canvas prints to skateboards, flip flops, thermos food jars, clocks and iPad covers.  As one can image creating images, prepping them and actually getting them on products is quite time intensive!!  Then comes the marketing!!  This is called POD (Print on Demand).  The items don't get created until someone orders them.  A lot of my time has been taken up with this exciting international project of marketing POD items.

Recently I gave a presentation on POD for 2D artists at the 4th Creative Economy Summit in Franklin County, MA.  I  also have been (and remain) on the planning Summit committee for the whole year it took us to put this together.  I have been involved with the Fostering the Arts and Culture Project for years as we work to promote and support the local creative economy, especially as it relates to artists.

I continue to create new artwork in a variety of directions.  These days most artists need to spend a lot

of our time marketing our work.  There are many new venues for sharing and marketing our creations. Part of the process of marketing is creating descriptions and tags so that buyers can find our work.  The rules for those seem to keep changing and most of us (including me) often struggle with that.   I network a lot (much of the new marketing involves one kind or another of social media), learn about what's happening and then dive in to keep moving ahead to cultivate collectors of my artwork.

Inner Flow Mug

MBS:  What is a typical work day like for you?

Diane:  As anyone who owns a business knows, there is hardly a typical day! Some days of course I have appointments, including clients and meetings so that breaks my rhythm.  Or there are taxes to prepare, the plumber, roofer or whatever.  I like the days that I have no structure from when I wake up until I sleep!

On all days, first thing I align with my Inner Self, my Soul and Spirit first and ask that all my thoughts, words and actions be aligned with my own and the Universe's highest and best good.  At some point in the morning, I connect and check in with my partner, Susan.  I check and see if there are any orders from folks that I need to work on, fill or mail out.

On days that are all mine, I open up the computer and start going!  Often I have set up some computer work the night before so I don't have to think too hard to start.  Most of my life involves creating art, prepping this artwork for POD or printing or showcasing, writing descriptions and creating tags for this work, getting that creation where it needs to go for the next step and then promoting and marketing.  Networking is an important part of my day, whether or Facebook or some online group.

At some point, I take a break to exercise.  I might check in with a friend or family member.  At dinnertime Susan and I take a break and eat and watch some TV or a movie.  We love analyzing together the colors, design, story, issues …lots of things!!  We watch the ads with no sound and guess what they are trying to sell and see how well they did that.  With me as a painter and Susan as a photographer, videographer and writer, we get ideas to follow and not follow!  Then I go back to work on the computer.

I have made lists of what I think I should do every day and each week.  The problem is that I would probably need 10 of me to carry all that out.  (And that doesn't include making the art!!)  There is so much out there today for social media, selling and promoting one's art!!  Differentiating what is most important for me to pursue is an ongoing project.  I strive to analyze what is most effective.  And I want to keep learning the art programs I have to expand what I can do and what art I can create.  I value the connections I have made in my online and offline worlds around art and that networking is important to me.   In summary, my days are not boring and I feel grateful to have a full life!

Inner Flow 3

MBS:  I see that you sell your work online.  How has the online experience been for you as an artist?

Diane:  For me, selling online has been fantastic!  I have gotten a lot of feedback that many people are uplifted by my work so it seemed to me that getting my paintings out there in different ways would be a high priority.  My original plan when I consciously went into business, was to license my art so that many people could be inspired.  With licensing, since a company would pay me a usage fee, that company would deal with all the printing and distribution and I could get some income from that.   In my mind, the best way to do that would be to get my creations on calendars, cards and items like that.

The industry has totally changed since then - POD (Print on Demand) has turned everything upside down.  This way I myself could put my work on things and get them out to people.  Instead of my having to buy 50 or 100 mugs to have my art on mugs, instead I can put my creations on mugs online and then when someone orders it, the company prints, ships, deals with problems and I get my markup.  The variety of items I can create blows me away!! Shower curtains and skateboards (and I have sold both).  This has given me my goals and dream in a different way.

There are lots of POD sites, like CafePress and Zazzle, out there now where the artist puts their work on merchandise and the rest is done - besides marketing.  There are also sites like Etsy where one sells directly to the customer, so all the preparing the work, shipping and returns is done by the artist - and again also the marketing.  Sometimes I sell directly from Facebook or my blog and I love that!

There are tons of places to network and market our work and products as artists.  One upside is that it is much easier to reach a real worldwide audience of potential buyers and collectors.  Another upside is that is thrilling to see my art out there, appreciated, liked and purchased.  Some of my art on merchandise is now in Japan, Sweden, France and the U.K. among other places.

One downside is that there are now millions of pieces of art easily available on the web.  Another downside for me as an artist is the relentlessness of all I can do for promotion and marketing.  I am very excited by the networking and marketing - I think it is thrilling to see my creations in the real world and have people buy them.  I know I could walk from any marketing I choose not to do (and I do walk away from a lot).   But it is still a lot and a large portion of where most of our time as artists goes.

For me as an artist with a disability, the online marketing has given me freedom.  I meet a lot of other artists online who also have been so happy with being able to participate on an even playing ground.  I still do some selling offline in shows, stores or privately, but the POD selling has given me a lot of ability to connect with my buyers.  Even though the networking and marketing can be just too too much, I am still overall totally delighted to be an artist selling online!

Dawn of Time Wall Clock

MBS:  Any advice for those who (seriously) wish to pursue an artistic path.

Diane:  Nowadays the art field is very different from even 10 years ago.  I would encourage someone to think about exactly what they wanted out of an artistic path.  There is many ways one can be an artist.  One basic question is how much one is going to connect making one's livelihood directly from one's own art.  Many wonderful artists paint and create while having full-time or part-time jobs.  That is a time honored path and a smart one in my opinion.

Other artists make their living working in arts related fields.  There can be a lot of connections made that way and it could be a way to break into an often elusive field.  It is important to be honest with one's self about what one really and truly wants to do - from one's heart, not just out of form's sake.

Whether full-time or part-time, it is important to decide how one is going to position oneself.  Some artists I know would never sell their work on prints because they feel it cheapens their work.  And certainly they wouldn't put it on POD (Print on Demand) merchandise.  They want to be artists who sell original paintings and only original paintings.  Very valid.

I want to get my work out in the world to be accessible to a vast amount of people.  So I choose to get my work out in prints, cards and lots of POD merchandise.  This is another valid position.  Still other artists I know, who create beautiful work, don't feel they can do much of that.  Many of them are full-time PODs sellers who figure out the trends and design for the trends.  Many of them create a lot of slogans, and what I would call cute work - very different from their artistic work.  They do this to make a living.

Speaking of livelihoods, obviously many folks who create ads are extremely artistic people.  Some of the ads are awesome in the artwork (I said some).  That is an example of working for hire in a field that can be creative and still give you a decent wage.  Speaking of money, one of the best ways to become richer is to lower what you need to live.  I know there are basic necessities, but for many people, lowering one's financial desires can translate into more artistic freedom.

I would recommend studying and analyzing where the art field is today.  I would look at the possibilities and use one's mind, heart and soul for direction to where to go.  If one is going to do art as a business (which most of us need to do), then studying business is good - maybe taking a business planning class at a local Community Development Corporation. There are also a lot of resources out there to teach artists the Business of Art.  Having that kind of perspective can really help in being an artist making a living.  There are a lot of internet resources and newsletters that share that kind of information.

One other tip - if one gets into creating POD merchandise, one can also affiliate one's own and others' products.  This gives a little bigger slice of the sale to the person who affiliated the product.  Some people make a lot, a whole lot, of money through promoting other artists' and designers' work.  A lot of these people work very hard but also make quite a bit of money.  It's a thought.

Whatever direction one chooses to go, networking is likely to be crucial.  If one chooses to do art online in any way, networking is the lifeblood of the web.  There are tons of kind artists who will help another artist on the way - even if they are helping to develop their competition.  Marketing is also the other key that makes a difference for one's work to stand out among all the other pieces.  Expect to spend a substantial amount of time marketing or expect to pay someone in one way or another. They say that now developing personal relationships with potential buyers and collectors is very important - and I agree.  They are collecting us the artist besides our art.

So, stop, think, ask your whole self which direction is for you.  Being honest to one's self is key to being a successful artist, whether you only create occasionally for yourself or decide to go full force into jumping in full-time art, no holding back!  Be true to you, create, ask for help, network, market and have fun!

Thank you Diane!
















Diane Clancy's Art
http://www.DianeClancy.com
http://www.DianeClancy.com/blog
http://facebook.com/DianeClancyArt
http://DianeClancy.etsy.com
http://cafepress.com/DianeClancy
http://zazzle.com/DianeClancyArt*

Links to other interviews in the Mind Body Spirit Artist Series.

         

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