Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Larson Strikes Again!

For those of you who have been visiting the Raven's Caw for a while, you know how much I like the work of cartoonist Gary Larson. His outlook on the world, and in particular the natural world, is spot on im(ns)ho*.

While most folks find his comics funny, not so many care to take his humor a step further and incorporate it into their jewelry. Even fewer folks incorporate his comic outlook into the core of their very being... like me.


I don't know if I will ever sell a bangle like this, but this beasty of a bangle was worth every hour I spent on it.

While I was sanding (and sanding) and buffing (and buffing) this critter, I was reminded of my high school Biology class, where I learned that the reason why lungs have so many nooks and crannies in them is so that there is more surface area to absorb oxygen - sort of like all the butter that is absorbed by the nooks and crannies of an English muffin.

*mouth begins to salivate*

Ahem. O.k., so, I am finding that as the forms of my BioBangles become more convoluted, the time that I need to spend on finishing them increases exponentially .



What, you ask, does this have to do with anything? Well, it has to do with allowing yourself the time needed to follow through on inspiration. Not just time to figure out how to do something, but time to actually bring it into fruition in a completed (and well crafted) form. For years I was marked as a restless, "let's get this done" kind of person (and rightly so), but I have (finally) discovered the joy of letting something happen in it's own time.

Again, I hear you mutter "So?", in a Dick Cheney kind of voice. Well, this whole process has forced me to question my credo, "Don't price an item higher than I can afford" - which means that lately I've been working for the equivalent of sweatshop wages.

Wait, wait, don't go! There really is a point to all of this. The point is, artists deserve to charge a compensatory price for their work, and as soon as I realized this, I suddenly felt like I could take the time needed to really delve into a piece. Something like, "Delve into your art, and the price will be paid." (Or, um... at least I hope it will be paid.)

Yes, all that for a simple point that most of you probably figured out ages ago. But hey, it's important.

*steps off soap box*

Oh, and Happy Fourth of July!


* in my (not so) humble opinion

2 comments:

artandtea said...

Hi Melanie,
I've so enjoyed watching your bangles evolve and grow as you've explored your expression with them. They're so beautiful.
Thanks so much for sharing and writing about allowing yourself the time to follow through on your inspiration!
-Karen

Raven's Clay said...

Hi Karen!

Thanks so much for visiting (and reading, of course). I never know what folks want to read about, so I just let my crazy, and slightly eccentric mind take over and hope for the best. It's good to know someone out there is enjoying it. ;)

- Melanie