Making steady progress on my newest work. Last week, I was working on what to put inside one of the sections. I knew I wanted to use larger beads, probably pearls, and I had bought some gold pearls at my local bead store (shout out to Bead It! in Concord, NH) the previous week. I laid out the finished work on a white cloth and poured in some pearls. "Hmm," I thought. I took out the gold pearls and tried some white ones. Still not sure. Which looked better? So, I pulled out my iPhone and took a picture of both incarnations. Then I rummaged through my bead stash, hunting for other possibilities. I took some more photos. Being able to look at the variations one after another gave me the best way to see what I liked most. I've written about using technology in this decidedly low-tech medium in 2012; the tech tools are fun and helpful, but can't replace the "work of the hand."
Yesterday I finished reading "The Art Forger," by B.A. Shapiro. The fictional story is about oil painting, how to tell the difference between a copy and the real thing and even the difference between copies and forgeries. Discerning the validity of a purported Degas, the protagonist closely examines the brush work, noting that experts have determined that brush strokes can be distinctive markers. She is able to tell a left-handed brush stroke from a right-handed one. Oscar-winning animator, Nick Park, creator of "Wallace and Grommit," has commented that in his labor-intensive claymation films, he and his team want the random thumbprint to be visible. They want reminders that their work is not a product of machines. A recent ad for the September opening of Laika's film, "The Boxtrolls," says is comes from the hands that made "ParaNorman" and "Coraline." The ad features hands painting hair, sewing a tie, and baking dozens of clay heads. In a world where technology is ever-present, I like that my work is handmade, even if technology can be a tool in the process.
Yesterday I finished reading "The Art Forger," by B.A. Shapiro. The fictional story is about oil painting, how to tell the difference between a copy and the real thing and even the difference between copies and forgeries. Discerning the validity of a purported Degas, the protagonist closely examines the brush work, noting that experts have determined that brush strokes can be distinctive markers. She is able to tell a left-handed brush stroke from a right-handed one. Oscar-winning animator, Nick Park, creator of "Wallace and Grommit," has commented that in his labor-intensive claymation films, he and his team want the random thumbprint to be visible. They want reminders that their work is not a product of machines. A recent ad for the September opening of Laika's film, "The Boxtrolls," says is comes from the hands that made "ParaNorman" and "Coraline." The ad features hands painting hair, sewing a tie, and baking dozens of clay heads. In a world where technology is ever-present, I like that my work is handmade, even if technology can be a tool in the process.