these are the techniques I'm going to focus on or - these are the ideas, artistically, that I'm going to explore Constraints = creativity.
Good advise from Elaine… In some ways the question is akin to
asking “How can I find my true love?” Largely, it finds you. I made
thousands of pieces in silver and all sorts of stones, but I yearned
to make what I saw in the magazines and books about the greats of
the world. I realized that wasn’t going to happen in Smalltown, so I
went to the big city to make big city jewelry. I didn’t “sell out” -
I went for what I wanted, and found it.
I think what really happens is either talent or luck or both -
coupled with the likelyhood that it’s not going to happen without
getting some skills, first. In my case it was mostly talent - I took
to jewelry like a duck to water. Many people just make some item or
style that hits a nerve, and run with it. The late Laurel Burch did
exactly that - pretty little enameled earrings that just flew off
the shelves and became a multi-million dollar enterprise. Talent, a
bit of luck, and the ability to give people what they wanted. Jim
Binnion can tell his own story, if he wants to, but I watched him
struggle with “conventional” jewelry - and then he found mokume and
the rest is history…
Rule #1: Nobody’s going to buy it if they don’t actually like it,
whether you think they are ignorant, unsophisticated or what. You
have to touch them.