Matthew Weld: The Artist Within

Custom Pendant Design Update

2010-04-24T12:52:00.014-05:00

Hello Jewelry Aficionados!

Here are some photos showing the process I used to create the pendant I designed in the last post.

This first one shows the pattern cut out of paper and laid on the silver sheet. I then used a fine point Sharpie Marker to transfer the design. Then, so the design wouldn't be lost with finger smudges, I took an awl and scored along the line, making a permanent mark in the sterling.

I then carefully cut out the shape using a jeweler's saw. I'm always surprised by how quickly this process actually takes. One would think that it would take lots of time and several saw blades, not to mention sore hands, but since sterling is relatively soft, it cuts right through.

The piece as soon as it is free. You can see where I started each of the cuts. Try to keep these to a minimum, as you can see there is extra metal that now has to be filed away (and wasted) at each of those points (the bottom especially).

After using my handpiece with green stones and white rubber wheels along with a variety of different files, here is the smoothed piece, ready to be knocked around a bit with my hammer. Right now it is very 2-D, and the design calls for a more 3-D shape, so I need to not only hammer in the texture, but I need to form it into a rather complicated curve.

I say complicated curve because each one of the arms is curved and domed, as is the piece as a whole. I ended up hammering on my former models as well as an old 2x4, working to end up with the *PERFECT* shape.

The next step involved soldering on all the settings for the stones. I used premade settings. There are three sizes of bezel cups, and 3 snap settings for 4mm CZ's. The trick was to set them successfully without melting the cups. Since the pendant base is large and relatively thick, it acts as a pretty significan heat sink, so it has to be heated thoroughly before any flame is directed onto the settings, or they will melt in no time.

After a couple of hours in the pickle pot, the oxidation from the soldering process is gone, leaving a matte finish . It's now ready to set the stones.

The onyx cabochons are set in their cups waiting to be set. The edges of the bezel cups had to be shortened somewhat so that there wouldn't be a lot of metal showing. Also, since I used high-domed cabochons, they were pretty steep, which would have made it difficult to bend/fold over that much metal without it creasing on itself and looking unsightly.

After a nervewracking afternoon of cutting, setting, and a whole lot of polishing (I heard somewhere that the amount of time spent on polishing usually ends up being equal to the amount of time spend on everything else. I agree.), the pendant ended up a success. Next step? The earrings.

Stay tuned.

Peace! Pastel Guy

Jewelry Commission Part I - Design

2010-03-02T21:42:00.008-06:00

Untitled Pendant Design

Coordinating Earrings

About a month ago, I was approached by a woman in town looking for a unique gift. "Make it big and bold," she said. "Can you do that?" Are you kidding? I LOVE making big and bold. My opinion is that if you're going to bother wearing jewelry, then WEAR it! FLAUNT it! Don't be shy and put on something that no one is ever going to notice. The whole point of wearing jewelry, of collecting jewelry, of making jewelry, is for people to notice it; otherwise, why bother?

But I digress.

The first part of a creative project is to find inspiration. This time, inspiration came during my son's haircut. I had just told the stylist to take a #2 up the back and sides and scissor the top so he could still spike it. Then I noticed her earrings. Big. Bold. (And nothing like the design, above.) All of a sudden, I saw this design in my head. This is it! All those partial, foggy ideas which had been popping in and out of my head suddenly coalesced into this design. It was one of those weird, creative epiphanies you read about but seldom experience.

Next, I drew the piece to size. The pendant measures about 2.25 inches (5.5 cm) in diameter, and the earrings are as big as a US quarter dollar. It's sterling silver, formed to give it some depth, and hammered at the ends to give it some texture. Then it will be set with 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm onyx cabachons (since black is 'her color'), and 4mm CZs (since real diamonds are not even an option).

I plan to put an inscription on the back, too, but I can't tell you what it is, yet, as the recipient might guess, and that would be bad.

The earrings are pretty much the same, except the piece with the post will be a 12mm cabachon onyx. I'm thinking I may start with 12 guage wire rather than cutting out sterling sheet, too.

The shape is meant to symbolize protection, nurturing, and caring. The arms could be human arms protecting children, the walls of a pod protecting its seeds, or the petals of a flower protecting the stamens.

I'm excited to start contructing this piece, and I plan to keep posting photos as I progress, so stay tuned!

Pastel (and Jewelry) Guy

www.studio206.etsy.com

Where Am I..?

2010-02-15T20:01:00.003-06:00

Wow. No new art to share. Sorry.

I haven't even been making any jewelry! There are several factors on which I would like to place blame (after all, it's only human to place the blame elsewhere besides yourself!).

First, Facebook. That is an evil, evil place. When I left home all those years ago, I RAN as fast as I could. Now I've reconnected with high school and college friends, and it's been really comforting to learn that our lives are a lot different, yet we are still friends after decades of not talking.

Second, New Job. Being an Assistant Principal has a steep learning curve, one that I'm trying my best not to fall off. The take home work isn't so bad, but the extra time a school sure is!

Third, Lack of Desire. I just haven't been motivated. I think it may be that I'm actually happy with my job now, and not trying to start a second career while still in my first.

I do have a Plan, however. It involves a solo canoe trip this summer. Just me, the wilderness, and some art supplies for a week. It's not a fully formed plan, but I'm thinking a journal of some sort. Pastels may not be practical, so I may dust off my watercolors...

If anyone has some good ideas, please let me know!

PastelGuy

Summer Rhythms

2009-09-22T20:31:00.003-05:00

Summer Rhythms

14" x 11" pastel on paper

Whew! With the new job of Assistant Principal, my quantity of free time over the summer plummeted. Thanks to all of you who have kept on, occaisionally asking where I am...

The above painting is the third one I've done in 2009. And since I've decided to keep the focus of my blog on my art, well, that's why posts are a little far and few between. The motivation for this work came from the gallery in St. Louis where I show my work, Gallery M. Susan, the nice owner over there decided for a juried show this fall called 'Beauty Is...'. I needed to get her some new work, so I went over to Tower Grove Park in St. Louis where they have gorgeous tropical waterlily ponds, and I took a bunch of pictures. One photo ended up on my laptop as wallpaper. Perhaps that can be a future post. We can put it up as a sort of challenge. What do you think?

This is actually a small part of a much larger picture of white waterlilies. When i went to print off the whole file, it only showed this much. I was just about to delete the print job, when the composition struck me, and I was intrigued by the water, the curves of the pads offset by the straight lines of the stems. One person told me that it was too dark, but I like using my darkest pastels, sometimes.

This was the first painting where I used Mineral Spirits to create an underpainting. I painted the water a very dark green/brown, and the leaves a yellow ochre. If i were to do it again, I think I would choose complementary colors instead. I think some red or orange showing through the leaves would be striking.

Until next time, when I'll let you know how the Gallery Opening does this Friday evening...

Pastel Guy

Finally Finished!

2009-07-05T22:39:00.003-05:00

OK, so it's not a painting, but it's what's been consuming my life for the past week. Literally. Picture this same room with dark teal green carpet and ugly peachy walls, and a ceiling that wasn't quite white. Now look at the white ceiling, the 'Plateau' walls, and the *new* bamboo wood floor installed by yours truly.

I know the paintings are off center, but we moved the sofa and chairs around after the move-back-in, and I haven't re-moved the pictures. Besides, I think they'll go to my office after I paint a 30 x 80-inch painting for over the sofa.

Until next time...

Pastel Guy

I Did It!

2009-04-23T18:43:00.005-05:00

Morning Work pastel on panel 16" x 20"

Wow! It's been forever since I've posted. A lot has gone on... a new job for me and my wife for the 2009 - 2010 school year. I'll be the Assistant Principal for my building,, and she'll be Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for her district.

And I've done one painting in the last month and a half. It started out as a challenge photo for the Yahoo! pastel group I joined:

photo by Marilyn Witt

The black and white sketch that drew in my notebook turned out much better than the finished painting, I think. Once I had the daffodils drawn in, the vase looked to big for the flowers. I think it was the distance between the bottom of the bouquet and the place on the counter where i wanted it to sit was too far, so I had to change the style of vase. OK. Then it looked really blank, so I added my favorite coffee mug. It still looked empty, so I added the scissors. Then I made the mug bigger, since I really don't drink out of demitasse. All in all, it was intended to be a quickie, so the proportions aren't quite right, but I do like the lightness and airiness that it has.

Comments?

Pastel Guy

OK, OK Already!

2009-03-01T22:28:00.004-06:00

Sunrise on St. Mary's - 24 x 18" pastel on paper

I can tell everyone is getting antsy for a new painting. I've lost subscribers to my blog, and no one is emailing me anymore.

Well, here y'go. After a rather length vacation (yes, the project is finished - thank goodness!), I'm back at my easel.

The photo for this picture came from a fellow Etsy artist's blog. This picture presented some challenges. The biggest hurdle was keeping the waterfall and the surrounding rocks in a dark enough value range that the sunshine would be dominant. The original photo only had a hint of sun at the very top (and hardly any of the trees), so I had to make up the rest.

This painting is a good example of how a color can look differently depending on what it's background is. The sun highlights on the rocks to the right are actually a light orange color, but on the purple, they, too, take on a purple color - weird, huh?

I'm going to let it sit on my mantelpiece downstairs for a few days until I sign it. If you see anything that needs adjusting, let me know!

Thanks,

Pastel Guy

www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings

www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

Oh Yeah...

2009-02-23T20:43:00.005-06:00

It's done!

The bath/bedroom project is officially complete! Last night was our first night back in our bedroom. It felt like we had moved into a new house. It turned out so well that I am so proud of myself I can hardly stand it! I figure I spent 28 long days (divided into weekends and days off) on the project. I can understand now why Habitat for Humanity requires the future inhabitants to work on their homes. All of a sudden I have a vested interest in my abode, and and am even more proud to be its inhabitant.

The picture above is of the bamboo floor before we started moving everything back in. At first the color variation in the wood was a tad disturbing, but as the pieces started accumulating, the overall effect was very pleasing.

Now that we have moved back into the bedroom and out of the dining room, my life should return to (somewhat) normal, and I can start posting more often again. I also plan to get back into the pastel quite heavily again. It's all a matter of priorities, and now that my shelter (one of man's 'needs') is back to normal, the rest of my life can continue as before.

Until next time!
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry

Sorry Folks!

2009-02-11T17:40:00.006-06:00

OK, gotta put up a couple more of the bathroom remodel project. I know the trim isn't up and all, but the floor is grouted and finished, and the plumbing back in.

Here's the vanity and the light fixture - oh, and me taking the picture from our closet. We ended up putting in 4 medicine cabinets in place of one big mirror. We had a big mirror with two medicine cabinets (one on each side), but it was a pain to shave by going from close to far and back again. Besides, now we have all kinds of storage! The glass on the top of the vanity is the stack of shelves for inside the cabinets. Needless to say, we haven't moved in yet.

I have the equipment to put in the bamboo flooring reserved for the three-day weekend coming up. Then - finally - it's move-back-in time!

Cheers!

Pastel Guy

www.matthewweld.com - pastels

www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry

Mosaic Fun

2009-02-07T10:00:00.002-06:00

Here's a fun little toy I ran across on the Internet the other day. As I was searching for mosaic resources, I came across this site that offered premade mosaics to interior designers and builders. Having once been an interior designer (of sorts), I was immediately intrigued. Here you can use a virtual palette to create random mosaics out of square tiles. It's not what I would choose for my home, but I did have fun mixing colors. Try the Mosaic Maximizer and see for yourself!

Pastel Guy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastel painting

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - jewelry

Some More Floor

2009-02-05T22:00:00.001-06:00

So here's the final floor. Well, almost final. The grout isn't down yet in these pictures. But this shows all those little rectangular tiles from the old bathroom. The room in the top of the picture now also has tile in it, too. Putting down the tile was a lot like doing stained glass patterns. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered a book on Amazon about mosaic techniques. I have a grand scale design for the floor of the downstairs hallway brewing in the recesses of my brain.... I have a tendency to skip the baby steps and charge right in to the 'advanced' level projects.

My goal for this weekend is to finish the bathroom. The trim is painted and waiting to go back on. The vanity is in, the sinks put in, and the new faucets just need to have the last bit of hooking up to do. Then I do the real nailbiter and turn off the water, cut the existing pipes, and tap into them. Our goal when this project started was to have the project done for Valentine's Day. It looks as though the wood floors will be put down next weekend, with the moving in done on Presidents' Day. (I'm knocking loudly on my desk. Can't you hear it?!)

Cheers!
Pastel Guy
http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastel paintings
http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - handmade jewelry for sale

The Project from Hades

2009-02-02T19:58:00.008-06:00

For the first time in oh, about three weeks, I don't feel totally burdened in the evening. I don't have any grading (this happens about twice each year in a teacher's life - at least mine), and I don't have a short project to do in my bathroom project. Therefore, here's the next installment on my project.

This photo shows the mess I created in the shower/toilet room by knocking out the tile. See those little rectagles? Remember them, because they will show up again later.

Then, in the main part of the bath,the vanity had been removed, and the plaster redone, and the flooring redone. This shows the wall before it was replastered. The hideous light fixture is now gone, and that soffitting is there to hold the new light fixture over the surface-mounted medicine cabinets that will stretch across the expanse. Turns out I actually had to make another step to cover the old light's hole in the ceiling. It was either that or redo the whole ceiling. The second step actually looks pretty cool.

Next time, I'll show you some quick photos of the tile floor with mosaic border (remember those little rectangles?), the new vanity, and the RED walls.

Until then,

Pastel Guy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastels

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - handmade jewelry for sale

Zero is the Hero!

2009-01-14T22:42:00.000-06:00

Humor me.

Even if you're not the artistic type (I know, there are some of you out there who are reading this), go ahead. Do it.

Just for fun, test the artistic eye within you, and take the hue test.

It's designed to see how good your eyes are at discerning color differences. This test gives you one hundred blocks in four sets, and you have to click and drag the boxes in order to put the colored squares in order. (Once you click on the site, find your country and click on it - I know it works for 'United States' at least!)

The results then let you see what colors you may have trouble seeing (or at least discerning). A score of zero is perfect. I suspect that most of you will score a zero - like me!

Pastel Guy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastel paintings

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - handmade jewelry

Room Painting Gone Haywire, part II

2009-01-11T19:20:00.008-06:00

Part One, where the damaged studs and subfloor have been removed.

Part Two, where the studs and subfloor have been replaced.

Part Three, where it stands right now. The 5/8 inch composite board is over the top of the subfloor, the insulation has been added between the studs, and the vapor barrier stapled in. The level of the floor now matches the closet (where I'm standing to photograph), and the shower room (to the left). Unfortunately, the medicine cabinets we bought to span the 6 foot width are too wide by about a half-inch, so it's back to the drawing board for that. And I can't finalize the lighting requirements until the mirror situation is figured out...

Then, of course, I have a grand design for the tile forming in my mind. I just hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew. It should be like making a stained glass panel, right?

Until next time,

Pastel (and home remodeler) Guy

www.matthewweld.com - pastels

www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

Sleeping in the Dining Room

2009-01-09T21:25:00.004-06:00

OK, I've been guilted into posting again. There are so many amazing blogs out there that I spend all my time reading instead of writing.

So here goes. There have been a lot of things happening on the home front that I just haven't found the gumption to put into words. But here goes. You asked for it (OK, not really, but you're reading it, right?!).

OK. Study the picture, above, and then answer the questions below.

See the ugly miniprint wallpaper?

See the black mildewy ickiness on the wall and the floor?

See where our bathroom vanity used to be?

Remember all these things as I relate the story. It all started when we decided to paint our Master bedroom. Easy, right? We have lived in this house for 7 years, now, and have been house poor until this year. We finally have some breathing room in our budget, so we have decided to finally take some of the extra $$ to make the necessary changes in order to make this house feel more like ours, rather than the previous owners'. (That, and we've both finished our Masters program, and so have all this extra time!)

Well, the walls had more of the ugly miniprint wallpaper pictured above. Fortunately, that came off in nice, tidy sheets. The glue, however, did not. So I tried scraping. Then I tried DIF stuff. Then I taped plastic over all the openings, donned a respirator, and used my sander. Fianlly, I gave up and replastered the whole thing. BTW, it looks great! I put a nice texture into it and painted it 'Toasted Wheat' per my wife's color preference (more on THAT later!).

Three days later...

Oh! Forgot to mention the trim. The people who built this house (1971) did it right, which is one of the reasons we bought it. Therefore, the trim in the bedroom consisted of baseboards, chair rail, and crown molding. The chair rail is off for good (anybody need some?!), and the crown molding went from dark brown stain to white (5 coats? Maybe? ...lost count). The base boards, however, were nailed on before the carpeting was laid down. Therefore, the tack strips were in front of the baseboards, necessitating the removal of the carpeting before the trim.

There I was, plastering the wall, singing along to the radio, when my wife calls in from the bathroom, "Uh, honey...?" Uh-oh. I walk into the bathroom, and she has pulled back the carpet under the bathroom vanity only to find a ring of WET (OK, very damp) subflooring in front of my sink. Long story short: the water pipes are in an exterior wall, and must have frozen some years ago when it was really cold during the winter, and had been slowly leaking since. Suddenly, what had been a 'one-of-these-days' project was now a 'yesterday!' project.

Out came my plumber's hat, and I cut out the old pipes and capped them off without incident. Since then, the floor has been drying nicely. Tomorrow, I will be taking out subfloor, sills, and studs and replacing them all. Wish me luck!

So, what had started out as a 3 gallons of paint project has turned into the 3 gallons of paint, lumber, tiles (more on THAT later, too!), solid bamboo flooring (I'm sure there will be a story there...), custom order vanity and top, plumbing supplies, and about a month of sleeping in the dining room.

Until later!
Pastel (and home remodeling) Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastels
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry

Guesting with Jellyfish

2009-01-05T22:24:00.004-06:00

I am guest blogging today over at Dana Marie's Inspiration All Around Us blog. Every week, she posts a photo to inspire the Artist Within Us (naturally I'm intrigued). We then use that photo to creat some sort of art. In this case, I posted some sketches I made for sterling silver earrings.

Oh, and I have a thing for jellyfish.

Take Care,

Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter!

Champagne Celebration

2008-12-30T09:43:00.005-06:00

In the spirit of New Year's celebrations, I listed my Champagne Collection on Etsy this morning. Made with gold filled wire with gold filled, vermeil, and brass beads in addition to citrine, several varieties and colors of freshwater pearls, and Swarovski crystal, this collection has been quite popular.

It all started when a high school senior approached me a couple of years ago to put together a necklace for her prom dress. The color was a greenish/goldish/creamish color that proved difficult to match at the mall. Fortuately, I love a design challenge, and came up with a collection of beads that blends well with all sorts of colors.

If you wear cream and khaki in the winter (doesn't most everyone?) and are looking for a way to add some sparkle, this is it.

Necklace is 48 inches (1.3 meters) and can be wound twice or three times for variety ($125).

Cuff is about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) wide, and can be flexed to fit your wrist ($89).

Earrings hang 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) from your ear, and are on French wires, but could be put on ball/posts ($24). Sold separately, the set would be $238, but I'll give a special *blog pricing* at $225 (plus shipping of $5.00 in US - other places to be determined).

Happy New Year!

Pastel (and jewelry) Guy

www.matthewweld.com - pastels

www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade and custom jewelry

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (see sidebar!).

Sunlight and Sycamores

2008-12-29T22:33:00.002-06:00

As I went outside to retrieve the trash cans this afternoon, I stepped out into a beautiful late afternoon replete with long shadows and a brilliant blue sky. So I dropped the vacuum canister, ran inside, grabbed my camera, and came out for some low-angled light pictures to save for future reference. This one was my favorite. We have two acres, much of which is covered with trees that connect to about 50 more acres of trees behind us that will never (OK, probably never) be developed. Anyway, the sycamore trees with their whitish bark make cool designs against the blueblue sky of winter.

Water Lilies WIP (part I)

2008-12-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

After my last posting, where I showed 4 pictures I was considering for my next painting, I chose one that had richer colors (thanks to photo editing software!) and a more panoramic view of the pond, although not as wide as the original. I kept asking myself, "What is the story I'm trying to tell with this picture?" The answer I came up with was that the painting would be about the pond of lilies, not just the lilies. That cut out the close-ups (those can be other paintings!). Because of the size planned for this piece (24 x 36 inches - about 67 x 100cm), there will be room on the panel for details in the indiviual plants. The trick will be to then not have the details be too busy. I might even write myself a big post-it that says, "SIMPLIFY!" and post it on my easel.

In the black-and-white sketch pictured above, I wanted to work out the composition, but more importantly the values. Since the original photo had many many shades of green, combined with reflections in muddy water, it was hard to tell what had a light value and which were darker. You can see by my notes in the margin that I notated where the lightest and darkest spots were.

I'll be posting as this work progresses. It's the largest pastel I've done, and since I'm on break, I have more time to be on the computer....Keep in touch!

Decisions, Decisions

2008-12-28T21:56:00.001-06:00

Hmmm.

It's time to start pastels up again, so I came back to the computer to find a suitable picture from all the photos I took over the summer. This year, I'm trying to be extra careful about not using pictures taken by someone else, since technically those are copyrighted. There are many competitions out there where I would be disqualified for using pictures taken by someone else.

So.

I'm trying to decide what my overall goal should be for next year. I've come up with several options:

1. Juried Art Shows
2. Juried Competitions
3. Local Galleries
4. Printed Material, like a 2010 calendar with a theme, such as 'waterways' since I like painting water.
5. Workshops in pastel

I suppose a sixth option would be to do all 5 of the above. I worked on the first three in 2008, and had great progress. In addition, I would really like to do pastel workshops all over the country, say at different art schools, like Arrowmont, La Conner Art Workshops , or the Scottsdale Art School. As a teacher and a painter, it's a great mix.

Any suggestions?

Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

HELP!

2008-12-28T11:04:00.002-06:00

OK, I'm not normally this indecisive, but I can't decide which cropping to use for my next painting. Any suggestions?

Dreams Do Come True

2008-12-27T12:00:00.003-06:00

On my Christmas List this year, I put the new Blackberry Storm at the top of my list. However, my adoring, perfect, wonderful, and loving wife did a lot of research, and found that the new Samsung Omnia would be a better option.

And so it was the last present I opened.

As a result, I have spent the entire day fussing with it - going to the dealer to get it turned on and to have my Contacts switched over, learning how to put my email account into it, and figuring out how to justify its purchase by making it (and myself) even more technologically literate by joining Twitter. Now I just need to figure out how to update to this here rag from my *new* phone.

But Christmas was good for everyone in this house. My son is enjoying his Wii, my daughter has a new sewing machine and a guitar to play around with, and my wife is figuring out which spinning bike she will use the most here at home (she's already a gym rat at Gold's!).

More posts later (with pictures!). I think we may be painting the bedroom and replacing the carpet with hardwood this next week, so the postings may not be art related - WARNING!

Until next time,

Pastel Guy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastel paintings

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - handmade jewelry

Never Say Never

2008-12-26T21:45:00.003-06:00

OK, I lied.

A while ago (I tried to find the post, but didn't want to spend an eternity - sorry!), I swore up and down that I would never join Twitter.

I just did.

I'm hoping that it's just one more way to find people who may be potential buyers for my artwork. Hopefully, it will also be another way for people to learn the human side of an artist whose work they admire.

We'll see.

Anyway, you can start to follow me on Twitter by clicking on the link to the right on this blog. I can't promise to be super faithful about updating it, but I should be able to let you know when I have added new blog postings, or am about to do something creatively awesome...

Until tomorrow,
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

Etsy Frontpage!

2008-12-20T23:29:00.001-06:00

Etsy Frontpage 12/20/08 picked by jolijoli, originally uploaded by Tracee Murphy.

Today was a first for me - I made the Front Page of Etsy! It doesn't happen very often...

In receiving this award, I'd like to thank Jolijoli for putting the Treasury together (I still don't know how to do it myself!), and for my Etsy teammates of the Big Sky Montana Team for supporting me, and for letting me know I was famous for a couple of minutes. All of you are awesome.

Happy holidays!

Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry store

New Earring Design

2008-12-20T08:17:00.005-06:00

Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Windows Collection

Every now and again, a new design comes out of my studio that I really like. And this is one of them. It's not new; I actually came up with it last year, as an earring version of my cuff bracelets. So there are some black ones, some green ones, and some yellow ones out there somewhere. I would like to think they are making someone feel fabulous today, but in reality, they are probably at the bottom of someone's jewelry box, or maybe their purse. Who knows what really happens to the Christmas gifts you send out to the family members you don't know very well?

These actually take a bunch of time. First the rectangular 'window' is measured off, bent, and then soldered shut. Then the soldered corner is rounded off to match the other three corners. Once the shape is symmetrical, I then solder on the ring at the top. I used to do all the soldering at once, but more often than not, the ring ended up off center once the soldered corner was rounded off.

The next step is to weave beads inside the frame. The mix has to be just right in order to fit inside the borders, so there is a lot of trial and error. I also try to use a mix of beads that will look attractive both when the light is coming through them (clear beads), or when the light is on them from the front (semiprecious stones and crystals). The trick to making random motifs work is to use a variety of shapes and textures, hence the metal, the squares of tiger's eye, and the heishe glass.

If you'd like a pair, just email me, or keep an eye on Etsy, as they'll be listed soon ($30).

Pastel Guy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastel paintings

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - handmade jewelry for sale

Sold!

2008-12-12T21:23:00.002-06:00

Pattee Canyon Aspens (20 x 16 pastel on panel)

The other day I opened the mailbox to find an envelope with the return address of my gallery in St. Louis. It had a little bump in the envelope, so I figured it was a Christmas card. Much to my surprise, out fell a check for the sale of this painting! (Yep, the monthly statement was included in a Christmas card. With a tassel.)

Slowly but surely, I'm paying off the debt I incurred while painting this last summer and preparing for my big show in August. What a relief. My wife and I are the type who do not use our credit cards unless necessary, so this debt is stressing me out!

Fortunately (so those of you that are here for my 2D art), I'm feeling the urge to paint again building inside of me. The jewelry thing has about run its course. I have a feeling it will end at about noon on Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately, there are several custom orders awaiting my attention this weekend. I have to work on a charm bracelet for a friend's wife, a bunch of stained glass angel ornaments for my bosses, a couple of earring and bracelet orders from my 'mini jewelry shows' this last week, and a final stock-up for my last mini show this next week. Oh, and there's one more special project that has to be completed, but that's hush-hush. If it turns out, though, it'll be a beaut worth blogging about!

Anyway. This Pattee Canyon painting was painted this last summer out in the field beside my grandparents' home in Missoula, MT. At the time, I was very dissatisfied with it, probably because it didn't turn out anything like I had intended. But now that I look at it again, I think it's pretty good. It's hard to do a painting of basically one color and basically one object (like green trees). There are no wildflowers to add a touch of color, not even any mountains, or a path, or clouds. I ended up having to rely on the shadows to give it that breadth of color that prevents it from being too mundane. Actually, I so did not like this one that I almost washed it off so that I wouldn't have to bring it all the way home on the airplane. But I needed it for my shows, so I kept it as backup.

Little did I know that my 'backup' would sell before any of my 'masterpieces'. What do I know?

Until next time,

PastelGuy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastels

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - handmade jewelry for sale

Choosing Colors

2008-12-04T18:37:00.002-06:00

It was born in 1971. It's now 37 years old.

I'm talking about our house.

We've lived here about seven of those years, and haven't really done too much to it. Sure, I painted the outdoor trim, repainted the kitchen and cut archways into the kitchen walls, but any major improvement has been put off. We did the usual thing and bought absolutely as much house as we could at that time. Fortunately, our salaries have increased over the years to a point where we're not eeking out our last week of groceries until the next payday.

But the time has come (as walruses say...).

Today we had a contractor/plumber in to put in a manmade marble surround in the kids's bathroom and to change the tub into a shower, so they can quit using ours. Their tub has been unusable for a couple of years now. But after tomorrow, it will be up and running (and better than ours!).

Then we chose some wooden interior fiberglass Marvin windows to put all around the house. Unfortunately with the economic downturn, our Home Equity Loan came back at about half of what we expected, so we can only do part of the house. I guess that means less to pay off in the future, right?

Through all this myriad of decisions, my wife and I have been on the same page. Window styles, tub surround colors and hardware, deck supplies, etc. But when we were in Lowe's the other day to find paint colors for our bedroom and for the living/dining area, we were polar opposites. She wanted dark red for the bedroom, and I was ready to go with a pale yellow (her fave color). For the living room, I wanted a rich khaki color, but she claimed that it was too dark, and so she picked an off-white. ACK! Fortunately, Lowe's sells those little tester cans, so we bought several (it'll be beautiful...). I'll let you know what happens.

Until next time,
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com
www.studio206.etsy.com

In Summary...

2008-11-30T09:08:00.005-06:00

As the month draws to a close, there are several items on my mind:

1. NaBloPoMo - I'm not sure whether it's the curse of the devil, or heaven sent. I've enjoyed blogging, and having to do it every day for thirty days has definitely worked toward making it a habit. However, it has taken a toll with my wife, who complains of the amount of time spent on the computer...

2. Pastels - My creative juices are beginning to flow, and soon you will see new products. I joined WetCanvas! yesterday (a place for artists to congregate on the Net), and I think it will be a great learning/sharing/teaching opportunity.

3. Jewelry - Yesterday, we went to a local Craft Fair to shop around. I had done that show in the past, but it's three days over a holiday weekend, and I just don't want to give up the family time anymore. I suppose if it were my sole income, I'd be there schlepping jewelry like a madman.

4. Etsy - Well, I've had an Etsy store for about 2.5 months now, and have sold three items. I realize that it's a great place for indie artists to showcase their work, but when the jewelry category is the largest, it's just REALLY hard to compete. I think I need to sell something more original in there. Perhaps notecards of my pastel paintings. I don't want to do prints of my works, but notecards would be OK, I think.

5. Christmas - Bring it on! I don't have anything on my list this year, except for a new website and a Blackberry Storm (as discussed here). I think the website is do-able, but the Storm's monthly access fee is completely out of my price range.

6. My Family - Still the best thing since sliced bread, and what I'm most thankful for this year.

7. Yahoo! Groups - Yep. I joined 2 of them this month. One with people from Montana who have stores on Etsy And the second is for pastel painters. I have corresponded with some wonderful people in both groups, and secondarily, have also put my name out there into the art world just a little tiny bit.

Thanks for reading and commenting!
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

Pastel Musings

2008-11-29T16:34:00.003-06:00

Summer Ripples (16 x 20 pastel on panel)

I thought I'd dig into my archives for today's post. In looking back through my postings, it's been awhile since I've posted a pastel.

The board for this painting was green.

And I mean a warm green similar to the middle value of the trees on the right. That made the sky pretty difficult, since I didn't want any of the color showing through. I might as well have started with white. I had to work with the panel flat, so that when I colored in the sky, all the extra dust stayed on the surface. I could then take an old paintbrush and gently work it into the crevasses. After that, I used my finger to build up the pigment so that the green was completely hidden.

Next came the golden hill and the faraway trees, which I wanted to keep especially cool. The color of the foliage in this picture is different from the forests around the Midwest in that the overall color temperature is cooler. I had to keep that in the forefront of my mind since my tendency is to use the warm greens that are found in Illinois.

For the beach, I found out just how many uses Great American's Violet Grey has. It's great for sky as well as rocks.

The grasses along the side went in easily. I was please that I chose a warmer color for the tassels. Then the reflections went in, and finally the moving water with the reflected sky.

The water was the part I was the most nervous about. I had just finished Summer Idyll and Chinook, where the water worked out great. But those were still waters, and the little ripples in this one made me unsure. But I looked at them as colors and shapes and recreated them rather than trying to represent ripples. It was really quite easy. After laying down the darker Neptune and Bismark (and maybe some Navy), I was able to scumble Denim over the surface, and viola! ripples.

But I've decided that I love painting water. There are so many variables - the lighting, the distance of the reflected items from the edge of the water, the cloud cover, the wind, etc. It's a great challenge. I think that growing up on lakefront property helps a lot, too. I have a firm memory base of what water looks like in various states, and I believe this basic understanding helps a lot in my landscape painting.

Keep noticing the details!

Pastel Guy

www.matthewweld.com - landscapes in pastel

www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

RED!

2008-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

Earlier this fall, I rambled on about green, but now it's time to talk about my favorite color, red.

I took this picture of my yellow-leaved pineapple sage right before the frost got it earlier this month. Our house is a reddish colored brick, with black shutters and white trim, so I use red flowers to accent the beds out front.

We have a big yard. Our property is just over 2 acres, with a lot of it still in woods, but the front is probably about as wide as three subdivision lots. There's a half-circle drive where I have a big grassy area in the front, but off to the sides are some big beds under huge oak trees. Instead of trying to mow around them all, I underplanted them with viburnum, hydrangea, azaleas, fern, hosta, and even some redbud trees, which are our state tree, and are naturally found in the understory. For accent colors, I plant bright red impatiens along the edge. There is also a planting of bight red Freedom hedge roses (the most amazing red color ever!), and a cherry red crepe myrtle.

When I find a picture of the whole yard, I'll post it. It's taken about 7 years, but it's finally looking grown in.

And there y'have more randomness about me. I think this is the first posting about gardening, which is odd, actually. Because I'm totally obsessed. I'm one of those who knows all the plants by their scientific names, and when my wife asks what something is called, I can't remember the common name.

Until next time,

PastelGuy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastel paintings

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - handmade jewelry for sale

Plans...

2008-11-27T07:29:00.003-06:00

This morning started with my son climbing into bed with us at 6 am.

That in and of itself is not a bad thing. He's a cuddle bug and doesn't tend to sleep sideways like the other one does...

The killer is that it's Thanksgiving. A holiday.

And for some funny reason, now that I'm a dad, I can't seem to go back to sleep once I'm awakened past the hour of, say, 5:30 am. I used to be a sleeping champ.

Now I'm just like my grandma.

The problem is that I just lie there and my brain kicks into creativity mode without waiting for the warmup. Today I had one side of my brain working on the composition for a pastel picture I want to do as a Christmas gift. The other side was working on how I could work in a tile mosaic floor somewhere in our house, and somewhere in the middle, I had possible scenes for a large scale stained glass window for the wall behind our bar downstairs. Then every once in a while, the practical side would jump in and try to think of ways to market all these great ideas so I could make all this my full-time job.

I finally just got up. Sigh. Maybe some tryptophan and alcohol will slow the old brain down a little later on...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I'm thankful to have started this blog, and for everyone who comments so faithfully, like Brandy, EM, and Kay.

Thanks!
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com
www.studio206.etsy.com

A Peek in My Sketchbook

2008-11-26T20:02:00.007-06:00

Janice, a fellow jewelry blogger, gave me a great idea for today's blog: a glimpse at my sketchbook. Actually, my jewelry ideas are kept on scraps of paper (the white one, below, is the back of one of my son's papers from school), while my pastels sketches are in a proper sketchbook. ...(don't ask) They then get clipped on a post in my garage ("studio"). See pic, above.

This page shows a couple of earring ideas plus a couple of pendant ideas. I've come close to making the ones on the top left, but kinda forgot about the others. Hmmm.

These two yellow pages show a few more earring ideas which were sketched on scrap paper and tacked up on my Idea Post. You can see that the last one here on the bottom has some notes next to it. I actually made these and made notes to myself for the next time I work with this motif. In fact, this idea led me to make my fuschia earrings which sell very well, and that I have for sale on Etsy (see link, above).

So, thanks, Janice, for your inspiration today. If nothing else, it made me revisit these ideas, and gave me some renewed inspiration for this weekend!

Happy arting!
Pastel (and jewelry) Guy
http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastels
http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - handmade jewelry

Random Photo Day

2008-11-25T20:45:00.006-06:00

Flathead Lake, Montana, USA

This picture was taken on our trip out west this last summer (sorry the horizon is not level. I guess that's what happens when your driving and photographing at the same time!). Now that it is wintery outside, I think I may make this the wallpaper on my computer.

The is the decent off the terminal moraine at the north end of the Mission Valley into the town of Polson, where I went to school. Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. This photo just shows the bay at the southern end. Those are the Mission Mountains in the distance. My folks had a house on the lake up the west shore near Big Arm. It would take my sister and me 45 minutes to ride the bus to school - and we were one of the last ones to get on in the morning, and the first to get off in the afternoon.

One of my fellow Etsy montanateam members mentioned how fierce the winters were in the 1970s. If that is true, then the winters when we used to ice skate across the frozen Big Arm Bay to the islands were unusual by today's standards. Sound travels so much better over ice that the coyotes on Wild Horse Island would sound as if they were in your back yard, and when the ice melted and cracked the creepy eeeerrrroinnnng would wake you up at night.

The blue dot below shows about where our house was. You can see the couple of islands we would visit to the north and east.

So that's probably more than you wanted to know, but there y'have it.

Until tomorrow!

Pastel Guy

www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings

www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

So Many Options...

2008-11-24T20:35:00.005-06:00

Earlier last week, I had another mini craft fair. This is when I take my jewelry to one of the local schools and set it up in the teachers' lounge for a couple of days. It's all on the honors system - I leave it there unattendend, and faculty and staff shops, leaving their checks and cash in a manilla envelope. They even have the option of signing an IOU sheet. So far that arrangement has worked just fine. Turns out I sold 18 pairs of earrings last week. Eighteeen pairs of mostly brown earrings. That means that I have to come up with 18 new designs to replenish my display board for the next mini craft fair.

Just when I think there's no way I'll be able to accomplish that, I pull out my styrofoam plates of beads and stare. Pretty soon the creative juices start flowing, and I can start cranking them out. The picture above is just one of my plates of dark brown. I also have light brown/amber, a couple different greens, a couple blues, black, turquoise, red, pink, pearls, etc.

See, I used to put each bead type in a little compartmentalized box. Then I started buying strands by the bagful, and so that took way to much organization for the right side of my brain to handle. So I decided that I should just arrange them as if they were a palette, and put all the similarly colored beads together, hence the styrofoam plates which were sturdier than paper. What I really need are stackable trays.

This organizational system is actually how I came up with my random designed jewlery, where there's no pattern, just a random assortment of beads strung together, either as a bracelet, a necklace or as a cuff. When you have all these great colors and shapes staring you in the face, it's hard to decide which ones to use. Why not use them all? With a symmetrical design, there would be no way to fit them all in without making it look stupid, and basically random anyway.

The fun comes when you take a handful from one plate and mix it with a handful from another plate. It's mixing colors just like paint! I've ended up with some great combinations: champagne and pearls, dark brown and turquoise, and pastels, just to name a few (the bummer is then separating them back out again once the piece is finished!).

So, I'm off to make some earrings...

Until tomorrow,
PastelGuy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

Guesting Day

2008-11-23T23:05:00.004-06:00

Today, I'm guest blogging on another blog, The Big Sky Montana Etsy Team, of which I am a proud member!

This posting is a story that shows how tragedy can result in beauty. While ranching and grizzly bears don't mix, a member of our Etsy team is able to make the cutest little lambs you've ever seen, despite the fact that the bears ate all her real ones. This is her story.

Peace!
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

Fabulous! by Pastel Guy

2008-11-22T21:58:00.003-06:00

It's coming. I can sense it. I see the signs.... everywhere.

As Resolution Day approaches, there are lists, tips, blogs, and books about how you should be. Which raises the question, "Am I not worthy?"

At the library this afternoon, I found a book, "Freakin' Fabulous" by Clinton Kelly. I'd never heard of the guy before, but I guess that's what happens when one lives under a rock and doesn't watch TV.

Anyway. Apparently, he's the guru on how to be fabulous. So, sucka that I am, I checked it out, and during our family reading time this afternoon, I was able to thumb through it. Really, it's just a list of manners, and grammar, and artistic common sense.

Y'know, stuff parents teach their kids...

...But I guess they don't.

As I was reading through the chapter on how to speak with fabulosity, I noted that it was my seventh grade grammar curriculum reduced to 10 pages. Who vs. whom, further vs. farther, the subjunctive tense, etc. I learned all that at home ('course having two english teachers - ahem, teachers of English - as parents didn't hurt).

Reading through his list (book) of pet peeves started me thinking about my list. What would I write about if I were (see?! I just used the subjunctive correctly!) to be paid millions of bucks to summarize the habits of people that annoy me the most.

Here's the short list using Clinton Kelly's categories:

1. DRESS: Men who wear black socks with their black shoes and khaki pants, and women who wear jewelry that's too small.
2. SPEAK: People who finish their sentences with 'at'.
3. BEHAVE: Intolerance of others even when they consider themselves 'Christians'.
4. EAT: People who don't hold their silverware properly.
5. ENTERTAIN: arriving early.
6. DECORATE: pictures that are too small hanging too high on the wall.

I haven't read all of his book, so I don't know if I'm duplicating any of his or not. I am far from being fabulous myself; this list is just the six sure-fire ways to botch any chance you might have had at being fabulous in my world.

As I look out over my students in the few minutes between classes, I listen to them ask their neighbor where their pencil is at, and call the kid across the room a fag. And I sigh.

Should I scrap my lesson on DNA replication in favor of Today's Tip on Civility? Obviously they're not getting it at home. So is it now my job?

Perhaps my New Year's Resolution will end up something like this: I will strive to spread fabulousness - one student at a time.

Until tomorrow,
PastelGuy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - handmade jewelry for sale

Up and Down

2008-11-21T19:13:00.002-06:00

Today was a day of ups and downs...

My first period class was enjoyable. Then, during 7th hour, I think my blood pressure spiked. Went to see Bolt (the new Disney movie) with my son after school (good movie, great time with him), came home to pest control people not doing what they were supposed to and the dog eating my supper. Ten came a nice full tumbler of whiskey. So now I think I'll go to bed while it's on the upswing, even though it's only 8:22 at night.

Here's to NaBloPoMo!

PastelGuy
www.matthewweld.com
www.studio206.etsy.com

Custom Stained Glass

2008-11-20T20:14:00.005-06:00

Summer Rain (stained glass panel about 36" x 24")

Yesterday I ranted, so I thought today I would take it easy. Earlier this month, I promised you another stained glass window. Here y'go.

This one is actually the second one I made using this pattern. The first pattern was made for a woman who wanted a window for her bathroom that had a Frank Lloyd Wright style to it. I had been doing stained glass for a couple of months, and this was my first real commission on anything. She wanted it in blues, with a modern feel. There had to be light, but privacy, too. The privacy issue eliminated Wright's signature use of design around the outside to allow for full light and visibility in the middle of the window. I wanted it to look sort of like falling rain.

Anyhow. I liked the design so much that I made one for myself. Of course it's been sitting in my garage against the wall for the last few years, coming out only to make its annual trip to my school for the art teacher to use as a demonstration.

The most fun part of making a window is picking out the glass. Some of the glass in this window is handmade, and quite pricey. The main panels with the slight strawberry swirl in them is a glass from the Youghiogheny Glass Company. Rather than the usual high polish that's on most glass, this one looks like it's made out of wax.

Then there's the ridged one that's a great olive color. It's hard to see it in the picture, but its ridges are so sharp that it reflects the light, and adds great texture to the composition.

The gold one is cool, too. Its ripples are so pronounced that it was hard to put into the lead because the ripples are actually taller than the lead, so you have to grind it at an angle to reduce the ripples enough to fit in the lead channel. It also has an iridescent finish.

But when you have exciting glass pieces like that, you have to offset them with some boring, "normal" glass, such as the green and amber squares in the repeating checkerboard motif.

It's sort of like wearing a fantastic necklace on a patterned top. Don't do it! Put it on a solid color, and let your jewelry stand out.

Make sure you stand out today!
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - custom and handmade jewelry for sale

Shame on You!

2008-11-19T15:32:00.004-06:00

Remember the good ol' days when you could convince your PE teacher to play Prison Ball in class? The you went out to recess and played tag until you thought your lungs would pop?

No more.

The other day my kids came home from school with the news that they are no longer allowed to play dodge ball, wall ball, or any variation. Tag is also taboo.

I'm sorry, what did you say? No tag?

Mmm hmm. That's right. No more fun. Apparently, during the game, kids are singled out and that's a bad thing. I talked with some of my colleagues here at the junior high, and they said that they were taught in teacher school that we shouldn't let the kids play "shame games." (I think I would have remembered this lesson. I guess I'm either too old, not certified in elementary, or was sleeping especially well that day)

According to the pundits, a shame game is any game that singles out a particular kid, thus creating the potential of lowering their self esteem. OK. So I'm trying to think of an athletic activity where that wouldn't happen. Baseball? No, nothing more esteem-deflating than striking out. Basketball? No, my esteem never made it past being the last one chosen. Track? No. Golf? Tennis? Badmitton? No, no, no.

What is going on? Can someone please fill me in? I've been in education for 10 years now, and it makes no sense.

I'm gonna stop before my veins pop.

Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com
www.studio206.etsy.com

2008-11-18T21:23:00.003-06:00

Indiana Savannah (12 x 18 pastel on paper)

This is my first official pastel.

It's now hanging above my desk nicely matted and framed, waiting for the day when I'm famous and it will be worth a fortune. (I know that usually happens after the artist is dead, but oh well, the grandkids'll appreciate it!)

Here's the story of how I became involved with pastels.

In the spring of 2007, I was reading one of my jewelry magazines, and they had an article about summer camps for grownups. You know, places where you could go and spend a week in some idyllic location and do artsy stuff (and not have daily responsibilities - key seller for me!). One of the schools featured was Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. None of the jewelry classes offered seemed particularly appealing, but the artist offering a pastel workshop had amazing paintings whose artisitic style was similar to mine, so I thought I should give it a try.

The problem was that I was now signed up for a class geared toward intermediate and advanced students, and I had never completed a real pastel painting. So I bought some pastels and some paper, rummaged around through my art file for a subject, and came up with this one.

Not bad, I thought. I ready to go!

Never have I spent a week on such an emotional rollercoaster before! The people were great, the food was amazing, Susan Ogilvie, the instuctor was incredible, but I left every day completely defeated. Nothing turned out. My 5:00 cocktails became bigger every day, and nicotine my new best friend. Notice how you haven't seen any of the paintings I did while at the workshop.

I like to blame it on the scenery there. I mean, the forests of the Smoky Mountains have some really dark shadows, and the streams had rushing water and boulders (aren't rocks an artist's worst nightmare?). Besides, I had a very limited palette, and the supply store had crap for pastels, and ... and...

In actuality, I think I had finally hit the learning curve.

Upon return, I took out my notes and reread them. I opened my sketchbook and studied them, remembering the milllions of little tidbits I had learned. Then I washed off the panels that were too terrible to keep, resurfaced them, and started over. And always, I had Indiana Savannah propped up on the window sill to remind me of what I had done...what I could do.

A year later, I'd been accepted to a couple juried events, and had won an award.

And now my first painting hangs over my desk, reminding me that today is another day, and somebody new needs to see my work.

As we say in America, "Keep truckin'!"

PastelGuy

www.matthewweld.com

www.studio206.etsy.com

I Need You!

2008-11-17T18:09:00.003-06:00

HELP!

Considering how much traffic has viewed my Jewelry Tutorial I and Jewelry Tutorial II, (a huge heap of thanks goes to Rena Klingenberg and her Jewelry Business Blog for featuring my tutorial a while ago), I think it's about time to make another. But I'd like to hear some opinion from my readers. I also think I may start making some really detailed ones and sell them on Etsy as downloadable files. There is a woman in Thailand who does that for $5 each, and seems to sell them pretty well.

So, here's a list of media in which I would feel comfortable making a tutorial:

silversmithing in general
soldering
turning your jewelry designs into reality
beaded work, perhaps making a successful random design
stained glass projects (maybe my Christmas tree earrings?)
pastel paintings
cuff bracelets
painting composition (decide what of a landscape scene to include)
bezel setting stones
insert your idea: ________________.

Please take a moment to comment so I can make plans!

Thanks,

Pastel Guy

www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry store

www.matthewweld.com - pastels

My Christmas List

2008-11-16T08:19:00.004-06:00

I need a makeover.

OK. Scratch that. My website needs a makeover. (Although some may argue for the former!).

My family has been asking for my Christmas list. But I can't think of anything (except the new Blackberry Storm, but I don't want to have to pay $250/month just for access!) I really want. Maybe I'm at that age where I don't really want much anymore. I already have a great family and a job and a house.

But what I do want is a decent website for my pastels.

In reading art books, magazines, and blogs, my website is embarassingly amateur. I found this place that was cheap, and they hooked me by saying they had these templates that made it easy to make your own, professional-looking website. HA! I just remember several chat sessions with the techies, phone calls, and late nights filled with cursing.

That was 10 months ago, as part of my 2008 New Year's Resolution.

Now, I see that there are several sites that are designed especially for artists. From having had a website for almost a year now, I have come up with a wish list - the requirements of a perfect host, if you will:

They will still accept my domain name. I don't want my domain name to have to be tacked onto the beginning of the hosting site, as in my Etsy store, www.studio206.etsy.com. People should be able to type in www.matthewweld.com, and go directly there.
It should have a cart, so I don't have to go to PayPal, make a button, copy it, and then paste it onto my page FOR EVERY PAINTING! However, I need to be able to disable this feature if my work is at my gallery and only available through them.
Easily adjustable/customizable templates, like blogger.com. I like this site, and I would use it exclusively, but there's nowhere to show all my work.
When visitors click on a thumbnail, it will take them to a page with an enlarged version. I shouldn't have to set that up. It should do it automatically. I can't do that with my current site, so I haven't taken the time to figure out a page address and all for each enlarged picture.
A place for reader comments, like a blog. There should be some way for the vistors to interact with my site and my work.
Simple Flash capabilites, like the Flickr Gadget on this blog that shows a slideshow of my jewelry and recent work. I don't want it to be so complicated that it takes forever to load. I've been to some websites that I X out of before it has finished loading, because I'm impetuous like that. And I have cable internet.

Six wishes isn't so much, is it?

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. If you have visited another artist's website that you think is amazing, leave their link in the comments section.

Thanks in advance,

PastelGuy

www.matthewweld.com - pastels

www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry store

Blueberries for Breakfast

2008-11-15T19:37:00.008-06:00

Canadian Blueberries (pastel on panel 8 x 10)

OK, so I dug up another painting from last summer.

This one is a little more abstract than my usuals. But the subject made such an impression on me in real life that I had to paint it. We were on Russell Lake in the middle of Quetico Provicial Wilderness. The boys I was counselor for were out in the canoes suntanning (burning?!), and I was wandering around just a little bored.

It was our Layover day, which meant we were staying at the same campground for two nights in a row.

On the shore was this little blueberry plant perfectly surrounded by granite boulders. In the foreground was an amazing array of mosses and lichens the likes of which I've only ever seen in the Canadian Wilderness. I made a quick sketch, and then a couple months later, turned it into a painting, based on my memories of the colors.

It ended up being a study of shapes. Many people have trouble with rocks, but if you just keep working on their shapes, and remember how they reflect the light and have substance and shadow, eventually they will emerge as a symphony of shapes which look like rocks.

The upper right hand corner I wanted to leave especially abstract, so the focus of the work would be within the confines of the granite rocks.

Also notice how it takes warm colors to accentuate the cool ones of the lichen in the bottom left. Likewise, it took cool blue accents to fill out the shadows under the rocks (which were colored with the Unison Darks set).

Oh, and nothing beats fresh blueberry pancakes for breakfast in the bush.

Until tomorrow,

Pastel Guy

www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings

www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry store

This painting is available for sale at Gallerie M in St. Louis, MO

Ugh!

2008-11-14T21:47:00.003-06:00

Winter is certainly on its way. Rain, wind, more rain, clouds, and, oh! Did I mention rain?

I decided to dig out this painting as an illustration of how it is around here. Well, minus the snow.

This pastel, Chinook on the Haute Bois (pastel on panel, 18 x 24), was done last winter here in my studio. I found the picture online by a guy who photographs all the rivers he visits to fish. There are some amazing pictures there, and he was nice enough to give me permission to paint a couple of them.

This particular painting received the most comments at the art show in September. The mirror-like quality of the water does make it look realistic enough to want to stare at it for awhile. This was one of those instances where it all worked from the beginning, and I didn't have to fuss with anything. I used just three colors in the water, and blended them carefully with my finger.

If I remember correctly, I used the Great American colors Bismark with two values of Denim. I wish I had taken a picture of this painting as it was completed, because I did the sky first (as always), followed by the stream. I remember thinking how odd it looked to have this perfectly reflective stream surrounded by blank board.

This is one of those paintings where I elected to not have any of the board show through, so I had to be very careful to cover all areas - to make sure the pastel made it into all the crevices of the pumiced board.

To me, this painting reflects what I love so much about nature - its tranquility. One of the best comments I have received about my work as a whole was during my summer show. It had been open for about an hour when a woman came through and said, "Your work is so peaceful!" With the stress of putting a show together, I hadn't realized it, but yes, that's exactly what my art does for me. It provides tranquility in an otherwise very busy life.

This painting is currently on display, and available for sale, through Gallerie M in St. Louis.

Until tomorrow,
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry store

Seventeen is my Magic Number...Today.

2008-11-13T21:31:00.004-06:00

17 pairs of earrings are now gone.

PRO: I made money today!

CON: I have to make 17 more pairs this weekend to fill the holes in my display. And for some reason, people like the ones that take a while to make. Perhaps it's because they are the truly unique ones...?

Today we had parent/teacher conferences at school, and so I decided - on the spur of the moment - to take in what jewelry inventory I had. Teachers should have more time to browse the display during conferences, especially tomorrow morning once most of the conferences are over, and many teachers will have time to socialize (key word there was MANY. For some reason, I am always running around like a banshee trying to finish everything on my to-do list) and ...ahem...shop.

My main display board for earrings is great in that it holds 90 pairs (I think - it's a lot). It's a great board (if I do say so myself!) that I made for my first craft fair several years ago. Perhaps one day I'll share the design with you all. The only problem is that it holds 90 pairs.

But, the income is great, as all my funds are going toward my credit card balance that I somehow racked up quite nicely with my little tangent into pastels this last year. Hopefully when I go back to them after the holidays it won't be so expensive. I'll be looking to do craft fairs in the spring, and probably some pastel workshops in the summer.

Sorry this post is so rambly. I've been at school going full throttle since 7:30 this morning. I'll do better this weekend, I promise!

PastelGuy
www.matthewweld.com - pastels
www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry store

I Found Myself!

2008-11-12T20:11:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, as I was scrolling through my blogroll looking for procrastination material (you know you do it, too!), I found myself.

OK, so it was only the link to my blog on Rena Klingenberg's blog, but hey! I'll take it. Seems she liked myJewelry making Tutorial I and Tutorial II where I photographed a silversmithed pair of earrings from conception to completion. I don't know if anyone liked it, because no one has left a message...hint...

I'm off to go prepare for a jewelry show tomorrow at work. You'd think that after 5 years of showing my wares to the same group, they would be tired of it, but they keep asking for it back again!

Until tomorrow,

PastelGuy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastels

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - jewelry for sale

Winter is Coming!

2008-11-11T10:51:00.004-06:00

OK, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

And this year, I'm happy about winter and all that comes with it: snow, Christmas, Thanksgiving, jewelry sales, fires in the fireplace with roasted marshmallows...

See, last year, I was rather bah-humbuggish about the whole thing. Perhaps it was because I was still in the middle of graduate school, whereas this year I'll be done on December 12th. Who knows?

These earrings were a spur-of-the-moment design. One of those where you're in the middle of something else (in this case, making little crystal Christmas tree earrings), and you drop everything to delve into a new project. They have faceted milky glass squares at the bottom, three sizes of sparkling Swarovski crystal snowflakes, Swarovski bicones in an icy blue, and handmade hammered sterling silver rings to add visual weight but not physical weight.

The hardest part was photographing them. Trying to capture the clarity and the sparkle is difficult! If you look at my Etsy store you will see all my other attempts. This particular photo was done with a black acrylic base with a really low F-value (I think that's what you call it). I had to reduce it all the way down to a minus 2.

I'm hoping to get out into the studio this afternoon, since I have the day off from teaching (Veterans' Day here in the US), so I should have some new stuff to show you for the next couple of days.

Have a most creative day!

Until tomorrow,

PastelGuy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastels

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - jewelry store

Landscaping / Teaching...Which Am I?

2008-11-10T09:50:00.002-06:00

On October 17, I worked outside at school. What I thought would be a simple day of improving the curb appeal of our school turned into a much bigger ordeal, involving phone calls to the building and grounds supervisor and to the assistant superintendent. Of course, I was oblivious to all of this as I dug, tugged, planted, and weeded without a care.

Construction is set to start on our building this next week. A couple of years ago, the community passed a referendum allowing us to build a much needed new middle school. With the building of this school, the district made a pledge to the community that the two middle school facilities would be equal and equivalent. Therefore, since the new building would have a stage and fancy new ‘cafetorium’, then our 'old' school needed one as well. So construction starts soon, involving tearing off the east wall of the gym.

The landscaping around the building was installed back in 1999 when the school was built (told you it was old!), and hasn’t been maintained much since. Oh sure, there have been some bushes pruned (don't get me started on ignorant shearing...er...pruning!), and mulch laid down each spring, but for the most part, it’s been forgotten and neglected. There were holes where plants have died and have never been replaced, leaving big holes in the plantings around the foundation. There were dandelions that looked as though we were growing them as crops - some sort of outdoor science experiment.

Toward the end of September, the building principal from one of the elementary schools came by unannounced to see what parts of the existing landscaping (in the construction zone) could be removed and replanted at his school, as a sort of fast, cheap (i.e. FREE) way of sprucing up his grounds for an upcoming outdoor dedication ceremony. Needless to say, that did not sit well with the assistant principal, who already feels as though the junior high is the black sheep of the district.

She then approached me so see if I had any ideas. My plan was to move everything in the construction zone into the gaps of the existing landscaping. That would mean digging up the big daylily clumps, dividing them, and replanting them around the front. "Go for it!" she said. "I'll get you a substitute, and you can have the day to do some much needed yard work around here, since we can't get Duane to do it!"

So, I had just settled in for the job – put my iPod in my ear so I could finish Angels and Demons which had been started but never finishedon the long trek to Destin this summer – when the guy in charge of the district’s grounds (i.e. mowing) shows up and asks what I’m doing.

How much do I say? Do I admit I'm a teacher from this building doing HIS work? Do I call him all the names I'd overheard being flung in his direction? Do I outright lie?

But I restrained myself. I told the truth...just not all of it. I explained that I was just moving some plants around before construction commenced, and he thought it was great – one less thing for him to have to do. However, once he reported that fact back to his boss, a phone call was made to the building principal. Then somehow the assistant superintendent in charge of facilities became involved. As I look back, I'm glad the union didn't become involved.

Fortunately, I was able to finish my work, the landscaping was much improved, and thoughts that maybe now the powers-that-be will take our requests a little more seriously dared to float around my head (silly, silly thoughts!).

Once I finished dividing and transplanting all the daisies, daylilies, and Echinacea, it all had to be watered. When the custodian went to find the hose and the faucet key, it turns out the hose had been taken to another building (didn't I mention the black sheep thing earlier?). So the head of building and grounds was called, the situation explained, and he promised to have them watered over the weekend.

Monday comes, and the plants still are wilted. During the day, I happen to see the head of B&G in the office, and I ask him personally if he would make sure they are watered. Amid big grins and much head bobbing, he assured me they would be. Naturally, it rained about a quarter of an inch that night, so he probably figured he didn’t have to water.

Now the transplanted plants are dried up little bumps in the ground. I guess his laziness just cost the district a few hundred dollars in plant replacements. But I also guess that they won’t be replaced, and we’ll be left with holes again. Sigh.

Pastel Guy
http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastels
http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - jewelry store

Today on Etsy!

2008-11-09T21:45:00.000-06:00

" Ladies and Gentlemen! (I'm typing in my deep announcer voice) Today on Etsy, you'll find the pride of...of...of his Mom on the Jewelry Showcase of Etsy!"

(back to regular voice) I know it sounds grand, but it's really not. I paid to be there.

It wasn't much, and if I just happen to sell something, I'll recoup my money, but I still feel ... desperate. I mean I'm paying for exposure. I know it (advertising, that is) is a multimillion dollar business, and we see hundreds of ads everyday, but I still feel...compromised. Everyone else is always blogging about how they "made the Front Page on Etsy today!" I think I'd better get over it! Ah well. The bright side is that it's already generated traffic through my little store.

But, hey! I wielded by computer's little snipper tool quite effectively, I think. I have Vista on my computer, so I had to go search in the Help library to figure it out (daunting task in and of itself!), but it's all quite easy. The hardest part was getting the blue circle around my bracelet to look somewhat like it was drawn by someone older than 2. I couldn't decide - highlighter or pen, fine or thick point, red, blue, or black ink... Thank goodness for erasers! I kid you not, the vague representation of a circle you see at the top of the page is the result of 6 tries - SIX!

I just hope I never have to go through rehabilitation or physical therapy. My head might explode first.

Until tomorrow,

PastelGuy

http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastels

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - jewelry

Status Check!

2008-11-08T20:56:00.003-06:00

Whew! It's been awfully busy around here!

State Certification exams in the morning, jewelry making in the afternoon, family time at night...when'm'I supposed to blog?

The photo here is my studio table this afternoon. If you look closely, you can see some of the earrings I have posted on my blog or on Etsy. I have a show coming up at one of the local elementary schools soon, so I'm trying to get a bunch of earrings together, since those are what sell the best. There are little crystal Christmas trees and hammered silver loops.

What I really need is for some store to come and buy the whole lot all at once. (And while I'm dreaming, let's just say they want me to create a Spring Line for them. Oh, and they're interested in my pastels as well - apparently they would make beautiful prints to sell nationwide through higher end furniture and accessory markets).

Tomorrow, I have a spot in the Jewelry Showcase on Etsy. I'll see if I can wield my snipping tool well enough to share it with everyone. Let's hope for lots of early Christmas shoppers! I've been busy trying to refine my photography, and make it more in line of what's on Etsy, so hopefully my wares will be included in more treasuries, and will be more enticing to those who're shopping.

I hope you're feeling productive and happy!

PastelGuy

www.matthewweld.com - pastels

www.studio206.etsy.com

Oops, I Did It Again!

2008-11-07T10:00:00.000-06:00

Yep, I did it again! I said, "YES!" to another project.

Like I needed more responsibilities. Seriously.

But this is a good one! A while ago, I joined a Yahoo! group of Montanans who have stores on Etsy. Since I am not currently living in the state of Montana, I was flattered to be invited. Apparently, they accept 'tumbleweeds' like me who leave the state, but whose roots are still in Montana.

And they have a blog.

And I like blogging.

And I said yes when they asked for some help.

Occasionally, I will be adding posts highlighting the Montana artists who also sell their wares online. We also plan to highlight other artists whom we think are outstanding. It should be a great place to learn about all sorts of people and all sorts of art. Unlike my blog, where it's just me and my art.

So, come visit us, pour a coffee, and stay awhile.

Peace,
Pastel (and whatever) Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastels
www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry store

This Is For You, Australia!

2008-11-06T12:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Spring to the bottom half of the world!

Even though all the leaves are gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, and red around here (and the weather a balmy 74 F today), there is a part of the world where it's the opposite. It just seems weird. Christmas in the middle of the summer? What about all the snowflakes and everything that go along with Christmas? Do you have chili peppers and suns?

But, I digress. I hauled this window outside this weekend to photograph it. This is my first real project with stained glass. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for the pattern, although I did alter the colors quite a bit. (The actual size is about 24 x 30 inches)

In a later blog, I'll show you a window where I designed the whole deal. But this bouquet was quite an undertaking. It was made on our kitchen table. Now I have a whole, dedicated space to make things, but this was BS (no, silly, it means Before Studio).

Here's how it went down. It was right about the time my son was born. Our neighbor at the time owned a stained glass shop in town, and offered classes. One spring, I finally relented and took one. Very cool! I made the mandatory class project, but then had to go and do this as my very next project. 'Twas ever thus. I don't ever wade into a project or a new medium. I dive off the high dive!

So, with a small house, and no extra space, our kitchen (no dining room then!) turned into studio, with sheets of glass lying around, a grinder on the counter, and foil tape draped over the chairs.

But my wife was all very supportive (still is! - kisses, hon!) about it all. Not long after, I built myself a big 4 x 8 foot table in the basement. I still am using it today. It definitely was not part of the deal when we sold the house. That was coming with us!

So now I'm taking over part of the garage (glass and jewelry), and part of the playroom (pastels). I guess we're all hoping for the fame and accompanying fortune to set in....

Until tomorrow,

Pastel Guy

http://www.matthewweld.com/

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/

My Roots are Showing!

2008-11-05T12:00:00.000-06:00

If you've been a regular reader of my other blog, then you probably are aware that I have roots. Deep ones.

Once you feel you truly belong somewhere, once you achieve that sense of place, there's nothing that can cover those roots.

I'm from Montana. I consider myself a Montanan, even though I haven't been registered as a permanent resident for, oh, about 25 years. But the clean air and big skies run through my veins, and every summer when I return to visit family, it's like going home.

Since I don't live there anymore, I make Montana an inspiration for my art. In looking at the photo above, which has not been altered in any way, can you begin to see how the beauty is everywhere? I think that's what impresses me so about the Big Sky State. No matter where you turn, there's nature at its finest.

When I first started pastels, my wife mentioned that the skies in my paintings were the wrong color of blue. "No they're not!" I replied, whisking my painting back downstairs amid muttered mutterings. "What does she know? Has she ever really looked at the sky?"

It wasn't until our next trip out west that a random comment on the shores of Flathead Lake solved the mystery. "You know, the skies out here in Montana are so blue! I can see why it's called the Big Sky State!" That's it! That's why she thought my skies were the wrong color. Midwestern skies are wimpy by comparison. Pale. Sickly.

Not only the colors, but the shapes, too. If you look closely, nothing in nature is straight. I think that's why I incorporate so many curves into my jewelry. The lake's shoreline curves. So does the river. The clouds certainly aren't straight, and even the tallest Engelmann Spruce tree has some sort of crick in it.

I don't think I could ever paint anything but landscapes. I struggle with the symmetry and perfection of still lifes, and portraits? Forget it. When you grown up in the most beautiful landscape there is, how can you not paint it?

Maybe that's why there were more art galleries than grocery stores in the little town where I grew up.

And now I have kids. And while they visit Montana every summer, their roots will be different. Midwestern. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

PastelGuy

www.matthewweld.com - pastels

www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry

Jewelry Tutorial Part II

2008-11-04T10:00:00.003-06:00

In the last Jewelry Tutorial, the materials, cutting, bending ("forming"), and hammering ("planishing") were covered in detail. This time, we'll finish those bad boys and get them posted (by the way, they're already sold - they sold within 24 hours of being posted on Etsy, and are on their way to New Jersey!).

Here you can see how I use my acetylene torch to gently warm the metal from the earring side, since the jump rings are made from 18 gauge silver wire, and heat up much faster. Goodness knows I've melted many a jumpring trying to solder them on! Once the flux has finish bubbling, and had become the gooey mass that I use to hold the two silver pieces together, I use my titanium pick to pick up a piece of medium wire solder, which I then lay at the joint. If you do it right, the solder should melt right into place within about a second of you putting it down.

Once the soldering is finished, the earrings look like a terrible mess - all black and raggedy. So, they then go in the pickle pot - a cheap crock pot filled with pickling solution, which is actually an acid, I believe. If the solution is hot enough, then the fire scale and tarnishing comes right off. I took this picture as soon as I dropped them in, and they are already back to their silver color. Using copper tongs, I take them out and rinse them well in the sink. Next step is polishing.

However, before I started polishing, I notice that there's an unsightly corner sticking out where the ring is soldered to the body of the earring. Using my handpiece and a white rubber wheel, I take off the offending silver in no time. I find this to be faster and more efficient than a file, even though I think you're supposed to use a file. My years as a dental technician (where I was wedded to the darn handpiece!) made me prefer it over the more traditional tools.

OK, my handpiece is my tool of choice unless I'm polishing. Once I started silversmithing more frequently, I investing in this polishing lathe which I LOVE! It make polishing a snap, and was worth every penny. I use the black/fine final polishing compound so that I don't take off the hammering marks. It makes my fingers black, and it sprays up onto my face and head, but that's OK.

Once the polishing is completed, the earrings are looking like a finished product! All that's left now is a bath in ammonia, which dissolves the polishing compound. I swirl them around in there, fish 'em out with an old toothbrush, and give them a scrub. They're now sparkly clean!

The last step before they are wearable is to attach the earwire. Remember to open them sideways, keeping the shape of the circle intact. Otherwise, the loop will be (or could be) messed up when you close them. I use premade earwires, simply because it's easier. If I'm taking this much time to make a pair of earrings which I then sell for a wing and a prayer, then this is the corner I'm choosing to cut.

And there you have it. A unique pair of earrings that actually made that meeting worthwhile!

I hope you have enjoyed this little look into my studio, and into the steps that go into making the jewelry for sale in Studio 206. Please let me know of any comments, questions, or requests for future installments.

Remember, most of my work is one-of-a-kind, and so I love to do custom pieces. Contact me if you're having a wedding or big occasion soon!

Thanks,

Pastel (and whatever) Guy
http://www.matthewweld.com/ - pastels
http://www.studio206.etsy.com/ - jewelry for sale

OK, OK, I Confess!

2008-11-03T12:00:00.001-06:00

Today is my adoption day. Well, the anniversary of my adoption day.

I'll be expecting a call from my mom this evening, since she says today is more like my birthday, since this is the day I was new to her and Dad.

There's a lot of pride in being adopted. A lot of that philosophy comes from how the whole situation was treated in my family. My sister and I have always known we were adopted. It was a badge of honor, and I wore (wear) it with pride.

I can't imagine being one of those teens whose parents sit them down on their eighteenth birthday and start the conversation with, "Son, there's something we need to tell you.." Talk about feeling lied to!

As I look back, it probably wouldn't have been too hard to figure out. While I could have passed for their natural son physically, when it came to the rest, there's quite a difference. For example, my mom is wicked smart. Me? Average. My dad likes history and infrastructure, airplanes, and boats. Me? Gardening, art, reading, and the outdoors.

With my sister, though, there's no doubt we had different parents. I'm six feet tall and 175. She's 5'2",and probably about the same weight as me. I have (ahem. had) blond hair, she has dark brown ringlets. My eyes are blue, hers are deep brown. I was in Honors classes and tutored her in the evenings. Never the less, we shared a close bond growing up. And despite our different paths now, we're still brother and sister when we get together.

The most FAQ, however, is Do I ever want to meet my biological parents? That's a tough one. I would say 98% no and 2% yes. No, because I have the perfect family right now, and I don't need another one. Our low level of dysfunction (every family's got it - admit it!) suits me just fine - I certainly don't want to inherit someone else's! Besides, that's just one more birthday card to send and one more Christmas gift to mail.

Yet 2% of me wants to know about them. At my adoption, my parents were given an itty bitty paragraph that describes them. But sometimes I want more. Like medical records. Like who does my daughter resemble? (No one on my wife's side, really, and not like either of us, really. She's probably some spitting image of a long lost auntie...) Like personality traits (although I must say it's awfully convenient to blame all our kids' quirks on my side!).

But I love my family. That's my adoptive family. They're the only family I have, and I wouldn't trade 'em.

Until tomorrow!
Pastel Guy

www.matthewweld.com

www.studio206.etsy.com

Jewelry Tutorial Part I

2008-11-02T16:46:00.008-06:00

I am asked all the time how I come up with the designs for my jewelry. Then there are tons of questions on how it's actually made. Therefore, today and Tuesday will be dedicated to showing you how I do it.

It all starts with a concept drawing. This particular idea came from doodles I made during a meeting at work (sorry Doug!)

These are all the tools and materials I anticipate using for this project. I've never made these before, so as I'm photographing, you'll see that not all are used, and the end product ends up looking slightly different than the original design. The square is used to measure the wire (14 guage sterling). Starting from the bottom left, there's the ring former pliers (one side is curved, the other flat to help curve wire evenly), chain nose pliers to make the bends, wire cutters, parallel pliers, forming hammer and steel block, the coil of wire, and needle nose pliers and another set of junker wire cutters that I don't mind cutting larger gauge wire with since they are already messed up.

Next, I measure the wire into 3-inch (7.2 cm) lengths, and cut them with the junker wire cutters. 14 gauge wire is right there on the border of being too thick for nice wire cutters - you don't want the blades to get nicked (like the ones on these cutters!).

Then, I start bending the wire, using the drawing as a pattern. I bend the top with my chain nose pliers, and the main curve at the bottom around a Sharpie marker. I have found that all curves should be bent around something to make sure they are smooth. I've used nails, drill bits, pieces of wooden dowel, welding rods, and whatever else is lying around my garage.

Once the shape is set, and they both match each other to the best of my ability, then it's time to hammer out the curves. I make sure to hammer the mirror images, so that the indentations from the hammer will be seen on the correct side. Just like with calligraphy, the widest part of the curve will be flattened to make it wider. This hammer has two heads. I use the flatter, metal forming head to do the initial shaping. Starting on the outside of the curve, I hammer, working toward the bottom of the curve, making sure to bring the follow through of the stroke in the direction of what will be the widest part. Once the shape has been established, then I use the rounded side of the hammer to create the texture that gives the final product a sort of sparkle, similar to faceted gemstones. Be sure to hold the shape with your other hand, because curves have a tendency to widen as they are hammered. And as metal is formed, it will harden. All this means that you can't rebend a curve once you've finished hammering.

The next step is soldering. This photo shows the earrings with the jump rings lying on my soldering pad. If you look closely, there is a blob of flux at the junction. Using my titanium soldering probe and acetylene torch, I will slowly warm the metal from the earring side, since that is the thickest metal, and will absorb the heat the slowest. Once the flux melts, it will act as a sort of glue, holding the two pieces together.

In the next blog (day after tomorrow), I will show you the soldering photos along with the polishing pictures and the final product. Once you make it through the soldering, the rest is just standard procedure - in other words, nothing will go wrong (although I have bent stuff during polishing with the lathe...!)

Until tomorrow,

Pastel (and whatever) Guy

www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings

www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry like this for sale

What's on the Menu?

2008-11-01T20:55:00.007-05:00

Another Halloween is done and over with. Whew!

Trick-or-treating with the young-uns and the cousins over for another year. (Of course the parent-tax that is incurred for such shuttling around is pretty sweet - no pun intended!)

That means everything scary is over for another year, right? WRONG! In a last ditch effort to gain ratings, I have decided to join NaBloPoMo. Yep, I'm a first-timer at this thing, but it sounds fun. *insert scream of mortal terror*

National Blog Posting Month is just that - y'all are going to have to be burdened with my witticisms on a daily basis for thirty whole days.

It's as if I have all this time on my hands. As if I'm a stay-at-home Dad. (We did play the McDonald's Monopoly in hopes of the 20-year annuity, but to no avail *pouty lip*

But never fear! I have some things planned. I spent several hours today making jewelry, so that should last a while. Then there was Halloween at school. That's always fodder for some good stories (think projectile vomit in a crowded classroom!).

Then there's the large blog posting I'm planning for (think jewelry how-to with pix!).

Oh, and all the stuff happening with education these days (I mean seriously! What have I gotten myself into?). NCLB, RtI, AYP - makes my head spin!

But one thing that won't be included - no politics! Of course I'll be casting my vote for the right choice on Tuesday, but after that, it's up to the rest of everyone else. ...as if anyone would take me seriously enough to follow my advice anyway! I mean, if seventh graders don't listen to me, what makes me think that y'all would?!

*Deep breath* OK, I'm good. Was starting to get all fired up there for a minute!

The pumpkins above were carved by my precious children, and the photo taken by moi. And it's a pretty darn good one, if I do say so myself! I guess the wad o' cash I dropped on that baby back in January was finally worth it. The exposure ended up being about 8 seconds.

So, peace out. I'll be talking to you again tomorrow!

Pastel (and whatever) Guy

Check it Out!

2008-10-29T17:38:00.003-05:00

Dear Laurie,

Thanks for blogging about me today on your blog, Blooming Lily . What a surprise to see myself on my own blogger dashboard! I love your blog and how you use lots of photos to highlight and support the independent crafters/artists.

Thanks!

Pastel Guy

2008-10-27T16:44:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been awhile.

But I'm still alive. This weekend was the Haunted House at the school where I teach, so I had to chaperone. But it's all OK, since I was able to count the hours toward my Administrative Internship. I'm sure you will hear more about that in the future as the date looms closer and the stress level increases!

I was able to get out into my studio to quickly make up these sterling earrings. The design reminds me of fuschia blossoms, hence the name, Sterling Fuschias. I had originally designed these earrings last year for a colleague of mine who needed new sterling earrings. They look even better on, and she wears them all the time, and apparently is complimented regularly. Says I to myself, "Why keep a good design out of circulation?" Fortunately I had written down the measurements ...

I always used to make one-of-a-kind pieces, but then I decided that was sort of silly. Why reinvent the wheel when it's perfectly OK to use something that is a proven winner? So I started writing down the patterns, the dimensions, the order, etc. that would allow me to make the same piece later on. What a time saver! The only other thing I need to figure out now is how to make some sort of a jig so that I can bend my wire into the same shape any time. I just remember that in order to achieve the big curve in the Nouveau Earrings, I wrapped it around a Sharpie Marker. For the swan, I used a smaller marker used for marking stained glass. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

As I was hammering away last night, I thought of a great posting idea, but it will take some preparation. So hang tight - it'll be worth the wait!

Peace out,
Pastel (and whatever) Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel website
www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry for sale

Oh, By the Way...

2008-10-22T22:31:00.003-05:00

Today I am also over at Peter's, participating in the Word Doodlepalooza - fun!

Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com jewelry store

What Good is Your Memory, Anyway?

2008-10-22T21:35:00.006-05:00

Today, I received an email from my gallery to let me know that I had sold another painting! Although it's only an 8 x 10, I'm pleased, ...and so is my credit card company. *grin!*

This particular painting is titled "Bitterroot Aspens" and although it is not an actual place in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, it could be. Every summer, my family and I fly up to Missoula to visit extended family there. Having grown up in the most beautiful part of the country I've ever seen, it's always like going home. This particular scene was painted back here in Illinois from memory of no particular place. During our vacation, we had taken a drive down the Bitterroot Valley, and had seen many hills like this covered with grass turned golden by the end of June. This is one of those paintings that really clicked for me, perhaps just because it was from memory. I think it was finished in about an hour on a day when I completed four paintings.

Over the weekend, I was reading in Edgar Payne's Composition of Outdoor Painting (first copyrighted in 1941!) about how he would have his students construct a field study one day, and then the next day, they would actually paint the piece from memory. His assertion was that painting a scene from memory brought to the painting what was emotionally important to the artist, rather than making the painting a recording of every detail seen outdoors. Taking Payne's opinion and reflecting on my own work, I can see how drawing/painting from memory would be allow you to simplify your composition, since we don't remember every single detail - and it's those little details that can really make painting en plein aire challenging.

In Bitterroot Aspens, the sky and the hills were a snap, as were the fields. I remember the trees being pretty easy, too, I think because I wasn't trying to copy a particular grove of aspens. Rather, I was painting for the composition, and that made all the difference in the world. The biggest decision was deciding which color I should sign it with! HA!

Tell us what you do - do you paint strictly from memory? Are you a strict plein aire artist? Are you a studio artist who uses photographs as reference material?

Keep painting!

Pastel Guy

www.matthewweld.com pastel website

www.studio206.etsy.com jewelry store

Black Swan / Order from Chaos

2008-10-19T22:25:00.004-05:00

Today was a day of restoring order.

My mother used to have this sign hanging on the refrigerator. It had the word order at the top, and chaos at the bottom. In between were two words that were hybrids of the two - a sort of picture of how order comes from chaos.

As I vacuumed the house today, I thought about how the house just seems to naturally revert back to chaos. There's dust and dog hair, and kids' toys and junk left over from the work week. I, then, as Order Master, have to go through and revert everything back to the way it should be. Because I am the Master. Naturally.

As I was chainsawing apart a downed tree in the 'back 40', I though about fungus and how they would eventually clean up the tree if I weren't so impatient. (Maybe I really am a fun-guy after all! - badumbum - sorry, couldn't resist! *wink!*) Are they Order Masters, too?

As I folded laundry, I thought about humanity before soap. Eeww. But are we really any closer to being ordered than we were in the Bronze Age? (I know there are exceptions to every rule. *grimace* I'm talking about society as a whole here, not just those of us who have clearly evolved. Naturally.)

As I hammered silver wire to make these earrings, I thought about all those poor little molecules inside the wire. First they were in the earth, they they were dug out, the silver molecules separated by smelting, after which they were combined with foreign metals, remelted, then pulled into wire, cut, bent, and hammered, which forces them to align funny so that the whole becomes harder. The final insult was the polish - as if they hadn't been through enough! (Wait! I think I just summarized my life's story!) Did I create order out of all that, or are those earrings actually the penultimate of chaos?

Whatever the case, it was fun to come up with a totally new design. I call them the Black Swan Earrings becaue their shape reminds me of that most graceful of birds. The bead accent could be any color. Actually, in retrospect, I think they looked best of all without the wrapping and the onyx bead. They'll be in my Etsy site soon for about $24.

Here's to your week being full of ugly ducklings maturing to beautiful swans.

Pastel (and whatever) Guy

Chocolate to Wear

2008-10-18T22:26:00.008-05:00

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me to make jewelry for her daughter's wedding. She initially asked me to make earrings for herself to match her mother-of-the-bride dress. After bringing the dress to work (where we clandestinely snuck out to the parking lot to see it - it was like we were making some sort of, you know, transaction), I made several pairs for her to take home and see how they worked. Her daughter joined in, and decided that I should make the jewelry for her bride's maids, too. Three brides maids later (they all had different/similar earrings - how cool is that?!), it turns out that my friend needs a bracelet to match her earrings. The photo here to the left is my first attempt to make one that she'll like to go with her dress. I decided to make some matching earrings, too.

I really like the design of the earrings; I think I'll make them again in different colors. Brown is a great neutral color, and has been selling well for several years. These are made of faceted smoky quartz, brown seed pearls, and Swarovski crystals with sterling toggle and wires.

Making custom pieces to match an extisting outfit is so much easier for me than just making something and hoping that someone will like it well enough to buy it. I've noticed that women tend to buy what they have bought before, or something for which they already have an outfit. Occaisionally, however, I run across women (like my wife or mother-in-law) who buy jewelry they like and then go buy clothes to match.

I guess it's your philosophy on accessories: Are the clothes there as a backdrop to the jewelry (my wife's opinion!), or does one wear jewelry because it's expected, and therefore shouldn't really detract (read not noticed) from the overall appearance?

In my opinion - remember I'm male, so take it for what it's worth - if no one has commented on your jewelry in the last couple of days, there's something wrong. Personally, I don't notice what brand of jeans you're wearing, but I do notice if you have k.a. jewelry! My mother-in-law can afford designer labels. Yet she shops the sales at WalMart and then dresses them up with artistic jewelry which has flair. Today we went pumpkin picking and she had on a jacket that was on clearance, jeans, but her earrings were from an art show several years ago - at least $100.

Tasteful, artistic, well-made jewelry never goes out of style, and you get years of wear. But those $100 jeans you bought last week? They'll be yesterday's news tomorrow.

For what it's worth,
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com (pastels website)

Like what you see? For $65 (includes shipping), I can make a set for you, too!

Christmas in October...?

2008-10-15T17:22:00.005-05:00

Yep. It's true. 71 days.

I just counted each little box on the calendar, because sometimes I just don't trust my head to do math (like somehow counting each one is more reliable than adding up bigger numbers!). There are 71 days until Christmas. (For those of you out there who celebrate something else, you might want to ignore this post.)

While I always decry the retailers whose Christmas display outshines their Halloween one, I made my little shop on Etsy in October to take advantage of gifting, so I thought I'd better get crankin' on some stock. Yep, I like to think positively!

Therefore, I thought that I would start with my Christmas earring collection. This design is an old one for Studio 206. I came up with it about 7 years ago when I was in the transition between stained glass and jewelry. Every year, I make about 15 - 20 pairs, and each year I swear I will never make them again.

Then they all sell, and I'm happy....and another year goes by, and before you know it, I'm back in the studio cutting out little triangles of green glass.

I've also made them with green mirror glass, which is pretty cool, too. I thought they might not be as popular since they are grey on the back, but no! I guess the extra sparkle on the front make up for it!

So it you're the type who decorates for (or at least starts thinking about) the holidays as soon as the jack-o-lanterns disappear, then visit my Etsy shop. They're $25 plus shipping ($3).

After all, you only have 71 days left to wear them!

Until next time...

Pastel(and whatever)Guy

Ramblin' Art - As Usual

2008-10-14T20:11:00.005-05:00

OK. Back to pastels for a moment.

("Yeah, right," you think. "He's always got something more to say than just art!")

Busted.

You know, I never really ever had an opinion about anything. Now I can write about all kinds of things. My opinion on this subject of not having opinions is this:

If you're never asked for your opinion, you don't learn how to form them. Now that I'm a teacher, I have to make all sorts of decisions throught the course of a day. I remember that during my first year of teaching, the one factor that really caught me off guard about teaching was all the decisions I was having to make. I knew there would be lots of grading, and lesson plans, and committee work, and blah blah blah. What I didn't expect was, "Where should I put this?" "If I turn this in tormorrow, what will my grade be?" And then there are the questions that I could never answer: "What's my grade?" "If I get a 100 on this test, what will my grade be?" And the worst question ever: "Did we do anything important yesterday?"

Anyway. Where was I? Right. Pastels.

The painting shown here was actually painted last year. It was taken from a photo shot from a moving car. The reason I dug around and found it was because the picture was taken on our way to our first camping experience with the kids. Fortunately, they loved it, and so this last weekend we had our first 2-night camping experience with the kids. We have the best family! We have so much fun doing not much of anything... Every time we pass this portion of the interstate, I have to point that particular farm out to anyone who's listening (they're getting pretty adept at feigning complete absorption in other activities by now!).

A little story about this painting.

The farm went pretty well. The buildings and trees went in without too much trouble. The sky was just plain blue and the field was green (it was just soybeans, after all). After sitting on the mantle piece for a while, I decided the field needed some visual weight to balance the busy farm. So I started adding that red color, and it really made it work for me. That led to the yellowish highlights, and pretty soon, I had this amazing foreground.

Then the sky. (I have to admit, there was a little alcohol involved with this one).

The sky really irritated me. The clouds were too fluffy, so I started adding purple. After a couple days of this, I finally poured myself a couple fingers' worth of whiskey and started really adding texture and color. I had to adopt that who-cares-I'm-so-flippin'-tired-of-this-stupid-painting-anyway attitude. Presto change-o. Dramatic clouds with a dramatic foreground suddenly made the busy farm seem somewhat, well, pastoral.

This was one of those times when it was the journey that really made a difference, and not the product. I learned several lessons from this one that I have carried over into subsequent works.

Keep Doin' What You Love!

Pastel Guy

www.studio206.etsy.com - yes, I do jewelry, too.

www.matthewweld.com - the official pastel website.

Curvy - In a Roundabout Way

2008-10-10T20:49:00.003-05:00

Curves.

Earrings have curves. Women (are supposed to) have curves. Road and vines have curves. I suppose the French have curves too (sorry, had to throw in a little artist humor there!).

Learners have curves, too.

It doesn't matter if you're old, newborn, or in school. Anytime you learn something new, there is a serious learning curve going on. Today has been one of those days for me. And I loved it!

The day started as an Institute Day for the teachers in our county. This means that all teachers employed in my county get together at a host high school and attend workshops of various topics. Of course our county is so large that there had to be TWO venues - one for K-5 and one for 6-12. Of the many workshops offered, I attended on on RTI (Response to Intervention), a new initiative here in Illinois that is sort of a backlash to NCLB. Don't get me started on that one! The other was a seminar on conducting a Socratic Seminar in your classroom. Now that would be cool - an alternative assessment that actually gets the kids to think on their own and not just memorize the 'right' answers! Finally a chance for the kiddos who can't seem to take tests well to outperform those A-list kids. What a boost for the self-esteem.

But I digress. Where was I?

Ah, yes. Learning curves. This evening, after packing for our camping trip tomorrow, I logged on with the innocent intention of checking my email. In the process, I learned about Twitter, I vistited some great blogs, like this fellow jewelry maker, Elleabelle. I visited my Etsy site and added some more items, and I visited other Etsy sites that have much more traffic than mine in order to glean some marketing ideas. This internet business is such a new and HUGE learning curve for me and many (most?!) of the people in my generation. Let me just say right now that I will NEVER join Twitter. Who has time for that? Like I'm going to stop teaching just to send a text "just busted Taylor for copying...again" so that my friends and coworkers can stay tuned. As if I really am interested in the blow-by-blow lives of people I've never met!

Sorry. *deep breath*

All in all, I learned a lot today.

Everyone has the right to learn. As teachers, that is our basic tenet, and we strive our hardest to ensure that everyone learns. It's just that making each lesson unique and fresh and entertaining is tiring. And some days I'm not sure that I've reached a single soul. When today's lawmakers keep putting more and more requirements on our plate, and not providing anything to make it easier, it's no wonder that most teachers don't make it past the first three years. *frown, sigh*

But I'll keep plugging away because that's what I've learned to do.

Pastel (and whatever) Guy

Announcing.....!

2008-10-04T07:50:00.006-05:00

Now Open! Studio 206 Jewelry is finally available online!

Here's the dish:

While not everything is 'up there', there is enough to see what Studio 206 is all about, and more will be added a couple times each week, so stay tuned. There's also a section where you can request items. So for all you fans out there, find your PayPal number and start shopping! Christmas is in what, 80 days?

Studio 206 started after a class in stained glass when I started making picture frames and little angels. Along with some pendants made with techniques learned in the class, I frantically made enough merchandise for the local craft fair. The rest is history. This fall is my 8th anniversary, and I've moved from stained glass picture frames (they were pretty cool!) and custom windows to silversmithing and set stones. There was even a detour into pastel painting (I'll be back to that one for sure after the holiday season!).

Along the way there have been an amazing group of people who have become regular customers. To think that they like the results of my tinkering enough to request custom pieces is so affirming. There have been stained glass windows for a restaurant and several homes, jewelry for several bridal parties, a couple mother-of-the-brides, proms, and Christmas gifts. Even a retail store joined in the fray and regularly bought jewelry to display. My paintings made it into a couple shows this summer, even winning an award at an international exhibit in Tacoma, Washington. A gallery in St. Louis hosted an open house featuring my pastels in September, and I've even sold a couple of them.

So the next chapter has begun, and I've already made my first internet sale. Everything I read says that the Internet is the next venue for art sales. For people in my generation (yes, my birthday was yesterday! I'm now officially in my forties) who phoned a store and then went to look at things in person, this is a little weird. But I started this blog, have a website for my paintings, and now a cyber venue for my jewelry.

It's very enervating, and a lot has happened in 8 years...

...but I'm still waiting for the day when I see my jewelry on a complete stranger.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me in the past, and an advanced thanks to the customers-yet-to-be.

Pastel (and whatever) Guy

Glacier Ice

2008-10-02T18:10:00.004-05:00

Here's a pretty pile of blue. Here's what was going through my head as I developed this design:

I wanted to use this Peruvian Opal that I found at a bead show a year ago (the light blue beads that look like candy in the photo above).
Silver always goes well with blue - brings out the coolness.
I really like making random patterns.
I also really like the look and idea of a 48" necklace that you can layer (or not)

So, I made a palette of colors that could go in this piece. I don't often use the seed beads (the itty bitty ones), but they gave space between the opal pieces, making them stand out since there is such a differential between the two. I added some milky glass stones, too, in order to expand the color range a tad. Now it could be worn with pinks, too. Usually I use the milky glass with lavender or pink crystal.

The result is a right pretty piece that matches my wife's eyes...

The next dilemma was to come up with a name that would be catchy but not too kitsch-y. Robin's egg is too cliche, light blue is boring, ice blue is a tad over-used, too. Even though it reminded me of my wife's eyes, naming it after her wouldn't mean anything to anyone but the two of us. Hmm. Glacier Blue. Caribbean Blue. Cerulean Blue. Ocean Blue. Sky blue (boring). I think I like Glacier Blue.

My Etsy site is coming along! In fact, this little pretty is on there for purchase if you're interested...

Until next time, when I have some hammered silver earrings to share...

Pastel (and Jewelry) Guy

Greenishness

2008-09-28T21:34:00.000-05:00

Green.

Envy, leaves, grass, emeralds, olives, and jade are some of the things that I think of when I see green.

Oh, and celery.

Don't forget frogs, wintergreen, Christmas trees, soybean fields, and the carpet in our house. (Seriously. What were they thinking?)

Neither my wife nor I can wear much green because it tends to make us look sick. I guess that's the Scandinavian ancestry showing through. But green is such a great color. It's cool because it's the fern grotto at the bottom of a waterfall. It's the complicated photosynthesis equations I had to memorize in Plant Physiology (I'll admit to actually enjoying that in a nerdy kind of way). But most of all, it's the energy of living things. In the summer, there are millions of leaves all busily converting light energy into sugars. In the spring there are hundreds of little baby grasshoppers trying to make their way. In the winter, there's the rush of the holiday season (Christmas for us), with the endless shopping, filling jewelry orders, and decorating our Christmas tree. (OK, trees. As in 4 or 5). And the fall? Hmm. Today, I noticed the tiny shoots of green grass sprouting in my lawn's bare patches. (Of course, I also noticed the green aphids on my azaleas - grrr!)

As I look back on a weekend of an outdoor art show with perfect weather (I was a spectator for once!), a NHL preseason hockey game (our first ever in person!), seeding the grass, and hours and hours (like about 8!) of grading papers, I feel fortunate. That's it - lucky. I feel green all over with leprechaun-ish luck for the job that will always dish out the green no matter what the economy does. But most of all, I appreciate my wife, my kids, and my family.

Oh. right. ...and my art. Because without that, I'd be seeing red instead of green.

How lucky are you today?
Pastel Guy

The Littlest Angel Award

2008-09-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

It's the time of year when everywhere you look, there's inspiration for art. The low-lying fog over the soybean fields this morning on the way to work. The big puffy clouds on the horizon whose color I'm still trying to figure out (They weren't white, they weren't purple really, but I guess they could be in a painting; the shadows of the tops were the same color as the sky on the horizon...), the roses coming back to life in the cool fall air, the Monarch butterfly that hatched in my classroom today.

But the true inspiration today came from one of my students in the last 3 minutes of the last class. This 12-year-old kid came up to me and said, "You know, Mr. W., I've tried all week to be nice to this kid, cuz I was trying to live by the saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer', but I don't think I can do it any more, Mr. W. What would you do?"

Remember, this kid is 12. I'm not sure what this student's homelife is like, but I do know that he doesn't have many of the material advantages that many of our student body enjoys. However, this kid must have some sort of parent or influence at home to listen to his problems, and to give him this kind of advice - and the kid listened!

That in itself is worth more than a boat and 2 cars in your 3-car garage that's attached to your 3-story house with a stay-at-home-mom who may take you to soccer, but doesn't ever really listen to you.

So this little 3-inch angel from my studio is for today's inspirational student who confided in me at the end of a very long day. Thanks, kid, for reminding me that it's the human factor that matters.

I just hope I was able to inject a little bit of humanity into someone's life today.

Peace,

PastelGuy

Chain of Thoughts

2008-09-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

You know how an idea can just hover around? You're driving and you think a little bit about it. You're doing dishes, and whoops! there it is.

This pair of pretties exemplifies just that. One small thought is linked to a larger thought that is then developed into something faceted and beautiful. They may not be totally related, but there they are, making a whole that has its own beauty.

A couple of days ago, in my language arts class, I had the students do a free-write for twenty minutes. By this time in the year, they have 'used up' all their ideas. "Mr. Weld, this is too hard!" one of them whines. "I can't think of anything to write about," chimes in a second. I respond with, "Well, write about how you don't have anything to write about. Don't stop. Eventually, one thing will lead to another, and before you know it, you'll be on the verge of prophecy." *dumb looks from the nickel seats*

Being the good teacher that I am *raspberry followed by raucous laughter*, I was modeling positive writing behavior by writing in my journal book while they were doing the same. Actually, I was mulling over this same topic, and so I later blogged about how I have made an effort to read others' blogs, and how that has led me to a new appreciation for modern writing, and how it has reaffirmed my belief that anyone can write. I know that most of the people who write blogs are not formally trained in writing. Yet they can be riveting works of literary art *fist pounds open hand in emphasis*! I'd like to get my students to start blogging for real. Give them a real audience to write for besides their teacher. Hmmm. First I need laptops with Internet access for each student.... WAKE UP! But there's gotta be a way. See?! One thought leads to another, and eventually, this one will take shape, mature, and become the latest in teaching pedagogy (big word of the day!).

Ach! It's late and I'm feeling that weird mix of fatigue/punchy/philosophical. Enough!

The earrings above (Sorry! I'll post something besides earrings next time!) are smoky quartz, pearl, glass, and sterling. I thought the faceted, clear beads mixed well with the smooth, opaque pearls. And I am really into the whole longer drop thing. It's airy, elegant, and well-balanced.

$20 and still available, if any one's interested.

Until next time, when I'll show you something besides earrings,

PastelGuy

Spring, Hope, Eternal Bliss

2008-09-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

One of my mom's favorite quotes was (IS, I suppose), "Hope Springs Eternal". Over the years, I have pondered exactly what that means. When I was little and literal, I pictured all this hope (not quite sure what hope looks like - I think it was just the word 'hope' in all different fonts and colors) geysering out of this hole in the ground forever and ever. Now in my older years (yep, birthday next week!), I suppose it means that humanity is basically a positive experience. We tend to forget bad things with time (another fave quote: "Time heals all wounds."), and focus on the good. Even the times in my life when I have been hurt to the core pale in comparison to all the many more fantastic memories that I still savor. Considering that the amount of pain during the bad times was so much stronger than the amount of pleasure during the good ones this seems a little backward.

Not that I'm complaining at all. Good is good. Good is great! Emotion is such a powerful component to learning and remembering. I was listening (stop laughing!) to a keynote speaker one time who said that any time a lesson is truly learned, there was pain involved. Think about that. For all you parents out there, remember that. You're not doing your kids any favors by making their lives any easier! And that's the teacher in me speaking.... don't get me started *rueful smirk*!

So even though it's fall, I've posted some cheery, spring-y, pastel-y earrings made of Swarovski crystals and faceted glass beads on sterling silver wires. $25.

It's amazing what a little pair of earrings can inspire!

Be inspirational!
PastelGuy

A Little Bit of Autumn

2008-09-23T12:00:00.006-05:00

Since this is the first full day of autumn, here's a pair of earrings just for this season. Brass, Swarovski crystal, and pressed glass on sterling wire mimic the falling leaves. $20. I really like working with longer/bigger earrings. I'm always trying to get women to wear them a little bigger. Take the plunge! Make a statement! By putting each segment on its own wire, these earrings move well. If you put too many beads on a single wire, they get all stiff, and when the woman swings her head, watch out! The whole kit and kaboodle makes like a weed eater off the old earlobe.

I think I'm finally getting the hang of the photography thing. I tried and tried to get them against a white background, but it always ended up a dirty white..yuck. So I intentionally gave them a grey background, and viola! The neutral background with a slight graduation of color really makes the colors pop. Add a tiny black border around each one, and it looks like a winner - at least for now. I also like how the macro lens really shows good resolution of the image.

Yesterday, I blogged about rearranging my garage so that I could have a permanent setup for my camera and photography accessories (OK, for my TOYS!). So far, so good! I also think my wife appreciates having the dining room chairs back...

Until the next new thing,

PastelGuy

Future Plans...

2008-09-22T20:28:00.004-05:00

Hey y'all,

Here's the necklace that goes with yesterday's cuff bracelet. I really like doing these random patterns. I pile a big bunch of coordinating beads onto a paper plate, and start stringing. This necklace is 48 inches long, so it can be worn like a lavaliere, or wrapped up to three times, when it looks like the photo, and is 16 inches. I've done them in champagne colors, yellow, turquoise, green, blue, brown and turquoise, and many others. They sell for $125 and are quite popular.

After reading a bunch of marketing paraphernalia, I've decided that I need to post more often. So....

I'm going to post pictures of whatever comes out of my "studio" (it's actually a garage at this house!). Especially this time of year, one never knows what people want me to make. Sometimes is jewelry, sometimes it's calligraphy, sometimes it's stained glass windows or ornaments, sometimes it's garden designs, sometimes pastels, sometimes watercolor or pencil sketches - WHO KNOWS?! Keep coming back to see what creativity leaks out next!

Today, I rearranged my studio to accommodate my photography equipment, so that it can remain set up at all times. That should allow me to photograph and post without many time consuming middle steps. I heard back from Peachpit on the Etsy website who recommended that although she doesn't sell a lot, it would be worth my time. I guess I need to get into this century and start really using the Internet to my advantage...

If you're ever interested in purchasing anything you see here, please let me know!

PastelGuy

Jewelry Time!

2008-09-21T20:12:00.005-05:00

Mmm. New camera and new camera setup to capture the nuances and subtleties of my jewelry. I'd like to leave the photography to the experts, but a) they are expensive, and b) I really need nice pix of my stuff so that it doesn't look like somebody's hobby (even though it is...). This is tough stuff. I just need someone to come over and say, "rotate the dial to...here. Push this button, and Wham! Perfect picture. I guess everyone is allowed some secret fantasies.

Although my last blogs have been about pastels and plein air, I've made a switcheroo to (semi)precious stones. i need some great ideas for my 2008 collection. A couple years ago, I had to start making annual collections, because otherwise my faithful following would dwindle to nothing because they had everything. It gets a little harder each year, however. I think this year, with the price of gold and silver going through the roof, I might try to do more with colored stones and beads. Last year, I had great success with hammered silver earrings, and although there have been several requests for same, I will probably stay away from too much silver. I don't think my clientele is ready for a doubling of prices!

As far as colors go, I think pink is still good, and lime green and brown are still in enough to use. Black is always the best seller, and it seems as though purple has enjoyed a comeback. As a straight guy trying to navigate the fashion world I need all the help I can get. Comments? Suggestions?

I'm gonna try to get some of my things online to sell. If anyone knows of easy websites/programs/companies to use, please let me know. Several artsy friends have recommended Etsy. Whaddya think?

Peace!

Art Show

2008-09-18T22:15:00.009-05:00

I know it's been a while, but it's been busy around here. Last Friday, I had an Open House at Gallerie M in St. Louis. There were 24 of my pastels on display, and I sent out about 60 invitations. Susan had wine, beer, cheese and crackers, as well as other hors d'oeuvres. I was quite pleased with the turnout. considering the gallery is in an out-of-the-way place. During the show, I met some really great people. One woman I talked with new about Grinnell College, my alma mater, and about Flathead Lake, where I grew up. Another gave me pointers about how to get into the lodges of Glacier National Park when I take my family up there next summer. The cool part was to hear about how people viewed my paintings. They saw things in them that I never intended. It was interesting to hear how an image reminded them of someplace they had been. Others wanted to know about my technique. One woman wanted to know why some of my works were more impressionistic ('softer') than some of the others - I hadn't realized that they were!

Of course my family in the area showed up, a couple of them decked out in my jewelry... Several people showed up whom I did not expect to. Several coworkers from the district came over (it was about a 45-minute drive from Illinois), which was very affirming for me. I have to make a mental note to send them a thank you.

The best part, however, was the fact that my mother flew in from Montana to come to the event. She cashed in her lovingly saved frequent flyer miles in order to be there for my inaugural show. Needless to say, I was touched (and the kids were ecstatic to have Grandma here for a few days!)

Now that the show is over, however, I am switching gears. Christmas season is approaching, and more and more people are asking me for jewelry. Studio 206 is back in the groove! I've received several repairs (not my stuff!), a couple mothers-of-the-bride orders, and a reservation to have my jewelry on display for a coulple of days so that employees can do their holiday shopping. In the spirit of making money, I cleared my big 4' x 8' table in my 'studio' (i.e. garage!) off of all my pastels and framing materials so that I can now lay out all my beading tools and materials.

But I haven't given up painting! On the way back from taking my mother back to the airport, I stopped off at Tower Grove Park and photographed their waterlilies as resource material for winter paintings. I wanted to go back there before the water temperature dropped enough to have the tropical lilies quit blooming.

But enough ramblings for now. Keep doing what you love!

Pastel Guy

En Plein Air

2008-09-01T21:18:00.004-05:00

This last Sunday, I joined the nice folks from the Missouri Plein Air Painters' Association as they painted at the Johnson-Shields Recreation Area along the Mississippi River. I chose to look across the river and paint the bluffs along the other side that make up the west side of Alton, IL (see above). This was my second time actually using my pastels outdoors. Usually, if I draw outside, I will make a value study with pencil which will then be turned in to a painting in the studio. However, as with any painting, one of the challenges is to decide what message you want to convey - what is the painting's story? In this instance, there are actually quite a number of homes along the top right of the bluff, the Great River Road runs along the base (and is often flooded when the river rises more than 3 or four feet!), and there is a whole lot of industry to either side of the section I painted. I ended up deciding that it was the bluff itself that drew me to paint that particular location, and so everything else had to be simplified. A huge smoke stack, a conveyor belt with a big pile of gravel, and telephone poles were taken out from the left, and just to the right is a huge section of grain elevators and a gaudily painted riverboat casino.

But that day it was the cliff. When I arrived at about 10:00 am, the protruding parts of the bluff were in sunlight, and the rest in shade. However, by the time I set up, decided what to attack, and found my vine charcoal, I could see that the rest of the bluff face was slowly entering the sunshine. Therefore, instead of starting with the sky as I usually do, I set about quickly putting in the lights and darks of the bluff before the light changed too much. The houses went in last. I saved them because I wasn't sure I wanted to add them, since I don't usually put manmade structures in my landscapes. However, the bluff was just a bluff without them, and I think they make a pretty good addition - a spot of color if nothing else - and it gives the viewer more details about this particular bluff. Without the homes, it could be any bluff. By the time I left at noon, the painting was as you see it. I'd give it about a B-.

While the result may not be my favorite, the experience was fantastic. As my schedule allows, I plan to join these guys every Sunday, although it will probably, in reality, only be about once each month. I'll keep y'all posted!

Keep stretching those boundaries!

PastelGuy

Keepin' It Coming!

2008-08-28T20:14:00.004-05:00

Once The Salute to the Arts show was over, I thought I would have nothing going on on the art front. Wrong! I'm not the kind who can sit still for long. In fact watching TV lasts for about 30 minutes, and then I have to get up and do something new. I think it's important to always have something on the horizon - something to look forward to, since anticipation is always half the joy. If I didn't have something in the works for after the show, there would be this huge letdown. True, there was a huge letdown, but at least there are more upward slopes in the near future.

One of them is the 2-man show which I will be part of at a local gallery in two weeks. Today after school, I took her 24 paintings for the upcoming show which starts with an open house on September 12 from 5 - 8 at Gallerie M in St. Louis. Photographer Dennis O'Malley and I will be sharing the spotlight. His photos are in black and white with subject matter from all over the world, a great complement to my pastels with subject matter from around the US. I was really great to see my paintings hanging on walls. Last weekend, they were on the panels of my display booth, but that's nothing to seeing them on well-lit walls! We discussed pricing, and agreed to bow to the market's downward turn and adjust them just a teensy bit. We agreed that it's better to move art than to keep stockpiling it! Goodness knows I don't need 24 paintings sitting around my house!

Speaking of paintings in my house, we almost bought a HUGE painting at the art show from a Florida artist named Rasa Saldaitis. Unfortunately, our downstairs refrigerator kicked the bucket a couple of days before the show, and so Martha went out and bought a new refrigerator. There goes our artwork money! I'm sure the poor artist thought I was lying when I gave her the whole new refrigerator story, but for once it's true! My son picked out one of her prints from the kids' art tent, so I guess we'll live with that one (for now!).

I also met another great artist, M. Shawn Cornell at the show. He's from St. Louis and does his paintings entirely en plein air. He and his father started the Missouri Plein Air Painters Association, and they meet every weekend at different locations in the area, no matter what the weather is! They invited me to join them on one of their paintouts, so I think I may take them up on it this weekend, since it's a three-day weekend here in the US. I'm sure there will be a later posting about that experience.

So, although the big show that has been consuming me and my family's life since April is over, I have several opportunities coming up soon, and that's what it's all about!

Keep your eye on the future!

PastelGuy

The Show Experience

2008-08-25T20:24:00.003-05:00

Well, the show is over. It won't be hard to count my receipts because I only sold one painting. And that one sale was to a colleague who would have bought from me anyway. All the other artists around me said their sales were down, too. I would be interested to hear how other artists price their works. Do you go by size? Subject matter? Venue? I think my prices were a little high by this show's standards. But according to my research as other St. Louis art shows, my prices are right about in the middle.

Of course now it's hard to lower my prices since I have the gallery to consider. It would be very bad form to sell for lower than the gallery! I'll be delivering my paintings to her later this week, and I'll be sure to ask her advice about it then. My work will be featured at an upcoming show at her gallery in September entitled "Autumn Colors". I was able to hand out advertising materials which featured a painting of mine during the show this weekend. I hope to have good attendance there. I'm handing them out/sending them to anyone and everyone I can think of who would be interested (and able to) purchase original art.

A good factor about attending art shows is the contacts you make with the other artists. I talked with some from St. Louis and found a group who makes plein air outings monthly. they invited me to join them sometime, and I think I'm going to take them up on it. Keep an eye out for new work soon!

I would be interested in hearing of others' art show experiences, and how they price their works!

Until next time,

PastelGuy

In the Newspaper!

2008-08-21T22:17:00.004-05:00

This weekend is the debut of my pastels at the Midwest Salute to the Arts, a juried show located here in Southern Illinois. Today, the local paper ran a feature article on me and my work. It was all very last minute! The reporter called me on Monday, we met Tuesday after my school ended, and she wrote it Wednesday so that it could be in Thursday's Lifestyle Section. Whew! After a two-hour interview complete with a photographer, I was pleased with the article (despite two typos!). See the link above to read it. How did I end up being the one artist chosen to be highlighted? Pure luck? No way! I made sure the right people knew about my work in a way that made my story very intriguing.

But getting the article in the paper got me to thinking about how artists really need to promote themselves. In my last blog, I gave some advice on how to express yourself with galleries, and some of that holds true for getting free advertising, too. As the reporter was leaving, I asked her how she picked me out of all the local artists who will be featured. She said it was because of the press release I had emailed to the paper the week before. Aha!

The trick to writing an effective press release is the spin. For mine, there were several angles I could have taken with this story:

I'm a local artist who will be showing work in the Salute to the Arts (SA). [boring!]
I'm a local artist who will be displaying his work for the first time at SA [better, but not much]
I'm a local teacher displaying my work for the first time [better yet - more interesting]
I'm a local science teacher displaying my landscapes for the first time [science and art together?! WOW!]

As it turns out, this is the angle used. I then wrote 4 short (2 - 3 sentences) paragraphs on topics that could be covered in the article, just to give them ideas, so they could see the potential. It was written in the third person, as if I were writing about someone else (I thought this would assuage my conscience, who was afraid I was bragging too much!). Then I gave them my contact information and my website so they could see more of my work. I had just about given up hope when she called.

So promote yourself! It's not bragging, it's spreading news.

Keep painting!

PastelGuy

www.matthewweld.com

The Gallery Experience

2008-08-20T22:05:00.004-05:00

In preparing for this week's Salute to the Arts, I have been in contact with Susan of Gallerie M, the gallery in St. Louis which displays my work. She has been so easy to work with that it made me start thinking about how important it is for artists to have a positive working relationship with their business partners, the galleries who showcase their work.

On September 15th, I will be a featured artist at an open house at Gallerie M. Susan agreed to prepare the advertising materials a little early so that I could hand them out during this weekend's show. Although I haven't seen them yet, I did send some images over so that she could select one for the front of the postcard she will mail to her mailing list. As a last minute addition to all I have going on Friday with setting up for the show opening on Friday, I agreed to drive over and pick up a few hundred postcards. Twenty minutes later, I phoned her back, asking if I could borrow a couple of my paintings on display for the show. She said no problem, she would have them ready with the postcards when I drop by to pick them up early Friday morning. I guess when we're both willing to "scratch the other's back," it is a win-win situation for everyone.

However, I know this isn't true for all artists. Many don't communicate with their galleries, figuring that they are the 'artiste' and simple phone calls are beneath them. I couldn't disagree more. You are there for each other. While the gallery certainly needs the artists' works to display and sell, there are millions of artists out there, so the artist needs to cultivate a friendly yet professional working relationship with their galleries. Off the top of my head, here is a quick list of 5 pieces of advice for artists seeking gallery representation:

In communications, make sure your emails are free of errors - grammatical, spelling, mechanics, etc.
When meeting gallery owners in person, dress professionally. A casual business would be appropriate, I think. If there are patrons in the gallery while you are there, you don't want to give the image that the gallery works with ruffians.
Make sure you can communicate with your audience. Be able to explain your art - what it means, how you do it. And for heaven's sake, don't be offended when you're asked!
Walk that fine line between self deprecation and self aggrandizement. You don't want to seem like a pompous you-know-what, yet you have to be honest about your abilities and your accomplishments. You must have talent, or the gallery wouldn't have contacted you. Be gracious in accepting compliments, be honest about your abilities. No one can fault you for that.
Follow up your visits with a short note - just like your mom used to make you write to grandma after Christmas (or whatever holiday).
Keep your prices in line with what they are at the gallery. You certainly don't want to undercut them, and by the same token you don't want to ruin their reputation by making them seem like a bargain basement. I have a published price list that goes by size, so a 16 x 20 at the show this weekend is the same as it would be at Gallerie M, as it would be if I sold it to my neighbor.

My gallery experience has been very positive, and I look forward to a long relationship with Gallerie M. I hope that your experiences are/will be the same. I would be interested in hearing some of your stories.

Peace,

PastelGuy

www.matthewweld.com

Finding Subject Matter - in Canada

2008-08-18T21:18:00.004-05:00

Blustery Day 16 x 20 pastel on panel

Every summer, for the last 6 years, I have accompanied teenagers into the Canadian Wilderness. We take high school students into Quetico Provincial Wilderness through an ecotour outfitter Voyageur Wilderness Programme. The Savoie family in charge does an amazing job of educating youngsters in environmental stewardship by example, teaching, and practice. For 7 days and 6 nights, we travel through the wilderness practicing no trace camping in an area where motorized anything is banned. What an exhilirating experience for me and a life-altering experience for them!

With so much beautiful scenery, it's hard not to be inspired to paint. This last July when we were there, we went along a mile-long portage (where you have to carry all your gear from one lake to the next) that bordered some amazing rapids. Since I usually miss all the scenery on a portage with my head stuck in a canoe, I had to make a trip back sans gear to catch some of views. The painting above was done from a photo taken along the portage. The energy experienced in the rapids along the ground and in the clouds flying by in the sky was overwhelming on one level, and quite peaceful on another. One minute I felt very small and insignificant, yet the next I felt as though I was a part of the vastness - the oneness - and that I could just sit and close my eyes...

All that is what I tried to capture in this painting. I started the sky and the spruce trees in my grandmother's basement in Montana, and then finished it here at home in Illinois. Yet every time I make a painting from a place I know, it takes me back, and that's just one of the great things about art.

I just hope that other people make a similar connection. I realize it won't be the same, but perhaps they have experienced something similar in a completely different location. Or maybe this scene just reminds them of a place, or perhaps they just connect to the energy.

Peace, and keep doing what you love,

PastelGuy

2008-08-17T09:05:00.001-05:00

Inorganic v. Organic

2008-08-17T08:46:00.006-05:00

Every once in a while in painting, you stumble across a roadblock - OK, so it happens a lot. But solving these issues is what make your paintings stronger, and you as an artist more successful. If you can work out your own issues and then internalize them, you will find that the next time a similar issue comes up, you will be prepared.

In this painting of a flowerbox on a houseboat in Seattle, I found that I really wanted to emphasize the difference between the manmade house and the organic flowers. I thought that the best way to do this would be to make the window, the siding, and the flowerbox all have very distinct lines and edges (more on that later!), and keep the lobelia, lavender, and geraniums very impressionistic. Since most of my landscape painting is very loose (see www.matthewweld.com for more of my work), I had to figure out how to make a hard, straight edge for the manmade elements.

In the end, I used a ruler, broke my pastels into pieces with sharp corners, and ran the pastel along the ruler. Without moving the ruler, I then used a finger to rub the pastel into the pumice (I use Gator Foam with pumice powder gesso) to create the hard edge. Repeat on the other side of the shape if necessary, and then fill in the middle as needed. The trick was figuring out the order in which to do the shapes, considering that while pastels are basically opaque, you can still see the undercolors through the more recent layers. Also, I have both very light and very dark values in the window. In the end, I think it worked. I especially like the little details in the window woodwork that can only be enjoyed when looking closely - a sort of reward for taking a second, closer look.

Window Garden 16 x 12 pastel on panel (2008)

Keep Painting!

Pastel Guy www.matthewweld.com

Winning is Not Just for the Olympians

2008-08-16T22:18:00.005-05:00

Well, Michael Phelps just won his 8th gold medal. What I like to see after the athletes win big, especially if they are not a medal favorite, is the look on their loved ones' faces. Phelps's mother looks so happy. The mother (?) of the Tunisian who won a swimming medal was priceless. You wonder what's going on in their mind. Are they just full of pride for their child/spouse/sibling? Or is there some envy? Is there a little voice saying, "why him and not me? Why did he get the opportunities and not me? Is his DNA that much superior to mine?" I'm not sure how I would feel; no one in my family has ever competed in the olympics.

But Olympians aren't the only ones who win. I have students in my 7th grade science classes who win just a little bit each day as they struggle to overcome disabilities. For some people, it's not a matter of being the best swimmer in the world, but remembering to hand in your assignment. Then there are the students whose smile when I tell them they earned a C for the quarter matches any gold medalist's. While the world is focused on the elite for a few weeks this year, we can't forget to focus our interest and attention on the people who really need it during the remaining 200 (or so) weeks.

So I enjoy the olympic winners, I rejoice in my students' victories, yet I struggle with my own. Allowing myself to feel pride in my accomplishments is hard, and I don't think that is unique to me. We all have daily successes that we need to celebrate, and we need to allow ourselves to feel pride. Yet we don't take the time to reflect on our accomplishments and we don't take the time to allow ourselves to relish the feeling of pride. I feel embarassed when my victories are made public, yet is there something wrong with winning? Perhaps I've always been so busy rooting for the underdog that I feel as though I'm being selfish by accepting accolades.

Darn it, I've worked hard at teaching and I've worked hard with my art. Is winning an award at a show or enabling a student to reach their goals so embarassing? Is it wrong to take a few seconds and reflect on what I've done and feel pride in my victories? I think that if we were to reflect and rejoice, our self esteem would improve, and as a result, so would our performance. If educational research shows that intrinsic motivation is the strongest, then we need to nurture it in ourselves, not just in others. After all, that's what intrinsic means, right?

So take a moment to jot down what you've done today. Don't look at the list you made this morning and agonize over all the items that haven't yet been crossed off. Look at everything you did do today. Pretty amazing, huh? Congratulations! Go ahead, smile, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you're pretty cool.
Opinions?

Peace,
Matt
matt@matthewweld.com

Goals for an Art Blog

2008-08-14T21:26:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my blog! As a newbie blogger, I have several reasons for starting a blog:

To increase awareness of my art.
To allow people (artists, collectors, anyone) to learn more about me and therefore about my art.
To provide a place for me to journal. More on this below.

In the interest of actually making a profit at art, I have heard/read that creating a blog is an excellent way to connect with people, not only potential collectors, but also fellow artists that may be able to provide constructive criticism to my work and to my writing and ideas.

I originally hail from Montana. College years were spent at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa securing a BA in Biology, and finding the love of my life (I've now been with her longer than I was without her!). For a career, I've pursued interior design (glorified furniture sales person!), nursery worker, graduate student, dental technician, and currently, 7th grade science and language arts teacher.

Art started in high school with watercolors, with which I obtained some college scholarships (didn't use them, however). Oil painting courses, a one-man show, and my first art award happened in college. Then, about twelve years later, I took a class in stained glass. That led to the craft fair circuit, which I found rewarding for a few years. However, when people tried and barter down an original picture frame priced at $35 that took hours to make because they could go to a box store and buy equivalents for less, I knew that stained glass was not going to be very lucrative.

What I discovered was that the jewelry I made during the stained glass phase was extremely popular, could be massed produced, and sold at a good profit. However, I needed to be able to broaden my offerings, so that led to the new tangent of beaded jewelry, under the company name of Studio 206. This venture was much more lucrative (still is!), and I have slowly moved into the realm of silversmithed and custom jewelry.

On track to define a couple lines that could be mass marketed online, I opted to take a course in pastel paintings at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, TN from noted pastelist Susan Ogilvie. That brought the jewelry thing to a screeching halt as I realized that I really loved working in two dimensions, and the challenges that it brought. Pastels especially provide a more sensory experience in the art; you actually can rub your fingers raw blending colors. They seem so under admired in the art world, yet they seem like the pure essence of 2D work with their pure pigmented colors and techniques that draw heavily from drawing (no pun intended!). More on this in a future blog!

As a result of the workshop, my New Year's Resolutions shifted to include submission of my work to two venues: a juried art show, and a juried art exhibition. I juried my work to two of each, and was accepted to one of each. The gallery presentation is in Tacoma Washington at the American Art Company, hosted by the Northwest Pastel Society. It runs through August 16th, 2008. The art show is here in southern Illinois August 22 - 24th, called The Midwest Salute to the Arts.

My family and I were actually able to see my painting in situ at the Tacoma Gallery, and were pleased to walk in and find that my painting had won an award! Another first, and definitely a proud moment in my life.

Next weekend is the big show here in Fairview, and I think I'm about ready. I have 19 paintings framed and ready to go, not counting the two that are required for the donation to the children's art section. I have set my new display system up in my garage, so that I can fuss with the placement of the pictures and with the lighting. I have also obtained a machine to start taking credit cards - until now, I have only accepted checks and cash. It's all quite overwhelming - fortunately, I have started displays from scratch for my jewelry and for my stained glass, so I'm not a total novice!

The third reason I started this blog was to give myself a place to journal. In my language arts classes, I keep nagging the kids to keep a journal, because it's a great way to put down your feelings, and in so doing, really exploring those feelings and ideas. This summer, all four of us in my family kept a journal of our vacations. I really enjoyed it, actually, and need to find the time to sit down and put the finishing touches on it. Natually, mine had sketches in it, as well as little momentos that I collected along the way. My wife's (she the type A organizational guru) journal was a list of places we went and the money we spent. She calculated gas mileage while I analyzed the colors and shadows of a thunderstorm.

There's a little about my and my motivations for blogging. I hope to philosophize more on art, pastels, pastel techniques, etc. in later blogs. For now, peace, and enjoy the last half of August!