Well, at least this jewelry artisan club loves animals. And no, there is not an actual club for jewelry artisans. At least not that I know of. But sometimes you find yourself grouped with other people who share your interests, and I think that is not necessarily a bad thing! Artists are some of my favorite people. And not just jewelers. I am not prejudiced in favor of my particular art form.
Of course when I’ve exhibited at art shows, I’ve always felt especially chummy with the other jewelers, painters, potters, woodworkers and so on. It is sort of an exclusive club, even though most of us may have looked a little ragtag. Aging hippies, I guess some would refer to us as. But I never did feel like a hippie, even though I may have dressed the part. “I am,” I would say with some mocked up dignity, “an artist.” As if you couldn’t be both. Growing up with a couple of artists for parents led me to feel especially comfortable in that role.
We are all Artists!
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that we are all artists (yes, that means you, too – no matter how old or young you may be), and most everyone has an area he or she can create in. Cooking is an art. So is building things. So is raising a happy and sane child. And of course, you could be harboring a truly artistic ability that just needs to be let out of the bag. My sister is a latent artist of that variety. My sister’s husband once gave her a professional drawing class as a birthday gift and you should have seen what she produced! I never would have guessed it was the first time she had seriously worked on her art.
I love all sorts of creating. Early on, I was half-way serious about being a musician. And I made a bit of progress in that area, getting up on my share of stages and even performing on local TV and radio. But my love of animals and my need to be a mother at home as much as possible with the kids led me towards a “quieter” field, that of an animal jeweler. Not to say I don’t still love to belt out a traditional folk tune or so during a family party.
But designing animal jewelry has been my primary art form for many, many years. I suspect it will continue to play a role in my life for many years to come. And that makes me happy!