Studio Warming Party

Yep. You got it. Toca Mojo, now with VIDEO! :-D I filmed my studio tour this morning with my Flip camera.



Now be nice. I didn't script it...just improv. And I deliberately did not pull out all the stops on my "professional voice". (that voice being the one I used for this commercial . yes. That's MY voice) I am giving away TWO prizes to celebrate the opening of my wonderful new space.

The first is this cuff, the first one made in the new studio.



There are four chances for you to get your name in the drawing.

1. Comment here
2. Link to this post somewhere - be it facebook, your blog, or twitter - and let me know you did.
3. Tell me how many etsy artists' work appear in this video and try to name them
4. Give your opinion on curtains for this room. I briefly mention that in the video and hold up one possible fabric. Thoughts?


The second prize, and how to win it, is explained in the video....so you have to watch it! :D I'll announce the winners of both prizes on Saturday morning. So enter before then!! Hope you enjoy - and welcome to my studio!

Mo mo mo MO Mojo!

I did it. My studio is done. D-O-N-E Done. It's awesome. I love it. And I wanna give you a full tour...but I hafta check with someone first. Another blogger said something about wanting to do a studio tour interview with me, and if she still wants to then...well, yeah. ;) Stay tuned.

In the meantime. I rewarded myself this afternoon for a job well done with a lovely sojourn with spray paint. Sussudio!

(ADHD moment. Did you know that the word Sussudio means...NOTHING. It's a made up word. Phil Collins came up with the notes..the song... and he just kinda babbled Sussudio and decided he liked it. It's supposed to describe the giddy feeling of a youthful crush or something like that. ANYWAY....)

I now have ten+ cans of spray paint, and I'm gonna collect more. I don't plan on taking up graffiti anytime soon, but I DO understand the temptation!

Today I put a final coat on the guitar I started a few days ago.



Here you see it resting on one of my lovely worktables. It's not finished yet. I have big plans that involve wire, beads, and perhaps some brushwork or collage... Hmmmmm. Then there was the djembe. This was a kids' Remo Djembe that belonged to, appropriately, my children. But four boys can take a toll on the material world (and the spiritual too for that matter, Oy). Being used, abused, and left for the sun and sand to denude... well. It was done baby done as a musical instrument. But as a base for a 3D art piece, oh yeah baby!



This will definitely receive a LOT of collage. Plus I'm thinking either some leather and/or metal embellishment. Wait and see!

Then there was the stuffed animal tree. Yes. Stuffed. Animal. Tree. This thing was a thrift store find. It originally was a light wood with pastel knobs and elastic bands hanging from the pegs.... Well, I did NOT buy it for stuffed animals, I promise you. I cut off all the bands and painted my heart out. It's a cuff display, yo. Though right now it's sporting three frames I painted. Eventually they will be filled and hung on the wall. Probably with mojo inducing quotes. ;)

I also painted a battered step stool cherry red to go in my new kitchen. Then I was rather high and sickly from the fumes and it was time to quit. ;)

What really excites me is that..well...these things are not leather cuffs. Don't get me wrong. I love what I do. I love making and wearing and selling leather cuffs. BUT I don't wanna just do that. It feels incredible to be branching out into other areas, other mediums, other colors and textures and dimensions! OOH. I'm pumped! And ultimately I know it will feed back into my leatherwork as well. The mojo flows apace and life is good.

Birth Of A Studio ~ Part 3

Patience is a virtue.

I am not virtuous.

It is very, very hard to cope with the idea that my studio is not DONE yet. And yet, we have been unpacking for less than a week. Our stuff was delivered last Tuesday...and the movers weren't done unloading until 5:30pm. All we did was eat, assemble beds, and collapse. So unpacking began in earnest last Wednesday. Yet I am frustrated that a)my house is not completely in order (though it actually is fairly functional and even somewhat attractive already) and b) my studio is only about halfway done.

Today's tasks involved adventures in spray-paint to start the day. I had a fabulous time blasting my peg-boards. One is in silver, one in chalkboard paint. I can't wait to have at least one of them mounted over my worktable. I may keep one unmounted for using it at craft fairs. Then I got a bit wild and spray-painted an old broken guitar....which made me want to make VERY exciting things. AND then I saw how immensely cool the paper I had been painting on had turned out. So it will be the base for some wall art. And THEN I started having a rush of other ideas.... Total Mojo Overload. And totally torturous since I can't work on ANY of it right now. MojoTease. That's what it is.

Anyway. Tried to organize the studio. Realized I couldn't. I mean LOOK at this.



Can you say Maximum Density?

So I took off yet again to Lowes. Buy stock there, people. I'm doing my bit for capitalism this week. I bought yet another shelving unit. This one is about six feet tall and four feet wide and all metal. I loaded it on the cart and into the van myself, thank you very much. I have a date with ibuprofen, but I feel like a tough-chic and that's what matters.

Then I brought it home and did almost all the assembly MYSELF. I shoulda had my kids video me lifting each shelf six feet up and guiding it onto the poles. I'm five-foot-two, y'know. It had to be entertaining. Like Stuart Little with Tinkertoys, or something. Anyway. It's built, and semi-loaded. And there are glimmerings of the possibility of order out of chaos....



But I have one thing to say.

If at any point in the rest of 2010 you see me out buying leather, fabric, beads, or belts of any kind, scream "INTERVENTION!" and knock me flat. Seriously. I beg you.

I mean it. Too. Much. Stuff. WAY too much stuff. Other than hardware like snaps and rivets, and maybe a few new tools, I don't need ANYTHING to be insanely productive for the next year or so. Fact.

Toca Proverb

Spray Paint = Instant Mojo Boost

Make a note of it.

Birth of a Studio Part 2

It is so hard for me to believe that just a week ago I was blearily blinking and chatting with an old friend in her living room while her girls and my boys were having breakfast and getting engaged. (they're 8 and 5...so we're not too concerned) The keys for my house were picked up that day, the movers arrived the next, and it's been moving pandelirium ever since. Oy! But the house is awesome, and it's starting to look like a home. Our "Jam Room" is the best room in the house so far. It's a converted patio that is now a funky den housing our electric keyboard, congas, djembe, bongos, doumbek, and various shakers and triangles and such. Plus all books about music, some couches, and a few games. It's FunTastic!

But yesterday was the day I couldn't take it anymore and started unpacking my studio. I had to. I just had to. I knew the rest of the house wasn't finished...but it was CALLING me.

Even though I was thinking of painting the room, I went ahead and unboxed everything and stuffed it in the closet and the bathroom. After all, if I hadn't unboxed it, it wouldn't have fit in those spaces. And I realized my packers were rather odd people who thought things like towels, kitchen decor, and my bathroom scale were art supplies.... :? So many things actually left the room as I unpacked it. Here is the bathroom after I was done.... This room has a full bath because it used to be the maid's quarters many decades ago. I'm actually thinking of putting storage shelves IN the shower because the odds of my showering in here are extremely remote. ;)


So I was going to paint. I was. And then I got so overwhelmed by the thought of it..and so distressed at the concept of NOT being able to get this room in order... That I think I may have reconsidered. But while I was undecided about that, I took a break and did something else colorful! Saturday morning I bought an old desk for $25 dollars. (my thrifting mojo made the move with me, apparently!) It's great. Solid. Basic. Will stand up to LOTS of whackity-whacking... (hitting furniture at yard sales gets you odd looks, sayin?) But it was a nice basic boring brown. No no no. This will not do.
Please excuse the mistiness of the photo. After all those years in El Paso, I forgot what happens when you take a camera from an air conditioned house into the rain-forest weather that is Coastal NC. O_o So the table was ready for its makeover...and so was I. I shoulda got a pic, but I'm sure my neighbors were a bit surprised. I was in a dress. I do just about anything in a dress. When it's 97 degrees and about 150% humidity, a little sleeveless linen dress is WAY more comfortable than anything else you can imagine. I picked one I thought was about ready to get rid of...but now that it has paint splashes on it, I think I like it more and will probably keep it. Ha!

Here are the after photos... And inside...

There is a pull out shelf which goes on the right hand side. It is also painted and will be reinstalled today. The colors are SUPPOSED to be dark grey and brick red. If you ask me...that red is a bit on the orangey side. I don't mind it on the desk...actually I kinda like it! But I'm glad I did this first...because that color was supposed to go on the walls too, and I realize I don't want it there. So if I do paint the studio at this point, it will be a light sterling grey. But I'm really leaning towards not painting and using a bold rug and LOTS of wall art to make this room flow with color. What do you think?

Put It Out There

I'm about to hit the road for the beginning of the end of Operation Relocation! ;) Can't wait to start photo-journalling the birth of my studio-space! In the meantime...here's a quote that jumped out and joyfully jolted me today. From the latest issue of Belle Armoire jewelry...

"We take a little piece of our soul, put it out there, and want people to love it. The best way to keep the ideas coming in is to let them flow out." - Christi Friesen

Discuss...

Motionless Music

It's still so strange to me to call myself an artist. When I was growing up, my visual arts skills were...well, practically non-existent. Even when I was an adult and first took up rubber-stamping, my own parents said my cards looked like a 3rd grader made them. And not a talented one, mind you. O_O But music... now I have always been into music. I sing, I play percussion, and I'm learning the drums. Music is, and always has been, the primary force which drives me. I call my iPod "my Ritalin", though it's my Prozac as well. Not to mention my meth, my ambien, and whatever other drug I need it to be. Music makes me move. But music can also make me mutely motionless.

"Despite its connection to dance, music is nonetheless the emblem of immobility, for when it is really great it seizes time and holds it still in an invisible grip." ~Mark Helprin

I wrote a few days ago how I create out of joy, not pain. Similarly, I create out of motion - frenetic motion - rather than stillness. I tend to pick music that keeps me at a certain sustained hum of mirthful activity...like a cute and stingless bee. And most of the time when I see artists talking about music for the studio..it's about music that makes them go. But it's good to stop and be still sometimes. And it's good to let the music hold you breathless while you feel parts of yourself you might have forgotten. Opening some of those closed places and letting in some air and sunshine. Like spring cleaning for the soul.

One piece that stops me in my tracks with its yearning loveliness is the Adagio from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A Major. How about you? What music makes you still?

Metal and Meaning

I scored a Spring of 1994 edition of Metalsmith magazine at the thrift store yesterday. Cost me a whopping 12 cents. ;) Fascinating to see how much magazines have changed in 16 years... I don't think of the 90s as old-fashioned, but this magazine looks positively archaic in its fonts, columns, and ads. Plus it actually has articles...loooong articles with lots of words in long connected paragraphs that are not broken up by call-out boxes or small pictures. How weird is that? People used to read!

Anyway. I want to learn more metalsmithing. I can't wait until I get my studio set up and can get busy ordering more tools. But for now I can read and daydream and ponder... feed the metal-muse, so to speak.

The first article, written by W. Scott Braznell, was about one Janet Payne Bowles. This quote caught my fancy:

"The universal and the eternal are my favorite and abiding subjects and I
am most conscious of a desire to express them in metal." Her intense interest in
the spiritual with regard to religious objects was made clear: "In the objects
for religious service, I have tried on the decorative side, to reverse the idea
of trans-substantiation, to turn a direct symbol back into the mystery of
spiritual underflow and express not history's symbol, but the emotion that
produces that symbol."

Now that, my friends, is a lofty artistic goal, right there. Far, far beyond my usual goal of "I want it to look both cool and groovy. I want people to enjoy wearing it...and be happy." And there's nothing wrong with that goal. But I find myself inspired by artists with more lofty and complex aims than mine. Besides.... that quote just sounds soooooo good. ;D

You can view many of the works of Janet Payne Bowles here.

Using the dark side

Just saw on twitter from "iamdjwilliams" (Not someone I follow...it was retweeted)

"If it breaks your heart....write a song about it"

Made me pause. I have written some songs (lyrics, that is. I don't write music)...but not out of my pain. I have scrawled some slightly emo poetry out of my pain, but it shall not see the light of public day. I would like to at least pretend to have some dignity. But other than a few tear-blurred lines of ink on this or that...I realize I don't tend to pour my angst into creativity. I'm at my most productive when I'm happy. And being productive makes me happy..which makes me more productive...which makes me... When I really get going it has a turbo-charged effect that leaves me feeling like I stuck my finger in a socket. It's thrilling, and just a little scary. If you're a fan of mine on facebook, or follow my shop at all, this will explain why you'll see mass postings of work. I go in artistic sprints of insane proportion!

But pain... emotional pain absolutely paralyzes me. I shut down. I stare at walls. I've gone through phases over the last year where I was too emotionally turbulent to make anything but a mess. In more ways than one. My solution was, not unwisely, to try and learn to stay away from things that "stole my mojo". People who hurt me or confused me in painful ways were people I needed to avoid. And I'm not saying that's wrong. But that little quote makes me wonder if I need to work harder to use the darker emotions in my work. After all, pain is part of life. It's guaranteed. So it would be foolish of me to allow emotional pain, anxiety, or confusion to keep me from creating. If that means I must grow stronger...then I must grow stronger. But perhaps my work will grow stronger as well.

The Strangers the Better

Y'know...I've been thinking that many of the really exciting things in my life have come from talking to strangers. Some of my favorite people were strangers before they were friends. Um..well...actually, barring family, all of my favorite people were strangers first. Now there's a significant statistic right there!! ;-D

But neat and wonderful things happen to me because I am inordinately friendly... indiscriminate, you might say. Gregarious, obstreperous, and definitively NOT shy. (well, actually I am shy, but anxiety makes me talk more, so who can tell?) When it comes to trying to get inspiration, it helps to be chatty. Other humans are fascinating...and other humans are your audience and your market if you are creating art for any other reason than to satisfy yourself. I love my work...but I can't wear all of it. I've only got two arms, after all, and short ones at that! So it's good to talk to other people both for the sheer joy of knowing them, and for their input on what they find exciting artistically.

On a more practical level, however, there's marketing. Call me silly...but I like money. I like being able to buy new tools and supplies. I like having a little profit in my pocket for that extra latte. And I really like the affirmation that happy customers provide! Now that is a mojo boost right there! Being sociable is a must for marketing. Wear your work. Talk to people. And it doesn't even have to be anything approaching aggressive sales. (I don't know about you, but personally I can't do persuasive sale tactics.)

Case in point. I'm out of town right now visiting my in-laws. My oldest son and I were on our way back to their house and saw a really interesting shop to check out. Turned out to be a funky gallery of recycled home furnishing and cool vintage finds. Plus some of the best smelling handmade soap I've ever come across. I discovered a charismatic metal man who demanded to be mine. He wants to stand on my craft fair tables with cuffs stacked on his arms. REALLY, he does!! So I gently carried him towards the counter. A salesgirl approached and asked me if I was finding everything okay... So I talked to her. It's what I do. I told her how excited I was about the metal man because "I make these cuffs, y'see" (holds out arm) "He'll make a great display!"

She got excited too, and oohed and ahhed over my cuffs. Then she introduced me to the manager who, by the by, does a lot of shopping for her store on "this place called etsy". I chatted to the manager, she was thrilled to meet me, and immediately placed an order for fifteen cuffs. (mojo-meter goes DING DING DING!!) And if I had the sense not to leave home without my inventory, I would have already filled said order. (kicks self in butt, which is a challenging gymnastic feat) I shall ship it, however, when I arrive home.

Moral of the story: Wear your work. Chat with strangers. Don't be shy of saying "Oh well see...I make this stuff...." and carry your cards and maybe even some stock! You never know what amazingly coincidental "why does the good stuff always happen to YOU" kinda things might happen if you just talk to strangers.

Asked and Answered

I use a lot...and I mean a LOT of ceramics in my jewelry making, both on my leather cuffs and in my beadwork. So the lovely folks at the Beads of Clay blog featured me today! Wanna know more about me? You can read the interview here.

A very special thank you to Mary Ann Carroll for interviewing me and putting the post together! You can see her wonderful beads here!

Steppin' Out With My Mojo

I'm still daydreaming about the future of my new studio... but you know, the proper care and feeding of mojo also involves taking it out of the studio, away from the workspace, and getting it some fresh air. Mojo needs room to breathe, eh?

This time of year, there's something going on just about every weekend that will delight the senses, even if it drains your wallet. ;) Back at the beginning of this month, I was delighted to attend Artisphere, the annual downtown Arts Festival. I actually went twice in one day. In the morning with my mom, and in the evening with my husband and four sons. Needless to say, I did more visual feasting on art in the morning....but in the evening I got my hands dirty. ;)

I wandered starry-eyed and sunburned from booth to booth, drinking in the incredible photography, painting, pottery, metalsmithing, lampworking, woodwork, and more. One display of the most amazing polymer clay work I had ever seen actually made me freeze in place and say "WOW". The artist was quite amused. I had many moments of "Wish I were rich-itis" for the paintings I coveted. And I fell head over heels in love with a sterling cuff that was festooned with bamboo pieces and a single dark pearl. It was sculptural and bold and stunning and I still wish I had bought it. Someday... Ah yes. Someday.

When we came back with the kids, I enjoyed revisiting the booths and showing things to my family, especially my oldest son. He was intrigued by one metalsmith in particular who was doing fantastic things with geometric layers of metal and cold connections. Then we wandered it the more kid-friendly part of the festival. As we meandered, we passed two men working their mojo on the ground...

Just the colors of the chalk make me feel all giddy and happy. Cool, huh? Then we went over the pavillion with activities. My boys sat down to make collages....and well...so did I! The sweet young volunteers who were working the kids' art table were a little startled as I sat down and started gleefully cutting up magazine photos and slinging glue about....for myself. But it was FUN! I haven't done paper art for a long time and I felt so refreshed just playing. Well worth trying again, sayin?

Now true, not every weekend nor every town has an Artisphere. But getting out of the studio, and out of the house, and just looking around can be a great way to rest and recharge. This weekend is a little road-trip to visit family. I probably won't even take any art supplies. (EEK!) But I'll be keeping my eyes wide open for sights that delight....even if it's just the grey beauty of falling rain along the interstate. Go on, Get out!

Birth of a Studio Part 1

An important part of keepin' the mojo flowin' is your workspace, sayin? I'm not a New Age kinda gal...but do know that if your workspace does not make sense, your Shui will get all Fenged up, and no one wants that. Your Chi could get stuck somewhere...OUCH!

At the moment, I am in-between workspaces to call my own. I was living in El Paso, Texas. And you can see my workspace (and me!) in this wonderful feature. So as you see... I was tucked into one side of a large family room.

Right now I am temporarily ensconced in a section of my mom's work area. She sews awesome aprons, purses, and the occasional quilt, and most graciously allowed me to use part of her space while we were here for a long visit. Insert moment of silence while we are profoundly grateful and admiring of Toca's awesomely accomodating mom here I am NOT showing you that space. But what I have done to it is truly frightening. Insert ANOTHER moment of silence while we are profoundly grateful and admiring of Toca's awesomely accomodating mom here

Today I got word of the house I will be moving into in a few short weeks... and I get *drum roll!!* a Room. Of. My. Own. A creative haven, if you will. A Studio. The room is 7.5 ft by 12 and has a closet, a full bath (Ha!) and a tiny window to the front yard. It's also just a few short steps away from the garage, which is awesome since I plan to start working more with power tools in the months to come.

Now. My worktable is black. I want another, but right now I just have the one. My shelving units are white cubbies of 4x2 blocks that can stand upright or horizontal. I have two of them. So let's start with room color. I'm thinking a slate grey with an accent wall of brick red. And then LOTS of etsy artwork for the walls, plus a chalkboard and maybe a collage of my own making. What do you think? What would you recommend for my new space?

Strange Foods Fit to Feed On

One way I like to feed my mojo is by savoring information about creative processes that I don't do. It only makes sense that I would spend time on jewelry magazines (love Belle Armoire) as I am a jewelry artist. But why would I feast my eyes on, something like "How to fire raku"? I don't do pottery. (yet) I don't have a kiln. And if I ever do get into making my own raku, it's a long time in the future.

But click the link, yo. Let your eyes drink in those fabulous photos. Be inspired by the glorious colors and shapes, and by the fascinating details of how others have worked through the details in their craft. Looking outside the box of your own area of expertise is a great way to be refreshed and reinvented in your approach. Not to mention, it's fun to find new places to shop...like maybe with the wonderful Marianne Kasparian of Maku Studio.