fanciful devices: my brave new world

A Stone Is Nobody's

A man ambushed a stone. Caught it.
Made it a prisoner.
Put it in a dark room and stood guard over it for the rest of his life.

His mother asked why.

He said, because it's held captive, because it is captured.

Look, the stone is asleep, she said, it does not know whether it's in a garden or not. Eternity and the stone
are mother and daughter; it is you who are getting old. The stone is only sleeping.

But I caught it, mother, it is mine by conquest, he said.

A stone is nobody's, not even its own. It is you who are conquered; you are minding the prisoner, which is yourself,
because you are afraid to go out, she said.

Yes yes, I am afraid, because you have never loved me, he said.

Which is true, because you have always been to me as the stone is to you, she said.

Russell Edson

FAQs

1. Are you a Southeast Asian dancing girl from the 1800s?

No, sorry to disappoint. My avatar and banner images are from an ancient book I found in the depths of my grandmother's cabinets. More on that here.

2. How do you make everything look so old?

First, you need a good oxidizer to brush on every bit of metal you can reach. I'll tell you all about it here.

Then there's this wax. I first mentioned it here. You'll have to scroll down a lot.

3. How can you be so productive?

I'm insanely obsessed and I have no offspring. I do nothing else- I don't have a day job, I don't clean my house or cook, I spend all day in pjs, often completely abandoning personal hygiene... I only interact with other humans when I walk my dog. And I like people! But I prefer dogs.

And I'm sloppy- but I make that sloppiness work for me.

4. Any tips you'd like to share?

No! Except for these 16 posts about techniques and this one about how to find your aesthetic.

5. Would you be offended if I took some inspiration from your designs?

Well, I'd be happier if you outright copied them.

No really, imitation is how we learn. I have enough ideas to go around. And even if I don't- please. No one's going to do this obsessively enough to threaten my business. (Probably.) I learned by copying others and I've seen others copy me as a step toward developing their own voice. So feel free. (I'd love if you tossed me a link in my comments, so I can feel like a proud momma.)

6. What do you look like?

Why, what have you heard? Really? Wow.

7/1/10

my brave new world

I shouldn't share this with the world, in case I get rejected, but oh well.

I took these two pieces down from etsy and sent a query to Belle Armoire Jewelry about them.

I do love these necklaces so and I hate not having them in the shop for people to see. But I know I need to grow from just being on etsy if I want to succeed.

And success, as far as I can tell, means publishing and maybe teaching. Which is crappy in a way since I'd rather just make things all day everyday.

But I shouldn't worry, either way. If I get more recognition and renown, great. It might mean fancier supplies and higher prices for items. If not, I'm deliriously happy to keep at it like this as well. Part of the fun is using your ingenuity to make less expensive elements look just as awesome.

Though I have to say, I've been working on one piece that demanded so much work on each little bit. Wouldn't getting each element already awesome and ready to go. It's always my conundrum. Expensive supplies kinda scare me, but cheaper materials take more time. And time is money, which you could spend on more supplies.

8 comments:

steufel said...: I love those two pieces and hope they will be published in Belle Armoire. They fit perfectly! Just recieved the summer issue and it's always so much fun to see all those beautiful pieces. So - I'll keep my fingers crossed!; 7/1/10, 2:45 AM
romantic decay said...: I can't imagine that they would reject your work. Your jewelry is very creative!; 7/1/10, 8:59 AM
Anonymous said...: That necklace is gorgeous and should well be in Belle Armoire Jewelry! Just a caution though, I have been published and it is exciting....BUT Stampington is very slow to respond to anything. They can keep your jewelry up to 9 months and then never publish it. You have to beg to get it sent back. They "congratulated" me twice for being published in their next issue and then it was not in there! They lost photos of one of my pieces and asked me to re-send it (which I did not). Then it popped up in their next issue without me even knowing it was coming. They have wonderful mags, but their artist communication is terrible. So just be prepared and don't panic, but you may have to send alot of emails to find out what is going on. I hope to see you published soon! Marcy
mantle@piedmontcenter.com
www.queenmarcyoriginals.typepad.com; 7/1/10, 9:44 AM
fanciful devices said...: thank you guys so much for your words of encouragement. it really does mean the world to me. makes me feel like i can do it all!
and thanks marcy, i'll keep that in mind. that's kinda why i sent the email first, too. i know publishers in general take forever (i had a brief stint with writing a lifetime ago. They take months to reply and meanwhile, you're not allowed to send it to any other mag or paper!)
Although losing them is another thing. I'd be devastated. I'll have to dremel my contact info into the backs! hmm... i wonder if that'll work...; 7/1/10, 10:28 AM
stregata said...: Good luck, Marina!; 7/1/10, 11:34 AM
Desirée said...: I have not had any of my jewelry published but I have had various artwork published before, and it's a great thrill to see your own work in print. Definitely worth the wait associated with print publications. I think they'd be ridiculous not to publish your work - your pieces would fit in nicely with their overall look and theme.; 7/1/10, 1:32 PM
Rashell said...: how absolutely gorgeous, a perfect fit for Belle Armoire. Love the key earrings in the post just before this one. Your entire blog & etsy store are just gorgeous. Will be back!!!

Rashell; 7/2/10, 9:43 AM
Regina Moore said...: These are stunning! I wish you all the luck in your submission. I think they are a perfect addition to the magazine! Good luck!; 7/2/10, 11:23 AM