Have you discovered Val Cox frits – OMG!

I went to a show in Massachusetts in November. My booth was set up next to Wes Fleming, and I showed him some iris opal dark brown frit, which used to be made by Arrow Springs. “Do you know where I can get more? I am at the bottom of my jar.” Wes suggested go talk to Val Cox.  I stood there like a lump. “I dare you to go talk to Val Cox,” Wes said.

So, I tiptoed across the show floor, and peered at her orderly rows of jars. She and I started talking. I showed Val what I was making, and what I was reaching for in imitating stone with glass, to give my tortoises earthy and fine jewelry qualities. She started grabbing jars, and baggies, and making suggestions. I went home with four or five jars and as many sample baggies.

There were no test paddles on her table of these frits. So I had no idea what I had.

O  M  G!!!!!

The following Monday, I opened my jars, and spilled the lovely confetti into frit dishes, and started making just test paddles. Holy guacamole, they were the most beautiful, luscious undefinable mosaics.

Now I know why she doesn’t have any test paddles – because every color I put these on looked completely different!  I felt like I was Dorothy down the rabbit hole!

Day one I made turtles and tortoises . And they were so rich and satisfying!

Day two I made visionary fish – and wow! Did they pop with colors and textures I’d never seen before!

So – if you’re looking for a new experience in lampworking – go to Valcoxfrit.com and start ordering samples. You’ll be ready to buy jars in a day or two- I certainly am!

Joyce Scott - Glass Artist? Artist in Glass

Joyce Scott does not consider herself a glass artist. She is an artist who works with glass.

Joyce works in glass thru another artist – a flame worker. She sits by, says, “I want a woman , well endowed, just the torso, I’ll add the other parts in beadwork later.” Then she directs the creation with comments like, “Don’t do that. What if you just kind of let go?”  And memorably, “I am an African American Woman – that butt is not big enough.”

During her lectures and presentations, these are the quotes that made it to my notebook.

“There are no mistakes, only opportunity.”

“This is your opportunity to do what YOU want.”

“Be fearless in the studio.”

“I know that’s stupid, but I’m doing it.” I nod in agreement – so much of creativity is a journey with some really really incredibly stupid first steps. Yet there is no journey at all without daring to be ridiculous, uncool, and unwise.

 “For your collectors to walk the journey with you, you have to make new work.”

“If you don’t know how to do it, learn how to do it.”

“You should be attracted to your weaknesses, usually we run from weaknesses.”

Joyce maintained that anything we are terrible at we must learn to do. I talked to her for a long time about how to approach galleries, how to get the foot in the door. I believed there was a secret password, some shortcut to entry. She said, no, just call and do what they tell you .

I went home, picked up the phone and called the Metropolitan Museum of Art gift shop. I said I was an artist, I wanted to talk to someone about getting my work for sale in their stores. They asked me which of five phone numbers I would like, or would I like the address for product development? I dove for that address. It was like a lifeline, I would send them stuff, never hear back, and be safely a failure, deal over! Easy! Simple! And exactly what I expected. An escape!

I hung up with my address in hand and could see my entire past of gallery soliciting attempts. I was looking for a way to fail. I was hunting, desperate, for a way out of the pressure of being evaluated, treated like garbage, and essentially having the door hit me in the metaphorical butt with every rejection.

  And I found myself with a pile of barriers I had erected for myself.  I am terrible on the phone. I will not get anywhere doing this. I am a failure and here is the proof, one call and a gallery owner has sent me whimpering to the dog house.  I am not worth their time, these people sell Remington bronze originals, I am not in this league. I have orders, I don’t have time for this, I am too pressured to be creative, I have to feed my tortoises!

I learned from Joyce Scott that it may be hard, but I can still do it anyway. I may even suck at it, but I can do it anyway. My excuses are just that. They are only solid barriers if I believe in them.

 It's December 31st, and I'm staring at one slim little bleak winter month to ready myself, my studio, my inventory, my business, for the big wholesale jewelry shows in Tucson, Arizona.

February in Tucson means five weeks of jewelry shows, mineral shows, rock shows, bead shows, and more craziness. And as always, it is a matter of faith that I can just hunker down, and make the lampwork glass beads I will be selling in thirty days.

There are piles of earrings ready to go... I think. ARE they ready? ARE they ... not ready?  I just don't have time for this in January!!

There are dark Goddesses. Strange beads of attitude, cross, perhaps even crabby. And I am sure there will be more. I must love and chereish them for who they are, as they are truly my mirror. But I wonder if they will be loved in Tucson. It takes quite the woman to see the Goddess in the Goddesses I make.

And there are the piles of beads. Bird beads, parrot beads, Owl beads, painstakingly created in lampwork glass, hoping to find their forever home. They are like piles of rubies and diamonds to me. But when I go, will anyone in Tucson think, "Yes! This is it!" Or will I watch the thousands of shoppers pass me by, looking for a good smoothie, that isn't too sweet. Or asking me over my table, over my lampwork glass wildlife beads, "Where is the Tamale vendor? Are the Vegetarian ones any good?"

Creativity, in whatever form, jewelry, glass, sculpture, beadwork, gardening, cooking, even fashion, Creativity requires bravery. I know everything will work out fabulously. I will have a great time, I will reconnect with friends I haven't seen, I will refresh myself. I will drink in the wild rush of the show, and have the power to run for many months. But this month, January, I have to face the fear, face the doubts, and win this wrestling match every day.