Eighteen Years Ago Today

Eighteen years ago today, I was on my way to Fort Jackson, SC for basic training. Who would have thought then I would be involved in the world of fine arts. I figured I would put in my 20 years, retire, and come home and do whatever. If you had asked me in basic training, if I would do anything remotely related to the arts, I would have thought you were crazy.

The last time I had done anything with art was in a junior high drawing class. I didn't have anything to do with art through high school, and I don't even think I could tell you where the art department was in the school. It is funny how things work out. Today, I don't think I could do anything else with my life. I am seriously looking forward to Spring semester being over with, and I can focus my time and energy on our business EB Bead and Metal Works.

Mom and I are changing our direction, instead of going to craft shows, we will start entering juried art shows. We have been told at several of our craft shows that we were in the wrong venues. So we are going to take the leap and see what happens.

Over Christmas break, I will spend a lot of time updating photos for our portfolio and start submitting them to see if we will be accepted for fine art shows. This is exciting, but scary at the same time. You have butterflies in your stomach because you are afraid of what people will say about your stuff, but you are excited because you are going in a new direction with your art work.

Of course, this means we, which really means me, have to buckle down and start making up enough inventory for the shows. Mom really wants to make up a lot of our enameled copper bowls. We both have a lot of ideas for the bowls that we want to try. We both want to incorporate the Viking Knit (copper or silver wire, 24g or 26g, which we weave around a dowel rod)into the bowls and enamel them and see what happens.

So, lots of ideas. We both just need the time to work on those ideas.