This past weekend I had the true pleasure of running around town with an incredibly accomplished photographer friend. While he has a few decades on me, he also has the vim of an entire continent and my brain is reeling, reeling, reeling, from having stuffed a lifetime of art adventures into 48 hours.
The Photographer undoubtedly has a huge effect on my outlook on the world and thus my creative output. Although I have an artsy degree from quite a fine school, I often wished for a mentor who was more in line with my world philosophy of fantastic creations via social responsibility. Never did I entertain the notion that I would be hitting the town with someone of such epic proportions. But isn’t it amazing how a simple conversation can so luminously burst into a genuine meeting of, in this case – off the hilt – minds?
Particularly in Southern California, I feel as though the excitement and energy of creating true-to-the-heart things (materials or concepts or whatever) can often get lost in the bottom line mire. But wow, this escapade has proven quite a clarifier. I now have crafts projects lined up for the next six months, thanks to a serendipitous discovery in the local used book store.
As The Photographer roamed the stacks in search of interesting tomes for his book-dealing relations, I found myself looking for a book about mosaic techniques in the arts aisle. Instead, a beautiful volume fell into my hands… a pictorial guide to world beadwork. Highlighting exquisite creations from all around the Americas including the Arctic, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Arabian Gulf and Europe, this book contains some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
I went to an Ojibwe cultural center this past winter and saw an exhibit on weaving with beads. This may be naive to say, but I really think it’ll be not entirely difficult to make wonderful and structured things using this technique. Famous last words, right? But either way, I can hardly wait to get my own loom set up and give it a shot! Stay tuned!
