Favorites? - Carnival Blog

This month's Carnival Blog asks the question "What is your favorite technique?". Now, I do have to state up front that I am a completely unofficial member of the Carnival Blog. The Carnival Blog is a small group of jewelers and metal clay fabricators who answer a posed question once a month. It is an interesting group of creative people, and more importantly (for me) the questions are usually of interest.

I have a real problem deciding my favorite technique. It's probably the major reason that I have enamel and BronzClay on my workbench in-process, a painting project in my carryall, a cloak on my mannequin, an etching project to the left of my computer desk and a beading project to the right of my computer desk. The problem is that I love all of these items, and I also love metal fabrication which takes place at my workbench at the shop since I need the torch and the flex shaft (as well as other tools) for that. In the past I might have been considered a type of "Renaissance Man", but looking at myself I consider myself more of an undecided voter - LOL. I do see all of my artwork consolidating to two major platforms, the use of color and the use of light. I combine these two elements in my use of glass in glass beads and glass enamel. The use of enamel requires a metallic platform for the glass and some way to display the finished items - thus the benchwork metal fabrication in sheet as well as metal clays. My painting is a bit odd man out, but I use those techniques in my enamel work also. The cloak? Well, I will admit that the sewing is most certainly not part of my artwork. But it is something that I have done on-and-off for most of my life and I need a new cloak for this season's Renaissance Festival. I will never stop beading - I have done it for more than 40 years, am an accomplished and recognized artist in the media, and I enjoy it. But I don't pick my needle and thread up as often as I used to.

So what is my favorite technique? All of the above. Playing. These are all components of Sandi's sandbox and I'll sit there with my shovel and pail and a little water and build the most wonderfully colorful translucent sand castle you'll ever see :-) Give yourself permission to play today. Drop by the park, swing on a swing, play on the merry-go-round, or indulge by visiting a Carnival....a creative carnival.