That's so Bowie...

It's only been almost two years since I posted to this blog. No big thing, right? Sigh...

I am a contributor for Love My Art Jewelry and blog there quite a bit, but have woefully neglected this page. Sorry....BUT HERE I AM!!

Today's post is in support of LMAJ's current Blog Hop of jewelry and art inspired by David Bowie. Bowie was such an artistic force of nature in so many ways. Music, fashion, film, a writer, a philosopher, A REBEL. A truly "otherworldly" figure that inspired generations and will continue to inspire even in death. He launched his last album three days before he left this planet for good and now millions play the music on repeat searching for hidden meaning in what has become a musical will and testament. In a nutshell, the dude was unfathomably spectacular.

When Staci Louise Smith suggested Bowie as our inspiration for this blog hop I know that most of us at LMAJ figured "No brainer". So much material to draw from, so much to use for inspiration. BUT, I now know personally and from chatting with my blog-mates, this challenge has actually been difficult for many. I believe because Bowie was SO MUCH MORE than one thing. How do you dive into all that amazing madness and hit upon a singular design element to work with? The obvious choice for artists would be his DELIRIOUS aesthetic in clothing and make-up. Micro-mini kimonos and go go boots--check. Neon striped space-suits--check. GLAM ANDROGYNOUS ROCK GOD--CHECK! Talk about an endless pallet of in-your-face designs to choose from....

But wait...

What about the urbane, wickedly handsome thin man in the PERFECT suit? The shot cuffs, crisp lapels, soft color pallet, SLICK AS HELL runway-ready man who looks as though he just stepped out of a GQ cover shoot...what about him?

All this, and OH YEAH, THE MUSIC!!! It's all Bowie, and we haven't even begun to scratch the surface. Soooo, how do you create a piece of art around this brilliant chameleon? Well, here's what I did.

I decided to use the physical man himself as my inspiration for a mixed media pendant. What he looked like in the flesh, words he wrote and spoke, along with imagery celebrating his most famous work, Space Oddity. His eyes were so amazing. One brown, one blue. I focused on that face, the face of an adult who had seen and done what we mere mortals can only imagine. His face is under an optic lens from about 1940. Mr. Bowie saw the world through a very unique lens, and I wanted to nod to his insights. The lower half of his face is covered with a bit of transparency film imprinted with a vintage postcard from Paris. Bowie loved Paris, center of the Fashion World he floated through his entire life. Above, a brass bee. Bowie was a bit of a mystic--a dabbler in many beliefs. Bees, in ancient cultures, were believed to be the sacred insect that bridged the natural world to the underworld. This is a strong subject in much of Bowie's work. I used a hunk of fossil coral to represent the moon, and a sterling silver stars and moon bead floats near his face. Both nods to Major Tom.

On the back, a Bowie anthem. "We could be heroes, just for one day". Nuff said.

Finally, the silver capsule. Another nod to the Space Oddity, and inside a Bowie quote that sums up so much of who Mr. Bowie was...

"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring." Words to live by.

Occasionally a person drifts through this tiny planet and amazes absolutely every individual he or she crosses paths with. Bowie was that person. Whether you were/are a fan or not, you cannot deny the man's talent, courage, spirit and fierce independence. Corny as it may be, the Heavens gained another star and the night sky is brighter for it.

Be sure to visit all the other artists' blogs and posts featuring work inspired by Bowie. you can find links right now on the LMAJ blog. Thanks for hopping along....

Hello, World...Sorry We're Killing You

I've been in a bit of a dark head-space lately.  Don't ask why, just turn on the news.  If you are one of those folks who proudly declares, "I don't watch the news or read the newspaper--it's too depressing", forgive me if I want to punch you in the throat.   Refusing to acknowledge the times we live in doesn't make it all better, it just means you are actively choosing not only to do NOTHING ABOUT IT, but you are also insulting those in the world struggling to survive in horrific circumstances by pretending they don't exist.   Your pretend world doesn't interest me.

That being said, I feel that in this moment in time,  we bear witness to some of the most tragic, depraved, desperate and mindless behaviors of our species.

As we watch, we are inundated with technicolor images and bold-faced text describing and displaying the worst of humanity.  A tidal wave of despair in pixels and paper.  How to make sense of it?  How to weed through the flood of noise that is the news these days to really understand what we are being shown?  I want to reach through the screen, try to touch a real flesh and blood human being, establish some sort of contact to say, "I'm here,  I see you.  I hear you and I weep for you."

It's overwhelming.

 

I have a series of pendants and necklaces I call "Sacred Salvage".  Within this are "Poetry Pieces" and "Storybook Necklaces".  These are designs created around a short story or poem I have written.  They incorporate found objects, mixed metals, all manner of this and that.  I felt the need to create a new assemblage, but without a printed story to go with it.  I wanted the piece itself to be the story. 

 

"Screaming Silence - Read Between the Lines"



 So, I sat at my bench and started gathering bits and pieces together.  A story was brewing in my mind, a sad story but one I wanted to tell.  I've been asked what my process is when I make a storybook or assemblage design, and I have absolutely no definitive answer.  I usually begin with an idea.  Sometimes just a word.  Today two words jumped out at me--"guise" and "forlorn".  I found them on a bit of transparency sheet.  I formulated a rough picture in my brain of a window, with the cover rolled back.  Newsprint crammed full of text with a face peering from behind, trying to be seen amidst the noise--the hidden agendas.  More newsprint is jammed into the window cover.  Mind you, as I imagined this, I am sifting and sifting through drawers and dozens of boxes on my table.  It's actually kind of mindless in a purposeful way--if that makes sense at all.  I also totally lose track of time at this point.  I wanted three dimensional items to reflect the story--a tiny broken doll arm for the loss of innocence, a dragonfly wing for the desperate, futile urge to flee, a watch arm for the passage of time.  Turquoise represents the Earth to me, cracked and nearly ruined, but still blue.  A broken circle holds it all with a drop of red enamel representing the horror of spilled blood.  Held together with rivets and screws.

No, it's not a happy creation.  I made it with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes.  I wanted it to be beautiful though, because ALL LIFE SHOULD BE BEAUTIFUL.  There is beauty all around us.  What I don't understand is why, at this moment in history, mankind seems to want to destroy all that is beautiful.

So, we bear witness.

 

I hope this pendant finds a home with someone who will appreciate and understand this story.  I've been asked if it is hard to part with some of these designs.  The answer is no.  Stories are meant to be shared, passed on.  That's how they stay alive.  I hope someone wants this pendant to add to their own story.