Etsy Metal Blog Carnival - Our Roots

"Our Roots" 
Where we came from. How our families have influenced us. Artists in the family. 



When I think about art in my family, my first thought always goes to my mother, Sophie. She was always doing something artistic ever since I can remember. She made all of my clothes, knitted, crocheted, did needlework, flower arranging, quilting, house decorating, and especially cooking!! She even made her wedding dress and all her bridesmaid dresses. She would water color and do silk painting with me and my friends when she'd come to visit me. The thing that stands out was that she would do all of these things really really well. She never cut corners, she always took the time to do it right. She wasn't an 'artist' she was a 'housewife' starting in the late 1940's. She didn't work outside of the home and the art that she did was simply for art's sake. To make beautiful things.                                                   

My dad is the young fellow in
middle, his father is on the
right. Unfortunately, I couldn't
find the photo of him
and his violin. It's here
somewhere!!

My father, Gus, owned a bar, but he had taken 7 years of voice lessons and played several musical instruments. The one he played best was the violin. He sang 'Come Back To Sorrento' in Italian at all of our weddings. He also appreciated art, we knew this because he would hang our paint-by-number pictures in his garage!








My older sister, Penny, went to college to become a teacher. She never fully delved into creating art, but I see it hanging in the back of her brain. Also, many of those paint-by-number paintings in the garage were hers. Her artistic outlet is her eye for making things beautiful. Particularly in decorating her home. 
Her husband, Bill, likes to listen to music!

My brother, Lou, is a retired Bose salesman, but really an artist. As a matter of fact, he was an art major at Kent State, with his focus on enameling. Hmmm, imagine that! Which I had never even consciously thought about for the first 5 years that I was enameling. These are a couple of enamel pieces he did in college. They are wall pieces, about 18" square. He is currently working on creating sculptural pieces for his garden. His wife, Sue, who had also been an art/fashion major at Kent has also delved into many art venues.

  

Sylvan Music

My husband, Albert, is a guitar builder and singer and is also very much into the art of golf, pool, and poker!

My cousin Linda, paints animals on rocks. That's nice you might think, but it is really way better than nice, she is an amazing artist. Amazing paintings on a humble canvas.

Her brother, Ed, is a woodworker.

 

My other cousin, Sylvia is a nurse, but really a photographer. She has beautiful photos of flowers and portraits of families, but the ones that totally blow me away are her photos of Italy.

 

Sylvia's Flickr Photostream

My cousin-in-law, Gioia, does incredible stain glass work and has been in many shows and won many awards.

Gioia's Website

My oldest son, Julian, is a musician and plays guitar and drums. His band is "The Super Pineapples."


My middle son, Lanny, who is an art major at UC Long Beach has done graffitti, murals, tatoos, and painting. 
                                               

Lanny's Flickr Photostream                    

My youngest son, Perry, doesn't really think of himself as an artist, but he also has the ability to draw pretty well!

I'm pretty sure that I haven't remembered every body and every thing; these are the people I know most about.

To find out the roots of other Etsy Metal members, please check out the following blogs:

1. Beth Cyr - http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com 
2. Erin Austin - http://metalmusing.blogspot.com 
3. Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/ 
4. Elizabeth Scott - http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog 
5. Inbar Bareket - http://www.inbarbareket.net/ 
6. Cynthia Del Giudice - http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com 
7. 2Roses - http://jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com 
8. Evelyn Markasky - http://markasky.blogspot.com/ 
9. Twigs and Heather - http://twigsandheather.blogspot.com 
10. http://www.artigianojewelbox.com/category/blog 
11. Danielle Miller-Gilliam - http://daniellemillerjewelry.blogspot.com/
_________________

Artist's Work That Has Influenced My Own

Etsy Metal Blog Carnival - July 11, 2011


The first thought that comes to my mind is Andy Warhol. What I love most about him is the idea that you should be who you are. And... I love 'pop art.' I love movies-particularly B-movies, and TV, and comic books.

Photo Booth Ring

Photo Booth Strip

Photo Booth Box

Pendant of My Mother

 I was inspired by his work to use photo booth pictures and shinky dinks to create narrative jewelry about myself and my family. 

I was a teenager and in my early 20's when things started getting crazy. Pop art, conceptual art..., what is art? It wasn't just visual art that influenced me, but at that time music was very influential and was just turning from 60's, early 70's anti-war, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Joni Mitchell to Patti Smith, the Ramones, Elvis Costello. Very edgy, rebellious, questioning everything, I guess you could say maybe a little paranoid! 

Heavy Metal Ring

How I feel that this has affected my more current work is that it is rebelling against high end, finely made work. Not that there is anything wrong with that! It just never fit who I was. My style is the opposite of that with fat welded seams and metal where there should be a stone. I like to think of it as working (wo)man's jewelry, meant to be worn every day.


Please check out where other artistic influences lie by going to these other Etsy Metal sites!!

1. Theresa - http://tkmetalarts.blogspot.com 
2. Kate Jones - http://www.katejonesdesign.blogspot.com 
3. Fluxplay Jewellery (Maria Whetman) - http://www.fluxplay.blogspot.com 
4. 2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com 
5. Elizabeth Scott - http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog 
6.Andrea Ring- http://www.amuckdesign.blogspot.com 
7. Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/ 
8. Beth Cyr http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com 
9. Inbar Bareket http://www.inbarbareket.net 
10. Cynthia Del Giudice: http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com 
11. Evelyn Markasky: http://markasky.blogspot.com/ 
12. AdobeSol - http://www.AdobeSol.com/blog 
13. Quercus Silver http://quercussilver.blogspot.com/