Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Getting to know the artisans - Shelley K Bossert
Time for the fourth 'instalment' in the Artfire artisan interview series. I hope you're enjoying the company of all these lovely ladies! Today we hear from Shelley who makes bears and jewellery.
Your name
Shelley K. Bossert, the NCTeddyBearLady :: website ::
Where in the world are you?
I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina
Briefly describe yourself and what you make
I make miniature teddy bears, bead knitted pouches and an eclectic line of jewelry focusing on gem stones, pearl and even weave beading
Who or what inspires you?
When I am making bears, it is always people who get my creative juices flowing. When I am designing and making pouches or jewelry, it is all about texture and color. I can see a flower, a seed pod or even a spot on my freckle on my grandson’s face and I’m off to turn a shape, pattern or color into something unique and seductive to the touch.
When / how did you learn?
Most of my basic skills came from my grandmother. She is the hero of my young life. After she died when I was 14, I learned from a variety of very talented artists including a Concentration Camp survivor I met in Belgium, her blind neighbor who taught me to assemble knitted garments almost invisibly and a dear friend who has the best eye for color I have ever seen. I took what I learned from these amazing role models and forged a place for myself as an artist by alway choosing ”the path less traveled by”. I work hard to make each of me designs uniquely my own and completely unlike anything I have ever seen before.
Why do you 'bother' to make things by hand?
There is something primal about hand work. Every time I sit down to a new project, if start by touching and examining my palette whether it be yarn, fur or beads for pleasing feel and texture. The feel a kind of siren call as I discover my fingers discover the beauty and texture of beads/fur/fiber. If I were to mass produced my work, I would never feel that spark of excitement that comes with plying my skills to produce something that touches others as it touched me in the making.
Can you reveal a little about your creative process?
I start with an idea that grows until I can no longer resist selecting materials to give it life. Once I have my palette before me, I sometimes sketch where I wish to go from there, but more often I just worry the various components of the planned project until I find the starting place. Sometimes that start is a color but most often it is a texture. Once begun, I work in an almost frenzied way putting things together and taking them apart until I have found a combination of color, texture and design elements that please me. My husband often jokes that I take apart a great deal more than I put together, but if I don’t see a magic kind of harmony in the beginning of a piece, I know I will never find it in its completion. So I rip out whatever I have done repeatedly until I hit on the magic combination. Once that happens, I find it difficult to stop until it is done. It is sort of like getting lost reading a particularly good book. You just can’t put it down.
How do you motivate yourself?
I had a friend gave me very good advice years ago when I first talked about opening a crafting business. She told me to set me alarm and get up every morning, shower, dress and get ready to go to work just as if I were driving across town rather than just walking down the hall. I took her advice to heart and find that keeping a regular schedule is all the motivation I need.
How do you deal with crafty mistakes?
If it truly is a mistake, I take it apart. Sometimes, what looks like a mistake is really a creative opportunity. The hard part is knowing how to tell the difference. If I’m not sure, I set my project aside and come back to it later with new eyes.
Is your art/ craft a business as well? Any advice on running an arty/ crafty business?
Yes, it is a business and has been, non stop, since I was seven. My advice is to be fair and honest in all you do. If you are just starting out, find a mentor and learn everything you can form them. Work regular hours and don’t fail to pay yourself fairly for your time and effort. If you don’t value your own work enough to do that, how can you expect customers to do so?
Time for the fourth 'instalment' in the Artfire artisan interview series. I hope you're enjoying the company of all these lovely ladies! Today we hear from Shelley who makes bears and jewellery.
Your name
Shelley K. Bossert, the NCTeddyBearLady :: website ::
Where in the world are you?
I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina
Briefly describe yourself and what you make
I make miniature teddy bears, bead knitted pouches and an eclectic line of jewelry focusing on gem stones, pearl and even weave beading
Who or what inspires you?
When I am making bears, it is always people who get my creative juices flowing. When I am designing and making pouches or jewelry, it is all about texture and color. I can see a flower, a seed pod or even a spot on my freckle on my grandson’s face and I’m off to turn a shape, pattern or color into something unique and seductive to the touch.
Most of my basic skills came from my grandmother. She is the hero of my young life. After she died when I was 14, I learned from a variety of very talented artists including a Concentration Camp survivor I met in Belgium, her blind neighbor who taught me to assemble knitted garments almost invisibly and a dear friend who has the best eye for color I have ever seen. I took what I learned from these amazing role models and forged a place for myself as an artist by alway choosing ”the path less traveled by”. I work hard to make each of me designs uniquely my own and completely unlike anything I have ever seen before.
Why do you 'bother' to make things by hand?
There is something primal about hand work. Every time I sit down to a new project, if start by touching and examining my palette whether it be yarn, fur or beads for pleasing feel and texture. The feel a kind of siren call as I discover my fingers discover the beauty and texture of beads/fur/fiber. If I were to mass produced my work, I would never feel that spark of excitement that comes with plying my skills to produce something that touches others as it touched me in the making.
I start with an idea that grows until I can no longer resist selecting materials to give it life. Once I have my palette before me, I sometimes sketch where I wish to go from there, but more often I just worry the various components of the planned project until I find the starting place. Sometimes that start is a color but most often it is a texture. Once begun, I work in an almost frenzied way putting things together and taking them apart until I have found a combination of color, texture and design elements that please me. My husband often jokes that I take apart a great deal more than I put together, but if I don’t see a magic kind of harmony in the beginning of a piece, I know I will never find it in its completion. So I rip out whatever I have done repeatedly until I hit on the magic combination. Once that happens, I find it difficult to stop until it is done. It is sort of like getting lost reading a particularly good book. You just can’t put it down.
How do you motivate yourself?
I had a friend gave me very good advice years ago when I first talked about opening a crafting business. She told me to set me alarm and get up every morning, shower, dress and get ready to go to work just as if I were driving across town rather than just walking down the hall. I took her advice to heart and find that keeping a regular schedule is all the motivation I need.
If it truly is a mistake, I take it apart. Sometimes, what looks like a mistake is really a creative opportunity. The hard part is knowing how to tell the difference. If I’m not sure, I set my project aside and come back to it later with new eyes.
Is your art/ craft a business as well? Any advice on running an arty/ crafty business?
Yes, it is a business and has been, non stop, since I was seven. My advice is to be fair and honest in all you do. If you are just starting out, find a mentor and learn everything you can form them. Work regular hours and don’t fail to pay yourself fairly for your time and effort. If you don’t value your own work enough to do that, how can you expect customers to do so?
scribbled by Carina 4/28/2009 09:00:00 AM
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