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Fine Decorative Painter  Tell us about what you do and your techniques.
I make painted and gilded wooden bowls. Each bowl is turned from a hard wood or carved from a softer wood. My husband, Alistair Jones, does some of the woodwork, but he is primarily a furniture maker, and his own work is demanding more time lately, so I've started collecting older bowls to work on as well. These bowls are usually in need of some TLC, and by reclaiming them, I feel good about following along with the "green" trend as I recycle the wood and add new life to an old form. I sand, prime and base-coat the interior of the bowls, then follow by gilding certain areas if the design calls for gilding. Each piece is hand painted (no stencils are ever used) and fine detail work is added in layers using very thin brushes that go down to 20/0 in hair-width. Once completed, I protect the interior with a clear food-safe finish. The wood on the rim and back is stained, shellacked and waxed. How long have you been painting and how did you get started? I've always been painting and drawing. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to attend Pratt Institute and study painting. It was the most intense and amazing four years of learning. BUT! at that time, painting majors were not taught a thing about the business of art. Post-college, I bounced around from job to job, few of which had the tiniest relation to anything artistic. Finally, a friend recommended me for a mural painting job and my art career began. I've worked as a mural painter specializing in Trompe L'oeil for about 20 years. Being self employed and always working solo, I've had to learn a great deal about being a business woman as well as working in a male dominated field. It always made me smile to see the surprised faces of guys on the job-site as I walked by with my heavy-duty scaffolding. Somehow, seeing a 5'2" woman carrying a substantial "Little Giant" ladder seemed to create a quiet stir of respect, which I appreciated. I'd like to believe that attitudes have changed for the better over the years. I began the bowls as an extension of my painting, wanting to work on something small, with the core idea originatingfrom my own thoughts as opposed to a client's desires. After relocating from NY to CT, I needed to introduce my mural-work to my new area. I began painting on small items, taking them to local craft shows along with my mural portfolio. Eventually, I combined my husband's talents with my artwork. It seemed to sell and it gave me pleasure, as well. Finding that the bowls were overtaking the mural work, I made the transition. Now I concentrate on cultivating collectors & selling my work at high-end shows. Is your work unique to others and why? The best words I hear from buyers at shows are "I've never seen anything like this before." Somehow, the look and feel of the bowls elicits a response that resonates deeply, and I love that! I like to leave it up to the buyers to tell me what they like about my work- their descriptions are interesting, sometimes varied, sometimes similar- depending upon what background they bring to the work. What is your funniest craft show moment? It's been about 12 yrs since I started doing craft shows. They've been a long, hard road with quite the learning curve. Everyone who does shows knows this, and also knows the great community of artists and buyers that makes up these shows. On occasion, as I set up or break down, I hear that circus music in my head. Whatever the reason, a sense of humor is a must for survival. I can recall a time, at the finish of a show, when this really kicked in. It was during pack-up. A friend and fellow craftsman and I were splitting expenses by sharing a truck rather than driving separately. It was getting dark, around twilight, that time when the mosquitoes come out. We were cramming everything into my pickup w/the cap on. The diagram we'd drawn during packing earlier in the week was useless. Tired and sweaty, I'd crawled into the back of the truck, on top of everything, trying to push stuff still further back to make more room. All that could be seen from the open tailgate were my feet. The sound of my muffled curses and grunts from deep inside the pick-up and the vision of just my feet sticking out, combined with heat exhaustion started a wave of contagious laughter that didn't stop until I was dragged by my ankles, out of that truck-bed, breathless. We needed that good laugh (and a cold beer) to put all the hard work into perspective. How have craft shows changed since you started? I began doing craft shows in the late 90's. Between then & now the changes in the economy & the influx of imported crafts have had a negative effect on both shows and buyers. The cost of shows keeps rising, & profits are declining. Buyers are becoming used to paying less for handmade, and aren't asking the questions about process as they did in the past. Values are changing, I guess. As a reaction, I'm starting to see a trend toward smaller, artist-run shows where artist's needs are primary, they can educate their clients, and most of the revenue goes back into the show itself. On a positive note, people are using the internet as a shopping tool, and I'm just beginning to see more interest from younger buyers. We need to take advantage of the technology- it is getting more user-friendly (thankfully, for us Neanderthals) and it is here to stay. Where can your work be purchased? I sell my work at high-end craft shows, and occasionally through my studio by appointment Information and images of my work, as well as my show schedule may be found at www.traditionalfolkart.com. Prices range from $185 and up. Shaari can be reached at 860-364-9866. |