bead jewelry Archives - Dora Sislian Themelis Art

The Last Minute Holiday Shopping Event

At the last minute I decided to throw my hat in the ring and participate in this holiday shopping event in Long Island City, NY. LIC is a neighborhood that is evolving and becoming very chic with trendy restaurants and shops, a stone’s throw from Manhattan, but in the borough of Queens. The Museum of Modern Art re-located in the area a few years ago while the Manhattan location was under renovation, bringing awareness and people.

I liked the idea of showing my work in an art gallery space, and thought this would be a good opportunity. It was a nice event, with lovely co-vendors, organizer, and shoppers. People admired my handmade work and paintings, and I was lucky to sell a few pieces.

Ten10 Studios Carriage House, LIC, NY

My table of items

Close up of my items for sale

Another view of my table

The studio space

The highlight of the day for me was when a group of young brothers came to shop for Christmas gifts. One of them wanted to buy my watercolor painting of tomatoes for his grandmother. When he asked his mother for the money, she said to try finding something a little less expensive. Okay.

He then chose a colorful painting of a coffee pot, pepper, and sea shell. Imagine that? What boy decides to buy art as a Christmas gift? I was impressed.

A Holiday Shopping Event

The holiday shopping event was interesting. It was organized by a women’s imaging office in my area and if you can think of the warren of rooms in a medical office with a reception/waiting room and narrow hallways with little consultation rooms, that’s where this took place.

I might have been the only person with really handmade items. Other vendors had plenty of merchandise to offer, mostly mass produced jewelry and accessory items.

My corner was next to a couple of book authors in the consultation room.

Eventually I filled the wall with artwork next to my table. Otherwise it would have been hard to show paintings sitting flat. Anyway, I did the best I could with the space I had.

The people were lovely, giving great comments and compliments on my work. Most of them asked if the paintings were made by hand. Huh?

I’m not sure if they thought they were photos or what, but they were surprised to learn that, yes, I actually used a brush and paint to make the work. Oy.

And I actually used needles and yarn to make the knit items. And I actually used tools to string or wire the jewelry. Geez.

Yeah, I did make all that.

Fashion’s Night Out with Art

It’s been a busy couple of weeks here. Between trying to track down inspiration for new work, the end of the summer, and planning for the shopping event, I had no time for my requisite peace and quiet. Too much noise going on up inside my head.

Maybe it’s the excitement of doing something new? You think? But I have to admit that all the things I’ve been learning about marketing my work over the past year helped me a great deal. Steps have already been put in place. It was just a matter of getting to the venue and trying it out. Not knowing what to expect is the only thing that made me a little anxious.

All was for nought. Look! They even put out the red carpet for me! Just kidding, it was Fashion’s Night Out Shopping Event. There were artists, fashion designers, jewelry vendors, chocolatiers, a DJ, food and drinks.

Of course, I was early. When we entered the space we saw a wall space opposite the bar that I was going to hang my art and a table for my jewelry and notecards. The organizers asked me if I would extend all the way over the DJ’s booth with my paintings. Hey, why not? I had enough with me.

Well, watercolor paintings pack flat if not framed so I packed up my portfolio with things I thought people might like. And they did like my work, but I didn’t sell any paintings. But I did sell a couple of jewelry pieces, so that was fun.

There was a nice vibe at the venue. My family came to see me there. They even shopped the other vendors. The music was good and so was the food. We had a fun night, and I got to show my work another time. Every event I guess it gets easier.

I’ll be looking forward to the next one. Now I’ve got to get back to work.

Where’s the Inspiration When You Need it?

Little did I know how much painting inspiration I was going to get out of that vegetable share I did last year. Why didn’t I think of it as an investment in my artwork this season? What was I thinking when I decided not to bother doing it again, only because I wasn’t thrilled with the selection of the produce, for eating anyway?

Every week I dragged myself across Long Island to pick up my haul and dreaded what kind of crazy leafy greens I would find, only to get so excited by all the shapes and color that I photographed everything. And then I created artwork of it all. All my complaining about painting from life rather than my photos, were dashed with the veggie awakening.

Rooftop Scene ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
9×12 Watercolor, Arches cold press paper

Now look at me! I can’t find anything to get excited about painting. Okay, a landscape here and there, flowers in the garden, but nothing like last summer’s work.

What a drag.

So here I am, painting this and that, and making more jewelry. It’s fine. I’ve made a commitment to a one night shopping venue the first week of September so I may as well add to my inventory.

Greek and Turkish beads with waxed cotton cord

Long bead bracelet on the wrist

The colors and shapes are interesting. I’m trying to put a positive spin on my trysts with Mr. Resistance. Not so sure it’s working for me.

Friday’s Photo on Saturday

I should be painting, but I’m not. Just ordered more Greek Mykonos beads and Greek leather cord, and had to make something with them. Different colors and textures could spark some kind of ideas for paintings is what I’m hoping for. In the meanwhile, I can say I finished something.

©Dora Sislian Themelis
Greek Mykonos beads on knotted Greek leather cord

©Dora Sislian Themelis

When in Doubt, Distraction Works

“When in doubt, don’t.”

Usually I ‘don’t’, but I managed to push myself in another direction.

Without an idea which way to go next on the painting schedule, I turned to jewelry. Designing jewelry is a lot like painting. There are colors, shapes and spacial relationships to overcome.

Agate Necklaces ©Dora Sislian Themelis

It’s the same creative process to work through, but the outcome is a little different. Still, as with paintings, someone has to be drawn to a piece to want to own it.

Raspberry Agate Necklace ©Dora Sislian Themelis

Paintings go up on someone’s wall in a space. Jewelry gets to be worn and taken out into the world on someone’s body. Same idea, but different.

Raspberry Agates ©Dora Sislian Themelis

So yeah, I thought a little jewelry distraction might be in order and put the paints aside for a little while to arrange some gorgeous semi precious stones. That shopping event is in September, but I may as well be prepared with items to sell. Unless I love these pieces too much to part with them.

Blue Agate Necklace ©Dora Sislian Themelis

Looking for Ideas

Until I decide on the next painting I am working on some jewelry pieces. There is an upcoming shopping event I agreed to do. I need to be prepared with work to show and sell.

Motivation and ideas for the next painting work have to come from somewhere. Hopefully, as I arrange the beads, and my brain drifts away while I work, something will pop up.

Twenty Minutes or What?

Twenty minutes to start something new

As I was saying..yes, twenty minutes to something new on the table, easel, whatever. It’s been a quiet Sunday and I had time to paint, having danced around the paints all week.

I played with beads twice, coming up with two different bracelet designs, and successfully by-passed painting. What’s with that?

Today there was that split second decision to put water in the plastic bucket and just do it.

Isn’t it funny, though, that I can go to my studio where the beading stuff is, sit there to come up with jewelry designs and finished products, but I ignore the watercolor paints sitting on the dining room table? I think it’s funny. It’s really not funny, it’s annoying behavior, and it has to stop.

To be totally honest, I don’t even think I worked on this new piece for twenty minutes. Maybe it was more like ten minutes. Just enough time to sketch the composition and throw down some color, that’s all. You can see the paper is still rolling with water and hasn’t dried when I took the photograph. Quick and done.

Tomorrow I can move this along and get a feel for where I want to go with it.

Just to let you in on a little secret, I am planning to paint bigger. Don’t tell Mr. Resistance. He might throw a roadblock in my way. Just saying.

Sunflowers and More

Six Sunflowers (c) 2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
12×16 Watercolor on Lanaquarelle

I decided to paint these sunflowers one more time and from life, before I had to throw them out. They were getting really dry and ugly. I think I’m finally done with sunflowers. I sketched out the composition and tried my best to keep the colors light before adding darks. They don’t excite me anymore. Not like when I first painted them. I guess it’s expected.

On the distraction front, I am doing well! Isn’t that how it is?

I’ve become obsessed by the colors of beads and this knotting business. It’s become addictive. These red beads look striking against the black of the waxed cotton cord and make me want to play with them again. I’ll be putting these in my Etsy shop soon, along with the blues bracelet from last week. Yum.

The thing with this is that some beads have too small a hole to thread the cotton cord through and it becomes frustrating. I managed.

Now I’m on a mission to use leather instead of the cotton cord. I made myself dizzy searching the online shops for both leather cord and more beads. Yeah, more beads. Beads with some sparkle. Beads with a larger hole so I can play some more. Like I said, addictive.

Raspberry Agates are Delicious

Have you ever needed a gift for someone and couldn’t get it together what to get, where to get it, how much to spend? It’s not easy shopping for a co-worker’s birthday. How personal should the gift be? It depends on how friendly you are with that person.

Along with painting I have been designing and making beaded jewelry pieces. Some of them have really come out beautifully. I’ve even worn some of my pieces and received plenty of compliments. That’s always a nice feeling.

I have an Etsy shop with my jewelry for sale, along with some of my paintings, small handknit items like spa cloths and baby socks. The spa cloths and jewelry saw sales, the art not so much. Etsy doesn’t really support the fine arts with appropriate categories. I’ve hunted for watercolor paintings and found wood lemon reamers among the reproduction art.

Nice site, not nice for art. Plenty of craft items though as well as very talented artists. It’s too bad. I would add more paintings to the shop, but why bother if shoppers can’t find them? I’ll think about that one for a while.

Having sold the necklace from this set, I was asked to make another one to match the bracelet. I decided to throw in a pair of earrings for fun. These are freeform raspberry agates and they are delicious. What great color! Nice sparkle, too.

Well, they are off to a new home as the gift for someone’s birthday. I hope they are as loved much as I enjoyed making these pieces.