How to Begin Your Art Career

How will YOU  Plan Your Art Career?

Part I

Juried Exhibitions and

Your  Resume’

_

By Lynda J. Lambert

Pennsylvania Artist

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

What is an art career?

Do I even have an art career?

Do I want to have an art career and exhibit my art in public shows?

Am I happy just playing “artist” or do I want more?

How serious am I anyway?

What does it take for me to move from a hobby artist to an artist who is recognized as a professional?

Would I like to see my art hanging in galleries, museums, or exhibitions?

Lynda Lambert at her opening reception for _Primal Garden...la vida luminiscentes_ 

September 9th, 2011 at Merrick Art Gallery, New Brighton, PA

Lynda is shown with her daughter Heidi Lambert McClure, also an artist

Lynda has been in over 200 juried exhibitions and exhibited nationally and internationally.

STEP ONE:

This is an important FIRST STEP: 

You may be saying, “What IS a JURIED EXHIBITON?

You will  need to know about this before you can move on to the next step in your exhibition career.

The first step towards a serious commitment to your art requires that you begin to enter juried exhibitions. In this way, you get a feel for how your work stacks up when in competition with your fellow artists. 

Be prepared for some rejections.  Even artists who have been exhibiting their work for many years get rejected by a juror.  This is just part of the world of art exhibitions.  Sooner or later, you WILL get into a juried show and you will be so proud of your achievement. It will be a big step in your career when you begin to get into juried shows and even win some recognition for them.

How does it work?

A JURIED exhibition is a show that has been selected by one judge or a small panel of judges who view your work along with lots of other entries from other artists.  The juror will select the art works that he/she decides will best suit the kind of show that will be exhibited in the end.   You want to begin putting your art work out among the crowd of other art works through the jury process.

Before this, you may have entered your art in shows that are non-juried. This means that all work entered in a show will be hung or displayed.  This could be the first step for the novice, and one that is non-threatening nor intimidating.  This type of show is usually uneven, with work by seasoned artists appearing beside art works that are made by beginners.  After you have done just a few of these, you are now ready to move UP to put your work before a jury.  You will definitely want to do this and you will need to do this to gain professional experience in showing your art works.

As you begin to participate in juried exhibitions you will need to begin listing them on an artist’s resume. It is an important step and it reflects that you are a serious artist. It also reflects that an doing work that is notable in your field because experts have chosen your work for public display in their shows

Hand Beaded Jewelry on display at Merrick Art Gallery

5th Avenue and 11th Street, New Brighton, PA

Sept 9 - October 2, 2011

Bead Weaving by Lynda Lambert

Create a good Resume:

Now is the time to begin working on a good resume, or a one page Vita.

Begin doing this as soon as you begin getting into juried exhibitions.


After listing your name, address, contact information website or blog address, then you will divide you resume' into some important categories. It will be in those catagories that you will begin to list your exhhibitions and honors and awards. Do it chronologically. Begin with your latest one, and then go backwards.

Create a category titled:  “Juried Exhibitions.”

Later on, you will need to create a category for “Invitational Exhibitions.” That usually comes after you have been doing some juried exhibitions for a while. Eventually  you will be  invited to participate in a gallery, museum, or art center’s show. This is also decided by a gallery owner, a selected juror or a committee, so it is also prestigious  because you have been asked or invited  to participate in the show.

Awards and Honors on your RESUME:

On your resume, create a THIRD category listing for “Awards and Honors.” 

When you need to send your Vita' or Resume' to another show or to a gallery, they will be looking to see what shows your work has appeared in and any awards or honors you have won.  List them chronologically by placing the most recent ones at the top of your list.

Review of Step ONE:

1.)     Begin to look for “juried” art exhibition and enter them

2.)     Create your Resume' or a short one-page Vita’

Here is what you need to put on your resume’ or one-page  vita’:

Your Name

Your Address

Phone Number/ E-mail

Your Blog or Website (IF you have one)

Categories:

          1.)  Juried Exhibitions:

                        List name of show; the juror’s name;

 the place where it was on exhibit,

                        and the dates of show

            2.) Invitational Exhibitions

                        List name of show, 

the juror or group who invited you, 

place when the exhibition was on display; 

date of show

            3.) Awards and Honors:   

List any awards you received in a show, 

date of Award 

Later on, we'll be adding a couple more categories. But for a start, this is all you'll need to put on your artist's resume' or one-page vita'. Remember this: An artist's resume' is very different than a business person's resume'.


The steps are small ones, but very important ones. It is the little things that make your art career work. It is the ability to pay attention to the small details and be careful about them.

One of the biggest failures for an artist is to spend tons of time in the studio creating work, and then failing to develop a business PLAN for marketing that work.  We have to be in BALANCE.  Work + Exhibitions are important to us. Exhibitions give us an audience for our work AND  it brings us recognition and collectors who will be buying our work. We want to begin to develop our exhibition opportunities AND our clients.

To BEGIN:  

Step it UP

Find some Juried Shows

Begin your Artist  Resume'

You can begin by doing a search on-line for juried shows in your local area. I strongly suggest that you begin with a show that is very close to where you live.  You'll probably be surprised at how many juried exhibitons and opportunities you will find within a 30 mile radius of where you live.  Check out  any galleries or museums, art centers, universities, colleges, or local educational programs in the arts to find out when their next juried show will be held.

The Prospectus:
Ask the gallery  for a prospectus. The prospectus is a program flyer that gives you all the information you need to enter the juried show. They will probably email it to you. You can read the prospectus and you will know all the rules and regulations for that particular show. The prospectus will tell you exactly HOW to enter the show. It will give the dates of the show;  the juror's name and credentials;  the day to deliver your art for the jury process; the day to deliver your accepted art work; the day of the opening reception and awards ceremony; the FEE you need to send with your application, size limitations; and the kinds of art forms that are permitted  for entry in this show. Your Prospectus is your ROAD MAP for that particular exhibition. 

Autumn Reflection Vessel:  Grape Leaves, Snakes, and Sanils

by Lynda Lambert

In the solo exhibition:  Primal Garden...la vida illuminscentes

Merrick Art Gallery,  5th Avenue and 11th Street,

New Brighton, PA

Sept 9 - October 2, 2011

Our next conversation will be to explore the different kinds of JURIED EXHIBITIONS  that you will encounter once you begin your SEARCH for a show to enter.

Autumn is a GREAT TIME to begin looking for some shows to enter.  I would love to hear from you on this topic and hear about your experiences as you begin to enter some juried shows. I willbe celebrating with you when you get IN your FIRST JURIED SHOW. Be sure to let me know about it.          

The Art Opening Needs More than the Artist to be Successful

Read MORE about Lynda LambertThe Ellwood City News, Ellwood City, PA - Feature Story on Lynda LambertThe next time you go to an art gallery or attend an opening reception for the artist please think about the enormous efforts that go into such a thing as an art show.

It is a team effort. 

 Here are the players in the team:

The ARTIST:

 has to make the work for the show. This normally takes several years of concentrated efforts to creat enough work to fill a gallery.  When my show opened last night at Merrick Art Gallery in New Brighton, PA, the gallery was filled with pottery and jewelry that I had worked on to develop for four years.  And, that was four years with almost daily work in the studio.  This is certainly not a hobby type of exhibition. It is a show put on by a seasoned professional artist who can stay focused and on-target with a THEME for a very long period of time. In this case, four years, working on the theme of a PRIMAL GARDEN...la vida luminiscentes.  I decide on the them, then I begin the long process of creating the work for the exhibition with a vision towards what the final "picture" will be. I hold that picture in my mind, daily, over this period fo time as I continue working.

A GALLERY

when creating the work, you need a glalery to exhibit the work.  I had been working towards this show for three years with no idea of where it would be shown. Then, one year ago, a gallery called me with an invitation to have a solo show.  And, there it wass.  I had the vision for the show, had been working on that vision for three years, and finally a gallery invited me to host a show. After that, I had one more year to complete the work for the show. It is a long process. You begin in faith not knowing where the show will be, but you begin.

THE DELIVERY PERSON:

When the time  comes to take your work to the gallery and get it set up for the exhibition, you will need people to help you.  The work has to be carefully delivered. In my case, it took six truck loads to deliver my very fragile and large work. My husband Bob is my road manager, and he transported the truckloads of pottery, one by one, over a period of a week. When we began to unwrap, unbundle, and take out the work for installation, we were joined by a good friend who is an artist.  The three of us began the process of installing the show.  It took three entire days to get the show installed and ready for the opening.  We worked till late the night before the opening, to finish this job.

THE OPENING RECEPTION:

For the opening recweption you need lots more team members.  Here are some of the things that wyou will need to organize for opening night:

Food and drinks - you'll need a couple of people in charge of this area of your show.  You want your guests to be able to have refreshments during the reception and you need peole to be sure the table is full all night long.

SALES:

you will need people in charge of taking care of paying for their purchases.  I had four people in charge of writing up sales and putting the charges through via I-Phone. They also had to write up each sale so that we would know how much we would owe the gallery for the percentage they get from all sales.  Then, the items have to be labeled as sold on the gallery walls. Other things were sold and folks could take them home at the same time. Those things had to be wrapped and bagged.  This takes a team of at least four people to pull off smoothly.  My daughters and grand daughters were in charge of this critical part of the show opening.  They are professionals at this kind of thing and did a fabulous job keeping it all straight.

 GREETERS:

My great grand daughter is 14 years old. She came to the show and brought one of her firneds. Theyw ere outside the entrance to the gallery. It was their job to greet people, give them a program for going through the show, and be sure they signed my little guest book when they were leaving.  This gave my guests a personal greeting and welcoming feeling upon their arrival.

My husband is part of the team, too. He greets people, spends a lot of time where the food is so that he can be in conversations with people all night long.  He takes care of little things that may come up during the evening.

And, finally, YOU the artist. Once you have arrived and things are put in motion, and you have given your team instructions on how to do things you are then ready to greet the visitors who will be arriving.

Once the first people come through the door, from then on, you are engaged in greeting people, taking them around to see art works, telling them the stories about the works, and just enjoying the next three hours to the fullest.  You will be seeing people from every aspect of your life. Folks from your past community involvements, people from your daily life, people you went to school with many years ago, and you next door neighbors. It is so wonderful and everyone has such a beautiful time together.

YOUR FEET:

My final piece of advice:  wear very comfortable shoes. You will not be seated one time for at least 3 to 4 hours.  Even when I wear shoes that are flat and comfy, believe me, by the end of the night my feet ar buring and feel like they are in a vice. In the final moments of the show, I am now not wearing my shes at all - despite my fancy dress, I am in my bare feet on the cool gallery floor. Everyone laughs and my feet say "ah, thank you so much!"

If you are an artist and want to have a gallery show, begin NOW to design your show and begin working on the pieces for your show. No matter if you do not know exactly where it will be.  It WI"LL BE, once you begin to envision it and begin doing the work for it. Remember, you need a TEAM to help you get your show ready once you have done the work and are ready to have your opening night. You have many friends and family members who will join you and will be happy to do it.

THE OUTFIT:

You need to think about what you will wear. You are the STAR of the evening and you need to stand out in the drowd.  I like to select an outfit that matches the spirit of my art work.

For my opening reception I wore a beautiful top designed by MARC BOUWER.  I created a TALISMAN in my encrusted bead weaving techniques to coordinate with this beautiful fluid top.  It was a hit and people asked me all evening where I got my outfit. And, they stopped in their tracks to have a close look at the talisman I designed to match the outfit, that matched my art work. 

It is your show so be a STAR. You need your TEAM. New Castle News, New Castle, PA - Feature Story on Lynda Lambert

Making Art with Inner Vision

I was asked to write a short article for a journal recently. The editor asked me to discuss how my art changed from the time I could see to do it, and how it is done now that I cannot see to do it. I am delighted to answer this question because it means that someone has an interest in what I do and how I do it, as an artist. It also means that someone is not afraid to have an honest discussion with me about a topic that far too many people are afraid to face or discuss - sight loss.

Here is what I wrote and sent off today to the editor of the journal:

"Art and Inner Vision"

One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a mature student of the fine arts at Slippery Rock University of PA, back in the 1980s was that there was a difference between “seeing” and “looking.” My painting professor had talked with me about learning to “see.” He sent me off on a new journey when he gave me a list of artists on day. My assignment was to visit the library and find those artists. He told me to look at pictures of their work. I spent many days in the library. I back the information to him about what I was “seeing.” This assignment opened up a new way of thinking for me, a new understanding of what art is really about.

Seeing takes a long period of time. It is not a glance, or a quick look. It is about the passage of time. It happens in layers. Seeing involves the entire body, not just the eyes. I soon became aware of the inner vision that sees the art work, and time stood still. We are outside of time when we begin to “see” the world around us through all of our senses.

This belief that I embraced enabled me to continue to create after I lost most of my eyesight nearly four years ago. I learned to adapt, to find new ways of expressing an idea. I decided that this change in vision opened new doors for me and new ways of exploring in my art work. I viewed it as a new opportunity to learn new ways of working.

Instead of painting pictures and making wood cut prints, I decided to begin working in clay. It was a very quick transition for me to move from a 2 dimensional flat surface, to a 3 dimensional form. My love of painting has been transformed to working on the surface of the forms I made, using glazes, under glazes and stains to get the rich colors and depth of surface that I always had in my paintings. Now, I think of my vessels as paintings. They are paintings that you can take a walk around, and view from all sides.

Making pottery is a new adventure for me. It is one that I experience because of a life-changing challenge. Most people would think that to lose your eyesight, for an artists, would be the worst imaginable tragedy. This is not true.

Instead of feeling sorry for something I had no control over, I turned my personal challenge into a new adventure. I changed my mind and looked for positive outcomes. Every day, I look for what is positive and I think of ways to adapt things so that I can do them in my own way. It is all about finding your inner vision. It is all there inside of you, waiting for you to discover it. My art work reflects my way of Walking by Inner Vision.

River Road Studio, Wurtemburg, PA since 1976

Tribute to my Mother on Mother's Day

Who are you as a person?

How did you become the person you are today?

My thoughts go back to childhood memories of my Mother. I recall the the hours I spent with my Mother. Her marks on every aspect of my life through the lessons, training and ideas she handed down to me.

Mother's Day seems like the appropriate day to reflect on her-

Esther Luella Kirker McKinney

(1920 - 2007)

From the earliest years of my childhood, I recall spending time at my Grandmother's house. On one occasion I was there with my Mother and we were beginning a new project. My Mother was teaching me to do embroidery. She had bought a white linen tea towel that was marked with a stamped on pattern. And, the embroidery floss we were using was various shades of blue and gray. I would begin learning how to do embroidery. My Mother was my teacher, and my first Muse.

Mother not only made lovely embroidered items, she is usually best remembered for her soothing and flowing alto voice. Mother was a singer. She sang solos, and duets, and in the choir in our church. But it didn't stop there, where she had an audience. She sang every day in our home. Our house was filled with her songs. It would have been impossible to spend any amount of time at our house, without hearing my Mother singing.

In the final years of life, after Alzheimer's took away her ability to communicate through words and conversations, she still was able to sing the old songs of the church that were in her soul. We would sing as we drove down a highway together. and then we would burst out in laughter as we forgot a line or a word. Then, we would just make it up, and laugh some more. She never lost her ability to sing until her final days on earth.

Back in my Grandmother's house, so long ago, the blue embroidery threads were put through the eye of a silver needle. We began the exciting new project. One by one, Mother taught me the different ways of working the thread to create patterns on

the tea towel. She was patient and I was excited to be learning this new craft. I was mesmerized as the smooth thread went in and out of the creamy white linen cloth; my arm moved up and down in rhythm as the pattern began to take shape on the cloth; blue threads wrapped around the slick needle and was pushed through the crisp cloth. I was creating a design! I was hooked on fibers, threads, and cloth. I was becoming ONE with my work.

Mom created lovely "pictures" out of embroidery techniques. Her pictures hung in our home. there was a Crewel embroidery piece that became a clock in our living room. Then, one by one, Mom made pictures of red cardinals and bluebirds using Crewel techniques. The bird pictures joined her clock. There were lavender scented pillow cases lovingly made by Mom and we slept on those freshly ironed pillows at night. Mom's art was comfort under our heads, and soothing.

I have always had a love for fiber arts since that time. My idea of heaven is to spend the rest of my life in a yarn shop, surrounded by the most beautiful yarns imaginable.

I find that I simply love everything about yarn. It engages all my senses. TOUCH; SMELL; VISION. Most of all, it is my IMAGINATION that kicks in the moment I walk into a fabulous YARN SHOP. When I pick up the skeins of yarn, I begin to envision what that yarn will become once I take it home and begin to work with it.

Colorful yarn was a part of my Mother's life, too. She crocheted afghans in the later years of her life. She left behind a legacy for me. It is the LOVE for fiber arts in my heart. Often, when I pick up my needles and begin knitting, I think of her and how much she loved handmade things. Her embroidered pictures, her afghans, were her treasures.

And, one of the greatest treasures my Mother gave to ME, is the love of things hand-made. There is something to healing and so important of the touch of a human hand that is left in a piece of fiber art. Sometimes, when my heart is still and listening to spirit, I believe I hear her singing as I touch my knitting needles and move them softly through the luxurious silky yarn.

Happy Mother's Day, Esther Louella Kirker McKinney

from

he Village of Wurtemburg, PA.

When I grow up,

I want to be just like you.

May 8, 2011

Artists Continue to Make Art After Sight Loss

Question: What does an artist do when she loses her sight?

Answer: She makes Art!

I love reading about how other artists deal with loss of sight. I often wondered how an artist would cope with sight loss. I had read of many artists who lost their eyesight. When I was teaching and lecturing on art and artists, I would often note when an artist would be blind, after years of making art. I wondered how that transition would be made by the artist. I never suspected that it would happen to ME! We seldom ever see ourselves beyond how we are at the moment. And, I believe, we seldom ever imagine that WE would some day have a disability or a challenge like the one we read about that someone ELSE has. .

Making art was something I did most of my life. I cannot remember not making art. When confronted with my own challenge of sudden and profound sight loss in 2007, it meant that I shifted from making painting and woodcut prints, to making pottery.

I have always been a very optimistic person - mostly. After the initial shock and months (now 3 1/2 years) of rehabilitation, I viewed my sight loss as an entry into a new world and took it as a chance to make a new life for myself - one I would never have chosen to make.Sight Loss marked a new phase in my life - I celebrated by switching to a new art medium instead of trying to resurrect the former ones I had worked in for over 30 years. Sight Loss meant a New Kind of Life - New Paths to explore. New Adventures - New Friends - and New Ways of Doing EVERYTHING.

It's nearly the end of April! It's a nice sunny day. My travels for the month of April are now behind me, Bob and I had celebrated our 50th Anniversary on April 14 in Puerto Rico. Our daughter Ilsa and her family was there with us for the week. Then, we traveled to Ilsa's home for our annual family celebration in Kentucky.

Upon our arrival back home yesterday, I started cleaning my studio for the season. It is a kind of ritual that I have to do every spring - Spring Cleaning of the River Road Studio. Once I have it all in order, then I can begin to work there.

Today, I will finish it and be in there working on my pottery and bead work creations from mow till December when I close it for the winter months. SPRING is HERE in PA, Officially.

My studio is now OPEN and I am IN IT AGAIN. But now, there is not the smell of paints and inks, and stacks of canvases. Now, it is CLAY and POTS and a table with a CCTV on it so I can work away at my intricate encrusted bead worked pieces. I have one-person gallery show that will open in September, so I have lots of work to do from now until then.

Art truly is for everyone - even blind people. this blind photographer inspired me today!

USAirways provided me with a trip through hell yesterday

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a pilot program for blind. I was selected out of applicants from across the United States and given a grant by the eBay Corporation in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind. Sixteen blind people were selected for this special grant from eBay. As part of our grant we were flown to and from Baltimore, MD. My flight was from my home in Pennsylvania. I was given a lovely place to stay at the NFB Conference Center, and fantastic meals. In addition, I was in training classes ever day with the 15 other participants in this experimental program.

I was a bit nervous about getting to and from Baltimore as I had never traveled alone by plane since my sight loss three years ago. I did not let my apprehension keep me from going and so I started my trip on Monday morning, February 21 at the Pittsburgh Airport. My husband left me at the Continental Airlines counter where we were assured I would be taken to my gate, and then given help on boarding. I was to take two flights to get to Baltimore.

A delightful gentleman helped me from the counter through security and then to my gate. As I had a little while before the plane left, he came back through a couple of times just to be sure I was ok. Another attendant who would be in charge of getting me on the plane came, too. I was made to feel comfortable. Everything went perfectly due to their help. I made the two flights just as scheduled. and when I arrived at the Baltimore airport my driver was there at the gate to take me to the National Center for the Blind, so that I could join my peers there and begin the program. I thought, now, I am not afraid to travel anywhere by myself. This is wonderful, and I am over my fear of solo traveling.

At the end of my week in Baltimore I was taken by van to the airport to begin the two flight journey that would get me back to Pittsburgh again. Since I had such a good experience flying to Baltimore via Continental Airlines, I had no idea what was waiting to unfold for me on the trip home. I arrived at the airport at 8 am. There, I was told that my two flights had been cancelled. I was rebooked to fly home via USAirways. I would be taking one plane to Philadelphia, and then another to Pittsburgh. I thought, well, that is ok.

I was walked through security there and escorted to my gate which was in the far reaches of the bottom level of the airport. I was told I would be pre-boarded, as usual, and I relaxed and sat there with my knitting because I knew I had about 1 1/2 hours to wait. Finally, an attendant came to the podium, and I thought I better go and just make my presence known and to reassure me that I would indeed be pre-boarded . The attendant was very aloof with me, like I was a nuisance, and she snapped, "When you hear me make the announcement, you will be boarded." I told here where I would be sitting so that someone could help me. She made no comment and I went back to my seat. In a short while a passenger was pre-boarded. He was in a wheelchair. So, I thought, I will be next. I waited. She made her announcement for people with special needs to come forward. I went up to her podium again, and thought that meant me. She asked from my ticket. I had it in an envelope with another ticket. I offered her my envelope and asked her to get the correct ticked for my flight. Since I cannot see, I had no way to know exactly which ticket was the correct one. She grabbed the envelope from me with a loud sigh. She pulled out the correct ticket and handed it to me. Instead of any help, I was told to "step aside because she she had to get all the other passengers on the plane. She said she “does not have time to get me boarded” and did not have time to help me. She told me I would have to wait for someone else to come help me. I have no idea why I was not pre-boarded when the passenger in the wheel chair and his were pre-boarded. Instead, I was left to wait again. So there I stood while all the other people in the plane filed by as their sections were called out by this woman. I did not know what to do, since she was certainly boarding the entire plane and I was standing by myself to the side as everyone paraded past me. I was very cold as I was standing there with the doors open as one by one, all the other’s passed me by.

Eventually, a passenger who was going by came up to me and asked if she could help me. I told her I was standing there because I was told by the attendant to wait, and this stranger went up to the attendant and told her she would take me to the plane. The passenger came back and took me by the arm and carefully led me to the plane, got me in my seat and told me to wait when the plane landed as she would be back to help me out and to my gate. When the plane landed in Philadelphia, this passenger came to help me as she promised. No one from the airline ever came near me to help me in any way.

The woman's name is Christina. Christina took me into the airport, took me to my gate and stayed with me. She even took me to get some food and to the bathroom. Her gate was near mine, and she repeatedly came to talk with the flight attendants to be sure I would have help in boarding. The planes were delayed and we had several hours till the next plane that I would get to Pittsburgh. Two attendants, Elizabeth and Terrance, were fabulous and they kept an eye on me and they took care of making sure I was put on the plane that would take me to Pittsburgh. I thought my troubles were now over, but I was very wrong on that assumption.

When we landed in Pittsburgh, a special attendant from USAirways came on board to get me, and took me on a cart. I thought, this is great, finally I will be back with my husband and on our way home. The attendant did not take me to the luggage area however. Instead, she took me to a place where the escort services work from and she left me there in a seat and told me she would be back. She was going to go get my husband, or at least locate him and get me to him. She never did come back. I had numerous conversations with the women who were working in the escort services area. After a very long time, they decided to take me to the baggage pick up area and were hoping to find my husband and get us united again. And, this is how I finally got to him.

Meanwhile, my husband had not been notified that they had switched me onto a different airlines and completely different time schedules. He was at the airport for hours trying to find out where I was. When my plane returned, and I was not on it, he went seeking help. Finally he was told I was coming on a flight from Philadelphia instead of Newark, and that it was hours later than the original flight was to be.

Eventually he found my luggage in the baggage dept but I never arrived at the baggage department. After an hour or so of trying to get information on where I was. My husband was told by the personnel in Baggage Dept. that I was put on a cart and was on my way.

I was finally brought to the baggage area by the woman from the escort services because the woman from the USAirways who drove the cart had left me at the escort services and never returned to get me. In all, I had left Baltimore at 8 am yesterday, and was not back to my home till nearly 8 pm - just from Baltimre to Pittsburgh.

Of course, I will be flying alone again because I am not a woman to quit when the going is tough. Next time, I might not be so foolish as to think that all people who work for the airlines will observe the Americans With Disabilities Act and obey the Federal Laws to provide help for people with disabilities. US Airways needs to do a lot of training so that all their employees get the message that it is the law to provide for their special needs passengers and it is unlawful for them to refuse to board such passengers and to abandon them and not return to help them complete their trip safely.

I have tickets to Puerto Rico for April and they are on US Airways. After my horrifying experiences with this airline yesterday, I am quite uneasy about my safety. And, I am still wondering if some blind people just disappear and never get to their destination. Are blind people still standing aside while all the other passengers are taken care of right now? Is a blind person sitting somewhere in a chair waiting for the airline personnel to come back as promised? Is there a "missing persons" department or a "lost and found" department for blind people who fly on USAirways? Will I actually get to Puerto Rico in April? And, if I do, will I ever get back home again? And, how many more humiliations and broken promises will I endure the next time I fly USAirways?

Begin Walking Towards Your Dream

Do you have a dream?

I think you most likely have something inside of you that tries to come up to the surface of your consciousness occasionally. Think about it. What would you like to do?

One of my dreams was to write a book. I had no idea how I would do it, or how it would be published, or who might like to read my book. I did not have any experience in writing a book and did not know any publishers.

My background is in art and teaching. As part of my position as Professor of Fine Arts and Humanities, I traveled each summer in Europe. I taught a course called "Drawing and Writing in Salzburg." My students and I lived in a village in the Alps, in Austria. We had classes four mornings a week. Our classes were held in a school classroom sometimes, but mostly we traveled to a new place every morning on the local bus. There, we wrote and made sketches and worked on ideas in our sketch books. On the weekends, we traveled to other countries: Italy, Germany, and Czech Republic.

After teaching and traveling during my summers for a few years, I had created a collection of drawings, poems, and reflections in my sketch books.

One day, I was unexpectedly contacted by a publisher of books. I sent my collection to her and she immediately wanted to be the publisher of my collection. The rest is history. My book was titled _Concerti...Psalms for the Pilgrimage_ and it was published January 1, 2002. One of the works of art I created in Austria became the cover for my book. I was delighted with the finished product.

If you have an idea or a dream, just begin working on it. Don't worry about the little details or how you will achieve it. The people you will need to have on board to help you will come to you. You don't have to search for them. Just begin your project, and watch what happens. One by one, the other people and the things you will need come to you.

Begin to work and walk towards your dream.

Your dream is waiting for you.

Dreams are like that!

The Artist's Sketchbook

From the earliest days of my art journey I had always kept a Journal and/or a Sketchbook.

What is a Sketchbook and why would a person want to use one?

A sketchbook is a little bit of everything to the artist.

It can be a book of blank pages, or a binder that you can put blank pages or any other things that will fit over the rings inside the covers of the book. It can be large or it can be very small. It can be an expensive bound book with leather covers. It can be a small tablet or one on a spiral so that the pages can lay flat giving you two surfaces to work on at a time. My favorite sketchbooks were small or medium sized spiral binding books because I always like to work on two surfaces at a time. I liked to work in a series or set and this gave me the opportunity to think beyond a single page.

What can the Sketchbook do for you?

It is a place to dream or to write about dreams. It is a place to experiment. Since it is not usually considered a a finished “product” you feel free to let go, use materials you know nothing about, or make marks and shapes and colors that are new to you. It is a place where, as you begin to work on the pages. They come alive and take you on a new journey.

Begin by thinking about how you will work in your sketch book.

First select one that seems right for you. It can be any type of book at all in which you can work on ideas.

All you need is a little bit of time and something to make some marks with: Pencil, pen, marker, chalk, crayons, nail polish, shoe polish, bingo markers, pieces of paper and glue, well, anything at all. If you can put it on the page, you can use it in your sketchbook.

With the loss of eyesight, things like this had to change for me.

What do you do when you can no longer see the page or anything written on it and when you cannot write on a page and see what you wrote? That was my situation three years ago. I had to find a new way to do a sketch book. It had to be one that could work for me.

Here is how I solved my problem.

I now have a somewhat different approach to my work I created a sketch book for each of the mediums I work in: fibers, encrusted bead work, and pottery.

Here is how I adapted the Sketchbook:

1.) For my pottery: one three ring binder with transparent pages.

This book it I am working out ideas and keeping track of my glazes and ideas for other projects in clay. Since I can use a Closed Circuit TV to “see” things, virtually, I can put the pages under the camera and the computer will let me know what is there. This is a wonderful adaptive piece of equipment that works for me. I still have some peripheral vision, so I can use this machine. If I was totally blind, then I would have to do the pages in Braille and read them that way. Fortunately, I can use the CCTV which is very quick and easy for me to do.

I even put pottery magazines in my binder so that I can find them easily, scan them, or view with the CCTV.

The Transparent pages hold my notes written with very large black markers. I can see only contrasts, so if the marker is very large and the paper is white, I can see the large letters on it.

I can also put pieces of leaves or bark or other small things in the pages to use for references for glazes and colors for a project. Since all my current pottery is made from information I get in Nature, this allows me to make notes. The leaf itself is a note there in my binder.

2.) Fiber Arts: a folder of ideas for fibers works well for me. It is just a very simple folder that you might buy for a student to use for a class in school. It has pockets and you can put some transparent pages in it, too. I can put labels for yarns, pieces of yarns, etc. this folder is my sketchbook. I sort through my ideas at the beginning of the year and select some ideas to work with that year.

3) Encrusted bead worked amulets and magical pieces – For this medium I do not need a binder or folder. Instead, I need a container that will hold my stones and other objects for future use in a piece of art. The container I use is especially made for holding such items. There is a lid on the container and it fits tight so that if the container is dropped or shifted upside down, nothing will spill out. Inside, the bottom half of it is divided into separate boxes. Each little section holds a special object. When I open the lid, there is a wide array of stones and objects, waiting to be used in my next project.

When I am creating my encrusted bead worked pieces, I begin with a rock, stone or gemstone or object. That "thing" is the beginning of the idea that will develop as I begin to work with it. The object is actually my sketchbook and journal. I take information from that stone to guide me to what it will be eventually. I never know when I begin where the piece is going to go - I sort of pick out a palette of glass Japanese beads that I might use in the work, all based on the initial stone. Then, one very tiny bead at a time, I begin the tedious and long hours of working on this piece. It may take several months or even a year or two before the piece is completed. The piece itself becomes a journal of my creative and life journey during that time.

Regardless of your own creative journey, you need to have a sketchbook. Why not begin to think about it now. Take a little trip to the art supply store to see what is there that might work for you own needs. You may even visit a stationary store or special school supplies section at a variety store. You will find something that will be perfect for your needs. It does not have to be expensive or fancy. You can begin with whatever you have. Let me know how it works for you!

Create a Quiet Place to Read

Create a special place in your home that is just for reading. I have done this recently and it has brought so much peace to my home. It is a special room that I can go to when I want solitude. Here I read and knit on the winter days that we have in western Pennsylvania. Here, I will share this secluded place with you today.

At the top of my list of favorite things would be books.

I savor the books by authors who challenge or uplift my mind and leave a residue of wonder behind long after I have read the final page. I close that book with regret that it has come to the end. I treasure the books that have fully developed characters. The characters become living people who transcend the ordinary and mundane and leave an impression on the reader. Books take me to places I have never been before. They take me to places I will never be going in person. They take me into their world where I meet individuals who each have something to share with me personally. I see them, listen to them, and I have communication with them, if the book is well written by a sensitive and honest author.

I have created a library in my home. It is a room on the second floor devoted to books and reading. In this room there are books on shelves from the floor to the ceiling. The books are surrounded by art works on the walls, tables, and pedestals. The art in the room reflect the things I like to be surrounded with - things made by friends, my husband, my children, and me.

There are paintings by friends and also paintings that I have created over the years. You can see photographs from friends, lithographs, stained glass pieces made by my husband, a woven tapestry by one of my daughters, a tapestry that I made many years ago. On a primitive table there are sculptures from Africa and one dynamic piece made by an artist friend. there is a tall black column of stone, a favorite sculpture made by an art school friend. Here you can find pottery that I recently made, handmade baskets woven out of cloth and honeysuckle vines, by West Virginia artisans. there is a striking Victorian style clock that once hung in my husband’s grandmother’s home. I seldom wind it up, but I enjoy it as a work of art.

This library is a place of solitude and peace. There is a futon and two chairs in the library. They form a circle in the center of this space. An overnight guest may stay there and be surrounded by art and literature and have a time apart to read, rest or relax. A space that holds books and art is a sacred space.

This is the room where I read my audio books. Since I can no longer see to read the physical books on the shelves, I use a special audio book machine that is provided to the blind and handicapped people through the US Library of Congress. The books I had selected arrive in my mail box and after I have read them, I put them back in the mailbox and they are sent on to another person to enjoy. This service is free to those of us who would be unable to enjoy books and reading without it. I am so appreciative of this service.

As I read the book, I am knitting on special projects. Right now, it is a Prayer Shawl. I do not yet know who the shawl will be for, but when the time is right, I will know.

My library room is the perfect place to spend the hours of a winter day. It is warm and comforting and time stands still here in the library. I bring my cup of tea with me, sit down in my high back chair that supports my back so well. I reach into my woven knitting basket, slowly pull out my soft and colorful yarn, pick up my smooth bamboo needles, and begin listening to my book.

Your library will reflect your own tastes and interests. Think about where you might create such a space for your own enjoyment. You do not have to be blind or handicapped to have such a wonderful place to read!

My Thanksgiving Wish for 2010

A little girl, Isabella Daley, was adoped a year ago by a loving family who already had three children. "Bella" was born with multiple birth defects due to an assault on her while she was still in the womb, and drug use by the biological mother. The Daley family has given Bella the love that all children need. They have been with her through many hospitalizations, and other things that we would never know about when raising a normal child.

Isabella is now in need of therapies for the next year. These therapies will cost more than most any family could ever pay for and I thought that perhaps I could help Bella and her family our by getting the word out so that people know about the needs for Bella.

I have written about Bella on my FaceBook page. I have sent out a letter today to everyone on my E-mail address book. And, I am writing about Bella on this blog right now. As a blind person, this is something I can do in my way to help this family. I cannot help them by drinving them to doctor or hospital appointments. I would if I could. I cannot help them by going to their home and doing whatever needs done. I would have no way of getting there as it is too far away and I would not have transportation to get there. But, what I can do, is to tell YOU about this family and ask you to help by giving whatever amount you can give to the Isabella Daley Fund.

Here is the address to send your donation:

Isabella Daley Fund

P.O. Box 31

North Washington, PA 16048

When you send a gift, you can ask for the number that you can use to get your tax deduction if you need that.

I hope you will be able to give a gift of any size at all to help make MY Thanksgiving Wish come true for Bella this coming week.

Thank you for your generosity and love for children with special needs.

Be Sure to add your name as a "follower" of Bella on her blog so you get the updates every time they are published. And, if you are on FaceBook, type in "Saving Bella" in the SEARCH bar and you can "LIKE" this page and get updates daily there.

While you are at it, put yourself on as a FOLLOWer of mine for this blog, too!

Santa Writes Letters to Blind Children

National Federation of the Blind
Partners with Santa to Promote Braille Literacy

Baltimore, Maryland (November 15, 2010): Once again, Santa has enlisted the help of the elves at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Jernigan Institute to get Braille letters out to hundreds of blind boys and girls this Christmas season.


This notice arrived in my e-mailbox this morning.

Have you ever wondered how blind children communicate with Santa at Christmas time? Here is the answer.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Santa approached the National Federation of the Blind a couple of years ago and asked us to be his helpers. I’m quite fond of the fellow and was delighted that we could assist him in his work. Braille literacy is the key to success and opportunity for the blind, but unfortunately too few blind children are learning it today. This program will not only spread holiday cheer but will also serve an important educational purpose, as blind children will be able to practice reading Braille as they enjoy their letter from merry Saint Nicholas.”



Between November 15 and December 20, parents can go online at www.nfb.org and fill out a Santa Braille Letter request form. The form can also be printed and faxed to (410) 685-2340. Beginning December 1, the Braille letters from Santa will start going out to boys and girls around the country. The Braille letter will also be accompanied by a print copy (for mom and dad to read), and parents can choose the contracted or uncontracted form of Braille for the letter. Requests for letters must include the writer’s name, the child’s name, birthday, gender, mailing address, and a telephone number or e-mail address in case Santa’s helpers at the National Federation of the Blind have questions.


The deadline for letter requests is December 20, to ensure that a return letter in Braille is received before Christmas. For more information about this and other programs of the National Federation of the Blind, please visit our Web site at www.nfb.org.

When You Come to a Roadblock: Slow Down and Stop

One thing is certain.

Change will come.

Changes will be unexpected and will happen when you least expect them. Some changes will be welcome and you will embrace them. Some will be changes you might never have wanted and really won't want to embrace them and invite them inside for a visit. You have no choice in the matter. It is guaranteed that you will have changes as they are a part of our life. Some of the changes will be life altering. Sight loss is life altering. Sudden blindness comes unexpectedly and you are stopped in your tracks, confused, and uncertain what your next step will be. This blog is devoted to sight loss issues and how an artist deals with this situation. This is my way of communicating with others who have experienced sight loss, or are helping someone through this journey.

Recently, Channel 21 Youngstown, Ohio, WFMJ TV did a short feature on the changes that came to my life when in a few days time, I was plunged into a world of sight loss. As a visual artist, it would be the most dreaded situation. In this video I discuss the major change that I had three years ago, and how I have continued to be an artist despite the change.

The biggest difference in my life now, is that I was forced to slow down and stop for awhile.

It was like coming suddenly upon a stop sign along the road. You have to stop immediately and just sit there awhile until the light changes and you can then proceed on your journey. For a person like me who lived an intense life of teaching, lecturing, traveling, writing, and making art it was a sudden jolt.

The thing that caused the loss is not so important. What is important is what we do after the change happens to us.

I am learning to practice "mindfulness" during the day. Instead of continuing on at the frantic pace I had lived as a professor I find that now I have slowed down and have time to really appreciate my life so much more.

My mantra for the day is "Slow Down and Live."

Click Here for Video

Regia Kaffe Fassett Design Sock Yarn at Yarn Supply

Regia Kaffe Fassett Design Sock Yarn at Yarn Supply

I have not knit a pair of socks in three years, since the sight loss.

I tried and tried, several times.

Finally, I set the sock yarn and needles aside and knew that I had to just take baby steps in regaining my knitting skills again. Mostly, for the past three years, I have knitted dish cloths and towels in cotton; Swing Jackets from Lion Brand Homespun yarn; and some Prayer Shawls for friends who have disabilities and some for myself to keep around my shoulders on cold winter days. I love to knit but it has been a challenge for me. I still cannot pick up a dropped stitch, or tear down a row or two to fix a mistake. My friend, Chris has done this for me when I am in a "fix."

Now, I have recently had a class in how to do the Magic Loop with a circular needle, knitting in the round. I belong to a fantastic group of blind crafters in a group called _ Krafter's Korner_ It is a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) organization. I signed up for this group on-line when I heard about it through another blind friend. Through contact with this group I have regained my confidence that I, too, can learn how to do more complicated patterns and be successful. So, with this in mind, I have ordered some stunning sock yarn, and some Addi Turbo circular needles that are super flexible. I am planning to knit a pair of socks again, using my new Addi Turbo's and my Kaffe Fassett yarns. I have ordered this yarn through http://www.yarnsupply.com and it arrived very quickly. The yarn looks wonderful.

This has motivated me to give it a try again. Learning to be patient, and willing to do things over and over again, with determination, is now my life style. Some days I still want to breeze through tasks, but then I get very frustrated and anxious when I do. I have to just tell myself to slow down, and enjoy the experience of re-learning things I used to do so easily.

The new yarn has inspired me to try and try and try again, to make socks.

I love to wear handmade socks. They feel so comforting and cozy on my feet.

Getting the Word Out

I have become a missionary. My mission is to get the word out on sight loss. It's time to put the myths to rest. Find out what sight loss really means these days. Rehabilitation is available and you can live a good life AFTER sight loss.

I have a message to share with people. the message is not about what happened to me, or to any other person who has lost eye sight. How we lost our sight is really not as important as how we continued to life our lives AFTER we lost our sight.

Recently, I have done a number of interviews with regional newspapers and a TV station because I am an ARTIST who lost my eyesight three years ago. The "story" really is not that a I cannot see, but the story is that even though I cannot see I can still make VISUAL ART. Yes, it is amazing. I know now that anything is possible for those who want to move forward regardless of the losses we have had.

Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Homestead, PA was the place where I went to get the help I needed to begin to learn how to live my life in a new way. This non-profit organization is celebrating 100 years of service this year.

My story was one of the success stories published recently. The story is on the link that I have added to this article.

If you, or anyone you know needs some help in adjusting to personal blindness, why not give the BVRS a call and set up an appointment. You can arrange a visit the facility and SEE for yourself what you might learn to do. Getting help is a big first step towards your new life. Find out what you just might be missing.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_701676.html

Clusters of Blessings

Clusters of Blessings

Sometimes life’s special moments come to us in clusters.

This week I was so conscious of blessings and opportunities that came my way, one after another. They came so rapidly that they overlapped at times. I felt like I stood on a white sand beach in Puerto Rico. As on a beach, I walked gently into the Caribbean. Warm waves flowed around me, gently. I felt buoyant, as though I did not even need to swim. My inner being said, “ lay back in the water and let the waves carry you.” The waves came in clusters as I relaxed.

What made me realize the clusters of blessings I was receiving?

Several things.

First, there will be an article and photograph of me in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Tuesday. It will be in a magazine section. The story will be about how I make art work for others to view even though I cannot see the work I have made because I have vision loss.

The story is part of a series of features on members of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. I am a member of this organization. When asked to describe what my greatest achievement has been to date, I said it is that I was able to remain the artist I am even after losing my vision. It is because an artist has a spirit inside that nothing can take away. It remains despite any physical challenges we endure. The art spirit is always with us.

The second thing that happened is that I have been selected for a feature article in the next edition of the newsletter published by the Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Homestead, PA. Deborah Mendenhall from the BVRS is writing this feature, and she has taken photos that will be published with the article. Her photos will also accompany the feature that will be published this week in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

And, finally the third interesting thing for me this week is that I have been asked to think about developing a special program or class on teaching pottery making to blind students. Just when I thought my teaching life was behind me, it popped up again. This time, in a very new and different way. I just might be interested. Perhaps I will never really be retired from teaching. Perhaps my teaching career is far from over. Perhaps a teacher’s life also comes in clusters.