Some insight

I had an interesting experience recently. For my sister's birthday, I sent her the doll necklace I made earlier this year. I heard nothing for weeks. I finally spoke with her yesterday, on Thanksgiving. She thanked me for the necklace, and shared with me some of the mixed reactions she got when she wore it. When she went to the movies with her family, her middle daughter said, "Mom, you're going to have to buy a ticket for your necklace." And her students (she teaches college) said, during student-teacher conferences, "I'm sorry -- I'm trying to listen, but I'm very distracted by your necklace."

This confirmed something I've long suspected -- (1) although I think I have something to offer as an artist, (2) I am a terrible jeweler. I shall explain. The primary purpose of jewelry is to adorn, and most definitely to flatter, the wearer in some form. The problem with art-as-jewelry is when the jewelry attracts more attention than the wearer, for whatever reason -- its creepiness (in this case), its outrageousness, or its size, to name just a few.

I often envy those lucky people who can pull out a bit of chain, beads, and beading wire and come up with something truly delicate, beautiful, tasteful and enticing. My jewelry does not always fall into those categories -- in fact, it rarely does. Nor does my art. I'm much better at creepy and "what the f#@% is THAT?"

Oh well. Maybe I should stick with painting, and leave the body ornamentation to others. I'll keep you posted.