Month: June 2009

In my continuing series of profiling artists, today I’m happy to interview Dana Noble. Dana and I have some history. She was my college roommate during my freshman year at Iowa State, and we spent a lot of time going into and out of each other’s lives. Dana’s work is mostly in jewelry and metals, with themes that encompass the architectural and the natural. A visit to Dana’s website will give you an idea of the scope and quality of her work. One of the things that I admire about Dana is that she practices art with a conscious.

When did you first know you had an interest in art?

I became conscious of my abilities when I was in elementary school. I was into horses as many girls are. I started drawing them, and knew I had the ability to transform what I saw onto paper.

What kind of training do you have?

Inspiration and encouragement from grade school teachers first. Then, I earned a BA in Art Education. Disillusionment with teaching compelled me to answer an ad for a beginning goldsmith at Joseph Jewelers in Des Moines, Iowa. There I learned the trade of goldsmithing and bench jewelry. I wanted to live overseas and moved to Japan. There was a position for an international designer for a button manufacturer, Iris Co. Ltd. Although the company wanted European designers, they were instead blessed with an Iowan.

After returning to Iowa, I went back to school and received a MA in fine art, specialty, metalsmithing and jewelry.

What kinds of mediums do you work in?

Mainly metals such as silver, copper, and titanium. I have been using recycled gold in my work recently. And no, not tooth fillings or the scraps you send to the TV ads. I start with solid 14k rings that have not been soldered or altered.

You have some beautiful and inspired jewelry design. Where do you find inspiration for your work?

Nature. Especially leaves. I love the beautiful, graceful forms. Since I don’t mass produce my work, each shape is cut out by hand and has unique form, like in nature.

Where can people buy your work?

Online through my website . I also participate in juried art festivals in the summer and fall. You can check my website for a schedule of events. Also, two galleries: Iowa Artisans Gallery in Iowa City, Iowa and Hearst Center for the Arts in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Environmental concerns are a big part of your art. How do you make the art work you do green?

I have been using recycled metals such as gold and copper wire from obsolete computer cords. The gold is purchased at thrift shops. A surprising number of people donate gold jewelry to thrift shops. My purchasing materials at thrift shops also benefits the community, since these stores donate their proceeds to charities. Discarded computer cords are way too abundant! Places such as Habitat Restore, a home goods store that benefits Habitat for Humanity, are overwhemed with cord donations. So reusable resources are out there.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an artist?

* Don’t hesitate to pursue art and don’t “buy into” the starving artist thing.
* Combine your love of art with another interest, such as environmentalism, science, math, etc. This will widen your horizon.
* Find a community of artists for inspiration and support. Meet other artists through taking or teaching classes, galleries, or joining guilds.
* It is also practical to take some business courses or entrepeneur workshops if you want to sell your work.

Someone very wise to me said recently that the people who succeed in a field are those who think they are the thing, rather than wanting to be the thing. The authority she cited was James Paul Gee, who has been talking a lot about the educational quality of video games. Hey, as someone who worked in literacy studies in college, I approve of James Paul Gee.

This made me think about the authorly self, and by extension, the artistic self.

I believe people grasp the idea that if you consider yourself an artist, you create. There are many people who have a hard time finishing a work for a variety of reasons. However, most of us grasp the art of creation, and all of the pitfalls, twists, and rewards therein. We understand often what it is to be an artist at the creative level, even if we don’t understand how our creativity works, or sometimes have trouble with making it work.

Sarah Prineas has often discussed the idea of being an author versus being a writer in her journal. The artist I’ve talked about above, the writer, generally creates, but isn’t necessary good at putting that creative work out there. I’ve heard many artists frustrated at the idea of presenting themselves, promoting themselves, managing themselves, and putting themselves out there. For many of us, it feels uncomfortable. That persona is the author.

I think it’s important to develop our authorly persona in conjunction with working on our writing. Not more important, because if you don’t have the work, you got nothin’ to be confident about. It is worth it to think about your professional persona and image as you build your work.

Continue reading “Your Writerly Sense of Self”

Ilona is back at it. I’ve added her latest two paragraph updates to the master post.

Not much else to say. Old car died this morning, and that’s kind of where I’ve been, and what I’ve been doing. Later, writers.

Catherine

Here’s our new first paragraph.

The wagon rattled through the wafting mists, gray and white pillowing around the driver. Wheels skipped over stones and roots. Horse hooves pounded somewhere behind him. Nick laughed like a hyena, snapped the horses with the tongue of his black whip, and surged the wagon ahead. His eyes flashed red and he smiled toothily. Nick’s broad-brimmed hat dripped with condensed water. It was the perfect end to a perfect evening.

I’m back to writing scene-by-scene, so we’re counting by scene now, in spite of what it says.

1 / 56 words. 2% done!

I hope all of you are enjoying your storytelling.

Catherine

Who is done with the first draft of part one? Who?

Yes, this is a rhetorical question. It’s me.

So, now the really hard work. What I call “the deep writing.” I’m not living a lie. The first draft for me is often what an outline is for y’all. Now I sort of sort things out in their order, really get down to some serious description, and join things together. And then there’s a reread with some slashing and revising, and then I shoot it off to all the generous people who have volunteered to beta it for me while I work on part 2.

Anyway, that’s where I’m at. Ta da!

***

In other news, I have 3 interviews out there with folks, and I’m hoping to get them back eventually. I may be nagging some of you soon, as I would like to post an interview, and none of them have come home to roost.

Should I post more about cheesy swashbucklers? I could do write ups on Zorro and Musketeer incarnations. You wouldn’t even have to twist my arm.

Catherine

Thanks to the auspices of some good friends and a well placed birthday present, I have recently been reintroduced to the pleasures of the 1982 Scarlet Pimpernel with Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and a frighteningly young Ian McKellan.

I loved this version of the Pimpernel as a junior in high school. My younger brother and I wandered around the house reciting the Pimpernel poem and exclaiming “Sink me!” every chance we could get.

A little poking around the Internet led me to The Scarlet Pimpernel: A Man of Mystery, which looks to be as thorough a Pimpernel site as you could want.

This would ultimately lead to a reading of the book. While the Scarlet Pimpernel’s filmic history is illustrious, save yourself some trouble and skip the book.

Continue reading “Favorites: The Scarlet Pimpernel”

The rough draft of the Widow storyline is done. It’s brutal. It needs tempering.

Next up: the milk folklore storyline. Or the hulder versus the cattle managing nisse. These two story lines are short, but necessary.

There are a total of eight rough draft scenes to write in part 1. I had no idea I was so close until I took a look.

The next step is scrambling the story lines, and engaging in the expansion of the story. The second draft is a real deep draft. That is followed by some serious editing.

Signing off for tonight. Tomorrow I will only write in the evening, as I actually have to put in a day of work tomorrow, instead of class.

31112 / 45000 words. 69% done!

This morning, I wrote two of the Widow scenes for the troll book. Sketchy right now, but this could be pretty scary stuff. Well, trolls should be scary. Jensinna is shaping up, as is Sigurda.

I also started the first scene of a story I was inspired to work on after Wiscon. I’m reluctant to say I’m writing a werewolf story, but I am. I’m trying hard to make it a different critter. Not different than a werewolf, but you know, different.

Part 1 Word Count

30484 / 45000 words. 68% done!

Catherine

It’s a little late this week, given the Mahabharata class. (Go ahead, ask me about the Pandavas!) Here’s this week’s Blood is Thicker than Water installment, with cocaine in a starring role.

Catherine

There were two agents who had Substance. And now, there is only one. I received a rejection from the agent who was kind enough to send me the edit letter from before. The directions I took the rewrites in didn’t work for him, and that’s all she wrote. Another really big soap bubble, full of shiny colors, pops. Glycerin everywhere!

Yes, that did smart. Thanks for asking. It smarted from about 4 o’clock until 7 o’clock. It still makes me feel sad.

But

My “family” is sending me acceptances for my “family reunion.” My real life is a positive thing, even if my biological family is full of fail.

The agent from above has expressed interest in the next project. I hope he’s willing to wait a bit, but it was good to be asked.

While it stings, I haven’t lost any ground. I’m still exactly where I was this morning, yesterday, all that.

Another agent still has a full. Tor has 75 pages. It’s not over yet. I’m not holding my breath, but it’s not over yet.

Even if it is over, it’s the first book I’ve sent around. Not getting the first one published is a common thing. Even the second, third, fourth…and the responses I get show promise.

Many people have said good things about it, even if it’s not going to the next step.

Some of my work has been published, even though there’s been a lot of no. Even though there will be a lot more no, there will also be more acceptances.

It’s not enough to be a good writer. So true. Finding that synergy with two and ultimately three people is hard. So true. Anything hard is worth doing.

If I give up, nothing’s going to happen. And I was going to write stories and novels anyway. No gets old, but I’m tougher than no.

I’m not ready to walk away yet. Could I be any more Pollyanna?

Would it undercut this post to say I need a drink?

Catherine