My Christmas Wish

I know I haven't written in a while, I've been busy with work and moving and whatnot but I have a Christmas wish and I would love for you, Dear Reader, to help me fulfill it. My facebook page, also called Bonefish Designs, has 142 likes. I would love, love, LOVE to reach 150 by Christmas! I'm so close! Only eight "likes" away! Won't you help me make my goal? It's not a ridiculous request and I'm not asking for money or goods to be exchanged. Just a few moments of your time and a few clicks of your mouse! Please help!

http://www.facebook.com/BonefishDesigns OR search: Bonefish Designs

Scottsville Fall Artisans Festival

Sorry I haven’t written in awhile, I was so busy between work and craft show preparations.

The Scottsville Fall Artisans Festival was yesterday. It was the big craft show I’ve spent every spare moment of my time preparing for for the last 3 months.

Set up began at 9 AM, we were supposed to open at 11 but we had people start trickling in around 10! I hadn’t even gotten any of my stuff put out at that time! I made my first sale around 10:30.

All set up and ready to go

It was the first time Scottsville had ever hosted a festival like that and I’m glad I got to participate, there was a huge turnout! I’d say it was quite successful, at least for myself! I was the only jewelry booth in the whole show and I was front and center in the middle of the pavilion, my booth was the first one people walked past as soon as they entered the show! Talk about prime real estate!

For the most part we were busy clear through until break down time. Even if people weren’t buying, they were still looking. I had people stop by two and three times before they actually bought something!

My little top hat fascinators were pretty popular, as were my cocktail rings and the button earrings I had made.

My fiance helped me handle the money and he got to get his tech-nerd on with the Paypal Here app and card swiper. We did a lot of cash business and quite a bit of card transactions too. I think people were more willing to buy when they realized I could take card because I had several people who had made cash purchases come back and make even bigger purchases on their credit cards!

hair fascinators, I sold half of them 

The show was supposed to wrap up around 5 PM but we still had people coming in to shop and we ended up keeping open until almost six and it was after 7 before we finished breaking down, cleaning up and returning borrowed supplies.

I met some lovely people yesterday too. Quite a few members of my fiancé’s church and family came by to shop and to meet me and a few of them purchased stuff. I saw friends from high school that I haven’t seen in years, many of whom are married with kids now. I even saw some of the ladies from the pool where I work and even my 7th grade art teacher stopped by!

Overall it was a good day. The weather was perfect. The people were really nice and business was brisk. I will definitely participate should the festival be offered again!

Teaching Workshop

Hello Dear Readers~

Today I started teaching a sewing and jewelry design workshop for a preteen summer camp. I'm no stranger to teaching, I do teach swim lessons and I teach several art classes but this was the first time I've had to entertain the same group for TWO (2) straight hours!!! Talk about a workout!

I had to split the kids up into two groups, one would be sewing while the other would be making jewelry. It was rather tricky to instruct on two different artisan crafts when it was just me trying to teach them!

It seemed to go okay, several of the kids had prior knowledge of the sewing machines and some basic fundamentals so I at least didn't have to hover like I sometimes find myself doing.

This was the first time I taught a jewelry design workshop so it was quite an experience trying to explain it in terms that a group of kids would understand. I had the added difficulty that 4 of the kids were from Nepal and didn't speak English, though they understood it. I seriously needed a thesaurus! I kept having to back track to simplify instructions even further! It was hard but surprisingly, I wasn't too frustrated or frazzled by the end of it.

The kids were really nice and very well behaved, they even helped me clean up when we were done! I'm supposed to go back again next week, I'm supposed to do this camp every Tuesday and Thursday for the month of July and I can't wait!

I know it's supposed to be "sewing and jewelry design" but I think I'll also introduce them to some no-sew projects they can do at home with their families since not everyone can go out and buy a sewing machine.

As for my own art, I promise, I'm creating, I'm working on a "To-Do" list so I can set specific goals and meet them.

Oh, I also got asked to paint faces at a friend's kid's birthday party later this month! I'm kind of excited since it'll be some quick cash and cake! And it'll be the first time I've been hired to do a birthday party! I've done some street festivals for people at work but this'll be my first independent face painting gig!

The Future Mrs. Critzer

Hello Dear Readers~

I'm thrilled to share some most wonderful news with you. On Sunday, 23 June, 2013, my boyfriend of nearly 8 years (we are high school sweethearts), proposed!

It was so unexpected! We spent the weekend at the beach and he proposed on the beach on Sunday before we left!

I shook, I cried, I said "holy shit" then I said "yes!"

We haven't set a date yet but we're not in any hurry. It's just so exciting to finally be making THIS step!

I keep looking at it every few minutes to make sure it's still there, that it's not just a dream, hahaha.

An Artist's Gotta Eat

Hello, Dear Readers~

I'm so sorry there's been such a delay between my last post and this one. I've been exceedingly busy, not just with my art but with life in general. Recent events though, have prompted me to write a new blog (not that I haven't attempted to write several only to trash them).

Recently, I shot a lovely couple and their grandkid. It was one of those impromptu things, I just happened to have my camera and it was a special moment. They asked me to have prints made, and that they would pay me.

I was more than happy to oblige. It's been a long time since I've used photography to create art and not just as a tool towards the end product.

I wanted to impress them, not just give them a CD with a bunch of photos on it. By the time I turned over the photos, they got:

1 photo book
4 8 x 10" enlarged prints
25 4 x 6" prints
1 CD containing all the photos

This cost me $50 even to produce. When time came to pay up, they didn't want to. Said it was "too much" money, that it was "extravagant", and they had no idea I would "spend so much".

First of all, $50 USD for all of the above is NOT A BAD DEAL!!! Second of all, having not had the opportunity to shoot people since I converted to a DSLR last year, I wasn't going to charge them an exorbitant amount. I figured they'd get some great keepsakes and I'd get some valuable experience. Boy, was I wrong.

To put it in perspective, typically when I do commissioned work, it breaks down like this:

hourly rate ($$$/hr) x amount of hours worked + cost of materials + shipping/handling OR delivery (gas)

Had they gone to a so-called "professional" photographer, they could easily spend $300+. Had I wanted to, I could've charged them my usual commission rate and they threw a fit because all I wanted was reimbursement for the cost of actually printing their photos.

Saying I was livid is an understatement. I was also incredibly angry and indignant. It's also incredibly frustrating when people think that an artist's work is "only" worth x-amount.

When you commission me, regardless of whether it's for a painting, jewelry, photography, WHATEVER, you are contributing to my ability to keep producing art, you are helping me pay my bills, you are ensuring that my degree- which cost me thousands of dollars and many years of my life- is put to use and it's an insult to me, my hard work, and my craft that you would think $50, JUST the cost of materials is "too extravagant".

In the course of my career as an artist I have bled for my work (stitches, twice), I've burned and blistered myself for my work, I've broken nails, singed hair, I've broken equipment and had to replace it, I've gotten sunburned and rained on, I've gone days without sleep, been exposed to harmful chemicals and materials, I've sacrificed so much that you thinking I'm asking "too much" is an insult to all the work I put into your commission that I did NOT charge you for.

Every commission I take on and complete puts me one step closer to being able to live on an artistic career, not just a weekend hobby. It puts me closer to achieving my dreams. If you're going to commission an artist you need to understand that you are contributing to our livelihood and understand just WHY something is so "expensive".

Also, don't forget, when you're commissioning an artist, you are also paying for a one of a kind creation. You can't just go to Wal*Mart and find something comparable.

Eventually, they did pay up. I had to threaten legal action. Unfortunately, this experience has prompted me to change how I do my commissions. How so, you ask? I don't make the same mistake twice.

Should you seek to commission me:

1. you WILL sign a contract. 
2. It WILL be notarized. 
3. You WILL pay half of the commission up front. 
4. If I'm mailing it to you, you WILL pay in full, up front. 
5. If you live locally and are going to pick it up or have me deliver it in person, you WILL pay the other half of the commission upon delivery. 
6. If you do not pay, I WILL keep the commission for 7 days and you have 7 days to pay up. 
7. Should you fail to pay up, your commission will go up for sale on my website. 
8. I will keep the half you already paid. 

I hate that it's come to this but I cannot afford the run around I have experienced. I'm trying to run a business so you're commissioning of me will be treated as the business transaction that it is, regardless of means/income or relationship to me. 

I know the above image pertains specifically to jewelry but it's true of any commission. 

Art Block SUCKS!!!

So I attempted to start several new paintings last night and earlier this morning and while I know what I want to do, I'm having the worst trouble getting it out of my head! It's been a long time since I've struggled like this and I don't like it! Especially when I have a deadline to meet here in the next two weeks!

My process usually involves:

- thumbnail sketches
- larger sketches, fleshing out the details
- a scan into photoshop for tweaking and resizing
- print
- trace enlarged version
- transfer to intended surface
- pencil in more details
- flesh out back ground
- ink lines
- base colour
- detailed colour
- painting

it's a very long, drawn out process that I've whittled down to a science but I can't seem to get past my thumbnail sketches and even those, I'm not so thrilled with any of them that I'm wanting to move on to bigger and better and it's really frustrating. Really. Really. Frustrating.

Beauty is Embracing Your Uniqueness.

I really wanted this blog to be about art. Solely about art. But this video really upset me and I just wanted to address it. I don't know who all is reading this. I don't have any followers but should you happen across my little corner of the internet. I hope you read this and I hope it makes you think. 

As a drawing major I spent hours doing live drawings of models of all shapes, sizes, and gender. I learned to study people. Analyze them. Were there models I didn't find particularly attractive? Yes. But instead of focusing on the ugly, I tried to find something I DID like about them that I WANTED to draw. Consequently, I think my eye is a little more critical of "beauty" and a little more analytical when it comes to studying faces. And people. And this is why this video upset me. 

http://www.aol.com/video/bullied-teen-plastic-surgery/517637251/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl6%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D263754

This mother allowed her 14 year old daughter to get $40,000-worth of plastic surgery to stop her from being bullied for her big ears. Her "before" picture to me wasn't that bad. Were her ears rather pronounced? Yes, but I didn't think they were so very ridiculous.

However, what REALLY upset me is there's an organization devoted to providing plastic surgery to children and through this organization this girl and her mother traveled to NYC to meet a plastic surgeon to have her ears pinned back. The plastic surgeon then convinced the mother to allow her daughter to get a NOSE JOB and a CHIN IMPLANT. 

My first issue with this is, again, I didn't think the girl looked that bad, she's fourteen, tall, awkward and gangly but WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE!!! It's part of growing up but this plastic surgeon pointed out all these "other issues", which to me, was just preying on this girl's vulnerability and insecurity. 

My second issue with this is her mother. Her mother claims in the video that she thought her daughter was beautiful before but now she's just "gorgeous". I feel like, and this is coming as someone who was picked on for their looks, that her mother failed her as a mother. 

Her mother really needed to sit her down and tell her "to those who matter, you're beautiful". Her mother needed to explain to her that being awkward and uncomfortable in one's body is part of growing up. Her mother NEEDED to let her daughter grow up and grow into herself. 

The fact of the matter is, physiologically, humans, particularly women, don't stop growing and maturing til we're into our mid 20s. This girl is 14. She should grow up before making such drastic changes to her body.

I get it, kids are cruel. Bullying is a huge issue but I was Queen of Awkward growing up and my mom would've thought me crazy had I asked for surgery to change that. I hit puberty in 4th grade. I got glasses AND braces in 5th grade, followed shortly by acne. The trifecta. Kids were merciless in their torment of me. I'd have kids grab my shirt and yank it down, trying to prove I was "stuffing" my bra, which I was not. 

As I got older though, I got contacts- they're not aesthetic and I have no problem wearing my glasses- I needed them for sports. I got my braces off. My teeth still aren't perfect, I do have a gap between my front teeth. My acne eventually cleared up with age, good hygiene, and an improved diet. Are my boobs still huge? Yes. Am I heavier than I'd like? Yes, but I'm working on it. And I'm doing it in a healthy way.

What I've gone through in the last few years is called "maturity". I grew into myself, I found who I was and became comfortable and confident in myself. I learned to love myself. I still have those bad days where I feel "fat". I still have those days where I hate how big my boobs are, how I don't have a gap between my thighs, but it's part of being human and quite frankly, that fourteen year old girl may feel good now, but there will always be people who don't like you, who will tease you and belittle you. 

I still deal with it from time to time, there will always be bullies trying to put you down but what's next? This fourteen year old completely altered her face. Will she be allowed to get breast implants at 16 when she hasn't "developed" like the rest of her friends? Liposuction on imaginary fat rolls because some girl teased her for being too heavy? Plastic surgery is a slipper slope and quite frankly, I worry about how that girl will look once she does reach physical maturation. Those chin and nose implants are plastic. They won't grow and change and adapt as she does. 

Her mother, as the PARENT needed to let her daughter grow and mature, in my opinion. She needed to say "you know what, kids are cruel but it's part of growing up". If her daughter still wanted surgery once she got older (like 18+), then as an adult she could make that decision but how will this affect her as she does enter high school an does begin to mature towards adulthood? I feel like her mother copped out. She had an opportunity for a "teachable moment" and she didn't take it. 

I may not have kids of my own but I believe it's important that kids be given that chance to grow into themselves and I believe that any adult who has regular contact with children- whether they are a parent, a teacher, or any other sort of mentor, has a responsibility to bolster a child's confidence. Kids need to know that they may not be "perfect" but that's what makes us human. 

I would get teased because I had green eyes instead of blue. I would be teased because my face was "manly", or because I had a "dent" in my chin. I was teased for having boobs. I was teased for being "heavy". I was teased for having glasses, for having braces.

Now I look at myself in the mirror, as a grown adult, and I may not like the gap in my teeth but it's there. I've accepted it. I've been told that people have surgery to have that "dent" put in their chin. I still wear contacts and glasses but I love having green eyes. I get asked if I'm wearing coloured contacts all the time. I would rather have a "manly" face (i.e. square jaw and high cheekbones) because quite frankly, I think I look strong and it belies my Cherokee heritage. I could go on but this is turning into a freaking novel.

Long story short, my parents were parents first and foremost. They refused to let me change myself to placate my detractors. They let me cry when I was teased. They made endless phone calls to other parents, they were in the principle's office every other day because of various incidents but they loved me, and they loved me the way I was. 

They told me I was silly for wanting blue eyes and blond hair, that had God wanted me to have them, I would've. They made sure that, even when I was hurting, I knew there were people who loved me the way I was and those were the opinions that mattered. They made sure that I knew that things would get better. And they did. 

This girl is not being given that chance to learn that lesson. And it's a lesson I feel is integral to growing up. She hasn't even started high school yet. How will she cope when she's the freshman being teased by the popular seniors? Plastic surgery is just a band aid on her psyche. If you give in and allow a child to drastically change themselves every time someone says something negative about them, how will they learn to love themselves? How will they learn to stand up for themselves? How will they learn how to deal with conflict? How will they learn how to diffuse a situation? How will they learn to move on? Most importantly, if you allow a child to change to placate others, how will they know who THEY are? No matter what your age, gender, sexual orientation, you will never be happy if you continue to change to placate other people.

Welcome to Bonefish Designs! If you happened to stumble across this page, I apologize for it's sparseness. I just started it yesterday so this is really the first post but I hope you decide it's worth coming back to at another date and time- hopefully once I've started adding images and commentary.

A bit of an introduction is in order, I suppose. My name is L.A. I'm 24 years old. I graduated from Shepherd University in West Virginia in 2010 with a BFA in printmaking and drawing. Currently I work as a lifeguard and as an after school enrichment instructor, which is just a fancy way of saying I teach art classes.

In addition to my official day job, I'm also a freelance artist. I do a lot of designs for local bands and a lot of flash for local tattoo artists. I also have a separate design company I call LA Felice Pesce Designs which is all jewelry and fabric crafts, of which I get fairly decent business. Not enough to quit my day job, mind you, but enough that I can actually feel like a legitimate designer.

I don't really have much to say with this first post, just that I've had a couple blogs before but was absolutely terrible at keeping them updated and I wasn't really thrilled with them anyways. I had to keep a blog for a class in college and quite frankly, when it's something I HAVE to do, I drag my heels doing it.

I decided to start fresh with a new blog really just for myself but I'm more than happy to share my musings with you, dear readers, should you happen to find my little corner of the internet. My motivation for starting this blog was to keep myself accountable. I'm pretty good about getting my freelance work turned in by deadlines but my commissions are so few and far between and I'm absolutely terrible about just drawing.

I used to be able to fill a sketch book in a matter of months, now I find myself struggling to even fill the first page and when I do start something, I'm absolutely terrible about finishing it. I'm hoping that writing this blog will give me the boost I need to throw myself back into my work. I'm really hoping that this blog will also hold me accountable to make sure I do finish what I started.