Question of the month: What designers or artists have had the most influence on you?
February 1, 2008 by Cyndi Lavin
Filed under Question of the Month
Mary Cassatt
For me, it’s Mary Cassatt, hands-down. I love the rest of the Impressionists too, but mostly Mary. I love a lot of different art, from a lot of different eras, but it always comes back to Mary. I collect antique photos of children to use in a lot of my mixed media artwork. I love the tenderness of her style. I don’t copy her, per se, but her influence is always in the back of my mind.
But what about in my jewelry? I can’t seem to find one thread that runs through all of it (no pun intended!). There are lots of wonderful artists whose work I admire greatly, but I do try very hard not to copy anyone’s exact style. My friend Jeanne Kent has been a big influence, because she makes fused glass pieces that I love to work with. Nancy Eha, Larkin Jean VanHorn, and Robin Atkins have been important to me too, because they like to push the prior boundaries of bead embroidery.
So what about you? Would you like to send me a shot of one of your pieces, along with your tribute to the artist who’s been most influential in your development? Write to me at cyndi@b5media.com and use the subject line “My jewelry influences”. I’ll post them as they come in, with links to your site or blog. I just ask that you be willing to wait to see your response posted until after this weekend. As you’ll see in my next post, I’ll be a bit tied up!
It will sound a bit strange, but one of my primary inspirations is…me.
When I was quite young I stayed with my grandmother a lot, and she had baby-toys but not many child-toys. So she got me beads to play with when I could not go out. I made a number of really wild and inventive things, made up patterns and designs that I don’t even remember making. These went into a box which stayed closed for about 20 years.
To this day when I am looking for inspiration those pieces (wax thread with acrylic beads) are one place I go to think.
Well I think that is very cool, and not strange at all! It’s wonderful to be able to reach deep down into that well of our own experience to find inspiration
My grandmother was my creative inspiration. She was an artist and mostly did detailed scenes from her surroundings in water color. She was amazing. When I was a little girl she would take me for walks in the woods near us and point out all the details and colors. We would play a game, frequently where we would tell each other what we saw in the clouds. Those experiences meant so much to me, that I made sure to do them with my children. She was wonderful. She also had a full dresser drawer filled with costume jewelry that she would let me play with. It was a favorite thing for me to do when I visited. I remember spending many happy hours playing with all the fantastic beads. Much later in life, probably when I was about 36 or so I realized (remembered) how much I love beads. I know now that, that love started way back when I was around 8 years old or so. Thanks Grandma!!! Carol
That’s two credits for Grandma so far! My Grandmother was very important to my early interest in art as well. She was an oil painter and a poet, and though I didn’t follow in her media, I certainly hope that I’m following in her footsteps