Spring 2018 Launches

During the winter months of 2018, I often found myself playing with paint in the studio. I made time to practice each week, invested in new brushes, and even took an intro to alcohol inks class at Greenville Center for Creative Arts in March. I’ve been inspired by the medium! The textural and graphic possibilities of paint have greatly influenced my new jewelry collections this spring. I’m excited to finally share these new additions to my Etsy shop with you. Each piece is an original one-of-a-kind, but thanks to the simple settings and delicate scale, they’re easy to incorporate into your everyday-style.

See the process in my new Maker's Eye View video on YouTube!

Alcohol Ink Collection: drips and splatters showcasing beautiful unpredictable patterns in colorful dyes, frozen in time on clear acrylic.

Mixed Media Collection: clear acrylic layered with crumbled gold leaf, pale pink paint with stark black accents, framed in a variety of simple metal bezels and laser etched wooden settings.

Intro to Alcohol Inks

Never stop learning new things. That’s a lifelong goal of mine, and I’ve made a habit of taking art classes whenever possible. Recently, I carved out a Saturday afternoon for the Intro to Alcohol Inks class at Greenville Center for Creative Arts with Dottie Bruce. It was a 6 hour workshop but the time just flew by!

After demonstrations and tips for working with the medium, we had the chance to work with the diluted dyes on smooth paper and ceramic tile. Alcohol ink is a fairly new trend, but I think it’s going to be very popular! Concentrated dyes are mixed with rubbing alcohol to water them down, and must be used on a smooth surface like yupo paper, acrylic, or other glass and plastic surfaces. You don’t have full control over what the ink will do, where it will go, how it will mix, but that’s sort of the beauty of it (from a beginner's perspective, at least).

I had a blast painting landscapes of course, had a hard time with the botanicals, and was soothed by watching the drips run and mix together with the other colors in abstract ways. The ink dries so fast, it creates these really cool outlines of color that you can’t really get with other mediums. It’s a forgiving medium as well - if you don’t like something, you just wipe it off with alcohol. Pretty easy to start over if something is looking disastrous! I will definitely be experimenting with this medium in the future...just as soon as my alcohol ink starter kit arrives in the mail!

**UPDATE**

The ink has arrived and I've already created my first collection of alcohol ink jewelry. Check them out in my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/OnceAgainSam?ref=seller-platform-mcnav&section_id=7186713

Don't miss this Maker's Eye View time-lapse video showing the process: https://youtu.be/dEpDtySa78w

Learning to Paint

Over the last year or so, I've been slowly getting back into painting. I enjoy it tremendously, but I don't have the skill level I'd like. I can needle felt a wool painting with my eyes shut and I can paint jewelry all day long, but a traditional painting on canvas is, for some reason, really daunting to me.

"The Foothills on a Cloudy Day" by Sarah Mandell (January 27th, 2018)

I enjoy viewing and collecting paintings by other artists and often wonder how they developed that distinct style which makes them so unique. I wish I had a distinct style like Annie Koelle, Charles Gatewood, or Jessica Fields. They're each so talented and I enjoy their work personally in my home, but I also stand and stare at their pieces (up close, far away) and try to figure out exactly which details make it perfect, and try to guess at what colors they mixed or which brushes they used. I enjoy art but I also analyze the heck out of it!

Each of these painters knows exactly what they're doing with colors, textures, light, and composition, but there's a raw skill that goes into the mix too. I don't think I have that particular skill, but I'm willing to put in the time to try and develop it anyway. Only recently has it occurred to me that these artists, in addition to their raw talent, probably have years and years of practice behind them. If I want to improve, a good deal of that will be my responsibility. 

Painting was the one course I was required to take at Maryland Institute College of Art that single handedly pulled down my GPA. I sucked at painting, and when you suck at something at one of the top art schools in the country, they give you C's. I told myself that it didn't matter at the time, I hustled and still graduated with honors despite my sad C's in painting because I was majoring in Environmental Design and wouldn't need to paint again, but the problem was I desperately wanted to paint, regardless of my career path. 

So here I am, almost 15 years later. I'm painting again. No grades, no real assignments or deadlines, just me and my desire to improve my skills and enjoy myself in the process.

"Young Raven" by Sarah Mandell (January 30th, 2018)

In October of 2016 I participated in a 30 day challenge called Creative Sprint, and one of the assignments was to create something with your non-dominant hand, so I painted an abstract painting with my left hand. It was my first painting since graduating from MICA. Oddly enough, I really liked how it turned out! From there, I tried small scale landscapes as pendants and needle felted wool landscapes. Those two series are my best sellers now, and I can't help but find myself thinking the missing link between the two is painting. 

"Left-handed Landscape" by Sarah Mandell (April 15th, 2016)

Fast forward to last summer when I took a fun pet painting course at Greenville Center for Creative Arts. I captured my sugar gliders Sid & Sophie in acrylic, and I'm seriously considering signing up for additional courses. I enjoyed it so much!

"Sid & Sophie" by Sarah Mandell (July 23rd, 2017)

I don't know what I want to paint or how I want to paint yet, I just want to paint. Right now, I'm all over the place. There's no common thread, no cohesive technique, no regular schedule for practice, but I'm getting there. This year, I'm putting aside a few hours each week to paint purely for fun, something I often forget to do when I'm in the studio making orders. 

Here's to learning, making time to improve, and creating art just for my own satisfaction! 

"The Ridge at Dusk" by Sarah Mandell (January 21st, 2018)

Checkout my new Maker's Eye View time lapse video on YouTube showing the process of a recent landscape painting. 

Commissioning Artwork FAQ

Commissioning a piece of original art may be intimidating if you've never done it before. There’s so many unknowns. Will it look like what you envisioned? How much will it cost? How long does it take? Is the artist you have in mind currently taking on custom requests?

I wouldn’t want any of my customers to feel this way or to rule out custom orders because they’re unsure about the process. Commissioning art can be an enjoyable experience so I thought I’d share how I personally handle commissions and answer some FAQ. A huge part of my handmade business is custom work, so I welcome special requests!

Q: I’m interested in commissioning a wool landscape painting. What do I need to do?

A: Send me a message via Facebook, Instagram, Etsy, or contact form to get the conversation started. If you have a photo you’d like me to use as a reference for the piece, please include that. We'll work out the size, frame choice, deadline, and go from there. Pricing depends on size and complexity of the piece, but a good ballpark budget number for custom felted landscapes is $2 per square inch. For example, an 8x10 scene would typically run $160, which includes the frame.

Q: I saw something in your Etsy shop or Instagram that I liked, but I want it in another color (or a slightly different design, size, etc.).

A: No problem! Nearly all of my jewelry can be customized, and often times the fiber art can be recreated or tweaked to be a specific size, alternate color range, etc.

Q: Do I pay before or after the work is done?

A: 99% of the time I’ll request payment upfront. This goes for jewelry, fiber art, or any other custom orders. Once I’ve received payment, your order will be added to my list and I complete them in order of payment received (unless there’s a specific deadline previously discussed).

Q: Does a custom order cost more?

A: Not necessarily! The price is usually the same, but it may take a few days longer to create, depending on the request and if I need to special order materials.

Q: Do you offer proofs or photos prior to shipping a custom order?

A: I typically don’t do this for custom jewelry, ornaments, or smaller items. However, for the custom wool landscapes, I’m happy to to show you progress pictures upon request.

Q: Do you offer discounts on bulk orders? 

A: When it comes to jewelry, yes, I'm happy to work with you on the total price if you're ordering 10 or more pieces. When it comes to the fiber art, the price is firm. Needle felting is a very tedious process and this is the reason my fiber art work never goes on sale online or at events.

 Q: The piece I wanted to buy has already sold. Can you make another?

A: Probably so! I don't mind recreating pieces (although they'll always be slightly different than the original because they're handmade). If you see something that's sold, get in touch and I'll let you know if I can recreate something similar. 

A quick run down of do’s and don’t when commissioning art:

DON’T commission artists to knock off other artist’s work. It’s not cool, and it’s no fair.

DO ask artists for references or examples of past work if you’re unsure if they’re the right person for the job.

DON’T expect the artist to deliver the finished piece in person, even if they’re local.   

DO ask for progress images if you’re particular about the composition, materials, etc.

DON’T be afraid to be specific if you have a certain size, look, or deadline in mind. Share that with the artist from the start so they can accommodate your wishes.

DO allow the artist to do what they do best and embrace their process. The finished piece will surely look different than what you had in your mind, but hopefully it’ll be even better than what you imagined.

A Long Summer Ends, a Busy Fall Begins

I have never needle felted so much in my life. Throughout the spring months, I was absorbed in my wool landscape series for my Fibers of the South exhibit at Art & Light, and ever since receiving word in late June that I was accepted to Indie Craft Parade solely for the Fiber Art category, I’ve been working with nothing but wool for several hours a day, for what feels like months on end.

Normally, I spend more time focusing on my jewelry line (it accounts for the majority of my business), and usually the fiber art is just what I do at the end of the day to unwind while watching a documentary or movie. Not this summer! Although I still have lots of jewelry orders to keep up with and fall shows to prepare for, I’ve been immersed in this medium which I have a love-hate relationship with.

I really do love needle felting (especially when I’m not actively doing it, like right now as I’m writing about it…) but it’s a somewhat frustrating medium to work with. If you’ve ever given it a try, you know it takes FOREVER to make anything, even the smallest pieces. With fiber art, things don’t start to really take shape - or look like anything decent - until you’ve put in a serious amount of time with the barbed felting needles, layering roving upon roving.

Working like this can be hard to accept as an artist. It’s not rewarding to work on something if it looks horrible for the majority of the time you’re working on it, right? Normally I have jewelry to switch off to, so it’s not so tedious, but this summer I doubled down and stuck to felting. Not my favorite way to spend the summer, but there’s always an upside to concentrating on specific skills for a season.

Being patient and keeping up with my felting goals paid off, and I’m thrilled to share these new fiber art additions at Indie Craft Parade here in Greenville, SC. The sold out VIP gala is Friday September 15th, and the show is open to the public Saturday the 16th through Sunday the 17th at the Huguenot Mill downtown.

So where can you find my jewelry, if not at Indie Craft Parade? My Etsy shop is always open, plus I have a FULL fall schedule that spans 12 weekends and 5 states. Mark your calendars!

September 16-17: Indie Craft Parade (Greenville, SC)

September 22-23: Jewelry Trunk Show at Urban Digs (Greenville, SC)

September 29-30: Made South (Atlanta, GA)

October 5-8: Jewelry Trunk Show at Custard Boutique (Greenville, SC)

October 13-14: Jewelry Trunk Show at The Urban Planter (Spartanburg, SC)

October 20-22: Brookhaven Arts Festival (Atlanta, GA)

October 28: BBQ Festival (Lexington, NC)

November 4: Crafty Bastards (Nashville, TN)

November 11: Greenville Classical Academy's Fall Festival & Holiday Market (Greenville, SC)

November 17-18: Made South (Franklin, TN)

*November 19: Retropolitan (Knoxville, TN) 

November 30-December 3: Bizarre Bazaar (Richmond, VA)

December 8-9: A Craft Christmas (Hickory, NC)

*December 10: Crafty Feast (Columbia, SC)

*Starred dates indicate events I've applied to (and have participated in the past), but haven't heard back yet if I've been accepted. Fingers crossed these shows will in fact be on the tour!