Freeform Friday: Friends, fairies, and inspiration...

So last weekend was FaerieCon. Where else can you surround yourself with your creative tribe of artists and authors and musicians, frolic with the Fae folk for the weekend, sell, shop, and be merry? 

I have posted about this magical weekend before, and Diana showcased some of the exceptional artist/vendors in her Monday post. Today's post is brought to you by: 

 INSPIRATION

This mythic and magical community draws inspiration from myriad sources. Fairy tales. Folklore. Myths.  Fantasy. Dreams. Fairies, djinn, dryads, ogres, unicorns, nixies, fauns, goblins all roam the halls. We draw on the same sparks of inspiration yet fan the flames into our own unique interpretations. Our Muses speak the same language... Its so pleasant when there is room for a variety of offerings, with a similar theme - and no competition, but camaraderie instead! There is a joy in shared and yet diverse inspiration. It's a supportive community, creatives encouraging each other in artistic endeavors. It's a precious and refreshing thing of late. 

SJ Tucker, Kem OM Crampton and me. 

SJ Tucker is a bard. A singer/songwriter, magic maker. A pixie, a firebird, a pirate girl, a force of nature. We have become friends as our paths crossed many times, over many years. I was thrilled to see and hear her at FaerieCon. And I needed to ask her a question...

The first track on her Mischief cd has me thinking. Titled "Ravens in the library"... I want to do a series of tiles - the ravens and their antics in the library. One of a kind, detailed, and I was hoping to use her lyrics in the borders. ( I have her permission, and can go ahead!)

Did I NEED permission? Not to be inspired by her work, not to take that spark and go sculpt.  But as independent artist/musicians doing one's own marketing? As members of the same community? I WANTED to be able to make the connection and give her the credit for having inspired me. And I can credit her on the back of each tile and perhaps send new fans her way...

I had a strong sneaking suspicion that SJ would take kindly to this idea. Her most recent album "Wonders" is inspired by the work of her friend, the author Catherynne M. Valente.
" Is it the Wonders that you're after?
S. J.'s 2013 release is inspired, from start to finish, by Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland novel, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making! Get ready for a wild ride on the back of a big red Wyverary, or a Wild Velocipede, or a Glashtyn-powered ferry, across such majestic vistas as the Worsted Wood, the Barleybroom River, and the Perverse and Perilous Sea! It is our fondest hope that you will return from these adventures better than when you left." 
( from SJtucker.com)
These amazing women have worked on many collaborations in the past, and I was thrilled to hear them do a reading/singing at FaerieCon. What an opportunity! The words, read by the author, followed by the songs, sang by the songwriter...

And I have a necklace in my head. Fully formed. Designed itself really... a tribute to Key, a character in C. Valente's book.

1. 'Fairyland...' by C. Valente. 2.  "Wonders" by SJ Tucjer. Cover art by Chaz Kemp. 
3. Panel reading with Heath Miller - pix credit C. Orapello

Now - its not about needing ideas, being blocked, or looking for something to do next. It's about being seized and shaken and excited. It's a lightbulb moment, that makes you want to drop it all and dash to the studio. right. now. I have ideas percolating in my head  like an old fashioned coffee pot at all times. Some bubble up faster than others. And its a shared love for the art, the lore, the subject. Its making connections, mutual admiration, magic. 

I am thankful for this tribe, this community and the creativity we nurture in each other. I leave you with a quote by Charles DeLint - in response to my necklace inspired by his story... 

"I like to think of art as a conversation that we're all having with one another. It's especially nice because we can have those conversations across space and time.

That story was originally for an anthology to celebrate Tolkien so I borrowed a shadow of Tom Bombadil, kept Tolkien's essay "Tree & Leaf" firmly in mind... And now you've taken the inky scratches on paper and made a three-dimensional hello out of them. Which is how it's supposed to be. Now perhaps somebody will see "Whispered Tales" and write a song about it..." ( CDL comment on my blog) 

Charles Vess, me, Charles DeLint at Spoutwood. My piece "Whispered Tales" inspired by Charles' story  "The Conjure Man" from Dreams Underfoot. 

Wishing you magic...
Jenny

For further reading: 

Inspired by Music/Frenchy and the Punk 

Inspired by Literature/Charles deLint

Cross pollination

cross-pol·li·na·tion (krôspl-nshn, krs-)n.1. The transfer of pollen from an anther of the flower of one plant to a stigma of the flower of another plant.
2. Influence or inspiration between or among diverse elements:

There are many different threads here on the blog about the new year, and we are all addressing it in our unique ways: Jen's musings on goals, direction, journals; Sue's new experimentations in polymer; Linda pondering the freedom to play...  I spend a good bit of quality time in January with coffee and my sketchbook. And of late - my iPad. Its the quietest month for me as to teaching and shows; I like to pull inward and hibernate a bit. This also provides me with a time to refuel, research, and be inspired. 

Today was all about cross pollination. I may not have had my hands on many projects/materials/tools but I had my brain in overdrive. ideas crossing over from one medium to the next, making connections, inspiring new collaborations... so you see cross pollination at its finest. 

While I have you thinking of bees, while ideas are buzzing...  I have some mixed media pieces, just finished that were inspired by a novel, and a crazy Victorian obsession. 

I knew of the  Victorian "Language of Flowers" - also called floriography, is a means of coded communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Flowers have been ascribed meanings in cultures across the globe for centuries. You will find it in work by Shakespeare, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters...  The Victorian era was rather straight laced ( literally and figuratively) so flirting and illicit rendezvous were hard to accomplish. Enter flowers. A red rose - love. A white rose - innocent love.  A yellow rose - jealousy. But dill - lust? and purple columbine - 'resolved to win'? Wow. there was a bit of drama in the florists trade! Who needs reality tv? 

Over the holidays I read "The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. I loved the book, it was heartbreaking and wonderful, with surprises and fantastic characters. The Language of flowers is the thread woven through that motivates, unites, and redeems the people, and in many ways it heals what is broken. 

Flowers were on my mind after finishing the book, and I was making the polymer parts for the January Component of the Month. I was playing around with a few shapes I intended to paint, gild, and stain then use as bezels. There was a set of 9 that didn't make the cut for CoM...  <light bulb moment> 

Vintage images meets antique book text in these Victorian inspired floral vocals. ( polymer, paint, paper, resin...)

Its all because of this stack of vintage (Geez - they were from my childhood and they are just approaching vintage... harumph) illustrated children's encyclopedias. They have the best illustrations, in limited colors, and so small... Some were mine, others have been given to me by friends who saw their potential. I may never finish mining these for fantastic little images. And I AM cutting the books up directly, no scans, no color copies. These are truly one-of-a-kind!

Flamingo, anyone?

So in the language of flowers - to you readers - I would make up a posie of Canterbury bells ( gratitude), Chrysanthemum ( abundance & health), Ivy ( friendship), Geranium ( true friendship). 

Have a great New Year! 
And may your creative ideas buzz about like bees to a flower! 

Jenny
www.jdaviesreazor.com

Resources: 

Language of Flowers Wiki

A great alphabetical list 

Victorian Floriography