Interview with Cathy Mendola - seed beads, Buddha and goddesses

This post I wanted to introduce you to a bead artist friend of mine - and my inspiration. I met Cathy Mendola via Instagram and what started as a business relationship quickly evolved into an online friendship. I look forward to meeting her in person some day! 

Pendant from Cathy's current seashell series and detail of one of the 12 Buddha tapestry pieces from 2014. 

I met Cathy while she was working an a beaded monthly goddess project - the same project that I have undertaken for myself this year. She has inspired me to bead larger pieces, wall hangings and the like and encouraged me to play and explore the bead embroidery realm. So without further ado - Cathy in her own words and images: 

Introduce yourself. Do you have a descriptive term that encapsulates your style?

Hi, my name is Cathy Spivey Mendola. I think my style is eclectic. Sometimes my designs take on a life of their own. It tends to vary with each piece I work on relative to the materials I’m working with. 

Work in progress shots from Cathy's Buddha and Goddess projects. 

For anyone new to you and your work-how did you get started in beading/jewelry making? Are you formally trained? Is this your full time job? What is your day job? Previous career?

I am mostly a self-taught artist. In my past life I was a nurse and worked for over 12 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. My life has revolved around arts/crafts and lots of fabric for most of my life so it was only natural that I played with my art supplies and fabrics while my daughter napped. I made my first beaded bracelet around 1996. It didn’t take long to become hooked so I continued to make bracelets, necklaces and earrings. But I still didn’t consider myself a jewelry artist, I considered myself a fiber artist due to my love of fabrics and creating art quilts. I thought of jewelry making as something to while away the hours until I created some magnificent piece of fiber art and became famous-haha!

Well, after almost 20 years of making jewelry I have finally realized that I AM a jewelry artist. Making jewelry comes much more naturally to me than creating art quilts. I have sold many more pieces of jewelry than fiber art. I still love making art quilts and incorporating beads but my passion IS beading. I don’t know why I was so reluctant to call myself a jewelry artist or why it took so long for me to see that beading is what I was meant to do.

Pendants: incorporating antler, shell and a stunning MAKU raku cab! 

What are you favorite mediums/materials to work with? Do you have a favorite or unusual tool? 

I love nature, especially the ocean/beach. So seashells and driftwood find their way into my beaded designs. I also like to incorporate deer antlers and fossils. And of course I love a beautiful stone cabochon to be the centerpiece or one of Jenny’s clay goddesses!  I think my favorite tool if you can actually call it a tool is KO thread. I have tried numerous beading threads and this one wins my vote as the best. 

I am currently doing a series of beach themed necklaces using my extensive seashell collection. I am also fortunate enough to have an article featuring three of my beach themed necklaces in Belle Armoire Jewelry’s summer edition coming out in June.

I do a personal beading challenge every year and this year I have chosen to do the Five Elements. Doing just ‘five’ pieces is much easier than a monthly project for me right now since I will be moving out of state in the spring. I am still in the design stage of my element project so I haven’t started yet but it’s on my work-table. (Since Cathy was interviewed she has begun... see below) 

Cathy's theme this year: pieces inspired by the 5 elements.

What is currently sparking your new ideas? Do you ever suffer from creative droughts and if so how do you deal with it to stay inspired?

I don’t have any problems coming up with ideas. My problem lies in not having enough hours in a day. (And not having a personal assistant!)  There is such an abundance of inspiration. So many of my ideas are sparked by nature. Sometimes all it takes is a walk outside to refresh my creativity.

What short piece of advice would you give someone trying to find their creative voice and push forward?

My advice for anyone who needs some direction would be to create as much as possible. For me, creating a year-long art journal really opened up my eyes to what I like to do vs. what I love to do. Also, when you look back on a year’s worth of projects you can see progression in your work and you start to develop your own style. I also learned that you will not love everything you make but it’s all part of the process. The more you create the greater probability you have of creating pieces you love.

Four detailed shots of Cathy's Buddha pieces from her monthly project in 2014. 

What has been your greatest creative achievement to date?

My greatest all-around achievement has to be my daughter! She is graduating from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in May and I couldn’t be prouder. My beading doesn’t compare to the time & work I put into raising her & being a stay-at-home mom. But it is certainly paying off.

What artist (living or dead) would you most like to meet and have dinner with?

If I could meet & have dinner with any artist I would love it to be Frida Kahlo. She was certainly a free spirit. I think she’d be a lively dinner companion.

I met Jenny online while I was working on my Goddess series last year.  I was in my 3^rd year of doing a year-long project. Here is how it started:

In January of 2013 I embarked on a year of creating an art journal. I did this with a friend of mine in order to keep myself accountable. We thought it would be a great way to figure out some things about our art-try new techniques, new mediums and see things in a different way. I was at a point where I wasn’t sure about what I really wanted to be when I grow up! Again, I was making a lot of jewelry but thought I was supposed to be making art quilts. I was confused about my creative direction. The year of the art journal set me straight. We had a theme for each month. We could do whatever we wanted with the theme. The sky was the limit. It was that first month that set me on this beading path. I taught myself peyote stitching and that was the beginning of my love affair with bead embroidery. I continued to play with other mediums throughout the year but when I wasn’t working on my art journal pieces I was doing bead embroidery.

In January 2014, the same friend and myself invited a small number of our fiber art friends to join us in creating a little bead group. We only had a color theme & a size limit of 8”x8”.  You could do as much or as little beading as you wish as long as it was in the color of the month and stayed within the 8x8 size.  At the same time, I wanted to join Robin Atkins’ Bead Journal Project so I created the ‘12 Months of Buddha’ challenge for myself along with the other project our bead group was doing. I kept the Buddha challenge the same color scheme as the 8x8 challenge. At the end of the 12 Months of Buddha I stitched them all together to create a quilted wall hanging. 

I wanted to continue with the Bead Journal Project in 2015 so I decided to do another 12 month challenge-that was the year of my Goddess Project. I have completed the beading of the goddesses but I have yet to mount them onto 8x10 canvases for displaying. It’s on my list of to-do’s. 

Four pieces from the Goddess series. Cathy used my polymer goddesses in a few of these pieces! (my cabs are pictured here top right, bottom left)

You can see examples from my art journal and the Buddha & Goddess series on my Facebook page as well as my blog.

Facebook page for my art- www.facebook.com/CathySMendolaJewelryandFiberArt/

Blog is www.cmendola.blogspot.com (which doesn’t get updated as frequently as FB.

I’m on Instagram as cathdola and on flickr - www.flickr.com/photos/csdola/

Favorite Word:  Just do it (sorry I don’t have just one word-this is my favorite phrase)

Least Favorite Word: Can’t

What turns me on creatively, spiritually, emotionally? Being with a group of like-minded, creative people. I am in 4 different fiber/bead/art groups. It’s always energizing to be with these people.  Being at the ocean is also a huge turn on for me on all levels. It relaxes me and brings me a sense of peace.  I usually come home from the beach with a whole new set of ideas plus tons of seashells, stones and driftwood.

What turns me off? Negativity and hearing someone say they can’t do something

What profession other than my own would I like to attempt?  Hmmmm. I really love what I do, but once upon a time I wanted to be a veterinarian. Having my daughter become one makes it even sweeter.  I do think it would have been fun to be a musician in a rock band. Of course you need to be able to sing or play an instrument, so I guess I’ll stick with beading.

What profession would I NOT like to do?  Work for the IRS or be President of the US

If Heaven exists what would I like to hear God say when I walk through the Pearly Gates?    ‘I’m so glad you’re here. I have a huge beading project for you to do!’

Thank you Cathy! It is a pleasure to get to know you better and all the best on your upcoming move! I have thoroughly enjoyed any reason to pore over pictures of your bead work. I am continually inspired by your bead shape selections and your palettes! Im going to go start my April goddess now... 

Artist interview: Jane Salley

Hello - Jenny here. As some of you may know, I had the pleasure of an art retreat to start this year. Held at Hacienda Mosaico in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico - a sublimely gorgeous location, gracious hosts, all needs anticipated and provided for... a true creative haven. The class I took was with Richard and Jane Salley. It was creatively challenging and invigorating, and you can read more in my blog. I am pleased to bring you a two part interview with the dynamic duo! 
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The lovely Jane Salley

Please introduce yourself! Do you have a descriptive term that encapsulates your style?

I’m Jane Salley, I make lovely things for personal adornment, these days it’s mostly jewelry but I design and make clothing and handbags too. I refer to my style as bold and whimsical.

For anyone new to you and your work - how did you get started in jewelry making? Are you formally trained? (And as an aside - what was your career path prior to this?)

Since childhood, I’ve made things to make me or my surroundings prettier, I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t sticking “pretty” things together to wear. Sometimes it was a necklace, sometimes a hat, or maybe a whole dress. When it came time to make a living I chose to train as a dental laboratory technician. It fulfilled my need to make things and it felt so good to see someone smile when they had their new dental restorations in place. Many of the skills I used in the dental laboratory translated to jewelry making, such as wire bending, soldering and polishing.

Older work: from her ArtBliss class in 2011 and during her tenure on the Ice Resin Design team. 

What is currently sparking your new ideas? …do you ever suffer from creative droughts and if so how do you deal with it to stay inspired?

My latest thing is setting stone, especially the sparkling ones. I very seldom suffer from a creative drought, my problem is I have too many ideas all competing to be brought to fruition. I will admit that some of them aren’t practical, some are way out of my skill range, and a few stick around and become reality. If I am having a hard time coming up with something to make I just start cleaning and rearranging my studio. Then I come across one of the lovely (or odd ball) things I’ve bought or collected and I’m inspired - I think of it as The Muse nudging me. By the way, my studio never seems to get cleaned up.

What are you favorite mediums/materials to work with?…do you have a favorite or unusual tool?What are you working on now? What materials would you like to explore in the future?
When did you start integrating found objects into your work?

I like silver because it is so easy to make a stunning piece of jewelry with it, but I have a real affinity for copper and brass. I like etching and layering different metals. I enjoy the challenge of attaching them together with a found object in a way that is esthetically pleasing and appropriate for each material. The first jewelry workshop I attended was taught by Keith LoBue and it was all about found objects and cold connections.

My new favorite tool is the hydraulic press and I hope to find ways to use what the press can do in interesting ways, otherwise its just a really big, expense way to avoid sawing.

Mixed media jewelry (c) J. Salley

Your husband, Richard, travels often for teaching/classes. When you do not go to assist, or teach at a venue yourself - what occupies your time most when you are solo?

I don’t mind solitude at all, so when Richard's away for a few days I’m quite content to make jewelry and have the soldering bench all to myself.

What short piece of advice would you give someone trying to find their creative voice and push forward?

My first piece of advice is to find something that speaks to you and learn to do that. Develop skills and knowledge in that area, take classes, read books, watch videos about the thing for which you are developing a passion. I say this because no matter how much natural talent you have, if you can’t handle the materials successfully you will never be able to express yourself fully. Last of all practice, practice and practice, and in that practice you will find your style and your voice. Remember your “practice” may be making a dozen rings, practice doesn’t have to be the jewelry equivalent of practicing the piano scales.

Mixed media jewelry (c) J. Salley

What artist ( living or dead) would you most like to meet and have dinner with?

Paul Revere, he was an amazing artisan. He was also a brave and bold man who was stood for what he believed in and it change the world.

Where can we see your work?

My work can be seen at GVG Contemporary Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico and on FaceBook.

Mixed media jewelry (c) Jane Salley

From Inside the Actor’s Studio: (short and simple)

What is your favorite word? Joy
What is your least favorite word? Can’t
What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? I see beauty in what’s around me and if there is none I do what I can to create it by thought, word, deed, or Art.
What turns you off? Arrogance and pettiness
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Actor - I don’t know if I’d be any good
What profession would you not like to do? Corporate middle management
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? “Welcome home, my dear child.”

Thank you Jane! Your work always inspires this mixed media woman. Please stay tuned for Part 2 with Richard Salley ( date TBD as he is headed to teach in Tucson!)

Beading with Sharon Borsavage

I have long admired the work of Sharon Borsavage.  I asked her if she would make a few pieces of jewelry for this post using some of my lampwork beads, and if she would answer a few questions about herself and her inspiration!

 

Sharon lives in PA and her day job is a designer for a tile showroom. She states, "We help people pick out their tile for new homes, remodeling projects, etc. In the past few years though I do more bookwork than designing, but that is okay...I have worked there for 25 years! I do everything I guess you can say, but the day goes by fast and I love the people I work with and because we have a customer base of contractors and stores that have been consistent over many years I have a big extended family and I know many wonderful people!"

When she has free time, she makes jewelry and art. "I used to do a little polymer clay, and have saved some of the better beads I made. I loooove doing mixed media. It is a passion of mine and collage is another passion! My college background and degree is in Fine Art, so that is my first love. Inks, paints and paper make me happy!"

Sharon is mostly self taught. "I initially took a beginner wire work jewelry class many years ago, which fueled my love of making jewelry. I bought many books, and taught myself almost everything. The only online classes I have taken are from Deryn Mentock, of course one of the best in the business, and that was on bezel making, and some silversmithing. I was taught in college that you could teach yourself ANYTHING from a good book and peristence and practice. Of course classes are much easier! Oh, I have taken a silversmithing class online from Terri Brush that I liked a lot too!"

Sharon's jewelry takes on a lot of vintage feel.  She states, "A lot of my inspiration comes from flea markets and vintage shops. I buy a lot of vintage jewelry and take it apart. I love using little bits and pieces from it. I could spend hours and hours in these shops, and sometimes do! I am also immensely inspired by my fellow artists! Everything everyone creates inspires me to create!"

Sharon tells me, "My favorite materials are sterling silver, big baroque pearls when I can afford them..ha,...lampwork glass, and almost any gemstone! But seriously, put me in any bead shop and I start to have heart palpitations!"

You can see Sharon's jewelry in her etsy store, Livewire Jewelry.   Here are a few of my favorite pieces from her store!

Susan Kennedy
SueBeads Etsy Store
SueBeads Web Site
SueBeads Blog