Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Retiring from the Lampwork Bench



Yesterdays mystery bird turns out to be a female Satin Bowerbird. Once I figured that out, I had to just sit back and enjoy the irony.

You may know that I make lampwork glass beads, under the business name Bower Bird Beads. (No prizes for guessing why I named a business after a bird, especially this one.) You might also know that Ive been having trouble with my hands due to an old injury. Long story short, the hands are getting worse, and I am not able to continue my work with glass. Not for a lack of trying though.

During the days I began to come to terms with this unexpected and undesireable turn of events, a Bowerbird shows up. Of course, I didnt know it was a Bowerbird till yesterday - but still - a Bowerbird! And she stays just long enough for me to get two pictures, and is gone. Ive never seen one here before. Talk about getting a 'sign'. Somehow, now that Ive got the message, I feel more at peace with it now.

So what will I do with myself? Oh, I will mess about with a few ideas...see what these hands are still capable of. Ive always said that I am a 'complusive creator'. I get very depressed if I do not have a creative outlet. So I choose to believe that there is a medium out there somewhere just waiting for me to get ahold it, and see what comes.

By the way, Im taking you all with me on this new adventure.

16 comments:

Lavender said...

Getting alot of mileage out of my two Bowerbird pics! LOL

Since I announced my retirement to the lampwork community here in Oz, Ive been flat chat with enquiries etc I will be selling off all my equipment and supplies, its quite a big task. Once things settle down I will begin some experiments to see what I can still do with these hands, and we will take it from there!

I may have had to quit - but I dont have to give up! :)

merlinprincesse said...

OK.... Let's see what I do... I'm a compulsive artist too! :) I do many things... Drawing is sometimes hard for the hands, but watercolor is not so bad.... And all the other mediums like oil or acrylic are not too bad either... You could make some jewellery! :) I'm sure you could use your beads with other stuff...
Collage.... Writing.... Illustration... Inventing a time machine...*hehhehehe* Making dolls.... ATCards.... Infinite possibilities in infinite combinations...Hhehheh.... Just let it come to you.... I'm sure it will :)

Lavender said...

Wow Merlinprincesse! A kindred spirit! The time machine could be way cool - could get up to all kinds of mischief! Tehehehe
Ive played with other mediums over the years and going to revisit them and perhaps some others that intrigue me. Writing is something I need to re-explore, and I can still get my hands dirty in the garden :) Thanks MP!!!

Lavender said...

Gday Oneida! Nice to meet you! Youre right about us creative types - its almost a compulsion, isnt it?
I will still keep this blog going -and will continue to post pictures I hope artists in all mediums can use for inspiration in colour and form.
Thanks for stopping by! :)

BetteJo said...

Well Lavender, it's obvious, don't you think? Photography!

And I would say wait on getting rid or any equipment. You have to make sure you won't regret it the minute you let it go, first.

Personally, I'm hoping you can get back to it at some point! Here's hoping!

Melanie said...

Just stumbled on your blog as you are about to put your lampwork beads aside. lifes so ironic how it makes it so tough for us to do what we want sometimes...yet we prevail. you will find a new outlet and i bet you will go " oh my goodness, i cant beleive i didnt know i was so awesome at that" its how us creative people are. we adapt:)

Lavender said...

BetteJo Tehehe I will keep snapping for awhile yet Im sure! Sometimes I cant press the button - but theres ways around that if that gets worse - just a bit harder with molten glass tho. Very unforgiving - if you stop rotating the mandrel the glass falls off - can you imagine the mess!? Ah well, I had my fun! Id wanted to do it for so long, and I had a good run. I did give it a go using my feet - Now - THAT needed to be a video - totally ridiculous LOL

Melanie Thanks Melanie! You are so right about prevailing - Im nothing if not determined. I will find my new calling! Great to meet you, and youre Aussie too, brilliant! :)

Anonymous said...

Love your 'Bowerbird' story Lavender! There's a reason why my Artwork blog has ground to a halt ;) You're already in the photography club specialising in Birds and Flowers! :))))

Ces Adorio said...

Oh Lavender, I am so sorry to hear about your hand. I hope you will be able to find a worthy replacement activity soon. Most artists are impulsive. They have to act upon the sudden spurt of creative juices or else they miss the opportunity.

I also have problems with my hands and sometimes they hurt from drawing tiny details. Painting makes my elbow tired and then there's lead in some of the oil pigments. Art is hazardous! Haha!

Congratulations on the Bowerbird photograph. Very elegant creature.

Lavender said...

Anon Oh Anon, thought you were just too busy :( Thank you, and hoping for an improvement for us both.
Gotta love the birdy messenger ;)

Ces Im sorry to hear about your hands too - and you can still draw so amazingly tiny - makes it even more amazing and wonderful! :)
Hehehe the artistic impluse reference made me look up at the shelf where a little note book lives, its full of little sketches of ideas with notes - funny thing that. If I couldnt execute an idea at the time I thought of it, it went in that notebook. Funny thing is, once an idea went into the notebook - it felt complete and the urge to make it in glass evaporated. :) So many ideas! Hehehe Thanks Ces!

Barkfoot said...

I'm sorry to hear of your predicament. Five years ago while on my motorbike waiting at some traffic lights at the exit of a motorway, I was hit from behind by a couple of cars that were racing. The nice chaps left me for dead on the road. As you can imagine this didn't do wonders for my health and not being able to walk meant my business went down the pan. Now much recovered I employ myself in a multitude of ways, plus remember to leave myself plenty of time to enjoy life. When my leg plays up I kayak, when my shoulder bothers me and my hand is numb I walk. My point is, don't feel that your body is letting you down, it just wants a change of direction. Flexability is the key, if you find more than one creative outlet then you can choff and change depending on the aches and pains of the moment. Above do what you enjoy, and good luck finding your new direction....

Lavender said...

Barkfoot Egads Mate, thats terrible! (understatement!) Im sure karma has some plans for them. This makes you an inspiration as well as a great chap. Ive admired your kayaking, hiking and biking but have a new appreciation now - ONYA MATE!
A change of direction and flexibilty is definately the way to go, Thank you for the encouragement Barkfoot!

kj said...

lavender, you can be sure i will be along for the ride. i have NO DOUBT you will find your next creative endeavor.

as of the bowerbird, i am again reminded of the many many messages and non-co-incidences the universe provides once we are willing to see. keep looking, girl!

:)

Lavender said...

KJ Thank you KJ! Im even getting a little excited now about having new possibilites!
Yes, youre so right about messages - which makes me think, how easy it would have been to NOT get up and go see who was making the song Id never heard before, and if I hadnt - Id have missed this gift.
Thanks KJ!

kj said...

lavender, i admire you....

:)

Lavender said...

Tehehehehe KJ! I was just over at your blog admiring you! :)