Every artist wants to be recognized as an individual with special talents. We all want to make a statement with our glasswork. We want to use the glass as a medium to communicate a message about our environment and ourselves. But first, how do you evolve a personal style? — by making it just that…personal.
If we create our designs as a mirror of our inner selves, we take a personal risk. We also experience the exciting, yet nerve-wracking anticipation of whether or not the art glass world will accept us. When we put ourselves into our designs, it can be painful to present our work to collectors and galleries. It feels as if by rejecting our work, they reject us.
Though you may risk a lot of emotional stress, the best work comes from the heart. It is worth everything to take the risk of showing yourself through your work. To do less is to have a safe, yet unrewarding career.
Some artists purely follow trends; many imitate styles that are successful. Some think copying may be a way to learn techniques for a short time, and then depart to their own ideas. Be careful with copying; many artists that imitate become stuck and never go on to develop their individual style. I had a Japanese teacher that once told me, “to copy my teacher would ruin my own talent”. The best teachers look over the shoulders of their students and help them achieve their own design ideas.
To add excitement to your work, look inside yourself. Think about what is important to you and create your own personal style. Let your passion drive your work, and it will always be fresh and interesting. If your work becomes intimate, it will grow and change along with your life experiences. You will never stagnate in old repetitious ideas.
To begin to develop your style, think about what is important to you. It may be an interest, people you have known, or an experience you have had. Maybe you have been to a place that intrigued you or maybe you were entranced by something in nature. Look around your environment at the things and experiences you love and incorporate them into your designs. No matter where you live, a bucolic country landscape or in the middle of a concrete metropolis, your surroundings are a source for many wonderful ideas.
No one experiences your world the way you do. Even something common can be transformed into a breakthrough design.
A great misconception is that all the best work has already been created. If your ideas are different, how can you achieve success? One thing you can count on is no matter how established some artistic trends seem, things change. And your idea may create the next great trend.
The following is an example of how I created a work in glass by using my own experience and putting myself into the work.
1.What is meaningful to you?
I incorporated the strong feelings I have about my Grandmother’s and Father’s immigration to America in 1921 from Italy. I created a work inspired by their story called “The Outstretched Hand of Liberty”.
2. Plan the piece.
Make a drawing of the finished work. Think about the concept. I carefully thought out the idea and drew pencil sketches of how I wanted it to look. I thought about how I could convey the idea and tell a personal story in glass.
3. Draw upon techniques you are good at to express your ideas.
I’m an experienced lampworker and could convey the idea using lampwork designs. I also enjoyed creating the drawing and designing the piece.
4. Think outside the box; don’t be afraid to add unusual materials.
Expand your idea to include other resources. Think about what you can use to make the idea stronger. You should use materials that reinforce the idea. I decided to combine copper wheel engravings by my friend Max
Erlacher. I designed the engravings to tell the story. I also used Vermont Green Verde marble as a background to get across the idea of the strength of America.
5. Combine elements that are unique to your work.
By combining copper wheel engraving with lampwork encasement, I developed a new way of presenting my work that I continue today. The partnership has become a widely recognized design combination for Tarsitano Studio.
6. Don’t give up on your idea.
This may be the hardest bit of advice to take. You have to believe in your idea. I made “The Outstretched Hand of Liberty” in 1991. It was my departure into creating a new style. After 10 years, thousands of people have seen and enjoyed the sculpture. Presently it is on display at the Forsythe Gallery at the Texas A&M University.
Be patient. It will take time to develop your work so it stands out from the rest. When you go into a gallery show and collectors and curators recognize your work just by looking at it, you know you have achieved your personal style.
Debbie Tarsitano’s work was recently featured (December 1997) on the cover of Glass Art magazine and Antique and Collecting magazine. Also in ’97, the Bergstrom Mahler Museum, Neenah, Wisconsin, acquired her “50 Flower Bouquet”. Forbes magazine (May 1998) mentions Tarsitano as one of America’s leading glass artists. Her paperweights can be found in many prestigious private and public collections.
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