From time to time, I profile fellow artisans from Artfire and etsy. Today’s artisan profile belongs to Cindy from Jewelry Tales. Cindy is also a fellow member on the Starving Artists Jewelry forum. If you’d like to chat with like minded, seriously talented artists, join us. 
Etsy shop link: Jewelry Tales
Name: Cynthia Newcomer Daniel of Jewelry Tales
Blog: Jewelry Tales: http://jewelrytales.blogspot.com/
Behind the Scenes at Jewelry Tales: http://cindydaniel.blogspot.com/
Author of SATeam Blog: http://starvingartiststeam.blogspot.com/
Where did you start and how did you learn to make the products you are creating today?
I began making jewelry at a very young age; honestly, I cannot remember ever not making jewelry! Both my my parents were lapidaries and jewelry makers; they used to let me do some of the rough work for them, and, as a special treat, I would be given a bit of casting wax to carve, or a few stones to use in my own “designs.” We had a hug box full of bits and pieces; beads, settings that hadn’t worked out, pieces of wire; you name it, and it was in there. I was always allowed to use anything I liked from that box, and I liked a lot!
What are your favorite materials?
I’ve had so many different favorites! These days, I’m very interested in using seed beads, but I like to combine them with other media. I have an amazing collection of lampwork beads; I can’t resist them. I also like using metals: gold, silver, and lately, I’ve been drawn to brass.
What are your favorite pieces to create?
I love to make big, over the top pieces; the more ornate, the better. But in between making that sort of thing, I’ll often find myself drawn to making things with simple, clean lines. I look at it as a way of “cleaning my palate” between courses.
What’s been your biggest handmade/creative oops?
I don’t believe in oopsies. If something isn’t going the way I thought it would, it’s time for me to change what I’m thinking. I was blessed to have a very creative grandmother; one of my earliest memories of working under her tutelage was of her telling me that if I didn’t like the way it was going, the problem was mine, not the work. The work was fine; I was the one who needed an attitude adjustment! I’ve never forgotten that, and I find that the things that go “wrong” are often my best pieces; all I have to do is relax and go where they want to go. That’s when real creativity happens!
What inspires you?
Everything. Ideas come from things I see, things I hear, and things that I would like to see. I have more ideas than time; I tried to keep a notebook once, but I quickly realized that I would never go back to it, so it was a waste of time for me. Once an idea is discharged in a sketch, I’m done with it. I work on the fly, letting inspiration happen during the whole process. I never know what something will look like before I start.
How do you describe your design style?
Insane. I get a general idea: sea, time, ornate; and then I go to my closet and pull things out. Everything that appeals to me at that moment, and might possibly fit my theme, comes out and goes into as many trays as I need. Then I start. Sometimes I start with the focal, and other times I may start with the body of the piece. Wherever I start, I build outwards from there. I don’t have a plan, I let things develop organically. Sometimes I have to set things down and wait a bit before I know what to do next; I’ve learned never to rush my process. When I’m working on one of my big pieces, I often “bead through” and make several smaller pieces before the big one is done. The worst part about this sort of process is getting everything put away when I’m done. I have learned the hard way that if I don’t put it all back immediately, I lose things!
What artists have influenced you, and how?
Monet, with his use of color and inference; Picasso, because he’s just so much fun; Dali, because he’s crazier than I am; G.H. Rothe, with her strength and use of line and movement; and pretty much everything from the Art Nouveau period, with its lushness, line, and sensuality.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out? What do you wish someone would have told you when you first started selling online?
Play. Don’t take yourself, or your art, seriously. Don’t try to be an artist; try to be a child. Enjoy your materials, enjoy using them, have fun. If it isn’t fun, set it aside and do something else. Art must be loved. If you don’t love it, take it apart immediately.
How do you spend time when you are NOT creating?
Gardening, wandering, and reading. I love to do things that have possibilities and uncertainties. I like not knowing how things will turn out, and am at my happiest when I have no clue what will happen next.
Thanks Cindy!
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