Style Imitating Art…
Welcome to Style Imitating Art! Style Imitating Art comes from Salazar, Shelbee, and me. You can think of this series as fashion meets art museum! SIA challenges people to find inspiration in different art works, create looks based upon that art work, and share them with the curator for that piece. I chose “Breath for Breath” since Salazar gave us the artist’s entire body of work.
How it works…
Every other Monday one of us selects an inspiration piece of art and posts the image on their blog. We then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. The following Monday, we share our outfits. The curator shares submissions the following Wednesday on her blog. Salazar chose this week’s art work for this round of Style Imitating Art. If you’d like, you can read why she chose it here. Please send your photo to Salazar by Tuesday, March 12th by 10 pm EST. Style Imitating Art is an interesting way to inspire your outfits. You can see a few of my looks here, here, here, and here.
“Breath for Breath” – Poppies Spoon
About the artist…
I honestly couldn’t find much, biographically, about Giles Newman other than from his own site. He was born in 1979 in a rural part of Worcestershire, England. His home backed up to woods where he spent much of his time. I think Giles and I would have been good friends!
“The woods were a place of comfort and escape for me and the deep connection I developed with the woodlands and with each individual tree within it very much defined my childhood and shaped my vision of the world around me.”
Newman grew up wanting to be a woodsman or wildlife ranger but, instead, he pursued a degree in photography, his second love. By 2015, he was making a living, but definitely not a life, out of a job as a graphic designer for a software company. It sounds like a soul-sucking job to me for someone so thoroughly grounded in the outdoors! On top of the lack of creativity and those horrible fluorescent lights, Newman’s commute was two hours every day. As a result, he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
A little more…
Then, Newman began spending time at his family’s property, named Coed Tegid, in Snowdonia, North Wales. One night, he met up with some Countryside Ranger friends and was introduced to spoon carving. By his own admission, his first attempts were more “door stopper spatulas” than delicate spoons. Eventually, Newman spent every spare moment literally honing his craft. During the weeks, he would get up at 4:00 am (can you even imagine) to carve. He would spend lunch hours in his car carving as well as staying up late. On the weekends, he could escape to the mountains.
Still more…
As he continued carving, Newman began to document his new craft on social media. We all know what happens with that, right? He sold his first pieces, feeling like an imposter. Those first pieces sold for £10-£30, and he was still surprised at the appeal of his work. Even though he was having this kind of success with his carvings, he had continued to work for the software company. By the end of 2015, Newman had made the decision to leave his job and pursue spoon carving full time. I love that he had this ability to follow his passion. While other woodworkers may use hundreds of different tools, Newman limits his to four: an axe, a carving knife, a spoon (aka hook) knife, and a folding saw. Today, Giles Newman’s works sell for a wee bit more than £10! There’s a necklace calling my name…it’s only £975 ($1,253.36)! I do hope you’ll read more (here) about this interesting man and his art.
About my chosen art work…
I thought this spoon, “Breath for Breath,” was amazing to just look at. The spoon is made from reclaimed mahogany and took approximately 400 hours to carve! It’s 11.4 inches (29 cm) long. I can’t imagine anyone actually eating from it, but who knows!
“Inspired by the poem, ‘Echo,’ by Christina Rossetti and drawing on the Poppy’s symbolic association with the remembrance of those that we’ve lost. This spoon takes its name from the last verse…“
“Yet come to me in dreams that I may live
My very life again tho’ cold in death:
Come back to me in dreams, that I may give
Pulse for pulse, breath for breath:
Speak low, lean low,
As long ago, my love, how long ago (source).”
My interpretation of “Breath for Breath”…
I recently bought the Sketch Flower Dress and realized it was perfect for this challenge! The poppy is a wee bit (I know I’m stretching it) abstract as are the flowers on this dress. If it reminds you of another dress used for another Style Imitating Art challenge, you wouldn’t be wrong! There is something about this sketched flower that really draws me in (pardon the pun)! I think the floral motif mimics the solid lines of the spoon, and it’s floral! The lines of each floral pattern in my skirt might look like the shavings Newman would have piled up at his feet. There are splotches of an olive green almost brown color at the center of most of the flowers.
The Lewk!
I love the way these Leighton boots by Miz Mooz can read as navy or black. In this case, they definitely came off as black, and I’m glad! There was really no rhyme nor reason for my jewelry picks. Nigel bought me all of the jewelry which is by John Hardy (bracelet, earrings, ring). The necklace was a Christmas gift this year. The purchase of each of these items resulted in bamboo being planted.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
One year, for some odd reason, my dad bought a lathe. I spent so many hours out in the garage working with cedar and other wood turning out little pieces of nothing. I honestly don’t know why Dad bought it, but I absolutely loved working with the wood and seeing what would happen if you’d apply a little pressure here or apply the tool there. I wonder what Nigel would say if I told him I’d like a lathe for our anniversary in June! So, can we talk? Would you leave your job to pursue a hobby/craft to support yourself? What are your hobbies that could be turned into a job? And, what kind of hairspray do you use? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as I can.
See what I mean…
I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the encouragement when I was feeling a bit down. Here is one of the better phots we’d taken at the art museum. And, here is a photo from the same day after I’d redone my hair. Let me tell you…my hair was stiff! But, it looked good! I think this is proof that when you don’t feel it, you don’t! Even my body language is happier!
Don’t forget…
If you want to be included in the Style Imitating Art round up, send Salazar your photo by 10:00 EST Tuesday, March 12th. Photos of everyone participating will appear on Salazar’s blog on Wednesday, March 13th!
10 on the 10th…
It’s not too late to link up on 10 on the 10th!
Thank you!
I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
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Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
That dress is lovely and you look fabulous! While I have never used a lathe we do have a few family members that are quite gifted with woodworking and I love seeing their bowls and things that they’ve turned. I have a lot of hobbies that I think I could have turned into jobs along the way but I’m always hesitant to take something I love and do for fun and turn it into a job. I’m always so afraid that would take all the enjoyment away from it for me.
Thanks, Joanne! Oh, making bowls would be lots of fun. I loved throwing pots in college and considered getting my own wheel and kiln way back when. You are so creative, but I know what you mean about turning your hobby into a job. Lots of people have told me I should take commissions on my afghans and sell them. But, I don’t want to have to have something finished by a certain time. It’s a relaxing thing for me.
That is some story! I’ve never even thought of spoon carving but wow, his work is incredible! I have never used a lathe before, I *think my husband has one because his dad did lot of woodworking, he was very talented.
My blog is a hobby but I don’t think I’d enjoy it full time. I would love to be a personal stylist! How fun it would be!!
Okay your hair…I love it flatter and straighter! It really looks good that way!
🩷Kellyann
Thanks, Kellyann! As I told Jodie in my comment, that photo of my hair flatter and straighter still had lots of product in it. My hair without anything on it is just as limp as a wet noodle. It clinks to my head and just looks awful. The other problem is the thinning around my forehead…with my silver hair, my pink scalp just shines through. So, I have to do something to cover that up.
I think being a personal stylist would be fun, but I’d be terrible at it. I just couldn’t tell someone they didn’t look good in something they loved! I suppose, when you go through the training, you’re taught how to tell people that kindly!
Isn’t that spoon beautiful? It’s hard to believe it’s all hand carved. I hope you take a look at his website just to see the beauty of what he creates. Does your husband do much woodworking? No one in our family has so I was surprised when Dad bought it. I did have hours of fun with it, though!
I have seen this kind a crafting on the UK and was blown away of such beautiful things that person made. I love the fox and the leave items, so gorgeous! Yeah, let me know about the hairspray……
It is gorgeous, isn’t it, Nancy! Right now, I’m using Bumble & Bumble Firm Hold. I have to be careful because if the hairspray is too wet, it will weigh my hair down too much. The best holding spray I’ve found is by Aveda, but it’s a pump and very wet. I’m going to go to the store sometime and see if they have the same thing in a can and an aerosol! I’ll let you know!
Thanks, Nancy!
First off, I didn’t even realize that was a spoon at first. It just looked like this beautiful piece of art!
And we used the lathe in dental school. When I went to school we had to make all of our own crowns and dentures so I got very good at using those kinds of tools.
Now let’s talk about your hair. I know you like it better when it’s poofy but I think that’s because you’re used to it that way. I loved it when it was flat. I mean maybe you don’t wear it that way all the time but I think it looks a bit more modern.
Hair is such a funny thing. I know every time my mom goes to get her haircut she always has to come back and style it again because the woman doesn’t do it the same as she is used to. But I think that’s the thing, get used to how it looks and when it’s not that way we don’t like it.
Anyway, just my two cents!!
Xoxo
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! You should look at some of his other things…absolutely magical! I didn’t realize lathes were involved in crowns and dentures. Do you suppose they still are?
As far as my hair…it is really, really flat as in sticks right to my head flat. Even the photo from the art museum shows it with a bit of volume to it. My hair has absolutely no body at all. For years, I did wear it flatter…remember the Vidal Sassoon commercials…blunt cut bangs and a bob…that’s what I wore for years. Then, I cut it short, not pixie short, but short. I’d love to wear a pixie, but with my thinning hair and the color, you’d see so much scalp, I’d look more bald than anything. And, that was something else about the photos from the museum, the lighting really highlighted how thin my hair is at my hairline. Some day, I will probably have to invest in a wig!
And, yes, I used to do exactly what your mom did. I’d come home, wash my hair and style it the way I wanted. That was back when my sister did it. Her main customers were little old ladies, and that’s the only style she seemed to know how to do! She, of course, has naturally curly hair with lots of volume!
His talent is incredible! The leaves and flowers just seem to grow out of the spoons naturally. I think your dress with its flowers is so perfect for this prompt!
Thank you, Laura! I hope you look through his website because there are some amazing pieces of art there. I wish I’d known about him when he was selling these for $15! I really like some of the jewelry, but I wonder how heavy it would be.
Ooh Marsha, I love this dress in black and I love that you have it in two colors! It really is a great piece and it is perfect for this challenge. Yes, I can imagine waking up at 4 am to work on my art. I do it all the time! Seriously, I relate to this artist so much, it is uncanny. I also use minimal tools in my raggery, always focus on sustainability, and find it a healing method of escapism. Inspiration wakes me often at all hours and sometimes I can’t ignore it and must get to work immediately! Now if I could only get people to buy my art! Ha.
Shelbee
Thanks, Shelbee! The dresses are just a bit different, but I really like both of them. I’m so glad you have this passion for your raggery. You are doing wonderful things for our planet, creating amazing art, and, hopefully, will end up making some money! Is it hard to do an Etsy store? I’ve never looked into it. I would imagine shipping would be the biggest problem unless you could come up with some way to ship them without the branch they hang from. I mean, if the person really wanted the branch, then they’d be happy to pay extra.
I’m running behind on reading and commenting so I’ll be around in a bit!
What a stunning piece of art and look you are wearing! You couldn’t have picked a more perfect dress to wear. The fit and classic colors are is beautiful on you. I want this spoon in my kitchen!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! You should look at some of the other spoons he’s created. They truly are magical. I was so happy the dress worked for this challenge!
That spoon is gorgeous. So much artistry and craftsmanship! And I love your interpretation – the flowers on your dress look like they could be wood prints.
Thanks, Erin! Isn’t that spoon gorgeous? Salazar said they are treated with something so they could actually be used as spoons. No way I’d ever do that, though. I’d love to have one of those flower necklaces, but I think I will skip.
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His story is an interesting one for people who want to take an artistic hobby and turn it into a career. I was struck by how he dedicated himself to practicing his craft and developing his skill over time. He also spent a period selling works that took hundreds of hours to make for $50 or less (which is not a sustainable pricing scheme.) It’s a good reminder that there are no short-cuts to an art career.
That said, I do think there is a lot of luck involved in turning a hobby into a career. There are so many extremely talented people out there who struggle to sell a single piece of their work, while sometimes someone with much less talent somehow makes their career take off (and I do NOT put Newman in this category, to be clear; his work is stellar). Maybe his timing was part of the secret of his success; social media in 2015 was so different and less commercialized/overwhelmed with influencers than today. I think it can be hard these days to make yourself heard over the noise, which makes being a savvy marketer/self-promoter almost as important as being a good artist.
Sometimes I think it would be nice to turn my jewelry making hobby into a career (mostly because it would involve getting out of having a normal job, haha) but I’m not seriously considering it even as a side hustle. Right now I have a job that pays the bills and a hobby I do purely for myself, and that is probably the best combination for me personally right now. I’ve joked to my husband that if I calculated the amount I’d have to charge to cover my expenses and pay myself St Paul’s $15/hour minimum wage (which is less than I actually earn), I couldn’t afford my own jewelry, let alone make a profit selling it to others. 😉
You make some very good points, Sally! I think, though it doesn’t say anywhere that I could find, his family supported him financially through this period following his decision to leave full-time employment in 2015. I was lucky to find my passion in teaching and to use my creativity there. Like you, I was very impressed by his dedication. There’s not much that would have me getting up at 4:00 am!
You are right about luck and being in the right place at the right time. My youngest has been in a band of one kind or another for decades now. I honestly think he’s really talented, but he hasn’t made it in the music biz. I supported him then, and I’ll support his passion for music forever. I know how discouraged he gets, especially when he creates something absolutely magical. As for social media, I do think you’re 100% right that Newman hit the socials at just the right time…before all the influencers turned up.
You’ve actually hit on why I don’t do much to monetize my blog. Mike and I talked about it for quite a long time. Ultimately, we decided the tax implications just weren’t worth it. We both have pensions though mine is laughable. We also have savings because Mr. Left Brain insisted on saving money all those years! And, I know that if I depended on the blog for income, it would cease being fun and become a job. I don’t want to feel that way about my blog just as you don’t want to feel that way about your jewelry though I do think you could and maybe should take commissions occasionally!
Thanks, Sally, for your thoughtful comments!
This reminds me – I meant to say HOW HAPPY I AM that you decided to continue blogging! I hope you continue to enjoy swimming at the non-monetized end of the pool with me and the other hobbyists 🙂
Thank you, Sally! I think our end of the pool is quite nice and will be there for a long while, I hope!
Hi Marsha, you look lovely in all your photos and your hair is beautiful either way! That dress is a really good style on you and the flowers aren’t too big to take away from the dress itself. Now that spoon is a real work of art!
Thanks for joining us for Min’s #wwwhimsy linkup 🙂
Thanks, Debbie! Isn’t that spoon something? I hope you visited his site to see even more amazing art. I was really happy with how this dress worked for the challenge.
I love that piece of art, Marsha, and your dress is lovely too. I am retired now, but never would have left my job for a hobby, as I am one who requires stability. I liked the regular paycheck and benefits that came with my job. I do admire people who turn their passion into a way of earning a living though.
Thanks, Christie! I agree that I would never have had the courage to leave the stability and comfort of my job. But, I loved teaching so it was a win win for me! It is amazing when people hit that sweet spot of being in the right place at the right time!
Your dress is beautiful! You look fabulous! The wooden spoon is incredible. Thanks for linking!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Thank you, Emma! I thought the spoon as well as the other pieces were just amazing! Thank you for the link party!