Make It Minnesota Journal

Phoenix Designs – New Life with Fire.

Leah — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:50:29 +0000

Featured Artist: Pamela Smith Location: Excelsior, Minnesota. Just as the mythical Phoenix is given new life when enveloped in a burning flame, so is the copper jewelry of Phoenix Designs, created by artist Pamela Smith and springing to live with an array of stunning, naturally occurring colors.	Pamela Smith of Phoenix Designs.
Horse Necklace made by Pamela Smith	Smith, who calls herself “the copper jewelry lady” is self-taught. She explains, “I just got myself some copper and played around until I came up with a method that works for me. I don’t know if my method is the same as others – probably similar. I do know that my stuff looks different from others I have seen.” The unique nature of Smith’s work has been perfected over the years. “I’ve been making copper jewelry for over 18 years. The first pieces I produced we pretty ugly, but over time I improved.” she explained with a laugh. “You learn what works.”
Smith had worked with other mediums in the past, including leather and silver, but soon found copper to be an ideal medium for her jewelry. “I love working with copper” Smith explained. “I love the heat aspect that creates such pretty colors…colors that are natural.” Smith creates the basic form for her jewelry starting with copper and shaping it, either with a die cut or by hammering it to shape herself. When asked how she choose what shapes to make, Smith replied, “I like nature and so I just do what I like – picking shapes that are available. I am always looking for new shapes and also for what people ask me for. “ Smith’s favorite pieces are the leaves she makes. “Most of these are ones that I hammer and take all the way through the process myself,” said Smith.
Pamela Smith "painting" a piece with her jeweler's torch.	Once the shape is created, she brings it to life with the touch of a flame from her jewelers touch. Smith explained her process like this, “It is like a painter choosing a different brush, I adjust the flame size by adjusting the gas mixture (oxygen & propane) which changes how the colors are created on the piece.” Once the colors are how she likes them, Smith ads a layer of lacquer to protect the piece and prevent the colors from changing.
When asked what the most challenging part of her process is Smith answered, “To get distinct colors. It is sort of a layering process – you need to be careful so you don’t end up with a muddy mix but with patterns that are bright and clear.” Her work not provides a challenge, but some nice rewards too, which Pamela pointed out by saying, “I just really enjoy making them. It is rewarding when customers come back year are year to a certain show and tell me about the number of compliments they have received. I love the feedback. It is good to make something the people actually can use and wear.”	Phoenix Designs jewelry on display.
Phoenix Designs shop at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.	Smith spends a good amount of time on the road selling her jewelry. “I travel to lots of craft shows and Renaissance Festivals throughout the year.” One of Smith’s favorite places to set up shop is at the Minnesota Renaissance festival in Shopapee, MN. “I like selling at the Renisance fair because it gives me a break from all the travel. I have the same shop in a building for the full fair length. It is fun to be in character as well. Everyone at the fair is kind of playful.”
In addition to making colorful copper jewelry, Smith enjoys other metal arts. “I have a new technique I am working on involving both copper and bronze – I melt bronze on the copper and it creates a lichen on a rock like look. Smith added with a laugh, “I also do Bronze sculpture, it is my mental therapy and a whole different process.” Smith also enjoys playing the drums, something she I used to make and sell. Smith’s closing thoughts encouraged others to try new things and have fun, saying, “Even if you haven’t taken a class just get the materials and play around and see what happens. Just keep things playful and have fun.” You can view more of Pamela Smith’s work on Make It Minnesota by clicking here.

A Gator in the North Woods?

Leah — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:36:04 +0000

Featured Artist: Gary Harbo Location: Eagan, Minnesota. There is an alligator on the north shore of Minnesota…vacationing with his friends! Ok, maybe not for real, but children’s author and illustrator Gary Harbo has creatively brought characters, such as Bart the Gator, to life on a variety of adventures, including an all out tour of northern Minnesota in his book, “The Northern Woods Adventure.”	Children's Illustrator & Author Gary Harbo
Scenic illustration from "The Northern Woods Adventure"	Harbo has been drawing cartoons since he was a kid, and still has pictures of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck that he drew in his younger years. Though mostly self taught, Harbo pointed out that he had solid support from the beginning, “My dad saw my interest in art and gave me great feedback and advice on how to draw, color and put in shadows. My dad was a baker for Marshall Super Value, but he knew how to encourage his son into exploring God’s gifts through art.” Harbo started his career as an artist primarily drawing wildlife and portraits. He explains, “I love the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman, so I would draw scenes of my favorite animals and people.”
It wasn’t until Harbo became a father that he made a conscious decision to start drawing cartoons. Harbo explains, “I decided to create cartoon characters when my daughter, Kari, was six and and my son Gary II was four. I would make up bedtime stories with them as the heroes and heroines, and eventually I decided to create characters for a story that I gave to them.” Harbo’s medium of choice for creating his illustrations is colored pencil. When asked what makes his illustrations stand out from the rest he replied, “Color and humor. There is lots of great artwork out there and I’m not conceited enough to think that mine is the best, but it is original and children are drawn to the art and storylines. I think that the Lord has blessed me with the ability to relate to kids and with a passion for drawing. I do the best that I can and leave the rest in His capable hands.”
The Black Hills Adventure	Story writing followed for Harbo as he began both illustrating and writing entire children’s books. Harbo said that the most challenging part of completing a children’s book is, “Being willing to take the necessary time to edit both the art and writing. It takes time and lots of patience to get it right. It’s much easier to put out your first version, but my Dad always taught me, ‘If something is worth doing then it is worth doing right.’” Harbo picks the subject matter for his books based on things and places he loves. “I lived in Rapid City for 8 years and have a tremendous amount of memories from my experiences as a young man in that area. It was a joy to write and illustrate a story about the Black Hills. The same applies to The Northern Woods Adventure. My dad would take our family up on numerous vacations all across northern Minnesota, so I could not wait to put some of my memories into that book. Especially since I lost my dad to an accident 23 years ago. So for me it was a real treat to relive so many awesome memories.”
Harbo’s favorite character from his stories is Bart, a gator who Harbo described as, “a big old goof that often times gets things more wrong then right. But he is always capable of learning and sometimes is the hero. He kind of encapsulates my personality.” In addition to children’s stories, Harbo also has created the book, How to Draw 104 Cartoons with Gary Harbo, which has become his most popular work. “Almost everyone I meet, from Kindergarten to grandmothers, wish that they could draw more effectively. This books is a great tool to make that happen.” Harbo noted. Harbo added that the most rewarding part of his work is, “Watching children get into the story and watching eyes light up when young artists are able to create a character by following a few basic steps from my drawing book.” Sharing his talent as an illustrator, Harbo also offers “How to Draw” classes to area groups and schools. Harbo especially enjoys working with children. “I love their natural desire to learn. I love their response to the a-hah moment; when they figure out that they can do something that they hadn’t done before.”	How to Draw 104 Cartoons with Gary Harbo
Gary teaches art lessons to over 15,000 elementary school children every year.	Harbo shared an event from his teaching experience that caught his attention, “I remember speaking to a third grade class in southwest Minnesota many years ago, and I was trying to stress the importance of reading and the power of an education, when a little boy raised his hand and said, “My mom said that my brother does not like to read and he will pump gas all of his life.” I have no idea where this young boy got the idea of pumping gas, because gas station attendants were already a thing of the past at that point, but his mother had evidently already implanted the power of an education into this young man’s mind.” Harbo’s advise for all aspiring artists is, “Do not be critical in your first version of writing or artwork. There is no room for that thought process during the creative process. Wait until you are totally done with the first version and then take a deep breath and identify what you like about your work and things that are weak. Then come up with ways that you can improve it.” Apart from being an illustrator and writer, Harbo enjoys a wide variety of actives, especially sports. “I was the high school quarterback and love to throw to my two youngest sons, Grant 12 and Gavin 10. I love running, basketball, snowboarding (I broke my collarbone in three places out in Colorado so I’m now a retired snowboarder), reading, and baseball.” Harbo continued, “I especially love being a dad. I love to encourage my boys in everything they do. I think I picked that up from my dad.”
Harbo’s closing thoughts were one’s of thankfulness for the support of his wife. “I couldn’t do what I do without my biggest fan and promoter, which is my wife. She has been there for me in good times and bad. Being an author and illustrator is the toughest thing that I have every attempted. I have worked on the farm, been an Electrical Engineer, Manager for US West, and have never done anything tougher then what I have been doing for the last 20 years. My wife has been critical in helping me through the tough days. She also was instrumental in bringing me into a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Once I understood the love of Christ, everything else began to fall into place. Praise God!” You can view Gary Harbo’s books on Make It Minnesota by clicking here. If you are interested in learning more about his art lessons please visit the “Artist-in-Residence” page of his website or email him at gharbo@garyharbo.com	Gary Harbo and family.

Rekindling Lost Art Forms

Leah — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:44:31 +0000

Featured Artist: Rod Skramstad Location: Alexandria, Minnesota. Meet Rod Skramstad, a Minnesota artist with a passion for working with wood and rekindling long lost art forms. Browse through his work and you will find yourself surrounded by truly one-of-a kind art.	Artist Rod Skramstad
Rod Skramstad Lathart	Skramstad’s medium of choice for his artwork is wood and has been for as long as he can remember. “With my background of 27 years as a cabinetmaker and co-owner of a custom cabinet shop, I still enjoy working with wood and it seemed natural continuing to work with wood after the cabinetmaking years were done,” says Skramstad.
Though he has a lifetime of experience working with wood, Skramstad started his “artistic” pursuits seriously in 2007. Skramstad says, “As I was approaching the end of my working career and selling out of the business, I was faced with the big question….now what? I have an awesome 1100 square foot shop full of woodworking equipment so I kind of had to stick with something I knew. So I prayed! I spent hours searching the internet for “different” ideas of things I could do. The problem was that there was a lot of everything out there and I wanted to go in a direction that wasn’t “common”. At this point while still looking for the “big different”, I started painting with acrylics, something I hadn’t done since high school. One day I came across a site selling lathart kits (craft stuff). I started researching lath art and found very little, but just enough to feel led. Finally a “lost art form” that I could jump into that not many people had ever heard of or had ever seen before, come up with my own designs, be my own expert and follow my own rules on how I wanted my pieces to look. So that is how I started with Lath Art.” Skramstad branched out to other genres of artwork from there, seeking out “the obscure” or seemingly “lost art forms. “	Rod Skramstad's Shop Acrylic Painting by Rod Skramstad.
"Split Rock" Pyrography by Rod Skramstad Class Pike Spearing Decoy by Rod Skramstad	Skramstad says, “Pyrography seemed a bit obscure also so I started looking into it, bought some equipment, and took to it. The decoy carving was again something that struck me as being a bit different. Everyone carves ducks, but to make a working decoy that is lead weighted, using steel for fins, oil painted bodies and to be able to come up with a vintage or unique look seemed to be a good challenge. Routed boxes, reclaimed frames, rustic carvings… I guess one thing seems to lead to another pretty quickly.” Skramstad knows how to get the look he wants while saving materials. Skramstad explains, “I really like to “recycle” or use reclaimed material which seems to lend itself well to the primitives that I create. I try to create pieces that look like they have been hanging on the wall, or sitting on a shelf for 50-60 years. The use of rustic materials (materials that most people would look at as waste) seem to add to the charm or authenticity of what I am trying to achieve.”
The most challenging part of Skramstad’s work is pleasing himself, which be explains by saying, “I guess I am a bit critical of what I do. I want my work to be different and unique and not what people are used to seeing.” Skramstad’s hard work is rewarded every time a piece comes together and he can share it with those around him. He loves it when people say, “I have never seen anything like that before,” whether it be for a good reason or not! Skramstad goes on to say, “I am stoked when people ask if I will be coming to a certain show or when contact is made from a gift shop asking if I would show in their store or when people say they saw my stuff and Googled me on the internet…and when someone actually is willing to part with their hard earned cash for some of my work, well that’s just gravy. I give credit to my Lord for any positives coming my way!”	"Happy Trees" Made from recycled lumber (saved from the landfill=happy trees)
Rod Skramstad Lath Art	When asked if he had a favorite piece from his collection, Skramstad responded, “The next one I do. There’s always something about “the new one”. Skramstad likes to “change it up” to keep his artwork interesting and with a “new twist”. He is currently focusing on some fish themed pieces for some upcoming sportsman shows he may be attending. Apart from being an artist, Skramstad enjoys a wide array of hobbies and activities. He says, “Being a grandpa is probably my favorite thing. Traveling with my wife, motorcycling, doing outdoor stuff, snowmobiling, taking care of our place, pontooning on area lakes, trying to teach myself to play the guitar, and trying to cook (my wife never complains!).” Closing comment from Skramstad? “I like to be creative. Good thing I’m “retired!”"

How we “Make It Minnesota”

Leah — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:33:37 +0000

Welcome to Make It Minnesota Journal & News! Here you will find a creative journal as we seek to answer the question “How we make it Minnesota.” Watch for this fun and informative blog – coming January 2011. You may be surprised what (and who) you find here!

Make It Minnesota Journal

Phoenix Designs – New Life with Fire.

Featured Artist:

Location:

A Gator in the North Woods?

Featured Artist:

Location:

Rekindling Lost Art Forms

Featured Artist:

Location:

How we “Make It Minnesota”