Journal Entry #1
Greetings, everyone!
I am thrilled to announce that I am starting my own blog, which is long overdue. For those who are new to me, I would like to introduce myself and share a little about what I do.
I have always known that I wanted to become an artist from as early as I can remember. It was just a feeling I had, I thought everyone was born knowing what they were supposed to be.
Let’s fast forward a bit… In my teens, I painted rocks and painted T-shirts for kids in school. At 14 I had an art show with my paintings in a local bank and that’s where New Jersey State Representative James Florio saw my work. The following year he arranged for me to have a show with 30 of my paintings in the Congressional offices. This was an incredible experience.
During my initial year at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, I was hired by the Franklin Mint to sculpt coins and collectibles. I worked there for four years before venturing out on my own to establish Beatrice Designs. Over time, my clients included an array of renowned names such as Disney, The Danbury Mint, Waterford Crystal, Hasbro Toys, Warner Bros., Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, Frankford Candy & Chocolates, Crayola, Jim Henson Corporation, and many others.
Every so often, I found the time to create art for myself, which was what I truly desired. However, with the need to pay bills, I had limited time and freedom to produce my own designs. One day, I realized that I no longer wanted to work for other people, so I decided to take a chance and start making and selling my own creations.
Initially, I created small clay sculptures incorporating natural elements like insect wings and bodies, moss, small stones, and roots. Eventually, I began housing them inside antique pocket watches. When I acquired these watch cases they often came with remarkable watch parts with distinct shapes. I began integrating these parts into my sculptures, eventually resulting in little sculptures made entirely of watch parts. Gradually, I advanced to the point where I created entire scenes using only watch parts.
My custom watch parts sculptures can take a very long time to create. Detail and nuance comes with time, so unfortunately they’re not affordable for everyone. I always felt bad about that and wanted more people to be able to afford to own a piece of my work. That’s when I decided to start creating wearable art. I chose silver and bronze pendants due to their longevity, generally lower costs and a material that could capture fine details.
My very first sculpture that went viral was a little watch parts bunny. Everyone loved it and wanted one. So this was the first piece that I tried to replicate as a pendant and that’s when I launched my All Natural Arts website!
The little bunny on the right is available for purchase in silver or bronze here: https://allnaturalarts.squarespace.com/shop-steampunk/the-steampunk-bunny
Now let’s fast forward to today! I just finished creating my Phoenix Rising pendant. I wanted to create a symbol of rising past your struggles and remind you that you have the potential to overcome them and thrive. The phoenix is a powerful representation of renewal and optimism, as it emerges from the ashes of its former self. This sculpture blends the human form with the legendary bird, as it spreads its wings and elevates itself from the fire and debris of its past encounters.
Available for purchase here: https://allnaturalarts.squarespace.com/shop-classic-designs/phoenix
I plan to post updates of my process and projects with photos and videos as I add to this blog. If you want to see in-depth videos and tutorials on my processes for watch sculptures, wax carving, pumpkin carving, cardboard sculpture, and much more, please support my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/suebeatrice. It’s only a few dollars a month and your support will be greatly appreciated. I think you’ll really enjoy it and you can tell all your friends that you’re a patron of the arts!
Thank you so much for checking in.
See you soon!
Sue