Making Something out of Nothing

For years I walked alleys and train tracks staring at the pavement, the rocks, the grounds, steel tracks and its debris which I gathered and loaded into my pockets, so excited by the rust, shapes, possibilities and then I decided, Fuck Art, I'm going to Dance and make real money, making something out of nothing, yes, my name is Potion now, but I practiced it four decades ago, even as a child, you find this stuff, you know its potential its different that must be rescued and revered.
It was a dare of sorts, that challenge of change, the alchemy I could manifest.
I did.
Kept it all in a chest. Stored, I reveled in the rust dust that I added to paints. It was that precious to me.
I improved the alley by making it into jewelry.
The women who work for me as sales reps sold to galleries and museum gift shops. Within a year, I was everywhere.

The buyers didn't believe it was rusted pieces that I had upcycled. Not then. Not in the early 90s. Buyers complained to my sales reps. Don't lie, they cautioned, what is this?
Two reps called. Hey, these buyers are pissed, they think I'm lying.
OK, I said, OK, spin it as cast paper that I mixed with hand ground metals and mark it up by $15 a piece. Sales rocketed. One day a check for 3,256.00 from the Chicago Art Institute. Gift shop. Business swelled.

And then I bought a building.

Shawl

Pearl is modeling a shawl I made of wool and upcycled doilies. It sold (for 8 hundred) to a woman in FL who "will use it in my dolls stroller."

Having been invited to a Tea Party

I whipped up this hat.

La petite porch studio

That summer when I created new studio space outside.
"There are two other huge studios in the building."
Yes, but one is for textile work and the other is organized for the cases!
It's a good thing we've a second floor.

Vessels

Sometime back in the early 90s I had a vision of these vessels. I was obsessed with the chucks of Dalle de verre glass used in church windows. Requiring technique along with other info, I went to Mithra to discuss my vision with Hank.
You can't do that, said Hank.
I had been wanting to use pottery as the base and build up but Hank insisted it wasn't possible.
I took a glass with him. I thought a foundation class with him would allow me to ideate.
4 months later I went back into the shop with a piece and Hank said, I guess you can do that.

Please note the vintage flash bulb in the second vessel.

Custom order Flower Crown

Made for a Bride.

Making things from other things.

Just a belt I whipped up last night.

Custom order

Headed to L.A. Prior to Covid 80% of my cusotmer base was southern CA, studios, movie industry, and stars :/
I can't drop customer names however a hyper rare Orry Kelly necktie went to a man....no, I still can't. But that Orry Kelly Necktie was most likely the only of his neckties to have survived.

Custom order

Detail of a belt for a bride.

Making Things out of other Things

I am challenged by materials. It's my primary motivation.
I can find something in an alley and instantly see it in a finished project.
I don't call this imagination, it's too immediate. It's not even a process. I can see it transported into a beautiful thing.
maybe it's alchemy.
I used to design jewelry and developed a business with three sales reps. My jewelry was in all midwest and southwest galleries and museum gift shops including SLAM, The Walker Museum, and The Art Institute of Chicago.
I stopped designing jewlery when the internet flattened the market and started designing other things: clothing, belts, curtains, hats, etc.
Here's another belt that I made.