We are very excited to have Stacey Johnson back for our Fall Artisan Market. We have missed her for the past two years and if you don’t know who she is…this is who!
Stayseas Designs
Who, what, when, where and why? The five Ws. Who am I? I am someone that feels a need to create objects, to make things for others or myself. What to make? I enjoy working in metal, be it making jewelry or small metal objects. I also like to incorporate the metal with other materials, some precious, some strictly from nature. When do I create? The answer to that is not as often as I would like to. Since this is my second job, often life and my primary work schedule must share my energy. I hope to make time to get in the studio in the coming year. Where do I create? I create in a studio in Houston, Texas. And lastly, why do I create? I create because I feel a need to experiment and find it fulfilling and challenging!
I got my start in the metal world by taking a course at Houston Community College back in the fall of 1993. I took several semesters under Heidi Gerstacker and learned the German way of working in metal. Never settle for mediocre, always strive for perfection and be proud of what you create. Next I took classes at the Art League under Mary Rogers. She was not as rigid in the way things must be done, but after I learned the importance of clean good work, she encouraged us to experiment with finding a way to create whatever we could envision. I then starting working on my own and taking workshops yearly to perfect my skills. In 2011, I joined a group on Flickr called “Ring a Week” and produced one ring a week for a year. That’s when I learned the importance of daily practice.
My philosophy is simple: Never quit trying and always strive for doing your best. Take time to experiment, even if it doesn’t work at first, all those small steps will lead to something awesome!