Thoughts on Artful Stylefrom The Artful Soul®!
This page updated 8/16/13
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Here we enjoy sharing thoughts on what "Artful Style" means! We have a point of view, that is represented in our product selection of "artistically inspired jewelry, handbags and gifts" . . . and our designers have thoughts and inspirations to share on why and how they make what they do . . . and then all the gals who wear or use these products have a sense of personal style to share. |
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Artful Style The Artful Soul Perspective It's all in the name I am Marcea Reid, I started, operate and own The Artful Soul (since 1993). Many customers visit simply because they like the name, it resonates with them! The name came about when I started making jewelry that was meant to be expressive and non-traditional to go with my office wardrobe (I was a corporate controller at the time). The ficticious business name I wanted to register was taken, so luckily came up with The Artful Soul as a suitable alternative. Luckily, as it is now Trademarked so we can be the only store with the name. The name is a reflection of things handmade, objects made to be aesthetically pleasing by sight or touch, skillfully created and often after experimentation and endless hours lost in the process. The source of inspiration is inside, a response to the outside. So our "artistically inspired jewelry, handbags and gifts" are borne from the soul of an artist, and also used by gals who are expressing their artistic soul! Artistic Style vs. Fashion So what makes style artistic or a fashion statement? A pair of diamond earrings do show the skillful selection and cutting of an artisan. If a single diamond is set in a manufactured prong and used as a stud earring...well I don't think that is particularly artistic, though it is an element of a gal's fashion statement (yep, we all want diamonds!). But if a designer takes that same diamond and puts it into an intricate setting with extra decoration and other stones...it becomes more artistic! Then we get to ask...is that me?...does that tell others who I am? And it is not about the materials used. Absolutely any material can be transformed into Artistic Style. So that leads to the style definition. It is something cohesive, you often find yourself drawn to the same general idea, maybe it's a level of dazzle or calm elegance, color or not, things that match or not. Hmm...maybe we'll have more thoughts on this later. And finally, what about Fashion? We know the mags and celebs tout trends in fashion. Products are made to exploit the trends. If the products are made simply in response to a trend, well then it isn't really an artistic expression, is it? If a gal selects a product simply to wear a trend for the sake of fashion, then she is not really expressing something from her soul, and maybe not even being true to her style. BUT, if an artist is inspired by a trend, borne from a response to what's going on around, then it certainly can be MORE than fashion! And if the wearer sticks with her own sense of style, she will always be IN FASHION! And so we say...CREATIVITY NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE! 
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Artful Style Designer's Point of View The Artful Soul has always put the product emphasis on the Designer, representing an artist's body of work with seasonal updates, or new collection ideas. Less about gathering products, but more on an artistic presentation. And it's all because of the artistic designers themselves! They are not anonymous corporate entities or soul-less machines! So we share some stories below... Maruca Design . . . Maruca gals are on the go...function and flair always a must! Our clever handbags are thoughtfully hand sewn in the ever-so-hip Boulder, Colorado. The jacquard fabrics (our claim to fame) are designed in-house and milled in the USA, assuring durability and quality. (Toot-toot!). Doe Cross of Doezignz . . . The initial inspiration for my handmade paper jewelry began with my love for paper arts and the organic nature of papermaking. In my work I combine handmade paper, paint, pearls, twigs beads and text in an attempt to illustrate human culture in context with the environment and highlight the balance between them. I design my pieces as wearable works of art that depict the harmonious juxtaposition between the unique forms of nature and those of the human hand. Dori Csengeri . . . While designing, I visualize the woman who will wear my work. She has a defined taste and personality. I try to create for her something different, fresh and exciting, so she can play the game of fashion with me and participate in the creation of her own image. Ayala Bar . . . A rose-tinted flower peeking out of a crack in a pavement... a glint of sunlight on a rusty can... a pebble marking gentle waves in a rain shower's puddle... wherever Ayala Bar goes,her surroundings inspire her. For this creative artist, the universe is indeed in the details. Insights and ideas are collected from sights and sites that to the average person seem mundane. Nothing is routine to Ayala. The materials she works with - simple metals, glass beads, mineral stones and crystal rhinestones are used to translate her creative perceptions into intricate patterns with a thousand messages.Many have tried to define Ayala's style. It has been called Art Deco meets the Middle East, for example. But the truth is that Ayala's style cannot be categorized. That is why every woman finds her own special radiance and very personal signature in the Ayala Bar jewelry she has chosen...cognizant of the trends in the fashion world, but always true to her inner vision. Blue Bus Studio . . . Artist Tim Garvin named the business for his inspiration Meher Baba. In 1939 Meher Baba and close associates made a lengthy tour of India in a small blue bus. Like all the great ones, his message can be summed up this way: the goal of life is to free ourselves in the love of God. Artistically, Tim looks at the world in detail, noting intricacies, contrasts, and rhythms of color to find and elaborate design. |
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