Found Object Friday with Guest Artist Barbara Buckles

Found Object Fridays: We artists love our collections don't we? Even as a child I remember foraging through flea markets and looking for special trinkets that caught my eye. Going for walks, to this day I find myself scanning the ground looking for interesting bits of metal or unique rocks to add to my collections. Long before I knew what I would be doing with them, I collected objects that pulled on something inside of me. As an artist I was thrilled to find there are others who love and collect little oddities and curiosities too. 

Over the course of ten Fridays I am honored to introduce ten different guest artists who will share some of the objects they love. You may recognize some of these names, while others may be new to you, each one is somebody whose style I admire. Check out the photos of their found object-and in a virtual show and tell, read about how it caught their attention and what they plan to do with it. Then check out their bios and links to learn more about each artist. . .

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I met Barbara Buckles through my website back in October after she saw my feature on Seth Apter's 30 Days/30 Artists blog feature. We share an affinity for all things creative and seem to hang out in the same places online. Barbara is a photographer from Chicago living in LA and the host of a new workshop venue "Make Art In LA" where I happily agreed to teach this October. Be sure to head over to the Make Art in LA and check out the cool location and outstanding line-up of workshop instructors. But first, check out Barbara's found object....

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Barbara Buckles, Found Object Friday

What is it?

It’s a little rose, only 1 ½” across, made entirely of seashells and sea glass found along the shore by someone else.

Where did you find it or purchase it?

It was given to me over 30 years ago when I had just moved to Kauai. I was visiting a new friend in her little beach cottage and was admiring it when she told me she had made it, and then she just gave it to me on the spot. I couldn’t believe she could give it away and have never forgotten that moment of pure, spontaneous generosity.

Barbara Buckles, Found Object Friday

What caught your attention about it?

What first caught my attention was how realistic it looked. How could shells possibly look so much like rose petals?

How will you use it?

I have had it on display wherever I create ever since then. It’s purely inspirational…a reminder of the natural world, of kindness and generosity, of art being something that is available to us with just a little imagination. It reminds me of the artist Andy Goldsworthy who makes art out of leaves, rocks, ice, twigs, etc. We needn’t go far to find inspiration, and we can use what we have at hand. And the art we make is a gift we give of ourselves. Even if we sell it, there’s a piece of our soul deep within it that’s given freely.

Barbara Buckles, Found Object Friday

Bio

I consider myself primarily a photographer but have been migrating to mixed media over the years. I’ve written a couple books and taught workshops in the past, but now I’m hosting workshops taught by other artists. Please visit our website (www.makeartinla.com), like our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/makeartinla), and follow us on Twitter @MakeArtinLA!