Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barbara Bucci. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Barbara, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Finally, another Amazon delivery…this time, a paper cutter! Being a collage artist, myself, I was used to cutting, slicing, ripping everything by hand…never once thinking “what would make my life easier?”…Rich did, he figured that the paper cutter would be something to do just that, make my life easier. Thanks, Honey!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
For me, these boxes were born in Isolation and Quarantine…a positive activity that nourished me in ways I never knew I needed. Once the Quarantine was over, I found that creating these collage boxes still gave me joy, so I continued creating for myself, my friends, a Boutique. Gallery Shows, & Commissions.
Do you like cats? I can make a Cat Box…something humorous with Cats as the featured Star of famous paintings…Cat With A Pearl Earring, Mona Lisa as a cat, Birth Of Venus with a kitty rising out of a clam shell…funny, charming and always well received!
I don’t know anyone in my area that’s doing what I do, and I must say that I like the unique niche that my boxes have fallen into. The requests that I have gotten for commissioned Mermaid Boxes & the responses from the recipients have been plentiful & positive. I’m pleased that I seem to have found a successful way to interpret client’s descriptions for the Commissions favorably. That is, for me always the biggest challenge…will I honor or do justice to the intention?
I’ve found that particularly with good friends & family that I’ve exchanged gifts with countless times over the years, that these Treasure Boxes fill a particular role in being the perfect gift for that person or persons that don’t need anything or that already have everything. I know that wall space for display can be an issue, but there’s always room for a Mermaid Box somewhere, especially because they’re utilitarian as well as uniquely creative.
Some of the materials included in these boxes are, paper, wallpaper, fabric, seashells, sea pearls, sea glass, crystals, cut out words, and bits of things that have been laying around my house for literally years, waiting patiently for this exact moment to finally arrive.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I remember taking Art classes in Grade School & High School; they were my favorite classes! I could shut off one part of my brain & let the other part run happily free. Neither myself nor my family had to financially subsidize these classes. They were covered as part of the school curriculum by the State. I find it disturbing and very sad to see that The Arts, generally speaking, are no longer considered worthy of similar State funding in schools as were available in the past. In my area, Martin County. Florida, local Art Teachers are scrimping for supplies and lamenting the constant lack of funds for their classes.
The Martin Artisans Guild, which is a group I belong to, is very aware of the challenges & limitations under which Art Teachers are having to teach these days in their classrooms. The lack of supplies due to State underfunding makes what should be a joyous learning process very frustrating for both students and teachers alike.
I see that a way for everyone to benefit from continuing Arts education is to rely on the financial help from members of the business communities, The Private Sector & the skills and energy of other Arts Groups, even if they themselves are Non-Profits.
Organizationally, this can be a challenge…the “ASKS” are not always easy, the fundraising is an ongoing endeavor BUT the rewards are plentiful & the gratitude enormous. The collaborations and the helping hands “up” will be what keeps the creative fires burning…Creatives helping Creatives…I’ve seen it work!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Experiencing the creative process, & trusting in the intuitive solutions that arise is the reward for me. Not necessarily having a visual end result in mind at the onset of a project or creation, leaves plenty of room for “going with the flow”. I’ve had to learn to trust being open to the development of visual ideas that eventually would lead to the perfect solutions for design balance & expression.
I like to think of myself as someone who “paints with paper” & someone who can be inspired by the randomness of patterns, textures & colors of the papers. It’s always a puzzle and with trust, patience & an open mind, generally the “ART” unfolds in a satisfying way. I have on occasion remarked to myself upon conclusion of a piece, “Wow, THAT sure came together in an unexpectedly favorable way!” THAT is the reward…creating something that never existed before.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.barbbuccicreations.com
Image Credits
Barb Bucci