The Strategic Choice of Color and Theme in Artists' Work;

Use Your Inspiration To Inspire Your Customer To Buy

Little did I know when I photographed this unique sunset tonight that it contained key colors from the Pantone Fashion Color Report for Fall 2010!

You need not look any further than your back yard to find out where these pundits get their inspiration. The Top Ten colors expected to be in this season are;

* Endive - Pantene 13-0632

* Golden Glow - Pantone 5-1050

* Living Coral - Pantone 16-1546

* Lipstick Red - Pantone 19-1764

* Purple Orchid - Pantone 18-3027

* Chocolate Truffle - Pantone 19-1526

* Lagoon - Pantone 16-5418

* Woodbine - Pantone 18-0538

* Oyster Gray - Pantone 14-1107

* Rose Dust - Pantone 14-1307

Images and colors reminiscent of autumn leaves like these beads create a mood of contentment.

In addion to nature, color trends are also influenced by what's going on sociologically; In a time when the future is unsure and the economy is strained, buyers are likely to be looking for security, sustainability, making old methods new or reinterpreting retro styles. At the same time they will be looking for items in colors that evoke feelings of comfort and make them feel nurtured.

Give your items personal and sentimental value!

Rich antique golds, coppers, bronzes, metallic oranges, ambers, silvers, and iris colors that remind us of celebration, warmth, love, and abundance represent more than the object made with them and give the potential buyer a virtual "hug" in a form they can carry around with them through whatever hardships may come into their lives. They are little pieces of sunshine your customer invests in to squirrel away for a rainy day.

"Warm fuzzies" like these should be right at home with Fall and Winter shoppers if these predictions are correct;





The Lenzing Textile & Color Trends Autumn/Winter 2010/11; a system of 5 color schemes created for fabrics:

* Puritan; Elegant but weightless and meant for everyday wear

* Reflection; Light-changing fabrics, optical illusion, and other special effects

* Rugged; Merging the duality of urban and nature

* Exotic; Color, artistic with meticulous drawings and textures

* Identikit; Newest, high-tech material derived from building and military industries

These materials coming out on the market are not only important for the textile artist and clothing designer to be aware of but for jewelry designers/makers as well so that such accessories can be worn with clothing that buyers will be wearing this Fall and Winter.

The same eco trend paralleled in fabrics is present in jewelry, as well as Boho and Hippie Chic styles.  Flirty dangley chain earrings, crystal with posh-looking metalized finishes, and floral shapes are in. Mixing less expensive materials such as wood, shell, and glass with more expensive ones such as semi-precious gemstones and beads is predicted to be hot.  Also, lovely hand-forged metalwork is likely to be valued in lieu of bling.

Texture is predicted to be valued over big, bold color. Bracelets with one large charm, and oversized hearts are expected to come back into style. Interesting chains, cords, and ribbons will also gain popularity.

How Are These Trends Decided and Who's The Judge?

According to an article written by  By Hedda Schupak, Senior Editor, and Nancy Pier Sindt, Contributing Editor of The Jeweler's Circular Keystone Newsletter,  all these forecasts are decided 2 years in advance, and much like juried art shows what's hot and what's not is decided by small groups who meet and compare samples that they like. The fashion and accessories industries then follow that lead for fear or making a mistake and promoting the wrong color/styles. In otherwords, it appears that the market is less customer-driven than customers are product-driven to develop a taste for certain particular attributes.

Even so, one has to wonder where these small committees get their likes and dislikes. It is one of those chicken-or-the-egg type questions that is not so easily answered, and in the age of the internet where artists' work is so easily viewed by the masses there is no way of knowing when these elements of design first seeped into the collective unconscious (subconscious). This is exciting in some respects, because it means that any one of us at one time or another might have (or have had) an impact on what people like and want.

Read the Pantone Fall 2010 Fashion Report here;

http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20710&ca=4

Lenzing Textile and Color Trends Autumn/Winter 2010/11

http://www.fashiontrendsetter.com/content/color_trends/2009/Lenzing-Textile-Color-Trends-AW-2010-11.html

Cousin Innovative JewelryComponents, Programs, and Accessories

http://www.cousin.com/index.php/component/content/article/34

Jeweler's Circular Keystone

http://www.jckonline.com/article/293244-Fashion_Facets.php

The Elements of Style

Dawn Brandt of ElementsbyDawn has been selling her jewelry on Etsy since August 7, 2006, and loves geometric shapes with texture and pattern in them. Looking at her work one can tell that she incorporates circles into a lot of what she does, from Chainmaille to hammered textured cuffs and sterling, copper, and fine silver disks, to using round beads and chain. Experts have said that the round form is a shape humans are naturally drawn to, so if this is any indicator Dawn’s future will be bright.

When asked what techniques she would like to learn she said, “I’d like to be able to add more color, and thus some more dimension to my designs. Enameling, resin, and Prismacolor colored pencil are a few of the materials I’d like to incorporate into my designs. I’ve dabbled with Prismacolor, but haven’t perfected the technique yet.” Dawn describes it as a technique that blends the traditional methods of painting on canvas and coloring/drawing on metal. There are two ways to accomplish the results. One involves sandblasting the metal to give it "tooth" (which is not the method she does), and the other uses gesso; the method she uses. Then to prevent the surface from weathering over time and the color from coming off she uses an acrylic sealer.

Dawn is currently working on a collection due for release in the Summer of 2008. It will feature colorful vintage glass, vintage Swarovski crystal, and vintage Lucite.

Among the trade magazines she subscribes to are The Crafts Report, Art Jewelry, and Art Calendar. The Crafts Report has many useful articles on the business of crafting, Art Jewelry Magazine helps keep her abreast on new techniques and emerging artists, and Art Calendar keeps informed on national and local arts and craft shows.

For anyone just starting out in the jewelry crafting business or even just thinking about transforming a hobby into a bona fide business, she recommends the book Marketing and Selling Your Handmade Jewelry by Viki Lareau. This easy to read book covers many of the basic aspects of starting out in the crafting business.

If metalsmithing is your interest, The Complete Metalsmith – Pro Version by Tim McCreight is invaluable!

The book Dawn is currently reading is, How to Photograph Absolutely Everything by Tom Ang. “I am hoping to improve my photography skills, as product photography can really help or hinder your success in an online environment.”

Dawn belongs to The Art Jewelry Collective, WIST (a local Wisconsin street team), and will be exhibiting at the ART vs CRAFT show on December 8th in Milwaukee.

This artist accepts Checks, Money Orders, and accepts credit cards through both PayPal and ProPay. She also sends out a quarterly newsletter for those customers who would like to be notified when new pieces are available for sale.

Be sure to check out her whole collection at http://elementsbydawn.etsy.com/