I am proud to call myself an artist. Anyone who knows me, knows that art is my “thing.”
I have never been mathematically inclined. Anyone who knows me, knows that math is NOT my “thing.”
While I was preparing my new website, I knew how I wanted the product listings to look: photos + description + specifications. I worked on the photos first, because I knew that I would enjoy it; after all, photography is an art form in itself! I wrote the product descriptions next; I enjoy writing – it’s another form of creative expression. I put off the specifications (i.e., measurements) until the very end; I knew it would involve math, so I avoided it as long as I could.
However, once I got into the rhythm of measuring and recording each piece’s dimensions, a strange sense of familiarity came over me… And then it all came back to me: this was just like my previous job working as a Cataloguer at an art gallery! When I worked at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, I catalogued works of art in the permanent collection, documenting everything about the pieces (including measurements). I fondly remembered my time there, and my favourite art works, and how I enjoyed the process of recording all the facts unique to each piece.
And so, measuring and recording the specifications for my own creations did not turn into the daunting task I dreaded, but a fond trip down memory lane! Hmm, maybe math does have its good points… Lesson learned!
Melanie Ferguson, Artist/Owner, Mella Bella Designs