Hello again Scribblers! I have wonderful memories of when I was a boy, toting a sack full of lunch my mother packed for me and setting off on a great adventure through the local "forest".
That "forest", while enormous at the time was really just a copse of trees lining a drainage ditch. At the time, though, I was exploring a raging river through an enchanted wood.
I have never lost my love for trees nor the sense of awe they inspire in me. Over the years I've built houses in their branches, read in their shade, and photographed their beauty, so it seems natural that I now earn my living from the twigs and branches that they drop to the ground as gracious offerings.
Below is a photo of the lake my wife and I are blessed to live near. This was the first of my "warehouses" where the raw material for my work is found.
I strive to maintain Scribble Stix as an eco-friendly business and never cut a live tree. But there always seems to be an abundant supply lying at my feet.
I love working with my hands, creating and re-purposing what nature has discarded. This is the happiest I have ever been at any job or career.
I would love to hear what motivates you to create. The materials you use, your inspirations, and your "origin" story - why you do what you do. Please share your comments below.
Until next time, keep on creating !!
Hello! Welcome to Scribbles and Sticks, the blog to accompany my art/craft business, Scribble Stix. But, more importantly, I hope it provides a community base for all of us who strive (and sometimes stumble) to earn our living, express our creativity, and bring enjoyment through our various artistic methods.
The image above is from the back of my business card, a kind of "artist's bio" that many shops and galleries like to include with the work we consign or sell wholesale to them. As it says, my name is Bruce Palese. It sounds like "police", which is ironic because my father retired recently after many years as Chief of Police in my home town.
The "bio" also hints at the reasons I started my business and how the idea came about. But it doesn't tell the whole story. Like how anxious I was at losing my job at the tender age of 50 and the struggle I had finding work during The Great Recession we're now just starting to climb out of. Or how a few sticks (along with God's grace and my wife's love and support) saved my sanity and helped me keep my self-respect.
I'll tell you more about myself and my journey in future posts. I'll share what I've learned along the way and I'll reach out to some of the great people I've met and ask them to relate some of their stories.
It's my hope that we meet here often and offer tips, short cuts, must-do shows and shops, and shows and shops to avoid. To share stories and camaraderie. To commiserate and/or celebrate with like-minded creative types who "get" why we do what we do!
Please let me know what you think of the blog and offer helpful criticism and comments. Please don't hesitate to participate - it's your blog too!
Until next time, stay creative !!
