Artist JoAnne Bedient Puts Her Feet to the Fire

By Claudi Lynch, Artist and creator of ShoeStories™

JoAnne Bedient, one of Southwest Florida’s premier clay artists, blends realism and fantasy to create inventive raku shoes. She has always preferred hand-building pieces from clay instead of using a potter’s wheel, but discovering raku firing revolutionized her work.

What’s raku? It’s a Japanese ceramic firing technique that involves removing red-hot pieces from the kiln and placing them in combustible material like paper or straw. Smoke permeates the clay and glazes, creating luster, crackle patterns, and richly textured colors. Each firing produces unique results, and the continual experimentation of this method inspires the artist’s dramatic, whimsical and graceful works.

Bedient’s work can be found in juried shows as well as galleries around the United States. Notable exhibitions include the Really Big Shoe Show in St. Louis and a Washington DC exhibit for the 2000 presidential inauguration.

I stumbled upon JoAnne’s footwork at the Tower Gallery on Sanibel Island, FL a few weeks ago and immediately fell in love with it. I had to know more.

CL: Why a shoe? I heard a rumor about a red patent leather shoe your daughter bought in a vintage store, but what about it captured your imagination?

JB: I’ve always liked “different” shoes but had not thought of making shoes out of clay until my daughter bought a pair of red patent leather shoes from a vintage store while she was in college. I sat and admired the shoes and realized that the shine of the patent leather reminded me of my red glaze that I use in my raku. I’ve always looked at things around me and thought how to make them out of clay (even if I had no intention to do so!) So, I planned out the construction of a shoe and made my first one. Then I researched shoes down through history and made lots of realistic ones; some you really had to tap on to find out that they were ceramic. Someone asked me to do a show and I bravely asked if it could be shoes. That show was so well received! I had no idea what to think beforehand, but soon found out just how many shoe lovers there are and of course, that fed my enthusiasm for new ideas and making them. After I got the realistic ones out of my system, I let my imagination go on to the more whimsical ones. Shoes are little sculptures and can be anything, any idea, especially since you can’t really wear my creations!

CL: What sparks you to create a new shoe?

JB: Sometimes it is from a theme of a show I wish to enter, sometimes from a texture I see, but most often it is from an idea from someone who wants a special gift made. My golf shoe Dressed to a Tee (above) came from a woman who wanted a gift for her mother-in-law who loved to play golf, loved shoes, and had everything she could ever want already. My Fashion Emergency Shoe (below) is an old Cadillac ambulance. A woman wanted a shoe for her sister; their father had been in the shoe business and now her sister owned an ambulance business. My Birthday Boot is from a woman wanting a birthday shoe for her friend’s 50th birthday; because we are Wonder Woman by the time we turn fifty it just seemed appropriate. My Dance by the Light of the Moon (below) shoe came about from a client who is a quilting artist. She was divorced when her children were small and she had to do any creative work at night — by the light of the moon.

CL: You use a lot of puns in your titles. Does the pun ever spark the shoe? My favorite is your Gogh Gogh Boot; it’s like an aural intentional typo.

JB: Sometimes the pun comes first as in the Gogh Gogh Boot. Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is one of my favorite paintings and I had used that theme in other pieces. Growing up, when I was in about the fourth grade, Go Go Boots were popular. I didn’t have any, but some friends did. Now I have my own “Gogh Goghs”! Most times the pun comes later. My husband, who is a man of few words (usually) and a very punny sense of humor, comes up with many of the titles.

CL: The raku process seems a little risky. Is it? Does a shoe ever explode in mid-process? Do you start it over again or take it as a sign and move on?

JB: Because I have been working in clay for so many years, I don’t lose too many in the process of making or the first firing, but occasionally I do during a raku glaze firing, due to my own clumsiness. In raku firings, the pieces are lifted out of the kiln while they are red hot and glowing using tongs that are about four feet long. Every once in a while I don’t have a good hold on the piece and drop it. If I’ve liked my idea, I start over…

CL: Are there limitations in terms of detail when working with raku or with clay in general? Your work has a very chunky, sturdy feel that works well with the bright colors and shapes; is that an engineering thing or an aesthetic choice?

JB: Raku is a low fire process and the clay body is somewhat more fragile than other higher fired clay bodies such as stoneware; therefore I am sometimes limited on having anything thin sticking out from the shoe or a strap that is just dangling. I have to plan so that anything more fragile is attached to the shoe to stabilize it. That has at times made me have to be more creative by using feathers, wire or some other material as an addition to carry out my idea.

CL: Are these shoes one of a kind, or do you ever remake the same shoe because it’s a good seller?

JB: All of my shoes are originals of a sort. Each is hand built but I do remake some of the more popular ones. Each will be a tiny bit different because I don’t use patterns or molds. I have galleries requesting a certain shoe that a customer saw and it was sold when they came back for it, so I remake as closely as I can for them.

CL: Do you ever combine your categories, say, a teapot shoe or a — wait for it — pear of shoes?

JB: I do sometimes combine my categories, and I DO have a Pear of Shoes!  I also just did a small Dysfunctional Teapot with a pear on it, but I have not done a teapot shoe yet…have not come up with a worthy idea…gotta be a good one if it’s going to be a shoe — Maybe you just challenged me!

CL: Carrie Bradshaw said, “This is not a good economy in which to be whipped cream.” What are your strategies for staying a working artist at this time in history?

JB: My favorite quote, which is from Picasso, answers that best: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” People still need and want something that makes them smile.

CL: Which real shoes in your own closet are your favorites? Why?

JB: My closet does not look like Carrie Bradshaw’s! I am a 57-year-old artist living in Florida, and comfort plays a bigger part in my style than it used to. I do still love something a little different. My favorite shoes right now are a thin strappy zebra-striped sandal with a kitten heel and silver beads on the top. The other day, my husband (whom I mentioned is a man of few words) looked down at my feet and used a word I don’t remember ever hearing from him. He said, “Those are cute shoes!”. They became my favorites, partly because they make me smile at that word “cute” coming from him about a pair of shoes.

See JoAnne Bedient’s shoes at Tower Gallery, Sanibel Island, FL; Raiford Gallery, Roswell, GA; River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN; Grand Bohemian Gallery, Savannah, GA; Art@830, Key West, FL; and Armadillo, Ltd., Avalon, NJ; and online at www.jbedient.com.

HBO’s Mildred Pierce … or the Waitress at ShoeStories™?

Millie’s tragic story has always gotten to me, but the other night, something about it seemed so bland, so rehearsed. Hardboiled? It wasn’t even parboiled. My mind wandered, and I pictured Jimmy and Joan* spinning in their graves. In other parts of town, people with real problems were getting chopped and fired, and here I was, stuck with a waitress I didn’t care beans about. In no time flat her world would be crumbling around her, but I couldn’t muster up any feelings for her or her bratty kids.

The worst part was, it left me still jonesing for a hit of smart, witty noir fiction, the very fix I’d gone there to get. Lucky for me, I knew another place to find it.

ShoeStories™ would deliver, I was sure of that. There’s a waitress there who’s not hard to look at — a lot more pleasant than You-Know-Who in those frumpy brown dresses and frumpier aprons. You don’t have to wait three weeks to see how her story comes out, either.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said.

By the looks of her that wasn’t strictly true, but I let it slide. Something like that would never be the last straw with me. Besides, I hadn’t come here to sling the hash. If that was her story, I was willing to let her try and stick to it.

I like to spread my noir around a little, share it with a few close friends, and you can’t exactly giftwrap an HBO TV episode. I visited ShoeStories™ and got what I’d been lusting after. So did my friends.

*James M. Cain, author, and Joan Crawford, the REAL Mildred Pierce

New Las Vegas Hotel Steps It Up With 9-foot Stiletto Shoe Sculptures

News courtesy of FOOTWEAR PLUS Magazine, 2.25.2011 Viva Las Vegas With a swank new hotel adding to The Strip’s glam factor, a revolving door of designer-clad big spenders and an enclave of chic boutiques, the host city to many of the industry’s recent top trade shows is celebrating its status as a fashion authority in style. And off the show floor, visitors are still inundated with gorgeous footwear.

At The Cosmopolitan, which opened with grand fanfare on New Year’s Eve, sculptor Roark Gurley fills big shoes with 9-foot stiletto resin statues. The pieces are located on the hotel/casino’s second-floor promenade along side other irreverent Vegas artwork. And thanks to the rowdy Vegas crowd, the stilettos have already undergone one stage of repairs to fix a few chips and nicks since their debut. Even so, these shoes win big praise from footwear aficionados. —Angela Velasquez

Every Shoe Has A Story, Every Woman Has Both. Be Part Of The SOLE SISTERS Film Project!

It’s a universal truth that the right pair of shoes can lift both your spirits and your soles. That’s what SOLE SISTERS is all about, and now you can be part of this inspiring, empowering feature-length documentary film. Join forces with award-winning filmmaker Cynthia Salzman Mondell of Media Projects as she collects women’s stories and mounts the financial campaign for her SOLE SISTERS film project.

Share your most memorable story about shoes with SOLE SISTERS.   Tell them about the day you got your first heels or the time the doctor told you to switch to flats. Do you have that one pair that you will never let go off because it holds your sweetest memories? Which shoes did you wear in the happiest times of your life and what did they make you feel like? Do heels empower you? And if so, why do you think that is? Did someone fall head over heels for you because of your shoes? Every shoe has a story, every woman has both.

To entice you and your chocolate cravings, share your story by March 31, 2011.  Stories can be short or long, joyful or somber, sassy or classy – all are welcome. The stories will be considered for the SOLE SISTERS film project and renowned chocolatier Cocoandré has donated an irresistible chocolate heel for the best story. The contest ends on March 31^st. Send your stories tomail@mediaprojects.org and also visit Cocoandré at www.cocoandre.com.

Exclusive Shoe Painting To Be Auctioned At Wine, Women & Shoes Event

You don’t actually have to wear designer shoes to appreciate this beautiful oil painting.  But, one very fortunate footwear afficianado attending the Wine, Women & Shoes Patron Party on March 4, 2011, will place the winning bid for an exclusive work of art by Tulsa artist claudette.  The proceeds will benefit the YWCA in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The name of the painting is “la chaussure” … it means the “shoe” in French.  The oil painting is actually on two canvases, each measuring 24″ wide by 18″ high, that are displayed together making a breathtaking statement.

“la chaussure” by claudette

Learn more about this amazing woman in shuzsociety’s feature,  “claudette’s Gift ~ A Spirit To Visually Embrace”.

Embrace claudette’s gift and view her entire collection of original oil paintings at www.paintingsbyclaudette.com.  To inquire about upcoming exhibits or acquiring paintings, please contact Diane Gawey-Riley, artist representative, at 918.645.9918.

Ex-shoes-me! ShoeStories Holiday Cards and Prints Make Perfect Gifts

Intrigued?  Who wouldn’t be? A shoe with an ass…a beautiful flower…a broken heart…an impossible tree…a very private party.   Artist Claudia Lynch, creator of ShoeStories™, offers her witty illustrations as holiday cards, party invitations (blank inside) and signed, matte gicleé prints.

Ex-shoes-me, but you have to check these out … you’ll love’em!

ShoeStories™ Christmas Cards Pack of 6 Cards / White Envelopes $15.00 Larger quantities available upon request. GICLEÉ PRINTS Signed and matted (11″ X 14″): $75

View the entire collection of ShoeStories™ by Claudia Lynch at claudialynch.com/shoestories.

Claudette’s Gift ~ A Spirit To Visually Embrace

About a year ago, I met artist Judy claudette Williams through a mutual friend at a fashion show in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Sometimes you meet people and just feel their spirit.  I admired Judy’s incredible presence before I even experienced her artwork.  What’s even more moving is that she has survived breast cancer … twice!  Forced to change her lifestyle, she turned to a paint brush and allowed her spirit to create beautiful oil paintings.

Far be it for me to claim myself as a connoisseur of fine art, but I do recognize creativity that moves me.  I normally get that feeling when I see a beautifully crafted pair of shoes!  So, I love it when I discover an artist that blends my passion with theirs.   One of my favorite paintings by claudette is “she’s already taken” … you can see why!

Artist Statement ~

I recently placed a paint brush in my untrained hand and just began painting.  My first piece had an unplanned start and a totally unexpected ending.  For this ability, I have not an explanation.  Other artists, avid collectors and art instructors believe I have been given a “gift”.  Their advice was, “Whatever you are doing, just keep doing it”!  And so…..my alla prima style and technique began.
Even the reason I began to paint was unplanned and unexpected.  I feel I would be remiss to not share my story with you. I tell this not to gain sympathy.  Instead, I want to give hope, inspiration and share my new understanding of how quickly our lives can also have unplanned and unexpected changes.
In the last five years, I have survived breast cancer twice.  We all know what women endure during treatment, and I hope all of us do everything we can to find a cure.  What has totally changed my life is not only cancer.  I had a thyroidectomy four years ago that left me with bi-lateral vocal cord paralysis immediately after surgery.  I did not even know what this was or what was wrong.  I could barely breathe, could not talk and choked trying to swallow.  I eventually had to have a tracheostomy for approximately two years. My precious husband, of 38 years!!, searched for the best specialist to help us.  He found the best.  The Dr.  performed two irreversible and delicate surgeries so the tracheostomy could be removed.  The Dr. calls this procedure “the great compromise”. I am left with a soft voice, and even though I cannot sustain physical activity, I do not have a tracheostomy at this time.
Needless to say, seeing me so inactive, my family knew my spirit was withering. I have always been a very active and full of life person. To my surprise, they gave me a gift of everything I would need to start painting. Our daughter, now takes full credit for this idea!!  They knew painting could be an outlet for my creative nature that would not require physical activity. There was only one problem…..I did not know how to paint!!
Please know, my wish is for you to see and hopefully feel this “gift” of painting I have so passionately embraced.  Yes, painting has revived and saved my spirit.  It is my loving family that as always, saved my heart.   ~ claudette

Embrace claudette’s gift and view her entire collection of original oil paintings at www.paintingsbyclaudette.com.  To inquire about upcoming exhibits or acquiring paintings, please contact Diane Gawey-Riley, artist representative, at 918.645.9918.

Gulf Coast Disaster Inspires Artist To Create Piece – Proceeds to Benefit Friends of the Fishermen

Inspired by a day trip to Grand Isle, LA to see for myself what was happening with the oil disaster, these Mardi Gras beads are floating in oil. The booms surrounding the island (and where is Christo when you really need him?) reminded me, in a very eerie way, of Mardi Gras beads. The glittered evening gown, fur stole and “diamond” necklace are symbolic of the thoughtless excesses and greed that led us to this disaster. The fish, recycled from actual Mardi Gras beads and sanded down to expose some of their natural black color, are swimming away from Greed as fast as they can. Only a few of them are still breathing.

The result of this disheartening situation in the Gulf Coast inspired “Drill Baby Drill” and the desire to assist Friends of the Fishermen.

Drill Baby Drill
by Claudia Lynch

Mixed Media: Acrylic paint on canvas, vintage paper dolls, Mardi Gras beads, glitter, fake diamond.

Size: 14×11
Museum-wrapped canvas, painted on all sides.
Price: $300 plus a donation of at least $300 to Friends of the Fishermen (see below) ***

*** Tax-Deductible Art
I’d like to use this piece to raise some sorely-needed money for Louisiana fishermen and shrimpers who are either being put out of business or are forced to travel many extra hours each day just to get their boats to waters with clean seafood. Friends of the Fishermen is the officially sanctioned fundraising arm of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, and was created as a way to help Louisiana’s fishermen in their greatest time of need.

HERE’S MY PLAN: When you purchase this painting AND make a donation to Friends of the Fishermen that at least matches the purchase price (feel free to exceed my wildest expectations with that donation, which you can make online), YOU get the tax deduction for the donation. In thanks and respect for your generosity and good taste in art, I will make my own donation of $100 to Friends of the Fishermen. You can EMAIL ME to reserve this painting.

P.S. — I chose Friends of the Fishermen because it provides direct assistance to fishermen and shrimpers. I have no other affiliation with them. If you have another favorite organization that is directly involved in helping Louisiana fishermen and shrimpers through this disaster, your donation can be made to them instead.

High Heeled Art: Robert Tabor’s Shoe Sculptures

Give Robert Tabor a stiletto and he’ll create a work of art.  According to Julie Landry Laviolette for the Miami Harold, Tabor has handcrafted around 200 whimsical sculptures in the past 20 years. The Fort Lauderdale based artist’s shoe sculptures have been spotted anywhere from drag bars to a Ritz-Carlton presidential suite.  Which isn’t surprising when you take a look at Tabor’s work; there is nothing timid about it.  To him, the glitzier and zanier, the better.  Throughout his body of work, he depicts everything from a brisket sandwich to Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz.

Tabor spent the first 25 years of his career as a classically trained graphic designer, where he unleashed his talents on costuming, set design, and prop making.  This lifelong career in three dimensional design eventually culminated in the creation of a line of fantasy shoe sculptures.  The 200 plus sculptures consisted of different “series” ranging from the food themed to the afore mentioned Wizard of Oz.

The shoe sculptures, which sell for $350 to $1,500, are displayed every so often in exhibits around South Florida, most recently in Miami and Palm Beach.  When not on display, they rest on clear shelves in Tabor’s apartment.

Though Tabor has the most fun creating a full-fantasy line, complete with sequins, sparkles, and bling to spare, he recently commissioned 12 shoes, each to honor a different first lady, to be on permanent display at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach hotel’s presidential suite.  He unveiled the “Michelle Obama” shoe sculpture this past January.

Tabor goes to great lengths to ensure that each piece is a one-of-a-kind.  He scours clearance sales for women’s shoes to use as the framework for his art.  He favors high heels due to his love of the sexy silhouette of the stiletto.  For the body of the sculpture, he uses water-based clay that is molded and baked.  Decorations ranging from fabric scraps, false fingernails, hair curlers, and plenty of bling are then added for the finishing touch.  All his creations are spontaneous- created without the use of a template or mold so as to guarantee that no two can come out exactly alike.

For more about Robert Tabor and his designs, visit his web site at RobertTabor.com.

Austalian Pendragon Shoes ~ They’re Not Just For Elves Anymore

Okay, I know I just did a whole piece on elf shoes at Christmastime … Heavens to Etsy! You Don’t Have To Be A Shoemaker To Gift Like One. Apparently, I cannot get them out of my system. But stay with me here, because these amazing faerlie-inspired shoes are not just for elves. Big-name designers have discovered this mystical Australian footwear by Pendragon Shoes, and it’s in huge demand throughout the fashion and art world.

Pendragon Shoes is the name of the Australian designing and shoemaking duo Jackie Orme Ward and Adrian Lockwood. Their web site pendragonshoes.com — a work of art in itself — says that they make “Unique handcrafted leather shoes”, but somehow that seems like an understatement.

These are genuine works of art — and I shudder to think you’d ever shutter them away in your shoe closet. From a small workshop on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Adrian and Jackie accept commissions from around the world and create exclusive limited edition collections, costume shoes, and exhibition art pieces, all designed and made by the two of them, personally. There is no factory, and no elves to assist. “What we are about is a hands-on process with the emphasis on attention to detail. Rare buttons, antique buckles, vintage and hand tooled leathers combine to create the distinct Pendragon signature. You won’t find these shoes anywhere else!” say Adrian and Jackie.

“Since establishing the label in 1987, it has been our vision to create something extraordinary and unique; a quest to bring to life shoes you’d dreamt you might one day find; shoes to desire and delight…..shoes to treasure.” Works from their exhibitions, including “Metamorphosis”, “Visions of the Absurd in the Age of Reason”, “Secret Desires” and “Art in Shoes” (Munich), have toured around Australia as a retrospective for the last five years, and a pair of their shoes was acquired by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney in 1997.

Pendragon art shoes have featured at Milan Fashion Week 2007, Design Festa Tokyo 2008, and were most recently commissioned and photographed for a September 2009 Italian Vogue editorial by Steven Meisel and Karl Templer. The piece goes on for well over twenty pages, and looks like Fellini’s version of Commedia dell’Arte, mixed up with scenes from Les Miz and the Artful Dodger.

Of course, I wanted to know everything there is to know about these fantastical creations, and Adrian was kind enough to respond to my email questions almost immediately.
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Why shoes?  How did you get started in the art shoe business?  Did you begin in shoes or in costumes?

We met at University and teamed up because we were both into making things, and shared a few market stalls. The shoe thing was accidental really. We had a stall at a festival and made some pointy colorful boots to wear — half half colors and bells — and found we had orders. It grew out of that.

What did you make and sell at the market stalls?

All sorts of things:  jewelry, candles, tie dye, silkscreen, batik and hand painted fashion; sort of a swampy/fantasy collision vibe.

Why are you called Pendragon? I found something on Ebay called “Red Shoes” that appears to be a vinyl record by a group called Pendragon. Any connection?

No connection to the song or the band. Pendragon is an old Welsh name. The King Arthur of legend’s full name was Arthur Pendragon, Son of Uther Pendragon. It seemed appropriate to the shoes we were trying to make early on, the kind of shoes that fell out of faerie stories or through the cracks between worlds.

What and where is the Woodford Folk Festival?  Where else do you exhibit?  Can these be seen anywhere in the US?

Woodford Folk Festival is an amazing week long festival.  It’s held on a beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland property and runs from Boxing Day through to New Years Day every year. It started as a small folk festival but has grown to be an all-embracing arts/multicultural/ideas melting pot: music, circus, theater, workshops, debates, comedy, you name it…and camping. It culminates in an amazing fire ceremony held in a natural amphitheater at the top of the festival. If you get the chance,go! We also have exhibitions occasionally and do the odd market.

I haven’t found any retail sources, so I’m assuming all of your work is custom.  Are there any plans for retail sales?

You’re right, we don’t have any stockists and we have been largely custom made. This year however, we are looking to reinvent ourselves with an eye on exporting to Europe and the US. We are investigating possibilities.

Can you tell me some of the theatrical productions you’ve worked on?

We’ve done shoes for heaps of theatre over the years, but mainly for the Queensland Theater Company and Opera Queensland; also worked on a few films, the biggest one being “Peter Pan”.

Do you wear your own shoes, or are the cobbler’s children barefoot?

Nice question. Yes we wear our own shoes and Jackie’s children have the odd pair, mainly for dress-ups.

Which are your favorites?

The favorites are always the latest thing you make, I think. Currently, Alice booties and an older favourite, high autumn leaf boots with curly heels.

What are the curly heels made from on the autumn leaf boots? It looks like metal.

That’s right, they are blacksmithed steel.

Can you say a few words about remaining in business in this horrible economy by making something beautiful and perfect and not compromising to make them cheap and awful?

This is a tricky one; we have had probably the worst year financially ever this last year and the best creatively. Being asked to create boots for Steven Meisel’s Italian vogue photostory was a bolt from the blue and a great catalyst for us. Not compromising? I guess we are both very stubborn and have a blind faith in what we do. The idea has always been to bring something special into being and neither of us have a clue about business anyway…That’s probably the real reason.

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By Claudia Lynch, artist and shuzsociety “art & sole” columnist.  For more about Claudia Lynch, artist and creator of ShoeStories™, please visit her web site at www.claudialynch.com.

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