Crafting an Artful Life: Imaginative Musings on Creativity By Victoria Lansford

Let Yourself Bloom

2 Apr

About 6 years ago, my previous next door neighbors cut down everything that was beautiful in the yard next door to mine. The 100 year old camellia, the massive rhododendron, 2 large water oaks, and more. Why they opted to buy a home in an urban forest instead of a clear-cut suburban development was beyond all of us as we…
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Spring Beauty…March Sadness

Behind the Scenes· Calligraphy· Current Projects· Inspiration· Painting· Workshops

19 Mar

Spring is here in Atlanta with the trees in my backyard budding, the few flowers that have survived our dogs blooming, and the splash of purple from my neighbor’s redbud tree making me do a double take every time I look out the kitchen window. I love that color prevails! We are so fortunate to have groceries delivered. After months…
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A Million Acts of Kindness

Inspiration

5 Mar

March 4th marked four years since I lost my greatest life and art mentor, my godmother and art-mom Bobbie Crow, really the person responsible for my not living in a padded cell. Some of us are fortunate to be born into and cherished by families of origin. Some of us are fortunate to be swept into such families at some…
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The Harsh Light of Reality + Surprise Relief

Behind the Scenes· Calligraphy· Current Projects· drawing· Illumination· Inspiration· Painting· Processes

19 Feb

This week, the big, final, studio puzzle piece arrived: a custom built flat file drawer cabinet that looks like an antique map drawer cabinet in pristine condition. I’d had slight heart failure last fall when my husband cc’d me on an email he’d sent about getting it custom built. As a highly productive, tools and materials pack rat, storage of…
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Cover Grrl

Art Jewelry· Current Projects· Exhibit· Inspiration· Teaching· Workshops

5 Feb

Yes, once again a cover grrl I am. Definitely not a typo! The new digital issue of Metalsmith Tech magazine features my ring Arc IV on the cover. Inside you’ll find my article, Ornamental Line Chasing, which details how I create intricate patterning on much of my artwork. The article, available with a digital subscription from SNAG, includes video tutorials…
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The Michael Bublé of Teachers

You are the Michael Bublé of teachers. If you’ve never seen him perform, it’s a real treat because he is so connected to his audience. When he’s on stage it’s all about the audience, not about him. His ego is nowhere to be found, and you teach the same way. You love what you do, and it comes through in your teaching. Thank you for that!

Geraldine Brophy, Metalsmith

Praise for Giving Voice: “Remarkable Work”

I love Giving Voice. This remarkable, inspiring and unique book is a magical journey unlike any other and is beautifully done. Rich colors and patterns metamorphise into stunnning images created by reknown artist Victoria Lansford. Her words dance and flow across the pages filled with insightful thoughts and expressions. The music is contemplative, sophistocated and lovely. I would highly recommend this book as a gift to others or for one’s self.

RogueJoan via Apple Books

Praise for Giving Voice: “Amazing”

Giving Voice is what ‘multimedia’ is supposed to be! Visual art, music, and spoken word brought together in a complementary manner. Whether you're checking out a few pages to get a quick pick-me-up of pen, ink, and piano, or parking yourself in one spot to lose yourself in the gestalt, or doing something in between, you’ll find something new inside to keep coming back to.

Anonymous via Apple Books

“Victoria is a true artist and shares her gift teaching with patience, passion, good humor, and enthusiasm…”

I just spent the most wonderful week-end with one of the best teachers that I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. Victoria is a true artist and shares her gift teaching with patience, passion, good humor, and enthusiasm...she has an infectious laugh, and you can't help laughing with her while she encourages you to achieve levels of skill that you didn't know you had. 11 other jewelry students and myself came into her workshop on Saturday having never picked up a hammer to do repousse ever before and all learned more from her in this one weekend than we thought possible. She spent time with each of us, pointing out better ways to solve whatever problems that we were having pushing the metal around to make it do our bidding. Victoria, I can't wait until you come back to us!

Patti D'Arbanville
Artist, Actress

“It’s beyond beautiful…”

No painting, song, or sculpture had ever moved me like your art did. It's beyond beautiful, I cannot describe my feelings. Each piece is so organic, they look alive. Each one left me with different feelings, mostly: wonder, amazement, happiness, and curiosity. Some even a soft anger or loss. But each one left me emotionally rolled. You're work is....life changing. I've finally heard the thundering beacon of what I want for my future. And that is to someday be as an amazing of an artist as you.

I thank you so much for what you do.

Alexandria Reyes
Phoenix, AZ

“I wish to compliment you on the wonderful DVD you and your production crew produced to introduce your method, knowledge, and vision for Russian Filigree…”

I wish to compliment you on the wonderful DVD you and your production crew produced to introduce your method, knowledge, and vision for Russian Filigree. The DVD demonstrates, so honestly, your dedication, skill and techniques that you have given to master this artful jewelry. You hold back nothing and give so much. This is the best teaching DVD that I have purchased in a long time. Thank you once more for the opportunity to learn from you.
Cordially,

Dolores Lewis
Dean Emeritus Moore College of Art

Crafting an Artful Life – Victoria’s Blog