I've joined Toastmasters. I've participated in table topics, counted ums and ahs, and provided the word of the day (foible). Today I gave my first speech, which is called an Ice Breaker. Here's what I said, roughly:
Four years ago I took an
art class called mixed media collage and it changed my life. I immediately fell
in love with the process of collage because of its endless possibilities, and
because it has offered me a way to express my individual creativity.
Collage, by the way, is an
art technique where various materials are glued onto a surface, often layer
upon layer. Mixed media refers to the use of multiple materials for the collage
process, such as paper, paint, fabric, and 3-D objects (wood, metal, plastic,
beads, shells…). With collage, anything goes, and I love that freedom.
What I love most about the collage process is the challenge
of solving the puzzle that each new piece presents, working out the right
arrangement of materials, colors, textures, and composition.
Also, I have found that I
really enjoy working on a small scale. I love the intimacy of tiny collages as
well as the challenge of confining my art to such small boundaries. I
particularly like the format of the art card, examples of which you’ll find in
the baskets in front of you. The art card is the perfect format for me, small
and contained.
An art card measures
exactly 2½” x 3½” – the same size of a baseball card. Although art cards can be
made in any medium – paint, watercolor, drawing, print, photography – I utilize
the collage process for my pieces. And while art cards can have any subject
matter – landscape, portraiture, etc. – I do abstract art.
I refer to this type of
format as an art card, but that’s just a generic term. You might hear them
referred to by other, more specific, names and I’d like to take a moment to
explain the terms regarding this particular format.
Art cards that are traded
between artists are called Artist Trading Cards, or ATCs. If the same format of
art card is bought or sold, it is called an ACEO, which stands for Art Cards
Editions and Originals. Editions are copies or reproductions of an image,
whereas originals are unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of art. All of my art cards
are originals. So, the difference between ATCs and ACEOs is whether they are
traded or sold, but they both are art cards using the same exact format.
Like baseball cards, ATCs
and ACEOs are widely collected. If you search for the term ACEO on eBay, for
example, you’ll get over 16,000 results, and they will sell for anything from
1¢ to upwards of $300.
I’ve lost count, but I know
I’ve made over 400 art card collages.
A highlight of my art card
making was a year ago when I was invited to participate in a six-person art show
in Durango, in which I displayed 300 of my art cards. Here is a photo of me in
front of my installation.
That display took my husband and me
almost five hours to install. And it was a one-night show only!
Today, I’m still making my
art cards. My goal is to average one art card a day. I always document each
piece and post the photo on my blog. I have also just put a few of my cards on eBay for auction.
But I am most excited about
the launch of my online shop on etsy.com. Etsy, for those who are not familiar
with it, is an online marketplace, much like eBay, but focused on handmade and
vintage items, as well as arts and crafts supplies. My shop is called
MargotGallery, which is named after my grandmother, Margot Bulkley, who always
appreciated art and influenced my life-long love of the arts.
Here's what my evaluator had to say about my speech:
Q: What strong points does the speaker already have?
A: Well prepared, wonderful visual aids.
Q: How well did the audience get to know the speaker?
A: Very well through your art and explanation of it.
Q: Did the speaker reflect adequate preparation?
A: Yes!
Q: Did the speaker talk clearly and audibly?
A: Yes -- good pace.
Q: Did the speech have a definite opening, body, and conclusion?
A: Yes.
Q: Please comment on the speaker's use of notes.
A: Very appropriate, allowed eye contact. Note fantastic gestures and facial expressions.
Q: Would could the speaker have done differently that would have improved their speech?
A: I would like to hear more about how you make your cards and how they express yourself.
Q: What did you like about the presentation?
A: I learned something new -- ATC or ACEO difference.
Oh, and according to the Ah-counter, I said no ums or ahs.
1 comment:
As a Toastmaster myself, I'd say this about your evaluation: It's the evaluator's job to find SOMETHING to name as "needs improvement." In my opinion, the "needs improvement" you received was more of a "grasp at something" than a genuine "gee, if you'd added that, it woulda been better." I often (but not always) have that opinion when I hear evaluators say, "you shoulda said more about X."
In other words, what I'm saying is that I think your evaluator couldn't find anything better to criticize your speech on than some trumped-up "change the content of your speech" idea.
Is that annoying for me to write? I hope not. I'm shooting straight from the hip on this. I know what it's like to grapple to find an error in the speech... and to feel a huge relief when I can find one to list ... I, myself, refuse to trump up things just so I can sound like a good evaluator who is capable of finding errors.
OK, that probably sounds really arrogant, but I'm going to post it anyway.
Congratulations and I'd love to hear even more about it ... iffin' you'd like to share ... during our next phone chat.
Post a Comment