HARD ROCK INSTALLATION - TAMPA, FL
When I was a kid I was always so envious of others who could draw well. And in my naive brain I felt that in order to be an artist you have to be able to draw. It wasn’t until much later that I noticed that art is EVERYWHERE. It’s in nature, buildings, fashion, furniture, music, makeup, dance. The list goes on and on. I also realized, EVERYBODY has some capacity to be creative.
I have been on a creative journey. In 2006, I made a pair of earrings out of a cracked DRUM CYMBAL. Since then I have cut into many more discarded drum cymbals. I have created countless jewelry designs, but I could’ve never imagined that I’d one day be creating an art installation for a Hard Rock Hotel. It’s funny how life works.
For years, I had been prepping for this moment, but didn’t realize it. I’ve tried many different methods to cut into the cymbals. I used to cut up the entire cymbal to make the jewelry, but somewhere along the way I realized if I strategically cut out the jewelry designs in a pattern, I’d have a pretty cool leftover piece of art.
In November 2019, my incredibly supportive family and I flew to Tampa, FL to install 62 cymbal skeletons on a wall at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel. After all the cymbals were on the wall, I stood in awe of what we had created. The installation turned out better than I could have ever imagined. Looking at what I had created allowed me to reflect on my journey and feelings of joy, gratitude and a sense of accomplishment came over me. In that moment, I felt like an artist.
If you missed it in my instagram stories, you can see the installation process in the Highlights on my profile page. And, as you could imagine, I have TONS of jewelry pieces cut and ready to be assembled.
#LoveResonates
xo,
Les
IMAGE CREDIT: Ashley Lippincott