November 1, 2024 • 32 mins
Experience the mesmerizing world of concrete art with Eric Strickland, the visionary behind Funky Designs, Unique Concrete. Eric takes us on a journey from his early days as a math teacher to becoming a pioneer in transforming industrial materials into vibrant masterpieces. Discover how an art degree and a passion for Prince led Eric to challenge conventional perceptions of concrete, creating stunning decor, jewelry, and abstract wall art. His story is not just about art—it's a testament to innovation, adaptability, and the surprising beauty that can be found in the most unexpected places.
Eric's path wasn't always paved with creative freedom; it took a leap of faith and some family inspiration to rekindle his artistic ambitions. Navigating the challenges of running a business, he shares insights learned from his entrepreneurial father, emphasizing the importance of time management and the occasional chaos of a cluttered workspace. But it's not only about the art; Eric's commitment to giving back shines through as he recounts his efforts to support LGBTQ youth, both in the classroom and through his rainbow jewelry line that benefits the Trevor Project.
Join us as we celebrate Eric's unique fusion of art and activism, offering listeners a chance to engage with his work through upcoming events like an opening reception and a concrete earring class. With an innovative blend of industrial materials and elegant design, Eric's creations captivate and inspire, setting a new standard in the world of concrete artistry. Get ready to be intrigued by the beauty and versatility of concrete, and learn how Eric Strickland is making an impact both artistically and socially.
The Prince painting in the office was by John Young of johnyoungdesign.com
Eric’s links:
http://www.funkydesignsoh.com/
https://www.facebook.com/funkydesignsoh/
https://www.instagram.com/funkydesignsoh/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/funkydesignsoh
Catch the doodles on YouTube
My socials:
Sign up for my monthly newsletter
Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com
Instagram: /Brewtifully
Facebook: /brewtifully
TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma
LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello everyone, welcome back to a new episode of
Brutally Made.
I am super excited, alwaysexcited, to bring you a new
artist and this is our Novemberexhibiting artist with me today,
eric Strickland.
Welcome, eric.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you, I'm so excited to do this.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Oh, I am so excited to have you share everything
that you do under Funky DesignConcrete or Funky Concrete
Design.
I don't want to mess up yourbusiness name, so I'm going to
throw it over to you.
I would love for you to justshare some basic information how
you got your name for yourbusiness and what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
So my business name is Funky Designs, Unique
Concrete, and so what I do is Iuse oh, I'm adding pigments into
my artisan concrete mix so Iget swirls of these bright
colors of concrete and I use itfor three things.
So first of all, it startedwith making decor, so I make
(01:09):
things like planters and incenseburners, bookends just things
you can place around your houseor your office.
And then I also have a line ofjewelry that I do with these
colorful pigmented concretestones.
I call it concrete and steelbecause I use my colorful
(01:29):
concrete stones and then I usestainless steel, and I think you
know what goes better withconcrete than steel.
So I went with this theme ofconcrete and steel and make just
really unique jewelry pieces.
Every piece comes out differentbecause I let the colors do
what they want to do.
And then, most recently, I'vecome back to my art degree,
(01:53):
where I used to paint and thingslike that, to use my pigmented
concrete as wall art.
So I'm doing what I callconcrete on canvas and I'm
basically abstract painting withcolors of concrete, and so
there's a lot of color andtexture that I use in there and
(02:15):
it doesn't look like anythingelse.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, I love going through the gallery on your
website, which we will share inthe show notes so everyone can
see all of the items that you'vealready described, and thank
you for confirming what the nameof your business is because I
forgot the word unique, and itreally really is.
I found you years ago, Ibelieve, on Etsy, and I
(02:39):
purchased one of your braceletsand didn't even realize that you
were at local shows.
So when.
I had this beautiful braceletand I ran into you I think it
was at Chris Crindle Market orsomething like that I was like,
oh my gosh, I have one of yourpieces.
And then it was just, and you're, you know, this big grid on
your face.
It was just phenomenal.
And over the years justfollowed what you've been doing.
(03:02):
And then, when I opened thestudio and then we got to
connect again, you were sointerested to exhibit and I said
absolutely, and oh my goodness,it was just like I had no idea
that you did this wall art.
And as I've been like slowlytelling people all of these
artists that are coming in androtating out per month, I'm
(03:23):
letting people know EricStrickland, he does concrete art
.
And they just look at me andthey're like it's going to hang
on the wall, you can wear it.
They have no clue.
And I'm like, trust me, yeah,trust me, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
People have this concept.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, I'm sure they do.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah, that's one of the first questions I always get
is well, is it really superheavy, like the earrings?
They think it's going to riptheir ears out or whatever.
And no, concrete actually turnsout is lighter than natural
stone.
It's just used for these bigheavy things, and so that's how
your brain kind of processesconcrete as this heavy thing.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
But you know, that's why it's so useful is, it's not
necessarily heavy.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I just love that there's stories about.
You know it's always like adesign project for a lot of
these schools or engineeringproject to do like concrete
canoes and things like that, andyou know it is a really, really
useful material.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Also one of your first questions there that kind
of got thrown in there, waswhere did the name of my
business come from?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Oh yes.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So I started my business as a business in 2018.
And this was not long after thepassing of the musician Prince,
and I am a lifelong Prince fan.
I've been there on release dayfor every single release since
1982.
(04:51):
For every single Prince albumand Prince single and all of the
stuff, and if I had my cameragoing which it's not, but if
you'd see a big Prince mural onthe wall behind me and lots of
artwork.
So, anyway, I started thebusiness in 2018, and what I
decided was I was going to gothrough the entire Prince
(05:13):
catalog and find just the rightsong.
And so there's an obscure songthat came out during that period
where everybody thought he wassilent but he was releasing
music online, and the song wascalled Funky Design and it just
kind of described what I do sowell, and so the name of my
business is kind of an homage toPrince.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That story.
I've never known that about him.
That is so cool, oh my goodness.
And you're welcome to send me apicture of that mural and, as
we're talking, I'll have it partof the slideshow on the.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
YouTube channel Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
So when they see the visuals, because I'm not
doodling, I'm sharing theartist's work whenever I get to
have y'all on the podcast, so Iwill throw that in there.
I would love to see it.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
It's terrific.
It was done by a Clevelandartist and it's not actually a
mural, but it looks like itbecause it's so big in
comparison to the size of myoffice.
Oh shoot, I'm going to forgethis name, but I'll put that
information.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, absolutely yeah no problem, we roll with the
punches around here.
So, that'll totally get addedto the notes.
That's great.
So I love to know, like howlong have you been an artist?
Because you go back to yourcanvas and say, you know, adopt
part of your art, but also howlong like the concrete influence
(06:40):
, and that as a medium, I meanlike how did that start?
And that as a medium I mean,like, how did that start?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So how long have I been an artist?
I've always.
I don't.
I can't remember a time where Ididn't think of myself as an
artist.
You know, even like, you know,five, six years old, I was
drawing stuff and it always kindof was part of my identity, my,
you know my self image, who Iam, yeah, identity, my, you know
(07:10):
my self-image, who I am, yeah,um.
So I, I got a degree in studioart from Marietta College, uh,
in 1994.
Um, I didn't know what to dowith it, that's so, as a studio
artist, and that was my, therewas no, um, no business, no
marketing, no marketing.
No, it was just I could paint,I could draw, I could sculpt a
(07:31):
bit, um, so I, you know, I justbasically was qualified to be a
starving artist and, uh, so, and, um, you know, pair that with a
, with a philosophy minor, andyou know, it was like it felt
like the most useless degreeever.
And I actually went back toschool and became a math teacher
for 16 years.
(07:51):
Why math?
Because most schools only haveone art teacher and I needed
something a little bit moremarketable, just because I was
at that point where I wasstarting a family and all that.
But what I discovered was that,well, a few things One, I
didn't have time for an artisticoutlet and as somebody that
(08:16):
self-identified as an artist, itwas kind of soul crushing.
And then teaching.
I'm so glad that I spent thattime of my life teaching, but it
also.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
You know, I burned out.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You know, it's just this, all of the pressures from.
You know, there's alwayssomebody different in the
administration with differentexpectations, parents that
thought they knew teachingbetter than the teachers did,
and so they're just all of thegovernment trying to do their
thing.
And so it was very frustratingto be a teacher and just as I
(08:58):
was getting to that point whereI can't do this anymore, I'm
halfway through, and if I keepgoing, the stress of all this is
going to kill me.
I was introduced to my sisterwho, her husband, was doing
tiling on the outer bags, butthen he started doing some
(09:21):
concrete countertops and workingwith pigments in there and
getting these really fascinatingeffects from it, and my sister
was doing some really cool decorstuff with it also, and she
invited me into her studio and Isaw what they both were doing.
(09:42):
She taught me some things, hetaught me some things.
I threw myself into doing someresearch about this process of
working with concrete as anartistic medium, and we were
fortunate enough to have ourmortgage paid off, and it was.
(10:04):
You know, if there was a timewhere I was going to walk away
from teaching and start orreturn to being an artist, this
was the time.
And so I just I threw myselfinto it and, um, it started with
doing the decor stuff I did,you know, early on, it was
trying to copy what my sisterdid, which you know there's,
(10:27):
there's an element of I need tofind myself, I don't want to
steal her cool thing, I want tomake it myself doing.
You know, within the first twoor three months of doing this,
you know, as you know, going outand doing craft shows and
(10:56):
things like that, I always havea little bit of concrete left
after casting a piece.
And so, well, you know, itwasn't enough to do anything
substantial with.
But I, you know, kind of trysome things.
And I think it was my wife thatsuggested, well, maybe you
could do some jewelry with it.
And I laughed, I thought, well,concrete jewelry, that's so.
Anyway, I tried it and theresults were really very
(11:19):
striking and it wasn't heavy oranything like that.
And so I started doing somelittle pendants and things.
And then, you know, it just kindof evolved and each success
would lead me off into somethingelse.
And I frequently tell customers, you know, where do you get
(11:43):
your ideas?
Well, it all starts with well,that's a stupid idea, let's try
it anyway.
And so you know all these, youknow, sometimes the experiments
go well, sometimes they don't,and I learn from them, but at
any rate it always, you know,moves me forward.
(12:04):
And so the jewelry kind ofbecame a thing.
And that's actually the jewelryis what let me actually make a
living doing this.
And then, most recently,getting back to my art degree of
working on canvases and thingslike that, using my design eye
and all that to actually doartwork with this is, you know,
(12:25):
kind of getting me to where Iwant to be.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
That journey.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Kudos to the wife, because, as we speak about what
you're going to be doing in thegallery studio brutally, I also
have to thank her for pushingyou towards the class.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
So I think that continuing to run.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Those ideas by her are perfect, because you're, you
know, you're hesitant as anartist.
You know, uh, am I going to beable to do something with this
idea?
And we always just let fearcreep in slowly, and I'm glad
that you're battling that andjust going out there and trying
because that's what we need tohear that you know.
You're giving people permissionto just try.
(13:12):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
And that's, that's a huge part of.
Well, you know, art is not.
You hear this all the timeArt's not a product, it's a
process.
And you know, and, and so youknow, every time I do, I I had a
situation where I had thiscanvas that I felt like was
almost done.
I was so happy with it.
It just needed one more element.
And then I, you know, I hemmedand hawed over it for a couple
(13:35):
of weeks and then I'm like, okay, I'm just gonna do this thing.
And, as I was doing, I'm likeI'm ruining this and, and I
probably did.
But then like, um, so I did abunch of things to that canvas.
I sanded it down, I uh, I didsome scraping on it and and, and
it's back to being one stepaway from something that I'm
(13:57):
really proud of.
So, you know, it's, it's, it'sthat.
Ah, I just got to get.
I got, I got to get past myfear of ruining things and just
do it and see what happens.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Get out of our own way.
Yeah, we are the worst.
I swear I totally have beenthere.
I understand that so deeply, mygosh.
Well, so before the concrete,what was your main medium?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
So I guess I really I mean, I did oil and acrylic and
watercolor.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Okay, so painting.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Excuse me, I like to draw and stuff, but I think
watercolor was probably mymedium of choice.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Really so that's just such a juxtaposition, where the
concrete, the heaviness, thetexture, and then the light and
loft.
You know, lofty watercolor.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I love that.
I mean just amazing.
I'll tell you what the mostobvious thing about my artwork
is the foreground and thesereally bold, striking lines.
But if you look past that, atthe background that I've created
, behind it there's a lot oflike flowing colors and blending
, and so there's.
You know that it's still inthere, that it's just it's not
(15:12):
obvious.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yeah, it's good, though, the depth that you get
to capture, and while you'relooking at a piece, I think that
that's a great thing to letpeople know to look for when
they're seeing them, because Ilove your dimensional pieces as
well as the jewelry, so when weget to see the canvas at the
exhibit, that's going to befirst for me.
(15:34):
I don't know that I've everseen any of your canvases, so
I'm very excited that we'regoing to get to see that,
because that's going to be newfor me to see.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Oh my goodness yeah, it's, it's a process moving
those around and setting up.
So unless I'm doing a multi-dayshow, I don't bring them out on
the road with me.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Makes sense.
That makes sense.
Where?
Where do you find yourinspiration for, like, what to
make or the color combinationsthat you create?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
So a lot of my inspiration is actually the
material itself.
You know I'll be doingsomething like, wow, look at
what that concrete just did.
And then I try to recreate it.
Sometimes it's conversationswith people that you know they
see something else and then I,oh, that's really neat.
I recently have started goinginto the local rock shop and
(16:33):
picking up like colorful graveland stuff like that, like I just
did a piece with some greenquartz glitter in it and I sold
one this past summer that hadsome amethysts in it, and so
doing like, because you know,know, concrete it's, the
concrete itself is fairly mattein its finish, and so getting
some of that, uh, you know, thenatural stone in there to add it
a little sparkle or whatever,it gives it some some more depth
(16:56):
of things.
Um, so there's um.
So sometimes I'm inspired by thematerials.
Sometimes, you know, as far ascolor combinations, um, I'm
looking at, you know, sunsets,or I see a cool piece of artwork
.
I'm a big music fan andsometimes I'll just flip through
the records and, oh, look atthis album cover.
(17:17):
I love these colors together.
Um, and it because, um, so whenI was painting, I'd have a
whole array of colors before me,you know, any color of the
rainbow is just a matter ofsqueezing some paint out onto
the palette or mixing the rightcolor.
You know watercolors orwhatever, working in concrete,
(17:38):
because concrete wants to curevery quickly.
I have to pick a palette.
It's got to be a fairly limitedpalette.
I have to pick a palette.
It's got to be a fairly limitedpalette.
I have to work fast and sogetting, you know, a selection
of like three or four colors andyes, I can blend some as I work
, but it's because I work sofast, you know it's it starts
(18:00):
with getting the right set ofcolors to work with.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
It seems like a fun challenge.
You know, you know you've got atime limit, you know that
there's these stipulations thatyou, you know, are kind of
framing your work, and that's acool challenge to have.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
It is in the, in the material.
I'll have to show you this,this pair of pieces.
When we set up that, I didthese two smallish square
canvases I think they're 10 by10 or 12 by 12 or something like
that.
But anyway, I did one pieceright after I made the mix and
(18:39):
there's like blue and red andwhite and black and a little bit
of purple in there and thecolors.
When I poured them onto thecanvas they just flowed and made
you would swear that myintention was to make these this
beautiful cloudscape, and itreally it looks like the sun
streaming through the clouds.
And then, like maybe 10, 15minutes later, that color had
started, all of the concrete hadstarted to start to set a
(19:02):
little bit, and so I poured ontothe canvas and it did not want
to move, it didn't flow, flow,and I was actually like banging
that canvas on the floor, tryingto get it to spread across the,
uh, the canvas, and, and sowhat it did was it kept its
tight line, that there was noblending of the colors, um, just
(19:23):
these really cool swirls.
And so the two pieces together,I told you, one looks like the
cloud, the other one looks likethe swirl, like the surface of
the water underneath thoseclouds, and so they're such an
excellent pair because notbecause of anything I did
intentionally, but because ofhow the material acts.
(19:45):
Yeah, you know, and that's howthat, like, like I said, the
material becomes its owninspiration yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Oh yeah, I can't wait to check this out.
I can't wait to see this and Ilove the explanation of, like
how it you know became and howthey complement one another even
though they're you know theintention was to have the
similar colors but the, you know, final pieces look totally
different but still relate.
So happy accidents, we lovethose Serendipity, my favorite.
(20:16):
That's right, my favorite word.
I love that word.
Oh, my goodness.
So what do you feel like?
Your biggest challenge is justas an artist overall, not just
you know working with thatmedium, but what's your, what's
your biggest challenge?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Um, so I make um my money out on the road I do.
This year I'll have, um I think, 53 dates where I'm actually
out doing a show and I likesomething like Yankee peddler.
That's six days right there, um, but so, but to what I do, and
(21:03):
I don't have employees, it'sjust me.
So I have to do all the jobsand that's all stuff and do
promotion and social media andmake the packages that I sell my
stuff in and then buildingdisplays so I can manage my
in-person shopping experienceand all these other things that
you know I had no concept of.
(21:24):
You know it's, you know it's,but on the flip side, that's the
challenge of it.
But that's also what makes itfun and exciting for me, because
I'm not doing the same thingevery day and if I don't feel
like working at Canvas, I can bedoing the web design.
I can do, I can be photography,photographing, I can be
(21:48):
shooting pictures of my work sothat I can, you know, put it up
on the web or, you know, promoteon the website or or whatever.
But, um, there's so much that'sinvolved in having a business
that you know and andfortunately, you know my father,
um, he started, he, he had abusiness that he ran out of the
(22:10):
house.
You know he had a conveniencestore up in Booth Bay, harbor,
maine, where my high schoolyears were and you know.
So I got to see that it's notjust the front facing stuff.
I mean, there's all of thebehind the scenes work that goes
into doing something like this,that nobody ever sees, work
that goes into doing somethinglike this that nobody ever sees,
(22:32):
and but as far as challengegoes, I mean I've got a list of
things I want to try.
So the inspiration is theinspiration for years and years
and years was like what am Igoing to do?
What am I going to do?
And then I figured out what I'mgoing to do and now I've got
more things to try as and I havetime to do.
So it's, it's time management,it's all of the other stuff that
(22:53):
goes along with um, doing,doing this as a business.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah, yeah, On the business side I I hear you loud
and clear.
I get that too I my heart is inthe art, but I still have a
business to run.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, the other.
The other thing that comes tome as far as a challenge is,
because of all of these things,because of my kind of chaotic
nature of working, keeping aclean workspace is all but
impossible for me.
And so, like this weekend, mywife walks into the room.
She's like I just look likejust a ball of stress, like what
(23:31):
is the problem?
I said I've just spent 45minutes looking for a pair of
wire computers.
I never did find them.
I like I had them, yeah, twodays ago, and then they're gone
and I'm trying to, you know, putnew wire up my canvases so that
we can display them at brew toflee, and just you know, just
the chaos of it all.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
And you know, put new wire up my canvases so that we
can display them at brew to flee, and just you know, just the
chaos of it all, and you knowand you probably carried them in
another room and didn't evenrealize it, or something right,
right, yeah, so you know that's.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Yeah, that's the other big challenge, but that's
more of a me challenge.
Than uh, than uh.
You know running a business myown, a than a, you know running
a business, my own.
I'm just a chaotic person, Iguess.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
You don't seem chaotic now, Eric, you're very
organized.
I don't believe that, so Iwould love to let everybody know
, like how I know you're atshows you do a ton of shows, but
where can they find, like,where those shows are and where
you're at?
How do they find you and followyou?
Speaker 2 (24:30):
okay.
So my website, uh, is probablyyou can find everything else
from there uh, my website isfunky designs, oh for ohio.
Funky designs, ohcom.
Um, all of my social medias arealso funky designs, oh H, uh.
So that's on Instagram andFacebook and threads and
(24:51):
whatever.
And then, um, all you can findsome of my work on Etsy.
Um, it's the.
The frustrating thing about theweb is, you know, like I said,
most of my income comes fromdoing the jewelry, but every
piece of jewelry is different,and so there's not actually a
lot of jewelry on the website,because I would have to do
(25:11):
separate listings for everysingle piece because each one is
different.
So the best.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
I have been at your shows and you have a lot of
selections, so I do not blameyou for placing them all on
there Definitely.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
So, oh goodness.
But yeah, my calendar is up on,is also up on the website, and,
um, you know, between now andthe end of the year I've got
shows in akron and canton, uh,in pittsburgh, not columbus,
cleveland, and then you know, Ithat's I do all over, you know,
the eastern half of the country,or the country, the eastern
(25:47):
half of the state, and then intoPittsburgh, and so you know, if
you want to see all the jewelry, that's the best place to catch
me is find me on the road.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Yeah, I agree Totally .
So I also want to talk abouthow you give back to
organizations.
Can you explain some of theways that you do that and some
of the organizations that yousupport.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
All right.
So as a teacher, I always triedto make my classroom a very
safe space, which with highschool students can be a
challenge, and it turned outthat my LGBTQ students were so
(26:34):
incredibly grateful to that forthat and it made a big impact on
them.
And so, you know and I taughtin a pretty rural place and so
there's, you know, there wasn'ta lot of that kind of safe space
mentality going on.
So when I left teaching Iwanted to find a way to continue
to help those students.
(26:54):
The LGBTQ population is thehighest suicide risk amongst our
youth, and so there's anorganization called the Trevor
Project and that is their goalis to end youth LGBTQ suicide.
(27:15):
And so that kind of became theorganization that I casting
rainbow stones to do rainbowjewelry, and I donated 25% of
(27:40):
all of that to the TrevorProject, and each year I add in
a new flag.
So this past year was the fifthyear of doing it.
I have rainbow, I had trans BiLesbian of doing it.
I have Rainbow, I had Trans BiLesbian and Pan.
(28:01):
So it's become like a wholeline of jewelry that I do and
all of that I donate 25% to theTrevor Project.
So to this point I've raisedabout $2,800 for them with this
goal of ending youth LGBTQsuicide, and it's one of those
(28:24):
things where even having thatkind of thing out in a
mainstream event helps them feelincluded, feel seen, and that's
so important.
And so I don't have a whole lotto share at this point, because
(28:45):
it's usually a pride monththing, but I do have the rainbow
pendants up on my website andI'm, and I will continue to,
donate 25%, so if you go tofunkydesignsohcom, you'll see
some of that work up there, andso, like I said, each year I
(29:08):
added a new one, and right now Ibasically take votes for what
to add next year.
Okay, basically take votes foryou know what to add next year.
Okay, and the leading votegetter for next year is shoot.
I've forgotten that's okay.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
We'll catch it up on the show notes because I'm
definitely going to call outthat pendant, so people know
exactly where to find that.
And then also put the link forthe Trevor project on.
I absolutely love that you'redoing that.
That has my heart.
That's where I got my rainbowbracelet was from your shop when
you had it for Pride Month, andI absolutely want to make sure
(29:55):
people know that my space isinclusive and accepting and a
safe space for everybody, and soI just wanted to reiterate how
much I love that you'resupporting the Trevor Project
and how I'm going to be surethat that information is in the
show notes, because that is justtremendous.
I love that you're doing that,eric notes, because that is just
tremendous.
(30:15):
I love that you're doing that,thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Yeah, so do you have any preferred ways people
contact you if they have aspecial request?
Do you even take specialrequests like holidays are
coming up?
What if somebody wantssomething specific?
Do you do things like on acommission basis?
Speaker 2 (30:34):
So it's one of those things where I'm always open to
it and people say, well, I'llreach out, and it's very rare
that it actually happens.
But if you want to email me, myemail address is eric at
funkydesignsohcom.
That's really the best way toget a hold of me.
Designsohcom, that's really thebest way to get a hold of me.
(30:58):
Please, if you do so, let meknow that you heard me on the
Brutally.
Made podcast, just because I getspam like everybody else does.
And there's this unfortunatetrend I'm seeing of targeting
artists who are, you know, we'renot a wealthy group folks, and
you know and so that happens alot.
(31:21):
Oh my gosh, it's terrible.
So, um, yeah, so let me knowspecifically where you heard me
and what you have in mind, so Idon't, uh, you know, throw that
in the spam folder.
Yeah, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Yeah, definitely, and we'll have their contact
information in the spam folder.
Yeah, I appreciate that.
Yeah, definitely, and we'llhave your contact information in
the show notes as well.
Okay, so, eric, did I misssharing anything that you wanted
to share other than on November3rd, sunday, that is, your
opening reception at brutally atOakwood square, from one to
three?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
Please come out and see his work.
Oh my goodness.
I'm excited, so excited aboutthat yes, and then on November
12th in the evening 6 to 8, wehave a concrete earring class.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Yeah, so what I've done is I've made up a bunch of
like.
I went through my stones and Ifound I don't know 100 pairs of
of stones that match becausethat's part of the problem is
like even two stones they don't.
I can't make two stones thatare exactly identical, but I can
get them pretty close.
So, yeah, I went through andfound a bunch of pairs of stones
that and then we'll get all theparts out and I'll teach people
(32:31):
how to assemble them and Mountthe stones.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
And you'll get to use the metal and the concrete
right, If that's the, that's thejust love that urban like look
and feel of it.
It's just so cool yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
I like the irony of you know these very industrial
materials, but it's kind of a,it's a very finished.
Look when it's done and itlooks it kind of.
Look when it's done and itlooks it kind of um, beautiful.
I love the matte finish of itoh yeah, yep I, it's elegant it
makes it look different thanother other stuff.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
So yeah, yeah, I love that you, uh, have not once
said that you're following thistrend.
You are setting a trend.
You are setting up a wholebeautiful look all on your own,
and I'm just very excited tointroduce it to the community if
they have not got to experienceit yet.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
So thank you so much, absolutely Thank you.
It's been a pleasure and I lookforward to November.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
I know it's here already Thanks again.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Absolutely, thank you .
Hello everyone, welcome back to a new episode of
Brutally Made.
I am super excited, alwaysexcited, to bring you a new
artist and this is our Novemberexhibiting artist with me today,
eric Strickland.
Welcome, eric.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you, I'm so excited to do this.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Oh, I am so excited to have you share everything
that you do under Funky DesignConcrete or Funky Concrete
Design.
I don't want to mess up yourbusiness name, so I'm going to
throw it over to you.
I would love for you to justshare some basic information how
you got your name for yourbusiness and what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
So my business name is Funky Designs, Unique
Concrete, and so what I do is Iuse oh, I'm adding pigments into
my artisan concrete mix so Iget swirls of these bright
colors of concrete and I use itfor three things.
So first of all, it startedwith making decor, so I make
(01:09):
things like planters and incenseburners, bookends just things
you can place around your houseor your office.
And then I also have a line ofjewelry that I do with these
colorful pigmented concretestones.
I call it concrete and steelbecause I use my colorful
(01:29):
concrete stones and then I usestainless steel, and I think you
know what goes better withconcrete than steel.
So I went with this theme ofconcrete and steel and make just
really unique jewelry pieces.
Every piece comes out differentbecause I let the colors do
what they want to do.
And then, most recently, I'vecome back to my art degree,
(01:53):
where I used to paint and thingslike that, to use my pigmented
concrete as wall art.
So I'm doing what I callconcrete on canvas and I'm
basically abstract painting withcolors of concrete, and so
there's a lot of color andtexture that I use in there and
(02:15):
it doesn't look like anythingelse.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, I love going through the gallery on your
website, which we will share inthe show notes so everyone can
see all of the items that you'vealready described, and thank
you for confirming what the nameof your business is because I
forgot the word unique, and itreally really is.
I found you years ago, Ibelieve, on Etsy, and I
(02:39):
purchased one of your braceletsand didn't even realize that you
were at local shows.
So when.
I had this beautiful braceletand I ran into you I think it
was at Chris Crindle Market orsomething like that I was like,
oh my gosh, I have one of yourpieces.
And then it was just, and you're, you know, this big grid on
your face.
It was just phenomenal.
And over the years justfollowed what you've been doing.
(03:02):
And then, when I opened thestudio and then we got to
connect again, you were sointerested to exhibit and I said
absolutely, and oh my goodness,it was just like I had no idea
that you did this wall art.
And as I've been like slowlytelling people all of these
artists that are coming in androtating out per month, I'm
(03:23):
letting people know EricStrickland, he does concrete art
.
And they just look at me andthey're like it's going to hang
on the wall, you can wear it.
They have no clue.
And I'm like, trust me, yeah,trust me, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
People have this concept.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, I'm sure they do.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah, that's one of the first questions I always get
is well, is it really superheavy, like the earrings?
They think it's going to riptheir ears out or whatever.
And no, concrete actually turnsout is lighter than natural
stone.
It's just used for these bigheavy things, and so that's how
your brain kind of processesconcrete as this heavy thing.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
But you know, that's why it's so useful is, it's not
necessarily heavy.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I just love that there's stories about.
You know it's always like adesign project for a lot of
these schools or engineeringproject to do like concrete
canoes and things like that, andyou know it is a really, really
useful material.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Also one of your first questions there that kind
of got thrown in there, waswhere did the name of my
business come from?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Oh yes.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So I started my business as a business in 2018.
And this was not long after thepassing of the musician Prince,
and I am a lifelong Prince fan.
I've been there on release dayfor every single release since
1982.
(04:51):
For every single Prince albumand Prince single and all of the
stuff, and if I had my cameragoing which it's not, but if
you'd see a big Prince mural onthe wall behind me and lots of
artwork.
So, anyway, I started thebusiness in 2018, and what I
decided was I was going to gothrough the entire Prince
(05:13):
catalog and find just the rightsong.
And so there's an obscure songthat came out during that period
where everybody thought he wassilent but he was releasing
music online, and the song wascalled Funky Design and it just
kind of described what I do sowell, and so the name of my
business is kind of an homage toPrince.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That story.
I've never known that about him.
That is so cool, oh my goodness.
And you're welcome to send me apicture of that mural and, as
we're talking, I'll have it partof the slideshow on the.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
YouTube channel Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
So when they see the visuals, because I'm not
doodling, I'm sharing theartist's work whenever I get to
have y'all on the podcast, so Iwill throw that in there.
I would love to see it.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
It's terrific.
It was done by a Clevelandartist and it's not actually a
mural, but it looks like itbecause it's so big in
comparison to the size of myoffice.
Oh shoot, I'm going to forgethis name, but I'll put that
information.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, absolutely yeah no problem, we roll with the
punches around here.
So, that'll totally get addedto the notes.
That's great.
So I love to know, like howlong have you been an artist?
Because you go back to yourcanvas and say, you know, adopt
part of your art, but also howlong like the concrete influence
(06:40):
, and that as a medium, I meanlike how did that start?
And that as a medium I mean,like, how did that start?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So how long have I been an artist?
I've always.
I don't.
I can't remember a time where Ididn't think of myself as an
artist.
You know, even like, you know,five, six years old, I was
drawing stuff and it always kindof was part of my identity, my,
you know my self image, who Iam, yeah, identity, my, you know
(07:10):
my self-image, who I am, yeah,um.
So I, I got a degree in studioart from Marietta College, uh,
in 1994.
Um, I didn't know what to dowith it, that's so, as a studio
artist, and that was my, therewas no, um, no business, no
marketing, no marketing.
No, it was just I could paint,I could draw, I could sculpt a
(07:31):
bit, um, so I, you know, I justbasically was qualified to be a
starving artist and, uh, so, and, um, you know, pair that with a
, with a philosophy minor, andyou know, it was like it felt
like the most useless degreeever.
And I actually went back toschool and became a math teacher
for 16 years.
(07:51):
Why math?
Because most schools only haveone art teacher and I needed
something a little bit moremarketable, just because I was
at that point where I wasstarting a family and all that.
But what I discovered was that,well, a few things One, I
didn't have time for an artisticoutlet and as somebody that
(08:16):
self-identified as an artist, itwas kind of soul crushing.
And then teaching.
I'm so glad that I spent thattime of my life teaching, but it
also.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
You know, I burned out.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
You know, it's just this, all of the pressures from.
You know, there's alwayssomebody different in the
administration with differentexpectations, parents that
thought they knew teachingbetter than the teachers did,
and so they're just all of thegovernment trying to do their
thing.
And so it was very frustratingto be a teacher and just as I
(08:58):
was getting to that point whereI can't do this anymore, I'm
halfway through, and if I keepgoing, the stress of all this is
going to kill me.
I was introduced to my sisterwho, her husband, was doing
tiling on the outer bags, butthen he started doing some
(09:21):
concrete countertops and workingwith pigments in there and
getting these really fascinatingeffects from it, and my sister
was doing some really cool decorstuff with it also, and she
invited me into her studio and Isaw what they both were doing.
(09:42):
She taught me some things, hetaught me some things.
I threw myself into doing someresearch about this process of
working with concrete as anartistic medium, and we were
fortunate enough to have ourmortgage paid off, and it was.
(10:04):
You know, if there was a timewhere I was going to walk away
from teaching and start orreturn to being an artist, this
was the time.
And so I just I threw myselfinto it and, um, it started with
doing the decor stuff I did,you know, early on, it was
trying to copy what my sisterdid, which you know there's,
(10:27):
there's an element of I need tofind myself, I don't want to
steal her cool thing, I want tomake it myself doing.
You know, within the first twoor three months of doing this,
you know, as you know, going outand doing craft shows and
(10:56):
things like that, I always havea little bit of concrete left
after casting a piece.
And so, well, you know, itwasn't enough to do anything
substantial with.
But I, you know, kind of trysome things.
And I think it was my wife thatsuggested, well, maybe you
could do some jewelry with it.
And I laughed, I thought, well,concrete jewelry, that's so.
Anyway, I tried it and theresults were really very
(11:19):
striking and it wasn't heavy oranything like that.
And so I started doing somelittle pendants and things.
And then, you know, it just kindof evolved and each success
would lead me off into somethingelse.
And I frequently tell customers, you know, where do you get
(11:43):
your ideas?
Well, it all starts with well,that's a stupid idea, let's try
it anyway.
And so you know all these, youknow, sometimes the experiments
go well, sometimes they don't,and I learn from them, but at
any rate it always, you know,moves me forward.
(12:04):
And so the jewelry kind ofbecame a thing.
And that's actually the jewelryis what let me actually make a
living doing this.
And then, most recently,getting back to my art degree of
working on canvases and thingslike that, using my design eye
and all that to actually doartwork with this is, you know,
(12:25):
kind of getting me to where Iwant to be.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
That journey.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Kudos to the wife, because, as we speak about what
you're going to be doing in thegallery studio brutally, I also
have to thank her for pushingyou towards the class.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
So I think that continuing to run.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Those ideas by her are perfect, because you're, you
know, you're hesitant as anartist.
You know, uh, am I going to beable to do something with this
idea?
And we always just let fearcreep in slowly, and I'm glad
that you're battling that andjust going out there and trying
because that's what we need tohear that you know.
You're giving people permissionto just try.
(13:12):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
And that's, that's a huge part of.
Well, you know, art is not.
You hear this all the timeArt's not a product, it's a
process.
And you know, and, and so youknow, every time I do, I I had a
situation where I had thiscanvas that I felt like was
almost done.
I was so happy with it.
It just needed one more element.
And then I, you know, I hemmedand hawed over it for a couple
(13:35):
of weeks and then I'm like, okay, I'm just gonna do this thing.
And, as I was doing, I'm likeI'm ruining this and, and I
probably did.
But then like, um, so I did abunch of things to that canvas.
I sanded it down, I uh, I didsome scraping on it and and, and
it's back to being one stepaway from something that I'm
(13:57):
really proud of.
So, you know, it's, it's, it'sthat.
Ah, I just got to get.
I got, I got to get past myfear of ruining things and just
do it and see what happens.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Get out of our own way.
Yeah, we are the worst.
I swear I totally have beenthere.
I understand that so deeply, mygosh.
Well, so before the concrete,what was your main medium?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
So I guess I really I mean, I did oil and acrylic and
watercolor.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Okay, so painting.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Excuse me, I like to draw and stuff, but I think
watercolor was probably mymedium of choice.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Really so that's just such a juxtaposition, where the
concrete, the heaviness, thetexture, and then the light and
loft.
You know, lofty watercolor.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I love that.
I mean just amazing.
I'll tell you what the mostobvious thing about my artwork
is the foreground and thesereally bold, striking lines.
But if you look past that, atthe background that I've created
, behind it there's a lot oflike flowing colors and blending
, and so there's.
You know that it's still inthere, that it's just it's not
(15:12):
obvious.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yeah, it's good, though, the depth that you get
to capture, and while you'relooking at a piece, I think that
that's a great thing to letpeople know to look for when
they're seeing them, because Ilove your dimensional pieces as
well as the jewelry, so when weget to see the canvas at the
exhibit, that's going to befirst for me.
(15:34):
I don't know that I've everseen any of your canvases, so
I'm very excited that we'regoing to get to see that,
because that's going to be newfor me to see.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Oh my goodness yeah, it's, it's a process moving
those around and setting up.
So unless I'm doing a multi-dayshow, I don't bring them out on
the road with me.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Makes sense.
That makes sense.
Where?
Where do you find yourinspiration for, like, what to
make or the color combinationsthat you create?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
So a lot of my inspiration is actually the
material itself.
You know I'll be doingsomething like, wow, look at
what that concrete just did.
And then I try to recreate it.
Sometimes it's conversationswith people that you know they
see something else and then I,oh, that's really neat.
I recently have started goinginto the local rock shop and
(16:33):
picking up like colorful graveland stuff like that, like I just
did a piece with some greenquartz glitter in it and I sold
one this past summer that hadsome amethysts in it, and so
doing like, because you know,know, concrete it's, the
concrete itself is fairly mattein its finish, and so getting
some of that, uh, you know, thenatural stone in there to add it
a little sparkle or whatever,it gives it some some more depth
(16:56):
of things.
Um, so there's um.
So sometimes I'm inspired by thematerials.
Sometimes, you know, as far ascolor combinations, um, I'm
looking at, you know, sunsets,or I see a cool piece of artwork
.
I'm a big music fan andsometimes I'll just flip through
the records and, oh, look atthis album cover.
(17:17):
I love these colors together.
Um, and it because, um, so whenI was painting, I'd have a
whole array of colors before me,you know, any color of the
rainbow is just a matter ofsqueezing some paint out onto
the palette or mixing the rightcolor.
You know watercolors orwhatever, working in concrete,
(17:38):
because concrete wants to curevery quickly.
I have to pick a palette.
It's got to be a fairly limitedpalette.
I have to pick a palette.
It's got to be a fairly limitedpalette.
I have to work fast and sogetting, you know, a selection
of like three or four colors andyes, I can blend some as I work
, but it's because I work sofast, you know it's it starts
(18:00):
with getting the right set ofcolors to work with.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
It seems like a fun challenge.
You know, you know you've got atime limit, you know that
there's these stipulations thatyou, you know, are kind of
framing your work, and that's acool challenge to have.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
It is in the, in the material.
I'll have to show you this,this pair of pieces.
When we set up that, I didthese two smallish square
canvases I think they're 10 by10 or 12 by 12 or something like
that.
But anyway, I did one pieceright after I made the mix and
(18:39):
there's like blue and red andwhite and black and a little bit
of purple in there and thecolors.
When I poured them onto thecanvas they just flowed and made
you would swear that myintention was to make these this
beautiful cloudscape, and itreally it looks like the sun
streaming through the clouds.
And then, like maybe 10, 15minutes later, that color had
started, all of the concrete hadstarted to start to set a
(19:02):
little bit, and so I poured ontothe canvas and it did not want
to move, it didn't flow, flow,and I was actually like banging
that canvas on the floor, tryingto get it to spread across the,
uh, the canvas, and, and sowhat it did was it kept its
tight line, that there was noblending of the colors, um, just
(19:23):
these really cool swirls.
And so the two pieces together,I told you, one looks like the
cloud, the other one looks likethe swirl, like the surface of
the water underneath thoseclouds, and so they're such an
excellent pair because notbecause of anything I did
intentionally, but because ofhow the material acts.
(19:45):
Yeah, you know, and that's howthat, like, like I said, the
material becomes its owninspiration yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Oh yeah, I can't wait to check this out.
I can't wait to see this and Ilove the explanation of, like
how it you know became and howthey complement one another even
though they're you know theintention was to have the
similar colors but the, you know, final pieces look totally
different but still relate.
So happy accidents, we lovethose Serendipity, my favorite.
(20:16):
That's right, my favorite word.
I love that word.
Oh, my goodness.
So what do you feel like?
Your biggest challenge is justas an artist overall, not just
you know working with thatmedium, but what's your, what's
your biggest challenge?
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Um, so I make um my money out on the road I do.
This year I'll have, um I think, 53 dates where I'm actually
out doing a show and I likesomething like Yankee peddler.
That's six days right there, um, but so, but to what I do, and
(21:03):
I don't have employees, it'sjust me.
So I have to do all the jobsand that's all stuff and do
promotion and social media andmake the packages that I sell my
stuff in and then buildingdisplays so I can manage my
in-person shopping experienceand all these other things that
you know I had no concept of.
(21:24):
You know it's, you know it's,but on the flip side, that's the
challenge of it.
But that's also what makes itfun and exciting for me, because
I'm not doing the same thingevery day and if I don't feel
like working at Canvas, I can bedoing the web design.
I can do, I can be photography,photographing, I can be
(21:48):
shooting pictures of my work sothat I can, you know, put it up
on the web or, you know, promoteon the website or or whatever.
But, um, there's so much that'sinvolved in having a business
that you know and andfortunately, you know my father,
um, he started, he, he had abusiness that he ran out of the
(22:10):
house.
You know he had a conveniencestore up in Booth Bay, harbor,
maine, where my high schoolyears were and you know.
So I got to see that it's notjust the front facing stuff.
I mean, there's all of thebehind the scenes work that goes
into doing something like this,that nobody ever sees, work
that goes into doing somethinglike this that nobody ever sees,
(22:32):
and but as far as challengegoes, I mean I've got a list of
things I want to try.
So the inspiration is theinspiration for years and years
and years was like what am Igoing to do?
What am I going to do?
And then I figured out what I'mgoing to do and now I've got
more things to try as and I havetime to do.
So it's, it's time management,it's all of the other stuff that
(22:53):
goes along with um, doing,doing this as a business.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah, yeah, On the business side I I hear you loud
and clear.
I get that too I my heart is inthe art, but I still have a
business to run.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, the other.
The other thing that comes tome as far as a challenge is,
because of all of these things,because of my kind of chaotic
nature of working, keeping aclean workspace is all but
impossible for me.
And so, like this weekend, mywife walks into the room.
She's like I just look likejust a ball of stress, like what
(23:31):
is the problem?
I said I've just spent 45minutes looking for a pair of
wire computers.
I never did find them.
I like I had them, yeah, twodays ago, and then they're gone
and I'm trying to, you know, putnew wire up my canvases so that
we can display them at brew toflee, and just you know, just
the chaos of it all.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
And you know, put new wire up my canvases so that we
can display them at brew to flee, and just you know, just the
chaos of it all, and you knowand you probably carried them in
another room and didn't evenrealize it, or something right,
right, yeah, so you know that's.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Yeah, that's the other big challenge, but that's
more of a me challenge.
Than uh, than uh.
You know running a business myown, a than a, you know running
a business, my own.
I'm just a chaotic person, Iguess.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
You don't seem chaotic now, Eric, you're very
organized.
I don't believe that, so Iwould love to let everybody know
, like how I know you're atshows you do a ton of shows, but
where can they find, like,where those shows are and where
you're at?
How do they find you and followyou?
Speaker 2 (24:30):
okay.
So my website, uh, is probablyyou can find everything else
from there uh, my website isfunky designs, oh for ohio.
Funky designs, ohcom.
Um, all of my social medias arealso funky designs, oh H, uh.
So that's on Instagram andFacebook and threads and
(24:51):
whatever.
And then, um, all you can findsome of my work on Etsy.
Um, it's the.
The frustrating thing about theweb is, you know, like I said,
most of my income comes fromdoing the jewelry, but every
piece of jewelry is different,and so there's not actually a
lot of jewelry on the website,because I would have to do
(25:11):
separate listings for everysingle piece because each one is
different.
So the best.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
I have been at your shows and you have a lot of
selections, so I do not blameyou for placing them all on
there Definitely.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
So, oh goodness.
But yeah, my calendar is up on,is also up on the website, and,
um, you know, between now andthe end of the year I've got
shows in akron and canton, uh,in pittsburgh, not columbus,
cleveland, and then you know, Ithat's I do all over, you know,
the eastern half of the country,or the country, the eastern
(25:47):
half of the state, and then intoPittsburgh, and so you know, if
you want to see all the jewelry, that's the best place to catch
me is find me on the road.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Yeah, I agree Totally .
So I also want to talk abouthow you give back to
organizations.
Can you explain some of theways that you do that and some
of the organizations that yousupport.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
All right.
So as a teacher, I always triedto make my classroom a very
safe space, which with highschool students can be a
challenge, and it turned outthat my LGBTQ students were so
(26:34):
incredibly grateful to that forthat and it made a big impact on
them.
And so, you know and I taughtin a pretty rural place and so
there's, you know, there wasn'ta lot of that kind of safe space
mentality going on.
So when I left teaching Iwanted to find a way to continue
to help those students.
(26:54):
The LGBTQ population is thehighest suicide risk amongst our
youth, and so there's anorganization called the Trevor
Project and that is their goalis to end youth LGBTQ suicide.
(27:15):
And so that kind of became theorganization that I casting
rainbow stones to do rainbowjewelry, and I donated 25% of
(27:40):
all of that to the TrevorProject, and each year I add in
a new flag.
So this past year was the fifthyear of doing it.
I have rainbow, I had trans BiLesbian of doing it.
I have Rainbow, I had Trans BiLesbian and Pan.
(28:01):
So it's become like a wholeline of jewelry that I do and
all of that I donate 25% to theTrevor Project.
So to this point I've raisedabout $2,800 for them with this
goal of ending youth LGBTQsuicide, and it's one of those
(28:24):
things where even having thatkind of thing out in a
mainstream event helps them feelincluded, feel seen, and that's
so important.
And so I don't have a whole lotto share at this point, because
(28:45):
it's usually a pride monththing, but I do have the rainbow
pendants up on my website andI'm, and I will continue to,
donate 25%, so if you go tofunkydesignsohcom, you'll see
some of that work up there, andso, like I said, each year I
(29:08):
added a new one, and right now Ibasically take votes for what
to add next year.
Okay, basically take votes foryou know what to add next year.
Okay, and the leading votegetter for next year is shoot.
I've forgotten that's okay.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
We'll catch it up on the show notes because I'm
definitely going to call outthat pendant, so people know
exactly where to find that.
And then also put the link forthe Trevor project on.
I absolutely love that you'redoing that.
That has my heart.
That's where I got my rainbowbracelet was from your shop when
you had it for Pride Month, andI absolutely want to make sure
(29:55):
people know that my space isinclusive and accepting and a
safe space for everybody, and soI just wanted to reiterate how
much I love that you'resupporting the Trevor Project
and how I'm going to be surethat that information is in the
show notes, because that is justtremendous.
I love that you're doing that,eric notes, because that is just
tremendous.
(30:15):
I love that you're doing that,thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Yeah, so do you have any preferred ways people
contact you if they have aspecial request?
Do you even take specialrequests like holidays are
coming up?
What if somebody wantssomething specific?
Do you do things like on acommission basis?
Speaker 2 (30:34):
So it's one of those things where I'm always open to
it and people say, well, I'llreach out, and it's very rare
that it actually happens.
But if you want to email me, myemail address is eric at
funkydesignsohcom.
That's really the best way toget a hold of me.
Designsohcom, that's really thebest way to get a hold of me.
(30:58):
Please, if you do so, let meknow that you heard me on the
Brutally.
Made podcast, just because I getspam like everybody else does.
And there's this unfortunatetrend I'm seeing of targeting
artists who are, you know, we'renot a wealthy group folks, and
you know and so that happens alot.
(31:21):
Oh my gosh, it's terrible.
So, um, yeah, so let me knowspecifically where you heard me
and what you have in mind, so Idon't, uh, you know, throw that
in the spam folder.
Yeah, I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Yeah, definitely, and we'll have their contact
information in the spam folder.
Yeah, I appreciate that.
Yeah, definitely, and we'llhave your contact information in
the show notes as well.
Okay, so, eric, did I misssharing anything that you wanted
to share other than on November3rd, sunday, that is, your
opening reception at brutally atOakwood square, from one to
three?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
Please come out and see his work.
Oh my goodness.
I'm excited, so excited aboutthat yes, and then on November
12th in the evening 6 to 8, wehave a concrete earring class.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Yeah, so what I've done is I've made up a bunch of
like.
I went through my stones and Ifound I don't know 100 pairs of
of stones that match becausethat's part of the problem is
like even two stones they don't.
I can't make two stones thatare exactly identical, but I can
get them pretty close.
So, yeah, I went through andfound a bunch of pairs of stones
that and then we'll get all theparts out and I'll teach people
(32:31):
how to assemble them and Mountthe stones.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
And you'll get to use the metal and the concrete
right, If that's the, that's thejust love that urban like look
and feel of it.
It's just so cool yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
I like the irony of you know these very industrial
materials, but it's kind of a,it's a very finished.
Look when it's done and itlooks it kind of.
Look when it's done and itlooks it kind of um, beautiful.
I love the matte finish of itoh yeah, yep I, it's elegant it
makes it look different thanother other stuff.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
So yeah, yeah, I love that you, uh, have not once
said that you're following thistrend.
You are setting a trend.
You are setting up a wholebeautiful look all on your own,
and I'm just very excited tointroduce it to the community if
they have not got to experienceit yet.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
So thank you so much, absolutely Thank you.
It's been a pleasure and I lookforward to November.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
I know it's here already Thanks again.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Absolutely, thank you .
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