So, christmas has gone and the year has just finished. And what a strange one… changed millions lives, the unthinkable just happened.

We were living life at the fullest, with UHD colouring all of our dreams, projects, ambitions and desires. And… suddenly, like a sea mist, that sprend itself along the world, bringing chaos, all of our dreams were postponed.

Yesterday, feeling were lived spontaneously.

Today, what we feel closely it’s the fingerprints on a screen.

What a strange year that we’re living. A year where we had time for everything,to think, to meditate, to restart.

Tomorrow? Tomorrow is so far away, but we persist on taking the boat to a safe place. Why? Because we believed .

Some more optmistic, some more negative. But we believe that we gonna get out of this muddy swamp.

The original idea of this article was writing a throwback back of 2020, that starts like a flower field in the spring, with all the petals emerging shyly, dropping small crystalline dew’s drop. . But, as the flower grew so did the thorns, and the last was the most visible since march.

Was awful. Horrific. No lights at the end of the tunnel. No lights at all. Emptyness.

So empty, so hollow, that what’s from within is outside, and the outside don’t even know where it is.. But the thing is, it’s not just you, it is millions wondering, with no map, no path, in the vast ocean.

There’s friend to give support, even them on the vast ocean, but with hearts open to listen me, cheer me up, and help taking this boat to a harbour. To them my huge regards, for all the patience and time that was given.

To my clients, the few, that trusted me and made me feel valued, relevant. . Some of that work was really challenging, creations that I was intended to do for a long time, but just with this blameless stop I was able to end it. .

Some entered to my place and left has a friend, for that im truly thankful.

2021 will not return to everything as we know’ but as we believe let’s just fight for a better place to live.

To create, to give existence to.

A long, long time ago, as normal, I was a part of a group of friends, where the Arts in general were the common link. Creation was a strong theme in our ramblings, so much that we created a motto:

Creation is 50% willpower, 40% inspiration and 10% natural stupidity.

I always liked to create on the base of the impulse, especially with what surrounded me. I remember that when I started, my work was limited to earrings, bracelets and necklaces and the material I used was brass, copper, beads, bamboo, 2 pliers and a nail clipper. Not having a Trim nail clipper was the chaos. Why? Because it was the cheapest version of the pliers.
The inspiration for the models of earrings or necklaces would come from the streets of Lisbon, looking at the facades of the buildings, their wrought iron balconies. Between geometric and wavy lines, something started to form in my head.

Sometimes things went well, from idealization born concretization, other times it resulted in failure.
But whenever I managed to get as close as possible to what I had accomplished, all failures were overcome, because it’s the mistake that forces us to move forward, to do better. That’s when we get the reward of not having lowered our arms. Whenever an obstacle appears to us, it is in the solution that we must spend our energy.

It is by making a mistake, and reflecting about that mistake, that I move forward, as a human being and as a professional.

And… That’s all for today. Thank you!

Valeriano

Why a Blog?

In this third article, I would like to let you know what I want with this Blog.

I promise it won’t be long, and as concise as possible. And in reality it is convenient, because I still have to translate it to English, with help of course, because I’m not good at it (maybe in all of them).I will try to do one or two articles a week but I can’t make any promises.

This is dedicated to talking a little bit about my work as a Craftsman. Although this is difficult for me, because I am aware I digress a lot. As normal, one word leads to another … it’s like cherries. (Stop!).  – Okay, keep calm, getting back to the subject.

I intend to talk about the materials I use, about some techniques, how ideas come about, failed attempts (and there were many).

If you have any questions, or ask me to talk about a specific subject, you can do it by Whatsapp, you can also do it in the comments that are already activated. The newsletter still doesn’t work, because I have to learn how to work with it. (I have to find an advisor eh eh eh). I will be happy to answer to all of your questions.

(Xiiii for someone who said it was going to be concise ….)  and for now …

Dance to your favorite music and be happy!

Valeriano                                             Post Scriptum

– Is anyone going  to read this?

– Well … if they read my story …

It was by absolute chance that I started in the handicraft business, living in Graça (Lisbon) and working in a publicity agency. A lot of foreign people would visit local houses around the city, and I was no exception. A friend of mine (German roots) used to make silver wire jewelry, I remember I always admired and appreciated the way he worked with all those materials. Shortly after he travelled to his country, leaving all his stuff at home (three pliers, a silver wire roll, some beads and a couple of semi-precious stones). He told me “If one day you need to use them, go ahead”.

At first, I was amused due to my lack of experience when it comes to handicraft products. But life takes a lot of turns and after a while I found myself in the subway selling earring and bracelets, despite being all crooked it was my very own creation. Since I already knew how to do macrame and loom (taffeta) I added them to my business. The streets of Lisbon (and Costa da Caparica and Algarve around summer time) gave me most of my knowledge. Specially the various craftsmen that worked there (Brazilians, Spaniards, Argentines etc).

As I used to sell around Palácio Foz, I was invited to do a Handicraft Exhibition there, organized by Dra. Margarida from Caritas. It was my first ever exhibition back in 1982. Around that same year I exhibited in “Estufa Fria” and that consecutive year. I also started art school in Lisbon, at the “Cidade Universitária” campus.

One day I decided to try and sell at the Flea Market (Feira da Ladra) in Lisbon, and I came across a craftsman who worked on leather pieces. After some time, I went to live with my family in Lexim (Mafra) and started working for him. That was my first contact with leather, making sandals, belts, purses etc. Since I didn’t have my own place, he trusted me to live with him until I got a home.

It was all thanks to the Vilar de Mouros festival and the aid that Caritas gave me (30.000 Escudos – 150 Euros give or take) that I finally settled my independence (from home) and created my first workshop. Bought tools and a couple of raw materials, and from that point on I started working only at the Flea Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I also began a partnership with some local shops in Cascais, Sintra and Lisbon where I would supply some of my pieces.

Because silver was extremely expensive, I had to change the earrings to brass and alpaca wire, and with time I started only producing macrame panels, leather handbags, leather bracelets, boxes and bamboo earrings.

It was very normal to trade between craftsmen, often some of them would travel from the north and sell in the south and vice versa.

In 1983 I travelled to Porto for the first time around Christmas and I had my first experience selling in the famous Rua de Santa Catarina. In 1984 I returned to Porto for another week, which leads us to the present. Turning irregular visits to a permanent stay, and with that a new family, a new atelier, a new lifestyle.

As an urban artisan, I didn’t (and still don’t) have the obligation to stick with just one raw material, like any of my works are not traditional. I didn’t follow any guidelines it was whatever and whoever that inspired me. It’s our experience and time that makes every piece so personal and the way we work each one of them is completely
different. I either start with my own ambition or by an exchange of ideas between us craftsmen who, like me, started the same way I did.

Over the years I gained more practice and experience in the constant search for knowledge that I still pursue. At first it started with simple visits to the National Library, now I get most of my knowledge from the internet, where I also stay connected to various group of national and international interests linked to handicrafts.

Since 1999 I’ve returned to the national and local handicraft fairs, and my participation was vigorous till 2017.

Valeriano Cousas em Couro was born thanks to my participation in medieval fairs and markets from 2002 to 2017 all over the country. All these events enhanced and fortified my activity in several ways, always trying to create new products based on the medieval theme.

Between 2004 and 2005 I gave professional training in the course “The Art of Working The Leather” in Felgueiras.

Valeriano is a unipersonal craft company. All pieces are drawn, cut, needled and sewed manually or with the help of a couple of manual machines. Man-made fur thread or shoemaker’s yarn is used in its manufacture. A great percentage of the skins I work with is treated with vegetal based products, being environmentally friendly. I merely work with bovine, goat and ovine skins.

To this day I work with skins, however new raw materials were introduced such as cork, printed fabric and wood. I seek an ongoing and rejuvenated approach to the art I started making back then with a great amount of pleasure, love and honor and I continue to do.

Buying something handmade is to buy something made by someone who cares. Each piece is as unique as you are!