Weekly Challenge - Week 34

I have sort of been making this week- not all visual art, but still creating through my writing, doing things at home, even a little cooking. I finished the ginkgo leaves that i picked at Bhan Thai (one didn't make it, but it's ok, such is the fragility of nature) and some of the peperomia leaves from my beautiful plants at home (that are doing so well now that they are out of reach of the kittens!) and they just need to be polished and have some patina applied and they will be ready for sale. I have another project going on too but I can't share it at this time. I finally had a breakthrough on something that I'd been stuck on, and that is a huge relief. 

I have several shows and events coming up this fall- it's going to be my busiest fall season yet and i am more than a little thrilled. My first even it right around the corner on September 19th- I'll be at Cooper Young festival with Happy Thread Creations. I'll be doing silver rings at Family Fun day down at the Metal Museum's repair days on September 26th. Then I will be at Pink Palace in the demo tent again with Virginia Fisher. Just a couple of weeks later, I'll be doing demonstrations at River Arts Fest. Then I have a small break and will be at my first Crosstown show, Crafts & Drafts. :) I have a lot on my plate but I think it's the good kind of busy. 

I have been nesting some at home- the cooler weather in the evenings and mornings tells me my favorite season is near, and i have already begun celebrating that with some french press coffee, a book and a new cozy blanket. I sat down Sunday and read a book from cover to cover in one sitting- i haven't done that in forever. It felt good to feed my brain and to have 4 kitties snuggled around me, taking turns buzzing in my ear to let me know that they have missed our quality cuddle time as well.

I've been trying to be more thoughtful about my interactions with others- what kind of influence i am having, what i am 'leaving in my wake'... i was reminded recently that not all 'free spirits' are such- many are just free loaders- and i am being mindful to look at not just the words and actions, but the way they combine when deciding if someone is one or the other.


So there's the random musings of an artist for today. :)

weekly challenge - week 33

This week I've been getting ready for my Air Chasing class at the Gardens this weekend and coating some fabulous ginkgo leaves (including one that looks like a butterfly) i got from Bhan Thai last Saturday.

The Air Chasing class at BMB designs last saturday was great fun and a wonderful workout :) the students made some lovely pendants and cuffs (and i was thrilled with my 6x6 V fold sample. 

Weekly Challenge- Week 32

My first (mostly) successful electroformed golden rain tree pod came out of the bath this week and it has some interesting 'quirks' that have pushed me to work out some better processes and seek out different supplies (me and Midas Copper conductive paint are NOT friends). the hole is from where i got a little aggressive burning the organic material out before enameling, but i think it will still look awesome when enameled. :)

Weekly Challenge - week 31

Somehow i lost or failed to take a photo of the work i completed last week, so look at this adorable kitten in the mean time. :) It fits in the palm of my hand and loves to snuggle (and will be needing a home soon!!! If you're looking for an adorable new addition to your family, please let me know.)

Here's one of my wall pieces on display next to the amazing calming clay and wood work of Jonathan Griffith and the technically impressive pulp paintings of Chery Cratty. 

CAC Art show in Nashville Update

Everything was loaded up Saturday morning and dropped off for its trip to Nashville today. I know that i'll see it all on display this Friday when i go to the opening, and i'm excited about that. I think i created a nice cohesive collection for presentation. Here's some photos of the work. 

Weekly challenge - week 30 part 2

I've gotten all the pieces finished for the show save for a little final finishing and I'm pretty stoked about it. All the pieces are fold formed or air chased so they are a nice cohesive collection. I found an excellent display case for the jewelry and I prepared the wall pieces for gallery hanging. This is my first gallery show so I'm nervous about how the work will present and flow with the other artists' pieces.

a few of the pieces

The opening is August 7th from 5 to 7 at the Centennial Art Center in Nashville and the show runs until September 25th. Unfortunately I won't be at the closing reception because that is Repair Days at the metal museum. It's also the TN craft fall show in Centennial park (Nashville) so if you're going to be in the area, you should go to both. They're free and there will be plenty of awesome art and lots of cool people.

 

Weekly challenge - 30

I taught this past Saturday at the gardens and Laurie gave me a bag of pods and whatnot to play with. So I got out the necessary supplies and got a slew of goodies prepped for forming this week. (Including a lovely lotus pod)

Weekly Challenge - Week 29

Finally happy with the reapplication of the heat patina on this piece and got the cab set and it's ready to go! i had an amazing patina on the bronze that matched the colors and shapes in the cab to perfection. then i applied a sealant to protect it and it all disappeared! much cleaning was required to get the metal ready to accept a patina again, and it took about 6 tries to get this one- the magentas and the bright blues are hard to keep for me for some reason- i think i push it a touch too far sometimes.

This is one of the pieces that will be on display at the Centennial Art Center in Nashville for the annual TN Craft Show that i am in. It is made of sterling and fine silver, air chased bronze and borosilicate glass. the front of the bronze is left unsealed- the back, where the silver is not, has a lacquer on it to keep it from reacting with skin.

Nashville art show

Well..  the post card is out so I can start sharing - several pieces of my work will be on display (and for sale) at the annual TN crafts show at Centennial arts in Nashville!

I'll be up there for the opening reception on August 7th and can't wait to see how the show comes together. It's also featuring the work of the very talented Pat Moody and Marilyn League from my chapter. I'd say I'm in very good company! 

Weekly Challenge- Weeks 27 and 28

Week 27 was crazy- I went of out town for work on about 2 hours notice and spent about 22 hours 'in transit' due to various reasons and didn't get back until Thursday. I got to go to Minneapolis for more than a layover though, and i have to say Minnesota is gorgeous! (last time i was passing through it was December and everything was covered in white- hard to really tell what a place looks like when it's 10 feet deep in snow)

But i got caught up and have some great work to show off- i'm really digging the sculpture stuff i've been doing lately, and it's fun to work a design out in the 'wall scale' and then see how to miniaturize it for jewelry. I've got all my pieces pretty much ready for the show in Nashville next month and i have to say, i'm SUPER stoked about it. (and a little nervous-- pricing is so hard... )

part of one of my wall pieces

And i've decided that i'm going to do a small travel trailer instead of a VW bus for my mobile studio... it was hard-- OMG so HARD to let go of that dream of a completely mobile and self contained studio. Especially after i completely fell in love with that 1st high top bus i found in Cali. BUT... after looking at the Acorns and seeing how much more room i would have for equipment and me, and looking at the reliability issues that VW buses have (even well restored ones) both andy and i would feel more comfortable about me gallivanting across the country in a reliable car (hopefully a new car with warranty) with a small trailer behind. I'll be updating my gofundme with the new information as soon as i have something more solid.

Weekly Challenge - Week 26

I sat down last night and redid the samples for my upcoming class at the Memphis Botanic Gardens- Alchemy: Fused glass and fine silver pendants. You don't have to make pendants- you can make earrings, charms, even a ring, if you want because there's plenty of clay, lots of glass options and a few techniques that will help incorporate fire in place glass cabs.

Pieces prior to polishing.

I also started back on my Tree Rings collection by cutting and 'polishing' some gorgeous oak slices for some silver statement rings. I love the little stars in the centers and the way the rings have gotten darker and more defined as the branch has sat in the corner of the living room for 2 years (lol) I have some cherry to cut for beads- mostly for earrings, but if i find a really spectacular slice, i'm going to combine it with a lovely piece of petrified wood in a pendant. (i'm hunting for the perfect slice!)

They're a little over 1/2 inch across

I thought i had been having a hard time feeling inspired lately- but i realized that i'm VERY inspired and i have hundreds of sketches and projects that i really want to work on, but i'm lacking the energy to execute, which translates to frustration and depression. I need to remember my stress management techniques and get back on track with my affirmations. I'm working on getting out more because i *do* need socialization and interaction with others. Hermiting, while i think it gives me more time to work on my art, seems to be counterproductive. So- i'm going to focus on getting things back into balance and keep on making. :)

Weekly challenge- Week 25

this week's piece came together very quickly and exactly like i had hoped (very close to the sketch i made on Monday). I bravely assembled a 3 inch by 3 inch sheet of 24 gauge sterling silver, 18 inches of 12 gauge sterling square wire, fine silver bezel wire, 26 gauge sheet, a Wild Horse Canyon agate cab and a dark aqua larimar cab into a statement neck piece.

The forming of the metal was finished in one 3-4 hour session and it would have been completely finished in less than an hour more except my perfectionism kicked in and i tried to 'fix' something that no one would have ever noticed and made another 4 and a half hours of work for myself, cleaning up the damage i did. Check out the progress pictures below with the finished piece down at the very bottom.. I'm wearing it today to try to make adjustments to the neck wire for comfort. I think the wire will need to be trimmed a bit as the ends overlap now that i've put bends in it for the collar bones.  It is very comfortable so far - the air chased piece is extremely light (but super strong) and the 12 gauge square is a very comfortable size, especially since i took some 500 grit sandpaper and rounded the edges a just little.

The finished piece.. now to decide if i will oxidize or not.. 

Weekly Challenge - Week 24

Birthday month has been a roller coaster this year, mostly in a good way... 36 isn't treating me too badly and i am looking forward to 11 months more of mostly positive things.

I haven't been working in the studio as much as i would like- other responsibilities have been eating up my creative time. They're good things though- i'm now the treasurer of the SW chapter of TN craft, which is fulfilling my desire to be more involved in the professional art/craft scene here in Memphis. I also took a class from Lana Chu of Ginkgo Glass on Thursday and made some blown glass ornaments and some lampworked beads. It was a lot of (hot) fun with fellow members of TN Craft SW.

2 ornaments and 2 beads that survived annealing

We have been 'borrowing' some kittens to see how the girls feel about adding another 4 legged child to our household. So far, the results have been less than encouraging. Shadow is curious, but whenever the kittens get too close, she hisses and runs off. Aziza is completely uninterested and hisses at me, the kittens and anything nearby when they're in the house. we'll keep trying here and there, but our girls have the final word. (the little calico is a gamer kitty- she loves sitting beside The Boy while he plays and watches the TV screen intently)

Calico kitten in her gaming position on the ottoman

Weekly challenge - week 23 - birthday week!!!

I've started this week off right! New Knew concepts  saw and three Fretz  hammers for my birthday were enough to inspire me to stop hoarding the tiny geodes I bought for rings (like 3 or so years ago!!) And make some stuff.

I had to flatten out a spot on the backs of the halves, 1 to make them easier go set and 2 so some weren't quite so tall. I ground down 5, my goal is to get them all finished this week. :)

My first layout for MCT is completed and approved. Pretty exciting! I'm also taking over as treasurer for TN crafts SW- thrilled to be even more a part of an organization that does so much for artists and craftspeople across the state. Things are moving along well on the brandy is an artist front. :) now if I could just get that bus going!!!

Weekly challenge - week 22

Hello June. This is for week 22 (may 31- June 6)

I found a bus in Hollywood Florida that i think would be perfect for my Mobile Metal Studio. It's a clean slate ready to be customized. And it is teal.

I've been doing some skill swaps with some friends of mine- metal for leather. I learned some basic tooling techniques last time the were over and this time I learned how to round and burnish edges. It was very zen. :) I like how this piece is coming together. Airchased  bronze with Latigo leather cuff.

Weekly challenge - week 21

Here's last week's post (may 24-30). I lost one of my fur babies Tuesday, so the mood to create hasn't been there. I alsi had stuff going on at work and was getting ready for my class so even if i had the energy, i didn't really have the time. I did work on a pierced cuff of my swirly doodles. Gave the pattern to my class so they could do it too.

Weekly Challenge - Week 20

Much like the oft cursed writers block, visual artists also get creative block... in my studio, it's ruefully referred to as Makers Block and has a myriad of inconsistent cures, and only one or two consistent ones.

There have been many things going on in my life lately that have drained my creative energy to near critical levels- not necessarily bad things- just things that require a certain level of my focus and my will. This is not unusual for a sensitive artist type person to experience- sometimes just day-to-day takes too much from us- the curse of feeling life so deeply. If we try to force the creativity when the energy isn't there, it's obvious in the work that we make. It lacks authenticity, spirit and a voice.

I've pulled designs from my archives to execute and get half way through and realize they're lifeless. and it's my fault. So, i'm going to do what i know works to get the creative batteries recharged- I'm going to spend the weekend in the woods, hunting for textures, rocks, quiet moments and memories with friends and family.

Once i come back, recharged and ready to face the world anew, i'll get my Mobile Metal Studio rewards worked on and send out my next update. I've had to back burner the project for the last few weeks even though it has pained me to do so. I found a VW Bus in Murfreesboro TN, although the rust repair may be more than i can take on with everything else as it is.

In the meantime, here's what i have been working on that i feel isn't lacking in heart because they're technical exercises, samples for my upcoming class. (the top one was made last week- the bottom one the newer, more Art Nouveau approach)

Weekly Challenge- Week 19

I misplaced my sample for my upcoming Jeweler's saw class at the Botanic Gardens, so i had to make another one :) This piece was designed, pierced and cleaned up in 2 hours, using only one sawblade and my beloved Knew Concepts saw. Those super tight cuts were all made using the saw, not notched with a file.

Here's the class description if you're interested:

Sawing sheet metal or: How i learned to love my jeweler's saw May 30th 10am - 5pm

In this workshop class you will learn all the ins and outs of one of the most basic and useful of jeweler's tools, which incidentally, is also one of the most hated. 

 

You'll learn about proper blade loading, which saw blades to use for what, how different materials respond, how to mark your material for sawing, inside cuts and more. I'll have a variety of saws on hand for you to try, including the Knew Concepts saw, which has helped turn many an anti-jewelers saw person into a sawing master!

 

Our projects for the class will be mostly about learning how to use the saw and will be technique based, however, there will be a small pendant project that you can complete in class or at home, depending on the speed at which you work, and your practice pieces can be turned into charms. 

 

If you do NOT have a jewelers saw and bench pin, PLEASE let us know when you sign up for the class. Neither tool is required to take this class, but I need an accurate count of how many to bring. I will assume you have both if nothing is noted, so for everyone's enjoyment, please provide this information. Sharing is caring, but I would rather everyone have dedicated tools :) 

 

Blades, practice pieces, and templates are provided and you will have a reference handout to take home chock full of useful information. We will be using twist drill bits, center punches, scribers, sharpies, burlife/beeswax, and adhesive in class. (You are welcome to bring your own if you have these- some will be shared in class) Some tools and extra materials will be available for purchase at class as well. 

Please contact Laurie at the Memphis Botanic Garden to register : 901.636.4128

Weekly Challenge - Week 18

So, i didn't get any new work finished this week... it's the first week in a long time that i haven't at least completed something for the shop. It makes me feel sad, like i've let down my muse. ( i did however complete a ring resize, and produce a number of charms for The Rescue Way Station)

I bought some new cabs, because i'm ALWAYS buying rocks.. and these are the three pieces i'm working on next. The large mint Chrysoprase is paired with a gorgeous Kammererite from Russia that has a lovely hint of mint in the upper right area. The top right is a pyrite cube from spain paired with a meteorite that has lovely olivine and iron inclusions. The bottom is a great piece of Horse Canyon agate paired with a small aqua Larimar from the Dominican Republic. I have sketches of how they will all look and will hopefully be sharing the finished pieces soon!

The ring i made and resized

Charms in Copper

Weekly challenge- week 17

I was in Nashville at the TN crafts spring show when it was time to post my weekly update (may 1st). I was so tired- three shows in three weekends, and running full steam to make new stuff between shows.... I went to bed before 10 on both Friday and Saturday night, even though I was within walking distance to some amazing places and the weather was amazing!

The show was good though. I had a chance to do some mentoring, which is a chapter coordinators job, but one I was excited to do. I got to be a part of a friend's artistic confirmation both of her work and the value of her work.  I met some great people and I bought some gorgeous wood worked art.

I'm still working on the mobile metal studio- found 2 options nearby. Fingers crossed one works out!

I have a bit of a break from shows, which means more focus on my classes. I have a fun on coming up later this month at the Botanic gardens on how to love your jewelers saw. One next month on fine silver metal clay and glass and then in July, my weekend workshop at ACC on unique molds and textures for metal clay.

I picked up some old lapidary journals at the MAGS show weekend before last and have finally gotten around to looking through them. Omg the prices on things were so low!!! Looking back on some of the ones from the late 90s, when I really started, is interesting. Many of the places that were my dream/go to shops are long gone, victims of the economic crash in 08... and some have stood strong. Many of the techniques that were new and innovative in 1985 are coming back as, well yeah. New and innovative, again. :) all things are cyclical. Art, people, time, nature. Oh my- so philosophical over some beads. ;) now to see if I can see if any of these cab dealers that were selling top grade charoite in 1998 are still around....

Here's something I worked on last week, for my challenge.... 124 stacking rings. :)