Master Metalsmith Linda Threadgill at the Metal Museum

The exhibit is amazing. It's up through December- get yourself there! My photos don't do it justice- the patterning is something that must be seen to truly appreciate. So much gorgeous, intricate texture. the natural forms are stunning. the flow is out of this world. i bought the catalog and i don't often do that. :) the leaf platters' textures are just WOW.. the hammered and the electroformed bits... so very cool. (words fail me i am so impressed by this exhibit- i loved the Eleanor Moty exhibit- this is on par with that one)

Weekly Challenge - Week 39

It's already Wednesday. I spent Saturday delightfully at Repair Days at the Metal Museum, making rings for folks, carving a scratch bowl and watching the iron pour in a light misting rain. . The Master Metalsmith exhibit is stellar and i highly recommend it. (photos here) Sunday, i made a Halloween wreath and i tried my hand at lunar eclipse photography and was doing quite well until the cloud cover thwarted my full eclipse shots. Monday and Tuesday, i was in Galveston for work and spent a little bit walking the beach and collecting shells after i'd finished my work.

My wreath. :)

The beach at Galveston

Weekly Challenge - Week 38

It's been a true challenge to make sure i'm creating weekly- and that's a sad thing in many ways. This is what i love, what i'm passionate about, what, figuratively, gets me out of bed every morning, and yet, i don't get to do it every day.

I'm trying to understand when it became ok, acceptable, lauded even, to go spend your time doing something you're not passionate about day after day for the majority of your life. I've been doing a lot of reading/studying lately and i honestly think religion has something to do with it. Suffer in this life for the bounty of the afterlife- be a cog in the giant machine of society, have your soul crushed day after day, and receive your heavenly reward when you die. People/cultures that don't have afterlife beliefs live much more in the moment- they are an experiential people. I'm trying to find a way to work that zest for the moment into my daily life, which in a society that is more focused on *next* than *now*, is difficult to say the least.

Making doesn't always mean a finished product- or even a 'product' at all. sometimes making is just a sketch, writing in my journal.. sometimes it's just working on an idea in my head and finding solutions.

that being said- i did finish my commission Friday while i was manning the T-Shirt desk at Repair Days and i will be making at the Family Fun tent tomorrow...

Weekly Challenge - Week 37

Here's a photo of my gorgeous Willow cat. she loves to snuggle the blanket. I've been sick this week, so there's been lots of kitty snuggle time. While the cuddle time and down time is needed, Cooper Young is tomorrow, so i've needed studio time this week, that i sadly have not gotten. I will not stress about it though- i'll have what i have for sale at the show and anything that's not ready or labeled or whatever will be available at Pink Palace next month and it will be fine. :) 

Here's an in-process photo of the air chased sterling silver and boro glass pendant i've been working on. it's almost finished now, but i haven't taken another photo yet. i love air chasing! It's so organic and interesting and i love learning how to make the metal do what i picture in my head.

Weekly Challenge - Week 36

Cooper young festival is quickly approaching and i've been building up stock of my less expensive 'fashion' earrings and making some cute colorful stretch bracelets for kids, teens and raver chicks. :)

To combat all that 'assembly line' making, i had to do some artsy fartsy making, so i made these pieces. The necklace is asymmetrical and can be worn in a few different ways. the long earrings have some lovely kyanite ovals at the bottom. I've also been working on my super secret commission project and having a lot of fun with the challenges presented by it. I feel i am really growing as a maker and learning/creating new techniques to get metal to do what i want it to do.

I've got a lot of things going on this fall - especially demonstrations. i have to figure out the best way to make my equipment mobile for these events... time to get the focus back on the MMWS! :)

Weekly challenge - week 35 part 2

Here's what i finished up Wednesday at Open Studio. i think the smaller air chased pieces will be pendants, the two fold formed pieces are sealed with jewelers lacquer to protect their lovely patinas and the cuff at the bottom has been formed into shape and will have a blue patina added to the recesses and a dark brown patina on the rest (fingers crossed it look like it does in my head)

I've got to buckle down and get making! Cooper young is in 2 weeks, then i have Pink Palace 3 weeks after that, and my inventory is low. I need to get all these UFOs off my bench!

I'm going to do a UFO lock-in at the Studio once the weather gets less than desirable (no point in being inside for 24 hours during the lovely fall weather that is soon coming) where you'll pay a fee to reserve your spot at the table for 12 or 24 hours, meals will be provided (you bring your own wine or beer) and we'll have contests for who completes the most UFOs, most unusual way to complete a UFO, etc (UFO for those that don't know are UnFinished Objects-- pieces of whatever medium that have not made it to the completed state for whatever reason) I think it will be a lot of fun, a great way for people to learn some new techniques, get some input from others and get some work completed!

Weekly Challenge - Week 35

Welcome September! Bring on the fall weather- the warm, bright days with the sun a little lower in the sky as i complete my morning commute, and the crisp evenings that require a light sweater or an artsy scarf (like the one i made this past Sunday at the Scarf-in-A-Day workshop i took from the Memphis Guild of Hand Weavers)

My lovely scarf hand woven on a table loom 

I've been working on a special order for several weeks and i finally created the perfect pieces. I thought i had finished them last week- i did final polish, took photos and everything.. but i sat down last night and completely re-did them and i have to say, i'm impressed with myself. :) i like to think that my (re)new(ed), positive (no complaining) POV has something to do with the creative breakthru.. as well as spending a day doing something creatively different.

There are times when i just want to make something completely useless but beautiful- i often find myself making things that are 'useful' or 'wearable'. and i put those in quotes because they're subjective terms- wearable to some people would be unbearable to others and then again some people really do delight in the art wearing them...

usefulness is one of those things i find myself struggling with constantly-- we have 2 sets of flatware- one is a lovely set of stainless steel that andy and i picked out together and it's our 'daily' use set. The second one is my grandmother's sterling silver set. it is beautiful and glowing and i try to use it on the regular, but i find myself pulling out the steel more than the silver because i don't want to 'mess up' the silver. However, as it sits in the drawer, unused, it becomes tarnished. regular use keeps it glowing and silver. How do i toe the line, as an artist, of creating unique and beautiful works that are useful- that are sturdy enough for daily use, should the owner wish to do that? I don't want to make things that just sit in a china cabinet and never know the touch of the family that owns them, never bears witness to special events, or even daily events... and this is the quandary of being a somewhat grounded person that learned making as a way to provide useful things, repair things and upgrade existing things rather than going the fine art route.

Weaving the scarf felt very familiar to my hands- self-sufficiency is something that i ponder often. If i lived in a tree house in the woods, would i be able to provide myself with all the things i need to survive? what would my life look like if i lived off the land as much as possible? How would being a metal smith fit into that life? (i can see it now- off the grid, growing my own food, living in a tree house and getting regular deliveries from Rio Grande! LOL!)

I still have a dream of a little artist commune where we create art and the things we need for day-to-day living... i joke that i'll do it when i win the lottery (gotta remember to buy a ticket), but i find myself turning more and more towards that as a goal for normal, real life..

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