Creative life - 2016 writing off September

I've traveled most of this month.  And by most of this month, I mean that I was home less than 24 hours between trips one and two, I was home less than 48 hours between trips 2 and 3, and I have been sick as all get out and useless between trips 3 and 4. Thankfully, the down time on this trip, and not flying, has enabled me to mostly recover, so once I get back home, I can buckle down and work on bringing the pages and pages of sketches I've done over the last few weeks to life.

October is going to be a busy month with demos and shows, plus a chainmail class at the Gardens that's great for guys and gals, but I am so looking forward to it. Time in the studio, time with kitties, and oh yeah, it my favorite season as of today- I have a lot to look forward to this fall.

Creative life 2016 - some week... some time..

Blogger's inability to correct the issue with its app, on a Nexus device, has severely limited my ability to blog, so yes, I am very behind on my regular posts. No fear, though, I have been creating!

Tennessee Craft Southwest put on a show at Crosstown Arts last weekend that I had the pleasure of having a booth in and the experience of coordinating. 13 artists in a small space is something akin to herding cats, but it was a great show, all the participants were excellent and we had an amazing turn out for a 1st year show. I think everyone was quite pleased. My booth setup was a little different as we had 6x6 spaces and I was out in the middle so my space was fully visible from all directions. I think I pulled it together ok :) (Marilyn's gorgeous art quilt is in the upper right corner of the image below- her work is so detailed and deep, it's truly inspiring)

I'm going to be adventuring for the next two weeks, so not much creative time. I was working on getting some stuff done for an upcoming private enameling class and I was playing around with a piece that I had put a counter enamel coat on long ago and forgotten. This was supposed to be the back of the piece, but with some vintage lump enamels, some leaded powders, and some unleaded liquids, I accidentally created this last night. The clear when teal, so I had to add more blues- it actually matches the studio - almost exactly the wall color. it's a 6x6 piece, so I'll probably put some counter on the back and call this baby done. the depth doesn't really show much in the picture, but the way the copper oxides are dispersing through the clear coat and the white looks like leather in a few places, it's a neat piece and I'm looking forward to having time to play with the techniques more.

Something that keeps showing up on my radar is growing my business. Conversations, blogs I follow,  my horoscope, whatever, there's a theme of pursuing my passion, and how to get the funding necessary to do that. I did the Go Fund Me thing, and I need to revisit that as we have changed the plan as it unfolded- the Mobile Metal Working Studio is still a thing- it's still in the 3 year plan and it will happen.. just not in a VW bus and not on the time line I thought it would happen. We decided a small trailer is the better way to go last year, and if my recent google search is to be believed, mobile boutiques are BOOMING, so having a small studio/gallery that I can cart around the country, especially the west coast, is doable. And there are now resources out there to help me be successful instead of me having to figure it all out on my own. I've priced it out and since I need a new daily driver soon, it's a better investment. Also, to be fair, there are some logistical issues that have put the acquisition of the MMWS on hold- namely where to store the thing when I'm not on the road, which with my mainstream job, that will be a lot of the time.

I want to do this full time. the teaching, the art, the shop. I need funding to do that, but I feel bad about asking for money, (loan, Kickstarter, go fund me, whatever) when I can't give definitive dates of when I will do things because of the day job. and If the money isn't enough, like partially funded go fund me, then it all falls through and I'm left with a really guilty feeling. I want to be one of those people that dives off in and makes it happen, I just don't know how. :(

Creative life - week 33

It's been busy, busy in my world lately. I have some great adventures coming up, and the start of the fall show season kicks off next Friday at the Crosstown 'Clectic show presented by Tennessee Craft SW at Crosstown arts. It's a Friday preview party, with a Saturday show, so it promises to be lots of fun (click on the links to be taken to the Facebook events for more details). I've become the coordinator of the show somehow and it's been really eye-opening all the work that goes into making these things happen.

I did a class last Saturday for metal clay and dichroic glass- this is one of my class samples. I'll get it finished this week along with some of my small dichro and fine silver pendants on leather in time for the show next week.

Come out and see me, and 12 other artists. We'll have wine on Friday and just a good time with great people and great art on Saturday. :)

Creative Life- Week 31

So.. yeah. I may have missed so studio time in the past few weeks. I was traveling for work again and I actually had to close the shop on two Wednesdays because of it. I got back on track last week and I made some new pieces. :)
I'm also getting ready for some great classes coming up at both the MBG and BMB designs and my calendar is so full starting this weekend through December, I'm not sure what to do with myself!

We went to Frankstown, MS and hunted for sharks teeth last weekend and that was SO MUCH FUN! it was great to wade through the water, hunt for teeth and fossil shells and watch the minnows in the slow moving creek. I have the hunting bug now and am looking forward to opportunities to look for more rocks and fossils in unusual places.

Since I have shows coming up- starting with the Crosstown Clectic show August 26th and 27th, I have been busy making. Here are some of the new pieces I've been adding to my stock.

Creative Life - Week 27

It's going to be one of those 'longest short weeks ever' weeks- I can already tell. I spent some time yesterday at the studio. I did a little cleaning up and got frustrated at how much there was still to do so I decided just to sit down and make some stacking rings- nice mindless activity that needs to be done since stacking rings are still crazy popular and aside from my circle necklaces and fold formed leaf earrings, still the fastest selling thing I make (especially the ones with the pretty rose cut stones or cute owls).

The rain yesterday was a mixed bag-  I was thrilled at watching the storm roll in and seeing the lightning and hearing the rain pelt the roof. (my yard and trees very much needed the good soaking) I was not thrilled at missing the fireworks due to it being very soggy. When I went out to see if I could see the Bartlett fireworks, I got to see the glow of them, with an occasional high one in view over the treetops, followed by nice intercloud lightning as a sort of response from Mother Nature. it was pretty cool, although I would have rather seen the fireworks in their glory AND the lightning. :)

I've got some exciting stuff coming up this year. I'm teaching a silversmithing class the 16th of July at MBG, 2 classes in August (one at BMB and one at MBG), the Crosstown Clectic show in late August, leading to some demonstrations at 2 TN Welcome centers early October, the Pink Palace arts and Crafts show, mid-October and returning as a Demonstrating artist at River Arts at the end of October. I've got my fingers crossed I'll be invited back to Crafts & Drafts in November as well. In December, I'm off to Austin, TX to play with hammers and stakes at the Makery for a workshop with Andrea Harvink-Kennington.

Creative Life - Week 26

The blogger app has been eating my posts, so i haven't been able to consistently post like i mean to. June flew past me so quickly i didn't even have time to enjoy the passing of birthday month and it was nearly 11 today before i realized it was July... i've been trying to get in the studio regularly, but i'm still working through getting new product in the system and on the shelves, so my creative time has been rather lacking.

With silver prices skyrocketing in the wake of Brexit, i'm hesitant to move forward with my silver line. I think copper and bronze with silver accents are going to still be the thing this fall, at least for my customer base, but i'm dying to make little jewel encrusted spiculum and air chased neck pieces decorated with some of the gorgeous turquoise i bought out west. Maybe i'll make them anyway, prices be damned.

I have been doing more sculpture/decoration stuff lately (at least i'm making something) including this cool family tree i did for a friend's mom. It's not tacked down yet, so that's why it's a weird angle.

Creative Life - Week 23 - My trip out west

Last week was birthday week- and it was spent exploring out west. We left on June 4th around 10am and drove to Flagstaff Arizona. I got home Saturday night, June 11th, around 9pm.

While I did not make any jewelry, I did take my cameras and I took quite a few rolls of film. Unfortunately, I still have some rolls to be developed from one of my last trips- I believe 3 years ago- to New Orleans, so I'll be making a few trips to MPI in the near future to get these all developed.

here is a taste of what I did digitally. :) I played with the panorama feature on my phone a bit and even made a photo sphere at Meteor Crater.

Storm we ran into going across New Mexico

Meteor Crater 360 pan

Meteor Crater Photosphere

Bell Rock on my Birthday

Grand Canyon Revisited. :)

Sandstone Mesas near the Lava Flows

Standing on top of one of the sandstone Mesas at El Malpais with my purple hair. :)

Creative life - Week 22 part 2

I've been trying to expand my social media interaction recently. I created a business instagram account and a tumblr page, but i haven't been the best about posting to either. A few pictures a week, whereas many businesses post several a day, but I'll get there. :)

Here are the links to the accounts, if you're interested in taking a peek

Tumblr: http://bmb-designs-art-jewelry.tumblr.com/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/bmb_designs/

My Instagram (many of the same pictures but with added KITTIES!!): https://www.instagram.com/browniecambran/

And i'll leave you with my most recent Instagram share- lacquered fold formed copper <3 p="">

Creative Life - Week 22

I've gone and gotten behind again...

Once again, i have been quite busy. I was in Charlotte/Greensboro again last week - i made it to one of the rock shops in Greensboro and got some really cool, unusual stuff. I can't wait to make something really wow with these pyrite roses i picked up. And the owner was super cool and full of knowledge and it was just all around a great experience.

I went to this great local place in Gastonia that was an old theater while in NC- Webb's Custom Kitchen. The food was SOOOO GOOOD.. :) 

I taught my fold formed bracelet class this past Saturday and we had a great time. It was one person's first time and she took to it beautifully- her bracelets turned out pretty amazing (see below).

And i've been working on adding some more display space to the shop. I've gotten in a lot of new stuff and i will be bringing in beads soon since the bead shop that used to be just down the street has moved to midtown (i think).

I made a couple of things recently too - including this lovely set for a very dear friend. 

Creative Life 2016 - Week 19

I missed weeks 17 and 18. and by missed, I don't mean to say I wasn't making- thankfully this time. I just missed posting. And sure i could go back date a post, but that kind of feels like cheating.. so I'll just say that I made some awesome stuff last week (because I did- I made three epic bracelets as a custom order for someone) and I traveled last week (to Greensboro NC) and the week before that I was just pretty overwhelmed.

I went to an amazing Full Moon sacred woman's circle on the 22nd- it was epic- and it actually coincided with the full moon in Scorpio. I got some guidance from the experience and it gave me the nudge to start working on it. The Navigating Negativity group meeting the following Monday (25th) drove the point home even more. I have to let go of the habit of comparing myself to everyone else- as an artist, as a friend, as a person. I constantly berate myself because so-and-so is a better metalsmith than me, so why do I bother? Or this person is better at putting their words to paper or that person is more energetic. I have to stop tearing myself down. It doesn't help me, and it doesn't help the people thatI'mm supposed to be helping. Because i really do feel like my path in life is to help people, to teach people, to be kind to people and protect those without voices. (and to help/protect critters and nature)

So i spent week 17 working on that- and i guess technically, it's still part of my Creative Life journey- not everything i do, everything i achieve, has to have a physical result to show off.

I created my samples for my class coming up in June at the MBG- I'm going to teach folks how to make spiculums and stuff! it's pretty neat to take a flat piece of metal and have some pod, flower, weird things at the end of a few minutes of hammering. (the lotus took more than a few minutes...) i can't wait to add enamel to this stuff.. whole new level awesome.

Creative Life 2016- week 16

Monday of this week was spent in Nashville at the Frist, enjoying selections from the impressive Alba family collection (500 years of an art collecting family!!) and an exhibit of Soviet photographers from the time period surrounding the rise of communism. It was the cap on the celebrations for the 12th anniversary for my husband and me. :)

I started working on rearranging and updating the shop side of BMB Designs last night- i'm trying to add more space for displays and keep things fresh and fun. I have some new display pieces that i want to incorporate, but, as usual with a gemini with artistic ADD, i'm finding the flow to be a little difficult. My shop is filled with eclectic and re-purposed items as displays, and i love that, but i need something to tie it all together- and that's proving difficult.. sigh.. the trials of an artist.

The bottom 2 photos are from the East Buntyn Art walk that took place last Saturday (4/16). My displays looked great - nice flow- and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was a great day and i had lots of people comment on the work and the displays in a positive manner and it was a great sales day as well!

Creative Life 2016- week 15 part 2

Spring is in the air and i've had monkey brain most nights, leaving me groggy in the morning and grumpy in the early afternoon.

However, since the night time is my-time, i have been getting some work made and i have a slew of sketches that i can't wait to get started on. I'm trying to make work in cohesive 'collections' now, for a few reasons-- 1- it makes my work easier to display as things go together and make sense instead of being a visual testament for my artistic ADD and 2- it makes it easier for me to enter into competitions, scholarship opportunities, etc because my work makes sens to a juror, judge, etc.

I'm still focused on my fold formed pieces, but i've branched out into enameled fold formed pieces over the past year and now i'm adding enameled beads to my fold formed focals. this lets me pull my enamel only work seamlessly into my current offerings also.

I'm really wanting to get back to my enamel 'sketch' work- where i actually draw on the enamel with a graphite pencil and fire it all together to create a permanent 'doodle' on jewelry. i have a giant focal i did almost 2 years ago that i love, along with my smaller pendant pieces, and i think there's some great possibilities for me there- both in the finished work and in the artistic process.

The other 'line' i'm working on is a narrative set of pendants inspired by words from http://other-wordly.tumblr.com/. The first in the series is Werifesteria (to wander longingly through the forest in search of mystery) and has a dendrite stone as its focal.

Here's what i finished last night- it's the only one i have right now in silver. While i love copper and i love working in copper, i love silver too, and sometimes something a little fancier is needed. :) the chain is random lengths of this lovely twisted figure 8 link connected by hand wrapped links with tiny labradorite. The focal is dauphine and harvest blue enameled pieces with organic wrapped sterling bits and a big chalcedony tear drop (i've had these in my stash for *years*- they were one of my first big splurges- i paid more for the strand than i was normally spending on a whole order of other beads. I've slowly been adding them to special pieces and this was a match made in heaven!)

Don't forget to come by and see me at the East Buntyn art walk this Saturday from 1pm-6pm! The commemorative glass this year is a pretty red and once you buy the glass at headquarters, you can get pours from all the artists around the neighborhood as you browse and buy one-of-a-kind art!

Creative life 2016 -week 15

New work!! I will be have new additions to my fold formed line at the East Buntyn Art Walk this Saturday, as well as whatever else awesome I can get finished this week. ;)

Creative Life 2016 - Week 14 part 2

I went to the 1st Whet Thursday of 2016 yesterday down at the Metal Museum, and the weather was just amazing.  The sunset gave us a great show too, with the clouds turning this luscious shade of purple right before the sun slipped below the horizon. With the giant oaks and the deep history, combined with my obvious passion about metal, the Metal Museum grounds are one of my 'grounding places'. While there, i browsed the Inches from the Earth exhibit and got some encouragement to keep on with the direction i'm going, and i fell in love with a David Huang small vessel. 

In that vein, i have some new work for the Art Walk on the 16th!  :) If i sell enough, i'm going to go and get that vessel. I just have to decide where to put it. The bottom picture has a couple of designs i'm revisiting- the bar necklace is a chunkier version of one i've been making. The two fold formed pieces are variations on a theme and are a bit smaller than some of my previous (non circle) pieces. the bracelet is a vintage copper blank enameled in the torch and swirled with a rake while hot. i'm super pleased with the colors and the swirls and am looking forward to making more of these. I just have to suck it up and get over the idea that i *will* use up the focal pieces i have and that's ok. :) I also made several pairs of the torch enameled beaded earrings and did those up in silver and copper. 

 

Creative Life 2016- Week 14

So.. i lost a couple of weeks there. I can't even blame this on travel for work. I'm trying to get back into being creative, but my energy levels are still low and by the time i am done with work, i'm a pseudo-zombie some nights.

while my step-kids were here for spring break, i did get some extended studio time while the boys played Axis and Allies- i got a ton of copper and sterling earrings finished (they've been 'in progress' for about 4 months) for my next show- East buntyn's annual art walk- on April 16th. My location has changed due to some unforeseen circumstances with my host's home, but i'll still be there. (514 S. Reese, if you're planning on stopping by! (: )

There's a peek at what all i got made/finished 2 weeks ago...

And here's the little visitor we had this past sunday.. he was so tiny!!!!

Real life vs Creative life

if you've been following me for a bit, you might have noticed that i've been struggling lately. like more than normal. energy levels have been low and creativity has been sparse. I had chalked it up to a busy work schedule with lots of travel, but it turns out that i have been fighting Mono.. seems like something i should have had in high school or college, but no- it waited until 36 to come along and kick my ass. i'm kind of proud that i didn't miss 2-3 weeks of work due to it, like some folks do, but i chalk that up to pure stubbornness, not any kind of easy infection. The doc says that mono in adults, especially ones that get strep throat once and ear infections twice during the span, can take 6-8 weeks to get over it and i should be feeling better in the next week or so.. bleh!

its a relief to know why i have been so tired and achy, and generally just lacking the ability to do much. all that combined with a wicked deficiency of vitamins, i'm actually doing better than one would expect. I seem to be the fail at taking care of myself, even though i've been eating healthier. It all goes back to that being done with adulting thing. :)

All that aside, i did get 11 pairs of earrings made this week at Open Studio Night, although the phone died before i could get a photo. I'll update once i get one taken.

Here's a kitten photo to be a place holder. :)Willow has laser eyes, shadow is between them and zelda is like "mom- stahp!!!"

Creative Life 2016 - Week 11

I'm starting off week 11 with positivity. I am reinforcing my affirmations, trying really hard to show myself kindness, and remembering that I cannot give from an empty bowl.

Part of what makes my art so important, at least to me, is the amount of myself that I put into each piece. It is my way of making my story immortal. However, if i'm all used up, i'll have nothing to give to my work, and it shows. People respond so much stronger to the work that was made with passion and imbued with love and light.

I dove off into the amazing and terrifying world 24 karat gold. I made granules for a granulation project that has been stewing since my class on the 5th. I'm excited about the potential.

Check out this lovely fungi. The whole stump was covered in this beautiful colorful shelf fungus. I took a little mold of those tiny bits and am looking forward to reproducing it in bronze or copper. When i grew White Oysters a couple of months ago, a few of them dried out while i was traveling for work and are these hardened, compacted versions of themselves. I think i should be able to get a good mold from them, so positive outcome from a negative thing (they were very tasty and had a lot more to give, but mushrooms must not be allowed to go dry... )

Creative Life - Travel photos

Since i've been traveling so much, i have been able to explore new and interesting places. Here's some shots from my trip to Denver. After i finished my job, i had a whole afternoon to explore. I went up to a panoramic overlook (and Dinosaur Ridge, but the museum was closed due to the docent not showing up for work) and got some great shots of the mountains. Then i drove downtown and had lunch at Palettes at the Denver Museum of Art, then wandered the museum for a coupe of hours (while taking calls for work- i made sure to leave the galleries before taking calls- even if there was no one else in there, it felt weird talking on the phone while looking at the art)

Creative Life 2016- week 10

well.. i've missed a few weeks. i was in Denver the last week of February and i was in Nashville last week. In between all my travel, i've been fighting off a sinus infection that reminds me it's there by sending me to bed at 4 in the afternoon. Not exactly the most conducive atmosphere for creativity.

I took a granulation class at the Metal Museum this past Saturday with Doug Harling. When i'd signed up for the class back in January, i had no idea how badly i would need it. It was the first time i'd been at the torch in almost 3 weeks. And this technique is all about patience-  something that i have been in very short supply of recently, so that was good. It's funny how i can pull patience up when i need it for something like this, but still have none for my daily life.

We worked in Fine Silver, but i'm already itching to try it in gold. This is a way that i could make my gold go further and is much less wasteful than casting.

 

Creative Life 2016- Week 7 - Continued!!

Look at me.. making twice in one week! {sarcasm} if i had the energy, i'd be in the studio every night again, making a dozen pieces a week. The weather is absolutely beautiful today though- i rode the scooter back to work after lunch (and was tempted to not go back to work) and am looking forward to riding around this evening, before the chill sets in after dark.

Last night i got a few pieces made :) To be fair, they were mostly doing the final assembly, clean up or whatnot of pieces that have been sitting around for a while- the large copper piece has been tossed around my office for almost 2 years. BUT- i'm going to take the victories i can get and i will be content in knowing that these pieces are not 100% complete and ready for pricing and display.
Yes- i tweaked the image strangely, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to see the three earrings at all. one pair is a wire fabbed triske- Sterling, one is mold cast fine silver trilobites and finally, the bottom set is made from water cast pieces that have been soldered together to create a harmonious pair.

The leaf is a fine silver peperomia leaf with liver of sulfur patina (sealed) on a metallic bronze leather cord with sterling clasp. And of course, that big honking statement piece is solid copper- coated to protect the brightness.