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 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.

 

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

Mobile Metal Working Studio

Last week i set up a GoFundMe for a VW bus that i can use to go to out of town art shows and also have a mobile metal studio for said shows as well as local events. I'm so thrilled at the support i have received so far but i still have a ways to go to be able to purchase and transport the bus from Cali.

I've created a logo for the MMWS and i'm already pricing how much it's going to take to get this thing on the road and to shows! (Positive thinking-- especially since the seller has lowered the price if i can get it off his hands this week!!!)

Rough draft of the logo- needs a little polish, i know.

Here's the link to the GoFundMe page- every little bit helps and i do have rewards for donations- I'm not just asking people to just give me money for an art project- I'm offering product in exchange for an investment in my community outreach plan.

Here's a picture of the high top camper VW Bus- it'll need a new paint job eventually, but it will do until i can get the inside outfitted to be useful. i think i'll paint her to match my studio. :)

Weekly challenge- week 11

I've been working like a mad woman to get as many if the in progress pieces on my bench finished for the Cosmic Trunk show this Saturday at the metal museum. I had making things that are the exact same so I have been doing little things here and there to make each piece unique.

Here are the 5 infinite love necklaces I finished tonight and the latest lily pad ring. (Also hot off the bench)

Something to do this weekend- Forging on the River!

You all know I *love* the Metal Museum, so I have to give a shout out when they have something going on.

April 4th, 5th and 6th, they have their annual Forging on the River event. It's not just for blacksmiths! There's an art auction and wild game dinner Saturday night that is a huge event for the Museum. Tickets are only $50 and they're for a great cause (the museum and its programs) *AND* you can bid on some amazing works, like a pierced vessel from enamelist Sarah Perkins (i love her work) .
Click the link below to go to the Metal Museum's page on FotR for all the details.
Forging on the River

If the conference isn't your style, there are some spectacular exhibits on display right now- including a kinetic sculpture exhibit that is quite neat. Think of star gazing. :)