2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 19

I missed weeks 17 and 18 due to a personal tragedy. My grandmother passed away midweek the week of April 23rd. I'm still grappling with the loss of an amazing, kind, and creative woman that was an immense driving force in who I am today. It was unexpected and I only hope she knows how much I love her and how important she is to me.

It's definitely made me reevaluate how I interact with people I care about- I've been such a hermit over the last couple of years and I realize I have to reach out and stop hiding, even if it is my studio I take to when I feel like I need to check out from the world at large.

It's also made me aware that I should tell people what's going on with me so they don't think I am just avoiding them. We have to remove the stigma from mental illness- that's the only way we can heal as a society and as individuals.
I have been dealing with depression and anxiety for most of my adult life- in the last two/three years, it's gone up a few notches. I used to love big groups, concerts, festivals- now they send me into a panic attack. Small groups and one-on-ones have their own issues, and sometimes I just have to say it's ok to hide. Nanny would NOT have wanted me to live my life like this. I don't want to live my life like this. So, if you feel like I've avoided you or acted oddly around you, please don't think it's your fault.

Making things has been my life-line to staying involved with people. Teaching allows me to be kind of someone else. I become Teacher Brandy, and somehow I can deal better with all the scummy-brain stuff that keeps me awake all night, and I have confidence that slips away from me normally. 

I've been fortunate enough to have a wonderful group of friends (and family) that come to my classes and ask me to make special custom pieces for them. You guys have helped me more than you know.

This week's ring is not quite finished, but it is a custom piece for a wonderful lady that has been an amazing supporter of my work and I absolutely *love* making pieces for her- I know she falls in love with the stones just like I do. :) Labradorite supplied by her- silver by me. :) The back will have a cut out of a star after we do the sizing.

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 16

This week's ring is a fine silver creeping raspberry leaf atop a 4mm wide plain rectangle band. the band is super comfortable and complements the excellent texture of the leaf, which has a light patina with greens, golds, and bronze tones to it.

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 15

This statement ring is made with a cabochon from a (former) local Memphis artist (he's still around- just moved to the other side of TN). paired with a lovely sterling gallery wire and a simple wide band that keeps it securely in place, it's a solid ring, great for special occasions or everyday wear.

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 14

this Treasure Mountain turquoise is paired with sterling silver and gold fill. I like the mixed metals with the variety of colors in the stone.

(and yes, i did tap those prongs down a little more after this picture. I was just so excited with how it turned out!)

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 13

Featuring treasure mountain turquoise and a lovely little cast succulent, this is week 13 in my 52 week maker challenge. (shown on a lovely piece of wood that became an even more lovely pendant!)

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 12

I spent the evening of the spring equinox making- seemed fitting. This is the most recent ring in my 52 pieces challenge series. 

I call her The Oracle. A lovely cultured opal is set in a crown bezel. Fine silver planchettes flank the setting. The band is stamped with Yes, no, and goodbye, along with some fun stars. All Sterling and fine silver. Will be available in the etsy store soon!

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 10 &11

I was on vacation the first week of March, so I had to play catch up this week. Then I forgot to post, so here are weeks 10 and 11 in one post. :)

I'm teaching a class this saturday on alternative stone setting techniques, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to make some pieces and take photos for my hand outs- here are the two techniques I did- Faceted bezel set stones and 'Fenced' stones (i know there has to be a name for that kind of setting, but it reminds me of those old little wire fences people would have around their flowerbeds back in the day... )

Lab grown alexandrite set in sterling custom stepped bezel

Dichroic glass set in sterling with stamped band

2018 ~ 52 ring challenge - week 9

This week's ring is also a simple one. I started out with 5 White Water turquoise mini nuggets stacking rings (as the plan) and wound up with only one after a variety of mishaps, including sticking a bur into my thumb.
But that's ok, i'll remake the tiny bezels and get the stack made this week.

i also finally made the scrying pendant i've had bounching around in my head for months and did my first stone-on-stone setting, so i would say it was a productive week. Even though some of it was frustrating, i learn from my mistakes.

I'm excited to be working on the instructions for my Bezel explorations class next month and for another step-by-step article for Metal Clay Today. :)

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - Week 8

Last week was filled with last minute work on my Halstead Maker's Challenge piece- it turned out pretty ok (although I crashed it on Saturday during class- i think the succulents survived)

This week's ring is nice and simple -it's a little infinity midi ring. not all pieces have to be 'works of art' and day to day rings are important to make too. so here it is :)

  

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - Week 7

This week's ring is kind of a dud only because there was some silver solder on my brick that I didn't see and it got on my pretty copper bezel wire and messed up the pattern. I guess that will teach me that I should always tap off my brick between silver and copper projects! The back of the stone is open though- it has a little shelf inside the bezel wire from square copper wire that the rounded back of the fossil sits on. I used my whetstone to flatten it out some so it wouldn't jab the finger, but the open back allows the ring to be lighter on the hand and I think it's a good technique to use when you have a stone that is irregular or interesting on the obverse. 

This is my new burl wood statement necklace- I cut the slice of wood from a chunk of burl, sanded it to make a nice smooth surface, shaped the edges and then oiled it to make the figuring pop. I created the frame in a minimalistic way to show off both sides of the wood- they're equally enchanting. The chain is handmade, but not by me. I have a front clasping toggle to make it very comfortable to wear. I'm not sure i'm going to be able to part with this one, but i am DEFINITELY going to be making more!

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - week 2

(Note- also back dated due to issues blogging from my phone and forgetting to do it when i was at a computer. lol)

Here's my ring for week 2 of my challenge:

Sterling silver with rainbow dichroic cabochon from Galaxy Glass (on etsy). I made it so it could be easily worn with stackers (as seen on my finger)

2018 ~ 52 rings challenge - week 1

(note- I backdated these as I had the rings made on time but forgot to post- going forward, they'll be accurately dated)

I've decided to do another annual challenge. Things have settled down on the travel front for work and I honestly shouldn't be traveling more than 3-4 times, at most, in 2018. I'm sad and happy about it. Sad, because I enjoyed those face paced, 24-hour turn around visits to random cities- exploring them in the middle of the night and sleeping on the plane coming home. It was like speed dating for cities. Pack as much interesting and local stuff into 17-36 hours as possible.

It's good that I'm not traveling like that because it allows me more time to plan my personal trips. I'm doing a class with Sarah Perkins in June and one with Victoria Lansford in July. I'm trying to decide what to do for my birthday this year, as the last few have pretty much been suxxors for various reasons- last year I was flying back from LA on my birthday and the year before, we were in Arizona with the kids and my aunt. And while my birthday itself was good, it felt really off too for some reason. the year before that was awkward for reasons I won't go into. And I get to go to a beach this year and actually do more than stare at it for 20 minutes and take some photos and scoop up a few shells. :)

So- since I think I'll be around, I'm going to try this 52 ring challenge- and if I make more than one ring in a week, I'm not going to save it for another week, unless it's because I'll be at a trade show or out of town.

Without further ado- here's what I made on New Year's Day.
1- larimar heart with fancy gallery wire and a wide, textured band
2- Mokume gane oval cab (made by me) set in plain silver bezel and on a thinner, pattern band
3- Mokume gane round cab (made by me) set in plain silver with a plain half round band
4- Tabasco geode from Mexico set in a plain silver bezel with a thin rectangle band

My tree - A photographic journey

So, I have to drive down to Olive Branch a few times a year to service some printers down there and at some point in 2015, I noticed this tree in a field off Riverdale. I stopped and took pictures of it. It spoke to me- in the middle of this suburban mess, there was a small field on a corner that had been saved from another failed convenience store and on it was this majestic oak tree.

This tree was a bright spot in what was more often than not, a bad day. So, I started making it a point to stop by the tree each time I had to go to OB for a service call. I missed a few- sometimes it was raining too hard for me to get a good shot. Once it was supposed to snow, so I was hurrying to get home before the storm hit. But, I've been pretty consistent- I have 8 images that show how the changes of the seasons dress my lovely. What's interesting is how I'm taking the shot from almost the exact same spot each time... I am not sure how I manage that.

I am so enamored by this tree, I actually looked to see if I could buy the land. It's just north of the state line- so in Shelby County. I would buy it just to protect the tree from being torn down and to make it ok for me to go and lay a blanket under her branches without being charged with trespassing.

Here's the journey from the first shot on December 29th, 2015 to the latest on October 24th, 2017.

Creative file- Album from San Antonio

For those that don't follow me on Google+ or Facebook, I've published a selection of images from my trip to The Makery in Bulverde and my adventures in San Antonio and Austin.

The album is public here. :)

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!

Living the Creative Life- Week 1 2016

I'm not necessarily starting this year off well on the maker front. I was in the studio for Open Studio night this past Wednesday and I worked on some fine silver leaves and some FS molded pendants, but I didn't finish anything and i didn't take any photos.

However, i was in Flint, Michigan for work the first part of the week and i went the the Flint Institute of Arts after I completed the on-site visit that took me there. I bought a gorgeous handmade craftsman style tile to hang in the living room and a Fordite necklace (i know- super nerd buying 'Detroit agate' jewelry *in* Michigan :)  ) and had lunch in their cafe before I had to head to the airport for 8+ hours of waiting, flights and layovers.

Wandering the galleries reminded me why i love art. It's an escape, a testament to the innovation and creativity of people, an attempt to communicate, to tell a story, to capture a moment in time forever, and it makes me look at the world with different eyes. Looking at the Inuit art, the African masks, the Renaissance paintings, the Baroque tapestries, the Tiffany window.. they all make me put myself into a different point-of-view. I consider what life was like at that time, for those people, and it boggles my mind sometimes. Like the tapestries- they were MASSIVE- and so detailed and finely woven. How did they do that all by hand, without electricity, without quality controlled dye matching? Ancient and medieval metal smithing is like that too- how in the world did they make *that* with the tools and equipment available... and why can't i be that cool? :)

So, here's some photos from my wanderings- hopefully they will inspire you, even if you're not an artists, to look at things a little differently and to appreciate the amazing things that people have done without smartphones, CAD, programmable kilns, etc. (i wish i could share the smell of the art library that was tucked away in the museum- filled with books on every type of art and every artist imaginable from modern all the way back to ancient, and tons of gilt leather bound books that i had to put my hands in my pockets to keep from fondling)

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 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 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..