Friday, July 1, 2011

{moving day}

change of address cards- by Jack & Ella Paper Press

i set up a new website an blog with Weebly an I'm moving everything over there, at least temporarily. i think it will be easier to have everything in one place, but i'm keeping this blog up because i may be back.

meanwhile... follow this link

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Miró Earrings

Miró Earrings- sterling silver, copper, enamel
Last week I filled up a punch card at my local bead store and received $50 in store credit. Woohoo! As you can imagine, it was burning a hole in my pocket, so yesterday I stopped by to cash it in. One of the things I picked up was a package of glass threads for enameling. As I laid out the multicolored threads on the white background, i was reminded of the paintings of Joan Miró and got the idea to start a series of jewelry inspired by various artists. I'm very excited about this project, in addition to providing a challenge it will be a great way to refresh and expand my art history knowledge. As they are completed, I will post the pieces along with a brief history and explanation on the blog.

First up Miró:
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan surrealist painter and sculptor known for his experimental painting style. Miro's contempt for traditional painting methods, which he felt supported the bourgeois society led him to famously declare an "assassination of painting" and to pioneer his theory of four-dimensional painting. His work is recognized by flat organic shapes and sharp lines.


Et Fixe Les Cheveux D'une Etoile

Monday, May 30, 2011

{sew-sew weekend}

my studio mate mentioned that Old Navy was having a huge sale this weekend. i was in serious need of some new shirts (thank you pickle solution for burning tiny holes in all my old ones. i'm now wearing an apron in the studio but i was slow to realize the culprit.) i decided to run by on my way home. i had been wanting to make some deconstructed and embellished shirts for a while now but just haven't had the time. having a free weekend and seeing that basic tees were on sale for $3, i decided the time was right to do some experimenting. i was so happy with the results that i went back on saturday and grabbed a few more. here are the results:
it was great to make something other than jewelry for a change, but now i ready to get back to my hammers and torches, where i belong.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

{week in pictures}

last week was nonstop... go-go-go... action packed. starting with a trip to Richmond, Va
Spring Bada-bing on Sunday
lunch with the hubby at Red Bowl on Tuesday
lots of quality time in the studio
Twister Necklaces for Raleigh Tornado Fundraiser
The Handmade Market on Saturday
Banana Bread Beer with friends at Woody's...
the perfect end to a busy week

Thursday, April 21, 2011

{handmade market}

Find me this weekend at The Handmade Market.  The event is from 11-5 at Cobblestone Hall downtown in City Market.  The Raleigh Easter egg hunt is also going on across the street so its sure to be a great time for the whole family.  This is one of my favorite local shows and there is always such a great collection of vendors.  I've already started working on my shopping list!  I'm bringing new enameled pieces as some new metalwork that I'm really excited about.  I'll also have some Twister Necklaces to help raise money for victims of last weekends tornadoes in Raleigh.  They retail for $35 and 25% will go to the local chapter of the American Red Cross.  Meanwhile you can pick one up on Etsy or there are still a few left at Raleigh Tornado Fundraiser.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

{surreal}ity

tornado approaching downtown Raleigh- courtesy of WRAL
This past week powerful tornadoes ripped through the Southeastern United States leaving a path of destruction in their wake.  I had watched the storms on the news for two days as they tore through Arkansas, Mississippi and Georgia, so by the time the system reached my state of North Carolina on Saturday afternoon, I was sure that they would have started to weaken.  Unfortunately this was not the case.  In all at least 25 tornadoes broke out across the state and resulted in 23 deaths. (updated to 24 on 4.21) 63 homes in Raleigh were destroyed and over 600 severely damaged. (updated to 138 houses and 8 businesses destroyed, 2,269 homes and businesses severely damaged on 4.21)
downtown raleigh, taken by a friend
It all happened so quickly, I received a phone call from my sister that a tornado touched down in a nearby town and that it was headed towards Raleigh at 50 mph.  It had been rainy and windy all day, and I wasn't too terribly worried at this point.  A little while later the lights started flickering so I turned on the the news.  We don't have cable and could only pickup a signal from one station because of the all the interference.  That particular station is located downtown, the area that was hit first and hardest.  The clouds were so thick and the rain so heavy, that the footage from the video cameras was almost completely black.  The reporter was saying that the tornado was right above them and headed north (our direction), just then the power went out and all the light filtering in the windows started to fade.  It got so dark that it almost looked like nighttime and I felt that feeling of dread creep into the pit of my stomach.  My husband and I grabbed our two cats and headed to the bathroom to ride out the storm.  Rain was pounding, I'm pretty sure there was some large hail, and you could hear the wind ripping past us.  And that was it... it was over as quickly as it started.  The rain let up then it was gone, I looked outside and other than a few limbs on the ground everything looked fine.
Having no power, no phone signal, and no internet access we really had no idea what had happened.  A few hours went by, power was still out and it was dinner time, so we decided to look for an open restaurant.  The street lights were out and we saw a tree or two down but not much else out of the ordinary.  Then, all of a sudden, we were surrounded by trees that had snapped in half, damaged roofs and a whole bank of power lines lying across the road.  In a daze, we just kept driving an another mile up the road, street lights were working and no visible damage at all.  We ate at a Mexican restaurant, I can't even remember what I ordered or if it was good or not.  I was too busy watching the horror unfold on the television across the room, missing roofs, houses that looked like they exploded and 200 year old trees ripped from the ground.  Then it was back home, where our power had been restored and life went pretty much back to normal.
Brass Twister Necklace- Limited Edition
And that's what its like living in Raleigh right now, two different worlds, its completely surreal.  Both my home and my studio are about a mile west of the tornadoes path, other than still finicky cell reception, there are no reminders of Saturdays events, you can almost forget that anything happened at all.  Then you get in your car and... bam ... the scene is almost post-apocalyptic. 
There is much to be thankful for. Somehow all of our friends and relatives in the area escaped with little or no damage to their properties and more importantly none to their persons.  While I feel very grateful I also feel very guilty. Its strange to go about my life as normal when so many others have lost so much, and this is where you come in.  Several local artists have donated works to help raise money for victims of Saturday's tornado.  You can purchase these works, or donate work of your own at www.raleightornadofundraiser.com.  100% of the proceeds will be donated to The Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Raleigh.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

{tiny pools of color}

{tiny moon pendants} enameled copper, sterling silver
The Freedom of the Moon

I've tried the new moon tilted in the air
Above a hazy tree-and-farmhouse cluster
As you might try a jewel in your hair.
I've tried it fine with little breadth of luster,
Alone, or in one ornament combining
With one first-water start almost shining.

I put it shining anywhere I please.
By walking slowly on some evening later,
I've pulled it from a crate of crooked trees,
And brought it over glossy water, greater,
And dropped it in, and seen the image wallow,
The color run, all sorts of wonder follow.

--Robert Frost

a quick snapshot of some new work.