more iris pictures

images from right to left: pendant, 1999. silver, tourmaline. no photo credit. untitled, 1999. (a series of brooches.) silver, aragonite, plastic, pebbles, pearls. photo by julian kirschler.

one way thinking

you may have noticed i haven't posted in a week and there was no "guest star friday." (i do have a draft started. hint: iris bodemer.) last week i was completely caught up in making my new collection pieces and couldn't think of anything else. i am into it. totally. i started designing in december, quickly sketching every new earring, necklace, ring, bracelet, and brooch i could think of. many of these ideas have been in my head for months or even since last year and didn't make it for whatever reason. i also jotted down notes on process, sizes, materials, etc. then over the last few weeks i've added and subtracted and reworked all on paper. the really fun part, making the pieces, was just waiting for the right time to happen. i finally had a few days to just make this work last week. i started with what was most interesting to me at the time and one by one made many of these new pieces. as i worked, i got new ideas and ran into troubles. (the two often go hand in hand. the work is not always the same on paper as it is in "real life.") plus, since i am making these pieces for the first time, there is no finesse in the process. i often make mistakes, but i often turn these into very happy accidents. then i think "i never would have come up with that on paper!" so fun! so exciting! i have a few more days to work and then the samples are off to my photographer in seattle. i absolutely love this time of year.

thanks for reading.

upcoming exhibition

i will participate in a group exhibition at bainbridge arts and crafts in washington this april. the show, "twenty-first century jewelry," was curated by mary lee hu, the former professor of metal design at the university of washington in seattle. all the artists, including myself, were students of mary's. the participants include:

lori talcott
jana brevik
fred miller
phil carizzi
vina rust
maria phillips
jan mandel
gina pankowski
and mary lee hu

i am pretty stoked. these people are all amazing jewelers and metalsmiths. i am good friends with many of them, went to school with fred, vina, and phil, and have studied with lori and maria. i feel honored to be a part of this group.

what will i make...? so excited about that! i will keep working with the line drawing series i started last fall. (the above necklace, "line drawing no. 3," is one of the necklaces from this series.) only now i want make the work more 3d. such a challenge for me. my work tends to be pretty flat.

show details:

twenty-first century jewelry
april 4-29, 2008
bainbridge arts and crafts
151 winslow way east
bainbridge island, wa 98110

thanks for reading.

sarah loertscher...faceted steel earrings and structure earrings in oxidized sterling silver.

guest star friday

i was thinking the other day that i want to write about another jeweler's work maybe once a week and then thought maybe friday would be a good day for that. it's friday today so...it's guest star friday with sarah loertscher. sarah is an amazing jeweler. she makes these light, airy wire structures that are both expertly and thoughtfully made. Most of her current work is based on her "interest/obsession with rocks and crystalline structure and how a few straight lines can rapidly turn into a chaotic mass. when constructing a piece of jewelry, [she tries] to either repeat a basic line into a tangled structure or distill forms down into their structural supports."

the above image is titled "structure necklace" and it's made of sterling silver. sarah emailed me after she finished this piece, excited that it had more than 300 solder joints. over 300.

i met sarah at the penland school of crafts a few years ago while i was assisting in a summer class and sarah was a core student. since then we have become very good friends. i admire her aesthetic and her craftsmanship very much.

sarah is part of a group show that opens today at velvet da vinci gallery in san francisco. if you live in the bay area you should go to the opening and/or gallery talk or stop by during the show's run. (or stop by whenever, really. this gallery has incredible studio jewelry. definitely one of my favorite galleries.) here's some info:

new west coast design - jewelry and metalwork
january 16 - february 17
artists' reception: friday, january 18, 6-8pm
gallery talk: saturday, january 19, 6:30pm
velvet da vinci - www.velvetdavinci.com
2015 polk st, san francisco, ca 94109

besides the velvet da vinci show, you can also find sarah's work on etsy, (her shop is "lucy machine"), at the penland gallery in penland, nc and at quirk gallery in richmond, va.

thanks for reading.

lecturing...!

i am going to give a short presentation during the professional development seminar the day before the annual snag (society of north american goldsmiths) conference. i am both freaked out and excited. normal. here are the details...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Harriete Estel Berman
San Mateo: October 12, 2007 (650) 571-7726 studio

The 2008 Professional Development Seminar Open To All Artisans

The 2008 Professional Development Seminar “Crosscurrents: Navigating Toward New Markets” will address topics that are important to artists and crafts people. The afternoon will cover how photography plays a crucial role in establishing a visual identity and provide help in finding new marketing channels that yield better exposure and stronger financial return.

The speakers include Bobby Hansson who has 40 years of experience in photography and will discuss how to attain quality images of your work. Marthe Le Van, Editor of Lark Books, gives her unique perspective on which images are preferred by publishers when considering inclusion to a publication. Megan Auman will introduce us to blogs, Etsy and other inexpensive internet venues to market your artwork. Amy Tavern addresses new trends, trunk shows and nontraditional venues. Ivan Barnett, April Higashi and Heidi Lowe bring their experience and insight in opening their own galleries.

This is a rare opportunity to learn from our speakers who bring their expertise and unique perspectives for an afternoon of learning. The 2008 Professional Development Seminar will be held:

WHEN: Wednesday, March 5, 2008
TIME: 2:00 TO 6:00 PM
WHERE: The Savannah Marriott Riverfront, Savannah, GA (Conference Hotel)
COST: $10 covers the entire seminar afternoon
REGISTER: Either with your Conference Registration or at the PDS door in Savannah

The PDS (organized by Harriete Estel Berman, Andy Cooperman & Don Friedlich) is designed to offer information vital to establishing and maintaining an art career. Conference Registration is not required to attend the PDS. Updated information about the PDS program will be available at:

http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/.docs/pg/10037

Questions and comments can be directed to:

bermaid@harriete-estel-berman.info.

i will talk about my experiences with trunk shows, selling at boutiques, indie shops and galleries, my website, and other ways i get my name out there. i love doing this kind of thing. (and i do get very nervous!) i have spoken a few other times - at my alma mater, uw seattle, and at the penland school of crafts. i like telling others about my experiences, both good and bad, regarding my work and business. it can be difficult to find this kind of information as an artist so if i can help others in this way, i am very willing. plus, i get to learn power point and i am very excited about that!

i guess this means i am a professional.

thanks for reading.

artist studios

i enjoy visiting and reading about artist studios. i just read "birth and present," a collection of photographs of the studio of japanese artist, yoshitomo nara. (i have loved his work ever since i went to see "superflat" at the henry art gallery in seattle.) the photographer, mei morimoto, has taken a series of pictures of the studio and all the things in it, works-in-progress, collections of objects, moments, and, yes, the artist himself, occasionally. the pictures and the point is definitely to bring focus to the workspace, to create a portrait of sorts. (there are brief, yet informative captions in the back.) i like this different view very much. artist studios often have a life of their own. i like seeing what sorts of things the artist keeps close by, how things are organized and arranged. i spend much (most) of my time in my studio and so i try to create a special place to not only make art, but to be. i am still settling into my new studio. i am in the process of decorating my space and customizing my new work bench. pictures to follow soon... also, the lighting in mei's photos is lovely. very soft and warm.

thanks for reading.

my very first post

hello and welcome to my blog. this is my very first post. i was planning to do this a week ago, but i've been procrastinating. this blog thing is strange to me. a bit daunting. it's hard for me to talk about my work generally, so the idea of writing about it in this format is just plain weird. but here goes...i will be writing about my work, my interests and inspirations, and upcoming events and news. i will also talk about other jewelers' work on occasion. i know some very talented people and admire a bunch more. i would love to share them with others.

so what's happening now...? i just finished designing all my new collection pieces for the spring. there are new shapes and styles in each collection and more gold pieces. these new items will be available for viewing and buying on march 21. i will probably give a sneak peak in february once the new photos are ready so stay tuned. i have also decided what to "retire." you can find these on my website now with a little note in their accompanying descriptions. it says something like "retired - only available until the end of january." i am also in the process of going as green as i can, meaning i am now only buying conflict-free silver and gold sheet metal and wire (i already use conflict-free stones), using as little paper in my office as possible (i heart my mac's "stickies") and only using recycled paper when i do. i am trying to find an alternative to my printed wholesale line sheet, too. the solution will be in the form of a cd or perhaps an online something or other. i have also switched to a few safer and more environmentally friendly chemicals in my studio. i'll keep adding to this list...

ok. that wasn't so bad. thanks for reading.