happy holidays

happy holidays

and

all the best to you in 2011!

thanks for reading.

some free time

i just found these - laser cut acrylic and birch plywood
hat rings by celestine pueringer
for annie larson.

cute!

thanks for reading.

my favorites 2010

brooch tipinea by mirjam hiller

my schedule usually slows down this time of year, mid-december, so i've spent the last week doing my bookkeeping and inventory as well as organizing my office and studio. i like taking time to do these kinds of things. it's good for my mind and body to take a break from making work. it gives my hands time to heal from daily studio wear-and-tear and allows my mind a chance to process. yesterday, i updated my delicious account with bookmarks i've saved throughout the year and i picked out my favorite jewelry related ones to share with you now:

trip to europe 1973 by lisa walker

necklaces by lauren manoogian

sally collins
susanne matsche
mirjam hiller
art forward
triian
lisa walker
a peace treaty
karin johansson
ted muehling
thief and bandit
lila ruby king
charm and chain
gallery funaki
djurdjica kesic
lauren manoogian
rebecca sako
beth legg
malou paul
pia aleborg

white bracelet by susanne matsche

earrings by triian

thanks for reading.

winter necklace

i finished this spray painted necklace the other day. i made a pair of long, thin teardrop earrings over the summer and wanted to try the same shape again in necklace format. this piece includes layers of white, light blue, and yellow. more images on flickr.

thanks for reading.

charm exchange

tara locklear, a metals student at ecu, invited me to participate in a recent charm exchange that she organizes several times a year. it's similar to the "pin swap" that kicks off the annual society of north american goldsmith's conference, but what's different about the charm exchange is that it is for ecu metals students, both current and former, and their metalsmithing mentors. participants make one charm each and names are drawn for the exchange. even though i was not able to be present for the day of the event, tara drew a name for me while my name was picked by marlene true. i got a sweet tin and copper charm made by marissa saneholtz. i forgot to take a picture of the piece i made, but marlene was kind enough to send one along. (thanks, marlene!)


thanks for reading.

bargain basement again!

line drawing brooch

last year margaret couch cogswell and i had a sale here at penland and had so much fun we decided to have another one this year. the sale is today in the penland school of crafts letterpress studio from 4-5:30. refreshments served.

small painting on tin by margaret cogswell

sale prep

margaret just completed her residency and is moving back to asheville to set up her studio in the river arts district. i am sad to see her go. she has been one of the best parts of my time here and i will miss her immensely!

thanks for reading.

it's 6 degrees here

i built my plastic room the other day in an attempt to be warmer and save money this winter. (it really helped last year!) it was easier to do this time because i had saved all the pieces from last year--no measuring or cutting. i think i'll label the pieces next so it's even easier in 2011. live and learn!

thanks for reading.

TRAC preview

the TRAC tour begins today at 12. here's a little preview of some of the pieces i will have on hand.


today also includes an opening reception at the TRAC gallery in spruce pine, nc from 5-8pm. the gallery is located at 269 oak avenue. everyone is welcome.


thanks for reading.

TRAC tour weekend

2010 TRAC tour map

this weekend i will be participating in the toe river arts council studio tour (TRAC tour) which includes over 100 local artists and galleries. my friends, courtney martin (pottery) and john geci (glass), invited me to join them at their studios for the tour. i will have lots on hand including line drawings and regal graffiti. john will have his fantastic cane-work pieces and courtney will have a new selection of pottery, fresh from the kiln. this is my first time on the tour and i am excited to be a part of it. this area is rich with artists and i think it's pretty special when we all join together like this to support our work and the community.

my web earrings

john geci glass

courtney martin pottery

TRAC tour
december 3, 12-4pm
december 4, 10am-5pm
december 5, 10am-5pm

martin-geci studios (number 19 on the map-find a link to the map here)

3224 snow creek road

bakersville, nc 28705

thanks for reading and hope to see you his weekend!

Via Penland

shane darwent

the 8th annual "via penland" exhibition at rebus works in raleigh, nc opens this friday, december 3. the show features work by artists affiliated with penland such as resident artists, core fellows, instructors, and students. this year's show features the work of shane darwent, a former core fellow. shane is joined by book artists who made books inspired by his work. the book makers are marianne dages, andrew hayes, kathy steinsberger, robynn raines, and beth schaible. shane will give an artist lecture on saturday, december 4 at 4:30 p.m.

there are a number of jeweler's in this year's exhibition including sarah tector, una barrett, sarah warner, lisa colby, sallie ricks, cynthia rohrer, erin considine, and myself.

erin considine hand-dyed necklace

sarah tector ring

cynthia rohrer formica earrings

the show opens this friday from 6-10 and closes january 29.

thanks for reading.

how about one more...

another view of the bow cluster brooch with chain and tassel

thanks for reading.

and a few more

bow cluster brooch in light blue with tassel at
the society of arts and crafts

bow cluster brooch with chain and tassel at
the society for contemporary craft

white and hot pink necklace at
the society of arts and crafts

navy brooch at
the society for contemporary craft

thanks for reading.

new regal graffiti pro-shots

bow cluster brooch with teardrop available at
the signature shop

just got these back from hank...i'll post a few more tomorrow.

white and light blue necklace available at
the society for contemporary craft

small earrings in assorted colors available at
the society of arts and crafts,
the society for contemporary craft, and the signature shop

thanks for reading.

do not disturb

a letterpress sign given to me by lori talcott-perfect for times in the studio that require privacy, like critiques

before getting the residency at penland, i thought a lot about what my plans would be if i was accepted. one of my ideas was to initiate critiques or conversations with jewelers and artists who come to penland as instructors or even simply as visitors. i began working on this my first summer and have continued consistently ever since. it has become a huge part of my residency and yet one i don't ever write about here. i've been extremely fortunate to talk with a vast array of people and each conversation has impacted me and my work in a specific way--some were formal critiques, others have been casual, yet serious conversations over a cup of coffee, and, further, some have been a give and take between me and the other artist. it is difficult to put this all into words because i am still processing it, but i hope those following my work have picked up on some of the influences. i do want to take a moment to share with you who i have had the honor to talk with and i want to thank all of them for giving me some of their precious time. my most recent conversations have been with lori talcott via skype, susan cummins, and dan estabrook. these conversations are moving me into a very different place in my work and i feel i am about to embark on brand new territory.

very special thanks to:

Lori Talcott, Natalya Pinchuk, Dana Sperry, Lola Brooks, Arthur Hash,
Susie Ganch, Barbara Seidenath, Bob Ebendorf, C. James Meyer, Leslie Noell, Mary Lee Hu, Christina Shmigel, Hiroko Yamada, Helen Carnac, Anika Smulovitz, Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Dan Estabrook, Susan Cummins, Gabriel Craig, Amy Weiks,
Lisa Crowder, Jen Townsend

thanks for reading.

new trick

the other day i tried soldering bales on already spray painted pieces by submerging the painted part in a dish of cold water. if i was to apply any heat to work like this, the paint would melt. i know jewelers use this trick when soldering needs to happen to a piece with stones already set. the water keeps the stones cool and protects them from cracking. it worked wonderfully for my regal graffiti! the water barely warmed up, the paint was protected, and now i have one more option for my spray painted work. i do love figuring this kind of stuff out - it was a fun challenge.


thanks for reading.

new images, older work

line drawing no. 5, 2008

i am finally getting around to documenting professionally a few pieces from the past. today a necklace from my awkward series and line drawing no. 5.

awkward series necklace, 2009

thanks for reading.

3D sketching at ASU

i taught a 3-dimensional sketching workshop yesterday at appalachian state university in the metals department. i do 3D sketching as part of my own studio practice and thought it might be interesting to introduce the concept to students. we began with all kinds of common inexpensive materials. each student choose things they wanted to work with and then spent two hours creating two or three pieces of wearable jewelry. i also asked them to incorporate a personal object into each piece. i was impressed with how quickly they got to work and how intent they became. it was pretty quiet the entire time and i loved watching their hands move. at the end of the two hours they presented their pieces to me and their classmates and we spent almost an hour talking about them. it was interesting to hear how they felt about working this way (quickly, gesturally, no metalworking) and what they thought of their finished pieces. i think everyone enjoyed it, although i know it was challenging for those who like to plan things out (i can relate!). i was impressed with the work they made. they accomplished the assignment and made some great things - the work was imaginative, clever, and thoughtful. next we ate pizza and i created a wall installation in the lobby. sadly, my camera battery died by then, but i did borrow a student's camera so once i get those pictures back from her, i will post them. i ended the day with a lecture about my work and how i built my business.

thanks, again, to margaret yaukey and angela bubash for inviting me.

more on flickr.

thanks for reading.

p.s. more on my 3D sketching soon.