I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 8

One of my souvenirs from my trip was this wooden necklace by Brooklyn-based, Fort Standard. I was immediately drawn to it and snatched it up as soon as I saw it. I got it at General Store just before eating one of the best and most-fun meals ever at Outerlands. 

I also want to mention two online articles about me and my work that were posted while I was in SF:  One is on Honey Kennedy, a wonderful design blog. The interview is by my super-fantastic web designer, Kandace Brigleb of Needmore Designs. Kandace asked me a series of questions about my solo show work and my inspirations, among other things. The other post, a review-of-sorts of "This is How I Remember It," was written by Carmela DiLeva of the Secret Life of Jewelry.  The post is quite lovely and it made me a bit misty as I read it.

Thanks to both blogs for posting these pieces! 

Thanks for reading.

I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 7

My show closes in just two days. Two. Crazy! All that work, all that time. Nearly a year in the making, it was an absolutely incredible experience and totally worth it--every little bit of stress, uneasiness and insecurity, all the excitement and triumphant moments. I have added a series of process images to Flickr so you can see how I made most of work. I haven't shown these images (except Cleopatra) until now because I decided to keep the work hidden while I was making it. In hindsight, I know this was a good choice because making this work was involved and challenging in a way that I had never experienced before. I often had no idea what to say and had to internalize my thoughts and feelings. However, keeping it hidden also made it feel unreal, almost like it didn't exist, and this made me feel unsure about the work. I realize now I was at once intimately involved and aware of each piece, yet I was also disconnected. Then, when I saw it all together during the installation, it felt real to me and I was finally able to feel excited.

When I returned to Penland I put together a show of process works, titled "With My Heart on My Sleeve." You can also see images from that event on Flickr. Finally,  I added a series of images to Facebook that show highlights from the show and my trip to San Francisco.

Thanks for reading and thanks for all your support and encouraging words over the past year. I sincerely appreciate every little bit!

I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 6

I have some good friends in SF who are incredible metalsmiths--Suzanne Pugh, Cynthia Rohrer, and Raissa Bump. I have written about them before and this time I want to share some images of their studios...I always love seeing where and how artists work, especially my friends.

 

 

From the top: Raissa's bench, Suzanne's stump on wheels, Raissa's stump, Cynthia's stump, Suzanne's knotty stump, Cynthia's bench, Suzanne's bench

More images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 5

yellow extension cords in Oakland

My trip was incredibly inspiring! It was refreshing and energizing and really made me feel excited to get back to my studio. I saw so many cool things, like these:

 

Seafoam at the beach in the Richmond

A metal "patch" covering a hole in the walkway at Muir Woods. These were everywhere! I spent more time looking down at the walkway then up at the redwoods.

 

My first Banksy...meaning the first Banksy I've seen in person. Awesome, even if from the front seat of the rental car. I've never been more grateful for a red light.

More on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 4

"The United States Government Destroys Art"

One of the best things I got to do while in San Francisco was visit the SFMOMA to see Richard Serra Drawing: A Retrospective. I loved it! The show includes giant drawings and a few sculptures, along with open sketchbooks, smaller drawings, and other examples of process. The SFMOMA site describes it well:

"The exhibition traces Serra's evolving ideas and methods since the 1970s, when he began making wall-size abstractions that radically altered the relationship between drawing and architectural space. Serra uses black paintstick to build stark, densely layered forms that manipulate the viewer's sense of mass and gravity, making for an experience that is as visceral as it is visual"

Source: http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/421#ixzz1eMnyYqLc
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

"Drawings after Circuit"

Minimal, monumental, quiet, captured moments and gestures, visual movement in otherwise static objects, evidence of process...all things I am fascinated by in art and craft. One of the things I liked most was reading about his process--he often wanted to see what would happen if he used his materials in a specific way and he explains how he created the pieces in order to explore and learn. He even talks about pieces being "exercises," something I relate to because creating exercises for myself is part of my process. Before seeing this exhibition I was familiar with Serra's sculptures, but not his 2D work. I really had no idea and walked away feeling inspired and excited. Don't be surprised if I begin a Serra-influenced series in textural black spray paint.

"Verb List"

I'll end with a favorite quote:

"...The art that I find compelling always seems to come from unconscious drives that lead artists to tools and procedures they know nothing about but that enable them to extend their work."

Thanks for reading.

I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 3

On November 3 I taught two back-to-back 3-dimensional drawing with materials workshops at City College. I began each class with a lecture about my work followed by a short question and answer session. Then I set the students to work. They had to complete a piece of jewelry in one hour using common and found materials they had brought from home. I asked them to try different things, to work gesturally, to be mindful of the time, and to have fun. After the hour we talked about the pieces--what students were thinking about as they worked, what their intention was, why they chose the materials they did, how the process made them feel, etc. Students moved quickly and seriously during work time (it was very quiet) and had fantastic things to say during the critiques. I was delighted with the results and how articulate everyone was.

Thanks to Suzanne Pugh, the metals instructor at City College (and my good friend!), for inviting me to teach.

More images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading. 

I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 2

I drove to Healdsburg, CA with Raissa Bump to visit Gallery Lulo and have lunch with owners Karen Gilbert and Anne-Kathrine Schjerbeck. Lulo has represented my work for the last two years so I was excited to see the space and spend time with Karen and Katrina.The gallery is lovely--white walls, simple and elegant design, minimal jewelry displays. Currently on view is an exhibition of jewelry and paintings based on dreams by Niki Ulehla. (The collection is very interesting and I will talk about it a different post very soon.) I left the gallery with a pair of glass and metal earrings by Karen Gilbert.

 

At lunch at Bistro Ralph, we talked about having a two-person show for Raissa and myself sometime in 2013. I'm really excited about this possibility! I've thought about doing something like this with Raissa since we met in 2007. After lunch, we drove through the grapevine-lined countryside and then down Highway 1. We stopped in Point Reyes for some thrifting and a beer. It felt like we were on a road trip.  

More images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

For the Third Time, I Left My Jewelry in San Francisco: Part 1

Today begins a series of posts about my recent trip to San Francisco and, of course, my solo show. I will begin with the opening reception...It was absolutely wonderful and even more fantastic than I had imagined! Lots of people were there including my family, close friends, colleagues, students, and many people I didn't know. The work looked beautiful and I got some great feedback from attendees. I was overwhelmed and did not fully relax until the last 20 or 30 minutes. Afterward a small group of a few friends, my family, and Mike and Elizabeth from the gallery went to dinner. Then I celebrated some more with my friends and ended the evening in a diner near my hotel with a stack of pancakes. The entire evening was very special. It felt amazing.

More on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

With My Heart on My Sleeve

I will host an exhibition this Sunday, November 13 from 7:30-9:30 in the slide lounge at Northlight at the Penland School of Crafts. The show will feature process works from my recent exhibition plus sketchbook images, books I used for research, and other bits and pieces from the making of "Fabricated Memory" and "Collected Memories." I will also create an installation of the finished works using the beautiful photographs taken by Hank Drew. 

With My Heart on My Sleeve
Sunday, November 13, 2011
7:30-9:30pm
Slide lounge at Northlight
Penland School of Crafts
champagne and treats will be served

Thanks to Beth Schaible for the lovely flyer.


Thanks for reading.

Opening Tonight!

 

Green Leaf Brooch and Earrings

in sterling silver, spray paint, diamonds

After a year and a half of planning and making, the opening reception of my show is finally here! If you are in the San Francisco area I hope you will attend.

This is How I Remember It
Solo Exhibition
Opening Reception tonight, Friday, November 4 from 6-8pm

Velvet da Vinci Gallery
2015 Polk Street (near Broadway)
San Francisco, CA 94109
415.441.0109

The show runs through November 30, 2011

 Brooch No. 5 

 in brass, glass beads

Thanks for reading.

A Little Bit More

 

While I was installing my work last week at Velvet da Vinci, I told Mike and Emma about different pieces--how I made them, what ideas were behind them, who they are about. Mike asked me to choose a few pieces and write short statements about each, thinking viewers will be interested in the stories, too. I choose five pieces from both series and these statements will be posted near the pieces for everyone to read. Here are two examples:

Bow Sweater Holder (pictured above)

This piece represents a gold-tone sweater holder with two bows and a short chain. I chose to exaggerate the form and the faded, worn appearance of the original by using multiple bows and chains and by intentionally scratching away the vermeil. 

Brooch No. 8

In 2000 I began working towards my BFA in metalsmithing at the University of Washington. A dear friend gave me a cast lace necklace she made in a class we took together that year. In 2004 she passed away and I feel very fortunate to have such a lovely reminder of her and the time we spent together. The paper doily in this piece represents that necklace and my friend, as well as our inevitable loss of innocence.

I will post the other statements with the pieces on my website and Flickr soon so you can read then, too!

Thanks for reading.

 

Line Drawing Diversion

Two of the pieces currently on view in the Aaron Faber exhibition "In Line/In Metal" include Line Drawing No. 8 and Cluster Necklace No. 2. Once again my photographer, Hank Drew, did an amazing job with my images--I love how the lighting and shadow in both detail shots effectively extends the drawings into space.  

My Line Drawing Brooch and Folded Arc Necklace and Earrings are also a part of the exhibition.

Thanks for reading.

Now That's a Big Ad

Velvet da Vinci has published an inner-cover full-page ad for my show in the latest issue of Metalsmith. Again, another surreal moment in this whole process and another piece of concrete evidence that this show is happening. The ad is beautiful.

I was also surprised and excited to discover my Line Drawing Brooch in an ad for an exhibition I'm in at Aaron Faber Gallery called "In Line/In Metal." The show will be exhibited at SOFA Chicago this weekend and includes a fantastic group of artists who all feature line in their work.

Thanks for reading.