First Samples via Heat Exchange

I love making samples. Love. This is something I have discovered since becoming a resident artist at Penland. I have spent a lot of my time over the past three years exploring process, technique, and materials and made many, many samples. I realized the other day as I worked on my enameling what a luxury it is to be able to have the time to make samples. It really is. There are so many things we artists have to do in a day that it is challenging to carve out the time to explore. I am enjoying learning a new material and process and like making sample after sample just to see what happens if…I layer, over-fire, sand blast, stone, scratch, draw, drizzle water on a dried enamel surface, fire before the surface is completely dry. The aim is to learn and get comfortable through exploration and, ultimately, to find that distressed, messed-up, aged-looking, imperfect surface that mimics that kinds of things I am inspired by.

My favorite discoveries so far include incising lines on the surface of the metal as well as on the surface of the fired enamel using my flex shaft and a cutting or separating disc, over-firing, and dripped water on the surface of dried enamel. I have posted images of these findings here. The are tons more on Flickr.

I am really enjoying this time. Really and truly. Now I am beginning to consider the sample as more than a sample as many of them are turning out rather nicely. I hate to discard them for more “serious” pieces and so I’m thinking these samples might turn into the finished pieces. More on that later…

To read more about the enameling project, "Heat Exchange," please visit our blog.

Thanks so much for reading.

The Lost Embroideries

I've been in review mode since the beginning of the year--thinking, writing, organizing, archiving. I spent some time with my embroidery samples from last winter the other day and realized I never photographed or posted several pieces. Here are a few for you to see now with more on flickr.

Thanks for reading.

staple necklace

i just uploaded to flickr a bunch of assorted pictures taken over the last few months including a few images of this staple necklace which i made during helen carnac's class. just another fun experiment...the other images are of my studio and various pretty things i get to look at every day.

thanks for reading.

from my scrap pile

in may when i got back from my vacation i was feeling particularly inspired to work but didn't have much in the way of materials. i challenged myself to work with what i had already and made jewelry with all the samples and scraps that had collected over the past year. i used all of them, every single piece, altering some and combining others in new ways. i also added cotton cord and some bits of fabric and string. this was a fun challenge for me because i had to rethink things and i enjoyed designing in 3D. i just sent them off to be photographed so i'll have some pro-shots in a few weeks.



this is just a sampling of the pieces - lots more on flickr.

thanks for reading.

boomerang!

here are a few images of the embroidery i did over the winter. it's taken me awhile to write about them because they were wrapped up in my mind and i felt like keeping quiet. now that i've had a chance to process them, i am ready to share them. when i look at them now i definitely see some patterns and have realized a few things about my jewelry. back in february i laid them out to look at them all at once and discovered the curious boomerang-like shape that creeped out from somewhere inside my head. i did not intend to make them all look that way but somehow that shape just kept happening. like my cones from the other day, i think i should probably make some metal boomerangs. the odd one out is based on a drawing from my sketchbook. you'll know the one because it does not look like a boomerang.



i enjoyed stitching away in january and february. the process is like drawing with needle and thread instead of pencil and paper. it comes easily to me and was not daunting like regular drawing. most of the time i used the colonial knot, a methodical and rhythmic stitch. i find knots to be the most satisfying to make and love the way they look. i also loved using my hands in a different way.

more on flickr.

thanks for reading.

paper cones, many ways

yesterday i made paper cones, lots of paper cones. i cut circles of varying sizes, sliced through half the diameter, pulled the two ends together, and connected them with pins, staples, tape, and knots. now i have piles of them - not sure what they will become, if anything. it was just a good exercise. i really like this shape and just realized i draw it a lot, too. maybe i should make metal cones now?



more images on flickr.

thanks for reading.

progress report

things are coming along nicely for the bmac show. i got my banner yesterday and i love it! the color is just right! my new post cards arrived last week and they look great, too. i just sent a big stack out to possible buyer attendees.

my samples are done and stored by collection in these great plastic organizers. it doesn't look like much but there are 128 different pieces in there! i even timed myself as i made each. i did not enjoy this very much, but it was interesting to see just how long things take.
i finally committed to the look of my booth after shopping around and scouring my collection of design magazines and catalogs. i have big plans for those hand-me-down/on loan display pieces. i'm going with what i know and plan to create a space that looks a lot like my home (minus the 3 x 9 foot banner, of course). you'll see...i start renovations tomorrow.

one of the things i am most excited about are my billy buttons...beautiful yellow flowers that i have been crazy about for awhile now. i spent an hour surfing the other night when i decided i had to have them for a booth decoration. i finally found a farm in oregon that has them in stock and ready to ship. check out hammelman's for more gorgeous dried botanicals.

the schedule i mentioned the other day has really helped me to stay on top of things and to remain calm. every evening i review what i've done and what's coming up the next day. then i revise accordingly. it is a lot of work and it may not pay off, but i have to try, no?

thanks for reading.