i've been really lucky to have had some amazing guests in my studio over the past few weeks since the penland summer sessions began. we've had some interesting conversations about jewelry and art, penland happenings, and they were also kind enough to talk about my work and my residency plans. i'm won't go into detail; there is just too much and i might bore you, but i will say these conversations gave me lots to think about and have made me even more excited to make my work. i want to say thanks to all of these wonderful people for sharing their precious and valuable time with me. the above photo is in my studio before one of these visits. i usually set up my table with things i've been working on so my guests can see what i've been up to. in brief...
leslie noell, a mixed media artist - we talked about my new life at penland and how i am adjusting to my surroundings, the busy/unpredictable/strange schedule, and the multitudes of new people i meet. we also talked about drawing or making marks on paper, something i am very interested in. leslie suggested some exercises to get my ideas going and advised me to start by working with what i know.
mary lee hu, my former jewelry professor from the university of washington - we talked about what "one-0f-a-kind" means because i am having a hard time defining it within my work. she suggested going bigger, for one. she also noted i need to find my "thing" and run with it.
anika smulovitz - this was my first time meeting anika and i really enjoyed getting to know her. we talked about things we are struggling with in our work and traded suggestions on pushing through, motivation, and idea generation.
bob ebendorf and
jim meyer - we talked about trends or themes in jewelry and the overlap that can occur among artists. we discussed how important it is to know who's making what and the pros and cons of keeping up with what others are doing versus not looking at others' work to steer clear of overlap. it's tricky...
most recently
susie ganch and
christina miller were here teaching
radical jewelry makeover. we talked about making jewelry, susie's experience as a penland resident (i met susie as a resident in 1999), and radical jewelry makeover. these two are some of my favorite people and i loved spending time with them!
thanks for reading.
i finally got a sofa for my studio. now my little think space is just the way i want it to be.
i also got this sweet velvet ottoman at a local thrift store for $10. it looks so much like jonathan adler's x-bench, which i love - jonathan adler is a favorite of mine. i've had upholstered legs in the back of my mind ever since he introduced his new furniture and was shocked to find this vintage version myself. 
another fabulous visit was with erica gordon of steel toe studios. erica and i go way back to seattle and we recently reconnected at acc baltimore. then a few weeks ago, she was here as a visiting artist in the iron class. it was great to see her again! we met at the coffee shop the morning before she left and we mostly talked business - what works for us/what isn't working, marketing, shows, plans, etc. it was so good to talk through some of this stuff and connect in that way with another maker. we completed our visit with a trade - i got one of her amazing belt buckles (pebbles) and she got a couple pairs of earrings. i am so psyched to have one of her buckles, finally! i've been wanting one for years...
i've been really lucky to have had some amazing guests in my studio over the past few weeks since the penland summer sessions began. we've had some interesting conversations about jewelry and art, penland happenings, and they were also kind enough to talk about my work and my residency plans. i'm won't go into detail; there is just too much and i might bore you, but i will say these conversations gave me lots to think about and have made me even more excited to make my work. i want to say thanks to all of these wonderful people for sharing their precious and valuable time with me. the above photo is in my studio before one of these visits. i usually set up my table with things i've been working on so my guests can see what i've been up to. in brief...
here's the brooch i bought at yesterday's radical jewelry makeover sale. it was made by stephanie voegele, a grad student at the university of georgia at athens. i just love this piece! 
i just got back from the radical jewelry makeover show. it was got busy in there right away and much of the work has sold already! i bought a brooch which i do not have a photo of yet. i'll post an image soon. 
last night i helped susie ganch and christina miller, the RJM instructors, price all the work. i was impressed with the pieces they made and how many they were able to crank out in less than two weeks. when i left at 11:30 the class was busy installing the show. i am looking forward to the show today and plan to be there early to choose the piece i will take home. i donated some old jewelry so i have a coupon to redeem. 
