Guest Star Friday #66...Lisa Walker

"2 Pendant," wood, lacquer, thread

Today marks the return of Guest Star Friday, again, and this time I am making a public commitment to keep it going regularly. I stopped for awhile because I found I was either overwhelmed by the internet or just didn't have enough time to seek out work I haven't seen before. I enjoy finding new work, though, and love being able to share it with you.

I met today's GS, Lisa Walker, via Facebook and shared her website with you in my favorite 2010 websites post. Lisa's work includes a wide range of uncommon materials combined in a playful, yet serious way. This work makes me pause because to me it is at once subtle and radical and what an intriguing combination that is...

"What Karl Didn't Take with Him," various materials

"Workshop Towel Bracelet," fabric, paint, dirt, thread

"Pendant," pure gold, fresh water pearls, ceramic, plaster, silver, thread, lacquer

You can see more of Lisa's work here:

Masterworks Gallery (which includes images of the fantastic installation of her solo show "Lisa Walker New Jewellery")

Fingers Gallery

Klimt02

Thanks for reading.

hmm, very interesting

Day 161 from Lisa Congdon's "A Collection a Day, 2010"

As I did the other week with my 2010 favorite websites and blogs, I thought I would share a few good reads and videos worth watching that I also discovered in 2010. Many of them were passed onto me by friends, while I stumbled upon the others:

TED talk with Stefan Sagmeister about the importance of taking time off (very inspiring)

Scoutie Girl post "I am a Thriving Artist" (also very inspiring)

Community Arts post on critiques titled "Toward a Process for Critical Response" (This is exactly how I want to critique my students' work as an instructor.)

Luann Udell post on "How to Trade with Other Artists" (includes some good advice on what can be a tricky subject)

Lisa Congdon's "A Collection a Day, 2010" (an absolute favorite daily visit AND she's making a book!)

"Do your worst task first" at beaucoupkevin.com (I swear by it!)

CBGB online virtual tour of graffiti (this is rad)

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading.

...with the New Year

work-in-progress table

I am back from a wonderful Holiday break with my family in Upstate, NY. I haven't done anything at my bench for a few weeks but I have been thinking about my work a lot; and by work I mean not only my jewelry, but my accomplishments, my goals, and the fact that I am about to begin my final year as a Penland Resident Artist.

This Holiday season was very different for me simply because I no longer make my collections. There was no sale, no website preparations, no sale newsletter, no big orders to fill. Instead, I made work for my galleries and enjoyed a very quiet December. I had time to get organized, prepare my books for tax time, and do some archiving. But mostly I've had time to think about what I've done so far and what I want to do in the coming year.

My main goal is to create a major body of work, the culmination of everything I have learned since I began my residency. I spent the first two years exploring techniques, materials, and concepts in order to develop a strong formal vocabulary and aesthetic. This vocabulary now encompasses my interest in the layering of line, specific shapes, and negative space and my use of alternative materials, namely spray paint. Now I believe it is time to add personal content and meaning to my work, using my formal approach as the foundation. This new work will be about my personal history with jewelry and I plan to draw on my memories of jewelry since childhood. This will be the first work I have made that includes truly personal content and I am really excited about it. I want to approach the project slow and steady and would like to take the entire year to complete it. I will present more information as the work develops, of course.

Over the next week or so I will bring 2010 to a close by catching up on things I haven't had a chance to blog about yet. Then it will be to new projects and events.

Thanks for reading.

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.