Jewel Carnival Blog time... Again!

Who was my most influential metal artist or teacher?


Many MANY teachers and artists' have jump-started my art life. Many... far too many.

But far and away it is Carolyn Morris Bach.

I have loved her work since I saw my first Piece of
Art Jewelry in the late 1980's. What impressed me the most was the clean simplicity of her work, the balanced artistry and the whimsy she delectably adds to each piece.


She IS my hero of art jewelry.



Sadly, I have never purchased her work, nor I have ever met her or taken a workshop from her. I just have to clean the drool off of magazines with her work featured or in ads. Ornament is great place to see her artfulness.


Bach's work never ceases to amaze me, delight me and inspire the muse in me to create new work. To be a maker without a thought if it would be 'saleable' or not. Without talking to her or studying her words on her work, I have learned the most valuable lesson in my art life: To make what comes from my spirit without fear of criticism. To be able to show my soul in my work for the pure joy of the process. This is what I have cultured from studying her art. And it IS fine.

Take a walk through her web pages... but start here with a review of her work by the Patina Gallery in Santa Fe, NM. You will be so delighted... Don't be surprised if you to try and purchase one of her works of art.

Then browse through these other blogs on the same subject of teacher/artist. You will love this Carnival Friday and so have I.



Tonya Davidson
Angela Baudel-Crispin
Lora Hart
Tod Pardon
Tamra Gentry
Marco Fleseri

Jewel Carnival Blog for April

It is Jewel Carnival Time again!
What is my Favorite Technique?

Now, this is a very difficult topic to write about. I have SO MANY techniques that I absolutely love. Really. So instead of blogging on my FAVORITE technique, I will make it the plural.


TECHNIQUES.

• Keum Boo.


• Impressing stamps.


• Carving out negative space


• setting stones


• Making bails.

Okay and my fondness is not necessarily in the above order. I love Keum Boo because it adds not only a contrasting color of 24 karat gold to the design, but it brings a warmth to the work. Keum boo, simply put, is adding 24 or 23 karat gold FOIL, not leaf, to very hot fine silver. At that point a burnishing tool is rubbed over the gold to marry the metals. When the piece has cooled down the whole work can be burnished again or put into a tumbler with steel shot and a bit of soapy water to burnish the entire jewelry. If the Keum Boo process has been done properly, then the gold will not come off. Tumbling, by the way, is a very good test to make sure the bond is perfect.

I don't just impress commercially purchased stamps into the wet metal clay, I prefer to make my own stamps. I use a Photo Polymer plate to make my own stamps, or I carve into polymer clay, erasers, stamp blanks or I impress Castaldo(tm) molding compound with unusual textures.... such as leaves, rocks or even my grasses. The stamping process gives all of my work a one-of-a-kind essence.

Another technique that is a fav of mine is carving out negative space. The piece above was pierced in the greenware state. The stamp is called Bamboo and I got it from Donna Kato's site. Prairie Craft. I will gaze at the design and then mark the areas to be removed with a Sharpie pen(tm). Then a small drill bit is placed in a pin vise and carefully drilled out. Next I insert a jewelers saw blade through the hole and cut out that marked area. After that I love to file, carve and sand to my heart's content to make the area look perfect.

Setting stones is just a flat-out given. I even wrote a book on a lot of different ways to set stones. Click on my website and you can even see a page. Well, okay, click here to see a sample page.

Making bails is a joy to me because it is so easy. My preference is for a curved hollow addition to the top of my pendants. This is what the neck chain will pass through to hold the pendant. I first started out by pasting many layers of slip over small curved branches and after the kiln process was done, the wood burned out and an unusually textured bail was created. I wrote a tutorial for this technique in the April 2004 issue of Lapidary Journal. But now I use the Makin's Extruder with the Hollow Core Adaptors to push out a looooong hollow tubing. Then I cut them into differing lengths,. Then when dry I sand and burnish them and store them in to an Altoids(tm) tin that is lined. This way I have a bail ready at the moment of inspiration. I have a tutorial in my gem setting book on this process. These adaptors can be purchased on line with a lot of sellers. Just google for merchants.

So, I cannot say I have just one technique that is my fav. I have tons too for polymer clay

This Summer I will be giving a one hour seminar on each of the three days of the Metal Clay World Conference in Chicago. The topic will be Bench Tricks for Metal Clayers. This is going to be a great event with a lot of wonderful presentations, pre-conference workshops and meeting and greeting many artist friends. I will be there the days before for the International Polymer Clay Association's Retreat too.

Whew!

Go visit our other Jewel Carnival Bloggers below to find their favorite techniques.
Tonya Davidson
Elaine Luther
Angela Baudel-Crispin
Lora Hart
Tamra Gentry
Marco Fleseri

So you want to be in community theater....?

Click on images to enlarge

So, after a lot of my friends 'urged' me to get back into theater.... for therapy.... I auditioned last weekend.

Our local community group, Imagingation Theater!,had auditions for the musical Beauty and the Beast. And to get my self prepared - I hadn't tried out for a show in ??? years, I called on my dear friend and acting/vocal coach, Chrissie Addison. She had directed me in Fiddler... what, almost 30 years ago? All my recent shows with my drama mama's had been pretty much pre-cast, so this was going to be a 'new' adventure. We set up three one hour coaching sessions and she worked me gently but firmly.... " T's & D's at the end of words.... don't wrinkle your brows (when singing the higher notes)....find the purpose of each scene... why are you there?"... Oh I could go on. She gave me a gazillion discs to take home to listen to and practice to.... a lot. Well, I didn't do it a lot because of the redecorating I have been doing to my home. I am having new front and back doors installed as I write. So, I just practiced my audition song and Mrs. Pott's solo ... over and over. Over and over. And I remembered the final consonants, thank you very much.

By she way she is fabulous. I recommend her to all for general vocal and acting classes. She is doing it full time now. Also, she is one of the best directors I've had. She directed us drama mama's in "... A My Name is Always Alice".... go see that one if you get a chance. It is an incredible ensemble show about women...

So, Saturday morning I showed up at 8:45 in the morning for auditions... let me tell you it was a
cattle call. I was number 58 and I think there were over 70 people auditioning. It was freezing in the theater but I immensely enjoyed watching all the nervous Nellie's and Normans up on stage risking it all for the love of trodding the boards. There was a four year old... he was so cute I almost cried. Yours truly didn't get to sing until after 1 pm!!!! And then he didn't let me finish my song...Yikes! The director had me read the part of the Wardrobe a lot and it IS a funny role... We danced and read parts all afternoon and I didn't get home until after 4pm..... Sheesh! What a long day. I was so tired that I ate junk food and fell asleep in front of the TV... several times. I was so zonked that I was thinking about not doing this ... this silly thing called theater. Then, about 8 pm, I went online and read the call call backs... cool! My name was there. "Show up to call-backs at one pm on Sunday." I called Chrissie and we talked for a long time and she pretty much wanted me to sleep on it.

I did. Then my N.Y. friend, Debby Kirkwood wrote me the clincher.... basically she said that it shouldn't really matter what part I got. Just so I was busy during the Holidays next Winter. My dearest friend/therapist, Ellen Mechling agreed. She was more excited about the call backs than I was... Wow!

That was the clincher. I went to Call-Backs with an incredible attitude. That - what would be ... should be. And had so much fun reading the parts. The director, Peter Wolf, (no kidding!) was very inspiring and creative. Made me want to be in the show even more. So we worked our little tushes off for about three hours. Then they had us wait around to about 5pm for the cast list to be posted. Peter wanted to talk to the cast right away... so we stayed and hung out for about an hour.

You can call me Mrs. Potts! Huzzah! She has the lovely song, 'Beauty and the Beast' that is sung as the two young leads dance for the first time. Very romantic.... sigh. This was a very nice thing to take place yesterday. It was the four month anniversary of my sweet Phil's passing. I met another auditioner who lost her husband in December too.... we had some talk time. Click Here is the final cast list.

We have our read through on April 20th and rehearsals start in earnest in July. We were told that we had to be off book at the start of practice. This is going to be a new thing for me. I normally learn my lines best along with the blocking. My movement is the motivation for the lines and the lines are motivation for my movement. But, some actors do push the limit by not getting their lines down, so I can understand why he has this in the schedule.

o, with the Metal Clay World Conference coming up in July in Chicago and rehearsals right after... I am going to be pretty darn busy. Jackie Truty, the head woman, chief, top honcho, president,major inspirer-er at Art Clay World wants us to sing a duet together.... it WOULD be fun to do that at the conference. Hint - hint Jackie. She has done a ton of theater too. We'll see. Double dare you Jackie... lol!

I am going to use this blog to be a little journal of my theater journey. I will try and grab some images during rehearsal and post them. If you would like to get the updates... just sign on to receive the blogs as I write them.

Oh, don't forget to feed the fish and to tell me to 'break a leg'.

What was your biggest mistake or worst workbench disaster?

It is Jewel blog time again...

Hmmmm? “What was my biggest mistake or worst workbench disaster?”

Oh, that is easy. Way back in the early ‘90s we were struggling to make ends meet. The recession was in full force and I was doing custom and repair work, running the gallery, posting sales and inventory and trying to keep up with the paperwork. My sweet Phil was delivering the Sacramento Bee newspaper in the wee hours of the morning to help keep us in the black. At one point I broke my ankle… went back to work the same day. There was no one to work the gallery but moi.

We were a young business at only 3 to 4 years old and had a very small space to work. It is very hard to start a jewelry store/gallery. The jewelry is what brings in the rent money and most people are VERY loyal to the store they have been supporting for years. So, they need to be unhappy enough to search out a new place or have moved into the area and need a new brick and mortar to repair their jewelry or to purchase new.

We had a great client who brought in a ring to be sized. Oh my gosh it was beautiful. It was a 14k gold and hand fabricated. It was very ornate band with a bed of pansies carved and soldered into place. I have never seen one before or since. It was fabulous. I was thinking at the time that it was made in Germany or somewhere else in Europe. It was beyond beautiful and had a craftsmanship to die for.

I had a very cool system for bringing in repair work…. But that time it didn’t work. I was starting to get more business than I could handle and so the paperwork suffered too. I was to enter stuff on the computer and then file the work in chronological order for repair, custom or catalog sales. I sometimes slept overnight on the floor because I was working so late and we didn’t live in the community where the gallery was located.

You guessed it. I lost the ring. I spent more hours than I can imagine looking for it. Even when we moved into a larger space in ’94 I kept my eyes out for that amazing ring. So, I figured that, during one of my, “Let me get this paperwork cleaned up” stages that it inadvertently got into the garbage. My client was so understanding. I had put a huge value on the ring and she took the cost of the jewelry out in trade: more repair and many pieces of jewelry. I was so fortunate she didn’t want the cash.

My biggest lesson was to 1) have my garbage cans with covers 2) never have the latter near my office nor bench work area. Needless to say, it never happened again. But, wow, was I ever humiliated and embarrassed. Just thinking about telling her was pure agony.

Oh, yes, that was my biggest mistake EVER.

Do visit these other wonderful artists and read what their bench disaster was... they are very interesting.

Tonya Davidson
Elaine Luther
Kirsten Skiles
Angela Baudel-Crispin
Lora Hart

Marco Fleseri

Tamra Gentry

Chris Parry

Creativity, is it finite?

In my world it is. During the time when we had our gallery I was making jewelry and running the business. My sweet Phil was a major player in the business once we had started bringing in enough money to keep us alive. He was marvelous…. And he was too cute as a salesman. All the women and men just adored him. Sigh.

During this time I pretty much was the administrator of the gallery and the chief goldsmith and salesperson. We had an incredible staff and the store was a fun place to work and visit and play. We were in a new community and our gallery was kind of THE place in town. We had clients bring in their families during the holidays… as if we were Disneyland.

Click on the image to see my new head shot page for auditions.

My community theater adventures were limited to three in those eleven years of entrepreneur-ship. I did notice, however, that when I was in rehearsals, my creativity in jewelry went downhill fast. I really had to work on staying grounded when working with a client on custom orders. It was hard.

So, in my case I know it is finite.

That said, I haven’t made a new piece of jewelry since before Phil and I left for Europe last November. I have felt the creative juices flowing during my classes I have taught, but have made none. Right now I am painting the insides of our…my home and redecorating. Also, many of my friends have been urging, no insisting that I get involved with theater again. So, I have signed up for three audition/singing workshops with my good friend Chrissie Addison to prepare for an early April tryout. The show is “Beauty and the Beast” and I would like the part of Mrs. Potts – the teapot. Rehearsals do not start until summer and the show would take place during the holidays.

That will be a hard time for me without my darling Phil. So, I am hoping that I do get cast so Thanksgiving and Christmas won’t be so hard.

That said, I am keeping the option open that I might not audition, but if I do, I will be prepared.

So, yours truly is keeping my options open on the future. And will see if my jewelry/theater creativity can survive while not working 9 to 5. Here is hoping that it is not finite now.

Jewel Carnival again! Rituals!!

Some of rituals I do before starting work on any project is cleaning, organizing the tools of workspace and pulling together the parts of new design I have in mind. It goes without saying that I start with a sketch. That is the way I work. Now, that is not to say that during the creative process the design won't change.... no, no, I would never avow to that......

The cleaning is to rid the area of any metal filings, polymer bits and other material scrap that could ruin the integrity of the piece. It also cleans my mind and relaxes me. It is like wrapping a Christmas present... just getting it all ready to open my consciousness to creativity. No junk to distract the PROCESS. And I am distracted easily.

When I am organizing the tools for the new jewelry, I am assuring myself that all is at hand. Nothing can frustrate me more than watching the metal clay dry while I look for a tool..... now where did I put it. Also works with the polymer clay.... looking for a tool will distract me...

Pulling together the parts of the work will allow me to see if I need to order anything. Say, the stones, more clay.... anything. Wow, that is a distraction... walk to the office to get the order form, see the mess on the desk, start to clean up the desktop so I can write, pick up the phone to order and a dear friend is already on it.... two hours now gone.....! Did I say I was easily distracted?

With all in the ready, I put on my I pod with classical or new age music. I love to sing and if I know the words... well, you know the rest. So with out ANOTHER distraction, I can lose myself in the creative process and let the time and the art carry me away.

And that is the Best of All Possible Worlds.

Lorrene,

Go and visit our other wonderful bloggers:

Tonya Davidson

Elaine Luther

Kirsten Skiles

Angela Baudel-Crispin

Lora Hart
Marco Fleseri
Tamra Gentry

I am almost back!

Happy Friday the 13th everyone. This will be my first Valentine's Day tomorrow with out my Phil... so I mailed cards to my kids instead. Yours truly is getting back to her old self. The sadness won't all go away, not just yet - if ever... it just gets easier.

On monday I went to my Sacramento Area polymer clay guild... Clayville-California, and watched a demo by Victoria James. That started getting the creative juices going. I have an idea for some salt and pepper shakers. I will post as soon as the are made.

My friend Sonja Patel came by yesterday to put the photos we had on display at Phil's service in a scrapbook. She got about half done. I was picking up and arranging my studio at the same time. I have a Level I Art Clay Certification February 27, 28 and March 1. Then the next Saturday the 7th I have an introductory workshop set up.

Both workshops are nearly full. I just know that teaching will get me excited about creating again.

I have done nothing since November.... no ideas, not a single piece of work. It is very okay... it is more important to get the paperwork in order and things done around the house that Phil used to do. Derek (my son) has been a rock and has helped me immensely. So, I will post some very old work. I taught the above project at the 2006 Bead and Button show in Milwaukee, WI. It is a hollow box with a positive and negative stamp I made from a photo polymer sheet.

Next week our Jewel Carnival will be posting again and I will join them. Haven't done so since November.

Oh, and don't forget to feed my fish.... click on the water and the fish will come and feed. Hover your mouse over the water and they will gather around and 'beg' for food.

Glad to be posting again.

Lorrene

Robert Scott (Gram) Jackson

This has been a very sad time for the Davis-Jackson family. As most of you know, my darling Philip passed from our lives on December 5, 2008. Now, my Dana-girl daughter's husband has finally lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He passed from our lives around one in the morning on Monday the 12TH.

This man was full of life and loved our daughter with a passion that few experience. He was brilliant and loved his life. The previous summer (2007) he finished with a major remodeling project on his home. He prepared everything to protect the love of his life.... my Dana.

He will be missed.... greatly. My son, Derek, said that Gram was like another dad to him. We are all grieving and taking just one step, just one day at a time.

Now Dana and I will share with each other the challenge of living without our soul-mates. This will be difficult but therapeutic. I just wanted to post to all that he was a wonderful man and it is a crying shame he is no longer with us in the flesh.

We know that Phil and Gram are with us in spirit and that comforts us.

One More Time for Philip Edward Davis

Here he is with his out of breath, side holding laugh.

Below are the words I said at his memorial service on Saturday the 20th. Sandy Peirce held her hand at my back to give me strength.

Phil, my love, my rock, by stabilizer…my honey.

You were the light of my life
I will look no further.

You were a son to be proud of, watching over your dear
Mother and pappy with a true son’s love.
Caring, shopping, loving… just being there for them.
You even helped build our home. Your parents home. You told me you were using a pick axe on the quartz rock in the back while a teenager. You got to a point where you told Pappy you could go no further. He said, “Well, we’re done then.”
So the back concrete patio has always been stepped. Then, later, you got to watch your son, Derek, build a deck to finish that area off. The circle was completed.

You were a father-in-law so grateful that your daughter, Dana, was protected, loved and deeply cared for in a strong relationship.
You were a son-in-law to my parents that made them proud.
They knew that you loved me deeply…. And that was all that mattered.
You were a ‘tough love’ grandfather to your Ben.

You could apologize. Much better than me. What a man.
What a strong man.

You were always studying your spirituality… growing learning and
Sharing. Politics, the world situations and 2012 were always at the forefront. And you would talk to a post if you thought it would help.

The kids,
They will always be the kids. Thank you for my children.
They were the light of your life… our lives. You loved them
With a fathers heart that would get mad at them
When they erred or you burst with joy on their successes.
Your love for them was pure and innocent.
If your grandson, Ben, tries to attain your goodness,
Even if it is only halfway, he will be a raging success.

Your innocence, your childlike love
Of everyone and everything.
You pointed out the rainbows to me,
The aspen in the fall, the snow capped Sierras.
The robins on the toyon, the bossy blue jays,
Even the barking squirrels. You would pull me away from the computer to watch the morning sunrise.
You shared your spirituality with me and all who cared.

Oh, you will be missed.

Friendship.
You made friends so fast and easily that it made my head spin.
Anyone who was lucky enough to be your friend knew it. They really knew it. Your face would light up with a smile
So bright when you would set eyes upon them.… they felt your warmth
Surround them with pure love. They could hear it on the phone.
They loved you so much they would tease you and
Pick on you…. And you would love it and giggle or give it right back.
You would laugh so hard you would hold your sides and run out of
Breath. I loved tickling you to that point.

I will miss your old hands, your telling me you were
The ugliest man in all of El Dorado County. I will miss
Us holding hands in movies, walking down the streets of
Placerville, Killarney, Ireland…and the cobbled alleys of Barcelona. How you protected me at every moment in our lives.
How we would fight and make up.
No matter how loud we shouted…. It was because we cared.

You hated it when I told you you were cute.
You were an awesome sculptor who made what you wanted,
And stopped when you didn’t want to do it anymore. I treasure our
Stonework you made.

I will miss your unadulterated joy on the high rough waters
of a Mediterranean storm. The painful walk through the Vatican you took;
You with your bronchitis and horribly bad back … in the rain. And then our giggling like
Kids because we used the Basilica bathrooms.

Maybe your leaving us will remind people to be nicer to
Each other more often. You never know when a loss will occur.
I feel sorry for those who knew you not. Who only
Looked for surface beauty in friends, for you had a depth that,
Even I, could not fathom.
They missed the essence of your being,
And I will miss it forever.

Regretfully, I must let you go.
We must let you go.

My Darling honey

I won't be blogging for a while. My dear sweetheart, Phil, passed away on our European trip last Friday the 5th of December.

This image was taken in a restaurant in Barcelona, Spain.

See the joy in his face..... he was the light and love of my life.

This image was taken in 2002 in Montmarte, near the Sacre Coeur, on a butte in Paris. We had a pizza and wine in a outdoor cafe. This is the area where Pissarro, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Modigliani and Picasso created some of their incredible work.

Click on it, I made the background artfull but pale so he would stand out.

He was looking at me with such love.... I didn't see it until I worked on this image. I will miss him forever.

Lorrene

Jewel Carnival! What I am grateful for in Jewelry

Click on image to enlarge.

I know that most people praise their parents for the inspiration in their lives... but, for me, it is really true. This image is one of my first attempts at using the Painter program. I used an old black & white photo of them my great-uncle took. They were visiting him on his ship....he was a merchant marine. For some reason they were standing on some sort of hatch top. This was taken in June of 1936.... 6 months before they wed. They were so much in love. Go find old photos of your parents.... it is such a warm fuzzy thing. I had such a great time altering and drawing them in my own version of their world.

Okay, my mother started my jewelry quest off when I was very young by not having a fit when I drew on the walls and protecting my 'artwork' from the teacher when I was seven and encouraging me to play with ceramic clays. But, her biggest influence was her love of beautiful fine jewelry. She had gobs... and loose beads. I think she really wanted to create her own. She was the first person to teach me how to knot between pearls with a 'T' pin. Her jewelry was beautiful. She also had no problem changing something. She had her favorite jeweler re-create jewelry she purchased at antique stores and thrift shops into incredibly beautiful and valuable bling. Later on we, my sister Lelana, mom and I, would go to the Jewelry Mart in San Francisco and shop for pretties. I was majorly into beading at that time and we'd spend ALL DAY there. I remember one time we came outside just before sundown and the sky was beautiful with colors and clouds. We were so rummy, I remember saying, "Just look at the rose quartz and blue lace agate sky and the opal clouds...!" We chuckled over that one and then shook our heads because we stayed at the Mart tooooooooooo looooooooong. Heh, heh.

My father was incredibly supportive too. We were very close and got closer when I spent about two years working for him in his machine shop. He gave me so much confidence.... it was amazing. I was his secretary, shipping clerk and gal Friday. He also had no trouble having me run small & medium sized lathes and one huge Bridgeport vertical lathe. Amazing. Then he had me arc welding his hinges for his tire recapping parts and testing his air valves for his balancers for the huge truck tires. Did I say that he graduated from Berkeley High at 15? He couldn't afford college so he went to the library and studied mechanical engineering and passed all the tests. He was brilliant. And shy. And quiet within himself - unless he had a few 'Old Fashions' in him. He had me working with all the ferrous metals in his shop. He invented the bubble balancer for the tire industry and always told my sis and I that we were related to Frank L. Baum of Wizard of Oz fame. He made me feel I could do anything.

But, it was 17 years later before I could call myself an artist. Some times we makers have a bit of trouble calling ourselves that because of our inherent lack of confidence. After all, we are baring our souls to the world. Instead of saying that this is my art, we are feeling that this is who I am. It took me another 10 years or so to realize it wasn't me it was various expressions of the bliss of creating.

Making jewelry has given me a functional expression of my tendency towards three dimensional art and has let me create one-of-a-kind pieces, wedding rings and divorce rings. I have made wiccan jewelry, special order cold connected work with aluminum, copper and sterling, and my favorite is a wedding ring turned into earrings. He burnt the ring when working around the car battery and wanted to make half hooped and carved earring posts for his wife for their anniversary. It was fun. He came back in later and told me his wife had purchased a new band for him. They exchanged wedding rings at their anniversary lunch. Times like that made owning a gallery/jewelry store worth it.

Yes, I am very grateful for all jewelry making has brought to my life. Especially all of the wonderful friends that have touched me. Thank you to you.... you KNOW who you are.

Whew... that is enough.

Thanks mom and dad, I will always be indebted to your love and support and encouragement.

Do visit these other wonderful 'Jewelry Carnival' bloggers today:

Marco Fleseri

Angela Crispin

Lora Hart

Tonya Davidson

Elaine Luther

Kirsten Skiles

Just in Time for Europe!!! Gram's doing better...for now.

Murphy has struck again.

Just in time for Europe... this artist here decided to break a bone in her foot.

Thanks for feeling sorry for me... DRAT!!!! I bought new shoes too. So, I think I will go off to my studio and make some fun jewelry to take with me. I am thinking of matching my new outfit I bought for the journey. If I do (what else can I do?) I will post images later.

The really good news is that my Son-in-law told me today that he isn't going anywhere and to go ahead and take our trip. I have been waiting forever to order my clothes. We weren't sure if he would still be with us. They are calling his cancer, pancreatic, but they still aren't sure. He is having most of his troubles with his blood. We went and saw him today in the hospital just after I got my 'boot' on the leg. He really looks good.

Here he is skydiving... he and Dana did this with his brothers after seeing the movie, "Bucket List".

He is super-duper and grand.

What’s a skill you’d like to learn and why? Or what’s your favorite new technique?

Welcome to the Carnival!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I choose: what’s your favorite technique and why?

Shoot! My second new favorite technique is the one I just learned/figured out how to do. Later in the blog.

My first fav is especially with stone setting. Wouldn't you know that as soon as my book went to press in 2007 I would develop an entirely new process for post-fire setting stones. Large ones. Stones that could be fired in place but ones I choose not to set pre-firing. The whole idea behind this process is to have the inside of the setting have somewhat of a mirror finish. This is pretty darn important when setting stones in rings and pendants. It is VERY important when the gemstone isn't cut to reflect all the light (and color) back to the viewer. Then all the dirt that is caught in the rough surface on the inside of the setting will be reflected back to the viewer.

Also because I like my work finished perfectly from the back as well as the front.

So The above is my all time favorite technique.... now to my most recent exploration. I entered the NAD completion (see image in previous post) and decided to add strength to the torque neckpiece. I have been using a lot of argentium sterling lately because the germanium adds strength, has fire scale elimination properties and, most important to me, has a really high tarnish resistance. To quote WikipediA, "Argentium Silver is the result of research by Peter Johns at the School of Art & Design, Middlesex University." And it is rapidly replacing the copper alloy sterling silver that we metalsmiths have been using for eons. Note that there is still some copper in argentium sterling.

When heating common sterling via soldering or firing in a kiln, the oxygen at high heat forms a black surface coating of cupric oxide or fire scale. This needs to be removed with a very strong acid, such as sodium bisulfate. To remove this black surface one might need to soak the silver in the latter, warmed acid, for a very long time. Handling this acid or breathing the warm fumes are a very bad health hazard.

With argentium silver I have found a very light coating of fire scale on my work. And that is when it is subjected to a very high temperature for an extended time... say kiln firing. If I put the work into a pan of warm/hot white vinegar the black goes away almost at once. I found that I only had to do this twice. After my third firing the germanium coated the surface, there was no fire scale and that, marvelous, coating became the element to make the metal tarnish resistant.

My, I am going on. Well, sterling silver needs to be silver depleted by heating and soaking in acid MANY times. This makes the surface of the sterling fine silver and that allows the metal clay to adhere properly. One can use the vinegar instead of the sodium bisulfate in this process too. It takes longer because the cupric oxide is thicker and deeper in the metal.

Not with argentium AND a metal clay product from Art Clay World, USA. This product is called Art Clay Silver Overlay Paste (tm) and I don't know what is in it but it works wonderfully with the argentium. To make the torque, I first shaped the 14 gauge argentium wire, soldered the hinge ends and the clasp ends. I then washed the metal with alcohol on cotton pad and let dry. I then applied two coats of the Art Clay Overlay Paste and three heavy coats of regular Art Clay Paste. Of course I let the pastes dry between coats. Fired both halves of the torque and burnished the work in a tumbler after firing.

No peeling. No sign of the paste being weakened. Now this is my new very favorite technique because it is enabling me to try some more wild and crazy designs.

Do visit these other Jewel Carnival blogs find out what they like best or what they want to learn:

Elaine Luther

Tonya Davidson

Marco Fleseri

Putting the Ego in line

A very good way to get the ego in line is to enter a competition and not win ANYTHING! Okay, I am through with my infantile blabber.

Heh,heh. Yup, it is a bit damaging to the ego, but that is okay. I learned several lessons here. Don't necessarily follow the theme: the winners usually are following their bliss, and that is why they win. Also, if I ever make a torque type neckpiece again , I will not make it to fit me. One of my shoulders is higher than the other and a judge might think it unwearable. Another unwearable thingy.... don't send it with your homemade display.. (see above). Those things are not (repeat: are not) even close the human body shape.

The above work was made to the theme "Celebration"... I made it with my husband's and my birthstones and a quartz briolette for our new age spirituality. There are three diamonds that signify 'I Love You' and it is celebration of our 34th anniversary this last Monday. I tried to get a feeling of confetti flying and the excitement of our union. I think it worked. It is hinged in the back and there is a hidden gravity hook underneath the stone shield. I like to make things pretty from the back too. So I did some laborious finish work behind the shield. The metal flows in to the back of the stones.

I must admit, I had a lot of fun building this piece and thought I had a bit of a chance with this contest. It has been a few days since the 'news' was broadcast and I am so very okay with it all by now. There were great lessons to be learned and I share them below.

One thing I will do in the future is be proactive. I will find out about the jurors: Are they avant garde? Do they like contemporary jewelry? Do they have a penchant for small 'jewelry store' style baubles? What do they like? Then I will make something with their preferences while following my maker's dreams.

Time for 'economical' new work and contests

I am so lax in entering contests.... if ever. And when I do, it is oh, so last minute. Today I hope to finish the NAD, North American Design contest in Silver Clay. I have been a Master Instructor there for several years and you'd think I would enter... I will post when it is done.

Because of the, really, strong economic downturn, I made some new earring jackets out of pure silver and pure gold. They are small and lightweight and are only $54.00 per pair. And THAT is including the sterling ball posts. I needed something to hold the jackets onto the cards. If you do not know what jackets are I will try to explain. They are to enhance one's jewelry wardrobe by making all of our stud ear posts have a bit more 'bling'. In other words, say, the pearl stud post is put through the hole of the jacket, then through the hole of the earlobe and the clutch in the back holds it all together.

I had to explain it a bit at the El Dorado County Artist's Studio Tour last weekend. So, I have made a sign to go in my galleries.

It shows the jacket alone and with several gemstone studs.

(Click on image for a much larger picture)

Jewel Carnival again! The path to my art!

Well, I do apologize for being late with my blog. We are hosting, at our home, a part of the El Dorado County's Annual Artist's Studio Tour. As I mentioned in a previous blog, there is a painter a potter and me. It started yesterday from 10 am to 5 pm and then I was featured at a Placerville gallery from 5pm to 9pm.

Whew!

Does everyone start their path by drawing on rubber sheets as a toddler .... or on the walls with crayons? Well, if so, I am very typical. My dad must have leaned over my crib to give me a kiss and his ball point pen, prophetically, fell out of his pocket into my world. This may sound silly, but do some drawing on a piece of rubber... It is glorious. The ink just flows so smoothly, the images hint of a future Picasso.... only kidding. THAT was my start.

My mother played with ceramics when I was a bitty bit. And she let me play with some too. She let me glaze the work between the firing process... This image is of the only artwork I have from my childhood. I kinda threw everything else away. I like it because there was no religion in our family... parents were from extreme opposites. They opted for my sis and I to choose for ourselves. Where the praying priest came from I do not know. I do know that I did this when I could barely write... maybe second grade. I signed it:

Lorre
ne

I do like his smile and tiny feet... I guess I didn't know what to do with the toes... heh, heh.

Mom urged my visual and theatrical art all through school. I drew a woman, with a cigarette in her hand in second or third grade... she was quite glamorous.... teacher made me scratch the cigarette out. My medium at that time was crayons. My mother chewed out the teacher for changing my interpretation of what I saw in the world.

You Go Mom!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks...

From then on it was high school art then college. I was a drama major and an art minor. Didn't finish because I didn't want to struggle nor did I want to teach. Well what am I doing Now? Teaching. Too funny. But, hey! I do get to be the star of the classroom now, don't I?
No comment.

Mom.... my sweet one. She loved fabulous jewelry and she instilled a love of it for me. I worked in my dads machine shop in my early 20's: lathe work, arc welding and that gave me an appreciation of working with the ferrous metals.... Then of course was the jewelry class in college.

After marriage my husband and I got very involved with the metaphysical movement in the '80s and I started wrapping crystals and then soldering sterling and silver with a creme brulee torch. That led to my going back to school, Revere Academy, in 1988 and that let to us using my goldsmithing talents by our opening a gallery of jewelry and fine art, and that led to classes in polymer and metal clay in our gallery studio.

Whew! Again!

Since 2000, I have been wholly involved with my two media: Polymer and metal clay. During the eleven years we had the gallery I totally burned out of metalsmithing. When you have everyone telling you what stones to set, what metal to use and hurry, hurry I need it yesterday... well the passion for goldsmithing left. But the creativity and designing was still there.

Now I love making fused glass too. The colors I can add with the glass and enamelling and the entire world of being a maker of what I want to do.... whether it sells or not... I do not care.

And during this period of creativity I have performed in many dramas, comedies, musicals and have directed one mystery, one comedy, one dramedy and one musical.

As the cast sings in "Candide", I have the best of all possible, possible worlds...".

Images: Metal clay and fused glass...... polymer cane I designed and diamond.

Do visit these wonderful artist's below and see what they have written about during their "path to their art".

Lora Hart
Elaine Luther
Angela Baduel-Crispin
Marco Fleseri
Tonya Davidson

I will have to read later. The Studio tour starts again in 30 minutes and I am not set up.

Artist's Studio Tour - This weekend and Next

Saturday and Sunday
September 20, 21, 27 & 28.
It is hard getting new posts to the blog when you are trying to finish up work for the upcoming El Dorado County Artist's Studio tour. Not only do I have to make stuff, I get to clean the house and garden area because we are hosting one of the venues at our home.

A PAINTER
We are featuring a painter (also a lamp work bead maker): Patty Jacobs. Her paintings are ethereal and the animals she creates on watercolor paper have great personalities. Here is
GOT PEANUTS?

Patty Jacobs, a native of Northern California, is primarily a self-taught artist, drawing and painting since childhood. Her work focuses on her love of animals and she donates a percentage from the sale of these paintings to animal charities. Patty has shown her work around California and has been commissioned for numerous pet portraits. Her paintings can be found at Taylor's Art and Soul in Sacramento and also at Gold Country Artist's Gallery, where they have been purchased by visitors from various places in the U.S., Scotland, England, Ireland, and Australia.
You just have to see her work. This is just a sample. During the Holidays, she makes Christmas card of these guys and puts a Santa hat on them... Great Sellers.

A POTTER

Chris Navratil has only been potting for just a few years and is a phenom with her work. Her work is innovative, functional and full of great color sense.

I commissioned her for a set of dishes. See left. My mistake was purchasing a pasta bowl in these colors and became obsessed with having a complete set.

Am I a happy camper? You bet. Come to see her in action. She has been bringing her wheel with her these past few years and everyone loves seeing her throw her pots. Come early for she has a great following that come only to see her work.

AND ME

Just finished these yesterday and am really excited about them. They are cuff bracelets made with polymer clay over a brass armature. I then added acrylic paint as detail and then covered the latter with translucent liquid polymer clay for durability.

I have some new metal clay work set up for the show too.

Saturday the 20th starts the two weekend show and it is also the third Saturday art stroll on Main St., in Placerville. So, at the end of day on Saturday I have to run to our gallery and be gracious until 9pm... it is going to be a looooooonnnnnnggggg day.

September Shows

There hasn't been any post recently because I have been frantically creating new metal clay and polymer clay items for two shows.  

Right now I am being featured at the Gold Country Artist's Gallery in Placerville, CA.  So, I needed work for that. Also, this month, we have the Annual El Dorado County Artist's Studio Tour. Now this is interesting, the tour opens on Saturday the 20th for two weekends. That same night I have to run down to the gallery and attend an artist's reception.  Thankfully I am sharing the spotlight with a wonderful mixed media artist, Karen Hunziker. Here is one of her works.

I have been playing, a lot, with my polymer clay using the Able Cane Slicer. I just love the tool. It can be had at polymerclayexpress.com. One can make large canes and cut really large slices... at just about any thickness. I like really thin slices because it makes my canes go farther. Here are a few new works that I just built.

I used Susan Hyde's Faux Fabric technique on these. I call them 'Peruvian cloth'...

In addition to my Artist's Sketchbooks, there is also a covered business card holder and two cross type pens. Later today I am going to cover some wide brass bracelets.  I love this technique.

Also shown are some beads made with this cane and the ACS.  This tool is a must for any polymer clay artist. If you would like to see how it is used in an online tutorial, click here.

But Wait! Before you go.... I have a few samples here of my metal clay work for the shows.

The first is Trapeze Amphora. I have added an 8mm garnet and used fusible argentium sterling silver to hang it on a sterling snake chain.  The next is the second in my series of 'What Attitude?' women. Another amphora. I love that the 'chip on her shoulder' is a gem grade pyrope garnet.  I have been having a lot of fun with these ladies.  Notice the 'neck' tilt?  Is she not having a major 'tude'?

There is a lot more coming from yours truly and I cannot wait to get back into the studio.

Jewel Carnival Blog for August: Studio Tour

It is that time of the month... we are doing a Jewelry Blog Carnival Studio Tour and thought it would be fun for other artists to see our work spaces. So not a lot of words this time. Just images. Being that I just got back from a retreat, and had to put all my clay and tools away, these shots were taken last night at O - dark thirty.

The left is the classroom / fused glass / sales / storage area. I can take 6 students, but I prefer 3 to 4. When I do not have classes it is loaded with my fused glass cutting area, the grinder and glass band saw.

This image is of my private work queendom. My artistic realm. Straight ahead is the metal/goldsmithing area and to the right is my polymer/metal clay work station. It is pretty darn organized. After I got it set up I didn't think that I could find anything. But, to my surprise - it made sense and I can find stuff.

Below is a better view of my main work area. I have my Ipod up top on my right and a mini TV on my left. It is pretty darn cool - I can put in a jewelry VHS tape whenever I want to watch or research a technique I haven't done in ages.

In this image I have been working with my polymer goodies. Inspiration came from our local Clayville-California's Annual PolyPalooza retreat at Zephyr Point on Lake Tahoe in Nevada.

The goldsmithing area is always a mess. I am constantly running over to file, solder, saw or set a stone. Of course I am always in a hurry and don't clean up... except for sorting my metal filings. Here I am waving at the camera. I try to use feng shui in the studio set up. Therefore the mirror. It is bad chi to have your back to the room and not be able to see people approaching you.

It has taken many years and many tries to get the studio/classroom just right ... it is, now for me, my heaven. I have only had ten studios/work areas ... s'bout time I got it right ... don'tcha think?

Take a moment to visit these other Jewel Carnival Bloggers today and check out their studio tours too. Some might be posting later....

Elaine Luther
Marco Fleseri
Angela Crispin (scroll for the English version)
Tamra Gentry
Lora Hart

Kirsten Skiles

Almost there... and Super News!

I am not one to turn down a commission... even when I am packing to go to the Polymer Retreat .... tomorrow!

Here is an image of a small (for me- I went to the big school of art) pendant that has a dancing illusion and that is gently arched down the center. It is embellished with a 1.5mm diamond, a trillion peridot and a fresh water pearl. I call her Peridot Dancing. Click on image for a larger view.

The super news is that after I get to the Hilton Hotel Indian Resort (Chicago) next summer I get to play with polymer buddies at the NPCG's (National Polymer Clay Guild) 2009 Retreat. I offered to do a demonstration of one of my new canes/techniques... we'll see.
But, the best news is that as soon as that retreat is over the MCWC (Metal Clay World Conference) starts... at the same location!!! How great is that?. I get to give a pre-conference workshop on setting stones in metal clay. I will be teaching some of the techniques that are in my book. And then, for the next two or three days, I will be giving a seminar on Bench Tricks for the Metal Clayer. And do I have lots of those.

Now I need to breathe....

No, finish packing.