The Making of Quilters Collateral Part VIII

Hey Things are going a bit faster now that Chrissie and Roger have given the final approval of the logo.

Yesterday I made up a quickie business card, Chrissie gave three suggestions and today I have completed it.  Those dratted PhotoShop paths. Haven't done them since 2007. But, it all came back and I created a path around the logo, made an EPS file and loaded it on the sepia (see leather) background and the white around the logo disappeared.

Voila!

Here 'tis.

The 2011 Quilters Musical Show Business Card

Next up for me will be the start of the poster, then the postcards and finally the Constant Contact email about the show.

If you want to see the emailer, let me know at ljd@lorrenedavisdesigns.com - I'll make sure you get a copy.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART VII

Next.... tuck the threads of the 'Q' away... good idea. Make them black... better. Make them the same thickness... more of a challenge... 


So now we need to have some words around the logo .... lets people know a bit of what the show is about. Now THAT is a very good suggestion...

I sent Chrissie three different views and she and Roger sent me back some minor changes.  I did this today and sent it off to them.   We'll see ....

The Making of Quilters Logo PART VI

Now we are on to a flier that Chrissie (Madam Director of the winter 2011 musical, Quilters) wanted for the El Dorado County Fair last weekend.

The fair was awesome this year, by the way, the weather was Spring-ish, a light breeze and the chicken display was so incredible.  If I knew how to upload photos from my camera I would post them now. LOTs of chicken photos. They can be so beautiful....
don't take my word for it. Go to your county fair this year and check them out....  Okay, okay, on to the Quilters flier.

Chrissie wanted to have some pertinent info on the flier: dates of production, where to get tickets/more information, audition dates, call-back dates and the logo (of course). To keep costs down, she wanted everything in grey scale.

Well, one of the most important facets of the flier and future poster was the font style.  The show takes place during the 'westward ho' time of our country and all the fonts during that time were .... well .... old time-y.

In other words BUSY....! Yikes, we want people to read the words, go out and audition or go and see the show.  So, I made an administrative decision.  Eurostile.  It took me quite a while to pick out the right shape 'Q' for the logo in the first place.  I was following the sketch that Roger Filippelli (madame director's husband and artist extraordinaire) drew. Then I had made the Q taller in InDesign to allow the faces of the future actors in the show to be inserted.  Part of me felt that the font was the least important part of the whole package and HAD to be easily read.  ... well, duh?

So, yours truly was exceptionally lucky. Chrissie liked it on the first go round, except for one spelling error.  And, I felt that I needed to add the Imagination Theater's website. After those two fixes we had a two sided flier.

What'cha think?

 Clarity IS lost when converted to a small dpi image.
Oh, well.... here 'tis.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART V

Okay, so Chrissie (The Director of the musical) and I got together again recently and worked on this logo thing-y.  She had some really great ideas on how she wanted the pattern to be placed inside the Q. We sat at the computer and came up with a very cool look.

Then she took a gander at the old time-y wagon that I had turned into a sepia tone inside the Q.  She had me fade out a bit of the building behind the wagon and - voila!  Perfection.  The colors look like fabric, the log cabin block pattern is recognizable and the colors are what she chose.

So thus far we have a logo for the show.  Until the show is cast.... and then I will be inserting photos of the actors inside the hollow area of the Q.

I am very happy with the whole look.

Next on to a greyscale quarter page flier.....

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART IV

So, we are still working on this logo... I would like to really get this down soon. Chrissie and I are meeting tomorrow for about an hour to put the finishing touches on the logo. After that we'll play with the rest of the image.

In the mean time .........

I got to run away for a few days to South Lake Tahoe.... our Sacramento Regional polymer guild, Clayville-California had a retreat at the incredible Zephyr Point Conference center. I had four glorious days of making new big bead necklaces and the inspiration was all around us. There is a new African Mud Cloth technique I need to make. A great artist by the name of Kim Swearington from Reno gave a demonstration on her development of this art form. I have already new ideas on how to tweak this technique that will fit my needs as an artist. So..... anyhooo, back to Quilters.

The next review by Chrissie and Roger mentioned that the quilt patches should be larger inside the Q... so that is what I've worked upon.  The quilt is no longer 'balanced' because I had evenly spaced the blocks to fill the area in my last post.  But, quilts aren't truly perfect ... now are they?

Also, I made the 'cloth' texture deeper.  When the logo is reduced to, say business card size, the texture just might still be visible.  So here it is so far...

And then I had to play.....

Now off to a Gallery meeting and then dinner.

As usual..... 'nuff for now.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART III

So, I got a lovely email from Chrissie and Roger with some comments and ideas about the logo and the changes they would like to see.


I liked what they had to say.  It would be cool to have the fabric color in the log cabin patch be patterned like cloth.... but I don't have the fabric to scan and it would take me an incredible amount of time to add art to each of the colors.  Then, when the logo is reduced for business cards the image would get muddy. They also wanted the 'blocks' larger and some of them reversed. They noted that the quilt inside of the 'Q' looked more like a plaid... they were right.


Therefore I opted to give it more of a 'heavy' texture in Photoshop.  That will disappear too.. but it will look very cool in the poster.


I also took it upon myself to give the 'Q' more height....in hindsight I saw that the sketch had a taller letter. I think this will be good and allow room for the sepia-toned covered wagon that will go in the center. Then later after the show is cast we will have the actor's images inserted for the rest of the collateral that will be passed around.


So, here is the first one with the lighter cloth-like 'texture'.  The Q still needs some tweaking... later.

We'll see what they have to say.... I am kind of fond of the changes they made.


The color of the thread will be the main text color... Either Teal, dark brown and/or deep red.
The second logo shown below is with the thicker texture.  The only problem with these 'textures' is that they get really muddy when reduced.


That said, I can always use the logo withOUT texture. That would be successful when the work calls for a major reduction in size.  So, for now, I am building it for the poster....




Okay, another 4 hours gone.


Again, 'nuff for today.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART II

Part II

So I took a day off yesterday, finished some beading and then went to the movies with a dear artist friend and saw the chick flick "Letters to Juliette"... the scenery was fantastic. Liked the movie - tho the ending was a bit corny.  Makes one want to run, not walk, over to Tuscany and see the sights, drink the wine, taste the cheese and look at all the pretty young men.  She came over to my cottage and we had wine and dinner and talked girl talk and yapped  about the differences between men and women and if we even wanted to have the angst, heartache, exhilaration and joy of dating again.... but, hey, that is another blog.

This morning I got rejuvenated with my exercise program and decided to jump right back into the designing of the logo for my dear friend and director of the show, Chrissie Addison.  She and her artist husband, Roger Filippelli, worked out a sketch of what they wanted and, with some input by me, we came up with a general outline for the poster, business cards and all around collateral for the musical QUILTERS. 

I know, I know the show isn't starting until the Winter of 2011, but publicity has already been flowing into the media. We need fliers for audition notices, business cards for the staff and actors, hand-outs for the actors to share with the production dates and most importantly the posters to hang in businesses prior to and during the show.

So you can see by the sketch we have a great idea forming. Then they said for me to go forth and create.  How cool is that?

....But have the logo done by the first of June.  Well, that's not happening.  I do have a pretty good start on it and should have it done by the 8th. Who knows, if she likes it ... then it is done... the logo that is.

In the PART I blog I wrote about how I searched online and found the Log Cabin quilt pattern and incorporated Chrissie's colors she chose. Today was a loooooong process of finding the right Q font to use, change it, arrange the log cabin blocks, add the needle and thread and then go into Photoshop and fill the Q with the 'Log Cabin quilt'.  The following image is of the InDesign work that I did.

The next image is what I have come up with so far. I sure hope she likes it... Lots of time and work.  Everyone thinks that graphics are easy with Photoshopping and all. But, it DOES take time.The cmyk info is on the page and on all the paint chips from the store.  I need to always have the color formulas down pat. I did the same with the Log Cabin block too. Those hues were blended by me to match the color scheme of Chrissie's. All the main text in the work will be in the burgundy color of the thread.

Okay, 'nuff for today.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART I

About a month or so ago, a dear friend asked me to work on her production for 2011. Not as an actor (drat) but as the graphic artist to create the collateral for the show.

Anything to be part of a musical production.

Quilters is a lovely musical about a woman, her girls and how they survived and lived on the prairie during the opening up of America. It has the different quilt patches brought out by each one as they sing and talk of they life they are living. At the end of the show a large quilt is raised and it is comprised of all the 'life' patches of the family.

Our community is very involved. The quilting guilds are donating fabric some of which is really old material... some of the cloth is from the actual era that the show is portraying. Others will be making the quilts for the actors to use.  It is an exciting production to be involved with, even though it is only as a graphic artist.  Sigh.

Okay. If I can stay on top of this blog series I will be taking you through the process of getting a logo made, the poster started, the business cards created and then fliers or postcards to be handed out by the actors, crew and production staff.... should be interesting.

We met a while ago and they gave me their inspiration for the collateral that I will be creating. I was delighted that they gave me some creative license.  I asked for:

• 
  
  Deadlines
• 
  
  Color choices for the logo and poster background
• 
  
  How many items are to be produced by me
• 
  
  What quilt pattern was to be the background for the logo

I had a sweet packed of color swatches from The Home Depot delivered to me and today I started.  They chose the log cabin pattern and I googled and binged until I found a free pdf outline of the log cabin design. I placed it into Photoshop and did my best to eye up the colors that the director chose.  As you see above.

Now on to InDesign to work on the next step.....

Patina Tips and Tricks

It is CARNIVAL time again!

We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group. This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.

This Friday's topic is: Patina Tips & Tricks!

Well, I must start this blog off by being completely honest. Patina's are not my 'thing'. So, if you are looking for some amazing techniques.... look at the other blogs at the end of this missive. You will find some amazing artists' teachings on how they get their incredible colors on their work AND how they play with the color levels to achieve their glorious works unique look.

I must confess, though, to being a silver snob. Pure fine silver is the whitest of all the precious metals. Whitest and brightest. Just set a piece of polished fine silver next to a polished platinum work. KaPOW!!!! Hmmm? Amazing. I think this 'elitist' attitude comes from my classical training as a goldsmith/metalsmith. I love the beauty of the materials... so:

WHY HIDE THE INCREDIBLE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE SILVER? Oops! Sorry! I just HATE it when somebody shouts at me... did you hear the passion tho?

I love the shine, the reflectiveness and the brilliance of this noble metal... Period. But, there are pieces that need, no, call out for patina. And that is when the artist in me runs and grabs the torch or liver of sulfur or silver black and plays with the work with an 'intuitive paint brush'.

That said, let me tell you what I do like about the patina effect and share how I achieve the look I like. First off, I love the way patinas can be altered with a simple polishing cloth. After the patina has been applied, I gently rub off the color on the raised areas of the work. This gives a great depth to the jewelry that cannot be achieved with texture alone.

So, I generally use liver of sulfur (LOS) and keep it warm on my warming dish. A coffee warmer pad works well too. I sometimes add a bit of ammonia to the mix too, oh and some table salt. Close by is some ice water and some sodium bicarbonate (Arm and Hammer) diluted in water.First, though, I make sure that my work is finished enough that I could place it in a gallery as is. In other words, it is textured, polished and all stone setting is completed. Then I dip the work into the LOS and pull it out several times until the color has just reached the level of my choosing. Then I quickly dip the work into the Sodium Bicarbonate and then into the ice water. This stoppes the patina process. After it is dry, I then use the polishing cloth to achieve my final look.

Silver Black is just that. One paints it into the areas of choice. Those areas become pitch black.

Torching is also just that. I use a bushy flame on my copper and titanium work to create waves of color.

All in all, I am truly a maker of Shiny work. My ancestors must have kept crows as pets.

Silly me!

...




Do click on the blogs listed below. These artists have incredible work and wonderful tips to share today..


Tonya Davidson
Tamra Gentry
Vickie Hallmark
Elaine Luther
Lora Hart

The Most Technically Difficult Piece I've Made

It's Carnival Time Again!

This Friday's topic is: What is the most difficult piece you've ever made, from a technical perspective? describe why it was so challenging.

We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group.This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.

In the Fall of 2008 I wanted to create a competition work of art that was also a celebratory piece honoring my husband's and my thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. Of course I didn't start it with lots of time.... nah, I always have to wait until the last moment. So, instead of shipping the work to Chicago for the North American Design competition (NAD) I took it with me when I flew back for a Masters Symposium with Art Clay World.

And no, I didn't win anything in the competition. But that is okay for I enjoyed the process of designing this work AND figuring out the engineering progression of building it so it would wear beautifully. Besides... it was made for our anniversary.

The theme of the competition was Celebration.... So I wanted to have 'streamers' of confetti-like wire working it's way around the silver. This style is technically a variation of a torque. A torque is a neckpiece that wraps around the neck and is solid except for a hinge in the back or front.

The important thing to remember about designing a new work in jewelry is 'how will I make it from the sketch?' or, as I like to call it, reverse engineering. I like to draw out a work and then make a list to the side charting out what I have to do to build the work and in what order should they be done. This prevents the bad oral verbage when this artist finds out she cannot do a particular process because it was not planned properly.


Okay, that said, I bent some 12 gauge argentium wire to fit my neck and shoulders, Wrapped two layers of argentium 18 wire in a celebratory manner around the 12 gauge. I started and stopped the latter wire at the areas where the clasp and hinges were to be located. I then fired the work for a short time to get the copper (Cu) to the surface of the argentium. Argentium has very little Cu in its alloy in relation to standard sterling silver. Instead of the full amount of Cu the metallurgists added germanium to the mix. When the argentium is heated and the Cu removed the germanium and fine silver are on the surface of the wire and the tarnishing factor of the metal is then reduced greatly. I removed the Cu firescale by boiling the piece in white vinegar. I am not a fan of Sparex (very caustic acid).

After cutting the work into two half circles I created a hinge for the back of the neck using fine silver tubing and added quartz crystal beads to the hinge ends instead of riveting. It is much more feminine that way. Then I created a hook on one end of the front wire. This became a gravity clasp. I spent the most time on this portion because I didn't want to have it open on me when I wore it. Then I created the shield in metal clay from Art Clay World that was to hold both mine and my husbands birthstones. The back of this shield element is as decorative as the front. And the 'hook' from the other wire fit onto a specially constructed area in the back of the shield.


I added three diamonds to the work as well as the small peridots. Any three things in my life be they flowers, stones, fingers or dots signify I LOVE YOU. All stones were fired in place ... except the amethyst, it was set post firing. To make the work more exciting I covered several areas of the 'confetti' with Art Clay Silver Overlay Paste and then added droplets of paste clay. This way the wire is not just wrapped around the 12 gauge but also has a small and very subtle 'texture'. One who works with metal clay can understand that this work went through many, many firings. The last element I added was a quartz briolette to dangle off the end of the shield. This signified our quest to find our higher spiritual self that we began in the 1980's.


I finished it at the end of October, went to Chicago, then we madly packed for our European trip, we left on November 20th and he passed out of my life on December 5th.



I have never worn it.


I don't think I can.


But, it sits in my studio as a reminder of our wonderful life together and his incredible support of anything I did with the metal clay, polymer clay. live theater or any jewelry I created.


...

Do visit the following artist's blogs and see what they have to say on this subject.


Andes Cruz
Lora Hart
Tonya Davidson
Tamra Gentry
Vickie Hallmark
Elaine Luther
Angela badude-Crispin

Treasured Jewelry Item That Is Not My Design.

It is Carnival Time Again!

This January, the topic is: ”What is your most treasured piece of jewelry that you personally own, that is not your own personally created work?”







We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group.This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.


After I became a goldsmith (1988) and we had a gallery of jewelry and fine art, I arranged to have classes every now and then in the studio portion of our gallery. In 1996 I took a class at the Revere Academy in Metal Clay and then had a polymer clay artist give a workshop in our gallery. I became instantly addicted to BOTH clays. I became obsessed with both mediums and buried myself in the education and creation of new work. Then after a bit I gave workshops in both clays in our gallery.

Being in the art jewelry business, one of my favorite magazines (and still is) is Ornament. It is comprised of many beautiful articles on what artists are doing to ornament our bodies with various forms of jewelry and textile art. I have kept my treasured Ornament that featured the incredible work of Kathleen Dustin. I am smitten with here original, artful and feminine creations.

Our local (Sacramento Region) polymer guild has had her make the trek from the East Coast to Sacramento for two wonderful workshops. Can you guess that I attended both?



Well, I HAD to buy a pin/brooch from her. This is my favorite work. It is colorful, sensual, tactile, translucent and a balanced work of art. She is also a very grounded and 'real' person. One wants to be her friend because she is what she is. She has no 'star' persona in her aura. No elitist attitude. Just Kathleen. Yet, she is truly a star in the polymer clay community... by artists as well as collectors.

What a talent.

















Do visit the following blogs and see what they have to say on this subject.

Andes Cruz
Lora Hart
Tonya Davidson
Tamra Culp
Vickie Hallmark
Elaine Luther

Annoying mis-use of jewelry terms!

It is Carnival Time Again!!!

We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group.This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.

Today's post is on the subject: Which mis-use of a jewelry term most annoys you?

In metal clay it is the term 'Leather Hard'... Hmm? When I think of leather hard I think of supple suede or a fine calfskin jacket or maybe a pigskin purse. I don't think of it as dry. Up until I later learned that it meant bone dry I had always felt that the clay needed some moisture in it to work at the 'leather hard' stage. I am a classically trained goldsmith and the leather hard meant nothing to me. Also, I worked with ceramic clays years ago and felt that greenware was a better term: Dry but not fired. We don't fire leather.

In jewelry sales the term 'Semi Precious' can drive me up a wall. When I was taking gemstone workshops at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, in San Francisco, the instructor/appraiser made one simple statement that said it all. She said, "If a fine Paraiba tourmaline costs two to three times as a comparably sized diamond, how can one call it semi-precious?" It really is relative to the value of the stone not the beauty. I have seen amazing peridots that were finer looking than, say, a sapphire. Please, do NOT use the term semi-precious in my presence.

Really. Don't.

In polymer clay it is the term 'Faux'. A lot of the artists say, faux ivory, faux turquoises. It gives the buyer the impression that the jewelry has a 'lesser value' because 'it isn't real'. How about polymer coral or polymer lapis lazuli. It says the artist was able to create the look of of fine jade ... and what an amazing talent that is.

See what these other talented jewelry artists have to say on this subject.

Tonya Davidson
Angela Baduel-Crispin
Andes Cruz
Lora Hart
Tamra Gentry
Elaine Luther
Marco Fleseri

Snowed in by Freak Storm

The above photos were take a bit ago. Yesterday I couldn't see any green. All the trees were weighed down with snow. Most of the power problem arose from the snow breaking tree limbs or the limbs weighing down on the power lines.

So.......

I have been out of communications for the last day and this am.... except for calling PG&E to find out when I'd get power. It went off at 5am yesterday and just came on at 9am. I tried not to make too many cell phone calls... the only way to charge it is to sit in the car for over an hour with the engine running. So, no calls except to PG&E... over, and over and over...

To say I was freezing and on the pity-pot is an understatement. My sweet son called me to see if I needed him... Oh yes... All I wanted to do is get more candles and something warm into my tummy. He shoveled snow off of the lower driveway and took me to Walmart... the only place open. The upper end of the driveway is closed due to tree branches weighed down with snow. Main Street was dark as well as most of the county. He brought me a camp stove so I could heat some tea up or food but neglected to teach me how to use it...or, I forgot to ask. I wore just about every warm item of clothing and two, yes two, hats to bed. I was pretty toasty warm during the night... also, I downed two Tylenol PM's to make sure I slept soundly. The cold can keep a person awake.

Whoops. Power went out again at about 9:30... It just came back on at 2pm. Shari Anger called me on my cell and offered me a room at her Inn tonight if it goes out again. I just happened to check in with PG&E at about 12:30 and a canned message said there were no outages in our area. So I waited for a person, and wouldn't you know it, there were only three homes IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY without power. Ah, gotta love that Murphy.

So, I have been bundled up, burning tons of candles to raise the indoor temperature from 48 degrees to 52 degrees.... hey, a little heat goes a long way. I still cannot drive down the road because of the visual and black ice.

Now I just have to wait for the water to heat up for a blessed shower.

So, I am okay.... this is to let you know that the drama is over.... I hope.

Most Precious Jewelry

It is Carnival Time Again!

We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group.This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.

This months topic is:
Out of all the pieces I've created, which one means the most to me and why? (i.e., technical achievement, most beautiful, personal/emotional significance, etc.)

Well this one is, hands down, easy. First of all, I have the BEST sister in the entire universe. Lelana is, and always has been, the wind beneath my wings. Always supporting me in every creative endeavor, emotional highs and lows, taking care of our dear mother and just plain loving me. What more can one ask in a sibling? She has always treated me as a dear friend .... even had me go to Hawaii with her and her best friend, Patty, just after I graduated from high school. She had a year of teaching under her belt and took a very naive 17 year old on a major vacation... moi. That is my sweet sis.

That said. A while back she was diagnosed with breast cancer..... it shocked us all. Nowhere is that nasty, horrible disease in our family lines. We were blown away! She had surgery and radiation and the docs said they got it all and that it was a slow grower. She must have had it for years. What a blessed relief that she is cured. I don't know what I'd do without her in my life.

So, the first thing I did was to create 'SISTERS' pendants. It was an emotional and loving process that consumed me for days. I had just learned how to fuse glass several months before and decided to use the very same glass in each of our pendants. I took the glass and cut it and layered the pieces and then fused them . Then I ground the glass into shapes I liked and then fire polished them both. The next step was to make pure fine silver pendants for the glass.

And so.....

Wouldn't you know that they are the same but different.... just like us. GRIN

Do visit these very talented artist's blogs to fine what they wrote on this topic.

Tonya Davidson
Angela Baduel-Crispin

Vickie Hallmark

Andes Cruz
Lora Hart
Tamra Gentry
Elaine Luther
Marco Fleseri

Tod Pardon

Jewel Carnival again!

We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group.This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.





So just what is it that inspires me to be designing and working with jewelry? What excites me about it to create a new item?

Well, I do like working with small sculptures. Really small sculptures.....

What is that saying that seems to always work in many circumstances?
It Is What It Is....

How can I actually say what motivates me? Is it the ache to be creative? Is it the joy of working in a craft that I love? How about the passion of being a maker of art?

How about all of the above...? How about just MakingDoingGetting the Hands Moving?

When I am inspired by a new technique, sketch, vision, person, color, shape or form.. or whatever it is that tickles that spot in my essence that says, "Go Forth And Make!!!"

Well, yup! That too.

In spite of the verbage above, I have to admit that all I have to do is sit down around my art materials and the designs pop out on the drawing pad. Since I work mainly in my two clay mediums of choice: Polymer and metal clay, the working design will 'tell' me which material to use.

Then I make ...
.

Do visit these other, incredibly talented artists and read what they have to say on this subject.

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

Tops In Blue - Extraordinary Performance

Tops in Entertainment on Labor Day!

My friend Chris and I went to the California State Fair last night to look at the fine art exhibit and to watch a concert by the Air Forces' amazing entertainers, Tops in Blue. They are active service members who auditioned and got accepted into what the Force calls their Expeditionary Entertainers. They put on shows for service members and their families, Coalition partners and audiences around the globe.

This has been going on for 56 years and it is the first time I have ever heard of them or seen them. Amazing.

This high impact, high energy event kept me smiling and my toes tapping. The discipline and training of their rehearsals show in every hand movement, dance numbers and vocalization. I was astounded at the talent and precision of very person on and off the stage. They also liked to come into the audience to flirt with and engage everyone watching the show. And the spectators loved every minute of it.

Yes I did.

Normally I am put off a bit by too much choreography: too much hands, arms and feet. But, these entertainers were consistent throughout the show. Their vigor and enthusiasm was engaging and so it worked in this venue. This group never let up for a moment. Always in sync.... Always. If you'd like to hear a bit more about them click here. There is also a great documentary to watch here.

There are a lot of YouTube, Tops In Blue, videos available on line. Most of them are pretty fuzzy and have poor sound quality. But, I spent a bit of time on this today to share with you. I lucked out and found a bit from the 2009 tour. Click here for clear video and good sound. We got to see this number last night.

Enjoy!

Now, back to making jewelry for the Art Tour.

Jewel Carnival again! Inspiration: design to completion

Welcome to the August edition
of Jewelry Blog Carnival.

We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group.This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.

August: Inspiration from the design
to the finished work.

"Where do I begin?

Hmmm? Isn't that what a lot of us makers think just before we start? Or, are a lot of you so visual that you can just jump right in and flow from A to Z in your work without a left-brained moment? Does it just flow through you as a river:bending and unresisting yet becoming a force that moves rather than is moved? Or are you sketching and erasing and putting tracing paper down over old designs and using the base design to create new, with more and more tracing paper and more designs. And, of course never throwing any of the rough copies away? Then listing the pieces and parts, ordering what you don't have, finding what you do have and having it all in front of you as a, say, one-of-a-kind production set up.

Do you do that?

Oh, and what is it that inspires you or me in the first place? A sunset, a first dawn flash of light on a mountain just before sunrise, the core of a freshly sawn tree stump, the movement of water during a storm or the incredible light in your mates eyes? The world is our inspiration for our art. It can be beautiful or beastly. From Monet's sweet impressionistic landscapes to Goya's tormented black and whites of war torn bodies. Or maybe a fellow artist taught you a technique that brought out a new passion in your soul to create.... even if only for this moment in time or for many moments if this new fervor becomes your permanent 'voice in art'.

This artist uses ALL of the above. Simply put I am inspired by a vision: be it internal or external. I then sketch it out and begin the process of being a maker of art. I forgive myself if it doesn't turn out exactly as the drawing because art is a moment in time. The time of SKETCHING is gone forever but the PROCESS of being artful is ever changing. When I sing in a musical on stage... my moment changes. The basic story of the song is the same (sketch) but the emotional impact of an evening performance is ethereal to my space and time (process). The art of production in my work below is ever changing..... each earring in a set doesn't match exactly. This is what I am doing now... what could it be tomorrow? I'll just have to wait and see.

Art like love is always in motion and ever changing... and isn't that grand?

August 2009: Batik earring series: Polymer, sterling, niobium, alcohol inks
Gold Country Artists Gallery, Placerville, CA.

Please visit these incredible artist listed below. Click on their names and go see what inspires them from beginning to end.

Tonya Davidson
Angela Baudel-Crispin
Lora Hart
Tamra Gentry
Elaine Luther

July Carnival - DEADLINES: how do I feel about them?

Welcome to the Jewlery Carnival Blog for July





Deadlines:are they a necessary evil or something I left behind in school?

Well this could be a rant, or a rave. Years ago my mother told me never to hate. Good words to live by.... so, okay I STRONGLY dislike deadlines.... But, again, there is the ying yang catch-aroo here. I have to have deadlines or I'd never get anything done. I'd make jewelry, play solitaire on the computer, chat with my friends on-line or on the phone. Oh, and I like to watch the free movies on Comcast or watch the wild finches feast at my feeder... well, you see the picture here, now don't you?

Sometimes even deadlines cannot get me going. I really need to be motivated. Like with jewelry repair... I absolutely do not do repairs anymore... oh, except I DO barter with my hairdresser. Even then, it is so very hard for me to get started. We had to do it all the time when we had our jewelry/gallery business. After eleven years I was/am totally burned out. I'm sorry mom, I hate jewelry repair. Problem is, I am pretty good at it. Sheesh!

Honestly, I LOVE deadlines. My life flows at an even, calm and purposeful pace with them. You see the ying yang thing-y, now don't you. When I have deadlines for ANYTHING, I actually accomplish the deeds I have set out to do.


Like with the two events this month in the Chicago area. The International Polymer Clay Association's (IPCA) Retreat with the Metal Clay World Conference (MCWC) happening at the same hotel on the heels of the first. I have volunteered to help and demonstrate at the IPCA and at the MCWC I will be teaching a pre-conference workshop and then will present a seminar on three days during the conference.

Without deadlines to prepare for these happenings, I would be lost and VERY embarrassed.

Yup, ying - yang, love - hate: deadlines have it all.

Check out these other marvelous artist's blogs on the very same subject:

Tonya Davidson
Angela Baudel-Crispin
Lora Hart
Tamra Gentry
Elaine Luther

Jewel Carnival again! My Most Influential Historical Metalsmith.

Oh, my Gosh.... Ever since I was at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Fransisco I have been in love with the art and beauty of Henry Dunay's jewelry designs.

And he is STILL creating.


Not only is his work MAJOR EYE CANDY, it is crafted by his skilled goldsmiths... working to create his designs. While I was learning the basics of becoming a goldsmith, I learned to appreciate the intricacies of the designs.

My work has always had a bent towards the abstract and 'edgy' as a friend says. But that doesn't mean I cannot enjoy and be impressed by the fluidity, grace and feminine essence of his work.

Now, one must wonder, " How are you influenced by his work, it is not at all like yours?"

Easy answer: Finish. Completion. Balance without being static. Love of gemstones, texture on metal and always keeping the wearer in mind.

Henry Dunay, you rock!

Don't forget to visit these other fine artists and see what THEY have to say on the subject.

Tonya Davidson
Angela Baudel-Crispin
Lora Hart
Tod Pardon
Tamra Gentry
Elaine Luther

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