tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13956437905383444612024-03-13T12:32:51.713-04:00What's In The Attic?Thoughts and musings from Karen McGovern, an artist and conservation biologist madly in love with nature.
Who know's what we'll find hidden away in the attic?Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-51700048562552752972016-04-14T09:43:00.000-04:002016-04-14T09:43:20.485-04:00That's so Bowie...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's only been almost two years since I posted to this blog. No big thing, right? Sigh...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am a contributor for <a href="http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Love My Art Jewelry</a> and blog there quite a bit, but have woefully neglected this page. Sorry....BUT HERE I AM!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today's post is in support of LMAJ's current Blog Hop of jewelry and art inspired by David Bowie. Bowie was such an artistic force of nature in so many ways. Music, fashion, film, a writer, a philosopher, A REBEL. A truly "otherworldly" figure that inspired generations and will continue to inspire even in death. He launched his last album three days before he left this planet for good and now millions play the music on repeat searching for hidden meaning in what has become a musical will and testament. In a nutshell, the dude was unfathomably spectacular.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When <a href="http://www.stacilouiseoriginals.com/" target="_blank">Staci Louise Smith</a> suggested Bowie as our inspiration for this blog hop I know that most of us at LMAJ figured "No brainer". So much material to draw from, so much to use for inspiration. BUT, I now know personally and from chatting with my blog-mates, this challenge has actually been difficult for many. I believe because Bowie was SO MUCH MORE than one thing. How do you dive into all that amazing madness and hit upon a singular design element to work with? The obvious choice for artists would be his DELIRIOUS aesthetic in clothing and make-up. Micro-mini kimonos and go go boots--check. Neon striped space-suits--check. GLAM ANDROGYNOUS ROCK GOD--CHECK! Talk about an endless pallet of in-your-face designs to choose from....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But wait...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What about the urbane, wickedly handsome thin man in the PERFECT suit? The shot cuffs, crisp lapels, soft color pallet, SLICK AS HELL runway-ready man who looks as though he just stepped out of a GQ cover shoot...what about him?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All this, and OH YEAH, THE MUSIC!!! It's all Bowie, and we haven't even begun to scratch the surface. Soooo, how do you create a piece of art around this brilliant chameleon? Well, here's what I did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I decided to use the physical man himself as my inspiration for a mixed media pendant. What he looked like in the flesh, words he wrote and spoke, along with imagery celebrating his most famous work, Space Oddity. His eyes were so amazing. One brown, one blue. I focused on that face, the face of an adult who had seen and done what we mere mortals can only imagine. His face is under an optic lens from about 1940. Mr. Bowie saw the world through a very unique lens, and I wanted to nod to his insights. The lower half of his face is covered with a bit of transparency film imprinted with a vintage postcard from Paris. Bowie loved Paris, center of the Fashion World he floated through his entire life. Above, a brass bee. Bowie was a bit of a mystic--a dabbler in many beliefs. Bees, in ancient cultures, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">were believed to be the sacred insect that bridged the natural world to the underworld. This is a strong subject in much of Bowie's work. I used a hunk of fossil coral to represent the moon, and a sterling silver stars and moon bead floats near his face. Both nods to Major Tom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the back, a Bowie anthem. "We could be heroes, just for one day". Nuff said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally, the silver capsule. Another nod to the Space Oddity, and inside a Bowie quote that sums up so much of who Mr. Bowie was...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring." Words to live by.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Occasionally a person drifts through this tiny planet and amazes absolutely every individual he or she crosses paths with. Bowie was that person. Whether you were/are a fan or not, you cannot deny the man's talent, courage, spirit and fierce independence. Corny as it may be, the Heavens gained another star and the night sky is brighter for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be sure to visit all the other artists' blogs and posts featuring work inspired by Bowie. you can find links right now on the <a href="http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">LMAJ blog</a>. Thanks for hopping along....</span></div>
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Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-7348802891798782882014-06-20T20:51:00.000-04:002014-06-20T20:51:00.167-04:00Oh Ricky You're So Fine...Man, That's Awful.<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recently began following <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rickygervais" target="_blank">Ricky Gervais on Facebook</a>, and discovered that he is a passionate animal welfare
advocate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already knew him as a
ridiculously talented actor, comedian and all-around outspoken individual, but
didn’t know about his interest in critters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, I thought, wouldn’t it be
amazing if I could somehow get him to notice <a href="http://www.rarespecies.org/" target="_blank">RSCF</a>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t he love to come meet Delilah and
Ninita and be our new best friend and advocate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I mean HOW HARD COULD THAT BE, RIGHT???<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, I am that naïve and pie-eyed.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnf95iLUrwc/U6TOKVMw-oI/AAAAAAAALPU/WiFCrlTDHMo/s1600/del.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnf95iLUrwc/U6TOKVMw-oI/AAAAAAAALPU/WiFCrlTDHMo/s1600/del.jpg" height="335" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who could possibly resist this?? WHO???</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I sent him some pictures and links on Facebook,
and wrote a probably way too long message, and asked all my Facebook friends to
like the message and <strike>beg</strike> ask him to contact us AS IF THAT WOULD WORK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it did….sort of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Gervais posts pics every few days of
something mind-blowingly adorable with the caption, “I found this in my
belly-button.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the brilliant idea this
morning to send him a photo of Ninita with the post, “Mr. Gervais, Ninita, our
baby pygmy marmoset, would like to know if you have room in your belly-button
for her.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GENIOUS, AMIRIGHT????<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, he actually responded today in the
comments with a smiley-face emoticon, about which I am totally excited and
consider “first contact”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t judge, I
have no idea how you go about reaching out to famous people these days.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OF76shsBChs/U6TNiMYUoYI/AAAAAAAALPM/YN6B6_ZcQ5c/s1600/ningrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OF76shsBChs/U6TNiMYUoYI/AAAAAAAALPM/YN6B6_ZcQ5c/s1600/ningrab.jpg" height="241" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen-grab of the Facebook post with Mr. Gervais SMILEY FACE ACKNOWLEGEMENT!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another Facebook friend forwarded
me Mr. Gervais’ management contact info (I have no idea how she got that), and
I have decided to write a letter to ask if Ricky (yes, we are on a first name
basis since the smiley-face emoticon, right??) would consider meeting us and
maybe be a part of one of two documentaries we are considering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One about the Red-browed Amazon Parrot
Program, and another about Delilah and the Bongo Repatriation Program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both are equally fascinating—one about a
species of parrot brought to the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and
the black market pet trade (lots of shady characters, mob connections and
even….MURDER), the other a story about the life of an orphaned baby bongo antelope
who beat the odds to survive, and her new role as ambassador for a program that
has brought her species back from the brink of extinction through captive
breeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the
successful-nobody-thought-they-could-do-it return of these majestic creatures
to their homeland on the protected slopes of Mount Kenya. Get your tissues
ready—it’s a tear-jerker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, how the Hell do you put that
into an email that is supposed to be two paragraphs no more than 5 sentences
each?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what I hear is recommended in a “cold call” like this because celebrities are inundated with requests and
if your communication doesn’t grab somebody’s attention in, like, 10 seconds or
less it’s one more dumped in the queue headed for the recycle bin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice, I used the word “queue”, which is
British, as is Mr. Gervai…I mean Ricky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever
since I’ve considered contacting him, all the conversations we have in my head
are with British accents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I am an
idiot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This stuff just stumps me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I’m supposed to strap a GoPro on me
and run through the field with Delilah for YouTube, or stage some sort of Vine
that you pray goes viral featuring Ninta and her toothbrush massages, but I
HAVE A REAL LIFE SO THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I need the folks at Aardman Animations to do a Claymation video of
Delilah inviting Mr. Gervais to her prom or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s still a thing, right? Young folks
asking celebrities in a video to go to prom with them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes, it’s Mr. Gervias—who am I
kidding????<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hey, Delilah asking him to
her prom is pretty damned good idea….hmmmmmmm….sigh, I need help.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3aWHWD0T4Bo/U6TPzKPvJvI/AAAAAAAALPg/yMSJ0-YTd6s/s1600/prom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3aWHWD0T4Bo/U6TPzKPvJvI/AAAAAAAALPg/yMSJ0-YTd6s/s1600/prom.jpg" height="335" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RoCpsJEaCDk/U6TTwEdxDlI/AAAAAAAALPw/PROhjWJTZi4/s1600/ninbrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RoCpsJEaCDk/U6TTwEdxDlI/AAAAAAAALPw/PROhjWJTZi4/s1600/ninbrush.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ninita getting a toothbrush massage.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The thing is, we really need someone
with a supportive audience and a strong public presence to help us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may be a tiny 30-acre facility at the end
of a dirt road, but we are home to some of the world’s most endangered wildlife
and we succeed where many larger organizations have failed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, we’re not so good at attracting
national support, or a “face”, for our cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bring species back from the brink of extinction?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Establish vast tracts of protected habitat home to some of the world’s
most endangered plants and animals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>DONE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contact a celebrity and get
them to support us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NOT A CLUE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why Mr. Gervais?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why any celebrity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live in a time where a recognizable face
counts. A LOT. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And more to the point, I
respect the man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He speaks his mind,
seems unafraid of voicing his beliefs, and we need that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone willing to tell the truth regarding
the status of our world and the incredible damage we have done to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And also to show that we can effect change,
we can preserve what’s left of nature, but it ain’t pretty and it ain’t
easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I am grateful to the recognizable
voices behind many “nature shows”, I don’t see Oprah, Morgan Freeman or Alec
Baldwin willing to stand up and say out loud what we all know is true—humans have
wrought a holocaust against nature with heinous consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe Mr. Gervais has the balls to do
just that and more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, Mr. Gervais, if you see this—please contact us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a tiny monkey, some truly
amazing parrots, and a young lady bongo antelope who really want to meet you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who really NEED to meet you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, to squeeze this into two
paragraphs 5 sentences each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sigh…..</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2RxHpsJsYk/U6TULv4SJeI/AAAAAAAALP0/_f7pK4h5Jo4/s1600/kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2RxHpsJsYk/U6TULv4SJeI/AAAAAAAALP0/_f7pK4h5Jo4/s1600/kiss.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kisses to you Mr. Gervais!</td></tr>
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Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-5597542319326397052014-06-01T19:12:00.000-04:002014-06-01T19:14:12.153-04:00For Maya--The Naked Truth<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We suffered a terrible loss this week. The passing of Dr. Maya Angelou has left a silence where once resonated a quiet, calm, deeply emotional and heartful voice. Her words inspired generations and the echo of her voice will hopefully roll through time forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her passing brought to mind something I created a few years ago--a necklace in tribute to women and how women are perceived through time. Created from images of vintage nudes, steel, and an aged mirror. Text affirmations in glass vials rest in between. I wrote something to go with it, but never published what I wrote until now. This is for every woman out there who has ever struggled and doubted herself. The necklace now resides with a fantastic, strong, talented and joyous woman in her own right--I could not have wished for a better person to wear this and live this. Thank you, Durga. And thank you Dr. Angelou, for so eloquently speaking and joyously living your truth, and for sharing that truth with the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Maya--The Naked Truth</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TyNSf6WlCVA/U4uwYkylmmI/AAAAAAAALI4/nfAMXFbT_9k/s1600/truth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TyNSf6WlCVA/U4uwYkylmmI/AAAAAAAALI4/nfAMXFbT_9k/s1600/truth.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What age am I you ask?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm the age where I answer to no one
but myself.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm the age where the only opinion
that matters is my own.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm the age where my hair, my clothes
and my body are configured, adorned and displayed to please only me. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm the
age where a great sense of humor and a strong sense of self </span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">are a thousand times sexier than a big
dick or a big ego.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm the age where sex, when I choose
to have it, is mind-blowing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'm the age where the people I love
and choose to spend time with understand what that time is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A gift.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m the age where time has meaning,
and if you waste mine you have stolen from me </span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">and I will have none left for you.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m the age when the brand, make and
model mean nothing, but quality and craftsmanship mean everything.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m the age where art is like
breathing and I choose to breathe deeply.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m the age where I can weep for the
world, and I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m the age where I could choose to
look away…but I don’t.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My age is a wave that has carried me
across a vast ocean, and I ride the swell as long and as far as I can.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My age, in a word, is enviable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-20762142969880904292014-03-23T19:53:00.001-04:002014-03-23T19:53:15.718-04:00Where Have I Been??? AND, Asymmetry.<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, where HAVE I been? In a word...WORKING. </span><a href="http://www.rarespecies.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RSCF</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.beadkeepers.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beadkeepers</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/beadkeepers" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, RSCF...etc. I have also been writing for <a href="http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Love My Art Jewelry</a>. What a fantastic group of amazing jewelry artists! If you don't know them...GO THERE RIGHT NOW AND LOOK AT ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WORK AND WORDS...I write for their blog twice a month, which has sort of taken the place of writing here. Sorry. I have to figure out how to link my posts for LMAJ here...have to ask a neighborhood 12 year old to come show me some of them fancy computer tricks and such.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, busy on the farm, baby season is fast approaching, which means I will be hand feeding baby parrots, and who knows what else. In the few moments before all THAT chaos begins, I wanted to bring you all up to speed on the LMAJ's latest blog subject--Asymmetry. This post is part of LMAJ's blog hop, so please be sure to peek the fabulous works on the subject offered by the uber-creative artists in the group.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BGX7x_PeTk/Uy9zf7bzJLI/AAAAAAAALCI/IN4fyXYj2TA/s1600/babies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7BGX7x_PeTk/Uy9zf7bzJLI/AAAAAAAALCI/IN4fyXYj2TA/s1600/babies.jpg" height="131" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my babies--red browed Amazon chick, baby bongo antelope and baby pygmy marmoset.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Asymmetry for me is an integral part of most of my jewelry designs. Asymmetry involves embracing imbalance--tossing symmetry out the window. While it is second nature now, it wasn't always so. Early in my designing life the idea of an "unbalanced" design was CRAZY TALK. All my designs had to match and balance down to the exact bead count. The idea of incorporating different shapes and offsets was simply unthinkable. Now, I can't imagine creating any other way. I draw my inspiration from the natural world, and NOTHING in nature is ever perfect, nothing matches, and it's all GORGEOUS. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I strongly encourage exploration in jewelry design, and working outside the "balance" can be challenging and very, very rewarding. I've included a few examples of my own asymmetric works, along with some amazing contemporary designs by artist I adore. If you have never tried this design aesthetic, take a look at the posts about the subject on <a href="http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">LMAJ</a>, explore the Internet for inspiration, and dive in. There is such freedom designing this way--so many possibilities from simple, elegant works to totally off the wall avant-garde expressions....Throw caution to the wind and CREATE something!</span> </div>
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Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-86883504838374266742013-09-11T19:26:00.003-04:002013-09-11T19:26:52.111-04:00So, It's All Diana Nyad's Fault...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, it's all <a href="http://www.diananyad.com/" target="_blank">Diana Nyad's</a> fault. I'm sure you have heard of her spectacular achievement of late...no big thing...just swam solo from Cuba to Key West without a shark cage. Oh, and she's 64. So...there's THAT!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9vwW8qVuXQ/UjD6iAvpcsI/AAAAAAAAN-g/yt93_px1Jpg/s1600/Diana-Nyad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9vwW8qVuXQ/UjD6iAvpcsI/AAAAAAAAN-g/yt93_px1Jpg/s400/Diana-Nyad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Anyway, her conquest of this particular stretch of ocean was many years in coming, and one of the many obstacles she had to overcome presented itself in a deceptively small package. A small and potentially deadly package. I'm talking about jellyfish. Jellyfish that have caused her to abandon the swim on more than one occasion. If you have never been stung by one, it's so hard to describe the pain. I grew up in South Florida and have been swiped by a jellyfish or two...never anything major, just hit by a trailing tentacle and BELIEVED I WAS BEING CONSUMED BY LIQUID FIRE. Now imagine swimming into a school of dozens of jellyfish...face first. HOLY CRAP. That is what Diana Nyad has done...more than once. And she still gets back in the water. Damn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, with all this in mind, and feeling so PROUD for her that this time she MADE IT, I was inspired to make a jellyfish pendant for her. I call it "Nemesis of Nyad". Hand constructed out of copper, brass and enamel copper, with pearls. It should be in her publicist's hands about now, and I anxiously await Diana's reaction. I hope she likes it!</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3CrwYNFQ_U8/UjD53OjDgCI/AAAAAAAAN-Q/OvpA-YEaDaI/s1600/nemesis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3CrwYNFQ_U8/UjD53OjDgCI/AAAAAAAAN-Q/OvpA-YEaDaI/s400/nemesis.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This design is now rooted in my brain, like, with tentacles or something. I'm making a few more in silver and brass. It's such an organic, flowing shape that lends itself to so many design possibilities. I have a ton of ideas brewing. One of which was to make a jellyfish bangle bracelet. I imagined all those tentacles flowing around my wrist and figured this would be a relatively easy design to create. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. What a nightmare. It began so well...creating the jellyfish body, then laying out the tentacles, getting the flow, then trying in vain to wrap that mother around my bracelet mandrel. My fatal flaw(s) was impatience (I didn't think ahead enough to plan for the placement of all the wonky tentacles), and not really knowing how long I needed the tentacles to be to create a standard 8-inch bangle because of all the bends and curves, which I created sort of as I went. Well, after the initial failed wrap around the bracelet mandrel, I realized that I would need to solder the tentacles together in spots, as some were shorter than others. I used 14 gauge nickel silver wire-- I wanted the bangle to be stiff to hold all the bends and curls. Having forced it around the mandrel once, I had to hammer it flat again, and with all the flow, curls and bends that was basically impossible. Sigh. I went at it anyway, spot soldering where I thought I needed to in order to hold the tentacles together. Here is where the swearing began. The first spot solder was perfect. Moved on to the next and as soon as the solder flowed the first join popped. Fixed that and the second join...you guessed it...POPPED. At this point you're thinking, "binding wire, Karen". Well, I have never used it and don't have any so SHUT UP! This went on for about 75 years. Okay, maybe not that long, but it sure felt like it. Nickel silver is great to work with but the more you heat it the more brittle it becomes. I won't bore you with all the grisly details, but by the end of it all I had created an amazing contraption using ceramic tiles, a third hand, and ceramic bead trees stacked together to cage this beast of a bangle so I could FINISH THE DAMNED THING! And here it is. I don't know if I love it or hate it. I do know I will NOT be making another one like this.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPseJn3mnw8/UjD8EN0jJRI/AAAAAAAAN-s/b1EfTk5MS3Y/s1600/jellybangle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPseJn3mnw8/UjD8EN0jJRI/AAAAAAAAN-s/b1EfTk5MS3Y/s400/jellybangle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And, as I said in the beginning, it's all Diana Nyad's fault.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously, I love you Diana, and I congratulate you and your team. Hope you like your pendant, call me!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-28488180338604672492013-09-03T13:19:00.000-04:002013-09-03T13:19:30.696-04:00I Need Your Vote...PLEASE!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-tF0hrGNdBc" width="459"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi All! I made this video last night, explaining why I am so crazy to win the </span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/americanmade/nominee/81916" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Martha Stewart American Made contest</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Please watch, then consider voting for me. I would so love to share this with other artists in my community, and need your help to do that. You can log on and vote six times a day between now and Sept 13th. I know it's a long shot, but it would be so FANTASTIC if I won and could share this with my artist friends. Thanks in advance...</span></div>
Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-84180525042673745882013-08-31T18:03:00.001-04:002013-08-31T18:05:51.120-04:00Hello, World...Sorry We're Killing You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been in a bit of a dark head-space lately. Don't ask why, just turn on the news. If you are one of those folks who proudly declares, "I don't watch the news or read the newspaper--it's too depressing", forgive me if I want to punch you in the throat. Refusing to acknowledge the times we live in doesn't make it all better, it just means you are actively choosing not only to do NOTHING ABOUT IT, but you are also insulting those in the world struggling to survive in horrific circumstances by pretending they don't exist. Your pretend world doesn't interest me.<br /><br /> That being said, I feel that in this moment in time, we bear witness to some of the most tragic, depraved, desperate and mindless behaviors of our species.<br /><br /> As we watch, we are inundated with technicolor images and bold-faced text describing and displaying the worst of humanity. A tidal wave of despair in pixels and paper. How to make sense of it? How to weed through the flood of noise that is the news these days to really understand what we are being shown? I want to reach through the screen, try to touch a real flesh and blood human being, establish some sort of contact to say, "I'm here, I see you. I hear you and I weep for you."<br /><br /> It's overwhelming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have a series of pendants and necklaces I call "Sacred Salvage". Within this are "Poetry Pieces" and "Storybook Necklaces". These are designs created around a short story or poem I have written. They incorporate found objects, mixed metals, all manner of this and that. I felt the need to create a new assemblage, but without a printed story to go with it. I wanted the piece itself to be the story. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vAt70v5aIg0/UiJnPXMyn2I/AAAAAAAAKBU/hMrec3WdhWw/s1600/assemblage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vAt70v5aIg0/UiJnPXMyn2I/AAAAAAAAKBU/hMrec3WdhWw/s400/assemblage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Screaming Silence - Read Between the Lines"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I sat at my bench and started gathering bits and pieces together. A story was brewing in my mind, a sad story but one I wanted to tell. I've been asked what my process is when I make a storybook or assemblage design, and I have absolutely no definitive answer. I usually begin with an idea. Sometimes just a word. Today two words jumped out at me--"guise" and "forlorn". I found them on a bit of transparency sheet. I formulated a rough picture in my brain of a window, with the cover rolled back. Newsprint crammed full of text with a face peering from behind, trying to be seen amidst the noise--the hidden agendas. More newsprint is jammed into the window cover. Mind you, as I imagined this, I am sifting and sifting through drawers and dozens of boxes on my table. It's actually kind of mindless in a purposeful way--if that makes sense at all. I also totally lose track of time at this point. I wanted three dimensional items to reflect the story--a tiny broken doll arm for the loss of innocence, a dragonfly wing for the desperate, futile urge to flee, a watch arm for the passage of time. Turquoise represents the Earth to me, cracked and nearly ruined, but still blue. A broken circle holds it all with a drop of red enamel representing the horror of spilled blood. Held together with rivets and screws.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, it's not a happy creation. I made it with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes. I wanted it to be beautiful though, because ALL LIFE SHOULD BE BEAUTIFUL. There is beauty all around us. What I don't understand is why, at this moment in history, mankind seems to want to destroy all that is beautiful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we bear witness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I hope this pendant finds a home with someone who will appreciate and understand this story. I've been asked if it is hard to part with some of these designs. The answer is no. Stories are meant to be shared, passed on. That's how they stay alive. I hope someone wants this pendant to add to their own story.</span></div>
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Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-88834500173132312892013-06-23T17:26:00.000-04:002013-06-24T20:23:01.731-04:00Tallmadge's Dragons - An Original Short Story<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iDzPOvmG_6k/UcdnK8yBC4I/AAAAAAAAJw4/di7zgE8dWIc/s1600/tallm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iDzPOvmG_6k/UcdnK8yBC4I/AAAAAAAAJw4/di7zgE8dWIc/s400/tallm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">18<sup>th</sup>
August 1869<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My Dearest Winifred,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I write to you now beneath
a concert of raindrops beating against the roof of my bedchamber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While my accommodations have been less than
luxurious by any standard, I find the thatch and tin roof more than adequate
for my purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These past few months
have been torture without you, Dearest, and I fear that the seasons may come
and go before we are again together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
me, there will be no visible signals as Mother Nature flows across time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No brightening of Autumnal leaves, no nip of
cold upon the morning breeze, just the endless tropic heat and ever green
bounty of foliage growing to astronomical size and dimension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But my purpose to
document these marvels of nature is clear, and I have been immersed in an endless array of unbelievable life forms never before seen by European man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could write an entire tome on the
catastrophic flowers alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you
believe that one such blossom, emerging only in the depths of night, opens
petals the size of your favorite parasol?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And another, the size of a shilling, produces a sticky nektar for the
sole purpose of capturing and devouring small insects and lizards misfortunate enough to stumble upon it! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can hear
you now, my Darling, aghast that such a thing occurs in nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fear not, I am ever vigilant and take great
care whenever I am in the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No harm
has befallen me…yet.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I hesitate to put to
paper these next words, but I feel I must share with you the most recent of my
adventures here in this steaming jungle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Less than a fortnight ago, while in the bush alone, I came upon an
amazing sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I discovered a clearing,
in the centre of which lay a pool of glowing azure blue water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pool was surrounded by the tiny carnivorous
plants I described above, along with countless other plants and blooms I have
never before seen in my 20 years as a botanist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As you can well imagine, I was atremble with excitement, and set about
gathering samples to sketch and diagramme back at camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had just gathered a handful of flowers and
leaves when a soft buzzing began amongst the foliage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sound was almost musical, like the draw
of a bow across the strings of a violin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Arising from the brush came a cloud of what appeared to be a form of
dragonfly, but like none I had ever seen before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The insects bodies were of brightest
blue, just like the waters of the pond! Each was in length as long as your favorite quill (the one Mother gave you of ostrich feather). To my eye they
resembled forged metal with four long wings of blazing silver, as if spun by a
silversmith!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These amazing creatures
formed a cloud about me, seeming to examine me with bright eyes and a manner reflecting the same curiosity with which I
examined them! I know what you are
thinking, Dearest, but the heat had not clouded my mind, intense tho it
was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found myself sitting at the edge
of the pool, enveloped in a living cloud of hundreds of flashing blue and
silver bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I swear to you, my
Darling Dear, that these insects were attempting to communicate with me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They beat their wings in a distinct rhythm, a
rudimentary language if you will!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sounds they created were so soothing, so enchanting, I began to drowse, right
in their midst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt them alight on my
body, tiny feet nearly weightless, shining wings caressing my face and
hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tell you, I have never felt
such peace but for the moments we have spent together in quite reflection
amongst your treasured gardens in Cambridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I confess, I was nearly hypnotized!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do not know how long I spent in the company of these otherworldly
creatures, but time seemed of no consequence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next thing I knew, I awoke to the sound of Reginald and Walter
calling my name over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
looked about me, but the dragonflies were gone and the pool was no longer
brilliant blue, but had turned a dark black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I roused myself, and left the clearing to join the others, who I
found had been frantically searching for me for over 12 hours!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dearest, I had no sense of time passing at
all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Needless to say, I
did not share my discovery with Walt or Reg, instead I told them I had lost my compass
and muddled my directions in the forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think they believe me, but both regard me
with some suspicion now and I doubt I will be left to explore alone from this
point on.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But explore I must,
for in the days since, the dragonflies have been calling to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I know how mad that sounds, but it is true
none the less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see them from the
corner of my eye, flashing blue and silver amongst the forest greenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turn, and they are gone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walt and Reg don’t know what to make of my
behaviour, and I simply cannot share this with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dragonflies chose to communicate with only me,
and I must keep their confidence until we meet again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Last night, they
came to me in my dreams, once again enveloping me in their soft, shining wings
and serenading me with their aerial music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I must find them, I simply must.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, tonight I set out alone to reunite with these fantastical
beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I can find the clearing
again, for I scratched a crude map upon a forest tree when I first discovered
the oasis. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh Winnie, if only you could
have seen them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bluer than even your
lovely eyes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I shall write again,
as soon as I can, and one day I hope to bring you here to witness for yourself
the magik in this primordial forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Until then, I reach to you across the seas, soul to soul, heart to
heart.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Yours Forever,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Matthias</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">This letter was the last communication that
Winifred Tallmadge ever received from her husband, the </span>famed explorer and botanist, Professor Matthias
Tallmadge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enclosed with the letter were
a few scraps of paper, believed to be from Prof. Tallmadge’s field
notebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The notes are unintelligible, and
include drawings of unidentified plants and insects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also included with the letter was a 3-inch long insect wing resembling a dragonfly wing, but made of fine silver.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prof. Tallmadge’s research partners, Professors Reginald
Moorehaven and Walter LeMoyne, discovered his bunk empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 24 hours with no sign of Tallmadge
returning to camp, a search party was dispatched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The search continued for three weeks before
the determination was made that Tallmadge had somehow become lost and
perished in the jungle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clearing
mentioned in Tallmadge’s letter was never found, but his spectacles and part
of his field notebook were discovered at the base of a tree carved with
Tallmadge’s name alongside his wife’s name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His body was never recovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
noted that in the days after Tallmadge’s disappearance, the field station
was inundated with thousands of insects noted to be a new un-described species
of blue dragonfly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No specimens were ever captured or preserved, and it was recorded by the team and several other witnesses that the insects vanished the same day the
search for Tallmadge was suspended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mrs. Tallmadge pledged to fund a continued search for her
husband, and did so for the rest of her life until she passed away at the age
of 86.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The disappearance of Professor Matthias Tallmadge remains a mystery to this day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Post Script:</em></strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following transcript was added to this file by Peirce
Moorehaven, son of Professor Reginald Moorehaven, the last surviving member of
the Tallmadge research team at the time of Winifred Tallmadge’s death.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“My Father was 97 when Mrs. Tallmadge died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He insisted we attend her funeral, both the
church service and the grave side ceremony following.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time Father was very crippled with
arthritis and other maladies affecting a man of his great age, but with my help we
managed to walk from our carriage to the grave site, along with the rest of the
funeral party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the minister was speaking
beside Mrs. Tallmadge’s coffin, my father became extremely agitated, pointing
to the Tallmadge grave marker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two
large blue dragonflies with silver wings were hovering over the stone, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eventually landing on the carved marble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They remained there until the ceremony was over, then vanished in the blink of
an eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father referred to them as
“Tallmadge’s Dragons” and insisted they were an omen of some sort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left at this point, as Father was near to
fainting from exhaustion. No matter how I pressed him, he refused to speak of the incident ever again and passed away some weeks later. Whatever secrets he discovered in the jungle with Tallmadge died with him, but I shall never forget those spectacular dragonflies.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Library at Oxford, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-85255093377035754252013-02-25T11:15:00.001-05:002013-02-25T11:16:33.665-05:00FeBLURary....<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">February was a blur...hence the title. For the past seven years, my good friend and wonderful artist <a href="http://www.artbygisela.com/" target="_blank">Gisela Pferdekamper</a> and I have joined forces to hold a wildlife art show benefiting the good works of the <a href="http://www.rarespecies.org/" target="_blank">Rare Species Conservatory Foundation</a>. This show, aptly called "Wild Things" began as a small, word of mouth event featuring a few of our local arts friends, showing works inspired by nature, held in Gisela's converted barn/studio. Our first year attracted about 100 folks and raised a few hundred dollars for RSCF. Fast-forward to 2013 and the show featured 18 artists from around the country and attracted over 350 guests, raising several THOUSAND dollars for RSCF! We done good! Each year the show gets bigger and better, yet still retains a "down home" appeal we are so proud of. Gisela's barn/studio is an ecclectic, wonderful space, tucked off a dirt road in the wilds of Loxahatchee, surrounded by a lush garden landscape, wandering albino peacocks, and a molluccan cockatoo named Pepitta greeting you as you come in. Gisela and I are so proud of this show and the fact that we hold it each year with a budget of around $500.00 (thank Heaven for our volunteers, friends and sponsors!). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year's show was a BLAST. Great art, music, food (thank you International Polo Club and Wanderers Club Wellington), and more. Please visit our <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rarespec/8467095639/in/photostream" target="_blank">Flickr page</a> for pics of the event. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Planning and preparing for the show pretty much obsesses me for the bulk of January, and recovering (my word for "accounting") takes me through to the middle of February. When it's all over I heave a sigh of relief and immediately begin imagining next year's show. I'm a glutton for punishment!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, I am so thrilled to be showing at the <a href="http://www.copperfroggallery.com/" target="_blank">Copper Frog Gallery</a> in New Jersey. Just sent them a box full of goodies, soon to hit their shelves. I hope they like the selection, and look forward to joining the CFG family. One of my favorite jewelry designers, Staci Klinger Smith also shows there, so neat to have my work alongside hers....I anxiously await reviews....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also just sent a box to Plum Gallery in St. Augustine, one of my favorite spots on the planet. Karen Sheridan has created such a wonderful space on Avilla Street, right in historic downtown. The gallery is gorgeous, full of light and filled with wonderful works, including Karen's beautiful Key West inspired paintings. I am always looking for any excuse to visit St. Augustine...I may just have to head North to see what she thinks of the new work I just sent her...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working on new designs as well--exploring steel wire bundles and color. I'm experimenting with Gisela using steel wire, glaze, and clay. Her kiln is loaded and I can't wait to see if my ideas worked or not. Will keep you posted, the firing is today. I've posted a couple pictures here of the first rings I've made featuring the wire bundles. The rusted steel wire ring is my favorite. I love rust, and steel rusts beautifully. Add MaryAnn Carroll's enamel copper discs and you get a gorgeous ring. The other ring is aluminum, with blue enamel steel bundle and a copper enamel accent. More to come.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, a ring I made right after this month's rather explosive celestial events. This "Asteroid" ring is created from a lump of black quartz druzy I set in sterling silver and brass, wth 14k gold nugget accents. I love this...very fun to wear and full of sparkle and mystery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My head is overflowing with ideas these days, just have to find the time to execute them! My life is about to get even more hectic--as many of you know, I am a conservation biologist in real life, and soon will be hostage to hatching red-browed Amazon parrots, one of the most endangered Brazillian parrots. Eggs in the incubator, will be hatching next month. We feed the babies every 90 minutes around the clock, so sleep will be a distant memory...wish us luck!</span></div>
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Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-85590212164061545812013-01-15T15:00:00.000-05:002013-01-16T07:49:55.685-05:00New Year, New Designs, New Show...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2013 has begun in creative frenzy. I have managed to shake off the low feelings and dark thoughts that accompanied a very emotionally exhausting Holiday Season. Cleared my bench, my mind, and my calendar! Looking ahead now to one of my most favorite events, a wildlife-themed art show I co-host every February with my dear friend and artist <a href="http://www.artbygisela.com/" target="_blank">Gisela Pferdekamper</a>. This will be the seventh year for this show, dedicated to raising funds for the <a href="http://www.rarespecies.org/" target="_blank">Rare Species Conservatory Foundation</a>. Held in Gisela's converted barn (she is a wonderful sculptor and turned her barn into a working studio), this show has evolved from a word-of-mouth event with a few of our local artist friends getting together for a fun evening, to a three-day show featuring works from award-winning artists from around the country. Last year we attracted over 300 guests for our opening night reception alone! The outpouring of support from the arts community for this event has been so overwhelming--all participating artists donate 25% of show sales to RSCF. This year's show will be held February 10 - 12, we have 18 artists participating, and several live art events opening night including a raku firing and live body painting. All the work is inspired by nature--really gorgeous stuff --photography, sculpture, fine jewelry, paintings, pottery, mixed media and more. I've included the invitation here, featuring a lovely art photograph courtesy of <a href="http://www.photoartbymelinda.com/" target="_blank">Melinda Moore</a> of our female golden lion tamarin. Zeppo has never looked better!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm feverishly creating new works for this show, and have hit on a couple of pendant designs I really love. I call them Ladder Works and Glyphs. The Ladder Works feature hand constructed and soldered wire ladder-style bases from which I build layers of elements cold connected with rivets or screws. Brass and bronze wire have caught my fancy at the moment, I love the deep golden color and ease of use (solders and hammers beautifully). The Glyphs are textured open-wire designs, accented with a cold connected element. I call them Glyphs because my brother commented that he likes the style because each pendant reminds him of symbols of a lost language from an ancient tribe. I love that! These two design styles are perfect for another of my current obsessions, enamel copper discs by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/artisanbeadsplus" target="_blank">MaryAnn Carroll of Artisan Beads Plus</a>. I absolutely love them and use them constantly--the rich rustic colors are so intense and gorgeous! Perfect for layering and cold connecting. I plan to have a nice collection of these for the show and am offering some in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadkeepers" target="_blank">Etsy Shop</a> as well</span>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll keep you posted with photos from the show--it will be such a fun night. AND, if you are in my neck of the woods, do come by for this event. Great art, great cause, great artists. See you there! </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-80636614006030246472013-01-02T15:04:00.000-05:002013-01-02T15:06:15.748-05:00Looking Ahead...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Welcome 2013! Clean slate, metaphorically speaking, right? Clean work bench at any rate....new designs brewing in my brain, anxious to become reality. Got a fabulous package of goodies from Becky Nunn of <a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/" target="_blank">Nunn Design</a>, to stock me with the very latest jewelry components from their soon-to-be-released 2013 catalog. Yes, I am so happy to be a part of the <a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/blog/meet-the-2013-innovation-team/" target="_blank">2013 Nunn Innovation Team</a>! Becky also sent me a PDF preview of the catalog and I drooled all over my keyboard. So many lovely design elements!! Many included with the 2013 stash she sent me. Already been busy, effectively destroying my clean work surface in a creative frenzy. I can't share photos of the new stuff yet, (I send the finished designs to Becky first and she promotes for us--SWEET) but I can tell you about my favorites so far...first off, the brass elements coming out for Nunn are FABULOUS and I've been cold connecting like mad (made a gorgeous cuff). Deep bezels in many sizes (great for us mixed media, assemblage folks--I made two really cool pendants filled with this and that), tons of unique, detailed stampings, new clasps, closures, chains, findings, chatons, settings, bangles, and SO MUCH MORE. I have included here some photos from the catalog of finished designs from the Innovation Team, including some of mine. Becky has a great team and the photography for the catalog is to die for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, get to the Nunn website and go crazy! She offers wholesale accounts for designers and links to retail outlets that carry the products. You won't be disappointed! </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-5286862838985156732012-12-29T19:27:00.000-05:002012-12-31T11:47:02.909-05:00It's Complicated....<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1395643790538344461" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1395643790538344461" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="text-align: left;">Today's creation. </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">Okay, this is a complicated design. I wanted to make something that speaks to my frame of mind recently, which has been rather dark. This ring is called "Poisonous Thoughts", and is created using a tiny porcelain doll head under a glass dome.</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; text-align: left;"> A black flower blooms from the head, accented with a highly toxic seed from a vine that grows on our property. My intent was to visualize capturing and containing my black thoughts--essentially imprisoning them, but allowing me to see them so I will remember not to let these thoughts and emotions overwhelm me. Whew...and you thought I just made pretty jewelry...</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-5594445685525776262012-12-28T19:48:00.000-05:002012-12-28T19:50:16.032-05:00Embarrassment of Riches...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must say, I was feeling pretty down in the dumps these past weeks. The holidays and hideous world events sort of sucked the life out of me. Then, I wake up to wonderful virtual support. First, a great comment on my blog, then, I find a favorite ring design of mine featured in <a href="http://www.jewelrymakingdaily.com/" target="_blank">Jewelry Making Daily,</a> AND today <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/artisanbeadsplus" target="_blank">MaryAnn Carroll</a> featured my designs using her GORGEOUS enamel copper discs in her blog, <a href="http://www.lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-love-of-art-jewelry-featuring-karen.html?m=1" target="_blank">Love My Art Jewelry</a>. If that isn't enough, this cold full moon is just overwhelming. Thank you all so much. I feel ready to sit down and create something to show my appreciation...something related to this moon, perhaps. I'll keep you posted....</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-77747551221651064312012-12-28T08:50:00.001-05:002012-12-28T08:51:32.762-05:00Great Way to Start the Day...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woke up this morning to find one of my rings featured on the <a href="http://www.jewelrymakingdaily.com/" target="_blank">Jewelry Making Daily</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">blog! My Party Hat Ring, created here for </span><a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/" target="_blank" title="Nunn Design"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nunn Designs</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, features a gorgeous ornate adjustable ring blank in gold by Nunn, layered with lots of colors and textures in brass, aluminum, enamel and more. Topped off with a lovely purple enamel dangle. This ring is super-fun and easy to make. Check out the step-by-step instructions on the blog, and make one for yourself! A party for your hand….and who doesn’t like a good party?!?!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-6690998729829928772012-12-28T08:21:00.001-05:002012-12-28T08:22:30.557-05:00Holidays, Get Thee Behind Me!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that the holidays are a time for family, food, giving, receiving, and fellowship. They are also a time for stress and chaos, so I am glad to be on the other side of Christmas. Especially this year, so full of tragedy and pain for so many. I’m not sure our country will be able to truly celebrate this season for a long, long time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we reflect, stiffen our spines, and move on. Searching for beauty in the madness, we must somehow energize our souls and replenish our spirits as best we can. Art, in it’s infinite forms, has always been a tonic to sooth my battered psych. A way to refresh my mind and bring inspiration when none seems possible. Art, and the ability to express myself through it, has saved my sanity on more than one occasion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet, this time, this time we live in, weighs so heavily on me now. I am struggling to find the spark, to put my hands and heart to work again. The furious flurry of creative activity leading up to Christmas was exhilarating and joyous for me. From my hands I created thoughtful, beautiful gifts, and found myself exploring new designs and mediums with ease and inspiration. Not so now, and I am having a really tough time re-starting my “engine”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have commitments and deadlines and promises to keep. I have been so lucky and blessed to be chosen to continue as part of Becky Nunn’s 2013 <a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/" target="_blank">Nunn Design</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Innovation Team. I have projects that will be published in the coming year, something that has never happened for me before working with Becky. I am so thankful (and a bit terrified!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My goal is to try to begin as fresh as I can. Today, I attack my workspace to simply clear it and organize. If that is all I accomplish today, that’s fine. I hope that each day I will be a little clearer, hopefully a little lighter in spirit. I will not push, or stress myself right now, no matter how I long for that feeling—that magic when time blurs, hours fly, and suddenly you hold in your hands something entirely new and beautiful. It will come, I hope, soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would like to hear from other artists…how you deal with times like this, when it seems impossible to see beyond the chaos. Please share, and I wish you all the very best in this coming year. Peace for us all….</span></div>
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Karen McGovernhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353849808125018319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-64162171081279902562012-06-15T08:47:00.001-04:002012-06-15T08:49:03.520-04:00In the News...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a quick note and a </span><a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/loxahatchee-womans-rare-mix-preserving-rare-specie/nPTJw/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">link to an article</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that just came out about me in our local newspaper, <a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/" target="_blank">The Palm Beach Post</a>. I am a member of a cooperative gallery in Lake Worth (<a href="http://www.clayglassmetalstone.com/" target="_blank">Clay Glass Metal Stone</a>), as well as a new member of the <a href="http://www.palmbeachculture.com/" target="_blank">Palm Beach Cultural Council</a>. I have been showing my sculptural works in the Council Gallery (Uniquely Palm Beach), and they featured me as part of a series showcasing artists in the retail Gallery housed within the Council's brand new home in the Montgomery Building, also in Lake Worth. I was so flattered, and actually can stand the photo taken, so it was a win all around!! Thanks to Laura Tingle and Nichole Hickey of PBCC, and thanks to Randall Lieberman and Damon Higgins of the Post. I hope this and future artist profiles will bring a new audience to this great little gallery featuring 50+ local artists!! If you are in the Lake Worth area, please stop by for a visit. The retail Gallery is full to bursting with amazing art, and the exhibits are breathtaking as well. Definately worth your time! Be sure to stop by CGMS Gallery as well, right next door to the Council!!</span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-24441201716838200612012-06-09T09:51:00.000-04:002012-06-09T09:51:12.884-04:00The Lost Tutorial...Image Transfer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello all! I've been getting some emails and requests for my image transfer tutorial, that at one time lived on this blog, but then the Internet ate it. So, I've found it, and republished it <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/96514561/ITS-Tutorial" target="_blank">here</a>. You can also find it at <a href="http://www.artchixstudio.com/" target="_blank">ArtChix Studio</a>, a wonderful website full of fantastic image collage sheets, ITS solution, and about a billion other things you will HAVE TO BUY (including a new line of ADORABLE miniature wood cuts perfect for mixed mediapalooza). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope the tutorial works for you--image transfer is so fun. Explore texture with this--burn the edges of your paper first, sand bits away when finished, go nuts. I'd love to see what you create--feel free to share images of your finished works with me and I'll post them here!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-46776655933783559612012-06-01T10:53:00.000-04:002012-06-01T10:54:18.959-04:00Artist Shout Out - Desert Talismans<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, let me start by saying that this artist makes me positively GREEN with creative ENVY. I love everything she does and have stalked (I mean "followed") her on Etsy for years. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/deserttalismans" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dawn Wilson-Enoch of Desert Talismans</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> creates stunning jewelry using native stones, leathers, found objects and cast silver and bronze. She makes her own molds for casting from natural materials (like thousand year old trees and stones) and has such a deep love for her native New Mexico landscape--totally reflected in her work. She has inspired me so much--I know you will feel the same. Take a peek at her Etsy shop and prepare to be amazed. So glad I discovered her, and so worth sharing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-2393977639391933782012-05-31T11:57:00.000-04:002012-05-31T11:57:05.560-04:00This and That....<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm fiddling with the layout of the blog (obviously). I've changed it a gazillion times in the past few days and still haven't really hit on a look I'm in love with. Layouts are important to us "Artsy" types, and I can't seem to get this one quite right. The cookie-cutter templates that come with Blogger aren't doing it for me, and creating my own is frustrating me to DEATH! I'm trying to tie the blog to the overall look of my website (<a href="http://www.beadkeepers.com/">www.beadkeepers.com</a>), hence the stripes. The skull image is from my house. One of my favorite skulls--a horse skull that I coated with copper paint and patina. I'm going to leave this for a bit...see if it "grows" on me.</div>
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I have been happily busy lately, both with my work at the <a href="http://www.rarespecies.org/" target="_blank">Rare Species Conservatory Foundation</a> and with my jewelry designing. RSCF is in full baby mode, with young marmosets and antelope everywhere. Not so good for the parrots this year--we had such a mild winter that the birds never got the "trigger" to breed that changing seasons provide. No cold weather, just too warm all year. So, we have NO FERTILE EGGS this year, for the first time in over 8 years. In a way this is a good thing--our colony of red-browed Amazon parrots (the rarest Brazillian Amazon parrot) is at capacity and we are in the midst of creating a new program with organizations in Brazil and the United States to better manage the species in captivity. In reality, we need this year's freedom to move animals and build new enclosures without handfeeding babies every 90 minutes.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B8_W11xv9fk/T8eQVAGMdeI/AAAAAAAANAg/Jr8UvritPBI/s1600/druzys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B8_W11xv9fk/T8eQVAGMdeI/AAAAAAAANAg/Jr8UvritPBI/s200/druzys.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
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And, selfishly, this works for me 'cause for the first time in FOREVER I can work in my studio more! I've been obsessed with geodes and druzy lately, creating rings, bracelets and pendants using druzy, geodes and agate slices. I get them from my favorite supply website, <a href="http://www.objectsandelements.com/" target="_blank">Objects and Elements</a>. The mini-geodes are so cool, great for rings. I've also fallen in love with leather again, working with a great leather buckle cuff by Tandy. The agate slices look fantastic set on leather, I hold them in place with disks of metal (brass, copper, aluminum, silver). Simple, and shows the stone so nicely!!! All cold-connected with micro screws. I am cold-connecting everything these days--I'm going to have to re-aquaint myself with my torch soon so I don't forget how it works! I did solder the little bronze baby to the setting for the carnelian druzy ring, so I'm not completely helpless yet...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jM_-olvAXcQ/T8eRak4DilI/AAAAAAAANAo/beOrRk_M4cY/s1600/cuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jM_-olvAXcQ/T8eRak4DilI/AAAAAAAANAo/beOrRk_M4cY/s200/cuff.jpg" width="200" /></a>I've been really blessed to work with some wonderful galleries and designers this year. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lady-Sibylla/335109263188598" target="_blank">Lady Sibylla</a> in Blue Ridge, GA is fantastic, run by super-woman Mary LeRoy. She's been so supportive of my work, gobbling up all my new designs. Plum Gallery in St. Augustine, run by the lovely Karen Sheridan, is also showcasing my work with great success. I thank both for supporting me!! Between these two and my local galleries, <a href="http://clayglassmetalstone.com/" target="_blank">Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery</a> (with Joyce Brown at the helm), and the <a href="http://www.palmbeachculture.com/" target="_blank">Palm Beach Cultural Council Gallery</a> (where I show my sculptural, non-jewelry works) I am happy to say I am well represented all around!!! </div>
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AND, I'm working with <a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/" target="_blank">Nunn Design</a> as part of their 2012 Innovation Team. Becky Nunn has been beyond generous and supportive. I was just featured in their <a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/blog/can-we-do-funky-oh-yes-we-can/" target="_blank">blog</a>, showcasing two of my ring designs using Nunn's ornate ring blanks. Yes, I am a busy gal and I love it!!! I must say that my art keeps me sane. I know many of my artist friends say the same, but I really feel that if I did not have this outlet in my life I would go crazy. So much tragedy and sadness in the world today...expressing myself artistically gives me peace and joy, and recharges my brain every day. That, and working and living with some of the planet's most amazing animals keeps me grounded. I am thankful, to say the least....</div>
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This summer is shaping up to be a HOT one, south Florida is at it's soggy best. I plan to do a bit of traveling--counting the days till I can get back to my favorite city St. Augustine, and also plan to visit my family in Michigan for a wedding and to possibly teach a cold connecting class in Traverse City. I hope all my friends out there in cyber-space are creating and living your lives to the very best. Remember to take a deep breath and walk outside today. Smell the green, and marvel at this amazing planet we get to call "home". Take care....see you soon!</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-69082432718196990812012-04-17T10:13:00.000-04:002012-04-17T10:13:49.425-04:00Nunn Designs - Kid in a Candy Store!!!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've posted before about how excited I am to be a part of <a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/blog/?p=1405" target="_blank">Nunn Designs Innovation Team</a> for 2012. The team is made up of some really amazing, talente jewelry designers and artists, and I am so happy to be included with these folks! Since January, we have all been playing with <a href="http://nunndesign.com/index.html" target="_blank">Rebecca Nunn's wonderful line of jewelry componants</a> and I am having a ball. We've been a bit secretive, and haven't been able to share many of the completed designs. That is becuase Becky shows our designs to potential jewelry and art magazine editors in hopes of promoting our work. How cool is that???? Well, I have been given the "green light" to talk about some of the designs I have created so far. I have said it before, and I'll say it again, I am so pleased with the quality of Nunn componants! The bezels, chains, ring blanks, and charms are so well designed and well made. I especially love the variety of styles and finishes...bright silver, pewter, brass, antique brass and more, all equally lovely. The pendant shown below was created using resin, a Patera bezel pendant heart, round bezel charm, collage sheets, fern and spiral connectors with Nunn's great chain in copper and brass. The bracelet was made with silver chain, bezel charms, resin, collage sheets and charms. <br />
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These initial designs were created when I was familiarizing myself with the products. Since then, I have gone totally crazy and integrated the products with "my" style (in effect beating them up, drilling, and generally torturing them) with GREAT results. More photos to come.<br />
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I played with resins, transfer sheets, collages and more--all availalble through Nunn. I find that the Patera bezels, tags and pendants are really fun. Great to stamp, drill, etc. The layered, raised tags really are super cool, can't wait to work with them. The bracelet blanks are also wonderful, I just created a resin set bracelet I'd love to share....maybe next time. Anyway, the line is affordable, gorgeous, and great for mixed media freaks like me.<br />
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AND, you can find wonderful tutorials and how-to videos on the <a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/videos.html" target="_blank">Nunn site</a>, so go there and get inspired!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FLLgJsH9lic/T4142lF3fwI/AAAAAAAAM9Q/x3WprZe3dtY/s1600/Nunn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FLLgJsH9lic/T4142lF3fwI/AAAAAAAAM9Q/x3WprZe3dtY/s400/Nunn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-120678648445873812012-03-02T11:49:00.003-05:002012-03-02T11:55:59.847-05:00Pinching Pennies Leads to Inspiration!<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't need to tell you how crazy the precious metals market is right now. The cost of silver and gold is CRAZY, more volitle than a roller-coaster ride, and no where near as fun. I made the decision to forgoe precious metals a long time ago, to save my pocket book and my soul. Mining for gold is one step from slavery--costing human life as well as the almighty dollar. I am not interested, and will not support this. EVER.<br />
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So, lucky for me I love working with reclaimed materials and metals like copper, brass and nickel silver. A personal favorite bezel material for me is copper and brass tube. Comes in all sorts of sizes, available at most hardware stores and is extremely cost effective. Plus the possibliities are ENDLESS with how you can patina, age, color and work these metals! Nickel silver is also a wonderful sterling alternative--polishes, solders and behaves just like the "real" stuff. All are available in wire, sheet, tube, and pre-cut shapes of all sizes and gauges.<br />
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The sticking point is that many folks are allergic to nickel and also have skin types that may react poorly to copper and brass. Since jewelry is mostly worn close to the skin (especially bracelets, rings and pendants), this can be a real problem for designers. Well, I have some suggestions I'd like to share.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XnrEnwj2ktA/T1D3_Nu3UbI/AAAAAAAAMyY/qPC9KvBetBs/s1600/aluminum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XnrEnwj2ktA/T1D3_Nu3UbI/AAAAAAAAMyY/qPC9KvBetBs/s320/aluminum.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">First, let's talk about a new love of mine--aluminum. I've recently begun working with aluminum wire and I love it. Lightweight, hypoallergenic and looks just like silver. It's great for accents and ring shanks--hammers fantastically and is great for drilling. Because it is so soft I don't suggest using it in any really structural way, but for cold-connected accents, bagles, and rings it's great! You can't solder aluminum to anything but aluminum, and even then it's tricky. You have to use specific aluminum solders (also available at most home improvement stores), but it just doesn't like to be soldered! So, for cold connection fools like me, that's not a problem. I do love my micro-screws and rivets. The image here is of a boulder opal pendant and brass cuff bracelet accented with aluminum. Looks just like sterling, right?????? I just ordered some aluminum sheet and cuff blanks on Etsy...I'll let you know what I think when I get it. Aluminum is now also available in wire, sheet and shapes of all sizes and gauges. Google it!<br />
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Now, back to the nickel, brass, copper dilema. Brass and copper, no matter what you do to them, will change color over time. Even if you patina them, polish them and seal with the world's best metal sealant, they will still color change if worn on skin over time. These metals react to heat, and body heat is enough to change them eventually. I don't have a problem with this, since I think the aging of these metals is gorgeous. Blues, greens, purples, reds...so amazing. Sealing them with acrylics will slow this down, but nothing is permanant and I tell my clients this up front. But what about the allergy issue??? What about the client who's skin turns green at the touch of brass or copper??? Well, I have a couple tricks that have worked extremely well for me.<br />
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Number one--transparency films. I back my copper, brass and nickel rings and cuffs with transparency film, resin set in place with <a href="http://www.iceresin.com/" target="_blank">Ice Resin</a>. You can get wonderful transparencies all over the web, I get mine from <a href="http://www.artchixstudio.com/shop/home.php?dir=home" target="_blank">ArtChix Studios</a>. This adds another design element to your ring or cuff, giving the inside of the band a whole new look! Text is great here...you can personalize this in so many ways, and when finished the metal never touches the skin. I also coat the entire thing with 4 coats of metal sealer as well. You an also use resin set papers and fabric (silk and tissue paper are really cool). Go nuts!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PELWEpHmRAM/T1D45SWSo2I/AAAAAAAAMyg/srfbGBC0PFc/s1600/back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PELWEpHmRAM/T1D45SWSo2I/AAAAAAAAMyg/srfbGBC0PFc/s320/back.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Next--back pendants with found objects. Buttons, pictures, watch faces, transparencies, fabric, polymer clay, images behind mica, whatever you can think of! Again, you have a whole new element to add to the overall design. I make the backs of my pendants as interesting as the front! Clock and watch faces are my go-to (many are porcelain...nice). I rivet or microscrew them in place first thing, then work on the front design. The goal is a protective barrier between the metal and skin. Mica is really fun, over dried flowers, paper, feathers, whatever!!! Set in place with resins or cold connections. <br />
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So, don't be intimidated by "base" metals and convince your clients of the same. With a little creativity and time, you can create some amazing jewelry that has layers (litterally) of design. If you give this a try, please let me know what you think! And, as always, I love to see pictures of your work! Have fun!!</span></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-48198005469869852972012-02-15T10:20:00.033-05:002012-02-15T10:33:05.358-05:00I Made the TEAM and a Bunch of Other News...<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--upa_GHmYaA/TzvQJ8fQHzI/AAAAAAAAMxs/0s4AggU5QE4/s1600/dreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--upa_GHmYaA/TzvQJ8fQHzI/AAAAAAAAMxs/0s4AggU5QE4/s320/dreams.jpg" width="189" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow, is it 2012 already? IS IT FEBRUARY ALREADY?!?!? Time has flown and I've been woefully lax in posting here. If you don't already know, I also post quite a bit on </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Beadkeepers-Art-and-Jewelry-Design/114406968617985"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, so mosey on over there and "Like" me! Thanks!<br />
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Now, for the news. Most recently I participated in the sixth annual Wild Things Art Show benefiting the <a href="http://www.rarespecies.org/" target="_blank">Rare Species Conservatory Foundation</a>. What a great night!!! This show is so special. Artists from all around the country come and offer works inspired by nature. The show is held at a good friend's home, in her studio that is a converted barn. I've included a slideshow here of images from the night. What a blast. Live art demos, body painting, food, drink and best of all, INCREDIBLE ART. of all kinds. Some of my favorite artists were there, including <a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/anthony-burks.html" target="_blank">Anthony Burks</a>, <a href="http://www.photoartbymelinda.com/" target="_blank">Melinda Moore</a>, <a href="http://www.donatellalinari.com/" target="_blank">Donatella Linari</a> and <a href="http://www.normangitzen.com/" target="_blank">Norman Gitzen</a>. The highlight of the night for me was when New York Times bestselling author <a href="http://www.tamihoag.com/" target="_blank">Tami Hoag</a> purchased one of my newest and HUGEST designs called "Dreams to Desire" (pictured here). This necklace is one of my favorites ever, a collaboration with the uber-talented <a href="http://www.stacilouiseoriginals.com/" target="_blank">Staci Louise</a>. I'm so thrilled!! The event raised a nice bit of money for RSCF, all in support of wildlife conservation. We will be posting a smaller, online version of the show so you all can have a chance to buy gorgeous art and support RSCF as well. I'll keep you posted!!! By the way, I always donate 25% of my Etsy sales to this wonderful organization, so please, visit my <a href="http://www.beadkeepers.etsy.com/" target="_blank">shop</a> and BUY SOMETHING....thanks :)</span></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Next, I have to tell you how excited I am to be chosen by <a href="http://www.nunndesign.com/" target="_blank">Nunn Design</a> to join their 2012 Innovation Team. That means that every month I get to play with Nunn's wonderful line of jewelry supplies, creating whatever I feel! I can't show you the work yet, but I can tell you that I am very impressed with the quality of Nunn's componants. I am especially in love with their chain. Comes in so many styles and finishes! Weighty and really top-notch. I definately suggest you immediately go there and purchase some. You won't be dissapointed. Great value as well! AND, they have endless bezels in tons of shapes, forms and design. Perfect for resins, big stones, and all the crazy bits and pieces I love to work with. When I got my first "goodie" box I felt like a kid a Christmas! As soon as I can I'll share images with you. Check out the site, but set aside some time to do so, they have so much to see!<br />
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What's next? Well, 2012 will be a great year for us all, right?? I'm showing a new line of work at a new Gallery in Lake Worth run by the <a href="http://www.palmbeachculture.com/" target="_blank">Cultural Council</a>. No jewelry (gasp), instead, I am focusing on a new series of mixed media relequaries and totem boxes. The series is called "Fly" and features antique doll parts along with lots of other weirdness. Flight is such a magical thing, and birds are a big focus in my life. So, these boxes will be on display only in this Gallery (for now). Here are a few images....I'd love to hear what you think of them! This year I hope to expand this series and work with more non-jewelry designs. Have no fear, I'm making jewelry, but want to flex other design muscles as well.</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Whew, that's a quick update...I'll try to post more often, I swear!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-53023364464724712412011-11-10T09:33:00.000-05:002011-11-10T09:33:13.102-05:00Playing with PVC<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love </span><a href="http://www.fauxbone.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Robert Dancik's</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> work. He is the creator of Faux Bone, a pvc product in sheet form that you can easily form, carve and treat to look like aged bone. I haunt his website and love his tutorials. Since discovering Faux Bone, I have also started experimenting with PVC on my own. It's inexpensive (cheap, actually) and easily available at local hardware and home improvement stores.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently stumbled upon a bracelet design while helping my husband clean off his work bench in our garage. He had some PVC pipe fittings laying around, and I found one that I initially thought would work well as a bracelet form for my wire work. It was a 2.5 inside diameter, schedule 40 PVC pipe fitting. The outside circumference is the perfect size for a standard bangle. Then it occured to me that maybe I could make a bangle from the pipe alone....hmmmmmm. A couple hours later and I had a lovely, aged bone bangle with copper accents. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I give you the Super-Cool PVC Bangle Tutorial! I wanted to share this because it's so fun to make and inexpensive to boot! This is a perfect holiday gift idea, and you can customize the look any way you wish!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a peek, and let me know what you think. If you make a bangle, I'd love to see it. Share the photos and I'll post here. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun!!!<br />
<center><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/72250997/PVC-Bracelet-Tutorial" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/normal Helvetica, Arial, Sans-serif; margin: 12px auto 6px; text-decoration: underline;" title="View PVC Bracelet Tutorial on Scribd">PVC Bracelet Tutorial</a> <object data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" height="300" id="doc_80453" name="doc_80453" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="75%"> <param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=72250997&access_key=key-100dmyua9n0u26fgsxpi&page=1&viewMode=list"><embed id="doc_80453" name="doc_80453" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=72250997&access_key=key-100dmyua9n0u26fgsxpi&page=1&viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="300" width="75%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed></center> </object></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-25164341132004733292011-09-09T17:21:00.004-04:002011-09-19T09:17:40.890-04:00I've Got A Book!<div align="justify"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For some time now I have been writing short stories and poems to go along with mixed media jewelry designs. I call this series "Sacred Salvage". Several folks that have read the work have asked why I haven't put together a book. Basically, it's because the idea of putting this all "out there" terrifies me! My writing is very personal, and the idea of throwing it to the winds is very intimidating. Everyone is a critic, and the thought of having my inner works poked through really gets to me. But, I then realized I was being a big baby. So, I am proud to announce that <strong><em><a href="http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2495093">Sacred Salvage</a></em></strong> is now available through <a href="http://www.blurb.com/">Blurb</a>.<br />
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</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The book is laid out like a photo book with text. I have to thank Durga Garcia, photographer extraordinare, for the cover and chapter photos. They're gorgeous! The rest of the photos are mine. This book means so much to me, because it truly reflects what inspires me most in my jewelry designs--nature, personal growth and strength of spirit. I am donating 100% of my sales proceeds to the <a href="http://www.rarespecies.org/">Rare Species Conservatory Foundation</a>, so that's one more reason to feel good about buying the book!<br />
</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I hope you will consider this for yourself or as a gift. It's more than a jewelry book and more than a book of short stories and poems. It's my invitation to take a peek into my heart, and I don't offer that lightly.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks in advance to those who buy a copy--you can get 20% off with the coupon code BLURB20. If you do buy the book, please contact me with your thoughts. I'm a big girl, and I'd like to hear what you think!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align:left; width:450px"><object id="myWidget" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.blurb.com/assets/embed.swf?book_id=2495093&locale=en_US" width="450" height="300"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.blurb.com/assets/embed.swf?book_id=2495093&locale=en_US"></param><a target="_new" href="http://www.blurb.com/books/preview/2495093?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget"><img src="http://bookshow.blurb.com/bookshow/cache/P3451829/md/wcover_2.png"></img></a></object><div style="display:block;"><a href="http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2495093?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget" target="_blank" style="margin:12px 3px;">Sacred Salvage by Karen McGovern</a> | <a href="http://www.blurb.com/landing_pages/bookshow?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget" target="_blank" style="margin:12px 3px;">Make Your Own Book</a></div></div></center><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1395643790538344461.post-82769121830491566572011-07-04T11:04:00.001-04:002011-07-04T11:05:21.558-04:00Re-defining Art Jewelry<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is art jewelry? What is fine jewelry? Can inexpensive jewelry be considered "fine"? Hmmmmm...There are many different "levels" in any art form. With jewelry design, the terms are tricky and sometimes prickly. I once had my work refered to as "costume jewelry" and it pissed me off, because for some reason I associated that those terms with cheap, mass produced jewelry. I consider my work to be "art jewelry". That being said, there are all sorts of other catagories--"fine jewelry" being at the top of the heap. I consider fine jewelry anything made using precious metals and gemstones. BUT, that doesn't mean there isn't a ton of mass produced, crappy fine jewelry out there--just visit WalMart and BEHOLD...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reason I bring this up is because my work doesn't exactly fit into any category. Sometimes I use precious metals, most time I do not. Sometimes I use fine gemstones, most times I do not. My goal is to create original, AFFORDABLE art jewelry with whatever materials strike my fancy. If I make something using sterling or gold, I can assure you it is only because I was able to purchase said sterling or gold SUPER CHEAP. Affordability is really important to me, probably becuase I have never been able to afford what is considered fine jewelry. Luckily, I also don't really care for that stuff anyway. I have always been attracted to the unusual, the pieces that are obviously designed and hand-crafted by an artist thinking outside the conventional jewelry box. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I may use base metals or really inexpensive elements in my designs, but don't call me cheap! The end result is always a singular design, well-crafted and carefully constructed. I once was hesitant to use nickel silver or pewter in my work, worrying that it would "cheapen" the finished product. STUPID! I encourage everyone to explore working with these materials, and to come up with original designs that bely the inexpensive componants. Bottom line, I want my work to be worn, to be purchased, to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Sure, I can make you something using only sterling silver or fine gold, but the cost (too me) outweighs any design benefit. Plus, it somehow seems unseemly to be setting fake grass or coyote teeth in 14k gold....just saying...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many innovative, inexpensive design elements out there for the picking that translate into personal, inspirational designs. I am a mixed media fanatic, and there is no button, photograph or dried leaf safe from my resin-coated fingers, and don't get me started on bone, feathers and fur...It's all in the translation, the way you work with common elements to create something uncommon and beautiful.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So, hit your local Michael's Craft Store and dig through the bead section. Then hit the scrap book section, then hit the floral department. Then head for your local hardware store and bring home some copper pipe and a pipe cutter. You will be amazed at what you can create if you take a big step outside that jewelry box...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rPQTQ9ljKf0/ThHVb0zz6xI/AAAAAAAAMCs/JR_p-ghvVl4/s1600/DSCF0003-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rPQTQ9ljKf0/ThHVb0zz6xI/AAAAAAAAMCs/JR_p-ghvVl4/s320/DSCF0003-3.JPG" width="229" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These three rings were made using inexpensive elements and componants including base metal ring blanks, copper washers and pipe, etched brass discs, and faux flowers and grasses.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0