That's so Bowie...

It's only been almost two years since I posted to this blog. No big thing, right? Sigh...

I am a contributor for Love My Art Jewelry and blog there quite a bit, but have woefully neglected this page. Sorry....BUT HERE I AM!!

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.

When Staci Louise Smith 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....

But wait...

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?

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.

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, 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.

On the back, a Bowie anthem. "We could be heroes, just for one day". Nuff said.

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...

"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring." Words to live by.

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.

Be sure to visit all the other artists' blogs and posts featuring work inspired by Bowie. you can find links right now on the LMAJ blog. Thanks for hopping along....

FeBLURary....

February was a blur...hence the title. For the past seven years, my good friend and wonderful artist Gisela Pferdekamper and I have joined forces to hold a wildlife art show benefiting the good works of the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation. 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!). 

 

 

 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 Flickr page for pics of the event. 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!

 

In the meantime, I am so thrilled to be showing at the Copper Frog Gallery 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....

 

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...

 

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.....

 

 

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.

 

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!

New Year, New Designs, New Show...

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 Gisela Pferdekamper.  This will be the seventh year for this show, dedicated to raising funds for the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation.  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 Melinda Moore of our female golden lion tamarin.  Zeppo has never looked better!

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 MaryAnn Carroll of Artisan Beads Plus.  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 Etsy Shop as well.

 

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! 

Embarrassment of Riches...

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 Jewelry Making Daily, AND today MaryAnn Carroll featured my designs using her GORGEOUS enamel copper discs in her blog, Love My Art Jewelry.  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....

Great Way to Start the Day...

Woke up this morning to find one of my rings featured on the Jewelry Making Daily blog! My Party Hat Ring, created here for Nunn Designs, 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?!?!

 

 

Holidays, Get Thee Behind Me!

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.

 

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.

 

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”.

 

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 Nunn Design 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!).

 

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.

 

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….

 

 

Artist Shout Out - Desert Talismans

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.  Dawn Wilson-Enoch of Desert Talismans 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.

This and That....

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 (www.beadkeepers.com), 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.

I have been happily busy lately, both with my work at the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation 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.

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, Objects and Elements.  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...

I've been really blessed to work with some wonderful galleries and designers this year.  Lady Sibylla 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, Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery (with Joyce Brown at the helm), and the Palm Beach Cultural Council Gallery (where I show my sculptural, non-jewelry works) I am happy to say I am well represented all around!!! 

AND, I'm working with Nunn Design as part of their 2012 Innovation Team.  Becky Nunn has been beyond generous and supportive.  I was just featured in their blog, 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....

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!

Surviving the Streets of St. Augustine

This is an odd post for me, a small departure, but I wanted to share...
 

I am a 45 year old runaway.  Yes, this weekend I ran away from home.  It's a struggle, living on the streets.  The mean streets of St. Augustine.  The constant assault of local live music wafting through the air, tripping over street musicians and performers with tiny dogs dressed as pirates.  The wonderful indie art galleries and restaurants in every nook, cranny and hidden side street.  Don't get me started on the antbellum architecture or how the place reeks of painstakingly maintained Spanish history.  It's Hell, I tell you, Hell!

Just to survive I've ducked into a new little place called "Rhett's", right next door to "Scarlet O'hara's" on Hypolita Street.  Those marketing wizards!

Where Scarlett's is a multi-level, old home turned into pub-style restaurant and college hot-spot, Rhett's is a new, super-cool, upscale piano bar and gourmet dining experience.  Sort of like what I imagine Mr. Butler would also be...but that's another story.

I can hardly manage to wolf my Caesar salad with all the burbling piano music, lovely and attentive staff, and don't get me started on the saxophone guy...oozing talent and fresh-scrubbed college cuteness. 

My lovely waitress just stopped by to ask what I thought of my salad.  I so wanted to drawl, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."  Don't worry, I didn't.  But I could have!

So, I sip my beer (yes, I am not afraid to order a draft in a place like this, after all, I am a street person), and stare at the antique tin tiled ceiling, plotting my next move.  I am interrupted by the arrival of my lobster stuffed chicken breast on truffle-infused mashed potatoes.  Oh. My. God.
 

I don't want to simply eat this meal.  I want to marry it.  I want to wear it next to my skin.  I want to take it for a long walk on the beach, holding its hand.  In case you don't get what I am saying, this meal is an orgy in my mouth.  Wait, that is really gross.  This meal is...delicious.  Simply, elegantly, delicious.

If I could eat like this every day I would become one of those house-bound people who eventually make the news because a wall of their home had to be destroyed so they could be removed by crane.  And I would be grinning ear-to-ear while dabbing at the truffle oil staining my chins.

I ran away to St. Augustine because many, many, MANY moons ago I used to live here, and to this day I adore the place.  Don't get me wrong, St. Augustine, America's oldest city, has its share of ridiculous tourist-traps.  Many crap shops selling T-shirts and chocolate on a stick in the shape of an alligator, "ghost tours" on every corner, and sangria bars with exhausted locals sweating their asses off dressed as Spanish soldiers, grinningng through gritted teeth at drunk, fanny-pack wearing families from Wisconsin taking their pictures.  But, as I sit under a painting of the Battle of Atlanta, sipping cappuccino, I marvel at how hip little places like Rhett's coexist with the Nation's Oldest Drug Store and Ripley''s Believe it if Not!  Somehow, St. Augustine has managed to grow up, while still retaining it's core personality.  Kind of amazing, really.

By the way,  I am totally getting into this whole runaway street person thing.

I was about to say that my dining experience was marred by the arrival of a huge party of really loud people seated right next to me.  I was, until the woman in charge of the group came over to me and apologized in advance for her boisterous group, and offered to buy me a drink to make up for it. God, I love St. Augustine!

Holy crap, I just realized that after it gets dim in Rhett's, they give you menus that LIGHT UP WHEN YOU OPEN THEM.  I can't stand it. You crazy kids with your fancy toys.  God bless you, no more squinting, or lighting your menu on fire because you held it too close to the table candle in a vain attempt to read it.

Back to the charm that is St. Augustine.  One of my favorite memories is of walking down a side street one evening after a great meal, and hearing laughter and music coming from a hidden courtyard.  The yard was surrounded, as many are, with an ancient stone wall.  I peeked over and found a group of locals, off work but still dressed in their Spanish period costumes.  They were relaxing, drinking beer, and cranking some great tunes.  They saw me and immediately insisted I join them, a total stranger.  Of course I did, and had a great night getting buzzed with soldiers, pirates, and wenches.  Totally awesome.

That is why I run away, as often as I can, to St. Augustine.  And you should too.  Living on the street has its advantages...

So, Rhett's, I'll let you carry me up that gigantic winding staircase anytime.  Really, you can, because I am so stuffed I can't walk right now.

 

New Artist Shout-Out!

I just discovered Melanie Moertel and her FANTASTIC lampwork beads. She is just amazing and completely original in her designs! I could go on, but it would be a lot simpler and quicker for you to just go to her website immdeiately and drool all over your keyboard. I can't wait for her Etsy shop to open in September, so I can SNATCH one (or two, or three...) of her beads for myself. The only problem will be choosing...I know I'll want ALL OF THEM.

New Work...

I've been busy lately working on new designs. I was part of a great art show last week for the conservation organization I work for, the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation. We hold a nature-inspired art show every year. This was the fourth year for the show, and we get better each time! Great artists, lovely venue (a private studio behind a friend's house). We had a ball and shared some wonderful art. The images below are of a few of my new designs created for the show. More to come!

Also, I had the wonderful good fortune to meet Bernie Berlin yesterday while updating my gallery display at Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery in Lake Worth. Bernie is a fantastic mixed media artist--get to Amazon to purchase her book, "Artist Trading Card Workshop". Totally cool. Her eye for color and design is FANTASTIC. Bernie raises money through her art to support the rescue and placement of unwanted dogs and cats. Visit her at A Place To Bark, her animal rescue organization. So nice to run into her...you never know who you're going to meet on any given day. Art is such a unifying force and the force was definately with me yesterday!

Creating with Consciousness

Last night I watched a 60 Minutes program on the gold trade in the Congo. Needless to say, the program was NOT a feel-good story with a happy ending. Turns out, gold mining in the Congo is just as corrupt and evil as diamond mining is. Young boys and men work in slave conditions digging into the Earth in search of gold for less than a dollar a day in pay. The gold/gold dust is sifted out of the soil, and treated with heated MERCURY (in buckets over open fire) to bind the gold together into tiny nuggets. Gold is sold to rebels and soldiers that in turn buy guns, drugs, whatever they need, to fuel and fund civil war in the region. The gold is exported to the World trade through Dubai, and yes, this gold may end up in the jewelry you and I purchase at local jewelry stores like Walmart (the country's largest seller of gold jewelry).

As a conservation biologist, this appalling practice and trade is unacceptable. The Earth and surrounding ecosystems are ravaged, and the cost to human life is incalculable. As a jewelry designer, I find myself in an evolution of thought that gives me great pause. Can jewelry be designed and created without contributing to the atrocities of strip-mining and human suffering abroad?

I try to create jewelry with a purpose--reclaimed metals, found objects, non-precious metals, etc. but I still use gemstones and beads mined from the Earth. Is this truly creating with consciousness? Is it enough? Long ago I made the decision to NEVER use, purchase or promote the use of diamonds in jewelry. As far as I am concerned, the diamond industry is just as fraudulent and corrupt as organized crime. The term "blood diamond" doesn't begin to describe the level of horror associated with diamond mining. But what about gems from Brazil? Brazil is famous for amethyst and other quartz mineral gemstones. Mines are everywhere, and mining companies have alarmingly similar practices around the world. Rip open the Earth, take what you want, pay little or nothing for it and move on, leaving behind a wake of destruction.

I am in a true moral quandry here, and am not sure what direction my designs will take, or if I should even continue to persue jewelry design at all. I try to raise funds for wildlife conservation through the sales of my work, but that seems pretty hypocritical if componants of my work are created through destroying the very systems I strive to protect. How can I look at gold wire or sheet without seeing the faces of the men who slave to get it out of the ground? How can I set a gemstone without seeing the scarred Earth from which it came?

Jewelry design and personal adornment are ancient--all cultures on the planet have decorated their bodies with items made from gifts from the Earth. The history of jewelry fascinates me and has inspired me for as long as I can remember. The jewelry INDUSTRY of today is a far cry from singular aritsans creating works of personal art. Today's market is a voracious beast churning out tons of glittery, meaningless JUNK. Junk that funds wars, fuels famines, and fosters desperation in the countries selling off their natural resources with no sense of the future consequences.

As I said earlier, there is no happy ending here. I am going to take a long, hard look at myself and my purpose in creating jewelry. My conscious demands it, and I believe I owe it to myself and to the countless, nameless souls who give their lives so wealthy countries can drape their citizens in glitter.

Gallery Girl!

I am very happy to announce that I have been accepted into a new, fantastic cooperative gallery located in Lake Worth, Florda. Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery is a non-profit artists group full of amazing talent. I am so excited to be a part of the group! Currently, over 20 artists are represented--sculptors, potters, jewelers, metalwork, woodwork...you name it, it's there!

The gallery is open seven days, and we have evening gallery openings the first and third Friday of the month, featuring three of the current artists. So much talent in one room!! So, if you're in the neighborhood, please stop by and see us!

What Time is it?

Time is something I am very aware of. I often incorporate images representing time and the passage of time in my jewelry and writing. I am very aware of the changes that time inevitably leaves behind. I try to mimic what time can do to the metals I so love to work with. I treat copper, brass and silver with chemicals to speed up this aging process because I love the color, the texture, and the patina of time.

In the past few weeks, I’ve found myself wondering why the passage of time is so difficult for humans. Why we don’t see the beauty in ourselves as we age like we do in the precious metals, jewelry, and art we adorn ourselves with.

Aging is a natural, biological process we have absolutely no control over, no matter what Olay tells us. Aging is amazing. It is wondrous. It is mysterious. It is celebrated in ancient cultures all around the world, and yet here in the U.S. aging is considered a dread disease, a condition that is shameful, embarrassing, and completely intolerable.

The lengths we will go to try and hold back the hands of time. The millions, and millions of dollars spent. The torture, both psychological and physical, we are willing to endure for the illusion of youth. And for what? Approval? Acceptance? If so, from whom? To what end? We still age—we still die. There is no magic lotion or elixir that can stop any of this. We simply fool ourselves because—let’s face it—we’re certainly not fooling anyone else, no matter how tight the face, how huge the lips, how firm the breasts.

To maintain good health, well-being and to live a full life—where is the shame in that? Why do we see aging as a desecration instead of a celebration?

As a woman approaching her mid-forties, I too struggle with what the passage of time has given me. A bad back, skin that doesn’t exactly snap like elastic, and yes, my boobs have decidedly moved a bit South. But, I have learned more about myself in the past five years than I have in the past forty. I think clearer, I see more (especially with my new graduated lens eyeglasses), and for the first time in my adult life I am AWARE of who I am and who I want to be. I look in the mirror and, yes, I wince. Where is the girl who taught 10 aerobics classes a week for years? When did my pores get so huge? Why did no one tell me about back-fat and gray hairs in your EYEBROWS?

But, I have to laugh. I laugh (especially after a glass or three of Prosecco), at what women convince themselves they are getting away with. Cat-eyes and cliff-like cheekbones. Faces and lips so swollen with fillers and frozen with toxins they look like victims of some sort of terrible allergic reaction or unusual thyroid condition. Hair extensions, eyelash extensions, everything but what we really crave—a LIFE EXTENSION. Can’t get that at a salon or surgery suite.

But, we can choose to live our lives to the fullest. To treat every day as a gift, something to be treasured, filled with conscious action and given back to the world. To look outside ourselves, away from the mirror. Humans are blessed and cursed with self-awareness. What we choose to do with this awareness, I believe, is what defines our lives.

I want to try to become like the women I often write about. Beautiful, older women who not only embrace time, but revel in it. They do not fight the passage of time, they use it as a stage upon which to deliver the greatest of performances—the performance of their LIFE.

Beauty is defined by action, not by celebrity or pharmaceuticals. I choose to live a beautiful life. Would you care to join me? I certainly hope so.

NOTE: This post was inspired in part by the passages of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Two iconic individuals that defined and fought what we consider “beautiful”--both have left us far too soon.

Handmade Chic Interview

I invite everyone to take a good look at Rachel Baron's blog, Handmade Chic. Rachel is a wonderful glass artist (Inferno Glass Beads) and a staunch supporter of handmade art. She graciously interviewed me for the blog--THANKS, RACHEL! So, stop by and visit with Rachel for a few moments when you can, and visit her website for lovely glass creations!

Wonderfully Weird - Using the Unusual in Jewelry Design

If I were to write a book about jewelry design, the title would be the title of this post. I really love incorporating unusual elements into my work. There are many names for this type of design--mixed media, altered art, assemblage jewelry, and found item jewelry are but a few. I'll go with assemblage jewelry for the purposes of this post.

Assmeblage art is very big right now. Artists like Susan Lenart Kazmer, Tessa Rickard and Stephanie Lee and have pioneered this artform, bringing everything from doll parts and old dominos to burnt out miniature lightbulbs into fine jewelry design. If it can be bezel set, then by gosh BEZEL SET IT! The results are stunning, as you will see on these amazing artist's websites.

I am a collector of oddities, I always have been. My passion for wildlife conservation and animals is evident in my collection of "weird" which covers everything from glass taxidermy eyes to animal bones of all kinds. I especially love working with animal bones. At my work station I have several boxes and containers of bones from raccoons, opossums, and most recently, an iguana. All these items are found on the 30-acre wildlife preserve in which I live. Sunny south Florida is a great place to bone hunt and I often find great, bleached out bones from animal visitors long past. I've collected bones forever, even as a little kid. I like to think I honor the animal by turning their bones into something unique and beautiful to live on in their memory.

I never really considered this all that strange, until my sister visited me recently and discovered my bucket containing a complete opossum skeleton. I could tell she was simultaneously interested and grossed out. I remember she said, "Oh, I bet you'll do something really amazing with this." I immediately started telling her my plans for the vertebrae and teeth--I use these smaller bones in rings and pendants. She nodded politely and then said, "That sounds really cool. But, when you're planning Christmas gifts, remember this isn't for me!" She was trying to joke, but was also deadly serious. That got me thinking--one woman's weird is another woman's wonderful.

I've been lucky. I have created animal bone jewelry that has been appreciated (and actually PURCHASED) by many people. I've never thought twice about using bone or animal fur/feathers in designs. But I wonder, is there such a thing as too weird? Tessa Rickard, I'm sure, would argue and emphatic, "NO!" Some of her work incorporates human teeth for crying out loud! AND, the results are GORGEOUS as you can see in the Lark book 500 Pendants and Lockets, which features her designs.

I guess it's all about having the courage to put your work out there and not be overly influenced by those that may not "get" it. Art is fluid, constantly changing and open to interpretation. Most of all, it's EXPRESSION that matters. Yes you can use a clasp created from your Grandmother's beautiful vintage button collection to finish a necklace made from copper electroformed iguana vertebrae.

So, do you agree??? I've included a few photos here of some of my "weirder" work and ask that all you assemblage artists out there to send me images of your "wonderful weirdness". I'll post them here with links to your web pages.

October Artist Interview -- Tessa Rickard

When I first came across Tessa Rickard's shop on Etsy, I nearly squeeled with delight. Doll Disaster Designs is a shop filled with curiosities, originality, and raw TALENT! Tessa's work is the sort of jewelry design I aspire to--she uses found objects, lots of casting both in sterling silver and resin, gemstones, natural elements such as bone, fur, and wood, plus a heaping scoop of doll imagery. Her custom lockets are beyond amazing, and her resin doll pendants, gemstone rings, and brooches simply fly out of her shop. Some may consider her work strange or even creepy, but you cannot deny her work is compelling, fascinating, and uncoventionally beautiful. I couldn't wait to interview her!

KM: Tell us a little bit about you.

TR: My name is Tessa Rickard-Carpenter. I use Tessa Rickard for my art, no need dragging my husband into my crazy world. I will be 35 on Sept. 20 (KM: Happy belated birthday, Tessa!). I am married with two daughters. I went to Ball State University and received two degrees--a BFA in Drawing and a BFA in Metals. I then moved to Michigan to get my Masters in Metalsmithing at Cranbrook Academy of Art. I teach jewelry classes part time at a community college. I sell my work online through my Etsy shop.

KM: Okay, what's up with the name "Doll Disaster Design"?

TR: My master's degree thesis was titled "From The Mind of a Doll Disaster". I used a lot of doll imagery in my work. I still do now also.

KM: When did you know you wanted to be an "artist"?

TR: My mother says she couldn't keep enough paper in the house for me as a child. I remember being happy when I would draw or make something, and that is still how I feel today. I guess it would be high school that I decided to be a "real" artist. In college I figured out how hard it was going to be to make a living being just an artist, so I decided to also teach art.

KM: What inspires you?

TR: Old, forgotten, broken objects. Bones, teeth, natural oddities. Folklore, Mythology, Alchemy, Symbolism, Spells/Charms, and the Grotestuque. I especially like old, creepy, dolls.

KM: What is your favorite medium and why?

TR: I love working with metal. When I was little I would go with my dad when he would use the metal detector and to dig in old dump sites. After he would dig up an old coin or piece of jewelry, I would remember thinking how interesting it was that it was still there after being buried for so long. We would find old, broken bisque dolls and other metal objects too. Working in metal to me means a more permanent or indestructible piece of art. I love the thought of someone someday digging up one of my pieces!

KM: Who are your favorite artists and how do they inspire you?

TR: In the jewelry world: Keith Lewis, Todd Reed, Yeonmi Kang, Kiff Slemmons, Felieke Van Der Leest, Min-Jung Cho, William Harper, John Paul Miller, and Richard Mawdsle. Other Artists: Hye Won Kim, Joel-Pete Witkin, Otto Dix, Karl Blossfeldt, Nick Bantock, Kiki Smith, Bosch, Kvium, Egon Schiele, Joseph Cornell, and Van Gogh. This just names a few! They are my favorites for many reasons. The subject matter, images, objects used, and the way their work makes me feel are the main reasons.

KM: What does the term ART mean to you? Expression? Interpretation? Therapy?

TR: Art means a lot of expression and a little therapy to me. There are lots of thoughts and feeling in side me that are hard for me to communicate. My art is a visual way for me to express my inner self.

KM: What are you working on right now?

TR: I am working on a series of pieces combining teeth (human real, false, partials, and animal) with faceted gem stones. Combining the not so pleasent maybe gross (not to me) teeth with gems excites me! I want people to take a second look at the pieces!

KM: What is your studio/workspace like? Neat or controlled chaos?

TR: My studio is a mess! I love it that way! If I could I would have everything out so I can see it all. My husband can't even look at my desks because It makes him crazy. Most of the time I get so many ideas I start laying everything out and end up working on my lap.

KM: What is your favorite studio tool/gadget/gizmo?

TR: I love my forming pliers. Sounds pretty boring, but I use them all the time. I also use a wooden chop stick to set most of my bezels.

KM: Tell us a little bit about your perspective on the link between art and nature.

TR: How can you not be inspired by nature?!? The world around us is in everything we do and make. Mother Nature is one of the best artists. I love the natural order in nature and the circle of life. I use objects that have been left behind. Bones, teeth, insects, and so on. But, I don't believe in harming animals for my work--I use only found objects.

KM: Finally, what advice/encouragement can you give to struggling artists in the world?

TR: Don't give up! Believe it or not, there is a market and place for your art out there somewhere! It may take time to find it. I struggled for years with galleries, and shows trying to sell my work. I always stayed true to myself and what I wanted to make. I found Etsy and I now know there are people out there to appreciate me and my pieces.

Welcome to the Studio!

Hello art lovers! I've decided to include you in my world of blogging, which covers everything from rants about the environment, celebrities, life, and now, ART. I am a jewelry designer and conservation biologist. I create jewelry to raise funds for wildlife conservation, focusing my designs on my belief that art and nature are one and the same. You can't have one without the other. So, here I'll post new ideas, introduce you to some of my favorite artists and generally try to get you as excited about art and nature as I am!

A little about myself. My husband and I live and work on a 30-acre wildlife conservation center and I have some of the worlds rarest animals and plants in my "backyard" including tiny marmosets from Peru that can sit in the palm of your hand, 1,000 lb. antelope from Africa, and rare Brazillian parrots. Every day is an adventure and an inspiration for my jewelry designs.

My real goal is to get people interested in nature through art. So, forgive me if I continually and shamelessly promote the organization I work for, the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (www.rarespecies.org) throughout my website and this blog. We're a small, focused organization striving to save what's left of the world's wild places. Check out the website--you'll be pleasantly surprised!!

So, I hope you'll come back to visit this little blogspot often--I'll be featuring amazing artists, offer cool ideas and any new "tricks of the trade" that I come across, and generally try to encourage you to join me on an artistic journey into the wilderness...Thanks for stopping by!