As we continue into the Fall season I am again excited about the Silver Passport series of workshops.
So fun.
Exploring these different techniques are not only fun but a great way to expand your skills and designs.
The next one is Etching.
I am very grateful and happy to announce that my show has been held over until November 24th!
The grey cloud that was the government shutdown had a silver lining!
The remaining days that the show is open:
Glen Echo Park Popcorn Gallery
Until November 24
Sat & Sun
noon-6
View my show online here
Imagine spending a whole day learning this fabulous technique! And the extra time makes for some more exploration of what this ancient Korean gilding skill offers.
This class did great!
First: a texture with the rolling mill.
Second: Depletion Silvering (preparing the metal)
Third: Applying the gold.
Fourth: Forming the object.
Great job ladies!
Thankfully the shut down has ended and my little studio will be up and running again for Open Studio tomorrow (friday) and a class this saturday.
Although the loss of four cancelled classes, no Open Studio time, cancelled private instruction, and my show adds up to a lot in this artist’s scheme of things. No retroactive pay comes my way... it is simply a loss.
Ok... that is as much whining as you will hear from me. Time to get back to work!!
Bigtime bummer for my wee studio. Not only can we not let students play in Open Studio, but we can’t run classes. So the studio is closed until the government opens. Its crazy because the partnership is a non-profit, and all of our studios are run either as non-profit, or regular business. Non of us are government employees, but our studios are on federal property.
This summer SilverWorks began a mini-residency program for aspiring young silversmiths. These very talented young people benefited from free Open Studio, free casting, got to sit in on some classes, and experienced the process of setting up an exhibit first hand. Their contribution spanned from doing practical studio maintenance, to being on hand as teaching assistants and working with the public. They also got to exhibit their finished work along side mine in this exhibit.
I can’t tell you how much fun I have had with them, and what a help they have been in the studio.
What the public doesn’t normally get to see... the studio in full chaos of creativity. It took me a while to get my pink on...
Me not being a pink kinda girl, the muse was having none of it. After one big knock-down-drag-out and tons of coffee, she finally put on a pink tutu and began to dance.
Inspired by some amazing women and their survival stories, this show is going to be uncharacteristically feminine for me. Passion, sensuality, love and self discovery are themes that have emerged. All inside a palette of pink!
Some of you are aware of my tradition in the studio that if you burn my bench you have to tag your name for the world to see.
What fun.
Well, Danny Knauss wins the award for epic burn. While transferring a newly soldered pierced design to the pickle, he dropped if face down on the bench, branding the lovely design into the wood.
Its the best burn I’ve seen yet!
A spontaneous Keum Boo workshop for my Jr Artists-in-Residence, Kaila, Danny, & David.
You may see them from time to time as they hang out in the studio and make good use of the tools, time, and the occasional whim of Blair going hey... how would you like to learn this!
What fun it is for me to see these talented “kids” (they aren’t really kids, and they probably hate that) take the art form that I love so much and make it their own. Watch for their amazing creations in my upcoming show.
Sketches of a bangle design that incorporates other elements like poly clay and resin. Pink for the upcoming show of course.
I don’t know if I will execute it because it will be expensive. But it would be a really cool thing to wear.
Today I was working with pink sapphires and a whole lot of silver for the bangles. The pendant is the first in a series that uses silver discs, balls, and stones and drilled holes to create a “bubble” look. Very fun.
The good folk here at the park have awarded me another show this year. This time they have graciously given me six weeks from Sept 21st.
The theme is Pink. Specifically the pink we wear to raise awareness for breast cancer. In a nutshell I am taking the stories of women’s journeys and translating them into a wearable abstraction.
My first piece is a very simple one depicting three stages: diagnosis, disease, remission. It uses a pink tourmaline, druzy quartz (thank you Filiz for the gift of the quartz!), and a rose quartz at the bottom. It is a simple pendant that will hang on a cord, collar, or chain.
Something I am working on is combining old stuff with new. These new pieces take bits of trash to make textures on silver using the rolling mill. But the real surprise is what the “gemstone” is made of.
an abandoned bulldozer.
Found on the island where we are building Exnihilo, it is only one example of many abandoned vehicles that threaten the beauty of the island so one of the programs we plan to launch is turning trash into sculpture. On this trip we filmed me sitting on the bulldozer talking about the proposed program we call JUNK-A-NEW.
I took some chunks of this rusty wreck home with me where they are finding new life as a beautiful gemstone!
I call it JUNK-A-NEW jewelry!
Silver Box Workshop was a fun and challenging exploration into making a non-jewelry work in silver. This workshop improved some skills today while producing some really nice work.
Congrats on the students in this workshop and their success!
Students:
Some of the goodies auctioned were a pair of Keum Boo earrings, a cuff bracelet, and a free-form creative chain.
Congrats to the winning bidders!
proceeds going to Exnihilo Art Center
Back in the studio today and having a blast with these little beauties I collected right outside our door where we stay. Although I brought home a bunch of larger shells I find these teensy tiny ones so intriguing because of their size and perfection.
What am I going to do with them?
No... not string them.
No... not drill them and hang them off a cord.
I am putting them into tiny bottles that will be made into a pendant.
We are filming for several days to collect footage of the beautiful scenery as well as your’s truly talking about the project and all the plans for Exnihilo Art Center.
It is crazy beautiful here. You think you know what blue is until you have been here. Then you have to mentally color-correct the rest of your life.
The hardest part of being down here is wanting to play when there is so much to get done. Funny how two weeks is a lot if you are on vacation, but seems like not enough when you have stuff to do.
And there is such a thing as “island time”. It is not a myth. It is when you pull up a chair at the local outdoor grill for a little conch salad and a chat with the fun folk there... realizing that two hours have just gone by.
It is like that with everything.
Planning anything by the clock doesn’t work here. Serendipity is king and the best thing to do is sit back and enjoy the ride because you never know what or who may cross your path.
So far this trip has revealed some new friends, more island wisdom, and some great additions to the project that involve more partnerships with the local artists and schools. I continually learn to be open to adjusting the plans that I have worked so hard on and be willing to let go of some things and add some others.
The excitement continues.
Imagine... finishing a day in the studio, working on your art, to step out from the studio into a beautiful ocean vista. You catch the wind in your hair as you walk over to The Gathering House for a freshly cooked gourmet meal and a relaxing time of sharing with other artists over that evening’s signature cocktail. All is well and the creativity is flowing.
Sound nice?
If you have spent anytime in my studio as either a new student, or hanging out in Open Studio there is little doubt that I have talked about my little retreat project ad nauseam. Some of you may have noticed the little pendant that I often wear that contains sand. You may even have been privy to even more info and have been so gracious as to get involved by volunteering for what is to come.
What? You haven’t heard?
Hmmm... that is about to change.
In the next few weeks while you make wonderful creations in Open Studio, Bryan and I will be tromping around the property on Long Island, Bahamas that will become the home for “SilverWorks 2” or Exnihilo Art Center. Although we will be in a place that normally beckons one to lay in a hammock with a Corona, we will be moving trees, meeting with builders, and filming the island for a launch of the project’s fundraiser on either Kickstarter, or Indiegogo.
Years of work have been in the making of this project so far, searching for the land, purchasing the land, designing the buildings, not to mention copious amounts of research and planning to inform all the important decisions to be made (even the menus!) But now the “real” work begins.
Big dream? Absolutely.
Will it take time? Of course.
What does this mean for SilverWorks “1”?
If you are worried that your purple smithing playground is in jeopardy do not fret. It isn’t going anywhere. And I will continue to invest just as much energy as in the past (what do you think I do on my days off anyway?)
Instead imagine the opportunity as a student of SilverWorks to be invited (once built) to test out our little haven by the sea. Yes we will be enlisting beta testers!
If this is the first you have heard of my little dream, and you are intrigued and would like more info on how you can get involved please drop me a note and I will tell you more.
I will be back in the studio in a few weeks!
Thanks to everyone who came out to check out the pretty rocks. Many of the unique gemstones seen in the picture at right went to good homes this weekend destined for wonderful designs.
Best wishes for the adopted stones, their new designer parents, and the fabulous works of art that they will no-doubt be set in.
We had a crazy time in Tucson looking at all the pretty rocks. Bryan and I attended all things from the prestigious AGTA and roadside booths with everything in between (and only scratched the surface). Once registered through the AGTA, this badge opened all doors.
Although many things look like a deal, it is definitely a buyer beware scenario. I made a point of going through an entire venue collecting cards, making notes and getting prices before going back to seek out my favorites. Some deals were great, some stones were great. Sometimes you actually got both.
My favorite thing was chatting with the dealers that were also cutters because they couldn’t stop talking about their pretty rocks... showing their passion for the things that they loved. I bought some very special pieces from a lady opal cutter from Australia, her husband chatting with us...clearly in support. As fellow artists we can truly respect each other’s work.
All those lovely stones began to speak about
what designs they would like to be...
pure heaven.
