Front and Back

I'm a big fan of artwork that is a total package, meaning as much attention was paid to the back as to the front.  I just had a new pair of earrings photographed, so I thought I would treat you to a front and back view.  Of my work. (smile)

Drops, 2010, copper, torch fired enamel,

oxidized sterling silver, 14K gold.

Photography courtesy of Dean Powell.  As part of my exercise in trying to be a better blogger, I am going to post some work by other artists who share the same front/back philosophy.  Cheers!

Upcoming Show

Hey folks!  Sorry for my absence from blogging lately, but life has been a bit busy.  I have a new exhibition coming up at Luke & Eloy Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA.  The show is with a fellow enamelist, Michael Romanik, and is titled "Two of a Kind".  I'm so excited about this opportunity!

The owner of the gallery, Brigitte Martin, is a wonderful advocate for emerging artists.  She also started a social networking site for artists called Crafthaus.  I may be partial, but if you are in the Pittsburgh area anytime soon, please check out the show!

Field Trip

Last weekend my husband and I decided to go on a little walkabout.  Our destination: The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem MA.  You may know Salem for its Witch Museum fame, a kitschy bit of history that is mostly true but has been turned into a summer tourist destination for all fans of the occult.  However, the Peabody Essex is a fantastic little museum and there was so much to see that I will have to blog about it in two separate posts.

 

The first exhibit we saw was really quite wonderful, The Yin Yu Tang House, a reconstructed Chinese home dating back to the early 1800s.  Directly translated, Yin Yu Tang means Hall of Plentiful Shelter.  The home belonged to the Huang family for over eight generations and was purchased by the PEM, disassembled piece by piece, and rebuilt at the museum in Salem in 2003.

The traditional structure with open roof and central courtyard gives one a true look at the experience of everyday life in rural China, where the home was the center of family life and the domain of women and children.  As the fortunes of the Huang family (they were merchants) rose and fell, the home went through periods where it was richly furnished, to times when entire sections were taken over by family creditors or seized by the communist government.  An audio guide gave a clear narrative as we wandered from room to room; it was  remarkable to feel transported to another time and place!

In addition to the home, there were also displays of clothing, photographs, furniture and implements that were used by the Huang family.  A small room with video screen showed several films, one of which depicted the recent wedding day of a typical rural couple, whose marriage was arranged and had never even met until the day of the wedding.  A second film showed the dismantling and reassembly of the house structure...neat stuff for a history buff like me.

No picture taking was allowed so I had to grab these from the internet (yes, I am probably violating some copyrights, but hopefully not).  The PEM has a great interactive website if you can't make it to the museum yourself, but it was so worth the trip. 

Workshops

Hey everyone!  Just wanted to let you know I've updated my workshop schedule for 2010.  I'll be teaching at a variety of locations in Massachusetts.

The first workshop of the season will be at The Fuller Craft Museum on April 10 and 11th.  The topic will be Cloisonné Enameling, which will be a blast, especially if you are hoping to take your enameling skills to the next level.  Plus, since the workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., you will also have an extra hour to browse through the museum which closes at 5.  There will be several ongoing exhibitions at that time including quilts by Nancy Crow, and a furniture exhibition from the museum's collection.  Pass it on!

A surprise in the mail

Wow!  I am so excited!  Today I received a letter of acceptance for a grant, one of three that I have recently written.  I will be receiving funds from the Fall River Cultural Council to work on a project tentatively titled Traces and Remnants: Jewels Tell a Story.
This project is one of the foremost I will be writing about in the upcoming months.  I first thought of it as a way to learn more about my adopted city, Fall River.  At one time Fall River was a textile manufacturing powerhouse (my studio is in a converted mill building), part of the New England Industrial Revolution.  Most of the labor fueling that industry was supplied by women and young girls who were just beginning to define the role of the working female amidst great hardship. 
As a working female myself (though immensely empowered due to the labor of those first women), I thought it would be intriguing to research the unsung heroines, as well as some notable Victorian era Fall River Ladies (other than Lizzie Borden), and to interpret their experiences in a new body of work.  Besides the women who worked in the mills, Fall River was home to well known artists, architects, labor organizers, abolitionists and more.
My research will take place primarily at Fall River Historical Society, a few blocks away from my home in the Historic Highlands Neighborhood.  The entire project will also be exhibited there at the end of 2010.  So keep checking in as I'll reveal the project bit by bit!

Keepin' the dream alive...

I started Create Today for several reasons, which I will share with you now.  Please indulge me, as this is my manifesto to myself and my commitment to keep the blog going.

First off, I have several fantastic opportunities coming up in 2010: a two person show, my first solo show, and a research project and show for which I have written several grants.  Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but three months ago I also landed a full time job (bye-bye freelancing!), and am a bit worried about my ability to juggle everything.  Create Today is my way of staying on track, in a public forum, so that I can't back down and get lazy about all these crazy deadlines coming up.  I'm counting on you to keep me accountable.  And of course I will tell you about each and every event I just mentioned in due time...I do need something to blog about after all!

Secondly, I love art, jewelry, and enameling, and would love to blog about objects that inspire me and work by amazing artists.  My goal is to feature a different artist every week - artists need as many shout-outs as they can get and I love to discover new work.

Third, I teach quite a few jewelry workshops and really enjoy seeing new people in them, discovering that they love jewelry as much as I do.  So will be posting dates and locations for upcoming workshops and will also be posting in-progress/technical spots about jewelry projects I have on deck.  I'll be sure to share all of my geeky jewelry and enameling tips with anyone who will listen!

Finally, I want to create a positive space to share my thoughts and experiences and to get feedback from others.  I love to take mini-field trips to museums, galleries, parks, and beaches and plan on posting stuff about that as well as great books, movies, etc.!  So if this sounds at all interesting to you, then please stay tuned.

p.s. I like cooking and am mildly obsessed with tart frozen yogurt, so I may blog about that from time to time as well.

Pleased to meet you

Some of my jewelry...

Punctus, brooch, 2007

copper, vitreous enamel, oxidized sterling silver, 14K gold, sapphire

Oval Abrasion Ring, 2008

copper, vitreous enamel, sterling silver, 14K gold

  Mentor, brooch, 2006

copper, vitreous enamel, 14K gold, oxidized sterling silver