Art in the Round

Hey! This piece recently won first place for metals in the Art in the Round contest sponsored by Beautifulbowls.com
Pretty exciting! and I owe a big thank you to Sara Westermark for turning me onto the contest!

Copper Confections

I have a sweet tooth, how about you?












These are my new pieces, charms made of pipe. I have had a blast making variations. I applied to Art and Soul Portland to teach these next year and am anxiously awaiting reply. Cross your fingers!

Fall Flowers

So I have been in the studio a lot, and to break up the day I go walk in Dan's garden outside my door. He's brought over his chicken. Meet Nevi:




She's a very good listener. I sit on a fruit crate outside her cage drinking my flower tea and we talk. I feed her bugs I get from under rocks. I am too squimish to pick them up so I use tweezers. She loves the tweezers now! She laid three eggs last week.















Not far from her house are beds of vegetables and flowers. This anemone sprang up last week.

Benches

What is it that's fascinating about other artists workspaces???? One of my private students graciously gave me Charles Lewton-Brain's new book the Jeweler's Bench Book (If you scroll down its in my Amazon recommendations). I devoured every page. Fun book! There's so much information on storage and organization of tools. And I do love tools.
So I thought I'd share images of my workspace. It was so lovely last week. A cold bright fall light streamed in through the window over my bench. I do love my studio. It has too drawback which cause its days to be numbered, it is expensive, and its far away from my house. But it's fantastic...

Hiding

So its Black Friday and its the first one I haven't had to work at the gallery in years. I will go in tonight for the reception. But I slept late and wouldn't have gotten up at all if I didn't feel guilty for being a slug. Robert says its hiding. Maybe he's right though,I am not sure what I am hiding from. This week has been heaven in the studio. Sad but all I want to do is be in my studio by myeslf making things. Or if I had a yard of my own I'd be there. Raking, weeding planning beds. Somehow I desperately need solitude these days. So unlike the younger me. Thought I'd share photos from earlier. Last week I spent as much time as possible getting ready for Art for the Masses. Meredith was with her dad so ever spare minute was spent in the studio.
These are copper pieces that were then enameled and made into jewelry:

44

funny, the number on the door of the video below is 44, my age. This, and each progressive year, I feel I am moving out of dark, painful and turbulent times in my past making lots of karma, into a glowing, soft time of peace and healing and teaching. What a nice coincidence.

Healing

I went to church today... as a present. Not something I normally do. I am a spiritual person and once was religious. I was filled with the spirit in my 36th year and publically accepted Christ as my savior. It was a profound year for me. But now... I have been on an amazing journey through life thus far, and while I find truth in the teachings of Christ I am no longer a Christian. I have moved past that onto other deeper truths. But my former sister in law and I are still close, and her request for her 60th birthday was for her family to join her in church today. While I don't adhere to most Christian ritual and belief it is beautiful to watch the sincerity of others in worship. I have realized that I must build a spiritual foundation for my daughter, to not leave her floundering... So she and I discussed what I personally believe.
I believe earth is a boarding school for the soul. We all are here to do, and go through it all with each other. We must, like the Bonnie Raitt song, "get on into it, down where its tangled and dark". I enjoy reflection and discussion as much as I enjoy action. So in that sense its been a fruitful Sunday.
Once home, I went to my buddy Bee Shay's blog for a quick look and discovered a luscious morsel! Lior!!!!
You must go check out the video either on Bee's site or Youtube of Lior's
"I'll Forget You".
I leave you with Heal Me:

Oh HAPPY Day!

OH YES WE CAN! There are few days I can remember feeling this good about my fellow countrymen. It is evidence that not all people are swayed by ugly fear tactics and underhanded lies. What a beautiful morning for America.