Cargo!

All right, while I'm on a roll... CARGO! in the Pearl District of downtown Portland,OR. OMG!
I had a little pamphlet and was walking around thinking "oooo, that looks interesting lets go there...." When I see brightly colored things fluttering in the wind from the side of a big building. I decide to investigate and was SOOOOOOOO rewarded.


I wandered SPEECHLESS and dumbfounded. There were imported delights from all over the globe, weird, kooky fodder as far as the eye could see, Mexican Day of the Dead stuff, Chinese goorah, Japanese chotchkies, antiques, silk, Middle Eastern rugs, African beads, quirky tidbits and baubles, and treasures, EVERYWHERE! You could hardly walk for cool mesmerizing stuff. Needless to say I bought my dad one of those head tingler scalp massagers, everyone needs those right? And I got a little paper mache black background globe, again quite a necessity, a cut out banner of a mermaid playing a ukelele from Mexico, some cool Day of the Dead postcards, a BIG black tin of watch part tins (that the airline crushed ;-( wah!)

Feast your eyes! yeah I know! right?!

McMenamin's Boiler Room Bar

Okay, place #2 that I have to rave about (now that my #@%&*! internet is back, however temporary....) is the McMenamin's Boiler Room Bar in Kennedy High School (click here for their gallery images). If you don't know who the McMenamins are then, well.... get to know! Because they have a talent for taking forgotten, dilapidated buildings and working magic on them! The Boiler Room was just that, a boiler room, now it's an over-the-top cool bar that will make your clockwork little heart go click, click, hissssss! One of the coolest artists on the planet, in my book is Tracy Moore and he took me to the Boiler Room. Yes, its all his fault. Actually, I count myself lucky that he lets me shadow around! Back to the Boiler Room. the railings are constructed of old pieces of radiator and sprinkler pipe. Just too fantastic.... I'm not a hop fiend like Robert is so I asked Tracy to recommend a beer. I had the Concordia "Ruby" a raspberry ale that they brew. It was wonderful not too sweet very refreshing. Fantastic place, wonderful night with amazing artists, chatting and sipping. Won't be forgotten....

Oblation Papers in Portland, OR!

So now that I am home (whew! took long enough! two days?! really?), I have to rave about a couple of places in Portland. Yeah, I know, I could go on and on about Portland in general but first....
Oblation Papers!
I usually go a day early for my workshops because I have to buy things at hardware stores that I can't ship. I have to pad my errand time with factoring in distances, shop hours, and whether or not I have to walk or there's a shuttle. So I had finished my buying gas tanks and such, and thought I'd explore the city a bit before I had to get ready for my next days class. People at the hotel told me to check out the Pearl District so I picked up a pamphlet and trekked out to conquer the MAX line to get into town. After sifting through some misinformation that was fed me, and quizzing people waiting at the station (like a dork), I was on the train into Chinatown and the Pearl district. I picked out a few interesting things on the pamphlet some of which appeared closed now. I decided to search for Oblation Papers since they might have things we could roll through the roll mill in my class the next day. I knew nothing about the shop other than they had paper. WOW! I walked in and BAM they were printing and paper making and it was a paperproduct orgy! Here are some pics:

Sneak Peek

inside the workshops of ArtBliss

Art BAHlisssssss!

Year ONE meet and greet at Art Bliss near DC

New Work

More new pieces I've ade as proposals for a retreat next year!
I started these on Sunday evening and had them all finished at midnight last night. Record time, considering I taught at CFCC most of the day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and worked on these at night.

Posey House- has enamel flowers growing out the roof and a little Victorian lady kickin up a shoe inside.

Gris Gris Pouch-Gris gris bags are traditional Voudon charms or talismans for protection or good luck. They're often cloth but thought I'd made some metal ones!

Bottle Cap Beads-Fun! LOVE old soda caps!

Stay tuned to see if they'll be classes soon near you!
Whew, I'm pooped! I'm taking tonight off to flop!
Then its back to the grindstone with my book!

Creativity

In this video Ricë Freeman-Zachery talks about her book Living the Creative Life

No Worse for Wear

Meet Mr. Bali Hai...
my birthday gift from my bro Joe.
Mr. Bali Hai belonged to my grandparents. They got him some wild night visiting my parents in San Diego in the 60's. Those people loved to laugh. I wish I coulda' been there. But that's okay, I have the mug now.
Mr. Bali Hai's roomed with my bro for years now... all through Joe's college party years... He's a little chipped, his paint's peeling off in spots, but man, the parties he's seen! Now he's been bequeathed to me. What an honor.
Some days I feel a little like Mr. Bali Hai, chipped paint an all... but man the fun times! ;-)


So as the summer fades away, and as I put luau kitsch into the attic to wait for next summer... I get a little philosophical and reflect on what makes us need vacation so much. Well I heard a great interview with Terry Gross this week on Fresh Air called Digital Overload, somewhat on this subject. Basically a reporter had done an article on technology and how it affects our brains... the gist? we need vacations... really! Seriously! our brains need time to process all the data we give them. So even if I couldn't take a real vacation (yet again this year), I can take mental ones.
And I do!
I take them any time I can get them.
cheers!

Hampton VA 2011

Yay! I will be teaching At Art & Soul in Hampton Va next year! FINALLY! Check out these two classes:

Amulet for Peace:









House of Mojo!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

um, yeah..... it was 113 and 60% humidity the day I took this picture in Phoenix. (I double checked online because I couldn't believe it!)I lounged by the pool in the shade of an umbrella. Only coming out to dip in the pool!





This was dawn the next morning from my room on the 6th floor.Unfortunately because I was so busy and alternately exhausted that was about all I saw of Phoenix! well except the evil Walmart....
yep, had to.... walked down there to pick up supplies.

Thought for the Day

"I was awfully curious to find out why I didn't go insane." -Abraham Maslow

This made me laugh outloud!
I have been at the computer since 9:30 this morning....
it is now getting dark, 7:30pm.
Typing, copy/pasting, emailing, bank account balancing, proofreading, fixing, tweaking...
I think I shall stop, my body cannot take this anymore!
and people wonder why I have trouble finding time to make things!
And I missed such a gorgeous day. It'll all be worth it soon! very soon!

Marcia MacDonald

Kindness goes a long, long way.

Many years ago when I was a budding jewelry artist I did craft shows. The other jewelry people I met were often, not always, but often antisocial and unfriendly. They frequently exhibited paranoid behavior and would clam up if they knew I made jewelry, afraid that I was stealing their designs. The craft shows could be grueling, hot, dusty, tiring... I think my back is ruined from my craft show days. A little community feeling was nice, rare but lovely when it occurred. One night at an indoor local show a women walked into my booth. She commended me on my work. She was kind and open and sweet. She told me she was a metalsmith and had a local studio and invited me to come by. I was shocked and amazed. I thought I knew all the local metals people. She was the friendliest metalsmith I'd met to up to then! I went to her studio. I was bowled over. On the wall was a huge poster of a work I had flagged in a Tim McCreight book. I pointed and said "That's... that's.." and we both simultaneously said "Shaken Not Stirred". "Yeah that's mine" she replied. I felt like I was dreaming. Here was someone I'd never met but I'd admired their work in books, who was right here in my little two bit town, AND she was hospitable, generous, with skills FAR superior to mine and reaching out the hand of friendship to ME?!
Her name was Marcia MacDonald. She spent that afternoon showing me things encouraging me offering advice. She went on to do the same on a number of occasions.
She lived here briefly and then went on to bigger and better things on the West Coast. Today I find that Marcia has passed away. She succumbed to a long battle with cancer. I must chime in with the hundreds of voices this week lauding Marcia as a wonderful person and accomplished metalsmith. Though we were never close, she was always kind and I am better for having known her. She showed me what being a woman contemporary metalsmith could be like. That a craftswoman one could glow with confidence, and generosity and not give into pettiness and fear. She and I talked at length about starting a metals club here because I was starved for other folks who had my same passion for metalworking and art jewelry. She felt that we should be a giving, sharing community of craftspeople, that is was healthy to prosper together. Those of us who knew her will miss her bright light. The metalsmithing community will miss her wonderful work. I feel blessed that her path crossed mine.

John's Flock!

My buddy John W. Golden's artwork is in Garnet Hill catalog!
check out his blog here.

Tidbits

Hi folks! sorry I'm scarce these days...busy, friends in town, trunk show, book negotiations.... exciting times! But I was browsing Klimt02 go check it out if you haven't. Its an amazing international resource for art jewelers.
Absolutely mind blowing!
Check this out! I am in love with this work:




Hanna Hedman
Stockholm, Sweden

Necklace: Enough tears to cry for two series 2008

Silver, oxidized silver, copper, synthetic fibers and paint
5 x 18 x 63 cm
Photograph by Sanna Lindberg

Twins

I drive my route and contemplate... why is it that I spend my summers engrossed in tropical dreamland and my winters in found-object/steampunkland? Well, I figure it's partly because of those dang Gemini twins I was born under! I also live in this semi tropical environment, so I'm surrounded by spanish moss, palmettos, live oaks.... I was so excited when my plumeria recently bloomed!

Last night one of my best friends/grad school roomie and fellow metalsmith, Adrienne Grafton came to visit. She's on a break from her teaching circuit and is languishing with her husband as I write, on Wrightsville Beach, soaking up the sun. She and I, and fellow alumni Nick Mowers have a trunk show this weekend, Saturday 4-6pm at Woods Gallery on Bald Head Island. I will bring my letter stamps some copper and will let people make their own little charms for $5. Fun!

So in playing tour guide I begin to see my environment from different eyes. Adrienne is a beach person at heart, currently living in Pennsylvania, so right now she's in hog heaven! I on the other hand get bogged down here with my daily grind. Wilmington's home, so its not always amazing to me. Adrienne has been a new lens. I am thankful. She's a Gemini too, BTW....

Check out her blog! gorgeous jewelry!

Go West!

Robert and I want to head into the sunset in one of these!!!
They're designed and made by artist Lynn Sedar of Ranch Willow Wagon Co. in Wyoming.

New Whimsies!

After two grueling days trying to come up with proposals for retreats (and work my regular jobs) I made these!
House of Mojo! and Tiny Garden of Glass.

I hope they're chosen!

Hands Across the Sand

My daughter and her Grandmother participated in Hands Across the Sand yesterday at Wrightsville Beach. The event was to oppose offshore oil drilling and champion clean energy and renewables. Our local paper did an article and you can find the national site here.
My daughter took these pics.

King Bennie Nawahi My Girl From the South Seas

Shrimp Farming

This used to be a mangrove forest. Now its a shrimp farm....
for some info:
Mangrove Action Project

Spirit Dolls

Robert and I were up late last night making spirit doll prototypes for a class next year. Robert made the Mask faced one I did the Birdwoman.

Belt buckle

rock on....