New Studio Mate, Kate Cathey!

I have a new studio mate! Experimental metalsmith, enamellist, and fellow ECU -MFA alumni Kate Cathey. (Hers are the rings in the bottom left corner of the image) Kate has been shown all over the country and is featured in Linda Darty's book "The Art of Enameling". Kate has taught around the country as well and we hope to offer some enamelling classes out of the studio. Feel free to email me if you are interested. I shall light a fire under her! It is quite exciting for me. I have shared with painters up to now and it is a treat to have another metalsmith in the studio. The bits and pieces on her work bench are so visually stimulating. She has also been experimenting with encaustics set in silver. Quite lovely.... I hope to get a mini encaustic workshop from her soon. Interestingly the top right hand image is of a set of brooches by my former roomate, Sharon Massey. I am extremely lucky to be surrounded by such fine artists.

Making an enamel bowl

If you're interested, I loaded a new page up showing how I make a vessel. It is general of course. Being the ADD artist that I am, there are process photos missing that I should have taken but, alas, I get caught in the moment and well... you know.
Next time I shall have to be more diligent with the camera. I also had to get someone to snap the photos for me. I do however think you'll find it educational. Clicking on the title above will redirect you to the page on my website.

My new "sinking" stump

Here's a photo of my newly carved "sinking" stump. Carved for me by Scott McGhee an arborist/blacksmith here in the area. I use it for metal bowl making also called sinking. You can also see one of my new mushroom stakes. which I use to shape the bowls.

a picture of my daughter learning to pierce metal with a jewelers saw. I went for a gorgeous walk yesterday at Fort Fisher. The rocks were fabulous, covered in green floating algae, pools of water filled with little shells. Robert and I picked up drift wood, hopped across the rocks... We even trudged through the maritime thickets of yaupon and oak, following a deer path. I was irritated with myself that I didn't bring my camera! I will have to go back this time WITH my camera.

Wrightsville Beach Magazine bio about me!

Hey! I forgot to mention the article written about me by Marimar McNaughton in this months Wrightsville Beach Magazine. Go to Wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com and click on "Pushing Boundaries", as well as the More Headlines section where you would click on "Bon Voyage" an extra web article she wrote about my artistic journey.

A day in the studio yesterday... all day.... ahhhh.
I didn't have any students scheduled so the day was mine. Made two rings. One was a bear! I don't know if I was off or what. It is a square gold bezel on a silver band set with a pyramidal garnet. The bezel being square was difficult to line up just right. And Man! if it got too hot, the solder would cause the thing to slip off completely and get stuck at some odd angle... just one of those days I guess. but it was a gorgeous day. I took the plants outside the studio door and let them get sun. The following is an image of the seats at IAC in the lobby, late afternoon.

Man! Blogger is frustrating! I have trouble uploading images and putting them where I want them! ARGH! Here's more work....

Nope,
that's not snow!
Its just plain ole NC sand.
Robert and I went walking in Halyburton Park on Sunday.

Artfest here I come!

So... I have been busy in the studio and here's a sneak peak at what I shall bring to vendor night at Artfest 2007.
Artfest is so wonderful. If you're not familiar with it, here's a link: http://www.teeshaslandofodd.com/
It is a fabulous weekend of avant garde, collage/mixed-media artists gathering to take workshops make stuff and interact. Artfest occurs in late March in Port Townsend WA. I can't wait. Robert is going with me. He has plans to wander the Olympic pennisula and kayak Puget sound while I teach a class and make stuff. Then we both plan on camping some the week after.

Muse where are you?

Yikes! Trying to get ready for Artfest 2007! Getting inspired, revved, juiced and then making use of that energy becomes a challenge for me. I see the Artfest posts on the Egroup where people are making 100's of trades and such.... I am envious. How do they do this? When do they have time??? As I post this I am actually multi tasking...quiet day at work..... and we are out of matcutter blades, so... I type. My days are so packed that now I am lucky to get 4 days a month to myself in my studio for more than one hour. 4 days....a MONTH! How can I get the flow going to create: work to sell at Artfest, work to trade at Artfest, work to photograph for example for the upcoming shrine workshop, work that I just want to make, work to sell at Seaside Yoga.....when I only have four days a month? Don't get me wrong I am in my studio three days a week, but I am teaching private lessons which is intense for me. Three 2 hour sessions a day with short breaks in between is all I can physically do. Ah, the challenge of making a living from your art. It is a beautiful painful thing sometimes.

Upcoming Workshop

January 20th I have a workshop scheduled with yoga therapist Heather Till at Seaside Yoga. Heather and I worked together over the summer and we daydreamed about doing integrated workshops and retreats where yoga therapy, meditation, and creative movement are merged with painting collage and art journalling. Out of this came the slated workshop "Sacred Inner Spaces-yoga and shrine making workshop". It will be short, only three hours this time, but as our maiden voyage into this project it should be an exhilirating experiment. We will split the time between some movement leading into a guided meditation courtesy of Heather, and mini shrine collaging facilitated by myself. Our intent is for the meditation to trigger images that can then be used to inspire the creation of the little "shrine". It is an ornament of sorts and hangs on the wall. I have created kits of background boards and the little drawers out of matchboxes. Participants will have boxes of magazine images and decorative papers to select from, as well as an array of glue, paints and fibers. Hopefully all will have an enjoyable experience.

up and open field running

Hellooooo! and welcome to my little blog. My studio is about to expand in the new year and my new shiney mushroom stakes have arrived! Mushroom stakes you ask? No they are not slabs of meat smothered in fungi, but rather steel forming tools for shaping metal that resemble their namesake.