Raven's Caw

Who's Going To RAM?

2011-09-19T11:34:00.000-04:00

Finally made it back from the Rockies late last night... Boy, is it great to be back home (I feel like breaking out in song)! Man, Dog and Cat were all really happy to see me. The black sky was studded with sparkling stars, the air was clear, and the altitude was only 600 feet above sea level. Phew!

And... in just a month's time, I will be flying off to Wisconsin (the Cheese Hat State, as my son calls it), where the Racine Art Museum (RAM) will be debuting the exhibit Terra Nova: Polymer Art at the Crossroads. For those who haven't been following the efforts of Elise Winters and others at the Polymer Art Archive, I strongly urge you to check it out. Because of their tireless efforts (both time and money!) Polymer Clay is rising to the level of respect and recognition it deserves.

While the exhibit is a huge turning point itself, the press it's been getting is nothing to sneeze at. It's been covered by Ornament Magazine...

Art Jewelry Magazine (see the current issue's "A Conversation with Bruce Pepich")...

And now American Craft... (if you click here, you can download a PDF of the article)

And, speaking of deserved exposure... Rachel Carren received due honors in a terrific article in Ornament, written by polymer clay champion Jill DeDominicis. Well worth a read.

I got a real creative kick start while I was huffing and puffing in the Rockies... so stay tuned for some fun stuff ahead. Well... some time in the near (ish) future.

A Nice Ring (or three, er... four)

2011-09-04T11:52:00.002-04:00

Last year a number of polymer artists took a year long Ring-A-Day challenge, and the results totally gobsmacked me... And, it got my old Muse hootin' and hollerin' to get going on my own designs. My Muse can be a major task master *coughpainintheasrsecough*, so I complied and actually kind of like some of the results.

The core is sterling silver. I built and carved a polymer armature over the core, then laminated it with cane work. It really is a pain to do (I don't like small work... my fingers are too old and achy), but I really like the end results... so far.

I even made a few wavy rings to go with the wavy bangles... But don't expect too many of those, because they are even more of a pain. Fun... but a pain (literally).

For those who enjoy my bangles, don't worry, they are still on my docket... I'm just letting my Muse have her way so she'll settle down a bit...

From The Science Desk -
Isn't this Red Tailed Catfish a beauty? Oh, to be a master of color and pattern on the level of Nature herself. *sigh*

A Plug For a Friend and Colleague -
If you haven't signed up for the Studio Mojo newsletter, I highly recommend you do. Cynthia Tinapple, it's creator, takes her daily blog "Polymer Clay Daily" and pumps it up with lots and lots of major Mojo. Video interviews, artist resources, inspiration and innovation fill her weekly posts. Well worth the investment.

Next week I head off to Colorado to meet up with friends and see if I can stretch my creative muscles a bit... let's hope the altitude doesn't clash with the Fibro, but whatever happens, I'm sure it will be well worth it.

Having Fun With Form

2011-05-06T08:04:00.007-04:00

I've been messing about with Ultra Light again... And have finally manifested a form that I have been thinking about for some time. Instead of an outer wave, I'm going for an inner movement...

I've also been working with more muted colors lately. Not sure why. Perhaps it was the Winter Blues that have carried over into my Spring Fever... or perhaps I just had way too much scrap clay. (For those who don't know... I am a "Use Your Scrap" warrior... and not just for bead guts. Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio have taught me the beauty of playing with "mud".)

I'm heading out tomorrow for a ten day road trip, visiting family and friends, and (hopefully) claying up a storm. My friends Betsy Baker and Melanie Muir have convinced me to try working with vessel forms... so perhaps, when I get back, I will have something really new and different to share with you.

Two Steps Back Can Be A Good Thing

2011-04-27T07:50:00.011-04:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had a bit of "artist's block" to deal with this spring... And, as someone (please don't ask me who) once said, "It's more preferable to step back a bit, than to keep banging ones head against the wall." So... always one to follow wise advice *coughnotcough*... when I stepped back I found myself making beads.

Lots of beads... (sorry for the lousy pics... I didn't want to delay this post any longer than necessary).

Beads are an old passion of mine, but many years ago I decided to resist making any more because... well... I am not very good at stringing them. What good is a bead if you can't do anything interesting with them (I have a couple of drawers of ancient beads to testify to that).
But, I have found that sometimes going back to a form that comes easy (i.e., simple round balls with holes in them) helps coax out a sleeping muse.

Above are some of the Mokume Gane squid and cicada beads.

Then I started easing back into my usual "simple cane" patterns...

When my muse started to open her sleepy eyes, I began making simpler beads, but with a little added dimension.

As well as more "cephalopod eye" beads, which I actually started making last year...

So. Now that my muse is up and had her coffee, what do I do with all these beads!

A New Twist to An Old Passion

2011-04-12T10:26:00.009-04:00

One of the few things I am (sometimes) able to do when having to "go horizontal" (due to pain and such) is draw. Spending lots of time in the studio working with polymer is great, but my drawing skills can get a little rusty if I don't keep practicing. So, I am grateful that I'm forced to do down time, where I can get my 2D skills back in shape.

One of my greatest inspirations is the work of Ernst Haeckel. He was a German biologist and artist who loved wild and crazy (my words) forms in Nature. Below are two Haeckel illustrations (in color) and my re-interpretation of them in pen and ink.

While one could say I am just copying Haeckel's work, so be it. I remember as a child, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, and seeing students set up with easel and canvas... right there in the middle of the museum, copying the Masters. When I asked my mom why they were doing that, she said that one of the ways to learn to paint is to copy the work of others who's work you admire. It will help you to see through their eyes.

My mom was a wise gal. I would only add that it also helps you stretch your creative muscles and keep in "practice". The pen and ink drawings above, as well as others inspired by both Haeckel and directly inspired by Nature, will be transferred to polymer clay and turned into little pins and earrings and such... so, stay tuned. I'll do my best to share some photos of them in a future post.

My next blog post, however, will be about some of the beads I have been making... so... um.... yeah, stay tuned.

Crawing Out Of The Mud

2011-04-04T11:26:00.006-04:00

It's been another challenging Winter for me. Most of the trouble has been because of my fibromyalgia, but I wont bother you with the gory details. Suffice to say, as the sun slowly shifts toward it's Summer Solstice zenith, my body and spirit are rising with it.

And, as my spirit rises, so does my muse... finally! I have felt, at times, like a hibernating reptile... so, in celebration of those anti-freeze-blooded creatures, I've made a new bangle I'm calling Two Sides Of The Same Lizard.

Not really sure what kind of lizard I'm paying homage to... I kind of think it's more of a Winter vs. Summer kind of thing going on here, with some nice glowy gold and green inside.

Now, when I first started to climb out of my shell (another analogy to reptiles... did ya notice?) this spring, I found I had totally lost touch with my muse. So, in order to shake things up a bit (imagine lots of dust being shaken from my poor muse), I went back to a technique I haven't played with for a loooong time...

... Mokume Gane! Initially, started with beads... LOTS of beads (you'll get to see some of them in a future post), and played with a method of MG that made my beads look suspiciously like Cicadidae (you will have to use your imagination... for now). But, as I was messing about with the zillions of sheets of MG I had made, I became inspired to try a new look for my bangles. The result is above. Granted, I did use a cane for the inside of the bangle, and I'm still using the ol' "spots & dots", but it's definitely MG.

For those few souls who haven't (yet) given up on me and my blog, thank you for hanging in there. I have made a promise to myself that I will increase my "web presence" this Spring, and I think I should be able to keep that promise... baring any unforeseen complications *coughfibrocough*. Heh.

And, as a little thank you to you die-hards, I shall leave you with "Six Terrifying Ways Crows Are Way Smarter Than You Think". Note: A couple of the photos look suspiciously like Ravens, but it's such a fun article that I can let that pass. Enjoy!

Something New And Different From A Spray Can

2010-09-18T15:45:00.003-04:00

I've finally been getting a little time in the studio, but nothing finished to show yet. So this is just a short, photo-less post for you all... just to let you know I'm still alive... and thinkin' of ya!

From The Weird Fashion Desk -
You'll never guess what's coming out of a spray can now (unless, of course, you've seen this piece already). This is actually a pretty cool, if a bit weird (although... I like weird), idea. I doubt that anyone would like to see someone like me using this product, given how much is... well... seen. But... oh the possibilities!

From the Scary Science Desk -
It seems that someone caught a piranha in the Thames. Either that or The Sun is pulling another one over on us.

Let's hear it for the folks across the pond for coming up with some terrific entertai... er... reporting. Heh.

2010-09-08T09:45:00.006-04:00

From the Funny Science Desk -
AA meetings are desperately needed in a Cape Town suburb... for Baboons.

From the Cool Science Desk -

By studying marine critters called bryozoan in the Antarctic, scientists have found that as recently as 125,000 years ago (hey, that's recent for the earth) ancient sea passage linking currently isolated areas of Antarctica. There's been a LOT of very nifty research going on in the Antarctic, from massive ice covered mountains higher than Mt. Everest, to... well... this cool study. I have visions of all sorts of amazing fossils sitting under miles of ice down at the bottom of the arctic.

From The Shameless Commerce Division -

I finally finished the mini ring bowl tutorial I've been working on for... um... well... months. Heh. I think it came out pretty well. Below are more samples of bowls I have made using the technique in the tutorial.

The are lots of big color photos and mucho tips and tricks in the tutorial. You can find it on my Etsy Shop. I'll be posting, soon (I hope) the little glass bowls I use as forms for these bowls. I should warn you, however, that these little guys are incredibly fun to make, and can be habit forming.

A Sampling Of Things To Come

2010-08-26T13:39:00.011-04:00

When we made the decision to adopt Tango, I also made a decision to take the month of August off from my studio work... But that doesn't mean I haven't been working. As I think I might have mentioned before, Joyce Miskowitz and I have started a silk screen business on Etsy. I make the patterns, and Joyce makes the screens (I'm thinking I have the better deal here).

So, whenever my *coughnotsocough* little Tango is taking his puppy naps, I grab my laptop and get workin'. I wanted to share a few very complicated, multi screen patterns I've been working on.Each color of the pattern has a separate screen, with registration marks in the corners to help align them. The pattern above has four screens...

Most of the multi screen patterns are adapted from antique fabric patterns I found in books from the library.

These aren't up on our shop yet 'cause I haven't gotten the "negatives" to Joyce, but I'm guessing they should be up within the week... Tango willing.

A Sampling of Things To

2010-08-26T13:39:00.001-04:00

Sea Turtles and Crocodiles

2010-08-17T08:40:00.008-04:00

At last, a new piece to show... This is one of the few pieces where I had a specific plan and inspiration. It started before the Gulf of Mexico spill, but became more and more important to me after the spill. I'll be showcasing this bangle at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, and if it sells there, I will be sending 50% of the profit to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), in support of their work in the Gulf. And, just to remind you... the Green Worm brooch is still up for auction (until midnight, August 31st) , with 100% of the sale going to the NWF.

Just When You Think You've Seen It All At Walmart...

I came across this piece a few weeks ago, and just had to share it with you. Too funny!

Now it's off to walk Le Dog...

One Way To Make A Difference

2010-08-07T07:42:00.013-04:00

The rumors that I fell off the edge of the earth or that I was eaten by a crazed Nudibranch are total conjecture... mostly.

I've just been surfing the wild ride called life, and getting swamped more often than I like. But I think the Sea of Life has started to calm a bit, and so... I'm spy-hopping today to post the first of many bits I've been collecting to share with you.

Doing "Something"
Like most folks, my heart has been breaking over the rape and pillage called the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. (Don't be fooled, the well may have been capped, but the damage done will take years - perhaps decades - to heal.) For weeks I was overwhelmed with the feeling of helplessness, which grew into anger and then depression. This isn't uncommon for anyone concerned about the welfare of our planet and all of us critters on it... so I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

Having spent years working for ecological causes and trying to walk my talk as much as I've been able, I knew I had to do "something"... I just needed to figure out what that something was. And then, I had an inspiration... I would auction off one of my most favorite brooches... one that I had decided to keep for myself. Perhaps one more alive than any other piece I've made... My Green Worm.

All the proceeds from the auction will go to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), which has been working very hard in three arenas - search and rescue, raising awareness, and speaking out on behalf of wildlife. I suggest a visit to their website to learn more about all they are doing.

How The Auction Will Work

The auction will run until midnight, August 31.
All proceeds will go to the NWF.
The starting bid is $ 20.00
To make a bid, send me an email at RavensClay@gmail.com with your bid.
I will post the highest bid daily both on my Facebook page and on the home page of my website, Ravens Clay
The winning bid will receive my Green Worm brooch, which measures about 2" long and 1/2" wide, with a stick pin on the back that will accommodate most coat lapels. (I have kept my little Green Worm on my favorite jacket for months... so some of you may have run into him and know how cute he is.)
If you're not interested in the Green Worm, please consider just sending a few bucks to the NWF. (I promise it will make you feel just a tad less angry and depressed.)

So, that 's how it works - simple and sweet, just the way I like things. Now that the new laptop has arrived (the one with the anti-technogremlin filter), I should be back in the cyber-game, and making more frequent *cough* posts here.

Yellow Flags, Wood Frogs, Remembering, and More

2010-04-02T09:17:00.007-04:00

Ok, so if last year was the "Year of Exposure" (I'm talking about my work here, guys), then this is the "Year of Remembering What's Important". I completely over did it these last 16 months or so... and I forgot, temporarily, that life was meant to be savored, not gulped down...

So, with that in mind... I have started to wander out to the forest pond and just sit... and listen... smell... feel...

Of course, it helps that Mud Season has arrived ridiculously early, and plants like the Yellow Flag (above) are already coming up.

Yesterday, my son and I strolled down to the pond and just sat. And I was overcome by the heady smell of pine sap, the gentle splashing of Wood Frogs, the heat of the sun on my skin, the soft caress of a mild breeze... need I say more?

Then again, this spring might be called "The Spring When Mosquitoes Arrived Before the Blackflies"... Good thing the Wood Frogs are out in sufficient numbers to nab those little buggers...

That's enough Nirvana for one post...

Hey, let's look at some wacky architecture!
I think I've linked to some of the images that are on this site before, but they are so wild and crazy... and... well... it's fun! So, if you like to see the "acceptable" turned on it's head (sometimes literally) check it out.

The building in this collection that I would love to live in the most? Heh... well this one, of course!

And, if wacky architecture is too tame...

How about some crazy science!
The Indian military have come up with a new crowd control grenade packed with ground seeds from the Bhut Jolokia chilli. Mmmmm, tasty crowd control.
And, to wrap up this 180 degree whirl wind post...
Did you know that Darpa (the Pentagon's Mad Scientist Branch) is investing $6 million to create synthetic organisms that can live forever? Yes, it's true! Isn't that... um... great? Heh.

Ok... Perhaps you should go back to the top of this post, and reread the part about Nirvana.

Sea Dragons, CraftEdu, and Facebook...

2010-03-20T08:53:00.008-04:00

It seems that the intense experience called Synergy II is finally soaking in and settling down. I've even managed to get into the studio for a few hours lately. I have nothing new from there to share - yet - but I do have a few very cool bits to (hopefully) brighten your weekend...

Sea Dragons!

These critters are simply amazing. I picked up this clip from Olly Steeds' Facebook page, and I'm guessing that anyone who reads my blog might enjoy the video too. Romance, stalwart parenting, and simply crazy looking creatures. All things I love!

This is just a little taste from the BBC program called LIFE. I highly recommend you find a way to watch it. I've had to resort to getting it in bits and pieces until I either move to the UK, or iTunes offers it (unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath for either).

From the Wonderful Resources Desk:
There's a new and wonderful resource called CraftEdu.com that's building momentum in the cyber world of virtual education. It's still in Beta mode, but stay tuned. The collection of outstanding artist being signed up is simply... well... outstanding. While you wait for the sites completion, check out the CraftEdu Facebook page and Blog. If you're like me, you will be blown away by the faculties' level of craftsmanship. Oh... and... um.... I'm part of the faculty too. Heh.

Speaking of Facebook...
It's official... Hell has frozen over and I have a Facebook page. I know, I know, I should have done this sooner. But... well... I'm the kind of gal who likes to see how things turn out before committing. What can I say.... except... it's a real time sucker, and a bit confusing, and... Ok, ok... I am enjoying it. There. Happy?

News Flash!
Just came across an artist's cane work that is simply scrumptious! Take a good look at Malsarts wonderful kaleidoscope canes (scroll down to December's posts)! Oooolala!

Beautiful, and very inspirational work! She's making my muse want to go make some right now! (Down, muse, down!)

Folds, Craft becoming Art, & New Piece

2010-03-13T09:28:00.009-05:00

When I work in my studio, I often listen to online programs. I find it entertains the part of my brain that tends to wander. (Sorta like that Beatles song, "I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in...") One of my favorite web sites to stream is the Public Broadcasting Service's (PBS) video collection. There's plenty of engaging programs that make me feel like I've learned something after listening. (Sorta like eating an Avocado... Yummy, and good for you.)

Yesterday I watched (and yes, I can watch TV while claying) a program called "Between the Folds". It's an independent film, by Vanessa Gould, about origami... And it blew me away! (Above, Mother and Child, Christine Edison.)

This is not your kindergarten origami, my friends. This is craft turned art! (Above, a magnificent piece created and folded by Vincent Floderer.)What I found most compelling about this program is that it stressed the many ways individual artists took a simple craft and turned it into an expression of the artist's vision. (Above, Bowl, Joseph Wu.)

Then, in the middle of the program, it hit me... This is exactly what we are doing with polymer clay!!

I strongly recommend this film for anyone who loves to explore other mediums as a way to stimulate their own creativity. Heck, I think anyone who loves eye candy will love this film!

A New Piece...
For those of you who just want to see more polymer... I finally managed to photograph a new BioBangle I'm calling Sun Star.

For those not familiar with what a sun star is, here's a photo of one of the many kinds found under the sea... They are huge beasts that will try and eat anything that will stand still long enough (including smaller star fish!).

I'll do my best to post a little more often. Synergy, while very inspiring and fruitful, took way too much out of me... And I've been dropping stuff right and left. (Oh, and a huge apology to all those who haven't gotten a reply from me. Please know I love all the emails I get! It's just that I can't keep up with them all.)

Sandin', Sanding', Sandin', Keep Those Hands A' Sandin'!

2010-02-03T10:25:00.010-05:00

If you find any typos here, I'm blaming it on tired, blistered hands. Yes... I'm still sanding. And to prove that I'm getting things done, here are three new pieces that are almost ready for my "Available Pieces" catalog:

From the Weird and Wonderful Desk:
There's an interesting piece from the BBC about a pair of swans, which normally mate for life, who have come back to their winter home with different partners. *gasp* Actually, I'm not surprised. In fact, I'm not even surprised that the... er... "experts" are surprised. Old school, in my opinion. Geeze, there are even many, MANY species on this planet who are in happy, gay relationships. Surely getting a divorce isn't that big a deal, is it? Get with the times, "experts!"

From the "I Want One Of Those" Bin:
A floating lamp?!
Yes... it floats!! You really need to go to the web site for this awesome UFO Lamp. They have a little flash thingy that shows how you can adjust the height of the lamp.

This ain't your mother's touch screen!
I'm not sure what I would use this baby for, but heck... who cares! I still want one! (Oh, and a warning and apology... there is a commercial before the real vid. Sorry!)

The Weird, The Wonderful, and... Motivation

2010-01-28T08:24:00.011-05:00

For those who don't frequent Cynthia Tinapple's blog, Polymer Clay Daily, you might have missed a wonderful video (which she pulled from SwissMiss' site)... Not only is the concept and execution brilliant, but the message is too! Here it is:

The Weird and Wonderful:
I wonder if Tom will let me have one of these? Here kitty, kitty!

The blog Cabinet of Wonders has a terrific post outlining her fantasy menagerie... and I'm with her on these guys! Abobe is a mix of Tiger and Lion, called.... heh.... a Liger.. Below is a tiny creature called a Tarsier. I know nothing about them, but it's face is totally memorable.
The critter below is, I believe, an Aye-aye. It reminds me of the delightful book, "Aye-Aye and I", by Gerald Durrell. When my son was younger we would read this book together... must of read it a zillions times.

Raven's Studio:
So far as my own work... I'm currently sanding like mad, making up for all the creative juices that were flowing this summer and fall. I have so much to do before Synergy II next month. As usual, I signed up for everything, including the Vendor's Fair, the Synergy Exhibition, the Gallery and of course... volunteering. Oh, yeah, and a full load of seminars. heh. Thus said, I should have something of mine to share in my next post.

Orange Scales & Forget the Jet Pack!

2010-01-23T11:50:00.006-05:00

Just got back from the Southern New Jersey Polyaddicts retreat, where I taught folks how I made the bangle above, as well as how I make carved Ultralight pins.

I had a terrific time with really wonderful folks, and was delighted to see all sorts of new approaches and forms that came out of the mini-workshop. One of the best parts of teaching, in my opinion, is how much I learn myself, and how an "old" technique (to me, anyway) can be given a breath of fresh air.

Forget the Jet Pack, give me one of these!
Always on the look out for ways that - some day - I could fly with the Ravens, I found this amazing new technology that - some day - will be available to pedestrians like me (except... I'm gonna have to start saving my pennies now, 'cause this one ain't no simple jet pack!).

If you want to know more about this incredible machine, you should read this Scientific American article. The best part is... it's electric! Whisper quite, and no fumes! *note to self... must sell more bangles so I can buy one of these things*

Hmmmmm. Not sure how this showed up twice... bugs, I guess. Geesh.

Frozen Iguanas & Other Weird n' Wonderful Science

2010-01-12T09:58:00.013-05:00

The deep silence on this blog over the early part of winter wasn't wasted (blog wise, at least). I actually collected a few rather interesting bits and pieces, thinking "wouldn't that be nice for my readers". So... here is a sampling for you Weird & Wonderful Science fans...

Frozen Iguanas: (ok, this one is new... but very interesting)

This is not only a funny story, but also rather interesting. It seems the cold snap in Florida has had an impact on at least one "invasive" species there. But read through the whole article... there's a twist (thus the quotes around "invasive").

"Otter vs. Rock" video, or... The Pet I REALLY Want:
(Photo below from Smithsonian National Zoological Park)

I believe it's actually not a rock but a ping pong ball he's messin' with, but who cares. I could watch this video all day. (I think this little guy was a Harlem Globe Trotter in a prior life.) Be sure to check out the quite from Aristotle, at the top.

Extreme Sheep Herding - With Lights:
I know, Christmas is done, for now. But this video is soooo funny, I had to share it with you. Man, those sheep herding dogs are good!

Sand Dunes... From Space!

If you're as crazy about space images of earth as I am, you'll love this article. The photos are wonderful... who knew that sand could be so... well... diverse? And beautiful!

Finally, from the Shameless Commerce Desk:
Tomorrow I leave for the Southern New Jersey PolyAddicts annual retreat, where I will be teaching a class on how to make an organic bangle using Ultralight and those brass channel bangles that I love. This is a test run for this class, so if it goes well I may be offering it as my first "official" class (see previous blog post).

New Year's Resolution? Not.

2010-01-01T10:20:00.010-05:00

To all my dear friends and visitors... Happy New Year! May you all find what you are looking for in 2010! And if not, may you find what you need!

Rarely do New Years Resolutions cross my lips, so this year is no different. There will, however, be some changes for me and my work... but they are just part of an ongoing process. Some bits in the works...

I may be setting up some teaching gigs. (More in future posts.)
Shows are too taxing to do alone, and in this economy I can't afford to pay an assistant, so... I'm backing down from craft shows for the time being.
Wholesale may be the next avenue I explore. (It helps that I am a 2010 Niche Finalist.) We shall just have to wait and see how it all works out.
My pricing structure is being revamped for 2010, and I now have a line of brooches starting at a manageable (for most) $45.00. (Some examples are below.) Simple earrings are also starting to emerge.
I'm keeping to my organic, nature inspired style, if you will, but I'm letting my past graphic design training sneak in, so there will be - in some of my pieces - a cleaner, perhaps more organized element to some of them.

I'll do my best to post more often this year.

And now, as promised, some new brooches...

Niche Award Finalist, PhotoSketch & Elephants

2009-10-21T09:07:00.008-04:00

Some time back, I decided to "test" the idea of targeting the wholesale market by applying for the Niche Awards. And then, I promptly forgot about it. (Hey! Don't laugh! I have an aging, fibrofoggy brain, and I'm having a hard enough time remembering to brush my teeth, much less what stuff I've submitted where! Besides, you should be used to this kind of thing from me by now.)

Well, as fate would have it... last night I received an email informing me that I am a finalist in the Polymer Clay category. (Heh -guess what category polymer clay is in... yep, it's in that glorified category called "Other". Pft!)

Well, I'm quite... um... stunned, actually.

Above is the winning Nudibranch BioBangle. This is also one of the bangles in the "Spineless Wonders" exhibit at the University of Southern Maine's Atrium Gallery, in Lewiston, Maine. So, yeah. Wild, huh?

Ok, no more crowing... for now.

From the Cool Digital Tool Files:
I follow the tweets (groan) of a blog called Mashable:The Social Media Guide. A while back "Mashable" featured a new... um... I guess it's a plug-in for PhotoShop. Anyway, it's called PhotoSketch, and as Mashable describes, it 'is an “Internet Image Montage” project from five Chinese Computer Science and Technology students at Tsinghua University and the National University of Singapore.'

If I understand it right, you sketch (like above) an object, add names of other elements you want, and the program gives you a list of images that fit your parameters. You choose the images you want, and it... well, I guess... puts it all together. Hard to believe.

My biggest question? Where do all the images come from, and what does this mean for copyrights? Oh, the joys of cutting edge technology! (But don't it sound fun?!)

From the Cool Science Desk:
There's a great piece on "How Elephants Talk To Each Other Through The Ground" at a blog called Phenomenica (a very cool, weird science site worth browsing).

It seems the American Physical Society has found "how elephant vocalizations travel through the ground for great distances, and how other elephants can understand them, just as they understand acoustic sound, which travels through the air."

Sweet, huh? We humans soooo under rate the abilities of other creatures that share this earth with us.

ART:21, Xray Art, and Waxing Artly Philosophical

2009-10-04T10:11:00.004-04:00

Ok, so "Artly" isn't a real word. But how do you think new words are started, eh? What do you think the first person to read the word "blog" thought! Heh. I rest my caseness.

Going through my dusty *cough* old files of what I wanted to share with you, I (re)discovered the work of Nick Veasey. His site is full of simply amazing x-ray images of... well... just about anything you can think of.

True, I am partial to the naturalistish (heh, take that, spell check) x-rays.

But all his images are astounding. For the... um... larger pieces, he says he uses the kind of x-ray machines they use at border checks. Oh, and the sitting people in the bus? That was a "borrowed" corpse from the morgue, x-rayed and then cut-'n-pasted into the bus x-ray. Nick, you have definitely got cojones .

From The "She's Got Somethin' New To Show" Desk:
A new sea anemone. (I figure if I write anemone enough times I might remember how to spell it - That's really the only reason I make these things.)

From the Artly Media Files:
If you're a PBS documentary watcher, I highly recommend a visit to PBS's (beta ) video site, where you can watch many of their programs on line (sorry... you may need a decently fast server to watch them). The first one you should check out is Art:21, a series of interviews with artists in a broad range of mediums. It is fascinating to listen to artists describe the process they went through in creating their work. I'll leave it at that - and just urge you to take a peek.

From the "New Media" Art Desk:
“Surprise is the hallmark of true creativity”.
-Laura WestYep, that would be my sister... the first and (imo) most artly of the West bunch. Her current medium is fractal mandalas, and if you like fractals... or, um, mandalas... you should check out her site. Of her work she writes:

"To see without associations, to apprehend, is to know a thing as its self. In order to do this one must enter a meditative state of BEingness. As a landscape painter I would enter a state where the names of things dropped away. In this state I could paint directly without going through the filter of symbols. It is out of this state of BEingness that forms spontaneously arise, in nature, in mathematics, in us."

Laura has a show of her mandala work at CT Hospice, Double Beach Rd., Branford, CT. The show will be up for the month of October. If you're in the area, I recommend a visit (and not just because she's my sister... really... Her work is amazing!)

Lost World of a Volcano & a New Anemone

2009-09-28T09:27:00.009-04:00

If you are a lover of wild and crazy animals, like I am, then you really must check out this photo gallery of animals found in the crater of an ancient volcano in Papua New Guinea (like the buff-faced pygmy parrot, above). The UK's Guardian has an article about an expedition to this volcano by scientists who found more than 40 new species of animals, including a fanged frog, and this lichen camouflaged spider.

I want this little fuzzy critter, below, for my own. It's called a Bosavi silky cuscus. Mmmmm, I love cuscus. And check out those amazing eyes.Ancient volcano craters, mountain tops, islands and other isolated areas are ripe with unique creatures that have evolved into their own, unique species. Very cool.

And speaking of unique species, the isolated landmass called my brain has come up with a new type of anemone.... bangle. Heh. It just got finished in time to include in my application to the 2010 Smithsonian Craft Show.

Thousands of artisans apply to the Smithsonian show every year, and only 120 or so get chosen, so one might think this a futile act on my part. But I look at it as an exercise in pushing my ego's limits. The more I push, the easier it is - over time - to receive rejection. No, really! It's true.

And, from the "Waxing Philosophical" Department: The "philosoraptor"...
(Thanks to my son for sending this one on to me. It's from an interesting blog called Pirate Pasta.)

From the Strange Technology Department:
The publication "New Scientist" has an article on something called "Plasmobot: the slime mold robot". Yes, that's what I said... a slime mold robot. Technology just keeps getting scarier and scarier, doesn't it?

Something to Crow About!

2009-09-25T06:24:00.008-04:00

Yep... I have to do a little shameless strutting around. Forgive me. This is just too good to be true...
It's official! The above bangle (from my BioBangle series) is now part of the permanent collection of the Racine Art Museum. If you're not familiar with RAM, it is (in their words) "one of North America's most significant contemporary craft museums, with more than 4,000 objects in the permanent collection."

Now, I take no credit for getting my piece accepted as part of their collection. I owe it all to the fine women at Polymer Art Archive. There is currently a wonderful summery of all the hard and amazing work that Elise Winters, Rachel Carren, Nancy Travers and others at the Polymer Art Archive have accomplished. And believe me, I am just a drop in the bucket of fine folks who are included in this new polymer addition at RAM. (Hmmm... that metaphor seems... wrong somehow.)

So... excuse me for walking on air today. I promise I'll come back to ground soon, and offer some more inspirational places to explore on these interwebs. Until then... I'm flying in the clouds like... well... like a friggin' raven!

Scrap, Overconfidence, Bling, and Stamen

2009-09-06T08:32:00.008-04:00

This Just In From Our Shameless Commerce Division:
Well... at last, the tutorial I've been promising for... golly, months (?!) is done and up on my Etsy Shop. Phew! I hope I never have to write a book!

I've tried to make the tutorial as accessible as possible so the very beginner can understand it, yet there's a fair amount of bits and tricks that the intermediate clayer will enjoy and appreciate. Heck, if you're a well seasoned clayer, but never gave a thought about tossing your scrap in the trash bin, you too might enjoy this tutorial.
(Note: If you are interested in why I wrote this tutorial - besides the need to make money to feed my starving family - check out this post where I... well... give a little background on why I... um... wrote it.)

From The "Don't Take Life Seriously" Desk:

From The "Don't Take Life Seriously, But Love That Bling" Desk:
(Humorous bad word alert - my apologies to all those under 13.)

And, finally...

From The "At Last She Finally Shared Some More of Her Work" Desk:
Below is my homage to Jeffrey Lloyd Dever (aka "the man with the golden spit" - or so I hear) and all Jeff's wonderful wire work... I call it "Purple Brooch with Stamen".

Please, don't ask why the strawberry is purple or why there are stamen poking out of the top of the strawberry. Sometimes I just make stuff up.

Acknowledgement: My thanks to my teenage (over 13) son for those two funny (but fowl languaged) bit's I shared above. There are days when he sends these kind of things to me non stop. Perhaps that's why I'm always missing deadlines and only posting on this blog every few weeks *coughmonthscough*.

Ice Jellies and Buchsbaum's Translucent Canes

2009-09-02T07:59:00.015-04:00

Just came across a BBC article about these lovelies this morning, and I just had to share them! Oooo lala! These jelly fish live in the Arctic's deep (and might I add... cold!) waters.

For those who don't feel like reading about them, but want to see more photos of these amazing ice jellies, there's a wonderful gallery of them here.

It is fortuitous, I would think, that I came across these critters seeing as yesterday I started playing with translucent polymer clay canes. I don't have any samples of my efforts to show yet, but I will share my initial inspiration... Merrie Buchsbaum's stunning "organic" canes, which sing praises about the potential of translucent polymer clay.

Don't these beads make your fingers just itch to get your stash of translucent clay out?

I've been saving an article to share with you about a new form of... well... I guess you would call it a microscope, of sorts... anyway, for the first time ever, researchers in Zurich (aren't those Swiss simply terrific?!) have managed to take a 3D image of a molecule. And guess what... it looks just like the pictures in my old high school chemistry text books! (The real molecule is the one on the top.)

Pretty wild, huh?

Ok, enough with the science lessons... I'll do my best to post some pics of my own work next time... and perhaps - by then - I will even be able to tell you that my Scrap Clay tutorial is done and on my Etsy site. Heh.

Edit:
Wait, wait, do go yet! I just got a comment from "Errant" about a photo at Deviant Art by Igor Siwanowicz, and you have to see it!

These two different "morphs" of the Deat's-head caterpillar give me the shivers... in a really good way! Thanks, Errant, for the lead. (Now my Muse is goin' crazy, so it's off to the studio I go.)

Maternal Inspiration...

2009-08-27T11:28:00.003-04:00

Last week the West "kids" got together at the familial summer home, Spruce Island (traditional name), aka Spruland (revisionist name). The island sits out in the Penobscot Bay, off the Coast of Maine. The purpose of our gathering was to scatter the ashes of our mother, who had died a few years ago, around the island. It was an emotional, yet very gratifying experience...

I will spare you the details, but I will say it was a time for sharing lots of memories, many of which - for me - were of mom's love of the intertidal zone and the region just beyond the reach of a low tide. This love was easily passed on to me, and has been coming out in my polymer clay work over the last couple of years.

Anyway, to give you an idea of the magic of Spruce Islan... er... Spruland, I wanted to share a poem my sister, Laura, wrote...

Spruland

by Laura West

The clear haunting cry of the loon

From the front cove

The chattering of red squirrel

After hiding bits of food in the tree branches

The gentle lapping of the water at high tide

The snap of a sail as the wind shifts

The rocking of the bell buoy

Ringing day and night, piercing the mind

The laughter after dinner

All sounds of Spruland

The wipe out of white fog

Golden red glow in the sky at sunset and dawn

Bright green moss next to red brown spruce needles

Bright blue skies cluttered with puffy white clouds flying on the wind

Pale pink of the underside of birch bark

The amazing yellow of wet seaweed at low tide

All colors in Spruland

The moisture of fog, getting into everything

The drying cold of a northwest wind

The stickiness on your skin left from salt water

The heat on your skin in the sun of a “scorcher”

The itch of mosquito bites

The smoothness of rocks washed by the sea

All sensations in Spruland

Spruland is dreamt into existence by the memory of all these things and more.

Memories pounding on the shore

I will leave this post as is, and not attempt to add more right now. I just want to let Spruland and memories of my mom sit for a while.

Monarch of Willendorf!

2009-08-19T08:27:00.017-04:00

Name That Blob Results Are In:
The response to my call for help in naming "The Orange Blob" was astounding! A huge thank you to all who put thought and energy into helping me name this crazy piece. I wish the English language encouraged multiple names for things... but in lieu of that, I took two really terrific suggestions and merged them into one... and the Orange Blob is now Monarch of Willendorf! Monarch for the Monarch Butterfly...

And Willendorf for the Venus of Willendorf...
Both of these creatures are near and dear to my heart. Monarch butterflies take one of the longest migrations for insects - 2500 miles! Very heroic, and an inspiration in a world where adaptation and persistence is vital. The Venus of Willendorf is a small sculpture estimated to have been made between 24,000 – 22,000 BCE! To me, this sculpture represents the strength and persistence of the true feminine, and reinforces my belief that the need to create art is in our genes. So, a special "Thank you!" to Holly King for suggesting "Monarch Cocoon Fantasy" (Holly, I've been meaning to email you for weeks - sorry!), and "DyLinn" for the name "Willendorf Nudibranch"! (And again, thanks to all of you who came up with such wonderful ideas! You folks are great!!)

Another New BioBrooch:
Below is a photo of one of my new BioBrooches... right now I'm calling it Fossil. The piece is rather long... about 5" or 6" (haven't got it here in front of me). But I think it will be OK for wearing with the right piece of apparel.

News From The Home Front:
I don't usually bore folks with chatter about personal stuff, but I just have to crow... er, caw... about the new cabin my partner Tom is working on. This is a pic of Tom and his young friend Jake, pouring concrete for the foundation. If you look closely, you will see pink piping looped across the rebar. That is part of the solar water radiant heat system that Tom has set up. There will be a solar water heat exchange thingy (technical name) that sends solar heated water through those pink (who picked that color?!) tubes under the concrete floor.

Why is Tom building a new cabin, you ask? Well, it's based on the theory that "if you build it, they will come". Who will come, you ask? One (or two) folks who want to be assistants to an aging and health challenged couple who insist on living a Homesteader's life in the woods of Maine. (If you know of anyone interested in assisting us 10-15 hours a week in exchange for living in the new cabin, please do email me. My address is on the upper right corner of this page.)

Steam Punk Octopus!
Below is a detailed of an image my son found on Defiant Art... I couldn't resist sharing it, considering how popular steam punk is with polymer clayers of late. And... well... it's an octopus. So. Yeah.

From the Wierd Science Desk:
Three suns?! This is, so they say, an optical illusion... but I can't help wondering if the person who took this photo might have been teleported to some strange world in another galaxy... hmmmm. (My apologies to whomever took this photo... I'm afraid I lost the link, so I can't give you the credit you deserve for.... er... traveling so far to take this photo.)

Thought for the Day:
If what I heard is true, the Latin breakdown of the word "amateur" is "one who loves what they do". So what does that do to the word "professional"?

Name This Orange Blob...

2009-07-30T08:46:00.010-04:00

This crazy orange blob brooch has been long in birthing... It was initially conceptualized (and started) in May, at a terrific pc retreat, but I stalled out and it sat in my "undone" collection until just a few weeks ago.

The colors incorporate a lot of pearl, which I like to use to "dilute" my colors, and reflect a real "warming "change in "my color pallete".

The form is... well... I'm not sure what the form is all about. I had thoughts of fungus (think chanterelle meets puff ball) and slime mold while I was building the armature. I know, that isn't a very appealing image for most of you. But for me... well... it's right up my alley, I'm afraid. (Hey, I'm the one who can't wait for a chance to wear my Green Worm - see previous post.)

So, because I (personally) like the name Orange Slime Mold, but understand that calling it Orange Slime Mold probably isn't great marketing, I thought I would prevail upon my wise and worldly readers to help me name this... um... blob. So I turn to you, my friends. Please, post a comment or send me an email, and give me your best name ideas!

From The Weird Science Division:
Is your cat a righty or a lefty?
Blue M&Ms and blue mice(?!?) lead to reduced spinal injury?

This One I'm Keeping

2009-07-28T07:21:00.012-04:00

I've been working like a crazy woman to create (and photograph) pieces for a publication submission... and finally (!!) it's in the mail and I can breath... at least until tomorrow when another deadline looms. But while I'm sighing in relief, I wanted to share a couple of the new pieces.

Above is my most favoritest piece in my new BioBrooch series. She's called "Green Worm". Catchy name, eh? (I'm guessing that the target market for folks who would wear this brooch is pretty small, so I'm not loosing a sale by keeping this one myself.)

Below is a new addition to the BioBangle series. It's called "Blind Man's Trunk".

For those of you who don't recognize it, the name comes from a story about a group of blind men who each touch a different part of an elephant... and... well... each gets a different impression of what an elephant is like. It's a story that seems to have as many versions as there are religions and cultures. I like the Hindu version the best. Here's a quote I stole from Wikipedia:

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used this parable to discourage dogmatism—

"A number of blind men came to an elephant. Somebody told them that it was an elephant. The blind men asked, ‘What is the elephant like?’ and they began to touch its body. One of them said: 'It is like a pillar.' This blind man had only touched its leg. Another man said, ‘The elephant is like a husking basket.’ This person had only touched its ears. Similarly, he who touched its trunk or its belly talked of it differently. In the same way, he who has seen the Lord in a particular way limits the Lord to that alone and thinks that He is nothing else."

There are also many images of this story, my favorite being this very humorous 1888 Japanese print. (Hmmm... for some reason Blogger isn't allowing me to add anymore pictures... or spell check... So my apologies for the lack of more pics and any spelling mistakes I missed!)

From the Weird (and Scary) Science Division...
I don't usually wander into the political... but this story about a new technology that can apparently be used for both a weapon and weather modification (!?!) is - I feel - very important, and I encourage you to check it out. As an addition to the weather modification story, I suggest (if you have the stomach for it) you do a Youtube search for "Chemtrails" (no, I don't mean contrails - the condensation that results from the exhaust of jets). If you're willing to explore this topic, try to look past the wild speculations and... well... down right craziness... and focus on just the facts.

Well... that was depressing.

Ok, I'm sorry about that. How about this very funny story about a fox in Foehren, Germany, who has been stealing peoples shoes.

Edited to add:
Just came across this hysterical article in the UK's Sun about "killer chipmunks". I have a couple of felines who would love to sink their teeth into one of these guys.

Feel better now? I certainly do.

There Ain't No Such Thing as Scrap!

2009-07-08T20:34:00.006-04:00

My mom and dad both grew up during the depression. They were pretty frugal people, even when they started to make some decent money. Perhaps that's when my Pack Rat tendencies began, by watching them play out their own upbringing. Wherever, or whenever it began, I have become a master at holding onto things (you never know when you might need it).

What does this have to do with "Scrap"? Well... for those who are clayers, you've probably figured out I'm talking about scrap polymer clay.

The stuff that gets trimmed off of canes, cut around templates, balled up and put on the corner of your workspace. For me... it's the stuff that collects on my work table until I have to do something or I'll run out of space.

(That's not to say I don't throw away clay... some of it just isn't viable - you know, the stuff that falls on the floor you haven't swept in... er... um... years).

So, being said Pack Rat, I got creative. I have collected a multitude of ways to reuse my scrap clay. And now I've put together a tutorial to help folks use up their scrap in creative... and frankly, pretty fun ways.

I'm almost done with it (the tutorial) - all the photos are ready to go, along with my outline. Just have to put some words to it. Heh... that's all. If you're interested in what I might have to say about using scrap, the tutorial will be on my Etsy Site soon. (That's soon in "Mel" time, so... don't hold your breath. But it will happen.)

And, in the category of weird, wonderful and... well, in this case... worrisome...
There's an article at NewScientist.com about how privacy-invasive advertising is stepping out of the virtual world and into the real world. There are companies who will be watching you from their billboards, and change the ad depending on your age or sex. Companies will have advertising that will see who's looking at it, and record intel about you with little cameras. I'm sorry, but that's just plain creepy. But I suppose it's no worse than the dossiers that have been accumulated by corporations about us, which are being sold to other corporations so they can... well... do whatever they do to us.

Heh. Creepy.

On the flip side, however, there's an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a bill that recently passed in PA that bans forced identity chips in humans. Perhaps jumping the gun a bit... but perhaps not. At the very least, it's good to know someone is paying attention.

*shivers*

Am I sounding paranoid?

*Note to self: Stop watching spy movies and scifi tv shows.*

No More Excuses

2009-06-24T11:16:00.010-04:00

Contrary to how it might seem... I've been working in my studio a fair amount. My fibromyalgia just hasn't left me with the energy to photograph my new work. We rearranged my studio so my son could have a work table there. When that happened, I lost my photo set up, and I haven't found the room (or energy) to set it back up.
Did I say I wasn't going to make any more excuses. *cough* Um... So. I finally just took a couple of lousy shots to show you the new BioBrooches I've been working on. These two brooches are part of the "Invertebrate" subgenus of the BioBrooch family. There are many more variants and subgenus in the works, as well as a line of Microbes Under the Lense. Heh. Have I totally confused you yet? In time I will get them photographed properly, but... well... no more excuses.

Noteworthy News:
Not sure if I mentioned it, but I've been invited to contribute to an exhibit called "Spineless Wonders: Invertebrates as Inspiration." Sounds like it's right up my alley, doesn't it? The show is at the Atrium Gallery, in Lewiston, Maine, which is part of the University of Southern Maine's Lewiston-Auburn College. The show will run from September 8th - December 18th.

And another bit of good news... The Fuller Craft Museum's shop has asked if I could give them up to 15 pieces, on commission, to be included in their shop during their exhibit, "Sculpting Color: Works in Polymer Clay", which is being curated by Kathleen Dustin (August 8, 2009 – November 8, 2009).

I'll be in CraftBoston Holiday this December 11 - 13th. They've changed the location of the show this year. It will be at the Cyclorama, at the Boston Center for the Arts. Word on the street is, this is a very cool place for a holiday craft show.

All this is totally cool, but is tempered by my not getting into this year's Philadelphia Museum of Art's Craft Show. *sniff* *sob* *sigh* There's always next year. *crosses fingers and toes... and eyes*

And, as a grand finish to this lugubrious update... I've (finally!) joined Twitter. Heh. We shall see how long I can keep it up, or keep my wandering mind entertained by it. But there you have it. I now "Tweet". Pft. (That last bit was for Ronna. *wicked grin*)

Morphing, Coolest Book, Commerce & Inspiration

2009-06-13T09:59:00.013-04:00

(Yeah... I know. It's been a looooong time since I last posted, and I said I would try to post more often, and then... a month or two later I promised to... um... post more often. And... so... yeah. Well, I'm not promising anything this time. Just know that there have been zillions of posts in my head, but honestly... I've been hoping to include a photo or two of my new work... and... well... er, um, eh... I just haven't had time to photograph any of my new work. So. Yeah. I'm just posting other stuff for now. Ok... enough excuses! On with the post!)

I think I'll get to the really fun stuff first... 'cause it's Saturday, and it's sunny, and I feel like playing... So...
Under the "I Want One Of These" category:
I found this item at the Wired Magazine's Danger Room blog. It seems that the Pentagon's weird science arm, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), is working on... well... some weird science. This particular bit is some programmable matter that can self assemble or alter shape and then do stuff and disassemble again. Think morphing vehicles, self adjusting clothes, or "soft robots".

My son says he'd use it to "make another me", so he'd never get borded again. heh. I guess I'd like that too. But... imagine a polymer clay tool that, with the touch of a button, could change shape into any tool you would like. Heh heh heh!

The Coolest Book This Year Award: (IMNSHO)
Ronna Sarvas Weltman, one of my most favoritest artists, has birthed a new book that is to die for! These days it takes a lot for a polymer clay book to get me really excited and inspired. This one does it for me in aces! Now... go forth buy it!!

Under the "Amazing Life" or "That Guy Was Real Lucky" category:
There's a guy in the UK who "couldn't even draw stickmen," who had a stroke and woke up from brain surgery as an artist. I'm thinkin' you should read the Daily Mail article to get the whole story. But below is just one of his paintings.

From the Shameless Commerce Division...
I have finally gotten *cough* most of *cough* a new tutorial up on my Etsy Shop. This one is for one of my most favorite canes... a striped Skinner Blend cane. (Part 3 should be done by the end of the weekend *cough*).

For those who photograph their own work, you might be interested in the medium sized, table top, gray to white photo sweep which I also sell on my Etsy Shop.

Oh... I also had an article published in Art Jewelry Magazine last month on how I use those addictive aluminum cuff blanks (there's also a bit in that issue on my solar studio, as well as some cool ideas to make your studio more green). For those who are interested, there's also desktop wallpapers available on the magazines site, including this one:

And finally...
I will leave you with some photos I have been inspired by lately. Enjoy!

The Rain in Maine Falls Mainly on The Snow

2009-04-01T07:54:00.003-04:00

Heh... Sorry for the lousy title... my coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

So... Just got back from CraftBoston, and I wanted all the world... er... the handful of folks who read this blog... to know that I couldn't have done any of it without the help of Betsy Baker of Stonehouse Studio. Ok, I know Bets hates when I go on and on about how much help she was, but I think she deserves a medal for all the help she has given me. Brava to Betsy, I say!!!

Now... about the rain... in Maine... I present my Raindrops BioBangle...

I also wanted to give you a little teaser... you know how I've been hyper focused on bangles? Well, my muse has been bugging me big time (along with a little help from my friends - heh... sorry for the pun) to make "something else" besides bangles. So, I wanted to let you in on a secret... I'm designing a BioCollar. Stay tuned. As soon as I can get caught up on post show stuff I'm back in the studio, and we shall see what the mad scientist comes up with. Bwaa haaa haaaaaa!

Smooshed Fireflies, Micro Megalopolis, How To's For You To Do's

2009-03-13T12:44:00.009-04:00

Smooshed Fireflies!

I love when someone discovers something that shakes up firm bits of information that we consider true and fact... Like how photography was being used long before the camera was created...

The BBC has a great piece on the 16th century, Italian artist Caravaggio. There is a researcher who now believes that Caravaggio used crushed fireflies to create primitive, temporary "photographs" on his canvas to make initial sketches. The article doesn't describe how he might have projected light onto his canvas... but my guess is he used a "camera obscura" (which had been around long before Caravaggio).

Micro Megalopolis:
I can't resist sharing a video I came across, which demonstrates the power of a "collective mind." Please ignore the little speech bubbles... they were put there by someone else.

The engineering and architecture of this thing is astonishing, and I am grateful for being able to see it... But at what price? Here's the thing about science... The fascination with the secrets of nature seems to over ride the desire to preserve it.

And now, a word from our shameless commerce division:

How To's For You To Do's:

Just a quick note on some fun stuff I've put together for those interested in polymer clay bracelet tutorials. In my Etsy shop you can now find a tutorial on how to use the brass channel bangles I sell there. Oh, yeah, and I'm still selling pre-bent aluminum cuff blanks, both on my Etsy Shop and at my website. And, in the upcoming April '09 issue of Art Jewelry Magazine, I've written an extensive article on how to cover the aluminum cuff blanks (which *cough* I also sell). Art Jewelry also did an interview with me about my solar studio. (Lord knows why they would want to cover me in TWO articles in the same issue.)

Other than my work displayed in a couple few publications this year, I think that's it for exposure... unless, of course, I make zillions of dollars and can pay off my debts, and still have money left over to buy an ad here and there. Heh. Don't hold your breath.

Translucent Nudibranchs, Glide Suits, and Pranks

2009-02-27T09:07:00.012-05:00

Ok, ok, settle down. I know you're all eager to hear about the pranks and glide suits... but you'll have to put up with a little show and tell first.

Well, actually, second.

First I want to say a huge "Thank you!!!" to all who visit this site, and especially to those who take the time to leave such wonderful comments or send me emails. I'm not always able to reply these days, but please know that I DO read all your comments, and that I'm really, REALLY moved by them. With the increased exposure my work is getting (which is a good thing) I'm having trouble keeping up with correspondence and postings (which is not a good thing). So if you don't see a personalized reply to your posting, or I haven't responded to your email... it's not for lack of care or desire.

Ok, enough excuses. Back in June I posted a photo of a see-through nudi branch that I hoped, someday, I could translate into a BioBangle.

Well... at last... I have made my first attempt.

Mind you, this is a first attempt... I really like the stubby thing goin' on here, but I'm not feeling like I've gotten very close to the original inspiration. But that's how I work, I guess... I have discovered that I don't have to make my bangles look like something else, I just need them to feel kinda sorta like (technical term) something else.

I also need to give a shout out to a wonderful woman who's work kicked my muse... *Melanie ducks huge lump of clay her muse lopped at her* ... I mean my butt in gear to create this bangle. Her name is Natalia Garcia de Leniz, but goes by Tatana on line. She made this delightful bracelet using translucent lace canes... and I (and my muse) were totally inspired.

Ok, there's the show and tell. Now to the good stuff!

For those who come here often, you might remember the video of a jet pack I posted. Well... I've changed my mind about them... now I want this. I just have to figure out a few things... like, um... how to be younger... and maybe stronger and healthier, and a bit more... well... courageous. Heh.

At last... what you have all been waiting for... one of the best performance art stunts ever! I have a great fondness for Grand Central Station, in NYC, and would have loved to have participated in this stunt. And if you like this one, look farther down the page this video is on to see more... from all over the world! So totally cool!

Variations On A Theme... and then some.

2009-02-03T09:25:00.013-05:00

Ok, ok, I know it's been waaay too long since I've posted anything. Waaaaay too long. It's been a hard winter for me... lots of fibromyalgia pain... and a lot of drawing within, which is only right for this time of year, I guess. But I'm slowly coming out of my... hehe... shell...

Yes, at last, a new piece for the BioBangle series. I call it "Shells." Below is a detail, where I hope you can see the white areas are actually faux... um... well... shell.

This form is similar to the Bamboo BioBangle, only less ridges (and a bit easier to make).

There will be a few more new BioBangles coming soon, but I wanted to share with you a new bangle series that I'm making for my Etsy shop and for wholesale... simple polymer inlay into polished brass bangles...
I only have a few up on my Etsy shop, but I'm gearing up to photograph more and get them added to the shop soon... so stay tuned.
And, for those who - like me - love the weird and beautiful in Nature...

This beautiful *cough* little baby is the latest addition to the Detroit Zoo. If you haven't figured out what type of animal it is... well, it's an aardvark. But I call it "Eeyore meets Piglet." And I want one!

Ancient Art

2008-12-02T08:34:00.021-05:00

Note: I am still spinning from the previous "big show", current exposure, upcoming events, and trying to get caught up with my web site, bills, emails, and all around life stuff. So, I'm not yet able share any new work with y'all (although I can promise some fun new bangle shapes later this month - heehee!). But stay tuned!

I wanted to share something intriguing I came across this morning that got me thinking...

A feminine sculpture similar to "Venus" figures found from Siberia to the Pyrenees

Now, some of you may say "eeuw" to this ancient sculpture carved from mammoth tusks (O.k., maybe not "eeuw", but... well... you get the idea). But when I look at this photo, I am moved to my very core.

This is the work of an artist from the late Stone Age. Some of you may be familiar with the prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux, France, which are pretty breath taking.

But think about the tusk sculpture for a moment. This is the Stone Age I'm talking about here... No steel tools, much less a flex shaft drill. Imagine hand carving a mammoth tusk with a piece of obsidian...

Think about the creative urge that must have driven this prehistoric person to carve a woman, from a chunk of tusk, with a hand made stone tool.

It makes me look at my own urges to create. I realize that this must be, in part at least, a cellular urge that drives me. It must be in my very genes... In all our genes!

As I think of the prehistoric artist who sat before a fire on some dark frozen winter night to carve the feminine figure from a piece of bone... I find I am strangely reassured.

We must all create... In our own way.... No matter how hard we may deny our "artist genes". No matter how little respect our modern culture gives to the artist in us all... It is still there.... Waiting... Calling us to grab something and form it into something else... Urging us to create something which will call to our very deepest souls.

And now for something completely different (or perhaps not) -

What I want for Christmas.
(Sorry for the commercial. The video doesn't come any other way.)

A Really Big Show & Micro Flying Spys!

2008-11-23T10:34:00.013-05:00

Slowly, slowly, slowly, I am climbing out of the haze (and pain) of months of frenzied preparation for the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. (Successes and lessons below.)

It went incredibly well, all things considered, in part because of much help from many friends and angels (in particular Sarah Shepley, Betsy Baker, and my partner Tom, just to name three).

And for those who insisted I take photos of my PMA booth.... (larger pics upon request)

So, after a week of "processing" the outcomes of the show, I've been able to come up with the following...

Successes:

almost covered expenses (hey, this is really good, considering how much I spent on this show - heh).
a fantastic response to my wilder work (the bigger... and much more expensive... BioBangles)
wonderful insights and support from my favorite pc artist, Kathleen Dustin (mucho mucho thanks Kathleen!)
4 amazingly stunning pairs of earrings from a swap with Kathleen (one pair went to Sarah for all her help over the week, and another pair went to my sister for her birthday.... but I shamelessly kept the best 2, heehee!)
1 pair of stud earrings from Ford and Forlano (the only pair I could afford, but still absolutely stunning!)
The opportunity to really get to know Sarah Shepley, a fantastic artist and now a wonderful, close friend.

Lessons:

Always make sure you know how to use the credit card machine before the show opens.
Don't show a potential buyer how tough your bangles are by vigorously throwing one onto the floor (use your imagination).
Don't make things to sell. Make things you love making, and then sell them.

I know there are more successes and lessons... I just can't think of them right now.

Oh, and from the Shameless Promotion & Ego Strutting department... I got into the 2009 Spring and Holiday Craft Boston Shows, and... da da da daaaa... I'm on the wait list for the Smithsonian Craft Show!!!! Holy Smokes!!! *head spins briefly... for the 100th time* Oh, and... um.... I got second place in NPCG Progress & Possibilities 2008 for Jewelry - just behind Kathleen Dustin! Zounds, the air is getting pretty thin up here. 0.O

Ok, that's enough crowing.

Here's a nifty little factoid for those that like to collect factoids that are.... um ... interesting...

The US military is planning to have "Mico Aerial Vehicle" spys as small as a bumble bee by 2030. By 2015 they say that they'll have bird size AVs. Funny to read this on the AP web site because I thought they already had them.

Hmmm. Perhaps this is just another one of those times when the US military is decades behind the rest of the world. Heh.

Well, regardless, it's pretty cool... and rather disturbing. I mean, if there's a huge brew-haha about violations of our civil liberties now... just think what these little bumble bee spys could do. *shivers*

T minus 11 days & speculative fiction

2008-10-30T07:45:00.022-04:00

Yup... the clock is ticking incredibly loud lately. I'm now eating, sleeping and dreaming the PMA Show ( I'm in the Emerging Artists section). I have no idea how this show will turn out for me... but I'm ready to learn from all the mistakes I'm about to make. I'm sure there will be some good outcomes no matter what happens... in fact, I've already gotten into Ornament Magazine (the newest edition). Pat Worrell wrote a terrific article on the show, and wrote 2 paragraphs about me! Zounds! Plus, I got a great shared advertising rate in the current issue...

So, yeah. I've been claying, sanding, planning, building displays, sanding, designing posters and postcards, sanding, photographing inventory, sanding, shopping for necessary bits... and sanding. My fingers are blistered, my hands and arms are aching, my eyes are getting blurry and... I'm really tired.
But I'm beginning to feel ok about the inventory problem... sort of. Now, Tom and I are in the construction mode, making display units which are still in a slightly amorphous state. Heh.

*Tries to avoid chewing fingernails that don't exist anymore*

I don't want to talk about this anymore! So... um.

Cynthia Tinapple mentioned a term the other day that I hadn't heard of before... "Steampunk". It was such an alluring word, I had to do some research on it...

Jules Verne was a Steampunker, as was H. G. Wells. These guys were really on to something. But these days folks are getting into a bit of a dystopian spin off... cyberpunk.

Which is what my life has been feeling like lately.
*wonders if a cyberpunk BioBangle could work*

Heh.
*slinks slowly back to sanding*

Wild, Wacky & Wonderful

2008-09-28T08:51:00.008-04:00

Well, before life sweeps me totally away I wanted to squeeze in one more post. (no, no, I'm not dying, or expecting to be swept up by a UFO, or disappear into the shadows of crime and intrigue... I've just been really, REALLY busy.) When I find myself holding on for dear life (OK, OK, so I'm being melodramatic) I often find a little peace by looking at really weird images or reading about amazing things on this small earth. I thought some of you might appreciate the following... (click of the photos to see the original site.)

Above is one of those super duper, close up microscope photos of... heh heh... you'll have to click on the photo to find out what it is. (Yeah, I'm feeling just a tad sadistic this morning.)

This endangered guy is from Australia. No, the green hairdo isn't his (hers?). It's algae hitching a ride.

OK, use your imagination here... this is a Brine Lake, under the ocean. Yeah... very cool, and well worth reading about. (Again, if you weren't paying attention earlier, click on the photo.)

And lastly, in memory of Paul Newman...

What's that? You can't figure out what a photo of a pedestrian suspension bridge has to do with Paul Newman? Um... well, many years ago, when I was a professional architectural photographer, I was hired by an architect to photograph Paul Newman's pedestrian bridge on his property in Connecticut. There's a pretty good story in this photo, but like I said earlier... I'm feeling a tad sadistic... so you'll have to make up your own story. heh.

Thoughts on One's Potential

2008-09-05T08:03:00.011-04:00

I heard an interesting story the other day, while listening to Coast to Coast AM... I wont due justice to the original story told by Dr. Bruce Lipton... Apparently, one can tie the leg of a young elephant to a stake and keep it tied up until it finally stops trying to get loose. Once they have given up, from then on - no matter how big and strong the elephant grows - all you have to do is keep a rope tied to their leg, not even tied to a stake - and it will not try to get away. Hmmmm.

Ok, no more deep thinking...
I mentioned, last post, that I was having a Studio Sale on my Etsy page. Well, I finally got a few items up the other day, and I will try to add more every day. A few examples of what's currently on Etsy are below.
I'll do my best to post some of the new stuff from Etsy on this blog, too. (Are ya' happy now, Swiss Sister? ;P Hee hee!)

Eye Candy... (mucho links alert!)

2008-09-01T09:20:00.022-04:00

Yes, yes, I know all you artists out there are buggy for eye candy... but you'll have to wait a moment. First, I want to tell you that, starting later this week I am going to be selling a whole bunch (technical unit of measurement meaning "a lot") of my beads on Etsy.

It's clean out the studio and make some moola (technical monetary term) time at Raven's Clay. So, check my Etsy site later this week for lots of cool stuff (and yes, maybe even some eye candy).

So. Back to eye candy. When I get bored or desperate for inspiration, I head to web sites like these.....

National Geographic Photographs, where you can find things like this:

Fractal World Gallery, where you can find amazing digital art like this:

(Many thanks to Martha Aleo for this terrific link!)

Fruit under microscope... a video that makes me beg for more! (If you like this video, perhaps you'll like the book... this one is on the top of my birthday list. )

ClareSnow's Flicker Nature Set, where you'll see amazing flower photos like this:

(Thanks to Susan Lomuto for the above site.)

And last, but certainly not least, Kim Cavender's blog is always a delight to visit. Her most recent posts include the work of Marla Frankenberg (oh, what delicious cane work!!) and several bracelets from a variety of artists. Yum!

I hope these links can provide you with some light when your muse seems in the dark.

For me, I'm trying desperately to get ready for the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show...

*runs around the studio in a crazed panic*

...and I'm trying not to look at all the cool, yet distracting, stuff online.

*wonders how artists manage to do zillions of shows every year*

Random Ramblings Of A Crazed Raven...

2008-08-27T11:44:00.002-04:00

First, a little random, strange humor...
Apparently, you can learn some of the most obscure things on Google Earth... like, how cows tend to face in the north-south direction of Earth's magnetic lines.

Actually, you really can't tell much from this photo, and I'm not sure why one needs to use Google Earth to tell which way cows face.

I, for one, like to browse Google Earth to see if I can find errant UFOs. Heh.

How about a little "Holy Smokes Technology"...

This... well... contraption... is fantastic news for paraplegic folks. It consists of motorized leg supports, body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box, and has stand, sit, walk, descend or climb commands.

Geeze, there are days I could use something like that.

Who knows, perhaps soon we'll be seeing bionic people!

Actually, um... that's a tad frightening.

And speaking of technology that could lead to frightening things... check out this New Science article about Mexican kidnapping and microchips. *shivers*

And finally, a thought for the day... (er, perhaps, based on my posting history, it's more like "a thought for the next few weeks")

From Soren Kierkengaard, the existentialist, neo-orthodoxist, postmodernist, humanist and individualist *gasps for air* philosopher wrote...

"To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one's self...And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one's self."

Yes, Soren Kierkengaard, who also wrote (not surprisingly) -

"...the task must be made difficult, for only the difficult inspires the noble-hearted".

The Golden Ratio vs. Chaos (esoteric alert)

2008-08-11T10:17:00.007-04:00

1.61803399

There is a whole lot of math, science and art in this simple... um... thing... called the Golden Ratio (not to be confused with the golden "rule", "mean" or "numbers")...

The Golden Ratio is a universal law "...in which is contained the ground-principle of all formative striving for beauty and completeness in the realms of both nature and art, and which permeates, as a paramount spiritual ideal, all structures, forms and proportions, whether cosmic or individual, organic or inorganic, acoustic or optical; which finds its fullest realization, however, in the human form."

- Adolf Zeising, 1854

Quite a mouth full... especially for a Monday morning. While I don't agree with that last bit about the human form being the fullest realization of the Golden Ratio, I am profoundly moved by the rest of the above quote.

A Fibonacci spiral that approximates the golden spiral, using Fibonacci sequence square sizes up to 34.

Above is a figure that, as I understand it, incorporates the Golden Ratio. Think nautilus... one of Nature's amazing and beautiful creations...

I have a suspicion that human beings are innately drawn to this ratio... for the simple fact that it is contained in so much of our art.

Yet I am also drawn to the chaotic. But even our ideas about chaos can't get away from the Golden Ratio, or at the very least, pattern... look at this Google search for chaotic images. Think about Chaos Theory and Fractals...

My brain hurts.

Maybe, instead of waxing philosophical, I should just have shown you a recently made Nudibranch BioBangle...

And finally (finally!), for folks who like to play as they think...
Unscrew America - Uber flash site (you, of course, will need Flash installed in your computer).

Bamboo with Gold, and 18 kt Gold

2008-08-07T09:00:00.013-04:00

Bamboo with Gold -
Ok, then... above is a first try of a new form. I'm calling this biobangle "Bamboo 1". I have to say, as much as I like the shape... it was a nightmare to make. Will I try again? Yeah... probably. I've always been fond of banging my head against the wall.

18 kt Gold -
Cynthia Tinapple's post today on Polymer Clay Daily, featured the work of a couple of amazing women artists - Kathleen Dustin and Laura Balombini. Both are Golden Girls for me... the best of the best of women artists. Well worth a look see.

Cynthia also included a list (by way of Elise Winters) of what it takes to make an 18 kt ring. I had no idea how toxic precious metal could be. It totally makes me feel better about messing around with polymer clay. (I'm always looking for ways to feel better about working with plastic... call it Protestant guilt.)

And finally...
...as a little treat for you folks who have a sardonic sense of humor... check out this interview with Randy Newman, singer/songwriter and all around heroic mocker of all things wrong and... well... mockable. And no, this has nothing to do with gold... unless, of course, this latest Newman album sells enough that it turns gold. (For those from away, that means... er... well... I'm not sure what it means... just that you have to sell a whole bunch of albums... um, excuse me, CD's... and then you get a plaque to put on your wall, with a gold colored album - CD - on it, and the plaque says how you've sold the... um, well, the number of CD's you need to... aw, heck. You get the idea.)

Tomorrow(ish)? Thoughts on the Golden Ratio.

Art-vertising?

2008-08-02T07:59:00.012-04:00

It seems that advertising agencies are having a harder and harder time getting their clients noticed... At least according to an article in the New York Times, recently. Above is a photo of Right Guard's campaign in the subways of London... arm pit TV. Sort of performance art, in a way. Sort of.

Below is Chevrolet's billboard campaign where they used British pennies to cover a photo of a car.... but passers by couldn't resist picking at it, and the billboard didn't last more than 30 minutes! (I especially like the mum teaching her kids how to steal the pennies!)

Perhaps this is all just the "shout-louder-so-the-media-overwhelmed-people-will-hear" Shock n' Awe movement. That's my guess, at any rate.

Look, for instance, at the YouTube video of a glass elevator in Manhattan that was done up to look like a giant Oreo dunking into a glass of milk. It turns out that the whole event was simply devised to get a huge viewership on YouTube (which I am apparently helping, I guess - phft!).

What does this have to do with art, you might ask? Well, probably not much, except there is a degree of creativity in these campaigns that I feel is... well... brilliant.

And then there was this artist, Stan Herd, who was hired by an ad agency to make a giant pizza for Papa John's. It will be made of alfalfa bales (the crust, I think), red mulch (pepperoni), limestone (onions), cornstalks (green peppers), black mulch (olives). The pizza is meant to be seen by passengers landing at the Denver Airport, just in time for the National Democratic Convention. This same artist had been hired in the past to a make "crop art" advertising vodka.

So... yeah... um... art. I guess... sort of. What do you think?

(Note: New biobangles will be showcased next post.)

Spacey Today (rambling alert!)

2008-07-19T07:08:00.015-04:00

I found a really cool video from NASA of the moon passing earth... from 31 million miles away! Wild, huh? The video was taken by NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft. An interesting way to look at our home, don't you think? Kind of humbling.

While we're hurtling through space, check out some of the latest images from Mars. We're talkin' mucho agua, baby! (That's Spanish for Uber H2O, which is 16 year old lingo for lots and LOTS of water.) Below is a color-enhanced image of the delta in Jezero Crater (thought to have been a lake, Uber Eons ago). Scientists believe ancient rivers ferried clay-like minerals (shown in green, below) into the lake, forming the delta. Clays tend to trap and preserve organic matter, making the delta a good place to look for signs of ancient life.

Makes ya' kinda' think, don't it? (Actually, it makes my brain hurt.)

There was also a report from NASA about how some of Mar's soil could grow asparagus, assuming asparagus could handle massive temperature swings as low as -195 degrees F (-125 degrees C) near the poles during the winter, to as much as 70 degrees F (20 degrees C) at midday near the equator. The average temperature on Mars is about -80 degrees F (-60 degrees C). And I thought Maine winters were cold! *shivers*

For those who would like to steer me back to topics of Polymer... I heard an interesting factoid on NPR the other day (my middle aged, muddled, and yes... spacey... brain can't remember who said this, however). Apparently, 70% of the plastic made in the US comes from natural gas, not oil. Hmmm. Not sure why this interests me, or why it should interest you, but it's probably related to my quirky eccentricities... or my Uber spaciness.

And... because I can't avoid talking about myself for more than 5 minutes... I've finally found a way to make mini nudibranchs! These minis stick out a bit less than the bigger ones, and are a tad lighter (and yes, a tad cheaper). I will (finally!) leave you with photos of a few of them...

Wild is Wonderful!

2008-07-14T20:55:00.009-04:00

This is the work of Arthur Hash, a wonderful artist with a strange, but compelling whimsy. Above is his bubble bracelet, made of ABS plastic. The bracelet below, I believe, is made from cast polyurethane. I found these two beauties at Velvet da Vinci Gallery (another fun time-sucking site well worth browsing). Hash also has some wonderful wall and sculptural art on his site. Well worth a visit.

Yeah, so... Wild is wonderful, but... Routine is good too. At least, it's good when the world seems to be spinning you in waaay too many directions at once. Like... when you have too many ideas in your head, sometimes the best thing to do is just mix clay? Well, lately, I've fallen back to the familiar routine of making "simple" BioBangles.

Lots and LOTS of simple BioBangles. It has actually become very calming to make these. And lately, I can use all the calm I can find. Phew. More on that later.

Larson Strikes Again!

2008-07-02T09:44:00.013-04:00

For those of you who have been visiting the Raven's Caw for a while, you know how much I like the work of cartoonist Gary Larson. His outlook on the world, and in particular the natural world, is spot on im(ns)ho*.

While most folks find his comics funny, not so many care to take his humor a step further and incorporate it into their jewelry. Even fewer folks incorporate his comic outlook into the core of their very being... like me.

I don't know if I will ever sell a bangle like this, but this beasty of a bangle was worth every hour I spent on it.

While I was sanding (and sanding) and buffing (and buffing) this critter, I was reminded of my high school Biology class, where I learned that the reason why lungs have so many nooks and crannies in them is so that there is more surface area to absorb oxygen - sort of like all the butter that is absorbed by the nooks and crannies of an English muffin.

*mouth begins to salivate*

Ahem. O.k., so, I am finding that as the forms of my BioBangles become more convoluted, the time that I need to spend on finishing them increases exponentially .

What, you ask, does this have to do with anything? Well, it has to do with allowing yourself the time needed to follow through on inspiration. Not just time to figure out how to do something, but time to actually bring it into fruition in a completed (and well crafted) form. For years I was marked as a restless, "let's get this done" kind of person (and rightly so), but I have (finally) discovered the joy of letting something happen in it's own time.

Again, I hear you mutter "So?", in a Dick Cheney kind of voice. Well, this whole process has forced me to question my credo, "Don't price an item higher than I can afford" - which means that lately I've been working for the equivalent of sweatshop wages.

Wait, wait, don't go! There really is a point to all of this. The point is, artists deserve to charge a compensatory price for their work, and as soon as I realized this, I suddenly felt like I could take the time needed to really delve into a piece. Something like, "Delve into your art, and the price will be paid." (Or, um... at least I hope it will be paid.)

Yes, all that for a simple point that most of you probably figured out ages ago. But hey, it's important.

*steps off soap box*

Oh, and Happy Fourth of July!

* in my (not so) humble opinion

Few Words Tonight...

2008-07-01T22:35:00.003-04:00

...Not because I have little to say, but because it's late and I really owe you folks some photos, I think. So, with promises of more words later and without further ado... a little something to start your day.

Sea Anemone 2...

... and Rock Weed

Now... time for me toooo zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Alliteration Be Damned!

2008-06-14T08:34:00.006-04:00

A while back the inimitable, indelible, innovative, and unimitatable *gasp* Cynthia Tinapple sent me an email with a link that her son had sent her. She said she thought I might find it interesting. Interesting?! I was enthralled! I was enchanted, enraptured, and.... heh. Sorry. Um. I really liked the site...

So, I share it with you, fair lovers of the wild, weird and wonky. (heehee)

Why, you might ask, do I choose now to share this site with you? Because of this...

This magnificent miniature monster of the oceans is the task my maniacal muse (sorry, I'll try to stop) has set for me. And, in a desperate attempt at stalling the inevitable, I'm posting a blog about it instead of taking on this project.

I'm also stalling for time so I can finish a couple of new bangles that have proven a bit... well... challenging. They are my interpretations of Barnacles and Sea Urchins. Stay tuned.

Oh, and speaking of Cynthia Tinapple, check her post on Friday the 13th... zounds! "Trilobites?! I LOVE trilobites!" Oh no, here comes my muse.... run away!!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, or...

2008-06-10T08:57:00.003-04:00

Life is Stranger Than Fiction.

To entertain ya'll while I feverishly *cough* work on new pieces, I present to you two websites that are just plain weird and wild... but true.

Growing stones...

Zombie caterpillars controlled by voodoo wasps...

Yes... we live in a very interesting world, don't we?

And for those who love their cell phones too much, here's something new and fun you can do with them! *shivers*

Of Nudibranchs and Octopusi-es-iz...

2008-06-02T10:43:00.009-04:00

So, while my muse has been busily trying to figure out how to manifest the Cuthona sibogae nudibranch into BioBangle form (and not have it fall apart on the first wearing), I've been busy working on the Blue Ringed Octopus (yes, my Muse lets me work on my own, but only when she has her back turned). So... I present to you the Blue Ringed Octopus Biobangle!

Hey, I warned you that the images in my head were pretty wild... and I haven't even touched the surface of what my Muse has in store for me. (Does anyone know how to reign in one's Muse?) Oh, and my apologies for the less than stellar photographs. This wicked cold I've had for TWO WEEKS *cough, cough* doesn't allow much energy to stand and get the lighting just right. I hope, however, that you can see enough detail in the photos to get the general idea.

I don't know if there is anyone out there who would dare to wear this thing... but I just had to give it a try. I kind of like it, in a warped sort of way. Unfortunately, my "big German hands" (as my grandmother, from whom I inherited them, would call them) do not fit inside this dainty *cough* bangle. So... this bangle will join the others in my new (and under construction) catalog. *soundtrack of crowd cheering wildly* *cough*

And now for something completely different.

Bad news for those of you who have been (very appreciated) customers of my print screens. As of yesterday, I am no longer selling them. *gasp heard around the world* Yes, all good things must come to pass, as they say. Due to a HUGE price increase in PhotoEZ (as in, they are not selling the stuff in bulk anymore), and due to not really having the time or energy to make them, I am no longer (at least for now) selling my print screens. The good news is, I am still selling bracelet blanks and transfer sheets.

O.k. gang, that's it for now. There will be some more good news down the pike (at least for me). So stay tuned.

My Head is Spinning!

2008-05-23T10:19:00.009-04:00

No, this isn't The Exorcist. And before I explain the head spinning thing... for those who just come for the pictures... here are two of my more simpler BioBangles. First, Plant Cells (a la Gary Larson)...

And then, in black, white and warm gray... Duckweed!

Now, the head spinning thing...

Over the last year I have been using the "casting seeds" approach to marketing, as I call it. Mostly the casting entailed contacting retail shops, here and there, that might find my work interesting. I hate this kind of "casting", so it's a good thing I haven't had much success with it... or... maybe... I haven't had much success because I hate doing it. Heh.

So, anyway... recently, I've also been submitting a few applications to large high end shows - particularly if they have an emerging artist program. Hey, if one doesn't reach high, one will never know if one can... well... reach high. For a few years I showed at the rather nice juried Harbor Arts & Craft Show in Camden, Maine. I did well, even when others around me did not. But the investment of time and energy just wasn't worth the net gain. I decided it was time for a change in my tactics...

It was time to really raise the bar!

But I must say, I was very surprised when I heard I had been accepted into the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Granted, it is through their Emerging Artist program. But still, it's the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show! I mean, hey, is that the cat's meow or what! So, yeah, my head is spinning! I have six months to get my act (and inventory) together, and figure out how to survive a major-huge, fancy-shmancy, week long "sell yourself or die" event. ACK!!!!

So... yeah, my head is spinning.

There are more bits to share about all this "seed casting" and "bar raising" (as well as a Blue Ringed Octopus), so stay tuned!

Stretching To The Next Generation

2008-05-19T07:34:00.009-04:00

When I first developed symptoms of fibromyalgia, I had to learn the really hard lesson of taking "Baby Steps". Having been a bit of a Type A person, who always wanted to get to the end product as soon as possible, this was a huge lesson for me.

I still struggle with taking "Baby Steps", but I'm happy to say that I have embodied some of this lesson into my creative work. So, you see here two baby steps (prototypes) I have been taking with my BioBangle designs.

At the NPCG Synergy Conference, there was a lot of discussion about the creative process and finding your own "voice". A few folks have expressed interest in how I have been finding my own "voice". Here are some thoughts that have bubbled up lately on this topic...

It has been a huge relief to allow myself the time and space needed to let my ideas grow and manifest. I stress the word "allow". The most creative time for me is just before getting up in the morning... when the Alpha waves are high and the mind is still partly asleep. Perhaps it's a time when my unconscious mind meets my analytical mind... I don't know. I just know its really important to allow this time to happen, before I get out of bed.
It's also been a (surprising) release to allow myself to just focus on one form... in this case, bangles. I had been jumping from earrings to pendants to vessels to beads... which, at the time, was a good way to explore techniques. But it is hard to explore ones "voice" when jumping from one thing to another.
When all else fails, I fall back on the familiar... colors I'm familiar with or techniques I'm comfortable with. The act of creating within the familiar when I'm exploring (yes, I know this sounds counter intuitive) makes exploration less daunting.
When I feel stumped and stagnant, I resort to just touching clay... hand kneeding it, playing with it, anything. Just touch it! I find sitting in my studio mixing a bunch of familiar colors is a great way to inspire ideas. Or cranking out a bunch of Skinner Blends or simple canes. It doesn't matter - I just need to touch the clay.
When I can't even motivate myself to "touch the clay", I'll give myself permission to make a cup of tea and just surf the web. I might start with Polymer Clay Daily, or Polymer Clay Notes, or Kim Cavender's blog, and see where they take me. I don't limit myself to polymer clay sites. Those who have been following this blog for a while know that I have been looking at nudibranchs, squids, and other marine creatures. But I've also been visiting galleries and museums on the web. You could call it research, but I don't see it that way when I do it... I simply allow myself to browse and explore. If I end up at a site that showcases hummingbirds or unusual knitting projects, that's just fine.

So... those are a few thoughts I've been noticing lately. I'll share more as I find them.

To close, I offer my huge apologies to all who sent me emails or tried to call me over the last few months. If I didn't reply, or took forever to respond, please do not take it personally. This winter and spring I have been hiding and evolving (and struggling with a lot of pain). But the growing light and warmth has helped me stick my head back out into the world. Thanks to all for your grace and forgiveness.

Short on Words, Big on Photos...

2008-05-12T10:37:00.003-04:00

Ok... it's been a while, I know, I know. It's been a hard winter, and a harder Mud Season. But I'm coming out of my funk, and thought I owed you guys a few photos to make up for my absence.

So, these are a few of the newer BioBangles I've been working on. There are a few more coming that are even wilder... but they are taking longer to finish... so stay tuned.

I promise I'll do my best to keep up a more regular presence in the blogosphere this spring. Have patience. :) Oh... and I have a new catalog on my site. It's a work in progress, so visit often to see new works for sale.

Robot Dog?

2008-03-23T08:10:00.003-04:00

Yes, Virginia, you may now get a Big Robot Dog.

Heh. A little "Easter Egg" for you all. Be sure to watch the whole video... very cool!

Spring Has Sprung!

2008-03-16T11:33:00.004-04:00

Well, maybe not here in Maine...

OK, so that was ten days ago, but it was still March when our garden looked like that. And it doesn't look too much better now. The ground is still covered with snow, and the temperatures have been in the teens (F) most nights. So... yeah... up here in Maine we are ALL experiencing severe "Cabin Fever"!

*runs around screaming and climbing walls*

So, what to do when the "Fever" get to the raging point? Fantasize, of course! Below are a couple of fantasies I made recently. I call them Melon BioBangles. The green one, of course, is Water Melon, and the teal one is Iced Melon.

I've been manically producing zillions of bangles of various types. At some point I'm going to have to do some serious sanding. Maybe, when the air gets a little warmer, I can sit in the (now) glassed in porch and sand... and sand.... and... sand. Either that or download a huge selection of rental movies from iTunes. It's the only way I'll manage to get through this stack of unsanded bangles.

Hmmmm. Maybe I'll go to the bookstore, instead.

Nudibranchs Here I Come!

2008-03-12T07:08:00.007-04:00

Yes, I said Nudibranchs...

It was Nudibranchs that got me started on this wavy kinda bangle. But I've been skirting a nudibranch look because... well... if you take a look at the nundibranch link, you'll see that it could lead to some extreme bangles... which may happen... but... well... we'll see. One step at a time.

Here's a detail of the inside of the bangle... my favorite inside pattern yet.

I owe Maggie Maggio a huge thank you. Her "Color Smashing" workshop taught me many things, but the most mind blowing? Well, I learned not to be afraid of Zinc Yellow or Fuschia, and that if you do a skinner blend with the two, it makes this fantastic blend. Zounds!

The BioBangle above is a great example of this blend, although this particular photo doesn't show the color variations well. (Not to make excuses, of course. *cough*) You can see a tad of the Zinc Yellow, but the thin outer rim of Fuschia isn't very clear. In real life the colors in this bangle create a kind of illusion, leaving the viewer perplexed as to what shade of red it really is. It's kind of cool.

*self-satisfied grin*
*remembers it was Maggie who taught her this trick*
*finds humility again*

If this BioBangle doesn't satisfy any of you, stay tuned. There will be more BioBangle photos coming up soon.

A Little Inspiration...

2008-03-09T11:12:00.006-04:00

I've been e-conversing with Angela Gerhard recently... we seemed to have been noticing each others work lately and, as happens in cyber-space, we have begun a bit of conversation (what did artists tucked into the woods like I am do before there was "the nets"?).

Angela's current work is with enamels, but she's worked with polymer clay too. I'm loving her enamel work, and looking forward to seeing it first person at Craft Boston, in just a couple of weeks! (I'll also be visiting Betsy of Stonehouse Studio while I'm down there.)

My latest convo to Angela reminded me of work by another new friend and fantastic artist, Kate Fowle Meleney.

She's got a terrific line of beads she calls the "Biotech Series". Happenstance that I should love her work? I think not.

Wow, what an amazing lamp work artist! And I'm the proud owner of the bead above... lucky me!
I'll have some photos of new BioBangles soon... so stay tuned.

A Step Closer...

2008-03-03T10:25:00.005-05:00

Yes, a step closer to the crazy images in my brain. With luck, you will be spared the actual images dancing in my head... they're a bit scary, even to me. But, hopefully, these new BioBangles will be received positively. I'm calling this style of BioBangle "Tree Fungus", which is better than "Slime Mold", which is what the bangle above reminds me of. For those who prefer less... um... earthy jewelry, perhaps the bangle below will be more appealing...

Oh, and no jokes about "fungus among us."

Hmmm. Maybe "Wood Fungi" would sound less... um... fungusy... ish.

*goes back to her thesaurus*

Simply, Savarick & Synergy Saturation...

2008-02-28T07:15:00.008-05:00

...at least, that's my excuse for not posting until now, and my excuse for not having any photos to share with you.

*ducks several laptops thrown in her direction*

Hey, there are plenty of fellow bloggers with terrific photos of Synergy, and I was so wrapped up with Seth Savarick's amazing class that I only took one photo there, which I haven't even downloaded onto my computer... ugh!! I'm so sorry!

*sighs*

Anyway...

You can find some terrific photos at these (and I'm sure other) locations...

Cynthia Tinapple's fantastic blog (which is my browser's homepage, btw)
Donna Kato's Blog, where you can see a terrific photo of me and Bettina (and you can see what Bettina looks like with her mouth full).
Martha Aleo's Blog, Ornamento, which has great photos of the NPCG time line.

You can find some terrific words about Synergy at Susan Lomuto's Polymer Clay Notes (who also didn't take photos to share... so I'm in good company).

If you think all I've been doing since I got back from Synergy is unpacking *cough* and looking at everyone else's pictures, you're not entirely correct... I've also been getting down to the business of marketing... finally.

I now have a Trunkt page (yes, I said "page" - I'm still trying to figure the whole thing out), and I have begun to submit photos of my work to publications. No, you don't get to hear who I'm submitting stuff to until I get accepted, and if you don't understand why, you must not have an Ego... or you're tough as nails.

More (and yes, I mean photos) to come soon (ish).

And Now For Something Completely Different...

2008-02-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

(Heh. Sorry. Just an homage to Monty Python. I couldn't resist.)

Well, it's time to unveil a new line of bracelets! I'm calling them Bioangles. (I pronounce it Bio-Angles.) Yeah, I know, that's a lot of vowels next to each other. If you come up with a better name, please pass it on to me. The first set (below) I call Caterpillar Bioangles...

This next set is called Cells...

And these are just dots and spots... no real name for this set. Except, well... Dots and Spots.

These are... obviously... are called Fishes.

I've been manically making these wild bangles for the NPCG Synergy Conference Gallery. I'm bringing a number of other Bioangles, too, along with some new cuffs. I've decided to show just bracelets and a (large) collection of those mini bowls I love to make (maybe photos of those at a later date).

So... if you're coming to the Conference, you get to see and try these things on (if you're so inclined), and I look forward to seeing you there! And if you're not going to the Conference... well... um... then, um... I won't see you there.

Robert Dancik's Workshop (Part Duo)

2008-02-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

So, for the part duo (and final) entry on the Robert Dancik workshop, I'll refrain from typing too much. *cough-yeah-right-cough* Instead, I'll impart a few delicious examples of what folks worked on in the class. Above, notice the very groovy watch parts included in the pieces of faux bone.

I apologize for not listing the names of the creators of these wonderful pieces. And I'm guessing that the creators, if you could hear them through cyberspace, might be saying things like "Wait, it's not finished!" Probably true, but these "unfinished" pieces are lovely despite their incompleteness.

Below are a few pieces that I have been working on in faux bone. Some of my faux bone bits were made before the workshop, including the bottom photo, which also has some of my polymer clay pendant pieces.

I never managed to incorporate my polymer pieces into a faux bone project, but I went away from the workshop with a whole bunch of ideas!

For those who like to look at all things lovely and unusual... I offer a link to an NPR article on "Extreme Knitters". Be sure to check out the "audio slide show". These knitting guerrillas "...work weird stuff like fiberglass and lead, get together for massive knitting parties and cover entire park benches with yarn." Some even practice knitted graphiti. Very cool, and worth a look/listen.

Robert Dancik's Workshop (Part I)

2008-01-28T10:53:00.001-05:00

(Or "What I Did On My Vacation")

Well, I'm finally back from my week-plus wanderings, and ready to file my report on the workshop I took - "Faux Bone and Forming Lasting and Meaningful Attachments." There's a lot to share, so it will be in a couple-few postings so as not to bore you too much.

The workshop with Robert Dancik, at The Bead House's annex studio was fantastic and a good time was had by all.

Robert is a fantastic teacher. It isn't common to find a master artist who teaches really well too, but Robert certainly fits the bill. He even had some wonderful "teaching aids" for those of us with *cough* failing middle-aged eyes. Above is his demonstration on how to flange a rivet. No, really, it is! Can't you see the "mallet" bending down the edges of the (polymer clay) wire rivet?

Above is a photo of Robert's colored epoxy demonstration. He makes it all seem so easy and doable. I was also pleased to see that his desk looks like my studio... only, it's just a desk... and my studio... um... well, it's bigger. And messier, and... well. Yeah.

Robert was not only a treasure trove of information (and cool demos), he also came to the workshop barring gifts. Above is hardware bling which we all received... it's very small hardware bling. For scale, I put it all in my camera's lens cap. Tiny very small bling. But very cool. I can't wait to try them.

So, we had lots of demos, and lots of bling and got to hear Robert talk...

And talk...

And talk...

And talk. Lucky for us, he is a delightful, sharing and funny man. He is both inspirational and inspiring. I think I want to be like Robert Dancik when I grow up.

As I mentioned before, my next post will be part II of "Robert Dancik's Workshop - or, What I Did On My Vacation". So, stay tuned, kids!

Oh, wait! Don't go yet! I almost forgot to give the answer to the last post's mystery questions.

And the answer is..... da daaaa...

Shaved colored pencils (without the wood, or course)! It gives both tint and texture, as well as a nice lustrous finish. And best of all, the color doesn't shift when baked. How nifty is that?!

More Pods, Concentrated Color, & 30,000 Years of Art

2008-01-13T11:45:00.000-05:00

OK, in order....
I'm clearly not done with cephalopods:

These babies were a blatant attempt to make beads that look like squid, except squid don't have red dots that big, and usually aren't shiny turquoise, and, well... they aren't beads. So... um... yeah.

Then I took a side exploration into what I'm calling my Eye-Pods. Get it? Eye-Pods? *groaning heard around the world* In the photo below are some of my Eye-Pods strung with my "Mystery Ingredients Beads". If you can figure out what's inside these little chartreuse beads, I'll send you some (of a different color, of course... the ones below have been permanently wedded to my Eye-Pod beads).

And here are some of the first Eye-Pod beads I made. Wonky, funky, and other -ky words. I'll probably be making them into wonky, funky, and other -ky type bracelets.

OK, so I'm sure you're all asking "How did she get such saturated colors and still maintain that great mica shift?" I'm glad you asked.

Yup. I may have trouble with the chlorine scent of Kato Clay, but the Kato Polyclay Color Concentrates don't have much smell and pack a color-wallop in mica based Premo clays without diluting the mica sift. So, there's my tip for the day.

And what, you might ask, do I mean by 30,000 years of Art? (Or perhaps you were hoping I had forgotten?) I heard a piece on National Public Radio yesterday about a coffee table book on (no, not coffee tables) the entire history of art, starting 30,000 years ago (rock art being my personal favorite, btw). The title of this book is (surprisingly) 30,000 Years of Art, and is 13 pounds full of images and info. Wow! I'm thinking I'm gonna take up a collection, and maybe in the next... oh, say... 30,000 years I might have collected enough money to buy it.

So, there you go, an nice, long, juicy post. Hey, what I lack in timeliness I make up for with content - right?

A Word From Our Shameless Commerce Division

2008-01-03T21:02:00.001-05:00

I hide my head in shame... Not. Heh heh. I'm gearing up for the Synergy Conference Vendors Fair, and have made a number of pattern sheets for image transfer onto polymer clay. I will have both water transfer and TLC transfer sheets. Below are some samples of what they will be like.

I'm now selling two of these sheets on my Etsy Shop, and they'll soon be available on my website too (as soon as I get them up there - don't hold your breath). The patterns are designed with polymer clay projects in mind, including mirror image patterns for earrings. Most of the patterns are all mine, and some are what could be called "altered art" (think quilts!).

I'll also have a large selection of my silk screens, bracelet blanks, flexible molds (from vintage buttons) and maybe even some beads. So, yeah, I'm a capitalist at heart. But I doubt these sheets and other goodies will take me out of the "Starving Artists" subdivision.

In response to my last post, Doreen (who - ahem - didn't leave any contact or linking information) passed on a terrific link to nudibranch photos.

After spending a few hours drooling over them, I have finally come up with my next mountain to climb! OK, imagine this.... a faux bone base handed colored with pencils, and appendages of polymer clay - either hand colored or perhaps with tinted pearl mica shift. Mmmmmmmmm! A huge THANK YOU to Doreen! I've been searching for a project for my upcoming workshop with Robert Dancik. (More on that later.)

Cephalopods!

2008-01-01T08:05:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I simply adore cephalopods. Yes, octopuses (octopi?), cuttlefish and squid, to be more precise. They are magnificent creatures - they are intelligent, strikingly beautiful, demonstrate amazing dexterity, and many of them do this really nifty color/pattern flashing thing that is part camouflage and part communication. Yeah, pretty cool.

So, in "homage" to these lovely creatures, I present some samples of my cephalopod bead series:

I've been working on this series for a few months. It started with some experimentation with Mokume Gane. OK, OK, it was really an attempt to figure out how Julie Picarello makes such stunning patterns with Mokume Gane - I'm still working on that one. *scratches head confusedly*

But my Muse took it upon herself to push me in another direction after she noticed a couple of interesting patterns that started to happen. So, off I went, following my Muse into the world of cephalopods.

And what will I do with these big, flashy, chaotic beads? I'll be danged if I know! Sometimes I wish I could just start with a complete idea and follow it through to the end. Geeesh.

Stay tuned, readers, for the exciting conclusion of the "Invasion of the Cephalopods Who Ate Freedom, Maine"

PC + PMC = FUN

2007-12-30T16:18:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know, at last... some of my own work. I'm finally back from toooo many holiday events. Phew... and to celebrate the coming new year, I share with you a few of bracelets I made recently.

I've been having a blast combining PMC with polymer clay recently. I just wish PMC was a little cheaper. But then, it wouldn't be fine silver if it were. More new work coming soon!

On Becoming an Entreprenuer...

2007-12-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

Once again, my morning coffee has sent me dashing along the web and landed me at an interesting list of "Tips for Budding Entrepreneurs" by Ross Mayfield. Having been self-employed for the majority of my life, I thought it would be a lark to see if I have lived up to Mayfield's list... here we go...

Change your major. (Done that several... no, wait... many multiple times.)
Start a business. (yep... many multiple times.)
Connect with the Net. (oh, you mean the Nets? Yeah, sure.)
Take responsibility beyond your years. (Never!!)
Go abroad. (Twice, so far... and I've decided I'm retiring on the coast of Italy, does that count?)
Experiment at the margin. (Eh.)
Have fun with failure. (That comes with not following #4.)
Take time for strategy. (Strategy is for those weak of mind! OK, who said "sour grapes?!")
Pay yourself. (What's that word, "pay"? Hey, I have to pay my creditors first!)
Service the desire. (If you mean my desire, then yeah, always!)
Do different. (Hmmm. Needs work, I think.)
Work with good people. (Definitely! Not hard in the polymer clay world.)
Stick to ethics. (Who's?)
Be a businessperson. (A what?)
Start a weblog. (Yeah, me and about ten million others. How does that work with #11?)

I also want to share with you all an interesting quote by one Salvador Dali:

"Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing."

For those hoping for more polymer clayish photos, please be patient. More to follow - soon! (ish)

More Organics!

2007-12-14T08:06:00.000-05:00

No, this isn't my work. Geesh! Like I could spend the time needed to pull these beauties off.

This is the work of Louise Hibbert. She calls it, appropriately, "Plankton Art". I call it stunning! The only polymer in these beauties is polymer resin (whatever that is). It looks like she uses a base form of wood, then laminates with resin and adds color with acrylic paints and inks. Some of her work features bits of "fine" woods like Spanish olivewood and ebony.

I have yet to find my own "style" when it comes to an organic look. But I'm incredibly inspired by others, and it should only be a matter of time and practice before my muse finds her "organic" voice. Right? *looks around for encouragement* Um, guys... hey, where did everybody go?!

My thanks to Grant Diffendaffer, the man with the long but phonetic last name, for including a link to Louise's work on his site. Oh, and thanks to Cynthia Tinapple for letting us all know that Grant's book is out... now I have no money for Christmas presents!!

Lupita in a Stonehouse

2007-12-05T10:47:00.000-05:00

Today I was washed away from Polymer Clay Daily on a surfing wave, and ended up drifting through Etsy. As I was meandering my way along, I realized it had been much too long since I visited my friend Betsy Baker's website.

I was totally blown away by what I saw there and at her Etsy site!

Jimminy Cricket, has her work blossomed! I am humbled and feel like I have been left in the dust.

Perhaps it is because she has the capacity to stay focused and keep working on an idea until she gets it "right", I don't know, but she has created an exquisite look that is all her own. Her artful ability to incorporate metal and stone into her polymer clay work, her use of mica shift and alcohol inks, shines through and shouts "Betsy Baker"! Brava to Betsy, I say. I only wish that some of her Muse's ability to stay focused would rub off on to my muse (fickle thing that she is).

Where Have I Been, You Ask?

2007-11-26T08:33:00.001-05:00

Yep, been playing with Precious Metal Clay. A LOT! No, no, no, I haven't giving up on polymer clay (like I ever could!). I'm just making components that I can incorporate with my polymer clay. (See those two beads at the bottom of the photo? Those are polymer clay faux marble with a PMC wrap around the middle.) I've had a huge interest in combining polymer clay with other mediums (media?) - particularly silver - but (other than faux bone) I haven't found anything that really spoke to my Muse. And you know how terribly picky my muse is.

I've resisted PMC for some time because of the cost, but after giving up on the idea of learning how to solder sterling silver (it's not safe to put me close to really hot things), and not finding anything else that kicks polymer clay up a notch like silver, I gave in. Oh, and my dear partner Tomas chipped in a sizable contribution for a kiln. Hey, it was my 50th birthday, remember?!

While I've taken two PMC classes, if one wants to produce anything intricate and "different", one must take the time to learn. So... I've been doing just that. Phew! It's been a really interesting process, and I've really been enjoying the challenge of finding interesting ways to bring PMC and polymer clay together. (More photos of those attempts at a later date.)

Oh, and if you still believe I've given up on polymer clay, here's a sampling of some simple striped canes I made last week.

I'm not sure why, but I've had a huge attraction to striped canes recently. Maybe because you can do so many different, graphically strong things with them. Again, more of that later.

At Last!

2007-11-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

Finally, a new post! Yeah, sorry about taking so long to get up a new post... as I sometimes say (in my darker moments), "life is full, and then you die".

two weeks ago I was patiently reminded by one of my sweetest customers that I had promised to send her photos of ice cream scoops, and yours truly totally lost track of time. Oh, the joy of blending Fibro Fog with ADD! So, after yet another gentle nudge from my tolerant customer, I finally photographed the scoops I had available.

Being a frugal *cough* person, I decided to use the photos I'd taken for my customer and show case them here. Killing two birds in one bush, as it were.

Remember, idle hands are checking the list twice, and a stitch in time saves a penny lent. More later, I promise.

Pods, Micro Organisms, Biologicals...

2007-10-31T10:50:00.000-04:00

Call it what you will, but organic is totally "In"...

Artists have taken the bit and are running wild! Check the following pages of work by:

Kathleen Dustin

Grant Diffendaffer

Jeff Dever

Donna Kato

And there are many more polymer clay artists going this route. But polymer clay isn't the only medium experiencing this madness... Take a look at these photographs from the November/December Fiber Arts Magazine, which showcase fiber art students' work:

Pretty cool, huh? Now, if you will excuse me... I have to find my Peterson Field Guide to Mushrooms.

I'm All Wired Up

2007-10-28T12:39:00.001-04:00

Part of it is coffee, and part of it started when I was chatting with some folks about Jeff Dever's wire work. We were discussing what kind of wire he might be using in his sculptures, and someone mentioned that they thought it might be phone wire. I'm leaning towards spray painted wire, myself. But that started me thinking about wire and how one might use it. A little Googling (yes, that's a verb) led me to this site that showcases baskets from"Wezandla Crafts" of South Africa - they are all made with telephone wire.

And then, I stumbled upon Hapaculture.com, which features a terrific African Recycled Bottle Cap Purse....
This started me thinking about making art from found objects, so I pulled out my copy of Fabulous Jewelry from Found Objects....

And then, last night, I watched the CNN Special, "Planet in Peril"... and all this got me thinking about how unsustainable polymer clay is, and.... well.... I got a little depressed.

But then I remembered that the world is not black & white, and that bit-by-bit I have been working towards making a smaller footprint on this fine planet of ours, and I felt a little better. We are only human, and baby steps may be all we can do. Perhaps, some day, I shall shed this addiction to polymer clay, but until then I shall make efforts in other areas to help heal this world. We do the best we can.

It All Started When a Fire Truck Drove Past Our House...

2007-10-26T08:34:00.000-04:00

(Warning: Long circuitous story alert!)

Yes, I said a fire truck. To understand how unusual this is, you have to know that we live down a half mile long, narrow, dead end, dirt road that only has four homes on it, and we're next to the last.

Well, as I said, this fire truck comes (gingerly) past our house, lights flashing madly, and I run out to see what the heck is happening. Turns out, they're looking for a fire. Actually... a chimney fire, to be precise. We new immediately that it was most likely our neighbor at the end of the road (long story), so we pointed them in the right direction and off they went.

Being a very rural area, our Fire Department is totally volunteer. So, when there is a call all the volunteers drop what they are doing, hop in their cars and head for the fire. Tom and I decided we better stand at the end of our driveway to direct the volunteers to the right house, and I offered to take the first shift...

I know this is a long story, but stay with me here... it's almost over.

So, there I am, standing at the end of our driveway with nothing to do but wait... and wait... and wait. Boredom is a huge invitation for my muse to get working, and work she did! I spent most of my time staring at the yellow and orange and red leaves against the cobalt sky. Simply stunning! And suddenly, I just HAD to make a cane with all those fantastic colors! Luckily, Tom was just coming up the road to relieve me, so off I went and... here's what my muse came up with...

And then... not being satisfied with just one cane.... I made these...

OMG! Where Do I Start?!?!

2007-10-19T10:23:00.000-04:00

Ok, ok. Take a deep breath.

Ah. That's better.

So. My calendar is filling up sooooo fast!

- This weekend I'm heading down to Lincolnville for our second Maine Polymer Arts Guild meeting.
- Next month I've got a PMC get-together with my buddy Betsy from Etsy in Boston. (wicked grin)
- I managed to get one book submission off, and need to finish another in the next week.
- I've taken the Etsy bit in my teeth and am running with it.
- I'm taking a class with (way cool artist) Robert Dancik in January, at The Bead House in Rhode Island.
- In January I'm also going to the Southern New Jersey PolyAddicts retreat
- February is the NPCG Synergy conference in Baltimore, MD.
- And, to top it all off... I've agreed to be a mentor for a local high school student, in a program run by Waterfall Arts. I'm really looking forward to it! (More on this later, when I know more.)

So... yeah. Busy.

Hmmmmm. Somehow, I vaguely remember saying to myself that I was longing for the winter, when "things" would slow down.

*scratches head confusedly*
*runs out of the room screaming madly*
*comes back apologetically*

Ahem. For those who just want to look at pretty pictures... here are photos of some of the beads I'm selling on Etsy... courtesy of my "Shameless Commerce Division".

I faught my muse and my muse won....

2007-10-14T18:25:00.001-04:00

For the longest time, my Muse has been telling me to make a face cane. And for the longest time I've been heroically resisting her.

You have to understand, my philosophy, when it comes to making jewelry, is simple... only make things that I might actually wear. And I have no desire to wear anything with a human face on it. Now a cat's face? Definitely. Lizards or birds - no problem (especially if it's a raven). I might even consider a dog's face... maybe. But a human face.... no way.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen some lovely things folks have made that feature face canes. Really beautiful things. But, for some reason, I feel really uncomfortable at the thought of wearing something like that. I know of others that feel this way too, but I haven't a clue why we do.

So, why should I make a face cane, right? Well, this morning when I woke up, I had an uncontrollable desire to make a face cane. I think maybe my muse had put subliminal thoughts into my dreams or something. "You must make a face cane, you MUST make a face cane." *shivers* So, after a cup of coffee I headed to my studio and made this... Sorry for the lousy photo, btw.
Muse wasn't impressed. Oh, what a task master she is!! Hey, it's a face cane, what more do you want?!

Something more, apparently. So, I gave in and let her take charge, and this is what she came up with.

It took me all morning to make it, and then... after a nap, she made me make another one (photo coming soon)!! Oh, the things I do to please my muse. *sigh*

And now... something completely different....

2007-10-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

(Yes, that was an "homage" to MPFC.)

If you haven't seen the work of Donald Friedlich, featured in the November issue of Art Jewelry Magazine, you might want to pick up a copy. There's an inspiring Artist Profile of Donald in this issue, and lots of delicious glass jewelry eye candy. I really like the photos of his "Magnification" series. But one paragraph in his interview stood out for me...

"When I was growing up, there wasn't that much emphasis on creativity in our educational system. The kid in class who showed early facility for drawing was the class artist, and everyone else thought they weren't talented. I think there's a lot hidden in people that they don't realize is there. I've never been able to draw well, so I never thought I was creative."

Looking at his pieces in Art Jewelry, it's clear Donald Friedlich was wrong. This quote really sums up how I see our educational system, and most peoples attitude about themselves and their creativity.

But enough preaching! If anyone is interested in what I got for my birthday... hee hee hee.... take a look at this! (Guess who's gonna be working with a lot of PMC soon!)

OK, enough about me. It's time for Mama Raven to crow about her Not-So-Little Raven... Most of what you will actually see is Wes, the best-buddy of Not-So-Little Raven. But don't be fooled. If you look deep enough, you will see the wit, wiles and dare I say... wisdom, of my (not so) little chick, Al.

Now, while you're enjoying the YouTube movies that Al and Wes have made, and drooling over lovely glass jewelry and my wonderful birthday present... I'm going to head down to the Camden Opera House to enjoy a live performance of "Says You".

A La Louise...

2007-10-10T16:18:00.000-04:00

So, remember back when I was bitching about all the production I had to do? And, remember even further back, when I was learning some cool techniques from Louise Fischer Cozzi?

Well, I finally took photos of some of the translucent, etched and painted earrings I made for the show (a technique I learned from Louise... in Stresa, Italy). And now, I share some of those photos with you...

Oh, and yeah, those are my own etched patterns, but it was my dear friend "Etsy Betsy from Boston" (wicked grin) who made the photo copies for me. *bows in deep gratitude*

Color Water Transfers

2007-10-09T16:00:00.001-04:00

No, not watercolor transfers... color water transfers. (Say that, ten times fast.)

I made a pilgrimage to a Staples Office Supply store today - a short, hour-long drive (hey, this is Maine!) - and I copied five sheets of patterns I made on my computer. Got home and tested them with the water transfer technique on some scrap clay.... and the winner is.... Staples Office Supply!!

Granted, the color of the test on polymer clay was washed out, compared to the original colors. But Doc Sarah, "PAPCG Guild Cheerleader & Web Tinkerer", and regular visitor of Polymer Clay Central, says she really ramps up the color saturation of her images when she prints out the originals to help keep the transferred images bright and colorful. I shall have to try that.

Now, about the actually patterns I've made... Most of them are all my design. A few are adapted images from a wealth of sources (with permission, or non-copyrighted), and are also available as silkscreens. But all of them seem to look a lot like fabric patterns. Funny, that. I really do have a thing for fabric. Sort of a Love from afar. A wanna-be quilter.

Places I've wandered to lately...

2007-10-08T09:08:00.000-04:00

It's a cold rainy day, and I don't feel like talking much, so I'll quietly share some places I've been lately. Perhaps they will inspire, or at least make you think....

A poem called "Getting By"...

A Burma look at the Karen Hill Tribe.... (for those who don't know, the Karen Hill Tribe are a group of people who make delicious silver beads.)

For contrast, the Karen Hill Tribe, just across the river in Thailand.

A little something for all you cat lovers out there....

And, last but certainly not least... Crow Cam!

Phew! Thank Goodness THAT'S over!

2007-10-05T09:52:00.001-04:00

The Camden Harbor Arts Festival is finally over!! I'm not sure I'll ever do that again. (Funny, I remember saying that last year, too.) The stress level was way too high for a whimpy adrenal system like mine. After a month of intensive Production, and two frenetic days of standing and talking about my work and myself, and trying to come up with the right change at the same time, and then a week of super-duper head cold... well... need I say more?

And for those who like, or have been asking for (Nadja) pictures...

Yes, Funky can be a good thing... Especially when everyone else is a conformist. You see, everyone else had a tidy white tent, with tidy white sides, and tidy professional displays. My booth, on the other hand... well... you can see for yourself. (Note the funky fellow standing there... that would be Tom, pretending to be an interested customer, to give the photo scale.) Apparently, my booth stood out like a sore thumb, and that attracted onlookers like a train wreck. But once they got inside my tent... well.... bwaaahaahahaaa!

It turned out that my booth was the most active in my section (I don't know about the rest of the fair because I was too busy to notice, which is a good thing... I guess). Yes, I turned a pretty good profit. Enough to make me feel like I haven't waisted all my time, and enough to help pay for all the expenses in my trip to Europe that weren't budgeted for.

Oh, and for those who don't know squat about Camden, Maine, where the fair was held... here's the view from my spot in the fair...

Yes, those are huge schooners out there in the harbor, and beyond the masts of all those lovely ships are emerald islands and down right stunning beauty. And later in the day (sorry, no photos) a humungous cabin cruiser pulled in to dock... you know the kind, like what Bill Gates or Warren Buffett might own. And yes, one lady came to my booth and dropped almost $300 in less than two minutes! Oh, to be one of the Beautiful People. *sigh*

A way of looking at one's art...

2007-09-18T09:19:00.000-04:00

It took me over 40 years to feel comfortable calling myself an artist. Perhaps it was getting older that made it easier, perhaps it was developing fibromyalgia and learning how to let go of things that really didn't matter anyway... like all the "shoulds" and "aught tos" we grow up believing. Whatever it was, a few weeks from my 50th birthday I am grateful that I am able to say the words out loud... "I am an artist. " And here's why...

I was listening to National Public Radio Sunday evening when I heard a really interesting interview with an artist named Joey Bonhage. He works out of his shop in New Orleans, Louisiana, making flowers out of sheet metal. In the interview he talks about his life - which has been filled with difficulties and major challenges - and about his art - which clearly has been a panacea for him through the years.

I urge anyone who is struggling to bring the artist out from within, who can't get those four words out of their mouth - "I am an artist" - and feel comfortable doing it, to listen to Joey Bonhage's interview.

It's not about the end product, it's not about the money or the ego. It's about joy. Joy in the experience of creating, the joy of seeing what's been created, and the joy in seeing other's feel the same way you did when you were creating.

Ok, to put it another way...

Pasta machine, $75.00.
Large order of polymer clay, $210.00.
Tissue blades, acrylic roller, and other tools, & $55.00.
A workshop with your favorite artist, $450.
The act of creating, priceless!

How Dare They!!

2007-09-17T16:15:00.001-04:00

Did you receive your Fire Mountain Gems Mega Catalogue yet? Flip through it until you see a page with the heading "Color Forecast Guide." (Sorry, I don't have the page number because I tore the page out and it doesn't have a page number on it.)

Perhaps this is just one of those secrete global conspiracies... I tend to think so... but did you know that there is an international "team" who decides - for us - what colors we'll be wearing over a year from now. Hey, I can understand telling us what this fall and winter's fashion colors are/will be, based on what designer have been working on...
(Hmmmm. I'm liking the teal - what they are calling "peacock", and that "cayanne" is my kind of red! But "bubble gum"?! And what they call "antique sage" isn't even green! Isn't sage green? Yeah, this coming from a gal who insisted her shirt was rust when Maggio Maggio said it was pink.)

I can even understand being able to surmise Spring 2008's colors... for the same reasons as I mentioned earlier - you know, those crazy fashion Moguls who decide what styles they want people to wear (that rant I'll save for another day).

(What the heck is "framboise"? And who would wear a color called "vitric" - sounds like something from a laboratory. And who comes up with names like "suffuse" and "fettle", or "helenic." Oooo ooo! Look, there's a "raven"! Oh. It's just a dark gray.)

But who are they trying to fool? Coming up with the colors that will be the latest trends in Fall-Winter 2008/2009?
I mean, I don't even know what color I'm going to wear tomorrow.