LONG WALK HOME

I found this image of a man and his horse at a flea market. The original is tiny...just 1.5 x 2.75 inches...it is slightly tattered and cost me a whopping 70 cents. This little image is like gold to me because of all the questions it stirs. Who was this man...where had he been plowing...what was the name of his horse...who took the photograph...was it a long walk home?

The neckpiece I made from this image is photo-etched sterling silver with a copper roof. It hangs from a sterling silver snake chain and measures 1.25 inches wide x 2.5 inches tall and is just under .25 inches thick.


The back shows an etching of moon phases which, for me, not only represents the passage of time but also are symbolic of planting and crops. Perhaps, after a long day of plowing, the man and his horses walked home under a canopy of stars.


This is the original. I've owned it for several years and am still moved by the captured image after all this time.

AFTER THE HONEYMOON

AFTER THE HONEYMOON is the second box that I exhibited at the DOOR show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts. This is from one of my favorite vintage images...I've used this image in different art mediums for years. It's classic...the great car...the problem with the great car...the honeymoon and love affair with the great car being tested...the wonderful angle of the leaning man, his arm and the hood. I can't help myself...I would love this image even if it weren't my dad on his honeymoon. It was a 1942 Chevy Coupe that hauled my newly married mom and dad to Sequoia National Park from Hot Springs, Arkansas for their honeymoon. They had car problems on their return trip just outside of Salt Lake City on the edge of the desert. I think my dad said that a belt broke and he had to replace it with the belt that held his pants up. My mom was the photographer...I think she did a great job capturing the ordeal. Click on this image to enlarge it.


The other layer of this box is about crows and counting them to divine the future. There is an old traditional rhyme...
ONE IS FOR BAD NEWS
TWO IS FOR MIRTH
THREE IS A WEDDING
FOUR IS A BIRTH
When the car door is opened, three surprised crows peer out...THREE IS A WEDDING.

The box is 12.75 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall by 2 inches deep. The back wall is photo-etched red brass and the car and crows are etched nickel. The door is hinged and really works. The box itself is cherry with an inlaid strip of flying crows in nickel. There is a thin layer of mica on all the windows of the car.


Here is the original photo that inspired this piece.

WATCHING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING

I can't remember a year when I've looked more forward to the arrival of spring. It's not that it has been a hard winter...it's been mild here in Port Townsend...it's more about the light and the sun and some signs of hope. At my house some of those signs include the early morning songs of birds...a pair of chickadees checking out one of my birdhouses...rough skinned newts migrating across the road toward the water...pussy willows about to burst open...and just a general lifting of the spirit.


Tonight at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts is the opening of a show called DOORS. I have two pieces in the exhibit...this one is titled WATCHING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING. It is 2 x 5.75 x 10.75 inches. The front of the house is photo-etched red brass and the back wall, door, roof and the vintage image of the woman is photo-etched nickel. The framework of the box is cherry. I was determined to make a house that was not a rectangle. It's been many years since I've taken geometry and figuring out all the angles and making tight joints was a real challenge. It's hard to tell in the photo but there is mica behind the window and just beyond that a small bird on a nest. The swallows on the inside of the door are a traditional symbol of spring and the hands on the outside of the door are symbols of welcoming. The woman is holding a large bouquet of spring flowers and represents that place within the heart that longs to dig in the dirt this time of year. You can tell by the original photo that she is someone who long loved flowers and birds and rough skinned newts and all the hope that comes with spring.

ALL ALONE STONE

Years ago I kayaked in the Queen Charlotte Islands for 17 days with a group of women. It was a time I will never forget...so pristine...magical...eagles as plentiful as sparrows...the deep throaty call of the ravens...black bears...the sweet company of women...reading nautical charts...eating like queens...and finally paddling around a point and seeing all that was left of a Haida village, the deteriorating totems left standing on the edge of the shoreline... watching us.

On one of the nautical charts was a little pinpoint size dot that represented an island called ALL ALONE STONE. I thought the words were magical and poetic and have never forgotten them over all these years. When it came time to create a box for a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts that little island whispered to me.

This box is 6 inches by 6.5 inches and is made of cherry, photo-etched nickel and red brass, clear marbles, a vintage level vial and a single stone concretion. Concretions are one of my most favorite things on earth...I've collected many from beaches near my home in Port Townsend, WA. This concretion won the prize and gets to live in this box made especially to honor it.

THE POWER OF WORDS

I've been thinking a lot lately about words and the power they hold. They seem so simple...just a bunch of straight or squiggly lines strung together and yet they have the potential to break a heart or send it soaring....to bring us near or to scatter us like leaves in the wind...to squeeze a tear or to make us laugh uncontrollably. A spoken word, whether a shout or a whisper, can change the world. I keep a list of words that move me and sometimes I will come across one in my sketch book and be inspired to create a piece of art just because of that single word. For me, that is powerful.

Then there are names. I also keep a list of great names...one I might bestow upon a dog if I ever get one...or an inspired name for a boat, (I once saw a tug boat in Seattle named EARNEST, I just love that)...or a piece of property...or a business. I especially love titles of artwork and have a pet peeve with art named, "UNTITLED #37". I know that some of my artwork has sold because of it's title. The words were the initial hook...maybe they stirred a memory or maybe they acted as a bridge of common experience so that the viewer could relate to me on a heart level without really knowing me.

My friend, Daniella Woolf, is an encaustic artist and used to use "untitled" on her work. One of her paintings was of brightly colored randomly placed dots from small to large. She decided to title that piece, "WHEN MAMA SPILLED THE BUTTON JAR". At her next show there was practically a fight between customers over that painting. Many of us grew up with a mom and her button jar...we can relate.

My friend, Kim Morris is another example. She weaves beautiful rugs with exquisite color. One rug is named "PICKING PEARS". When you see the rug you are struck by the beauty of the craftsmanship and by the gorgeous color combinations but when you read the title you can actually smell pears ripening in the late summer sun. Another rug is titled, "PERSIMMONS IN A BLUE BOWL". You can just imagine.

Linda Jarvis, a mixed media assemblage artist, and I often bat titles back and forth over the telephone like we were playing badminton, always hopeful to find a great double entendre. We both know the value of a good title and we both get frustrated when our work has occasionally been displayed in a gallery setting without a title.

So I guess this post is just an encouragement to all of us to use our words. To speak and to write from the heart...to make our words be meaningful and memorable.

QUEEN OF HEARTS PIN

With tomorrow being Valentine's Day it just seemed right to post this pin. Does she look familiar? Yes, she is the Queen of Hearts found in a deck of playing cards. This image is from a vintage deck. She is believed by some to be a representation of Elizabeth of York...the Queen consort of King Henry Vll of England. But most people these days associate her with matters of the heart and romantic love.

In Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots," so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Valentine's Day has been celebrated as the day when the first works in the vineyards and the fields commence. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day. It has only recently been celebrated as the day of love.

So tomorrow don't be surprised to see pairs of birds sitting extra close to each other on the telephone wires or spring bulbs just starting to break through the ground. And about the romantic part....take a walk...hold a hand...let someone know that you think they are great. Have a sweet Valentine's day!!

This pin is photo-etched sterling silver and is just over 1.5 inches tall and just under 2 inches wide.

HOUSES THAT MEASURE UP

What's not to love about rulers and measuring devices...the little tick marks in perfect order and numbers from petite to bold. I have always loved beautiful steel Lufkin rules and the wooden folding variety with the warm patina that comes from much use. More and more these beautiful tools are being replaced with plastic or some lazer or digital nonsense. It's just wrong.

While these house pins are modeled after a measuring devise and can be mistaken for steel, they are actually photo-etched in sterling silver. Some of the roofs are sterling silver and some are copper. There is a small window on each house...the gateway to looking within. All the house pins are 1 inch wide and 1 7/8, 2 1/8 or 2 3/8 inches tall.

I just gave the #50 pin to a friend who turned 50 yesterday...oh, and she's a real estate agent.

THE TIME TRAVELER

THE TIME TRAVELER is ready for any and all adventures. With the world map behind him the universe is at his finger tips...well maybe his wing tips.

Over the last few posts I have been introducing THE TIME TRAVELER. Here is the completed box both inside and outside. It measures 12 inches wide (with the doors closed) by 14.25 inches tall. The framework is cherry and the metals are red brass and nickel with a vintage beveled protractor as a finial on top of the box.

I'm still working to perfect the photography of this box. It is tricky at best and I have struggled with my lighting equipment and bulbs burning out at critical times. As I get better photos I will replace these.

THE TIME TRAVELERS CHECK LIST

THE TIME TRAVELER keeps a list of specialized equipment...all the things necessary for his journey and for his safe return. He also has to be well versed in math and equations of all kinds and have extensive knowledge of worm holes out in the universe. Click on the images below to enlarge them.


These images are of the inside of the doors of THE TIME TRAVELER box. They are etched nickel. My tungsten bulb just blew ...the one I use for photography...so these images of the doors are from the transparencies that I use to etch the metal.

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

Every time traveler worth his salt has a trusty mode of transportation. In this case it is a winged chair with Einstein's famous formula (E=mc2) and tempus fugit (time flies) etched on the back rests. It takes the knowledge of Einstein's formula to make time travel even feasible and it takes the hope and imagination of time flies to actually make the chair lift off. With any luck this time traveler will be off on a new adventure soon.

WHERE WE'VE BEEN...WHERE WE'RE GOING

This is the suitcase that belongs to THE TIME TRAVELER...there have been many destinations. Can you imagine witnessing pyramids being built in Egypt... being in India for the birth of Buddha....and on the way back to present time zipping into Seattle for the World's Fair. I think we can all relate to THE TIME TRAVELER. Who hasn't wished they could have one more conversation with someone from the past...just one more moment...to be able to ask one more question.

IT STARTS WITH AN IMAGE

Over the next several days the subject of my posts will be the anatomy of a box...well, not any box, but one of my boxes. I've talked about these narrative art boxes, schemed and dreamed about them for well over a year now. Of course I am influenced and find inspiration from the work of Joseph Cornell and, more recently, Mariko Kusumoto. Her box-like sculptures are Asian influenced and beautifully crafted and can be found at Mobilia Gallery in Massachusetts.

The idea of the box was my solution to being able to flesh out a story. I think I am a story teller at heart and while my jewelry has given me a canvas for storytelling, there is not always enough surface area to pull it off. With the ability to etch surfaces both inside and outside of the box, I now have plenty of room to tell the whole story, always being careful, of course, to leave some things for the imagination of the viewer.


For me it all begins with an image...although a word or a phrase is sometimes the trigger. I've mentioned in a past post how much I enjoy working with vintage imagery. There is something so visceral about those old images and the life led...a life I will never know anything about. I feel compelled somehow to create a life for them...to put their face back out into the world so they won't be forgotten.


The etching process that I do requires very high contrast images...a lot of vintage images just aren't. I spend quite a bit of photo shop time getting the images ready to etch. Many are faded or slightly out of focus and most are stilted in a way. The subject had to hold perfectly still for long periods of time in order to capture their image on film. To find a good vintage photo of a subject actually doing something is rare. I'm always looking for interesting hand positions and for how that can help my story along. I was lucky with the above image...with his right hand resting on the table (to steady himself for the photo) I have a perfect fist just waiting to hold something. In this case it will be a suitcase because this young man is THE TIME TRAVELER. Check back over the next several days and see his transformation and story evolve.

OAK LEAF BRACELET

I have always loved oak leaves... the shape...the varieties of shapes...a symbol of the strength and elegance of the tree they come from. Where I grew up in Arkansas the oak trees were on the property long before I existed and with any luck, will be there long after I am gone. Those trees held our forts and tree houses...were friends when we just needed to get away and have a quiet moment alone...and today shade the cemetery plot just down the road where some of my family rests. Those trees are as woven into my DNA as any other genetic material.

This bracelet is photo-etched, 16 gauge sterling silver and depicts oak leaves being blown in the wind. The Robert Frost quote says, "LISTEN! THE WIND IS RISING AND THE AIR IS WILD WITH LEAVES." It is 1 inch wide and can be made in any length to fit any wrist.

FISH MIGRATION

If you've been reading this blog at all I think it is probably clear that I really like fish. For years I collected fish pins (this was way before I even thought about being a jeweler.) I loved the fishes that Gabrielle Gould (a jeweler from Saint Augustine, FL) used to make. One was called RED HEADED BOTTOM FEEDER...with a name like that I couldn't resist. It was one of my favorite pins ever until I lost it. I still think about that little silver fish with it's red head and spiral wire for a back fin.

It took me a while to realize that I can make my own fish pins now. Over the next five days I will be posting a new fish each day. This is a migration of sorts of photo-etched sterling silver finned ones. I don't know where this migration is heading but I know I want to follow.


This checkerboard fish pin is 3 inches long and 1 inch tall.


This fish with scales is 3 inches long and 1 inch tall.


This little hatchet fish is 2.25 inches long and 1.25 inches tall.


This fish with dots is 3 inches long and 1 inch tall.


And finally, this little fish with dashes is 2.25 inches long and 1.25 inches tall.

ROBIN WITH NEST

I've been noticing some harbingers of spring even though it is mid January. Just yesterday I was telling a friend that the birds were singing up a storm just outside the window... and a few brave little souls were bathing in the puddles in my driveway... and a bit later I noticed a pair of chickadees checking out my birdhouse for occupancy...and there is a different quality in the light ...and I can just feel it in my bones. I welcome spring and will be on the lookout for the very first tender shoots of green to nose their way through the earth reminding me where the bulbs are planted. And that fresh, baby, tender green color that will soon halo all the bare branches...green...spring...I think it is no accident that these two words rhyme. They are each like long lost sisters finally reunited...arms encircling each other. I'm trying to be in the present moment but it is difficult not to be looking ahead. I can hardly wait!!!

This ROBIN PIN is photo-etched sterling silver that measures 2.25 inches long and 1.25 inches high. The nest is oxidized copper wire. I often wear this robin pin on my jacket as a reminder to myself and others that spring is just around the corner!!

QUEEN OF HEARTS POD

For the last couple of days I've been stymied by technology. I've been trying to learn about my fancy digital camera beyond shooting in automatic mode. That means learning about white balance...bracketing...exposure compensation...the difference between matrix metering and spot metering...etc...etc....it's been enough to give me a headache. I've had to walk away from this project several times. It all started because I bought a light tent for shooting my work. Jewelry is so reflective and can be difficult to photograph. With a light tent the light source is dissipated so there are no reflections or hot spots. Today I've been dealing with the reflection of my camera lens showing as a perfectly round black circle right in the middle of the piece of jewelry. It's taken more than just a little photoshop to clean these images up but I am mostly pleased with the results.


This is the QUEEN OF HEARTS POD. It is photo-etched sterling silver...measures approximately 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inches in depth...and hangs on an 18 inch sterling silver snake chain. The backside has a checkerboard pattern that mimics the bodice of her gown.

OAK LEAF POD

I am drawn to pods...mostly seed pods...with their hollow interior full of hope for the future.

This sterling silver pod is my stylized version of the seed pod. It is photo-etched and is approximately 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch in depth. The doorway into the pod is stitched part way closed with copper wire...reminding us to be patient and that in time, the gift inside will reveal itself. The pod hangs by an 18 inch snake chain. On the backside there is a textural pattern of dashes...this pattern was found on the inside of a security envelope. The oak leaf motif is in remembrance of my mom and of the tall wise oak trees that watch over our family home in Arkansas.

TIME MANAGEMENT

SUCCESS IS THE SUM OF SMALL EFFORTS, REPEATED DAY IN AND DAY OUT. -Robert Collier

Recently my art group discussed the subject of time management. I think most people have issues with time management in one form or another but I think for artists, it can be a real struggle. We are often self employed so we have to be good self starters. We have to wear so many hats...designer, craftsman, photographer, accountant, marketing genius, errand girl, secretary, research developer and computer wizard. It is so easy to veer off the intention for the day and at the end of the day realize that nothing much got accomplished. Throw in hauling some firewood or a quick run to the grocery store so you can have crackers with your soup and a perfectly good work day can be nibbled to death.

My particular challenge is that I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of person. I like to have a goal...work really really hard to achieve that goal...and then slack. After the slack, it takes a lot to get the momentum moving again. I have committed to my art group to try the slow but steady approach for the next month. I am actually going to keep a record... clock in and out so I can make sure I get my work hours in and be accountable to the group. We have each made a commitment to work on the areas where we are lacking. I'll let you know in a month if I have turned my work habits around...in the meantime...have a productive day!!!

VINE HEART PIN

This vine heart pin is photo-etched sterling silver and is 1.5 inches tall by 1.75 inches wide. It is also available as a neckpiece with a snake chain. This is the kind of pin that you just let live on your favorite sweater or jean jacket. The small window allows one to look within...a window to the soul.

NOAH'S BRACELET

A couple of years ago my friend, Lin, ( you can see her wonderful paintings by clicking on her link on the right column) and her daughter, Krista, took a trip to Washington, DC. It was a gift from Krista to her mom knowing how much Lin would enjoy all the art galleries, and in the process they would get to spend some quality time together. As a surprise, Lin asked me to make matching vine bracelets as a memory of the trip. When Krista got home, her young son, Noah, loved playing with the bracelet and handled it whenever he could. Just before this past Christmas, Lin talked to me about the possibility of making a bracelet for Noah..now 5 years old. We talked about different imagery...his name on the bracelet...fish...animal tracks...boy stuff. Krista assured us that it needed to be just like hers...so with some creative shipping, the bracelet arrived in Wyoming just in time to get under the tree. It was a little tricky to make...so small...the blank was only 4 inches long...and my mandrel was a bit too large for hammering it around. When I finished it and held it in the palm of my hand, there was something precious about that small size. A few days ago Krista sent me this photo.

INGREDIENTS FOR A MOST DELICIOUS DAY

1. A new friend who feels like someone you have known for a very long time coming to visit for the first time.
2. A day of wind and rain slanted sideways...but it just doesn't matter.
3. A ride in a 1952 Dodge pick-up.
4. A relaxed hearty breakfast at Sweet Laurettes.
5. Popping in and out of the downtown galleries.
6. Hanging out in front of a woodstove...talking...talking...talking.
7. Sharing art books...stories...vintage photos...hopes...and dreams.
8. Joining another dear friend and art soul for a gallery opening.
9. Selling a piece at the opening.
10. Being in the company of many artists.
Combine all of the above and stir together gently. Add liberal pinches of laughter...and finally bake with warm hugs. Now that's a sweet day even if you've given up sugar for new years.

REMEMBERING THE NIGHT GARDEN

Last night I was part of a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts called WHODUNIT. The plan was that each artist would create a piece of art on an 8"x8" canvas and sign the back instead of the front...a little mystery was afoot as people tried to figure out which artist created which piece. All the works were priced at $350 with the proceeds going to assist the elderly in art programs. Over 100 artist participated in all mediums. I'm happy to report that my piece sold on the opening night.


I titled this piece REMEMBERING THE NIGHT GARDEN because poppies are the flower of remembrance. I was especially pleased with how the beetles that walk around the edge turned out. All the metal is photo-etched. The beetles and houses are nickel...the poppies are red brass...the roofs are copper... and the stars are sterling silver.

JANUARY

A fresh clean calendar...no scribbles in the margins...new beginnings. I think Kim, rug weaver extraordinaire and my sweet friend, said it best when she recently wrote..."time to think about what to focus on with all the possibilities that one feels in January...while there is still breathing room for dreaming before the constant pressure that seems to come with show season and yards full of growing things".

That seems to be how it is...it all seems possible right now. Art show applications are appearing in the mailbox...which shows to apply to...which shows do I have the best chance of getting in....which shows are worth the $30-$45 application fee. As the months tick by the pressure starts to build...replace inventory that sold at Christmas in all the galleries...create new work before spring...continually seek balance between work and a walk on the beach...now the grass is starting to grow exponentially and the tractor won't start...the cherry tomatoes I bought at the farmer's market are shriveling in their too small plastic pots (no time to plant them properly)...a crazy 17 hour day trying to finish those last pieces before loading the car leaving for a show......anyway, you get the picture. The truth is that I wouldn't change a thing...this is my life and I love it!!! So this January I'm going to dream about all the possibilities.

OUT OF CHAOS COMES THE DANCING STAR

Last year I made a narrative box for a dear friend living in Hawaii. It was a gift for her partner in celebration of her 2nd year of sobriety. We discussed a lot of imagery and finally came up with crashing waves on the outside representing the chaos of alcoholism and the serenity of tranquil lily pads on the inside representing sobriety...the calm after the storm. The level vial is symbolic of seeking balance and the water that surrounds Hawaii. Inside, the two year coin rests on the steps which represent the 12 steps of the AA program. The door, with etched keys, opens to reveal the serenity prayer.

This box has handmade hinges...it was my first attempt and I had no idea how challenging making smooth working, non binding hinges would be.

Etching the waves was real tricky. I used a photo that my sister took on her last trip to Hawaii. Crashing waves are hard to photograph and etching them and trying to create movement often yields a result that is somewhat abstract. In this case I think the waves being abstract worked with the chaos theme.

LOADING THE SHEAR

For months I've been looking for a used metal shear. I need one to cut nickel and red brass for the doors of my narrative boxes and silver for my jewelry. I finally found one at Benoit Sheet Metal in Woodinville. I think it will be perfect for me and help move me forward. This is Chuck carefully loading it on my 52 Dodge. It was quite a load...estimated weight is 650 pounds and estimated age between my truck, my shear, and myself is 160-170 years. That's a hoot...I think I like old things!!!

SERENDIPITOUS TIMING

My dictionary defines serendipity as...the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.

Last Friday I headed to Seattle to pick up my new metal shear (more about the shear in the next post). On the way I was stopped, with other traffic, at the Hood Canal bridge as a submarine passed through. This happens from time to time but usually only when you are racing trying to make connections at the airport or ferry terminal or you are stopped so many miles back that you have no idea what the delay is all about. This time I had the good fortune of being stopped on the bridge...not in a hurry...on a beautiful day...and I had my camera with me. Here are some pictures of the submarine with two escort boats (the subs always look Darth Vader-ish to me), the struts of the bridge (I love those silhouetted lines), the metal grid pattern of the lanes with water below (I have no doubt that in the very near future this grid pattern will find it's way into my art work), and the Olympic mountain range in all it's glory resplendent with a fresh dusting of snow.

VINE BRACELET

This is the kind of cuff bracelet that you put on and just don't take off. It is photo-etched sterling silver and is 3/4 inch wide. It can be made in any length to fit any wrist. The vine pattern is an every day, all the time look. Wear it casually with jeans or let it dress up your finest.

WHERE THE HEAVENS MEET THE SEA

I love all things relating to water and stars. You can see that in my last post with the WATCHING STARS gate which I made many years ago. This bracelet, WHERE THE HEAVENS MEET THE SEA, continues that theme. The bracelet is a one inch wide, photo-etched, cuff style. It is made from 16 gauge sterling silver (substantial without being too heavy) and can be made to fit any wrist.