from the bench of stephanie tomczak

Big Year Ahead!

2011-10-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

So as you may have already noticed, I am not really much of a blogger. I have a super busy year ahead of me in the studio, big changes, big shows and lots of new work to make! I have decided to take the blog off of my list of things to do, so I can spend more time making and less time on the computer. This doesn't mean I am going to leave everyone in the dark. If you want to hear about exciting news in my jewelry world and see pictures of my work in progress, studio shots and shows "like" my Facebook page, it will definitely be full of updates this coming year. Also, I recently discovered Pinterest and totally love it! It is so great for finding and sharing inspiration, check out my Pinterest page to see the things that I am inspired by.

It is still a little too soon to start sharing the details, but I can say I am very excited about all of the opportunities coming my way!

Indulge

2011-02-04T12:41:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that Indulge at the Bellevue Arts Museum was already a year ago! But what a positive and productive year it has been!!! And I have to say that I am very proud of all that I have accomplished. Doing the BAM show was just the push that I needed to get myself back in the studio and focused on jewelry. And now I am very excited to be embarking on a new body of work (more to come soon).
I am very excited to attend Indulge this weekend and checkout this year's lineup of artists. Including some local ladies who's jewelry I adore,Tia Kramer, Sarah Loertscher and Gina Pankowski to name a few.
For more info about the show and to buy tickets checkout BAM's webite.

Promise of Spring

2011-01-30T16:58:00.001-08:00

On my walks around the neighborhood this past week I was excited to find small green surprises appearing on the almost bare branches and pushing their way up through the dead leafs. One tree I passed was full of hundreds birds screeching above me. And when I walked home at the end of the day, I wasn't in the dark but catching the end of some amazing sunsets over the Olympics. I love when I first I notice the these changes in the season. Now I don't have to wait for spring anymore, I can just relax and watch it bloom.

into the woods

2011-01-18T20:27:00.001-08:00

It seems like my sources of inspiration have been following the natural course of evolution and coming out of the water and onto dry land. Back in October I took a backpacking trip to Kauai where I was expecting to find myself scouring the beaches and sea floors for bits of inspiration. But I was actually much more excited about the strange and beautiful things I found growing in the jungle. Here are just a few photos from my trip

Lately my go to book for inspiration has been Treasures of the Fungi Kingdom by Taylor F Lockwood it is a fantastic resource for colors and textures. Here is a taste of what's inside...

vivarium came down last week and today i cleaned off my bench! now i am ready to move onto my next endeavor in jewelry and i'm excited to share my progress along the way, so stay tuned...

Schools out!

2010-12-22T10:25:00.001-08:00

I had such a great time with my first beginning jewelry class at North Seattle Community College! Everyone was so hard working and ambitious, they were really a fantastic group of gals. Here are some photos of their work

I wont be teaching beginning jewelry again till the spring. But I am really looking forward to my enameling class running this winter quarter. There is still some time left to sign up!

Vivarium Opening!

2010-12-14T18:07:00.001-08:00

"Vivarium”, Latin for place of life, is any space created to display life, most commonly aquariums or terrariums. Our (mixed media) installations will act as an environment to give context to our jewelry and the jewelry will be life on display.

Here are the few photos that I have from Dixie's and my opening at Ghost Gallery last Thursday (thanks to Roger Schreiber). This was my first installation and I learned so much. But the biggest realization that I made is how much I prefer working in a small scale. And while there may not be larger installations in my future I still want to explore giving context to my jewelry, just a miniature environment.
Thank you so much to everyone who made it out! If you missed out it will be on view through January 6th, so you still have time to check it out.

New News!

2010-11-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

Right now I am so busy in the studio getting ready for my show with Dixie Darling that is opening next month at Ghost Gallery. Were are going to be transforming the gallery into an environment inspired by our jewelry. It is really great to step outside of my comfort zone and work in such a large scale. I can't wait to see how it turns out in the space and how both of our "worlds" come together. See you at the OPENING!!!

I am so excited to announce that I will be teaching Enameling for Jewelry this winter at North Seattle Community College!!! Sign up and add some color to your jewelry!

Arthur Hash Workshop and 2010 Symposium

2010-10-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Arthur Hash Workshop

"Up-cycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use or value. This process allows for the reduction of waste and the dynamic use of materials. In this class I will challenge students to create wearable objects that are comprised of materials that would have otherwise ended up in the trash heap. The class will combine common materials with traditional jewelry methods. Demonstrations will combine basic tool and shop skills as well as new material processing techniques." I really wish that I could attend this workshop, you should take it and tell me all about it!

2010 Symposium

This year I am looking forward to the great line up at the Northwest Jewelry and Metals Symposium. Klaus Bürgel will discuss about "producing installations, drawings, objects and jewelry that relate to each other across the broad terrain of scale, explore that region and comfortably live within it." Kim Cridler "will explore the recent resurgence of ornamentation in a variety of craft disciplines and how its legacy has influenced her studio practice and holds the promise to enrich our day-to-day lives." Arthur Hash "will speak about how digital tools and technologies are changing art and design in the classroom and in the working craft studio." Marvin Jensen will tell the story of "the paths that he has chosen to walk as a maker." Elizabeth Shypertt "will talk about her experiences as a gallerist and her observations of the field from her unique perspective." See you there!

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE!

Palette Inspiration

2010-10-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

Aud Charlotte Ho Sook Sinding

I love incorporating color into my metalwork so I thought that I would share a few of the metalsmiths and jewelers who's use of color I truly admire. I also wanted to share that Heidi Lowe Gallery is having a color show, opening next week. Featuring work from Amy Tavern, Melissa Tolar, Timothy McMahon, and Sally Collins. I really wish that I was on the east coast for this one, if you are you should check it out!

I am very excited that Art Jewelry Forum featured an image of my work in artical on emerging jewelry artists by Cindi Strauss. In other online news, I was recently interviewed by lovetoknow.com, I hope you enjoy my interview.

Excited For Fall!

2010-09-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Most years I am the first of my friends to pull on my cardigan, crack open a pumpkin ale and wait for the leaves to turn (usually at least a month too early). But this year, due to all of my hard work in the studio and lack of time outside enjoying the pacific northwest, I still have my fingers crossed for an Indian summer. While I may not be rushing sweater-weather this autumn, I am very much looking forward to the coming months for a few reasons. First I am beyond excited to be teaching my first class at North Seattle Community College, starting in just a few weeks. This semester I am going to be teaching Beginning Jewelry, if you are interested in learning the basics of jewelry fabrication you can sign up online and join me Monday nights! Over the next few months I will also be busy preparing for my show at Ghost Gallery opening in December, it will feature the jewelry and installations of Dixie Darling and myself. (I'll be sure to post progress photos). And what better way to soak up some inspiration than backpacking the Kalalau Trail, in Kauai which is another big event that I have planned for this fall. Right now things are looking pretty good, may not need that Indian summer after all.

bitesize inspiration: wagashi and petit fours

2010-09-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

I am totally getting a treat from tokara today!

Snapshots from my whirlwind east coast tour!

2010-08-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

My work at Heidi Lowe Gallery

Heidi and me

I was so happy that I made it down to see Heidi and the show. My internship at Heidi's was by far one of my favorite summers ever, so I jump at the chance to visit! Her gallery is great, if you haven't been you really should!

Opening at Zuzu

duality

my work

Midori's work

uarts crew!

Allison and me

Its amazing that I worked so hard all summer to get ready for this show and it was over in the blink of an eye. I felt so happy to see family and friends turn out for the show,

and so proud for the chance to be a part of Allison's new gallery!

After spending some time with family and friends, I took a road trip with my friends Jill and Gene down to Asheville, NC to visit my friends Rachel and Alex.

Rachel and Alex's epic/inspirational back yard and garden

one of Rachel's amazing titanic inspired paintings

Alex in his studio at odyssey

here is a taste of what he is working on at his residency. check out his website for more.

Camping at the North Carolina hot springs!

the last stop on the road trip was the georgia aquarium,

for a little sea inspiration from the largest aquarium in the world.

...which actually turned out to be a madhouse of screaming children

note to self: low tide at carkeek is much more inspiring

August News!

2010-08-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

July was such a busy month for me, but only because August is going to be such an exciting month for me! I am going to be part of a two person show with the lovely and talented Midori Saito at ZUZU Gallery (Collingswood, NJ) AND I am going to be the featured artist at Heidi Lowe Gallery (Rehoboth Beach, DE). I am so happy to be taking a trip to the east coast so I can be at the opening at ZUZU and check out the show at Heidi's too. I am really looking forward to spending time with my family and friends back east.

PS Today I freshened up my website with a new homepage and images of my new work, courtesy of Roger Schreiber, check it out!

Both shows are opening on August 14th, I hope you can come out and show your support!

Royal Loyals

2010-07-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today is the opening for Royal Loyals at Sienna Gallery. The exhibition is a collaboration of Monika Krol (jeweler) and Danielle Rizzolo (painter), both artists who I truly admire. The concept for their show is "Mentors as Muses: A collection of work created about three admirable lives. Not lives of power or status instead individuals who do what they love and succeed at it." I think it's a lovely idea for a show, backed by unbelievable work. I am also drawn to this work because two of their subjects, Judith Schaechter (stained glass artist) and Lola Brooks (jeweler), both happen to be teachers who were hugely influential for me also. Just a few years ago I was admiring Monika's work at the crit table at UArts, and now I am so excited (but not the least bit surprised) to see it on the front page of Sienna's website. I wish I could be at the opening tonight to see the show in person, but being on the other side of the country makes that a little difficult. Best of luck ladies and congratulations!!!

Rings and Earrings!

2010-06-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to be a part of these two shows opening this week on the east coast!

I fell in love with beeswax!

2010-05-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

These are some photos of my very first encaustic painting! A few weeks ago I took an encaustic workshop taught by my friend Stephanie Hargrave. I absolutely loved the process, painting with beeswax, pigment and a torch.... Amazing. (At times it really reminded me of torch firing enamels.) I am so excited to make sculptural encaustic covered landscapes for pieces of jewelry to nestle in!

And I have to say Stephanie is an amazing artist, a wonderful teacher and just an awesome person to be around, so check out her website for more information on the workshops that she offers. I will definitely be going back to her studio.

Tulips

2010-05-02T12:43:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos from my recent trip up to the tulip festival. The endless fields of color were amazing! After Erica and I spent most of the day in the muddy fields, we went into La Conner. It was like a mini vacation, we got to explore the cute little town and enjoy good food, good drinks and good finds at the antique shops.
I have been looking for a printers drawer for my little odds and ends for awhile now, I found this one at Nasty Jack's Antiques. I also got this lovely dessert tray, it may become a jewelry display, I am not much of a baker. But I would love to see it covered in cupcakes and petit fours ...

Photos from accumulation

2010-04-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Its a great show!!! If you haven't already seen it, you should really go! It is up till May 7th at Fancy in Belltown.

UPDATE: The show has gotten such a great reaction that it is going to be staying up for another month!

Accumulation

2010-04-03T16:01:00.001-07:00

Opening at Fancy

Friday, April 9th

reception from 6-9 p.m.

show on display through May 7th.

1914 2nd Avenue

Seattle, WA 98101

(206) 956-2945

Next Friday evening I will be at Fancy in Belltown for the opening of Accumulation. The show will be featuring work from three of my favorite local jewelry artists Rachel Rader, Sarah Loertscher, and Dixie Darling. Check out Fancy's blog to read interviews with these lovely ladies.

Rachel Rader

Rachel and I share the same obsessions for both ocean life and sugary confections. All of her amazing jewelry and glass work are deep sea encrusted and dripping with with frosting! Well not actual frosting, but it is hard for me to resist the temptation of putting her work in my mouth.

Sarah Loertscher

Sarah's work is so lovely in its visual simplicity, my eyes effortlessly follow the contours of her crystalline forms. However technically there is nothing minimal about these filigree structures. Sarah's attention to detail and regard for fine craftsmanship is evident in all of her work.

Dixie Darling

There are really no words to describe how exciting it is for me to visit Dixie's studio and drool over her collection of color pallets. Usually taking the form of trays; full of colorful, miniature "num-nums" What's more exciting, is to see how she combines these elements into decadent wearable works of art.

As you can see Rachel, Sarah and Dixie each have a unique aesthetic, but "accumulation" is definitely the common ground in all of their work. I am beyond excited to see all of their new work and how they transform the gallery space with installations to display the jewelry! Come out to the show this Friday and you will not be disappointed. Support these local artists by splurging on some of their beautiful jewels, or just come and be inspired, by what I am sure will be a feast for the eyes! I hope to see you there!

new photos!

2010-03-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

this past sunday my friend dixie and i spent the afternoon having our jewelry photographed by roger schreiber. i hadn't seen dixie in awhile and i love working with roger, so it was a fun day. if you are in seattle and looking for a photographer who does portfolio documentation, go to roger he is great! check out my new images on my website and let me know what you think!

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

My last post about carrier shells made me think about how much better my hoarding problem is as an adult. When I was a kid and my mom would throw away a broken toy or set aside old clothes to take to the goodwill. I would pick through the trash or goodwill pile and sneak my stuff back up to my room. Sorry Mom. This made me laugh and decide that today was a good day for a spring purge. So I went for my clothes closet. I was pretty harsh this time, parting with some of my very favorite pieces from the past. But I realized that if it was my favorite dress 5 years ago but I haven't worn it in 2 years, what's the point. Its not doing anyone any good sitting in my closet. So maybe now it will have a new life as someone else's favorite dress. And it feels so good to fill up a garbage bag with clothes and haul it off to the goodwill... Well lets hope I get it to the goodwill before I start to look through it again.

carrier shells

2010-03-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

my fascination with carrier shells (xenophora) has been growing for several years now. as they travel across the ocean floor they collect vacant shells to attach to their own shell as they grow. maybe i am attracted to them because they are hoarders like me and i can relate to the idea of not wanting to part with useful or beautiful objects. even as a child i was so scared of change and losing things. it would be so comforting to be able to permanently attach my favorite mementos to myself like a carrier shell, so that way i could never lose them. some of the things that i would love to adhere to myself would be jewelry that has been passed down to me; like my mom's charm bracelet, my grandmoms' engagement ring and extensive costume jewelry collection. my tattoos are my only link to this kind of reassurance. the jewelry that i am starting to come up with right now looks like carrier shells that crawled through a treasure chest, i am very excited to see what starts coming out of my head+hands!

you are a wealth of metalsmithing knowledge!!!

2010-03-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

why not share some with the metals community by contributing to wikismith.org. wiki-smith is an online collaborative encyclopedia, made by metalsmiths for metalsmiths. the idea is that it will grow into a valuable resource over time, because people will keep adding information. who is adding this information? well, if you know anything about metal then YOU should! it is really easy to add content and you don't even have to be a member. also if you see some information that is wrong, don't hesitate to correct it. you can add as little or as much as you like. why not try it right now? if you are reading my blog then you are probably just wasting time on the internet anyway. did i mention it is super easy...

WIKISMITH.ORG

metalsmithing is a craft that has been passed down through generations. and it is very important for all of us to continue passing the knowledge along.

quick and easy pozole

2010-03-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

Now that I have more time on my hands Brandt and I have started cooking together again! Last weeks winning dinner was by far the pozole. I had been wanting to try out this recipe for awhile and we finally got around to it last Thursday. Our kitchen is conveniently located in the hallway of our apartment. We have about a foot and a half of counter space and a stove that isn't much larger. So if we can pull this off with some ease, then I am sure it will truly be quick and easy for those of you with a full size kitchen. Enjoy!

Oh, I also wanted to share my latest obsession, bento box lunches! A balanced meal that is so cute. This was my favorite from last week. salmon quinoa burger, mashed sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli and strawberries yum.

2010-03-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

This past summer I was honored to be part of The Enamel Show at Velvet da Vinci. The show was inspired by the book 500 Enameled Objects. Erica and I flew out to San Francisco for the opening. It was a fantastic show and a great trip. The other day I was excited to learn that there was an article on the show in Ornament Magazine and that my piece was mentioned.

You can read the article here.

Erica and I at The Enamel Show opening

ruth tomlinson

2010-02-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

my jewelry inspiration of the week is ruth tomlinson, yummmmmmm

lovely weekend

2010-02-16T17:52:00.000-08:00

Friday night Brandt and I went out to dinner to celebrate the success of my show and having my life back again. We went to Saltoro up on 143rd and Greenwood. I had truffle oil tossed pasta and prawns with a dirty grey goose martini. Brandt had the Sirloin, it was a little rare for his taste so I was happy to eat the bloody center. (I love rare steak.) For dessert we shared pots de creme au chocolat and nice glass of port. I have to say this was the perfect way to end two months of nonstop work and to start a three day weekend.

Stephanie Hargrave's art sale for Haiti was on Sunday. When I got there at 11am it was packed with art and people. I am so happy to say that the event raised $16,000.00 for the earthquake victims in Haiti, and there are still donations coming in!

Usually I am kind of bummed to go back to work after a three day weekend. But I love my new job as a nanny so much, that I was actually really happy to go back! Both of the babies are laid back and super cute. Their parents are pretty great too. It is so nice to have a job where I always feel appreciated. I feel very lucky to have found them.

Tonight I am heading to my "How to Start and Run a Small Business" class. I plan on sharing any useful information that I learn. So be sure to "follow" my blog if you are interested.

HAITI FUNDRAISER/ART SALE

2010-02-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

Conrad Chavez, Photograph

Stephanie Hargrave, olive 2, encaustic 25x17 with poplar frame

Britt Freda detail of 'Remembering Sweetness' - an acrylic on panel, 30x10

Cynthia LaRowe, photograph

Kathy Berg, oil on canvas board, 11x14

Jesse Young - photograph 26"x20" framed

Art Sale / Haiti Fundraiser on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14th

11am-6pm at 3234 California Avenue SW in West Seattle

Please pass this information on to anyone who would like to buy fine art and

help earthquake victims in Haiti at the same time.

ALL proceeds will go directly to Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health, or Mercy Corps.

Buyers will write checks to these organizations directly.

On sale: oil, acrylic, and encaustic paintings, mixed media works, ceramics, fine art photographs, jewelry, linocuts and more by 46 artists.

Donating Artists:

Ann Kendall, Ann Marie Meredith, Britt Freda, Camea Davidson, Carla Davis, Carol Pierce, Conrad Chavez, Cynthia LaRowe, Diane Culhane, Frances Smersh, Gail Howard, Garric Simonsen, Gini Lawson, Holly Haynes, Jan Flynn, Jesse Young, Joelle King, Juan Alonso, Julie Biggs, Junko Yamamoto, Kamla Kakaria, Kathy Berg, Kelly Lyles, KT Grisez, Lara Swimmer, Layne Cook, Leah Kangas, Lonjina Verdugo, Marcos Lewis, Marita Dingus, Melinda Hannigan, Mike Lawson, Pam Keely, Paul Rucker, Rachel Illingworth, Rickie Wolfe, Sally Ketchum, Sandy Glass, Sarah Savidge, Shaun Doll, Stephanie Hargrave, Stephanie Tomczak,Sue Danielson and Theresa Neinas.

be sure to 'give your love to Haiti' this valentines day!

Indulge overview

2010-02-10T18:29:00.002-08:00

annie and me opening night

at the very beginning of november i received my invitation to participate in indulge. by the end of the month i had quit my job and signed on for the show. i really don't know what i was thinking, at that point i had not finished anything that i was proud of since i had graduated in 2007. i only had two months to create a body of work, along with the display and all of the other little (and big) things that go into putting together a show. throughout the entire process my biggest fear was that i was going to come off as unprofessional and make a poor first impression (at a well known craft museum.) the good thing about realizing my fear was that i was able to figure out how to prevent it. as cheesy as it sounds, i had to be true to myself. indulge is a retail show, but i am really not a production jeweler and i did not want to falsely represent myself . so i decided that its my booth, i am going to do it my way. my plan was to make a series of one of a kind work and a limited collection of multiples inspired by the series. then to display it as if it were a gallery. i really didn't know how that would go over at this type of show, but that was how i wanted to represent myself. i was terrified. after it was all put on display i was very happy with the outcome. i am also so happy to say that i felt supported in these decisions by the museum curators after receiving the emerging artist award for the event. this entire experience was full of learning opportunities, but the one thing that i will always remeber is "above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it."

this is where i spent the better part of those two months

my coworker and daily uniform

(yes being a jeweler really is this glamorous)

i tried to clean my bench a couple of times a week...

but it would look like this within an hour anyway.

eventually the show took over our entire apartment.

my booth when i arrived

starting to come together

(thanks brandt)

trying to smile

multiples display

one of a kind display

now its over and i can say that i am very proud of my new work, my booth display and mostly of myself, for pulling it all together.

It's over!

2010-02-09T12:32:00.001-08:00

The show is finally over and I am exhausted! But the whole experience was amazing. I really had no idea what to expect and I was pretty terrified the days before the show. I wasn't expecting to sell anything, more hoping to make some connections. In the end I was able to do both. I met some great jewelers, jewelry lovers, collectors, gallery owners and curators. And I sold a one of a kind necklace! The gala on Friday was sold out and I received the emerging artist award for artistic excellence! I was blown away by the positive and constructive feedback that I received. The best part of the whole thing was watching people's reactions to the things that I had made. I consider it all to be a great learning experience and huge success! This week I will post more photos from the show and the weeks leading up to it. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to show their support for all of the jewelers there. Special thanks to Annie and Brandt, I couldn't have done it without you!

eun yeoung jeong

2010-01-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

one day when i was doing my internship at the heidi lowe gallery, heidi came home with an amazing photography book, treasures from the kingdom of fungi. the book is full of images of beautiful mushrooms and we decided that they are kind of like nature's jewelry for whatever they are growing on. yes, i know that sounds totally cheesy, but if you think about it, it is also totally true.

my jewelry inspiration of this week is eun yeong jeong's mushroom series. when i first saw this work i actually thought that it was ephemeral jewelry made from real mushrooms. it wasn't until i read the description of materials, that i looked closer and realized that they are hand fabricated. her transformation of metal into soft natural forms is flawless.

i hope you find these images inspiring.

just got my photos today!

2010-01-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

and i have to say that my photographer (roger schreiber) and model (sarah loertscher) both did fabulous jobs! this weekend i will try to put up all of the photos on my website, so check back to see more.

a beautiful day for lovely crafts

2010-01-20T17:49:00.000-08:00

The sky was so clear today that I almost forgot that it is still January in Seattle. So I spent most of my morning walking around the neighborhood. I finally remembered to stop in this cute little shop on greenwood that i have been eyeing since it opened around Christmas. I was expecting it to be just that, a cute little shop, but I walked away very impressed. Assemble gallery and studio is a thoughtful craft gallery, studio workshop space AND a cute little shop! Their shop not only has handcrafted functional objects, but also lots of books on indie craft. It makes me happy to find places that encourage people to work with their hands. So check them out on the greenwood/phinney art walk, take one of their workshops or just stop in and take a look.

check, check and check

2010-01-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

Everyday is one day closer to my show and I am finally starting to feel like I'm on my way to being prepared. My display is built, my lights came today, the jewelry is coming along and I had my photo shoot this weekend. It was a lot of fun, I went to local photographer Roger Schreiber and I really enjoyed working with him. I am also thankful that my lovely friend Sarah Loertscher was kind enough to model for me and she was great! Sarah is a pretty busy lady right now, she was recently accepted to the altcraft section of the Baltimore ACC show! So that is really exciting for her but also a huge investment. Her goal is to sell 100 of her lucy pendants to help fund the endeavor. She is also participating in a ring a day project, check out her blog to see her progress. Here is an image of her ring from day 1.

Thanks for stopping by.

dixie darling & aran galligan

2010-01-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

about a month ago i decided that i was going to share a jeweler who inspires me every friday. i realized that i have totally slacked off, so this week i am going to make up for it by sharing two amazing jewelers! dixie darling and aran galligan are both friends of mine here in seattle. they are also both going to be exhibiting at indulge next month. so come out and join us at the bellevue art museum the first weekend in february to see their work in person.

dixie darling

aran galligan

thanks for looking.

Jamie Bennett at the Bellevue Arts Museum

2010-01-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

for those of you who don't know, jamie bennett has an exhibition up at the bellevue arts museum, edge of the sublime. and i just heard the exciting news that he is going to be giving a tour of the exhibition during indulge, on saturday february, 6. this is just another great reason for you to come to the show. hope to see you there.

brain food

2010-01-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

quinoa is probably the biggest staple in my diet. its a complete protein and better for you than brown rice. its also super easy to make and you can toss it in with any salad to make it a filling meal. here are two of my favorite recipes that have been helping me get through these long days.

nutty cinnamon quinoa

lemon cilantro salad

try them out and share any recipes that you love.

UPDATE!

2010-01-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks I have been so busy in the studio getting ready for my show that I have managed to totally abandon my blog. So here is an update. Right before the new year I ran into some major issues with enameling on the objects that I had electroformed. I had never had any problems with this in the past, so I really wasn't expecting it. It was pretty terrifying to hit such a huge pothole with my deadline quickly approaching. When I first left my job to take on this endeavor i was so scared and my boyfriend Brandt said to me "we can only move forward." So that's what I did. I had to backtrack a few steps and work twice as hard but I was able to resolve the problem. And the second time around I had the chance to make everything even better. Here is a sneak peak of what's on my bench right now...

my good friend dixie told me that this is just a challenge and that i am going to kick its ass. i am lucky to have such a great support system of family and friends. thanks everyone!!!

2009-12-24T08:53:00.000-08:00

i hope you all have a fantastic holiday!

oceanic inspiration

2009-12-22T13:50:00.000-08:00

last week i was having a very hard time narrowing down my color palette. i am just about ready to do all of my enameling so that was becoming pretty stressful. i decided to go out and do a little christmas shopping with my friend erica. [i was so engrossed in making jewelry that i almost did not realize that i hadn't left my apartment in three days. so i figured going out in the real world would do me some good.] we were in a book store so i started flipping through ocean photography books for inspiration. i found a few great images scattered through out each book. then i came across the book "oceanic wilderness" by roger steene and let me tell you it is 340 pages of eye-candy. minimal text and not one bland photo, needless to say i didn't hesitate for one second to buy this book (despite being broke). these are just a few images from the book that have inspired my palette, hope you enjoy them as much as i do. [you should really click on them to view them full scale and see all of the yummy details.]

alidra alic

2009-12-18T16:20:00.001-08:00

i have decided that every friday i am going to share a jewelry artist who's work inspires me. this week i would love to share the jewelry of alidra alic. her statement pieces are inspired by 'alice's adventures in wonderland', 'flora' and 'interpretations' of jewelry. she also has a lovely line of more wearable fine jewelry. i am drawn to her subtle use of color and natural forms, in contrast i am also kind of in love with her pink and yellow sugary macaroon-like jewels.

check back on fridays to see more unique jewelry!

electroforming

2009-12-17T11:47:00.000-08:00

i am very happy to say that my electroforming endeavor is well underway. i have to admit i was a little nervous setting it all up and with my first couple of samples. but now i have been electroforming nonstop! i am very happy with the results and it was much easier to set up than you might imagine. this is what i used and it is all you really need.

i got an acid safe plastic container from the restaurant supply store. and a slightly larger cheap plastic storage container. i figured it wouldn't hurt to double up, its easier for storing it and i don't have to worry about anything spilling )

i have a three gallon tank filled with electroforming solution from rio

(order # 335-074 $16.45 per quart)

18amp precision plater from rio

(order # 335-187 $280)

i like to do my sculpting and carving with castilene. (i prefer the med)

i got my copper paint from safer solutions. (they are in philly)

for the anode i used 16 gauge pure copper sheet from rio

(order # 132-116 @$16.00 per 6"x12")

and 10 gauge pure copper wire from rio

(order # 132-310 @$13.00 per lb spool)

i also used this wire for the rods in the tank and the cathode rods.

don't forget to cover the cathode rods with electrical tape or the copper will plate them too.

here are some examples of just a few of the things that i have plated. check back for more work in progress photos

here are a few helpful online electroforming resources

sothernflames.org

instructables.com

jewelryartistmagazine.com

triian burbank

2009-12-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

for the past few weeks i have been drooling over the triian burbank website. miami based couple, trisha brookbank and brian burkhardt, have created a line of jewelry from synthetic materials that look like encrusted treasures that have been dredged up from the bottom of the sea.

i first read about them on one of my favorite jewelry blogs the carrotbox. any of their rings would be at the top of my christmas wish list!

i just learned that triian has an esty page!

a girl on a mission benefit

2009-12-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

friday december 11th i'll be at the jewel box theater to support my friend denise doherty and her show a girl on a mission tv. its a great show where she interviews all types of artists from the seattle area. check out her blog to see some of the interviews. come out to her benefit this friday at 10pm and see some great bands (including the guns of barisal!) and a burlesque performance, there will also be a silent auction (with a piece from yours truly) and a raffle. hope to see you there!

free money for artists

2009-12-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

yes it's true. there are lots of great organizations who's sole purpose is to give money to artists, all you have to do is apply. last night dixie and i went to a grantwriting workshop put on by artist trust. they told us all about the grants and other resources that they offer, along with other opportunities and grants for artist in washington state and nationwide. i learned a lot in the workshop, so i wanted to share the some of the grantwrinting tips that i found most useful.

1. find a good fit. look at their past recipients, their mission, who their supporters are. these are some good clues to see if that grant is a good fit for you.

2. research the reviewing process. every organization's panel goes through a slightly different process, so just call them and ask about it. for example with artist trust, the first round of review is based only on the artwork. they sit in a room all day and look at each of the 10 images from each of the hundreds of applicants and narrow it down to 20%-30% of the applicants. they don't read your artist statement, resume or proposal during their first vote. so that means about 75% of their decisions is based on your work. so....

3. only show your best work and make sure that you have killer photos.

4. keep it simple and to the point. your artist statement, proposal, budget, everything. say everything you need to and be clear, but in as few words as you can. keep in mind that they are reading hundreds of these applications.

5. apply (and apply and apply) your not going to get their money if you don't try. and your probably not going to get most of the grants that you apply for, but don't let that slow you down. they say if you don't have a stack of rejection letters on your desk your not applying for enough grants. and there is really a grant out there for everything (i mean everything ) go research it, apply and make art.

baby its cold out

2009-12-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

how did seattle get so cold? at least the cold weather isn't tempting me to go outside and leave my studio anytime soon. i'll be posting work in progress images soon. i have just been so busy making jewelry that i haven't found the time to blog about it. keep warm.

photo credit

christmas came early!

2009-12-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

indulge is coming up in february and decided that i need to be electroforming the work that i want to make for the show. i also realized that i am broke and my deadline is quickly approaching. in a desperate attempt to find any local, cheap or easy electrofoming resources, i sent out a mass email to everyone that i know (and don't know) asking for advice. i heard back from a few people with a couple of leads (that i had already tried). and as always i got some great information from rod mccormick. then i got a proposal from sally von bargen, offering to purchase me the supplies that i need in exchange for a credit towards my work. as she put it "getting the right tool quickly is very important, then my focus can shift from technical needs to creative solutions." i was totally blown away. someone that i had only met a couple of times (at geeky metalsmith club) was going to enable me to make the things that i really want to create. today i met up with sally and got all of the supplies and started assembling my tank! thank you so much sally!there are people out there who really believe in supporting artists. so my advice is that it can't hurt to put it out there and see what you get back.

check back in for updates on my electroforming endeavor...

back home and back to work

2009-12-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

i had a lovely trip to the east coast for thanksgiving. i'm glad that i got to spend some time with lots of my favorite people. but now i am back in seattle, so back to the bench.

while i was visiting the heidi lowe gallery i picked up these earrings by brenda bregman. they are from her "bling without the sting" collection, image from a magazine, resin, crystals and sterling silver

i'm glad thats over

2009-11-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

the mold is gone! my landlord was really great and had everything cleaned and painted, with mold inhibitor paint. so we moved back in last night. we also got a dehumidifier and i can already feel the difference. and the best part is....

i have a functioning studio again!!! (and its even more organized than before) i spent today getting rid of all of the things that i don't t need and organizing everything else. yesterday i took a field trip to storables here is what i got.

a bamboo organizer: for all of the things strewn about my bench

magnetic spice jars: for my delicate little collections

and last but not least file folders: for all of the receipts and papers that never seem to find homes

*super cute tree and fox post-it notes found at click! design that fits.

its always hard for me to get rid of things that i still think are useful, especially in my studio. but some days i have those moments of clarity where i realize that if i am NEVER going to use, it really isn't useful. and i always feel so much better after a good purge.

studio in shambles!

2009-11-23T11:50:00.001-08:00

yesterday my boyfriend brandt and i discovered that our apartment is totally infested with mold (black mold, yellow mold, green mold and white cotton candy mold). brandt and i share our studio space in the master bedroom and thats where the worst of the mold is. brandt actually lost some artwork and materials in the battle. right now i should be on a plane to the east coast to see my family and friends for thanksgiving. but i had to push my flight back a few days to make sure that this problem gets solved asap! i have so much work to do for indulge, so i need my studio to be up and running when i get back into town. i have big plans for next week i'm setting up an electroforming tank and making jewelry till my thumbs fall off, i'm not going to let a little mold slow me down.

a fond farewell

2009-11-20T13:36:00.000-08:00

today was my last day of teaching. i was really sad to say goodbye to all of the kids and the other teachers, but i am so excited to spend all of my time in my studio now! all of the kids made me lovely going away gifts and i wanted to share one.

elliott (age 5) said to me "i know you are leaving us to go make jewelry, so i was thinking you must really like jewelry." he made me this wonderful necklace and a matching bracelet.

another thing that i wanted to share today is that the hcj project has added indulge to their list of upcoming exhibitions. and they put an image of my work on their main page! hcj is another really great resource for jewelers. if you haven't already checked it out you should!

emily miranda

2009-11-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

i recently stumbled upon the work of brooklyn based artist emily miranda. i think her "encrusted" jewelry looks good enough to eat, and her one of a kind cakes look pretty tasty too.

yes that's a cake!

i love it when artist post photos of their work space. i think that emily's studio is especially cute, it is in an old camper in her back yard.

heirlooms by lena vigna

2009-11-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

i wanted to share this article by lena vigna that i read on art jewelry form. i'm not a member (because i am not a collector or gallery) but i still find it to be a great resource, especially their blog and list of resources. they have really great articles, interviews and book reviews along with lots of great links and a calendar of jewelry related events.

melanie bilenker

lola brooks

geeky metalsmith club!

2009-11-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

about two years ago my lovely friend dixie darling had this wonderful idea to start an informal crit group for jewelers to get together and geek-out on jewelry. the first meeting had three attendees dixie, trudee hill and me. in the past two years the group has definitely grown and gone through some changes. one thing that hasn't changed at all is the inspiration that i get from our monthly gatherings that dixie hosts in her living room.

this month one of our members, sally von bargen; maker, collector and supporter of art jewelry, was kind enough to host a get-together for the geeks. she made a delicious dinner and shared her incredible jewelry collection with us. here are some photos that frances smersh took of the evening:

jewelers admiring jewelry

sally giving us the tour

dixie modeling an antiwar neckpiece made by sally

thank you so much dixie & sally for making this happen, it was an awesome night!

rainy day

2009-11-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

i set aside a chunk of my day to "get inspired" so i have spent the last two hours looking through books, googling images, listening to music, playing with my dog and watching marie antoinette in the background. here are some pictures of two things that always inspire me:

ernst haeckel

& sugary confections

i guess this is really happening

2009-11-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

i kind of had my doubts that this was all really happening, but the bellevue arts museum has cashed my check and launched the page for indulge on their website. check it out!

the start of something

2009-11-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

so i just quit my job to make jewelry full time, yes i agree that sounds completely crazy but here i am counting down my last days of work and getting my studio ready. the bellevue arts museum has invited me to be part of indulge, their upcoming jewelry marketplace show. i decided, why not? i am pretty unhappy with how stagnant my life feels and need a good kick in the right direction. and even if the show is a complete failure at least it will be a great learning experience and i will come out of it with a body of work. so yeah, why not! a few people told me that i should blog about the whole experience, so i guess this is that start of that. stay tuned....

Life Under a Rock

2007-05-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

"Two"
brooch 2007
electroformed copper, enamel, carved turquoise, carved tagua nut and sterling silver.
photo: ken yanoviak

"Lone"

brooch 2007
electroformed copper, enamel, carved pink turquoise and sterling silver.
photo: ken yanoviak

death, decay and preservation

2007-05-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

neckpiece 2007
stuffed mouse, electroformed copper, sterling silver and silk.
photo: ken yanoviak

skin flowers

2007-04-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

elmer's glue, pressed powder.

carved ring

2007-03-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

ring 2007
carved pink turquoise, sterling silver.
photo: ken yanoviak

treasure

2007-02-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

brooch 2007
silver, electroformed copper, enamel, found objects.
photos: ken yanoviak

Group Charm Bracelet

2007-02-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

I made the toe

Electroformed copper, enamel, sterling silver and nail polish.

transformation of my profile.

2007-02-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

projection

brooch 2007
enamel, copper, sterling silver, gold.
photo: ken yanoviak

Angelito, a Mourning Portrait.

2007-01-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

brooch 2006
electroformed copper, enamel, sterling silver, 18k gold and gold leaf.
Photo by Ken Yanoviak

“Angelito, a Mourning Portrait” is my interpretation of a traditional piece of mourning jewelry. When children are subjects of funerary portraits, they are often depicted as little angels; in Mexico they are known as “angelitos”. The life of a child is such a precious thing, and in return the death of a child is horrific. This is why I chose to replicate a plaster cherub face to depict death. There is a fragility about the small face, lovingly held in its setting like a precious gem, that evokes the feeling of an ephemeral life.
To miniaturize the form to make wearable I used the 3-D scanner and printer, technologies answer to molding and casting. I then electroformed the resin print out in copper and removed the resin leaving a copper shell to enamel on. Like a painter, with subtle use of color I was able to capture the feeling of life slowly fading out of his face.

Transformation of 333 Broad St.

2006-12-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

projection 2006

skin armor

2006-12-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

2006
steel, acrylic paint, latex.
model: maeve scully
photo: by artist

growth

2006-12-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

2006
electroformed copper, found objects.
model: maeve scully
photo: by artist

sponge tea strainer

2006-12-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

2006
electroformed copper, silver.
photo: by artist

electroformed ring

2006-12-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

2006
silver, electroformed copper.
photo: by artist

lace chain

2006-12-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

2006
silver.
photo: by artist

pendant

2006-12-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

2006
18k gold, electroformed copper, enamel, glass, lace.
model: maeve scully
photo: by artist

ring

2006-12-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

ring 2006
carved turquoise and forged silver.
photo: ken yanoviak

brooches for maude

2006-12-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

sterling silver, 18k gold, sand, pill and sprout, spring 2006

Electroforming

2006-12-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

"moon rock brooch"

brooch 2006
copper, cut stones.
photo: ken yanoviak

"xenophoria V"

2006
copper, found objects.
photo: ken yanoviak

forging a silver spoon

2006-11-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

2006
silver.
photo by artist

belt buckle for monk

2006-11-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

copper, brass, and sliver. etched.

portrait pendants

2006-10-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

sterling silver, spring 2006

Brooch for Babcia

2006-05-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

silver, enamel, copper.
spring 2006

Gold Project

2006-05-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

Brooch
Spring 2006

18k gold, moving elements.

gear series

2006-05-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Factory Banquet 2005
brooch
silver, fire opal, peridot and tourmaline. moving elements.

belt buckle
silver, bronze, copper.
moving elements.

ring
silver, moving elements.

Oaxacan Inspired Ring

2006-05-12T08:36:00.001-07:00

argentium silver and clay.
fall 2005

some stuff from casting

2006-05-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Fall 2005

Shoulder Brooch

2006-05-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait Of My Shoulder. in this piece my goal was to recreate my shoulder in enamel on metal. it is a brooch to be worn on the shoulder. enamel, copper, glass, silver.
fall 2005

(back)

Candy Rings!!!

2006-05-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

silver, candy, enamel.
fall 2005

advanced metals charm necklace

2006-05-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

everyone in the advanced class had to make a charm to go along with the theme "garden party"

button, silver.
fall 2005

Xenophora Brooch

2006-05-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

brooch 2005
copper, enamel, silver.

Spring 2005

2006-05-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

Missing Button Brooch
silver, buttons.

Condom Box
silver, bronze, plastic, condom.
this piece started with a trip to the upenn museum. the assignment was to choose an item and then recreate it for modern use. i chose a tibetan charm box, they were used to house prayers or relics to ward off evil sprits and to keep people safe. so i began to think of things that people carry with them to stay safe in today's society. the first things to came to mind were guns and mace, but that only applies to selective groups of people. 86% of adult males are said to carry condoms with them on most days. stds can be a danger to someone from any walk of life, many are unseen to the human eye, and in most cases they hang around forever. stds are todayÂ’s equivalent of evil sprits.

silver, buttons, cut stones.

Earrings
silver, carved plastic.

silver, dirt, seedlings, found objects.

Gears

2006-05-12T07:40:00.001-07:00

Belt Buckle 2004
silver.
Photo: Jim Schneck

2002

2006-05-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Ring

silver, garnet.
Photo: Jim Schneck

Flower Set

silver, copper.
Photo: Jim Schneck

2001

2006-05-09T19:10:00.001-07:00

Necklace

silver, jade, tigers eye.
Photo: Jim Schneck