Tactile Power of Weaving

Woven paper has such a lovely texture and tactile feeling. I've seen so many different artists weave textures using different media - paper, wire, cloth, glass, clay and so on. I'm sure there are people who have wonderful woven art to share. I'd love to see other artists share their woven art. And if you are a weaver, but have never made jewelry, I'm offering a new class on woven precious metal clay (PMC) paper earrings. I'm thinking about other media to throw into the mix.

Daily Sunsets

We have the most awesome sunsets out in the country. You can never quite capture the transparency in the light shining in the sky. Maybe one day we will have canvases that light up from the back and paints that shimmer in the light and respond to changing light. Now wouldn't that be something.

Hearts and Lace

Tuesday's trek through the snow reminded me of a Mexican Crazy Lace Agate Heart that was sitting on my work bench. I am constantly amazed at the beauty in rocks. This stone probably formed in a crevice in volcanic rock thousands of years ago and some how a slab of this rock ended up in a stone cutter's hand. The stone cutter brings it to life by cropping and cutting it a certain way to bring it's beauty to the forefront. So now the task of the jeweler is to set the stone to enhance it's beauty even more. What a daunting task when it is already beautiful. I thought of making a pendant or pin, and then thought this would make an awesome big ring. Stay tuned for the bling ring.

Thinking of Painting Some More Cactus

My walk in the snow yesterday yielded some new photos of chickens, lambs, snow-covered landscapes and cactus. One or two of these made me think of painting some more cactus. So I may get out the paints this week. It's been way too long.

Bright White Snow

Everything is blanketed with white. It gives the country side a crisp new look. The flakes are giant and spin in spirals out of the sky. We don't get this beauty in Texas very often. So today is a day of quiet reflection and gratitude.

Inspiration from Nature

I was getting into my car yesterday and the way the wisteria vines were wrapped around the tree struck me as something I could use in a precious metal clay or wire wrap design someday. I love the way the vines twist and wind around each other. As they get thicker they meld into one another.

Updating the Studio Space

There's nothing like having more light pour into your studio space. At least if you paint and want to see what the color really is on the canvas.

Yesterday my husband helped me install a new stained glass window and door in the studio. The window had been boarded up by the previous owner more than 5 years ago. The old door on the side of the studio was starting to come apart at the bottom. To replace it, we found another door with windows at the top and an old brass door knocker on the outside.

I don't know what took us so long to do it. I guess we thought it would be a major project. It ended up taking only about 6 hours to do it.

Now I'm thinking about making the outside of the door reflect the art and creativity that goes on inside the studio. My head is spinning with thoughts of covering the whole door in metal, but I think I will start with the panels and see where that takes me. I don't want it to rust, but would love a nice patina to evolve out of the coppers as it ages or maybe I will intentionally color it with blues and greens and see what it becomes.