Gallery Show

So excited to be able to tell you that I've been accepted to UNTAMED: National Exhibit of Contemporary Jewelry Art at Gallery Route One in Point Reyes, CA!

Sadly I won't be able to make it to the show but if you are on the West Coast June-July and can visit, I'd love to see it through your eyes. Conversely if you know a very inexpensive way to get across the United States that would be good too.

The opening is June 22 and it runs to July 28.

Observation

An artist's job is to observe and I've noticed that all of these grey and white textures/patterns have found me over the past month.

Ansel Adams Gallery

Over the past year I've had quite a few unexpected events in my life one of which were the shop contacts I made at the ACC Baltimore show.

One of the first people to visit my booth happened to be Jeanne Adams, daughter-in-law of Ansel Adams, and the person who now runs the family owned Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite National Park.

Jeanne had been traveling for weeks and had various business stops to make on the East Coast one of which was ACC. We talked for quite a while on a variety of subjects (walking sticks, the future of the National Parks, oh and jewelry...). While I would definitely say Jeanne is someone who knows her own mind, she was also keen to have my opinion on what I thought might interest her shoppers and not surprisingly I found myself really liking her.

And so...I'm delighted to say you can now find a small selection of my work at Ansel Adams Gallery. And as I'm currently being considered for some other projects in that same area maybe, maybe... I'll finally get out there too!

Bright Tube Bead Necklaces

I love to work on new designs. Always moving. Always thinking. Finding new ideas is never an issue for me. Ordering my time to be able to work on them all definitely is an issue though and so I try and schedule at least one experiment day every other week.

These are something I've actually been working on since the beginning of the year but have just now gotten to the stage where I can put them out there. Email followers as always will get first dibs and I plan to have several iterations ready by the end of the month so if you're interested please be sure you're signed up.

Volunteering

Most Wednesday mornings now I'm volunteering in the art room of the day program of Penn Mar, an educational, vocational, and residential program for disabled adults. It is much like SHAPE on Saint Helena, except...bigger. And minus a banana grove among other sub-tropical things but mostly...the same.

The art room is a large, well lit space with big tables, a countertop with sink and a walk-in closet of ever changing supplies, mostly donated.

To help the full-time mentors, I've agreed to find and prep projects for two groups of 4-10 students each when I'm there. (Pinterest is my friend :-) Group sizes change as there is an importance placed on outings - which I think  is great - and any given day a number of people are out and about in the community going to the library, YMCA, shopping, lunch and so on.

At first I just really wanted to get to know people and let them get to know me. Now 6 months in, I have a better gauge of different people's abilities and weaknesses. So I've put some art concepts and words out there. "Monochrome" was a big hit even if it didn't end up being monochrome because who in the world would only want ONE color and black and white when you can have them ALL? (Some people made true monochromatic paintings that were fantastic...and of which I forgot to take photos.)

This blazing field of flowers is one of my favorite pieces produced so far. (I'm sure Van Gogh would have agreed.) I had suggested students use crayons for stems then dip their fingers in paint to make dots for flowers but John preferred to blend. And like most great art, his breaking of the rules makes this piece sing.

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New Recycled Earrings

I've posted a new group of Redeemed, recycled earrings to my online shop.

As always they are one of a kind and I'm thinking this might be the last grouping to get posted until June because I just have a lot of other things going on in my life right now including preparing for two shows next month.

I've made the selection as varied as possible but I can tell you the black/white/grey, more graphic ones usually seem to go first. Maybe they are the easiest to wear with everything/anything. Or maybe I do a better job with the design. I'm not sure.

ACC Baltimore

The American Craft Council show in Baltimore was a success in every way ... except for arriving almost too late to get onto and off of the loading dock and the ensuing stress.  Yes, other than a crazy set  up - a great weekend for sure!

Necklaces on one of my tables. 

The response from customers was overwhelming. This show is LARGE (550 craftspeople this year) and with that much great work to see  I am humbled and appreciative for each person who took the time to visit my booth. You were a great encouragement! And what fun to meet so many people I've only ever known online - I wish we had had more time to talk.

Looking out from my booth and a view of the ACC Welcome booth - I was right at the front door.

Living fairly close to Baltimore meant that I had rotating help all weekend from my husband (who put in a great deal of time and effort) my niece, my son's best friend and my oldest friend in the world.  (Not that she's that old, its just that I've just known her since I was three.) She snapped these shots of my booth later on Sunday when things slowed down a bit.

My booth "glowing" on the right  (maybe I need LESS lights?) and
Beverly Tadeau and I talking at her booth on the left.