Solo gallery show at The Smithery

I was so pleased to be invited to show my work with The Smithery in Columbus, Ohio last year and now the opening for my solo show is almost here.

I've chosen to show my recycled work because its something I'm really focusing on right now and lets face it, the topic of how we use and consume is more relevant than ever.

What I've come to believe is that if we see plastic as semi precious, we challenge the destructive concept of single use (and disposable). Certainly polymer clay art jewelry can be a vehicle to help us change our thinking and thereby our actions. We wouldn't make a single use bag out of gold - why do it with plastic? 

If you're in the Columbus area, I would love to see you at the opening March 5 6-8pm.

New Recycled Earrings

While working on my next batch of one-of-a-kind recycled, Redeemed earrings for Smithsonian Craft2Wear coming up in October, I chose a small selection to release right now.

They are live in my shop and I've moved them right to the top of the page so that they are easy to find.

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.

New recycled earrings

There's a new batch of Redeemed, recycled earrings now in the shop but people tend to snatch them up pretty quickly so if you're interested in a particular pair I would say don't be hasty.

My next batch will be available at ACC Baltimore next month.

Welcome 2019

For me 2018 had some real highs and, unfortunately, lows. And although technically nothing is really any different than yesterday, something about a new calendar, with all of 2019 laid out before me, feels fresh and encouraging. (I'm old school in this respect - paper and pen calendars for me thank you. I've been using free printable ones for a couple years now and in 2019 I'm using these.)

Printable calendar from oh so lovely. This is one of 46 designs for 2019!

The first new work I'll be posting this year will be one-of-a-kind Redeemed earrings, available Jan. 6 (with an early preview for email followers...sign up here if you haven't already.)

Wishing you peace and all good things for 2019!

New recycled earrings

I'm heavy into a new batch of recycled earrings right now. How I love this creative challenge, laying out pieces of cured, leftover clay and looking for earring designs "hidden" there within the scrap. I cut larger pieces down, pair up shapes and then set about altering surface with carving or color.

Many of the finished pairs will be headed to my November show, Craft + Design in Richmond, but I will post a selection in my online shop Oct. 6 as well...and I'm offering free shipping for folks on my email list ($7 off international shipping) that weekend too so sign up here if you're interested.

Found jewelry

I enjoy assembling found jewelry pieces so much that I've started to arrange travel plans around locations that might prove to have engaging"ingredients". And I'm married to a person who fully goes along with this though so we're good.

See over there

A created splendour

Made by one individual

From things residual

- Patrick Kavanagh

Although I use anything available and sometimes, in all honesty, trash can be disturbingly compelling, I was relieved to have found very little trash in Maine a few weeks ago. What was there was mostly fishing/lobstering related (not surprising).

I dispose of the trash (recycling when possible) but often leave the natural pieces in place. (Yes, I bring home a few treasures sometimes but after 50 years of picking up stones and shells I've become rather discerning.)

I watched this particular piece get washed away by the rising tide. Will plan ahead and film this part of the process the next time.

In Saint Helena last year I arranged a necklace of fish scales that blew away in the wind before I could even get a decent photo, "temporariness" certainly being part of this process. It can be both melancholy and freeing at the same time.

I hope you have a great week! I'm taking a couple days away from the studio to savor the dwindling summer before my husband goes back to work next week.

Gathered in the cleft of the rock.

Recycled, Redeemed earrings

The new batch of recycled, Redeemed earrings are live in the shop! Each pair is one of a kind so when they are gone...they're gone. 

Although you might see a Redeemed brooch or two pop up sometime soon, this is the last batch of these earrings I'll make until fall of this year. I have some big projects I've been mulling over and this summer is the time to start work on them. 

My

New recycled earrings

The one-of-a-kind Redeemed earrings on my website were getting low so I'll be adding another 25+ this coming Wednesday.  There's a surprising amount of red in this batch - its not a color I use often but I'm really happy with how they turned out.

For the first time I've made several pairs of smaller, post earrings for anyone who'd rather not have a drop or dangle - so light you don't even know you have them on. 

Recycled Redeemed Earrings

I just spent several days configuring and reconfiguring a new batch of Redeemed earrings. Each pair is made from recycled, previously cured, polymer components. I carve, sand, paint, drill and/or cure again - whatever is necessary to take them from leftover part to new earring.

I think I'm going to move toward adding some brooches to this line, sort of 3D collage really. They'll take a little more engineering than the earrings though.

This entire batch is going to my March gallery show at The Bellefonte Art Museum . I think I made 33 pairs so its slightly tempting to put a couple of them in the shop instead but I'm interested in seeing them all displayed together organized according to color at the show.

Paper Jewelry

I managed to fit in some time working on my own jewelry here. I'm sure it wasn't the best to have the kitchen table also serve as my studio but my son and husband never complained. Not once. I let myself daydream a bit about a longer stay here and a full studio and what that would be like. (Might that happen someday?)

Triple wrapped beads.

By and large I just worked through ideas, techniques, sizing, but I did produce a few finished pieces and I'm offering one for auction with all money going to SHAPE.

Being a charity in one of the most remote communities in the world SHAPE is primarily dependent on aid, grants and donations. They are amazingly good at making due but the needs are many. For instances right now, they do not have a nurse staff. They have no medical aids to help with everyday life skills and none are available on island. Beyond they need simple things like a paper cutter, bead storage, school supplies, good crayons – all of these things are either not available, ridiculously expensive or must be ordered from somewhere far away. And for Saint Helena, everywhere is far away which means $$$ (or £££ as the case maybe be).

So I'm doing two things, small things really, right now to help with their needs.

I'm auctioning off this necklace with a reserve bid starting at $25. Its all recycled denim paper on nylon cord and at 32 inches slips right over the head. Incredibly lightweight as you'd imagine. If you are interested, please email me your bids by Friday of this week. Highest bidder is the winner and money will just go through my Paypal (as SHAPE has no means to accept off island donations right now) and I will deliver the full amount in cash before I leave Monday, August 7.

Denim recycled necklace

Also I'm able to offer a few of the recycled bangle bracelets that I designed for them made with one of SHAPE's main raw materials, cereal boxes. They are just $20 USD and that includes shipping from the US. They are 2 5/8 inches (67mm in diameter) which is a medium size bracelet. Again, if you are interested and can let me know by Friday, I can leave your donation in cash for them. 

Cereal box bracelets

 If you have any questions please be sure to let me know. Thanks so much!

Taking SHAPE

SHAPE campus at what was originally Sandy Bay Primary school.

SHAPE, Saint Helena Active Participation in Enterprise, was birthed about 11 years ago, by a couple of Saint Helenians and modeled after the Soltane schools. It was a humble beginning with a few students and directors learning on they go. There is great pride taken, as it should be, that now 20 or so disabled adults and receive education, encouragement, job training and a variety of services three days per week.  In that time fifteen people have “graduated” and moved on to independent employment. 

We're helping in a variety of ways, although I've mainly been in the craft room and Kyle is working on two murals. We research craft methods/patterns, discuss design and help source supplies as getting stuff from the outside world on such a remote island is a task unto itself. We chat and encourage and drink tea. Oh yes, always tea.

Samuel has spent almost all of his time outside helping with the farming – pruning banana trees, planting potatoes, harvesting chow chow – all of which is taken home by students or sold to help support the center. (For a kid who wants to be a farmer this is like tropical, muddy heaven.)

The craft room.

Bangle bracelets that I designed using one of SHAPE's materials of choice, cereal boxes.

Banana and potatoes all in the same garden!

The needs of of students, or trainees as they are called, are varied. While some were born severely neurologically and or physically disabled, others suffered a stroke as an adult or were the victim of incorrect misdiagnosis of disease and subsequent lack of proper medical treatment.

Some people may wonder if this sort of environment is depressing – oh for sure it could be. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I fully think about the limitations of the students, what their daily lives must be like, what their families lives must be like. And for the tireless employees who are there 5 days per week no doubt there can be great stress and sadness. 

But day to day, SHAPE is mostly a place of relationship, laughter, amazing kindness and opportunity to find meaning. Daily I am challenged to think differently about how I act and speak and think about myself and my own problems. I hope I am giving to them as much as they are giving to me.

SHAPE's recycled paper, illustrations added by Jeannie, beads rolled by me = teamwork! She and I are really proud of these babies. 

Jeannie can only use one arm but she amazes me by making bracelets and even earrings. Here she's laying out a necklace with beads she and I made together. 

Introducing Ashley

They say when Ashley first came to SHAPE he was quite uncommunicative. Initially its hard to tell how connected he is to what is going on around him. 

Ashely cuts and wraps beads made from card stock/boxes donated to SHAPE from around the island. 

           

But start to spend some time with him and you realize he is very bright, misses little, loves color and is aware of all sorts of things even when he seems to not be paying any attention. 

And quite wonderfully, he is responding, with words more and more often. The day I got a direct "cool" in response to my new necklace design was a very good day indeed.

Working out payment and banking details for SHAPE's Etsy shop has been so much more complicated than we thought. The bank is in London, phone calls are $3min.,  SHAPE frequently loses internet connection and so on and so on...

But Paypal and banking info. needs to get straightened out so that they are actually getting the money from the sales they make. 

Coming soon to the Etsy shop - handmade journals using recycled paper. 

Recycled paper

Recycled paper pulp bowls