The Romantic

Balance

One thing I struggle with in my art life is balance. I'm concentrating on my jewelry lately, as that's where I have the most monetary success so far. But I love my collage as well, and have difficulty finding time to fit it in. Add to that an almost full time job, and the fact that I'd also like to fit some drawing back into the mix...

In any case, I recently realized that none of my non-jewelry work has shown up in the blog, and decided to post a few of my favorites. I may just throw one in without text now and then, so that more of my pieces will be out somewhere in the world for others to see.

A Bonanza of Buttons

Trust that the universe will provide, and the universe will provide. Not only did I enjoy quite respectable sales at galleries and shows this holiday season; but have received a bounteous supply of buttons as the new years begin. At one of the shows I met a generous young woman who'd collected a multitude of buttons at estate sales. She was cleaning things out, and ready to let go. Last week she dropped by to give them to me. Afterwards when I sat down to go through them, I was astounded by the volume and variety: mother-of-pearl, plastic, metal, walnut shells; all sizes, all shapes... hundreds of wonderful buttons. I felt as if I were sifting through a pirate's treasure chest, or that Santa had just come. And then there were more. A co-worker at my day job regularly haunts thrift stores, and she presented me with a stash of buttons she'd found. Not only that, but I've been commissioned to make her several pieces of jewelry from some of her favorites. I feel blessed, and grateful for all the folks who gather supplies for my work. And itching to get started on some new work to take advantage of my recent bounty.

Persephone

Fall progresses; winter nears. I've just done the Abernethy School show; finished 4 collage pieces for the Little Thing show coming up at Guardino Gallery; and am preparing for the da Vinci School show the first week of December. Immediately following that, I descend into the underworld, just like Persephone did after eating that fateful pomegranate seed. (And I just opened a pomegranate this morning. Coincidence? I think not.) My day job (which I like - don't get me wrong!) requires the increased schedule and energy expenditure of the holiday season in retail. It uses up everything I have; it makes me feel like Persephone, going to live in the darkness for the winter. My life becomes very simple: work, eat, sleep. No time or energy for anything else. Creative pursuits go on the back burner until the new year. Meantime, I can look forward to that time when I can replenish my reserves: energy, buttons, jewelry for the next round of shows... I'll have new ideas to explore, new work to make, and that's always an exciting place to be!

Gratitude and Bottle Caps

Here's one of my favorite things about my new Brew Button jewelry: it seems to be drawing abundance and generosity. So many friends have not only had a positive reaction to the pieces, but have pitched in and are diligently collecting bottle caps, digging buttons out of their stashes to aid the cause, or ready to give advice whenever I have a question. My best bottle cap collector not only turns up at least a dozen caps a week; she got her husband in on the act, and he donated a vise to the venture, so I can smash any cap that needs a little help. Another friend gave me an industrial-size bucket full of large juice bottle caps. I'm not sure yet what I'll do with them, but ideas are brewing. Pun intended.

Brew Buttons

These are from my newest series of jewelry. I've been collecting bottle caps for years, just picking them up off the street whenever I see them, along with any other interesting bits of rusty metal. The original intent was to use them in collage, but they haven't turned up there as often as I thought they would. Some how the idea popped into my head to combine the bottle caps with some of the pearl buttons I've stockpiled over the years. So I got a good metal punch and some tiny brass nuts and bolts, and started making jewelry. I love the mix of high and low; caps from beer bottles that I find in the gutter mixed with pearl buttons that could have graced the fine linen tailor-made Grandmother wore on her sojourn to Egypt in 1915 ...

The Colour of Rain

I was inspired (let's be honest: I swooned) by this quote from one of my favorite books, "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke.

"She wore a gown the colour of storms, shadows and rain and a necklace of broken promises and regrets."

Such a beautiful image. It reminded me of the colors in these earrings (pale smoky quartz, and labradorite).

I guess I'll have to make a second pair to offer for sale, as I don't think I can give these up.