Celtic Ravens - Myth and Magic

Raven Fey by Brigid Ashwood. Available as prints, totes, journals... 

There's a chill in the air. Mother Nature has freely splashed the colors of gold, pumpkin orange, deep red on the foliage. Costumes are being assembled with humor and fright. Its that time of year! Halloween? And October - time for the ravens to take the lead role as the theme this month.

For out AJE theme challenges - we invite you all to join us and create jewelry or art in other mediums, with ravens as the theme. Raven beads? Raven jewelry? yes and yes. Please see Karen's original post with all the details on how to participate. 

As I prepare for FaerieCon - I realized I have many artist friends/colleagues that love corvids (Corvus corax - common raven) I decided to share art with you today for inspiration - and knowing me - a little mythology thrown in... 

Meredith Dillman - is an artist and illustrator originally from Minnesota. She now lives in Wisconsin. She is known for her colorful watercolors which blend Art Nouveau, fantasy and Asian influences. She enjoys painting fairies, woodland creatures and other fantasy and medieval themes and has been drawing such since childhood. She is inspired by Pre-Raphaelite artists, Japanese comics, and turn-of-the-century book illustration.

Diverse raven offerings from Meredith: "Throne of Ravens" & "Raven's Treasure" 

Stephanie Lostimolo - "I suppose I've always been a "creator." I think we all are, but most people are forced to (or choose to) abandon their creativity in order to "fit in" or "get a real job." Sometimes I make books, other times I build worlds, still other times I fashion things out of horns, bones, and some modern materials like resin and polymer clay. I double as a graphic designer for many book projects, websites, and special events."

Clockwise from top left: "Fire in the Belly", "Raven Talisman of Protection", "Generations" and "Rosemary is for Remembrance". 

• Ravens have appeared in myth from Ancient Greece/Rome to modern day Native American belief systems. While Karen shared more Native American inspirations in her original post - I am drawn to the Celtic mythos and to a lesser degree the Norse as well. 
• Ancient Greece - ravens served as messengers to the gods, were considered lucky, and especially searched to Apollo, in his role as god of prophesy. 
• In the Norse world, Odin the father deity was accompanied by two ravens, names Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory). Each day the ravens fly out from Hliðskjálf and bring Odin news from Midgard. Odin was associated with knowledge, healing and runes among many other things. 
• The myth of Bran and Branwen is a complex tale that links ravens to the Tower of London and the present day. The original tale is from the Welsh Mabinogion. 
• In Celtic and Irish myth ravens are often associated with the Goddesses the Morrigan, Macha, Badb. Warrior goddesses all there then becomes and association with ravens and the battlefield, the slain. ( Ravens are omnivorous, but will feed on carrion) This trifold goddess is described below. 
• Badb - an Irish warrior goddess known as the "Battle Crow". She is known to cause fear and confusion among soldiers to move the tide of battle to her favoured side. Badb may also appear prior to a battle to foreshadow the extent of the carnage to come, or to predict the death of a notable person. She would sometimes do this through wailing cries, leading to comparisons with the bean-sídhe (banshee).
• Macha - warrior and goddess of sovereignty. Also associated with horses. 
• Morrigan - also a warrior goddess, associated with strength and the cycles of life death & birth. 

Jane Star Weils - Ancient cultures, myth and magick are the basic core elements that inspire my artwork. Fascinated with symbolic mythology, I try to weave a bit of symbolism into every painting.
I want to create artwork that draws the viewer in, unfolding and revealing it's meaning slowly.
Color is also extremely important to me. Exploring it's richness, the way light creates and interacts with it, and how even the darkest shadow has an unexpected depth to it. My medium is a combination of watercolor and colored pencil. I build up many layers with these two mediums and quite often will ad gouache or ink.

Jane Star Weils brings us: "Branwen ( white raven)", Celtic Raven", and "The Morrigan"

Brigid Ashwood - " Art. Words. Design. - I am an artist who paints steampunk bugs, clockwork dolls, fairy tales, magick and myth. I also write stories... My technique is well rooted in traditional mediums such as oil paint and silverpoint. But I also work in the luminous tones of the digital palette; merging the labored craft of portraiture with the flexibility of modern mediums." ( See her ravens that open this post)

Brigid shared a few images with me of an upcoming project. Her Morrigan concept drawing is shown below with its initial sculpt. Brigid has licensed designs and is working with Pacfic Trading to see these goddesses come to life in detail and color. The second picture here is the first completed sculpt! I love it, and think it maintained Brigid's original detail, palette and symbolism. (Releasing soon. Sign up for her mailing list for details. )

Concept drawing and sculpt preview of B. Ashwood's Morrigan

The Morrigan by Brigid Ashwood. 

I do hope you will join is for the Raven theme challenge this month at AJE. There is still time. (Details here.) I personally just had an insane idea for a bead embroidered piece while looking at these artworks. Gotta go sketch... 

Artists featured in this post retain all copyright; images used with permission. For more information: 

Meredith Dillman's website and store

Stephanie Lostimolo website and Etsy  store

Jane Star Weils website and Etsy

Brigid Ashwood website and store

We interrupt out regularly scheduled posts....

... because we are nearing a milestone!

Our Facebook page "Art Jewelry Elements" is hovering at 1993 "likes"! To mark this milestone and thank all of our loyal readers, old and new... we are planning a giveaway. The numbers snuck up on us a bit - what with BeadFest, classes, travel, new jobs... its been a busy summer amongst the team.

So - without further ado: 

Facebook 2000 followers giveaway prize bundle!

We gathered pieces from nearly all the team members! I'm sure you will recognize individual artists work here. This ONE prize bundle will go to ONE winner. Its a true treasure.

How does it work? Watch this space! When we DO hit 2000 there will be a giveaway post. Then and only then will comments enter you to win. Today? We're just teasing you!

Don't forget! 

Tomorrow is the COM reveal with Linda's fall oak and acorn!
Friday is the launch of our latest Theme challenge!

Stay tuned!
Until then...
Jenny and the AJE team.

Romancing the stone....

My name is Francesca, and I am a stone-aholic.

A very small sampling of my cabochon hoard collection inventory

A very small sampling of my cabochon hoard collection inventory

One of the reasons I got into jewelry making in the first place is because I have a thing for stones. There's just something about them I'm helpless to resist - their natural beauty, the enormous variety, and how unique they all are. And when they're well cut and substantial, I'm a goner. 

A gorgeous, thick chunk of Palomino Jasper. Please pardon the horrific condition of my hands.

This is why finding a new supplier who does great work has been both a very, very good thing and a very, very bad thing. So in the interest of sharing my addiction so I don't feel to alone my good fortune, let me introduce you to the work of Mike Hoffman and Mary Olczyk of Twisted Cabochons.

Prudent Man Agate

Mushroom Rhyolite

For starters, their stones are beautiful and unusual. These two are among the several many that I just had to have when I saw them. I don't think I've ever seen a Rhyolite as stunning as this one and I love the way they cut the Prudent Man Agate to emphasize its natural banding and the "bubble" edge along the top.

Dear lord, my hands look horrible - sorry about that! I've been working on class samples non-stop for the last two weeks. 

Like all of Mike and Mary's work, these are substantial - they don't skimp on the material when they're cutting, which I so appreciate. And look at that girdle - that's the flattened section around the side of the stone. It's clean, even and sharp, and just the right size - big enough to facilitate setting the stone, but small enough that the stone isn't overwhelmed by the bezel when it's set. (Mike and Mary also cut stones without a girdle on request - they're easier to work with for people just starting out with bezel setting.)

And the points are crisp, too - no chipping.

I also love that Mike and Mary ship their stones in these little plastic bags, marked with everything you'd want to know when it comes time to use it in your own work: the kind of stone, how much you paid for it, and (if they know) where it came from. (They've included my name on all of these, too, but I'm assuming that's for their benefit as they're shipping orders and not because they think I'm going to forget my own name.... right guys? Guys?) This is enormously helpful - and combined with the detailed PayPal invoices they send, there's almost no record-keeping to do when the stones come in. I know that seems like a small thing, but if I've purchased 10 or 15 stones, that's time saved for me to do things I actually enjoy doing (like, setting the stones).

Mike and Mary have an Etsy shop, but they do most of their selling in an open Facebook group. At the moment, there's not much notice when their new stones go up for sale, so make sure you have your notifications turned on for their group - stones go FAST once they're listed, and I'm not too proud to admit that I've been one of those people obsessively refreshing my Facebook page to see the new stuff as they list it.

So for those of you interested in working with unique, high quality cabochons, Mike and Mary might be a good match for you. There's something special about stones cut by someone you can actually talk to and who are as passionate about them as you are. Just make sure you leave a few for me!

Until next time -

Putting my own "stamp" on things...

I inherited my Dad's boyhood stamp collection. When I was a kid, sorting the stamps, deciphering foreign names of countries, identification... it was a treasure hunt. To me the stamps were miniature works of art, exquisitely detailed, hinting at history and events beyond my awareness. They evoked travel - would I ever see the places where this slip of paper had originated? These stamps encouraged my inquisitiveness, and my desire to learn, to experience...

One of the containers... 

I still have the stamps. I let go of the bulky book that was largely blank pages... Dad never really took to the whole hobby thing, and I didn't make huge progress in filling the pages either. I have stamps from countries that no longer exist. Its a window into history, a link to the past - both mine and the world's.

 Here are a few favorites:  

Folk costumes from Poland, report Greek myth stamps from Greece,
Classical monochromatic beauties from France, a few gems from down under. 

A childhood favorite - Austrian  farm girl; florals from Hungary, USSR, Gabon, Congo, San Marino;
Czech flora and fauna; Irish blackbird. 

Warning: if you are a hardcore philatelist, what you are about to see may shock you. 

I think stamps are a natural choice for mixed media pieces. The scale is perfect. I appreciate a little weathering, a postmark - they allude to travel, time, distance... a history. If you search for stamps in jewelry you will find a million and one offerings using resin and/or glass tiles. Logical first step - I have been there. These three new mixed media pieces are still on my work table waiting for necklace pairings. I started with a mother-of-pearl donut, designed a metal backing, and created a frame for the stamp. Attachments are made with either tabs or waxed linen. The stamps are sealed with Diamond glaze for durability and protection. 

Simple stamp under resin; three new mixed media pieces - mother-of-pearl bezels and copper/brass backings. 

These polymer pieces debuted at Beadfest last August. The settings are molds made from vintage stampings. Resin seals and secures the stamp image. The polymer color palettes are drawn from  the stamp art itself. ( I'll be teaching a similar class* at Beadfest in April.)

Polymer focals showcasing stamps, sealed with resin.  ( Mexico, USA, Italy, Malaysia)
And a ring, a class sample, just for fun. 

If you think stamps are for you... you don't have to start lurking in antique stores and flea markets. I personally doubt that any of my Dad's stamps are hidden treasures worth wagons of money... but I have seen Charade!  ( Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, stamps, Paris... whats not to love?!) There are plenty of stamps available now that are lovely and inspiring: 

Souvenir 'stamps' from the National Gallery of Art. I adore Matisse!
I've been holding onto this sheet for... umm... over 25 years! 

Current stamps in circulation. Images from USPS.com

The Breast Cancer awareness stamp was perhaps the first one I used in a piece of jewelry. I was teaching full time, maybe 20 years ago - and I made a pin, a sterling frame for the stamp depicting Artemis. It was for my dear friend and colleague who had just successfully battled breast cancer and won! 

The USPS lists this information about the stamp artist/designer: 

As of June 2014, the stamp has raised over $78.9 million for breast cancer research. By law, 70 percent of the net amount raised is given to the National Institutes of Health and 30 percent is given to the Medical Research Program at the Department of Defense.Designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, the stamp features the phrases, “Fund the Fight” and “Find a Cure” and an illustration of a mythical “goddess of the hunt” by Whitney Sherman of Baltimore. 

As an artist, I find the design  process of stamps fascinating. They need to be easy to "read" from a distance, but rather detailed for their size. Many commemorate people, places, events, and some more recent motifs raise funds for research and conservation. The USPS site/store lists these and more available for purchase. And - for artwork they are rather affordable. ( As stamps, they are kind of expensive... LOL)  

Have you ever considered stamps as art? As jewelry? I'd love to hear how you put your 'stamp' on things. (Had to do it... ) 

* Philately (/fɪˈlætəliː/ fi-la-tə-lee) is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps. For instance, the stamps being studied may be very rare, or reside only in museums.

* My Spring 2015 Beadfest class info can be found here. 

Musings on Creativity

Lately I've been working on a series of Bird Totems. I'm really loving this idea and each time I approach the subject, I continue to expand on the idea and improve it. Watching it evolve is a lot of fun.

Here are some of my pieces...

Here are some newer pieces, in clay (not yet fired)... one of the images shows my hand carved stamps used to create the belly symbols. I am playing with the idea of the Bird Totem as symbolic of the Bird  as Messenger - who brings us insights, messages, and gifts of inspiration from the inner workings of our soul / consciousness, and from the connection we have with sources outside of ourselves and our everyday world.

About Creativity and How Art Happens... 

As artists, we sometimes play with ideas, not really knowing where the underlying sources of inspiration come from. Upon seeing my bird totems, a friend pointed out that they reminded him of native american art, especially that of Pacific Northwest nations. Fascinated, I looked up some of the art of these sources and was immediately excited. I love the idea of art as a dialogue with our our selves, our culture, other artists, and historical - often ancient - sources. Art is not created in a vacuum, but rather, works as a kind of PLAY on themes both old and new. I emphasize the word "Play" because it is critical to step outside of one's routine and get into a state of absolute flow. One must not worry or fuss about the particulars (such as planning what to make, how to make it) of a particular meme or idea, but rather, continue to play with it, riffing on it with each iteration. The particulars happen as part of the flow. This flow must not be interrupted by our logical reasoning daytime brain. Moreover, it is important to sometimes "sleep on ideas" - when one is stuck or tired, just allow it to rest, go to bed and approach it anew.

Here are some of the native american pieces that I find absolutely fascinating and inspiring. I was not consciously aware of this body of work prior to making my bird totems, but when I reflect back I clearly see a line of evolution... (these are all images from the Shaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY.

Thoughts about Creativity from John Cleese...

Finally, I would like to share a lecture by John Cleese, about how we create. I think you will find this enlightening... particularly about the notion of how our unconsciousness contributes to the creative process...  I invite you to watch and learn...

Coloring on Metal

Not long ago, I stumbled across the work of Deb Karash, who does amazing fabrication work and likes to color on metal.

Yeah. You heard me right. She colors. With colored pencils. On metal.

Are those not stunning? Seriously!

Now, you know that I love all things metal. And when a friend showed me a Deb Karash piece that she actually owns, I decided I had to start experimenting. And let me stress: THIS IS AN EXPERIMENT. (Before I begin, I have to apologize for showing you the gorgeousness above and then subjecting you to my poor little copper etched cow. It's what I had available to play with, left over from a recent etching class. Be kind.)

After reading a whole bunch of stuff on the interwebs (a lot of which was contradictory, I might add) I set out with a small copper etched cow, a bottle of gesso, a 24 pack of Prismacolor pencils, a heat gun, and a few assorted odds and ends.

Before pickling and cleaning.

After pickling and cleaning.

I cleaned her up really thoroughly and dried her off with a clean terry shop cloth.

Then I gave her several thin coats of gesso, drying each one with the heat gun.

Set the hot piece on a bench block, which will cool it rapidly. Use pliers!

After several coats of gesso, I lightly sanded her to expose the raised areas of the etched metal and to smooth out any bumps.

Prismacolors! Don't you just love this tin? 24 great colors to play with - reminds me of the first day of kindergarten!

And then, literally, I just colored her in.

I wasn't particularly neat, and I pressed really hard with the pencils. As you may be able to see in this photo, that left some little wax crumbs behind. I used a soft, firm brush to clean those little crumbs off.

Then, I heated her up with the heat gun again, just until the surface of the color started to look soft.

I also scorched my clean terry shop towel. Don't be like me. (Seriously. Those heat guns are HOT. At about this point of my experiment, I realized I probably should have been heating Bessie on a soldering brick or something fireproof. You know, other than cloth. Sheesh.)

I repeated this several times: color, clean off, heat with the heat gun. Between heatings, I let the piece sit for a few minutes on my bench block to cool off. I should probably tell you at this point that several of the instructions I read online involved baking the piece in a 275 oven for 10 minutes. Between every layer. After putting Krylon spray on it. (Did I mention that this was after every layer?) This is why Deb Karash is so awesome and I am not: I am not that patient. Heat gun. ::Insert Tim the Tool Man grunt here.::

Then, after about three layers of color and the final heating, I buffed the piece with a terry cloth towel....

... and then lightly sanded it back with a sanding sponge.

And then, because I am incapable of doing anything with metal that doesn't involve either enameling or patina baths, I dunked it in Novacan Black for 30 seconds, which darkened all the raised etched areas that were exposed in the final sanding.

Final step: REN WAX!!

So let me point out that, once again, I diverged from the instructions on the interwebs because I am impatient. The instructions were to put the final coat of Ren Wax on the piece, let it dry, then bake the piece in a 275 oven for 10 minutes.

I think you can guess what I did instead.

The Ren Wax flashes and gets very liquid in just a few seconds. Then, when I put the hot metal on the bench block, it cooled immediately and I was able to buff it without waiting.

Because waiting = bad.

Here's the finished little piece - not my usual style at all, but I think there's a lot of potential here. I'm no Deb Karash (obviously) but I think with some further experimentation, this is a process that has a lot of promise for some of the mixed media work I'm fascinated by these days.

So what do you think? Worth some additional effort??

Until next time -

Serious note: heating wax and metal usually results in noxious fumes, most of which are really bad for you. Some of what I am suggesting here may not even be safe - I was experimenting, and I have a lot more research to do. If you decide to try this yourself, make sure you're working in a well-ventilated area and wear a respirator. I wear one in my studio whenever I solder or enamel, and I should absolutely have worn one when I was doing this experiment. Don't be like me.