Color me enchanted! A book review...

I sat down to write this post on 2 books in my art/inspiration/history library that I adore. And found a new book by  the author, Victoria Finlay. I only wonder if I can wait until the holidays to purchase it. You know its on my list right away! OK - back to the regularly scheduled post... 

When I need a go to gift for a friend I turn to the work of author Victoria Finlay. Almost everyone I know would find either of her first 2 books interesting. Gems, history, drama, folktales, color, pigments, each, science, paint, art.... see what I mean? I wanted to introduce these to you, for your list or as gifts... since it IS that time of year. 

First: Color: a natural history of the palette. 

This book is a treat. Divided into the colors of the rainbow it delves into origins, materials, organic sources, scientific methods, history, travel, culture... The author shares her travel tales, her detailed and thorough research, both historical and cultural. Its a behind the scenes look into things that are so familiar and remain a complete mystery!

Color by V. Finlay. Available here

From the back cover: 

• Cleopatra used saffron - a source of the color yellow - for seduction... 
• Extracted from an Afghan mine, the blue "ultramarine" used by Michelangelo was so expensive he couldn't afford to buy it himself.
• Since ancient times, carmine red - still found in lipsticks and Cherry Coke - has come from the blood of insects. 

Snippets from "Color..."

"If you open up a box of paints, there are numerous such stories hidden inside it. There are stories of sacredness and profanity, of nostalgia and invention, of secrecy and myth, of luxury and texture, of profit and loss, of fading and poison, or cruelty and greed, and of the determination of some people to let nothing stop them in the pursuit of beauty." ( page24)

Second: Jewels- A secret History

Jewels by V. Finlay available here

Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, amber, jet... 

Im sure you have heard of the infamous and tragic Hope diamond, of Mikimoto and the first cultured pearls. But what of Whitby, the town jet built? The emerald city of Sikait? The amber washing championships on Jantar, Poland? I didn't think so! These and more tales await you in the pages of "Jewels"! I am the first to admit that I am a "gemstone junkie" and that I most frequently use stones in my beadwork. But this is a multicultural exploration into places, gems, folklore...  that appeals to me on so many levels!

Snippets from "Jewels"

And most recently: The BRILLIANT history of Color in Art

Finalys' newest! Im so excited! On Amazon... 

Looking inside this one on Amazon, I may have actually sealed out loud in excitement. COLOR and ART HISTORY. I am in heaven. Cave paintings! Tyrian purple and Egyptian blue, gilded Medieval painting, sepia photography... 

from the back cover: 

• Cleopatra made purple the royal color of the Western world. Her favorite was made with rotten shellfish soaked in urine. 
• Cobalt blue was the key evidence in a infamous trial  involving Nazi collaboration and a forged Vermeer. 
• Van Gogh used chrome yellow beautifully in his paintings - but he probably shouldn't have eaten it. 

( I searched for this last night at Barnes & Noble. To look, maybe to bring it home... Sadly their one copy wasn't not the shelf. So for now - it remains on my Wish list.) 

I know that was a very biased, enthusiastic review. But if all I achieve is to have you look up these books and consider them... they speak for themselves. Great gifts - for yourself, or your art/jewelry/history/folklore friends! 

Freeform Friday: Antique Ephemera

Read about my previous Texas inspiration from January 2013... 

This past week I was in Austin, Tx visiting family. I adore travel, and I love the heightened awareness that I get when traveling. The DE-TX route is one I do a few times a year; even though my sister's and my parents' houses feel like home - the travel awakens me. I am more alert, tuned in to my surroundings as they are familiar but different. I am almost guaranteed to be inspired, and rejuvenated to return to the studio. This trip it was a day trip to Georgetown, TX and a few fabulous antique stores...

The loot from Gatherings. 

Rosary cases for mixed media necklaces? 

We were having a bit of show and tell over a glass of wine - and my Dad was incredulous that I was SO excited over this little pile of ephemera. But I have big plans:

This leather rosary case joins a leather coin purse in my tray of treasures. I see them with grommets to allow for a secure attachment that won't damage the leather. I imagine personal treasures inside: pictures, notes to one's self, a small object to wear close to your heart...

The Optometrist lenses are a classic component of mixed media pieces, and I admit I find them lovely to use. I like to collage on antique paper, worn thin and translucent. The resin does the rest. I think the layers reveal and conceal words and images in a way that engages the viewer. The resin lens shown was one half of a pair of spectacles. As the the buckles - I DO have a stock pile of these. I like to use them as frames, enshrining a word or image. The piece below was created in tandem with my artist friend Betsy Mortenson, the shapes and words play off the images in a giclee print of hers.

Optometrist lenses and an antique Mother-of-pearl buckle. 

This one may look familiar? Another buckle on the top right... and a look back at the mixed media COM's from January 2014! I'm pretty excited - I'll be teaching this mold making/polymer/mixed media class at Bead Fest in April! 

Buckles destined for Mixed media; like  I am teaching at Beadfest! 

And last but not least, a flock of feathered friends in the form of cigarette cards. Popular from the 1870's until the early 1900's these advertising cards decorated and stiffened soft packs of cigarettes. They are quite collectible, but at $1 each I don't think these corvids and owls are in high demand.

Cigarette cards - a company of corvids. 

The sales woman asked me what I was going to do - I think the phrase mixed media artist piqued her interest. I had been sketching shrine pendants in the airport already - so here are a few excerpts from my pages:

From my sketchbook... 

The cards are a bit large and I may have to trim them. My basic idea is to create a copper and mica sandwich, or alternately a copper and plexiglass sandwich. The piece would be attached with rivets, microvolts, etc. I could even do a peyote stitch ribbon around the piece, ( sketch on bottom left) to circle the poleax and sit flush between the copper pieces. Hmm. SO many ideas!

What will these be? Time will tell... 

And last but not least:
Antique watch crystals, some tiny and some medium. I am going to keep these a secret for now... but I am SO excited about these! They were in a Mason jar! So many, I was sorting through them, tempted to buy more!

I have a studio day planned today! Mixed media, metal, polymer, and perhaps a few hares... it IS March. Until next time... 

Jenny

website and blog

etsy store

A Page From My Book...

I have Lesley to thank, really...

It started with a discussion of William Morris, the Arts and Crafts Movement designer from the UK. He has always been one of my art/design heroes. His creative genius spanned art, illustration, textiles, furniture design, graphics design... A contemporary and friend of the Pre-Raphaelites, he is famous for his philosophy on art, and the place of it in everyday life. He respected the maker, the craftsperson, and sought to recognize them in the increasingly Industrial Age...

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." William Morris

Lesley was etching, and using some copyright free Morris images. I thought they were very exciting!  She had a vision and imagined them as book covers. Did I want to collaborate? Uh... is the sky blue?!?!!? She sent me a batch, some Morris designs, some others.

Raw images, etched on copper - William Morris images

I started with this small Day of the Dead skull image, saving the Morris images for now. As the image is close to the edges - I wanted to engineer a closure for the book that wouldn't encroach on the image. In this case its three coiled wires, inserted through the covers, and folded as staples to stay secure. ( Shows clearly on back of book, with text) The book, measuring 1.25" x 1.5" is bound with a Coptic stitch binding. It had been years since I tackled that stitch, but it comes back rather quickly with needle in hand.

Muertos book: "Love is stronger than death"

For the etched hare (well, it is a Hare themed month!) I sawed and riveted an additional piece of copper to the cover. This will form the closure. If these small books are going to be worn... I wanted them to close securely.

Here is the hare book assembled! It has leather "endpapers" that also fold around the text block to create a leather hasp for the closure. There is a toothpick in place now - I plan to fabricate a decorative pin - copper? polymer? and attach it via a small chain. I have left the tails of the waxed linen here, perhaps for an embellishment.

I think my first foray into miniature book binding was a success. I can see myself wearing one of these; would you? I look forward to more mixed media books, and would love to create one with images and text inside... Think that will fill the sketchbook the next few days...

I would love to hear your thoughts on these new test pieces!

And less you forget: the theme this month is hares. I am glazing these as we speak, and will post them next week!  Have a great week, until next time... 

More of the Same for Me Please

After all that mayhem the festivities are over for another year and we're firmly ensconced in 2014. How are you feeling then...refreshed and revived and ready to take on a new year and all it's creative challenges? Or are you perhaps in need of a few quiet days to recover and regain a little focus...? I think I'm somewhere between the two but either way if you're anything like me you've probably found yourself pondering the year that's past and wondering what's ahead.

Creatively 2013 was a pretty good year for me. I got myself a new studio which gave me the space to try out new techniques like etching and more metal work. But the big highlight was to stop procrastinating and, with a lot of encouragement from my team mates here at AJE finally have a go at working with ceramic clay.

As regular readers will know I absolutely fell in love with it from the moment I took those very first glazed beads from the kiln...

I became completely obsessed with the array of gorgeous glazes available...

And had a whale of time putting them together in wonderful beady combinations.

And then I fell down the stairs and broke my ankle... This brought a halt to production for a while but I managed to get back on two feet again before just before Christmas and have since managed to glaze the first batch of stoneware bisque that came out of the kiln the day I fell.

Now the new year is here I'm raring to get back in the studio and start working again and although there are lots of new things I want to try, ceramics is where I will pick up since it's still such a new medium for me...new glazes, different types of clay...so much to experiment with.

One thing I'm very keen to do is to take some pottery classes as  I enjoy working with clay so much I really want to have a go at working on a larger scale. I'm not set up to do this at home so it may not lead anywhere but I really like the idea of working in a different environment from time to time and meeting other like minded people.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potter_at_wheel.jpg

 I always try to sign up for at least one course each year both as a way of broadening my skill base and as a little treat to myself for working hard. I was also lucky enough to be gifted some lovely books on this subject which are providing me with no end of inspiration.

So what have you got planned for this year..? further developing something you took up in last year...diving headlong into something completely different. Whatever it is make sure you join the AJE team for another year of creative, informative and fun posts - you never know, you might find yourself as addicted to all things muddy as me by this time next year!

All the best for 2014.

Lesley
The Gossiping Goddess

All I Want For Christmas....

Is to have both feet planted at least partially on the ground...!

As some of you may know, 5 weeks ago I slipped and fell down three stairs and broke my left ankle which resulted in a stay in hospital to have a metal plate put in. Since then I've been pretty much confined to barracks learning how to move with the aid of crutches and a walking frame.

Since I work with my hands I didn't think this would have much impact and can remember lying in hospital thinking 'oh well...nothing to stop me sitting and making beads...Boy did I get a surprise! I've never had surgery before and was totally unprepared for just how low I would feel for the first 10 days or so...the least little effort exhausted me and I spent most of the time asleep on the sofa. This is of course exactly what I should have been doing while my body mended itself but it's not me and I'm not a good patient. I did think I could use this time to do lots of sketching and designing and I did do a little, but in this house it seems that even if the spirit is willing, if the body is weak the muse takes her leave for an early festive break - fickle creature!

Once I could stay awake I found myself plagued with aches and pains - not from the ankle, that was fine...but from all the other muscles and joints that were taking the strain off the useless leg and being stretched and twisted in awkward ways. I did manage to sit and glaze some beads for a few hours last week but it was not comfortable having to have my leg raised (a plaster cast that feels like it is about to explode is not a pleasant sensation) and sit awkwardly.

However, all is not doom and gloom since I managed to balance on one foot long enough to get the beads (my first batch of stoneware) into the new kiln for it's first glaze firing and I was pretty pleased with the result...

Now I've got these under my belt I am feeling much more inspired and am definitely developing ideas for the new year. That little bit of inspiration has also got me more in the mood for Christmas and has enabled me to put together a little wish list which happily also doubles up for my birthday next month.

I'm not usually one for using vouchers as gifts but they are actually topping my list this year as long as they come from one of my favourite pottery suppliers.

I can think of nothing better in the dreary days of January than browsing through all manner of muddy delights especially if it feeds my current addiction for glazes and adds some colour to the winter months...can't you just see these as beads...

Books always figure high on any gift list of mine too and this year is no exception with, surprise surprise a couple on ceramic techniques...

Although I don't have room to do large scale clay work at home I am seriously considering taking a course next year to learn some wider skills and techniques and these books will help inform me for that...the bug has really bitten me on this one!

Another little book I covet is this one by Wanaree Tanner - leading light of the metal clay world who I could not hope to emulate but her designs I could drool over forever...

This 'Aegean Cuff' tutorial by Stacy Perry of Hodgepodgerie has also found it's way onto my list as I've being eyeing it up forever. Stacy was one of the first jewellery makers I came across when I started and she makes the most fabulous metal worked jewellery. The tutorial includes options for different finishes and it looks like it would be great fun to make and wear...are you listening Santa...

So if any of these show up under my tree I will be more than happy and the only other thing I would ask for is a fit, healthy and productive year ahead.

So what's at the top of your art jewellery wish list this holiday season...I think it's only fair you share just in case the rest of us have missed anything...!

Lesley


The Gossiping Goddess

Freeform Friday: Trash to treasure

Trash to treasure. We all know the phrase. But for the last week its been my job.  I was trying to think of a topic for this post as all I have been doing is sorting, tossing, packaging, purging... Oh! That is the post!

My Dad is here, working on cleaning out my parents old house. As my parents are happily settled in new digs in Austin - its not a sad, heartbreaking experience... but the process is still exhausting mentally and physically, and a little depressing.  We have a dumpster... and we clearly know how to use it! (Picture was taken on Day 2 of 7!)

My brother ( on left) and husband ( on right ) surveying the territory. 

Clothes for vintage sales, clothes for Goodwill. Love letters from my maternal grandparents, nothing too racy as they were "courting" from 1917 to 1921! Cards drawn by my sisters and I for birthdays...moth eaten stuffed animals... so many memories to revisit, honor and then let go. 

But amidst the flotsam and jetsam there are treasures to be had!!! You know I am a mixed media artist and sometimes the strangest things spark an idea. Let me show you a few things I happily adopted this week:

1. Vintage clock keys - wire wrapped? Annealed, drilled? Necklace focal or shrine insert? 

2. Dutch (?) painted porcelain button - gabled house and ships beyond. Peyote stitch bezel? polymer?    Focal on a shrine exterior to draw you in? 

3. Vintage celluloid (early plastic) horse. I am thinking it was a Cracker Jack prize back in the day - before my time. Resin? Featured in a shadowbox pendant? 

4. Rhinestone bling - broken costume jewelry... Really - no idea. The magpie in me was drawn to the "shiny!"

1. Wee glass bottles ( above tins in top pix) - wire wrapped? Circular peyote around the neck? Corks? Contents? Those tins? Definitely shrine pendants. Altered, manipulated, and secret relics added inside... 

2. Id bracelet blank, vintage Mexican silver earring - My Mom saved one earring. Who knows the reason. Its stunning. 

3. Broken small pocket watch - no question here. I am just going to polish it and wear it on a long necklace with chunky gemstones!

Books! 

Derelict, dying, decrepit books. Old dictionaries, and foreign language texts are the best. Why? Words under resin! Lining a shrine interior! Text is a favorite of mine to incorporate into much of my work. 

Sorry to be brief - I hope you enjoyed seeing my finds... Its late here Thursday night - I look forward to a bit of down time this weekend (its been dialed up to 11 since before Beadfest) and then the studio next week! Stay tuned for more adventures... 

Brother - waving goodbye from way over there across the vista of detritus. 

Jenny 

www.jdaviesreazor.com

Book Review: Soldering Made Simple

I've been wanting to read this book since it first came out, at least in part because Joe Silvera, its author, is such an engaging, down-to-earth guy. A few years ago, he and his wife Anat moved their studio to Berkeley, California, to focus on opening and running a jewelry school. Since then, Joe has become an extremely popular instructor at Bead and Button, and this book is - I think - a big part of the reason why.

This is a book that is really and truly written for the home jeweler, starting with a thorough discussion of essential tools and equipment. First up is an overview of soldering boards and blocks and even though I have been soldering for several years, I learned a great deal in just those two pages alone.

Each type has a very specific use, and after reading this section I pulled out every board I had and did some sample soldering just to test out the differences. That new knowledge is going to change the boards I use for different soldering jobs going forward.

There is also a very good explanation of the two main types of butane torches and their safe operation. If you've done any reading about soldering, you may have heard the terms "oxidizing", "neutral", and "reducing" in relation to flame types, and if you're like me, you may have assumed that they were only relevant to the big dual-gas studio torches. Well, not only does this book explain them and how they're used, it also provides close-up photos and instructions about how to obtain them with a butane micro torch.

Joe also gives a high-level review of several basic metalsmithing skills, and I would say that if I have one caution to potential readers, it's that the book assumes certain skills in that area which the reader may not actually have. This is a book about soldering, though, so it's hard to nit-pick. Just be aware that in order to be completely successful with some of the projects, you may need to do some additional homework regarding metalsmithing and metal working tools. And the projects are really fun! There's a squashed hollow bead that I'm dying to try and a gorgeous round box clasp that looks deceptively simple. There's even a ring project that includes some really good information on creating bezels from sheet, determining the proper bezel height, and the proper technique for setting a bezel - all a great bonus in a book about soldering.

There are a couple of minor things to quibble over - for example, Joe demonstrates using shears to cut very small, detailed elements out of metal sheet where I would be inclined to use a jeweler's saw. But that is a matter of preference, not technique. And I found myself wondering what the difference was between "light red" and "pink" when evaluating the color of metal as it is heating - some other point of reference might have been helpful for someone like me who cannot always make nuanced color distinctions. Again, though, these are very minor things and don't impact my recommendation of this book in any way.

So if you are new to soldering, this is a terrific choice for your studio library. It is good, basic instruction written in clear, easy-to-understand language and it will help you equip your home studio properly and safely. As a bonus, working through the 12 included projects will not only leave you with a solid grasp of soldering techniques and how and when to use them, it will also give you an introduction to basic metalworking techniques. What's not to love?

Until next time!

Disclaimer: I came this close to attending a one week metal retreat with Joe the year before he moved his studio to Berkeley, California, to open a jewelry school. We exchanged a few e-mails as I tried to make the decision about whether or not to go, and he was as helpful and encouraging as could be. However, Joe and his publisher Kalmbach Books don't know me from Adam. I purchased this book for my own studio and the opinions expressed here are my own, offered without any hope or promise of compensation. Even the links aren't affiliate links.

Books - under your tree?

Hello, my name is Jenny and I am a bookaholic. I have a Kindle -  I am moving into the current technological age... but some books are meant to be handled, fondled, browsed, and treasured. My in-laws are finally adjusted to the fact that books thrill me for Christmas gifts. For years they would get things from my wish list and then worry I would be disappointed with books under the tree. Nothing better than spending Boxing Day ( Dec 26th) curled up, coffee in hand, sleepy dog at my feet - and a brand new book.

Here are some favorites from my fellow AJE team members, and some we wish were under our tree....

The History of Beads : From 30,000 B.C. to the Present - we all all creating in a form that dates back to the dawn of man, and woman. It is fascinating to see the beads evolve through time, and yet stay universal...

The Penland Book of Jewelry: Master Classes in Jewelry Techniques 

I had the good fortune to study Ceramics at Penland one summer. I would recommend the experience to anyone serious in their medium. It is a transformative experience. And you are taught by the best in their fields...

Enchanted Adornments  by Cynthia Thornton

I have this book, and I love it! Cynthia works magic in a variety of mediums. Inspirational and inventive!

 The New Encyclopedia of Jewelry-Making Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques
 Recommended by AJE team member Lesley Watt - this one looks interesting!







PMC Technic: A Collection of Techniques for Precious Metal Clay by Tim McCreight - also recommended by Lesley - McCreight is a moderm master! Metalsmith who embraced precious metal clays...

Heat, Color, Set & Fire: Surface Effects for Metal Jewelry by Mary Hettmansperger   I personally recommend this book, and I know its on team mate Francesca Watson's wish list!  Phenomenal ideas for patinas, color applications - a must in my mixed media studio. 

The Jewelry Architect: Techniques and Projects for Mixed-Media Jewelry by Kate McKinnon - highly recommended by Francesca!















Creative Bead Weaving: A Contemporary Guide To Classic Off-Loom Stitches by Carol Wilcox Wells - I am not a seed beader, but this looks to be a comprehensive tome!

Masters: Beadweaving: Major Works by Leading Artists - also by Carol Wilcox Wells - a seed bead book of eye candy and inspiration. 

500 Raku: Bold Explorations of a Dynamic Ceramics Technique  - recommended by AJE team mate Karen Totten - although not beads or jewelry - a very inspirational book! I personally love the entire 500 series that Lark books publishes!









1000 Glass Beads: Innovation & Imagination in Contemporary Glass Beadmaking - eye candy of the lampwork variety. I find books or fellow artists work very inspiration, as a jumping off point, of course - not to be derivative, but to be inspired and put MY spin on things...

The Art of Enameling: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration by Linda Darty - a gorgeous comprehensive book on traditional enameling techniques. 

Amulets and Talismans: Simple Techniques for Creating Meaningful Jewelry by Robert Dancik - Confession - This is the most "my style" on the list. I have worked with Robert before, I create with similar goals in mind, creating talismans with meaning and intention. So yes - I am a little biased. 

Foldforming by Charles Newton-Brain
From Francesca's book shelf! I know many metal workers who are using this technique to amazing ends!

So what books do you think YOU would like to see under the tree? 

Disclaimer: I am receiving no special consideration from Amazon or the authors mentioned here. No money, free loot, jewelry, or thanks and appreciation. I simply love books!

And please feel free to browse our shops. As the season starts today with Black Friday we have many sales and tempting treasures... You can find all the details at our Holiday Open House page.