Looking Ahead

I really hate New Year's resolutions. For me, they just amount to one more reason to feel like a loser in February, when I've only made it to the gym twice instead of daily. (I know you know what I'm talking about!)

Photo from the I Hate Cigarettes page on Facebook - but I don't recommend the page. Gross, crude humor. This was funny, though.

Instead, I choose a single word every year that represents some aspect of my character I want to develop, and then I make plans and decisions based on how each applies to my one word. I'm still praying about what my word should be for 2014, but I think a similar approach to my creative work makes sense. There are a lot of skills I need to keep current, but what is the one technique I want to focus on developing and improving in the next year?

Easy.

I have fallen hard for enamels. And I mean hard. Last Christmas, my best friend gave me Linda Darty's book on enamels and I never looked back. Torch-fired enamels have been my primary focus this year (my Component of the Month contribution this year were enameled pieces) but I have been itching to do more with kiln-firing and some of the more advanced techniques.

I've written before about artists who are inspiring to me, but I recently discovered another artist whose work with liquid enamels is mind-blowing.

Ken Bova has been experimenting with liquid enamels for several years now - and he has limited himself to using primarily white liquid enamel. Yet he gets an amazing range of colors out of that single element, by overfiring, direct firing, and scratching back to bare metal so he can use its oxidation as a design element. It's an intriguing approach: pick one color and test that color to its limits.

I'm also really interested in what happens with the addition of foils under transparent colors. Barbara Minor is an artist and teacher who's doing a lot of work with foils and decorative elements - I'd like to find a way to take a workshop with her this year!

So in addition to keeping my foundational metal skills current, I'm going to be doing a lot more with enamels this year. What's your focus going to be? What technique are you dying to explore or expand?

On behalf of the entire AJE team, I wish you all a very safe and happy new year's celebration. We'll see you in 2014!

Until next time -

Ring in the new... with the January Component of the Month give away!

...We interrupt the regularly scheduled Freeform Friday post to entice you with a mixed media offering to begin the year in style!...

Best wishes to all! I hope the holidays were filled with friends and family, festivities and fun. The calendar draws to a close, and I am amazed to find 2014 around the corner! And with it - the January Component of the Month. 

We have been posting this week or so about techniques we tried, and liked in 2013. For me - it was keeping the mix in mixed media pieces! I love paper, images, text, resin, clay, metal... you get the idea... I made a batch of ceramic pieces, open back bezels for Beadfest in August, and wanted to do more... So here is the journey in pictures to our first CoM of 2014: 

I found this antique buckle in an antique store in Austin TX. Don't quite remember when - I was there visiting family... That same trip I found a tiny, old, decrepit dictionary. The two were destined to go together... 

The old and the new. 

 I made a mold of the original buckle from RTV silicone. These new pieces are polymer, and are wearing 4-6 colors of acrylic, accessorized with Gilders paste, and sealed. They will be filled with inspirational words selected from the treasure trove of vintage dictionaries that find their way to me. And resin, of course. 

I love wearing a word, as a message, a talisman, that is known to you, small and secret. You can choose to reveal it to others when you are wearing it. 

Now the holidays intervened - and these are not quite finished. They are drilled to hang horizontally, and I made a diverse batch... but they need their words, and resin. I hope you can imagine with me, and see their potential. ( I will update with pix ASAP!)

Would you like to start off 2014 with a bit of inspiration? With a creative challenge? With one of these pendants on your work table?

There will be three available to AJE blog readers! 

Here's how it works (please read carefully)…

• I will giveaway 1 mixed media frame pendant to each of 3 winners selected randomly from those who leave comments below this post by midnight,  Monday - December 30th 2013. 
• Please include your EMAIL address in your comment so that I can contact you ASAP should you win.
• I will surprise you with a selection from this batch of pendants. No two colors or words will be exactly the same. 
• Please (PLEASE) only leave a comment if you can commit to creating a finished piece and blogging about it on the reveal date.
• The names of the 3 winners will be announced on Wednesday, January 1st, 2014! 
• The blog reveal will be on Friday, January 31, 2014.

Thank you all for a great year! Here's looking forward to many more creative endeavors to come... 

Jenny
www.jdaviesreazor.com