Learning To Play in 2013 And Beyond

When you are reading this post on Saturday, my husband and I will be busy taking down the Christmas tree and returning our living room to its normal, everyday appearance.  And while packing away the ornaments and the Christmas stockings, it seems appropriate to reflect upon the past year and to think about where my life journey might lead in 2014.

Preparing to write this post was a good exercise for me.  It made me realize how much exploration I did this past year.  I kind of surprised myself!  I started 2013 with Kerry Bogart's month-long  "Aspire To Wire" e-course.  I learned a lot from Kerry and it boosted my wire working confidence.  Since then, I have been making more of my own clasps, earwires, bails etc. and I plan to do even more in that direction in 2014.  Lately, I have been pushing my wire work skills even further, while working with Cindy Wimmer's new book, "The Missing Link".

Chris, (a local friend), and I started playing with enamels this year.  She has an awesome studio set up and she helped me get started and gave me pointers on how improve my technique.  I discovered that it is fun and inspiring to have some shared studio time with a friend!

I also got together with fellow AJE member, Kristi Bowman, several times this past year.  Kristi lives about 1.5 hours north of me.  We shared a booth at a couple of shows.  We work well together when vending and we have fun joking and talking shop.  We are planning some shared studio time in the upcoming year, also!

Kristi & I in the center, with lampwork artists Lara Lutrick (left) and Lori Bergaman (right).

  

Kristi and I also attended a metal retreat together, hosted by AJE member Francesca Watson and Melissa Muir.  I had a pinched nerve in my back and missed about half of the week-long retreat, but I am grateful for the time I could be there.  I became more confidant with the torch, and experimented with pewter casting, the use of a hydraulic press and a rolling mill.  I also made a bunch of wonderful new friends.  Kristi and I are already looking forward to the 2014 metal retreat!

Recently I've become intrigued with polymer clay.  I'm not much interested in "traditional" cane work, but rather in textures and surface decoration.  Kristi gave me an old pasta machine of hers and some 2 part mold.  I purchased a toaster oven and am anxious to give it a go in 2014.  I even collected and pressed ginkgo leaves (see below) when I was in Germany this past October.  Won't they make cool impressions for a polymer clay pendant?

The last 2 months of 2013 saw me experimenting with WoolyWire.  I love the texture and rich colors this hand-dyed wool brings to jewelry.  I know I'll be incorporating it in my work in 2014, as well.

The most recent development has me completely baffled.  I've begun doodling.  My mother sketched and painted and my brother has done illustrations in magazines and newspapers.  He has had his cartoons published in the New Yorker, and has illustrated 3 children's books.  I could never draw worth beans and just assumed that my brother got the total allotment of painterly DNA available for my parent's offspring.

Suddenly I've wanted to draw.  I was scared at 1st, because there's a strong line of perfectionism in my family and that trait can be both a blessing and a curse.  It is a curse, if you feel you have to somehow measure up to some imagined standard set by your mother and brother's gifts.  So I doodled secretly....don't laugh!  Then a couple of weeks ago, I just decided to h*** with feeling like I had to  excel at everything I do.  Its more than okay to just play and have fun for the sheer joy of it.  I'm not even drawing bead designs.  Just playing with shapes, colors and shading.  I have no training in art and no clue about techniques.  I don't know if this will be incorporated somehow into coloring polymer clay or if it is just an amusing diversion. And wonder of wonders, I no longer feel the need for this to be leading to a "productive" end-point.  Its is not a competition.  Its healthy to play and explore. My mind and heart are open and I'll see where 2014 takes me.

Linda
Linda Landig Jewelry – ArtFire 
Linda Landig Jewelry – Etsy

December Component of the Month Reveal!

Remember these speckled beads?

It's finally reveal time for the December Component of the Month!! Are you ready to see all the gorgeous creations crafted by the talented participants? I know I am — I'm so excited to see what you each were inspired to make.

Come join us on the tour!

Guest Designers:

Stephanie - Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

Ann - Bead Love

Karin - Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Melissa - Bead Recipes

AJE Team:

Karen - Starry Road Studio

Diana - Suburban Girl Studio

Kristen - My Bead Journey

Lesley - The Gossiping Goddess

Jenny - Jenny Davies-Reazor

Linda - Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings

Melissa - Melissa Meman… Art, Life, Love

Susan - Sue Beads

Rebekah - Tree Wings Studio

Caroline - BlueberriBeads

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

Happy New Year!!!!!! And winners!

Welcome 2014!!!!!

I know I speak for the whole AJE team when I say that we have been blessed to have you follow us in the last year and hope it continues throughout an exciting new year.  Thank you!

So I am making this post short and sweet so you all can get to New Years' festivities or recoveries whichever the case may be.

I will be watching this.....

While drinking a few of these....

And trying to see what to do on this.....

That's right it will me my annual Tipsy Beading party!!!!

Oh I did mention winners didn't I.  

The winners of the January Comonent of the Month are...

 

Sarajo, Ema K, and Hope

I hope for you all a fabulous New Year!!!!

Kristen