Soul Humming

In Thirty Minutes

   

Have you seen those books from Lark that feature 500 Necklaces, 500 Earrings, 500 Bracelets, and so on? Now they are looking for some jewelry designers to submit something else interesting. They are working on a new one called 30-Minute Necklaces.

Then are looking for "designs that will be modern and sophisticated and encompass many different styles and techniques." And that can be completely finished in thirty minutes! The website says pendants, too, so if you don't think you can swing a full necklace that fast, go for the pendant.

If you are a speedy jewelry mastermind, then get busy as the deadline is August 3rd. They're also sending out a call for a couple other books which you can check out at their website.

I am curious to see what everyone will come up with only thirty minutes to get it done. No long-drying resin pendants in this one, people. 

Art and Meaning

 

Chasing Stars, 10' x 4.7', by Katherine Treffinger

Please be sure to visit the awesome blog of artist Katherine Treffinger today. I am very happy to be featured as her guest blogger as part of a series she has started titled Art and Meaning. Katherine's art is vibrant, emotional, alive, and powerful. Be sure to check her website as well to see her beautiful work. You are sure to be moved and inspired.

Mail Art

The Altered Guild's mail art round robin featuring faces is well under way. I just finished up and mailed off Jan's envy. If you read my jewelry book, A Charming Exchange, you know I am big on artistic collaborations.

But they can also be tricky. I have to find a way to blend my personal style to that of another artist while still remaining true to my own sensibilities. And, no matter how much I might be dying to completely cover every inch of the envelope with my ideas, I have to restrain myself.

There are six artists working in this circle. And I want to add enough to inspire and challenge the next person without hogging all the work. But it is very difficult to stop when I am moving along.

 

Here's Jan's fab envelope as it arrived. She has some very reptilian textures going on with the background. There's a particular bit under the eye that I especially dig.

 

Here are my additions to the front. I hope I wasn't too piggy in how much I did. These are the colors that I love and I just wanted to play and play.

 

The back was more of a challenge for me. The muted colors aren't my usual palette. Where to take it?

Geez, now that I look at these here maybe I did do too much. It was hard for me to stop, especially after her nose turned into a tree. I needed to finish it, fix it, go with it. But it is going on to my friend, Michelle. And she will need zero instruction or encouragement from me about what to do with this tree. She will make it all so much more different than I would do. And that is the great result of a collaboration. You have to be open to whatever may happen. You have to be willing to risk getting something that you wouldn't do and you might not even like. It is all about the process of working in new ways and learning from it.

Karen Campbell's envy just arrived here so I am contemplating it. As the process goes on and each envelope gets more and more covered, it will be interesting to know what to add and when to hold back.

I'll keep you posted.

SPW - Under the Trees

LAST NIGHT THE RAIN SPOKE TO ME

by Mary Oliver

Last night
the rain
spoke to me
slowly, saying

what joy
to come falling
out of the brisk cloud,
to be happy again

in a new way
on the earth!
That's what it said
as it dropped,

smelling of iron,
and vanished
like a dream of the ocean
into the branches

and the grass below.
Then it was over.
The sky cleared.
I was standing

under a tree.
The tree was a tree
with happy leaves,
and I was myself,

and there were stars in the sky
that were also themselves
at the moment,
at which moment

my right hand
was holding my left hand
which was holding the tree
which was filled with stars

and the soft rain—
imagine! imagine!
the long and wondrous journeys
still to be ours.

liking everyone

i used to think that i needed to like everyone

this was long ago (thank goodness)

if i met someone

and didn't like them

 

i thought i should Try Harder

i should be More Nice

i should Smile Bigger

but finally i realized

it is okay

not to like everyone

 

some people

are better

liked from a distance

and some people

should never

be liked

at all

sometimes

i don't even like myself

very much

-krs

"betrayal is the only truth that sticks." - arthur miller

Summer School

My oldest son took a four week art class during summer school. I have to admit that I wished I could take it with him. They would be making prints, paper mache' masks, and self portraits for starters. It sounded like such a great experience.

This past week the class finished and the teacher held an open house. I was so impressed with the students' work. I wanted to share some with you.

 

Finnigan's lion looks very noble but also hungry.

  

These paintings were quite large and when all hung together created a dramatic wall of vibrant color.

 

Big Paper Mache' Masks

 

Meow

 

I think these were made with some sort of clay.

 

Embossed metal

 

Mixed-media self portraits

 

This was an enormous folder he was working on in which he would bring all his artwork home.

These dolls are each about a foot tall and so imaginative.

 

Finn's self portrait

I hope you enjoyed the show.

Art Therapy

Last night I attended the wonderful art therapy group at Hoag Hospital. There was a full house of lovely folks. Carol had us working on a super cool 5" x 5" canvas to which we would add wings. She had all sizes of wings cut out for us from good thick paper. And there were heaps of wallpaper books to tear pages out for collage. Here's what I came up with...

 

I painted the orange wings and wrote on them with Caran D'ache I (the water-resistant ones). But then I decided that she didn't need wings. She had powerful thoughts instead. So I used some red glitter paper and a page of wallpaper to conjure up her mental headdress. Her face is also a page of wallpaper that I painted over.

It was a great time. Carol always picks the best music. And everyone is so kind. It is such a cathartic and uplifting experience.

SPW - Jump

Jump rope rhymes for a hot July Self-Portrait Wednesday.

She jumped so high, high, high

She touched the sky, sky, sky

And she never came back, back, back

Till the fourth of July, July, July!

 

confetti sprinkling

today i don't have words to share. i'm painting. i'm making jewelry. i'm being climbed like a tree by a tiny kitten. i'm driving the kids to and fro. it's summer. it's hot. it stifles and cooks until i am limp and have nothing left to give.

so i'm just going to show you the necklace i've made for my friend's birthday.

 

it has large faceted purple/green fluorite, prehnite, biwa pearls and a confetti sprinkling of other sparkling party bits. it's quite heavy and lively. i think it will suit her personality and give her a smile. 'hope so!

Meet Margo

we welcomed a new kitten into our home from the shelter yesterday. her name is margo polo because she is a great explorer.

we are all so happy that she came to live with us.

well, not everyone is happy actually...

popkin is a scaredy cat as it is. she is prone to hiding under the bed if she hears the gardener outside or the vacuum inside. and this little tiny kitten has her in quite a dither. we are giving her extra love and quiet time. hopefully she will love her soon!

my little brother is on his way down to head over to the pool with us.

so it promises to be a happy day.
i hope your friday is full of fun, too!