Angelas Diner

Karen Neff has a wonderful touch with watercolors.  She’s a fellow artist at the gallery, and I spoke with her last month when I sold one of her oil paintings.  A couple bought the oil painting, and I found out that it was their very first original artwork purchase!  They said they had prints, and such, but Karen’s painting was their very first original work, EVER.  When I told her the story, she said the fact that her painting was their FIRST pleased her even more than me telling her she sold work.  When you work in the gallery, it’s considered courtesy to let an artist know that you’ve sold something so that they can either replace it, or … So, this month, Karen had a wonderful fantastical watercolor of summer dreams.  Take a look, and see if you can get lost in it - my photo is rather bad, but I think you can still capture the feelings conveyed in the work.

So, yesterday I mentioned that Alyce Trebra had a painting hanging this month that I adore.  It’s the center painting in this group of three.  Art Ballelli did the top piece, and Alyce did both of the others.  Alyce’s use of color in the center one just appealed to me.  You know how much I love purples - and the bluff seems to reverberate with them.  Take a look, and if you are in the neighborhood in Westerly until June 26, you should GO and SEE IT in person.  Seriously!

Not only did I plant pots this weekend, but when I gallery sat on Saturday I saw some incredible pots by Deb Dear.  What interesting shapes!  And I love the simple glazes which let the shapes SING. Take a look:

These are in the June show which runs until June 26.  I’ll be posting some more pictures from my gallery sitting over the next few days.  There is one painting by Alyce Trebra which I completely love — the colors really appeal to me.

OK, so not completely wordless because I have to explain this first! I read a blog, Pinch My Salt, where she posts “Wordless Wednesdays” and I love them.  Ok, so I can’t be a complete copycat, even though I am most definitely a fan of alliteration.  these photos of my work were taken by my husband - it’s cool how he is experimenting with different backgrounds (my favorite is the slate!) to show off my beadwork.   ENJOY!!!  (click them and they get bigger!)

Sitting on the back porch working on a really different bracelet (for me anyways.)  Listening to WGBH’s A Celtic Sojourn, then folk, then assorted CDs.   Here’s where I’m working:

Now, here’s a closeup of the work itself.  I’m working freeform brickstitch with different sized seed beads that circle around one of my lampwork beads.  The colors of the seed beads echo and mimic the colors and shapes of the enamel areas within the bead.  I want this to be a wide freeform cuff, and it’s well on its’ way here:

THEN, on me…….

Wow.  WOW.  I worked in the gallery yesterday and when I walked in, I was just blown away by the talent, by the art selected for this month’s Regional Show.  If you have a chance, you need to get yourself down to Westerly to see this show.  I’m posting a few pics here of my work and some larger shots, but to appreciate this show, you have to get down there!  I’m working in the Gallery again on Sunday May 24 - during the Memorial Day weekend there is an outdoor art show, Virtu, going on in Wilson Park across the street.  That would be a great weekend to visit as well!

Saturday morning gallery sitting….it was relatively quiet so I put up a table and worked on my sculpture.  I hope to have it done and enter it into the regional show in late April.

I also took some time to snap pics of some of the other work in the gallery that I really liked this month.  Kaleeny Cannon is a newer member, and this is her first time as a featured artist.  I love the bright colors of the flowers in the first one, and the low viewing angle of the second one here:

I’ll post some more photos of some of the other work I liked in the next couple of days.

Today, the weather looks like it will be warm enough for me to spend time in the studio making beads = yay! Yesterday was so hectic, today will be a good change from that, a chance to slow down and savor the creative process and melt glass.

Gallery sat yesterday in the afternoon.  It was quiet at first, but then things picked up well so that I could have lovely conversations with all those who stopped in.  I brought in all my new work for December’s show and set that up just before I left since I can’t make the Monday meeting… Here are a few shots I snapped (poorly!) with the display as I left it. (things get moved around by the show coordinators, so if you stop by my work may be set up differently!)

Autumn Necklace

This was inspired by looking up at trees while driving - flashes of greens, reds, oranges, and yellows.  The beads are all handmade by me, and strung on a leather cord.  The clasp is a simple sterling “S” shape that links the leather loops.  This one hangs well around the neck as the beads are lightweight and the leather supports a lovely arc.

I got the top three bracelets in this pic ready in the morning before I went sitting.  It makes for a long day of jewelry and art….I like the top two best.  The top bracelet is made from glass beads that have a cobalt glass core - then I roll the bead across a flower frog and quickly encase in clear glass, trapping many tiny little air bubbles!  The second bracelet down features the encased twistie beads I’ve been making.  I take multiple colors of opaque glass and make long twists of them.  Then, I use those twists to wrap around the mandrel.  Finally, I encase the wraps with clear glass.  I love how clear glass magnifies everything!

Oh man! I came across some fabric I liked, and followed it to the designer’s blog - her name is tula pink and she is just the coolest!  Here are some of her newest line, Neptune, for Moda fabrics:

I love the hidden surprises - like the sea turtle.

Then, tula mentioned a really cool site (for crafty sewing people like myself) where you can design and print your own fabric!  Spoonflower looks like a blast, I am going to have to play around and print up some fun.  Got to run and pick S up from art class right now, but had to share some of my internet discoveries today.

While I usually just doodle in the margins during meetings, sometimes I go CRAZY.  This one is from a meeting today where I (short timer that I am) was only marginally engaged in the ongoing debate and discussions.