Angelas Diner

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.

Since today was so warm, and I had so much gardening to do, I decided to stop and buy more plants and spend even more time gardening.  I wanted to go traditional for the front this year (that’s why I started so many marigolds and zinnias) so I have pots with geraniums and petunias.  Here’s a close up shot of pots, can you see C3PO and R2D2 down in my garden there?  I got them years ago at the flea market, and they’ve been out front ever since.  a small geeky touch!

I took Friday off from work, and Mark and I went to the Chihuly exhibit at the RISD Museum.  Here are some photos - the lighting on the glass was incredibly effective.  I loved how the varied colors and shapes of the glass were enhanced by the directed lights.

On Saturday, we went back up to RISD and Benefit St. - it was the Alumni and Student sale.  Alumni and current students had tables all along the street in front of the museum.  We bought some ceramics (pics to be posted later) since you know I’m a fool for pottery…. the best part for me was afterwards, as we went and had lunch at Seven Stars.  Mark commented that most of the jewelry we saw at that sale had been simple stuff, plain earrings, strung necklaces, and such.  He actually said my stuff was “more artistic and unique” than the stuff made by the students and alums.  Now, if you know me, you would know I’m not saying this to bolster my ego about my work.  I’m just really grandly happy that Mark understands that the work that I do in glass, even though I’m primarily self taught through experimentation and exploration, can stand equal to the work done by people who studied art in college - a prestigious school as RISD.   On the way home, the colors of autumn pulled at me, and I’m planning on working those into one of the pulled necklaces soon.  My approach to my work shifted over these last months to making fewer but grander pieces.  I’m finding I’m happier when focused on singular work from the beginnings in choosing the rods of glass to the end where I’m stringing beads to create individual necklaces and bracelets.  I’ll never make lots of repetitive work - because I only get to work on the weekends, I don’t like to spend the time at the torch churning out more of the same.  It’s much more fulfilling for me to flow and create singular inspired work - and I’m glad to be able to continue on this creative path.

Was down for a bit - work exhausted me, drained me, and I had nothing left for the blog.  What saved me, what cleared my head lately, and brought me back up to where I usually am, was a week out of the office on vacation.  When I looked back, I discovered that the last time I had taken a full week out of the office was back in August of 2007.  That’s a REALLY long time - here I was trying to figure out why I was in such a funk, and the answer was really simple and there all along.  I took the last week of May out, and make beads and gardened until my hands ached.  I literally dug myself out of the funk I was in.  It’s funny, even the folks at work noticed that I’m much more mellow as I returned to work this week.  One person told me in the kitchen that I looked really relaxed and tan and just plain happy.  I’d have to agree!

Been raining today, and I still have a ton of more work I want to do in the gardens, but I went outside and took some shots to show off my blooms!  (I’ve planted some PURPLE roses that haven’t yet bloomed…… I can’t wait to see them - I am a purple fanatic!)  So, enjoy, and maybe, if you have time, and need a break, go outside and plant something…..it really helps.

I am already planning for my gardens this year.  I’ve got a new seed starting setup from Park’s - and have a bunch of tiny Impatiens Athena sprouting up in the studio.  Just looking at these little green guys gets me more and more in the mood for warm weather!

It has been quite a winter - very very grey, wet, and generally bleary. I am finally shaking off the cobwebs, and ready to write and post in Etsy again. The sun was so bright today, and for a couple of hours in the middle of the day, I didn’t need to wear a jacket. I’m one of the perpetually cold people - I have a small heater near my desk in the cubefarm at work. The sun warmed my mantle late in the day; glinting off the pottery and glass…

I recently joined a blogging community of flameworkers called “Flaming HOT!” The moderator, Susan, posts inspiration for all of us members to blog about each week (which will keep me blogging since I’ve been slacking in my normal winter doldrums for a while now.)

This first post needs to be about the little things I like about glass work and my “glass business.”  Well, I’m too crazed to have a full fledged BUSINESS, so I’d rather refer to my glass working as my passion, my obsession.  It’s really what I look forward to creatively - and when I haven’t been torching (like NOW since it is just too cold in the garage for me!) I get into a place where I have to create other things instead.  So, that explains my recent knitting focus.

One of the best “little things” about glass I enjoy is receiving a new box of glass rods!  I have been buying from Gail in Tyngsboro Massachusetts.  I love how she wraps the rods in colorful tissue and ribbon.  I love opening the package and seeing the colors - how close are they to the pictures on the website? She usually tucks samples of frit in there to try as well - for those of you who aren’t lampworkers, frit is the tiny crumbs of crushed glass that are mixed in all sorts of colorful combinations.  So, for me, the littlest things, even frit, can put a grin on my face, and a itch in my fingers to go out (maybe even in the COLD!) and make more beads!

i took a class today at The Bead House in Bristol - we learned how to make our own findings such as clasps, and earwires. my work is on the cream colored cloth…. and the instructor’s samples are on the black show pad… Kim is a fun teacher - and was good at helping all of us, even if we were at different skill levels. I’m going to practice a bit more with less expensive wire before using my sterling, but I’m at a very comfortable place workwise — I’m looking forward to moving up a notch by creating my own elegant yet simple sterling findings.

if you click the pics, you’ll see everything in greater detail… it really is a great class to take

I’ve decided to give a glimpse into my creative process - and want to explain beads and why i love to make them…..specific beads, that is! today, let’s look closer at the enameled beads that i make with clear glass - i just listed an etsy necklace using this type of bead… here’s a really large picture– you can see the detail really well (click the picture, it gets even bigger!) :

i take clear glass, and layer various colors of enamels to come up with beads that have a depth and movement to them….. i was thinking of winter sunsets when i made the ones in the necklace above. i remember one necklace that i made last spring - i had come back from a weekend away in western massachusetts and visited the clark museum. at the clark, i saw a Renoir painting of peonies that vibrated with reds, white, and pinks.

this is the necklace I made from the beads inspired by the Renoir painting.

I’m a geek. My family will tell you, you don’t even have to ask - they’d volunteer the information. Case in point- today I went to the whole foods that will be opening on Wednesday for a free tour of the new store. Yep, a grocery store tour. Now, add to that the fact that pretty much every day of the week I go to whole foods for lunch because there’s one right near work. So I already know what stuff they carry in the store. The tour was great - this new store will actually have MORE stuff — like a mini coffee roasting station, and homemade pasta bar….. AND I came home with a bag full of cool stuff:

But then after I got home, there was a small antique show just down the street — so I HAD to go! Continue Reading »