Stones, Stones, Stones

Just got back from Franklin where I purchased a whole lot of beautiful stones. I have been on a stone buying spree so I am going to have to get to work on fabricating some pieces and using up all of these lovelies!

Just to get an idea.... Labradorite with dark blue flash, Jasper, Peruvian Opal, Oregon Opal, Amazonite, Garnet, Brecciated Sugilite, London Blue Topaz, Larimar, Pink Tourmaline, Garnet, and Rainbow Moonstone.....

Whew, what a mouthful!

Yes, I know....

I apologize -to my garden. I have abandoned you. Allowed you to become infested with weeds. Left my lilies so untended that they failed to bloom this spring. Allowed my wildflowers to shrivel to nothing...... and let's not even discuss the hydrangeas....

Guilt has finally taken over and I have promised to nurture this small patch back to life. Last weekend I weeded and raked, planted and fertilized... it is getting there. If I can keep Kai from stomping on the poor black eyed susans they may have a fighting chance - even with the heat.....

This weekend I have to tackle the unknown vine that is creeping into everything. It is the reason I gave up last spring.... and with that.... I will have one patch of garden thriving.... after all a promise is a promise....

Be True.

LAST night I was out with a few fellow jewelers and we were discussing the oh so illusive, Voice. What is the Voice? The Voice is what you as an artist bring to the table. An expression and extension of yourself that can be heard clearly throughout your body of work. It is how you embrace the palette and your own unique brushstroke on the canvas.

For some the Voice is illusive..... hiding behind corners and peaking out for a playful second only to turn to smoke when caught. It is something they long to achieve..... and yet.... the most difficult task as an artist is finding Your Voice and unfortunately it is also a task that you must do alone. For others the Voice comes naturally in everything they do. They are a true extension of themselves in every way and their natural Voice as an artist is found before they even hold a torch. They are so unique, inventive, and utterly themselves that they not only beat to their own drum but build their drum from scratch.

The Voice is a sacred thing. It is who you are inside when you create. Your vision of the world. But not only is the task of finding your Voice excruciating but keeping true to your Voice is the balance between what is excellent and what is common. It defines the work.

It took me years to find my Voice and I must say when I found it I thought to myself, really? Really, that is my Voice? For another secret that is rarely shared is that your Voice is it's own entity and does not always sync with you on a personal level. Sometimes what we create and what we love are two different things. Sometimes, our Voice is an extension of ourselves and not necessarily who we see when we think of ourselves for let's be honest..... how many of us really delve to know all the many layers of ourselves and how many of us have a portrait we think of as us which holds the truths and half truths of who we hope to be and possibly who we are shortcomings included?

For our Voice is the many layers.... those we keep hidden from even ourselves and those we know naturally. It is the third eye.... and so much can be learned from it should we choose to take the task. The Voice is the other self. It is the self in black and white. It needs no thought.... no ultimate capture, only recognition and when we accept that..... we arrive.

Out in the yard...

Nothing better than sleeping in on a Saturday.... Fresh cut flowers and basil lemonade....


tomorrow... chicken Francese...


a perfect weekend.

Outside the lines....

98 degrees today and something has to give... I find myself restless with too much heat.... it drifts off the asphalt into a haze and creates mornings filled with longing to go back to bed.

I made some decisions recently which has opened up some time which was supposed to be good.... a very good thing..... but now perhaps too much time.... too much time to think.... to analyze.... to wonder.....

Hitting the wall as an artist is never a good thing and often can create an atmosphere for an amazing break through but still it challenges us each day as we sift through it.

I have been working on a new techniques and as stimulating as it is.... I question each direction and each step forward.... I stumble..... and perhaps it is just this dreaded heat that permeates everything with no escape... perhaps a drop of rain would bring the moisture back into my mind but it feels dry inside and out and stifling....

And yet the engine continues to move forward because to stop is to admit defeat and it is important not to be confined but to move ever forward..... and hope that you will not be forgotten that you will not become stale that you will not find yourself ten years from now doing the same thing from ten years previous.

I am trying to move away from the poetry collection. Casting a die in the sand and hoping that with my new work and my struggle to come across barriers I can find success and yet I fear that I will not. I fear that when you truly put yourself out there and you put a little something besides labor, perhaps a bit of soul into the work will the rejection come..... for finding great success often allows the possibility for great failure.

Meekly I begin down this new path and so we shall see....

A long Stretch...

Finally a break...

The last few months have been so filled with things to do that I have not had time to post much. It seems that no matter how hard I try lately I just cannot keep up. Alas, balance will have to be my mantra again next year unless I can make some serious changes with the second half of 2010.

But as my friends tell me.... success is a silly thing to complain about. I had a feeling this year would greet me with a smile and it has and so I will soak up each ray with a smile in return.

Finally the Spring show season has ended and I have time again in my studio. I am snatching it up and enjoying a chance to play and work on new stuff so keep an eye on Etsy as many one of a kind pieces will be popping up for awhile.

I plan to take the month of July slowly and really embrace this one summer month before things get busy again. Taking time to enjoy the pups swimming and walking in the Chattahoochee National forest, a few small home repairs, and some new recipes in the kitchen. Sometimes I have to wonder why we spend so much time keeping busy when there are so many small treasures in life to enjoy.

If you missed it I had a fantastic article come out in Art Jewelry Magazine in June which I wrote demonstrating how to make my wide cluster wrap band and other techniques for making wide bands. It was a lot of fun to write and a lot of work but so exciting to see an article I wrote in print. If you have any questions on any of the steps, let me know, I will help!