Girls day out

Recently I had a lovely family come over to my studio to make some jewelry: Jenni, Phoebe and Eve.  It's sort of a complicated story to tell you how I met them - originally a year ago - and that meeting was very brief, but a connection was made that resulted in us all having a great day together.  Jenni is the mum and Phoebe and Eve are her daughters aged around 14 and 11???

They'd never made jewelry before and we had a fabulous time trying out silver metal clay and then they each made an aluminum/aluminium bangle.  It was pretty quiet though - lots of concentration going on!

They had to go back to England before the pieces were fired, so I finished them off and sent them to them.   Not sure if they have received them yet.

The photos are of the pieces before they were fired. Jenni did the bird on the left, Eve did the bird on the right - the collared dove, and the heart, and Phoebe did the stars.  I'll show photos of the finished pieces when I know they have received the jewelry themselves!

I hope they enjoyed the day as much as I did :=D

Life's a hoot

Here is the little owl necklace that I made for the step-by-step project for the Art Jewelry magazine article.

He does look like a cute little owl, don't you think?

Notice any similarities to a visitor to our garden?

If you follow the article and make your own, please send me a photo. I'd love to see your creation!

Life's a hoot!

Today, the July 2012 issue of Art Jewelry magazine comes out for sale - and included in the magazine is a beginner's step-by-step project that I wrote on how to make my sculpted owl necklace "Life's a hoot" (Page 70).

I was asked by the magazine to write a "sculptural bird project" quite a while ago.  Years ago,  in fact. So it's nice to see it in print. The project shows you how to sculpt basic shapes in metal clay and then put them together and add details to make an owl.

I was also asked to submit a photo of my studio - so one rare day when it was tidy, I took a photo  and it's on the front cover of the magazine - and also page 65!  It shows off my lovely window seat - a favorite place to sit.

I have to say that the people I worked with at Art Jewelry magazine were just a delight - especially Annie.

Hope you like the project!

Weekly Bird in the hand

Saturday comes by so quickly! Here is this week's "grateful" list:

Photo by Alan Vernon.

• Sharing our garden with the quails.  We have two group of quails right now whom we see everyday.  The first group is mummy and daddy quail with two little babies. These were late offspring but Daddy Quentin is taking such good care of them. He is always on the look out!  I've stopped using our front door now as they are so often out there and it upsets them when we go close!  Also, we have a covey of older quail in the garden - more than 20! If we come across them because we too, happen to be in the garden (!), they panic and can't decide which way to run!!! I'm sure they'd all be happier if we just stayed inside!!
• Having a wonderful meal out with friends yesterday.  The chef made a dish especially for myself and my friend - not on the menu - and it was yummy.  
• Our friends Don and Janet.  They were due to come up and stay with us this weekend, but sadly Don isn't very well.  Feel better soon my dear and hopefully we can catch up soon.
• Hiking in beautiful places, with no one else around.  
• Finding a picnic table after a big climb and enjoy some sustenance.
• Aqua yoga class.  About 6 weeks ago, I started an aqua yoga class.  Yes, you can tell I live in CA!!!!  I am loving it.  There is a great feeling about the whole class and it's wonderful exercise. It's my new Sunday morning activity and a great way to start the day.
• My parents, who have decided to move home!  I think it's a wonderful decision and although it might seem scary - it's the perfect time for them to do it.  They will move to be closer to my sister.  
• A new discovery with base metal clay!  And successful firings of steel and bronze clays.
• Getting my first commission in steel clay.

How about you? Have you had a lot of things to be grateful for this week?  I do hope so.

The price of silver

I was going to buy some silver metal clay this past week to top up my supply. I haven't bought any in about 6 months. At that time, the price of silver was $19 per oz.   When I went onto the usual website where I buy metal clay, the price was just so off-putting. Silver metal clay prices are directly influenced by the silver price and today the price of silver has increased to $34 per oz.  So in 6 months, the price of silver has nearly doubled.  When I started working in metal clay in 2005, the silver price was $7 per oz.

Data from http://silverprice.org/silver-price-history.html

I actually left the website open on my laptop for a week, trying to adjust to the change in price before I pressed the "buy" button.  In the end, I checked what I already had in my studio and decided not to buy any more.

It has really made me stop and think about what I am doing.  While I was away in Mexico over December and January, I got to try lots of other different media.... and loved it - so with these silver prices, I think I'm going to focus more time on things other than silver for a while. 

I've been wanting to have some time to work more on my aluminum techniques...and also other types of clay, so this seems like the perfect time for this.  I'll obviously continue with silver clay and have a few commission to do...but I'll make sure that I make time for other materials too.

How is this silver price increase affecting you and your work or your buying of jewelry?

New Studio!!!

Yippee-yi-ya!!  Today I started moving into my new studio!!!!

While we were in San Miguel and I was trying all these different media, we decided that we just had to get me some more space for my studio! It's well over time...and we've been trying to figure out how best to do it for ages now, as I've been expanding from my little attic room into other rooms and generally taking over lots of places. 

So we've jiggled some rooms around and now I have a much bigger space! And much more light.

Today was the tough day of moving things.  My "old" studio is accessed only by a little attic ladder. Just climbing up and down it is quite precarious but when you are trying to carry loads of things - it's is even more dodgy! Luckily, John, my hubby was around all day to help!!!  Let's hope he is tomorrow too :=D

I have more to move in tomorrow and need to buy another couple of work surfaces like you see in the above photo.  My goal is to have 4 work surfaces in total. One for metal clay and one for finishing jewelry (those are the ones shown above).  Then one for aluminum and one for wax sculpture and anything else I might try! Then there is a soldering space and a space for my photography. 

And my birdies began to move in too. They took a liking to a spot, just their size, by the window seat!

 

If you are in the neighbourhood tomorrow and feeling strong...do stop in! 

Beautiful Vermont!

By guest bloggers Marly and Angie from Studio 28.

We are here in Vermont, to take another course from a wonderful teacher and mentor, Celie Fago, and take in the beauty of this breathtaking part of the planet. Call it rejuvenation/inspiration for the soul.

A key part of our metal clay journey began here a mere two years ago when we took a lentil/Keum-boo workshop from Celie. Angie then had a further opportunity to learn with Celie at the PMC Conference later that year, when bronze was introduced to the market. It was all very exciting!

Below are some of the pieces made at Celie's courses.

Angie's lentils with Keum-boo

Marly's lentil front view

Marly's lentil back view

Angie's bronze pendant

Vermont is a beautiful place to visit. There is such commitment and pride in supporting artisans and their unique forms of expression, as well as the local farming community. It is a "foodie's" delight! There are amazing fruits and vegetables, mouthwatering cheeses, breads, crackers, chutneys, jams, maple syrup...shall we go on?! We managed to visit the Grafton Cheese Factory which began creating cheese in 1892. Talk about a sense of history! We also discovered that we were in the land of covered wooden bridges-there was even one at the cheese factory. We visited one of the longest covered wooden bridges in the United States, the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge as well as the Dummerston Covered Bridge.

Such beautiful country...stunning vistas, fascinating architecture...breathtaking and inspiring...

Now for the jewelry course....as you read this, we will be in the middle of our learning with Celie. Stay tuned for our next post to find out what we created.

Featured artist for Yahoo Metal Clay Group

I'm delighted and thrilled to be the featured artist for September for the Yahoo Metal Clay group.  If you work in metal clay and aren't part of this yahoo group - I highly recommend you check it out.   You'll find lots of great information there and it's a place to share what you are up to as well.

Thanks so much for selecting me.

Mondays with Marly - California Comes to Ontario!

BY GUEST BLOGGER MARLY FROM STUDIO 28

Angie and I are SO excited that Ruth is coming for a visit to Waterloo! As you read this blog, we will be having fun together in Toronto!  We’ll have to post lots of pictures of our adventures together! It is always wonderful to spend time with Ruth. There’s lot of laughter, sharing of ideas, and interesting metal clay collaborations. It is so enriching to have the opportunity to share ideas and studio time with another metal clay enthusiast!

 I am very fortunate to have a wonderful friend and business partner, Angie, who I can collaborate with on a daily basis. I’d like to dedicate this blog to her and thank her for her constant support, encouragement, and inspiration. She is a talented and creative artisan and I am lucky to have her presence in my life! Below are some of her beautiful metal clay creations!

Ancient Treasure

Dream Box

Dream Spinner

 

 

 

 

Love Letter

Mushroom Stones

Tribal Drums

Varanasai Sun

Stay tuned for the further adventures of Ruth, Angie and Marly in Waterloo.  Ontario will NEVER be the same!

Look who's heading into the kiln!

OK! Get in line....time to get going:

 Good little birdies - all quite orderly - except for one!!!  And off we go:

Don't worry, it'll be nice and cozy:

And when you come out, you'll be so precious!

Mondays with Marly - Stepping Stones Part 2

By guest blogger Marly

A major heat wave has hit Southern Ontario. Nothing like it since 2007.  I gratefully bow to our little window air conditioner which is managing to keep the house comfortable and cool. A perfect kind of day to write a blog entry since its way too humid to venture outside. In my last blog entry, I wrote about some early artistic adventures...weaving, printmaking, picture framing, and watercolor.

Around 2005, my color palette started to change. The turquoise blues and greens that predominated my earlier work shifted to warmer colors...maroons, reds, browns and earth tones. I realized how much I loved doing collage and started to integrate watercolor and acrylics with photos and Japanese washi papers

 

I decided to take an early retirement from teaching in 2005 so I could make art and travel a bigger part of my life.  I took a course in fused glass and fell in love with the process. I very quickly started to experiment with collaging different colors of glass together.

It didn’t take long before I fell in love with dichroic glass and the way it reflected colours.
I started to make jewelry pieces using this specialty glass.

In between creative adventures, Angie and I travelled to the southwest in my camper van several times between 2005-2007. It was there that we discovered the silver metal clay community and took some introductory courses that got us hooked on creating metal clay jewelry. It wasn’t long before I started experimenting with previous art mediums and metal clay. Could I put in some of my collage art into a metal clay frame?
I discovered that by laminating miniaturized versions of my collages, I could, indeed, include my art in metal clay jewelry.

I really feel drawn to making artisan jewelry right now. My work in various mediums has always been small, so translating my art to jewelry seems like a good direction to pursue. I also love the personal nature of making wearable art. So many people have told me how they think of me when they put on a piece of jewelry that I’ve made. Its feels good to know that people enjoy wearing my creations.

My art experiences have truly been stepping stones. All of life’s learnings can be built upon and used in many ways. So embrace the desire to learn something new. Trust that pursuing new experiences and having the courage to leave your “comfort zone” will only broaden and enhance the creative spirit within. Here’s to the journey!

Mondays with Marly - Cottage Season

By Guest Blogger Marly

Marly and Angie are owners of Studio 28, Waterloo, Ontario

Those of us who live in Southwestern Ontario have our own "West Coast" along the shores of Lake Huron. Back in the 70's, (I was merely a child), Dad and I went looking for cottage land and we were very fortunate to find a rare lake-front property just north of Kincardine. Mom and Dad spent every weekend and the summers for the next few years building the cottage and putting the finishing touches on the inside. Both Mom and Dad had busy and demanding careers in Waterloo and the opportunity to get away and shift focus to cottage projects always lifted their spirits and gave them renewed energy. This is one of my favorite pictures of them as it reflects their happy playfulness when they worked together at the cottage.

They aptly called the cottage "Huron Haven" and it became a relaxed and peaceful gathering place for friends and family. The highlight of every evening was watching the amazing sunsets over the lake.  The beauty and majesty of this natural wonder would draw us to the beach or to the cottage deck and we would end each day gazing at the ever changing reflections of the sun on cloud, sky, and water.  This is a picture taken from the deck of the cottage.

When I started creating with metal clay, I knew I wanted to work on a Lake Huron Series to capture some of the magic of my cottage memories. First, I started with a very simple representation of sky, sun, water, and sand by making a texture plate using sandpaper and wallpaper textures along with a hole punch to create the circle shape for the sun.

I also wanted to capture the beauty of the trees lining the shore, so I twisted some copper wire into a tree shape and made a mold of the tree with the textures from the domed pendant in the background.

I, then, decided to use some gemstones to represent the sun or the moon over the lake. I have various stones in different pieces including garnet, oregon sunstone, and citrine to represent the sun, and opal to represent the moon.

 

I have truly been touched by the response to my Lake Huron series as so many others have shared their special memories of summer days on the beaches and in the cottage towns along Lake Huron. 

Dad passed away in 2002 and Mom continued their tradition of welcoming friends and family to their beautiful cottage home for seven more seasons. It was with a mixture of sadness and gratitude that we opened the cottage this spring, the first time without Mom or Dad. It is the end of an era. There are so many of us that miss Mom and Dad's kind and generous presence, but I know we feel grateful for their hospitality and the many beautiful memories they helped to create. I know that they will continue to inspire us to take time to enjoy nature, each other, and to end each day looking at the sunset with a peaceful and happy heart! I love you, Mom and Dad!