So, do metalsmiths get writer's block?

There must be a different name for it, but the effect is the same. I moved my studio (no easy feat) and somehow during the move, I lost one of my sawframes, a wastebasket and My Creative Impulse. The sawframe has since turned up.

You have to understand, this has never happened to me before. Not the losing things, that happens far too often. No, I mean losing the drive to make things. Usually, I have more ideas than I can commit to paper, much less execute. Its just that lately... hmph. Urg. And several other somewhat irritated but also vaguely disinterested noises.

I think it is a combo of burnout, having my energy directed into daily toddler maintenance, and also a bit of frustration that my chosen career is taking so long to bear fruit. I should not be surprised by the latter, it is above all a _humble_ tree, and by that I mean something slow growing and modest. Let's face it, I'm not so great at the self promotion. I have only myself to blame.

The fact that I am updating this blog is a good sign that the burnout is temporary, and hopefully coming to a close. Because until recently (say, yesterday), I would not even think about this blog. I did make my first etsy sale this past week, which was nice since it helped to re-interest me in my own business and offer my creative ego a little burst of validation. Now I have plans to get back to work, even if it is only to focus on refining current designs. I just need to overcome inertia.

frame bracelet with garnets and smoky quartz

here is further attempt to bring the loose, unconcerned and imprecise quality of my line drawings into my metalwork. i also experimented with mixing the stones and a dark patina. a few more lessons learned, and overall i am very happy with the sense of confidence that working "off the cuff" is bringing to my work. the last piece was very carefully measured and planned, but this one was created in a very spontaneous way. i am learning to skip the drawings and sketch directly into the metal.

frames bracelet with swiss blue topaz

in this piece my goal was to capture a line quality more related to my drawing style, which is kind of quirky and irregular. my tendency in jewelry is to work with geometric forms, and i am often frustrated that my forms are not of manufactured precision- but after i have sanded and polished every mark of my hand from the process, i am often disappointed. here, i tried to move in the opposite direction and bring in a more soft, painterly quality to the silver. i love the swiss blue topaz and i will definitely be working with it again in the future.

chain maille centipede necklace

here is an example of the chain maille designs i have been playing around with recently. i've really enjoyed mixing steel, rubber and silver in these. this one has hammer set garnet trillions forming what i call the "head" and "tail" of the centipede. the trick to making this pattern work is the very specific aspect ratio of the sterling rings compared to the steel and rubber; they are very snug, so as to allow some movement and flex but otherwise keep the triangular formations nice and tidy. next i will try introducing more color.

in addition to these chain maille designs, i have a number of new directions in mind; i prefer to work this way, because too much of the same thing begins to drive me crazy! i have given up the notion that this is a negative trait. i am moving toward embracing all of the different ways i enjoy working, seeing the ways they relate to one another and observing the themes they tend to return to, instead of worrying about consistency or lamenting disparities. i find that the more loose and relaxed i get about this, the more i can submit myself to the process. It is in this place of being open that whatever i am working on will start to take on its own direction, and lead me towards its own conclusions. it is an extremely gratifying journey for me.

visual research

on the left, one of robert's textural photos. it seems so rich to me, both color and surface.








on the right, a night blooming cereus.


the depth of field here has the focus on the "runway" quality of the stamen but what i really love is the delicate spray form of the pistil. the photo is inadequate; the only way to view it is in person. another bonus to seeing it in person, you get to smell it as well.

anyhow,there they are, a few moments of visual research, and a few nice photos to give me a little bit of blog practice. i promise to start posting images of recent work soon.

amulet- the golden maggot

2009 (undergrad) one of my final projects i believe, learning repousse techniques. it is based on an electron microscope image of a fly's head. in egyptian mythology the fly symbolizes protection from evil and pestilence. in european culture, it is often a symbol of evil and pestilence itself. the outer structure is hinged, and opens to reveal the stylized mouthparts* of the fly in repousse. the nickel hairs clutch a 14K cast and chased gold larval form of itself. it seeks to separate and contain the destructive (pestilent) aspects of my nature, to "protect me from myself"**. i do not consider it finished, but it is on a back burner until further notice. i would like to find more information about the mythologies of flies around the world before i progress.

*i use the term mouthparts here loosely, as what i have illustrated is actually the ridge above the mouthparts. i found these structures formed a more secure base for the larva shape than the actual mouthparts themselves so i took a little bit of artistic license.

**funny story. during the chasing process, i lost the first larva cast, which went spinning out of the pitch and vanished on the far side of the studio. i have not found it to this day. it is highly ironic to me that i lost (or had escape?) an object intended to symbolize and contain my personal evil.

photography credits

i am fortunate to have married the quirky and talented photographer Robert Allyn Hall. he has really risen to the difficulties intrinsic in photographing jewelry. the photo shown is of a spur ring mechanism. i love the way he shot it on glass, capturing a detailed reflection. if a photo from this blog looks good, you can bet it was shot by him.

a note on titles

i have difficulty with titles. often when a piece is narrative, i can determine a title reasonably well. i have a naming strategy now where i attempt to figure out what remind me of the piece so specifically that i can't help but remember it. it often requires several name changes before i get it right, so as i refer back to older work names have often been 'settled into' somewhat.

the image here is a forged and fabricated sterling silver choker style necklace. it has nothing to do with this discussion but i thought an image would be nice to break up the space. the series is called vertebrae.

personal mythology

there are a number of different series that i jump back and forth between at any given time. this one is currently "titled" Personal Mythologies. it was originally conceived in a moment when i asked a friend of mine for a cigarette and on a whim offered 1/11th of my soul in exchange. the box is inspired by kodansu boxes, with their very compact design and wunderkammer, curiosity cabinets. one of the compartments contains a cigarette, referring the first of the fragments. each fragment is a story, symbol or memory alluding to some part of my personality or soul. it is a few fragments shy of eleven, but due to space and deadline concessions, a few of the fragments didn't make the cut. fragment titles:

-Sand Through A Hole in the Sky
-The Nose Knows
-Chiono's Bucket
-Forgotten Numbers
-The Cigarette
-Music
-Phinious Phinch
-The Golden Maggot

Fragments not included in the box and other personal mythology pieces:

-Charm a Bird on a Rusty Nail (mixed media wall assemblage)
-Scenes from the Puppet Theater (act 1) no. 1 (belt buckle)
-Sensate no. 1 (ring)
-Bird Wing Brooch (mixed media brooch and stand)
-Reliquary for a Sainted Mouse (mixed media chalice)

my personal mythology develops continuously, so i intend there to be many more pieces. i love to work on these sort of projects, i am filled with a childlike sense of glee and i feel that it is reflected in the end results.

my work at the eXtremities show

i am not very good with self-promotion. i have to credit rob jackson for encouraging me to enter this show in the first place... i refer to applying for exhibitions as "paying for the privilege of being declined". but i was very fortunate that the theme of the show matched up with my BFA exit work very nicely. i received a call from the show coordinator, David Gooding, that went something to this effect:

David: well, you'll be very pleased to know that yours is the featured work.

Me: really? um. wow. i didn't expect... wow.

he continued with relevant info and all i could do was say "um" and "wow" like a fool. i was in complete shock. i still am in shock, actually, because when i look at the names on the list, some of them are actually known to me and, yep, my work is on display next to theirs. i thought i was immune to hero worship, but i must admit to feeling a little bit star-struck and somewhat unworthy.

paused mid selection

well, i got my much anticipated gem shipment and now i'm not satisfied with what i ordered. my own fault, really, i just got the scale off. so i am about to embark on a redesign. in the meantime, i have come up with an idea for some initial charms that i think will turn out nicely. i read a guide to running a jewelry business, and it suggested that it is a good idea to offer some sort of initial as a low end sale and i thought, why not, i like working with script and type anyhow.

i got a little bit, ehem, "overzealous" in my soldering, but i'm still relatively satisfied with the concept.

my plan is to come up with a production line that is light and playful in time for the athens indiecraftstravaganza this spring. this design will fit the bill, i think, and i may design my cards around it as well.

the question is, will i make enough in time for the show... perhaps that's what i should be doing instead of working on this blog.

i love to make a tool

which is basically what i spend much of my precious studio time doing today. it's just a series of soldered circles in various sizes with tags stating the size. it's a design tool, so i can grab it and determine what size of circle i need for something. it's in 1 inch increments, from 2 to 9, with little brass tags and chased numbers. it was a lot of fun to do, actually. i risked waking up the baby to do the chasing, and i'm glad i did because now i know that the sound of me chasing at night isn't going to bother her.

i have been very inhibited when it comes to using my anvil. it rings beautifully, but the sound really carries. since i'm usually getting my studio time in while the baby is asleep, well you see my dilemma.

the bracelets from yesterday are ready for tumbling, i came up with an idea for another pair of earrings and started work on a bracelet. a lot of stuff is still waiting on gems. i am getting eager to get going on that, so i am really counting the days.

playing around with design ideas

i am headed in a tangent, but i'm very happy with some of the things i've made today. i'm nearly finished on a pair of bracelets of a very minimal design, and those have lead me to a necklace i'd like to finish tomorrow. since i'm at it, i'll probably do a few earrings as well and finish the set.

lots of pieces are on hold awaiting more materials. it will be exciting to see the array of them when i finally get them all assembled and polished.

i really need to deepen my study of metallurgy; i find myself wondering about the alloy of the solder i am using. i would like to solder entirely in gold. there is something very intriguing to me about privileging the usually concealed seams in my fabrication. as jewelers, we spend so much effort scraping, filing and sanding away excess solder. i think i would like to move in the other direction, toward even larger, luxuriant solder seams in gold. i don't know enough about gold to know which karat would be the best for this task, or whether or not i could make my own solder alloy out of scrap.

this blog may or may not continue, but for the time being it is feeling useful to sit down and organize my thinking with regard to my making.

new to the process

i am still getting into the swing of being back in the studio. it is amazing how taking the past year off really put my hands out of condition for the work. it is so nice to have those little injuries again though.. silly, maybe, but the sight of a blister and a gouge from a slipped file make me feel satisfied and content and ready for more all at once.

the lack of tone is forcing me to take frequent breaks. i shudder to think how difficult it would be for me to attempt raising a vessel of any significant volume! my arms would be jello after the first course.

anyhow, it is a time of recollection for me. i have completely reorganized my studio, and in so doing encountered a lot of my old work. funny how differently i see it all now. even if i haven't been making, i've been thinking and somehow through this time i've still managed to progress, skillwise. i see so many details now that i overlooked while i was a student. i would love to revisit some of these old projects, fix the problem spots, address the issues i see now... but i have so many ideas and not enough energy to pursue them all.

i am expecting a shipment of stones soon, which will be exciting as i have a number of pieces waiting to be finished. i'm feeling drawn to some bold colors at the moment.