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.