The Spirit of Color

Next week I will be hopping on a plane and flying to the Virgin Islands for a few days.....what better way to say goodbye to 2016?!  Before I go, I wanted to announce an opening at Edgewood Gallery in Syracuse in January 2017.  I will be part of the group show "The Spirit of Color" with artists Nicora Gangi and Miya Hirano.  The opening will be January 13 from 6-8 and the show will run for 6 weeks.  I've been working on unusual pieces for the show, going on creative tangents with some unique stones. The pendant below is titled "Forest Floor" and the stone is morrisonite jasper.  It reminds me of the layers of moss and decay in a damp forest.

The second necklace is aqua nueva agate with a hand-crafted bar link chain.  This stone is a such a stunner!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday and New Year.  In 2017 I am very much looking forward to returning to my locket series, so stay tuned for new work, and I hope to see you at Edgewood on the 13th!

Happy Holidays

I hope everyone is off to a great start this Holiday season.  I want to extend a thank you to everyone who came by the trunk show at Wildthings last week.  It was a great event and I was happy to have met many nice folks.  Wildthings will be carrying a small selection of my work on an ongoing basis, so if you didn't make it to the trunk show, stop by and have a look.




My final show of the year is one of my favorites, the Plowshares Craftsfair and Peace Festival put on by the Peace Council in Syracuse.  The Peace Council does important work to raise awareness of worldwide issues related to peace, justice, and the environment.  I appreciate the opportunity to participate and support their efforts.

Last but not least, I wanted to announce a bit of good new which I recently received.  My work is going to be published for a second time!!  I was invited to submit work last spring for publication in a collection of narrative jewelry titled "Tales from the Toolbox", edited by Mark Fenn in England.  I was recently notified that my work will be included!  The book is in the editing process and I will share as soon as I know more details about the release date.

Trunk Show in Buffalo

Hello friends.  I hope everyone is enjoying the leaves this Autumn.  I am ramping up my production in preparation for two events during the Holiday season.  The first is a Trunk show at Wildthings in Buffalo, NY at 224 Lexington Ave on Friday November 18.  The trunk show will be going on all day from 11-7 and will feature my a collection of my newest work, plus wine and snacks.  I hope some of you can make it!  The second Holiday event I will be participating in is the annual Plowshares Craftsfair and Peace Festival the first weekend in December in Syracuse.  For more information follow the link at the right!

Earrings with natural druzy and red poppy jasper

Great blue heron sterling necklace with moonstone and 14k gold detail.

Rainy Saturday

Malachite pendant, bumblebee jasper earrings, azurite necklace, and Royston turquoise necklace with a handmade chain. 

It's a rainy fall Saturday in Upstate New York.  It's also the height of Autumn leaf season and apple season.  Today my husband and I went on an adventure to Beak and Skiff Distillery in Lafayette, NY.  They craft cider, vodka, gin, and wines all from apples grown on their land.  It was a fun experience and we were surprised to find that vodka, gin, and wine can all be made from just apples!

There seems to be a revival of craft on many levels in the modern world, and this extends to foods and beverages as well as the usual products we think of as fine craft - ceramics, jewelry, etc..  I hope to see the trend continue!  On that note, above are some of the pieces that came out of my studio this week.  I'm working on some additional plans for November, including a possible trunk show of my work in Buffalo.  Stay tuned for more details:)

Catching Up

September has been a super hectic month, with lots of events, a family illness, and trips out of town.  I got a little behind, but found a couple days this week to catch up on some custom orders that had been waiting on my bench for awhile.  This custom "Frida" ring was finished yesterday for a dear friend.  I love the rich turquoise and black shadows in the stone.  She picked it up today and luckily it was a perfect fit:)  Happy Autumn everyone!

Welcome Autumn

First of all, I want to extend a big thank you to Rochester for a great Clothesline Festival this year! I really enjoyed the show, welcomed many returning customers, and met a few new ones. I have to admit I'm looking forward to some down time later this fall, before the busy Christmas season arrives. My hope is to spend time making some boxes and architecturally inspired pieces in preparation for a show I will be doing in early 2017 at Edgewood Gallery in Syracuse. The summer season is so busy in Upstate NY that I sometimes lack for time to dive into projects that take several days, and those projects are my passion! More to come on that....

I did want to post a quick note to anyone in the Philadelphia area. Unfortunately because of an illness in my family I had to withdraw from the Rittenhouse Square show this fall. It was an excruciating decision, but I felt it was important to give my full attention to family and see my loved one through a very tough time. I hope to return to Philly in 2017:)

Spessartine garnets and sterling.

Collection of sterling and gemstone pendants - September 2016

Custom azurite cuff made for a special lady:)

Tiny Houses

The end of summer is approaching and I'll be finishing my busy show season with the Elmwood Avenue Festival Festival of the Arts in Buffalo followed by the Clothesline Festival in Rochester.  I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and having some fun.  I took the last 10 days off from work in order to spend time on Cape Cod with my family, but I still have some new goodies to bring with me to these events.  Below are three lockets recently completed.  These are a new take on my doorway lockets, only much smaller and all silver.  They measure about an inch tall, and open for storing tiny treasures.  The locket on the right is sold, but I will have the other two with me, along with a couple other lockets not pictured.

On my way to Cape Cod I also attended a gem show and purchased some gorgeous new stones for upcoming projects!  I hope to have a couple of them completed by the weekend!  Here are a couple rough sketches of what's in the works!  Hope to see you soon!  Follow the links at the right for details on both shows...

Rough sketches, chrysocolla drusy and cobalto calcite...both natural stones!

Natural Nevada spiderweb turquoise, pendant sketches.

SaveSave

Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festival

This weekend will be my second year participating in the Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festival, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Downtown Syracuse.  I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces. So far the weather looks great.

I thought I'd share some pics of my new work that will be at the show.  I hope everyone is having a fun summer, and hope to see you this weekend!

Sterling cicada pendant/ pillbox with opal wings.  The top of the pillbox can be worn as a pendant:)

Sterling, trilobite, and peridot necklace with a hand-crafted chain.

Chrysocolla drusy set in sterling with a hand-made chain.

Honoring My Favorite Female Artists

For a few years I have made pieces of jewelry inspired by Frida Kahlo, one of my favorite female artists and historical figures.  Her passion for life despite being faced with multiple challenges and physical disability is what initially drew me to her life story and from there I fell in love with her artwork.  This summer I have continued to add to the "Frida" line and have also begun a series inspired by the work of another favorite artist, Georgia O'Keefe.  The Frida line has lots of bold color, and skulls reminiscent of the Mexican "Dia de los Muertos", or the "Day of the Dead".  The Georgia O'keene pieces are inspired directly by her paintings, also full of color and passion.  Many of Georgia O'Keefe's most famous paintings were painted during her years living in the New Mexico during the second half of her life.  I highly recommend the biographies of both of these women, who lived fascinating lives that intersected with the lives of many other fascinating characters of their time.  Viva la Vida!!!

The first of the "Georgia O'Keefe series, inspired by her painting.

New additions to the "Frida" collection, all with turquoise from Kingman, AZ.

"Frida" ring with turquoise.

Allentown Art Festival

Thank you to Buffalo, NY for a wonderful weekend!  This was my first year participating in the Allentown Arts Festival and it was a great time!  The weather was forecast to be awful and it turned out to be sunny all weekend.  I met lots of really nice people.  One of the highlights of the weekend was winning third place in the awards ceremony for the jewelry category.  There are hundreds of vendors at this festival so winning an award is a big honor.  I look forward to returning to Buffalo for the Elmwood Art Festival in August.  Thank you Buffalo!!!

Me in my booth at the Allentown Festival.

My locket, a memorial to my grandfather James L. Blythe, won third place in the awards ceremony:)

Spinning into Summer

Summer seemed to arrive last week with a streak of super hot sunny days.  I always kick off the summer with the Westott Art Trail, the first weekend in June, which is this Saturday and Sunday. This year I will once again be set up with my jewelry at the home of Candace Rhea on Clarke Ave.. She is a potter with gorgeous work and a wonderful garden as well.  The show is throughout the Westcott Historic Neighborhood in Syracuse.  Follow the link at the right for details on times and locations!

Sterling silver spinning band rings with moons and stars.  

Heading to Philadelphia!!

You're invited to the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Rittenhouse Square Show this weekend. The show is right in the heart of Philadelphia, outdoors, and free!  It funs Friday and Saturday 11-7 and Sunday 11-5.  This is my first time exhibiting in Philadelphia.  Wish me luck, and stop by if you happen to be in the area:)

Sterling silver earrings with (clockwise) Kingman turquoise, Montana agate, azurite, and chrysoprase.

"Courage"

"...to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying." -Joan of Arc

I'm in the process of submitting several of my projects for possible publication (wish me luck!).  In preparation for that I recently borrowed some older pieces from one of my treasured customers so that they could be photographed.  It is really fun for me to visit with my past work for a time. Revisiting the ideas that inspired those pieces stirs up my creative process and helps me to think through where I've been and where I'm going in my work.

"Courage":  sterling silver, black spinel, black onyx, found bobcat claw, antique Joan of Arc medal.  

Speaking of where I'm going, I think I have caught the travel bug in a serious way.  I am once again traveling, this time to Prescott, AZ where I went to college.  My son is considering it for school himself so he is here with me for a tour.  I am so in love with the Southwest!!  I left in 1993 and have wanted to return ever since.  The landscape is simply spectacular.  We drove yesterday from low desert in Phoenix up through saguaro cactuses and into the pine forrest landscape of northern Arizona.  There is so much here to fuel creative energy!  Today I'm hoping to visit several galleries with Native American art and jewelry, which I adore and finish the day with a hike.  I'll share some photos later!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Cicada

I have long been fascinated by cicadas. As a kid growing up in the south I would collect cicada shells along with my brother every summer. The cicada songs would fill the air on hot August nights. Perhaps the most well-known species, called the 17-year cicada, lays its eggs underground and they remain there for 17 years before hatching. When they emerge they often come out all at once in dramatic numbers.  Some people think they are pests, but they are harmless to humans. The 17-year cicada is common in the United States, however, there are many other species of cicada around the world.

Cast bronze cicada pendant with articulated hand-pierced silver wings.

I love the symbolism of the cicada as well. The cicada symbolizes transformation, as it undergoes metamorphosis changing from a crawling insect into a flying one with translucent wings.  In China the cicada has for centuries been a symbol of eternal life.  In ancient China, when a person died a cicada would be place in their mouth to grant them eternal life.  In France the cicada is the symbol for Provence. Vases or wall sculptures in the form of the cicada were often given as a house-warming gift.  I have a collection of cicada brooches from 1920's France.  One of the brooches was incorporated in the the necklace below.

Antique bakelite cicada set in a hand-made sterling silver setting with kyanite.

Pretty Little Spring Things

Moonstone and labradorite rings in silver with gold detail.

This was a super busy week, but I managed to squeeze in 2 days at the studio and decided to focus on making rings.  These are the results.  I'm preparing for the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Rittenhouse Square show in Philadelphia the second weekend in May.  I've never done this show before and I'm excited to try out a new venue.   I recently updated my show listing, so follow the links at the right for more info on any of my upcoming events.  Thanks for reading!

Apatite, chrysoprase, turquoise, and blue chalcedony rings in silver and gold.

Colors of the Sea

I recently returned from a wonderful trip to the Caribbean.  I realize I am very fortunate to be able to take such a trip.  It really helps to renew my energy and find new inspiration for my work.  I've been busy lining up my show schedule for the summer, and also working on some more complex jewelry projects to submit for possible publication.  (More on that to come!)

Here are a couple photos from my trip and some new work.  The colors of the Caribbean are amazing, as are the colors and patterns in these stones.

Dominican Republic!

A new "Frida" cuff with Kingman, AZ turquoise and a feather cuff with Bisbee, AZ turquoise.

Sterling earrings with ocean jasper and Picasso jasper.

The coastline of Curacao.

Looking Forward to Spring, Desperately!

Yesterday when I awoke it was -20 degrees, not including the windchill.  Okay, now I know I need to toughen up, but this is getting ridiculous!  Luckily I am leaving Wednesday for a tropical vacation, so I have no room to complain.  Being from the south originally, I have never quite adjusted to the winters up here.  On that note, I thought I'd share some new pieces with colorful stones, in anticipation of spring.  Stay warm everyone!

Spiral "fern" rings with green tourmaline and peridot

Sterling pendant with prehnite and botryoidal blue calcedony

"Mountains and rivers without end" pendant with Montana agate and black onyx

"Salaam"

The latest in my doorway locket series, this one is titled "Salaam" and is inspired by the entrances to Islamic mosques.  "Salaam" is a common greeting in Islamic countries and translates to "Peace". As an American born in the Middle East, my heart goes out to the many people of war-torn Middle Eastern countries who's only wish is to live a peaceful and happy life.  I wish it for them also. Salaam.

A Modern Heart

I've started working on lockets, now that the world is frozen and things have slowed down.  Lockets are time-consuming so this is a great time of year to make them, when the world is moving slow as molasses (at least here in Upstate, where we have 1.5 feet of snow most of the time!)

Here is a silver modern heart locket, just big enough for a tiny keepsake or momento of a loved one.  This necklace is entirely handmade, including the chain.  This one has just sold, but there will be more to come.  Stay tuned!

Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a great Holiday!  I'm happy to be back home and back to work in the studio.  I look forward to this time of year because things are less busy and I have time to be creative in my work without the pressures of upcoming shows, etc..  I've started some projects in the studio that I'm very excited about, including a couple of lockets and boxes.  Here is a bracelet just completed this week, with Royston ribbon turquoise and Bisbee, AZ turquoise.