Summer

It has been a long and hot summer, but I have much to be thankful for.  My husband and I were recently given the gift of a very sweet trip to the Hamptons to stay with friends.  They collect Buddhas so we decided that the Jewel in the Lotus Box would be the perfect gift to thank them for hosting us.  Here it is, and also a photo of one of their lovely stone Buddhas overlooking the Bay... 

The Jewel in the Lotus Box No.2

The box is made from etched copper and sterling with garnets and a lotus with chrysoprase inside.

A Buddha in the Garden

In other news, I am preparing for the Clothesline Festival in Rochester, September 8 & 9.  It promises to be a fun weekend.  It's a big show with a wide variety of fine craft - definitely worth the trip if you're in the area.  I will be bringing several new pieces to the show as well!

Rings!! Rings!!

After a week in Wellfleet, Cape Cod I got back to work in the studio this week and spent 2 days making rings.  The busy season is in full swing at Gallery 54 and I must keep my hands working!  Here are some of this week's lovelies. 

 Two sweet pink sapphire rings...

Peruvian opal and amethyst.  I love the dendrites in the opal..

 Autumn ring with sunstone...

and finally, tanzanite and amethyst "compass" ring!

These rings will all be at the Gallery after today, and if you're out and about, it's also First Friday in the town of Skaneateles, so stop by the Gallery and join us for a glass of wine.

Craft Company No.6

I'm happy to announce that starting today my jewelry is available in Rochester, NY at Craft Company No.6!  Craft Company in a fine art and craft gallery on University Ave. just a couple blocks from the Memorial Art Gallery Museum.  They have a fine collection of work and I am proud to be one of the artists they feature.  Above is one of the pieces at Craft Company.  It is entirely hand-crafted and features an unusual and gorgeous green jasper with a tiny peridot. 

This piece was just completed. It was custom made for Sarah, who will be wearing it to her wedding!  It is sterling silver with cast branches and a large blue topaz in a hand-crafted prong setting.  It will be gorgeous on her!!

A Few Customer Favorites

Hello.  I just finished another session experimenting with my new photography equipment and here are some of the results!  These pieces are designs I've been making for awhile, and they have been favorites of my customers. 

If you live in Central New York, don't forget the Westcott Art Trail coming up the first weekend in June.  I'll be one of the participating artists.  The link to the right will take you to their website!  Hope to see you there.

Below is one of my bird-on-a-branch necklaces, lost wax cast in sterling.

My tree pendants have been a favorite for a long time.   I've been making these for years and the image of the tree seems to speak to many people.  These are one of my most affordable designs.

This lotus pendant has a peruvian opal in the center.

And finally, tree earrings with kyanite...

The Great Capricorn Beetle

This beetle was hand-fabricated in sterling silver which has been oxidized to achieve the dark patina.  It can be worn as a brooch or a pendant.  This one is a real statement piece, definitely a conversation-starter.  The great capricorn beetle is one of the long-horned beetles.  I used a hollow-form to give this piece its dimension. 

Today I was experimenting with photography and this photo is one of the results.  I want to teach myself to photograph my jewelry well.  I purchased a piece of frosted glass to photograph pieces on.  It makes the background really disappear, as if the piece is floating.  I'll post more of my photography experiments soon.  Happy spring!

The Seventeen Year Cicada Brooch/ Locket

For those of you who don't know me, I have a thing for cicadas.  I am intrigued by insects whose life cycles take them through multiple transformations.  Some cicadas spend 17 years incubating in the ground before they are hatched, eventually molting into beautiful flying creatures. Cicadas remind me of my childhood as well - collecting their molted shells and watching my brother create huge armies of cicada bodies. 

This brooch is one of two pieces recently completed that will be exhibited in the upcoming Celebration of the Arts at St. David's Church in Dewitt, NY.  I designed this piece to be worn two ways: as a brooch or the cicada can be removed and worn by itself as a pendant.  The cicada is a locket and conceals a chamber where photos or treasures can be kept.  The materials are sterling silver, gold-filled bezel, and azurite/ malachite. The show at St. David's runs Wednesday May 9 thru Sunday May 13.  More information can be found on the St. David's website or Facebook page.

Compassion, Vision, Openness

Ah, finally a new post! Things have been busy and I haven't had much time to photograph. Here is one of my latest. This piece will be part of the opening this Friday evening at Gallery 54. It is our annual self portrait show, in which all the artists bring in a new piece that is a self-portrait, or somehow represents the artist. This is not meant to be me, but rather represents my goals: Compassion, Vision, Openness. Compassion is represented by the lotus, Vision by the eyes, and Openness by the antique key. The image is from "Girl with the Pearl Earring" by Vermeer. The stones are garnet, golden citrine, and fire citrine.