Tag: friends

Magic on the Streets of London…

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(OK – now I have the Smiths song stuck in my head… )

Part 2 of the trip! 

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? Its magic… When Lesley and I realized that my visit would coincide with the Harry Potter: History of Magic exhibit at the British Library… well, you can guess the rest. What REALLY made this day magical was who joined us there!

We took the train from Bournemouth and had a lovely scenic ride through he New Forest and into London. Arriving at Waterloo and then heading to Euston by Tube – I was thrilled to see 2 of the 270 enameled labyrinths! This public art project was the creation of Mark Wallinger. In 2013, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Tube, 270 unique labyrinths were designed and installed. One in every Tube station. The signs aren’t labeled in any way, and were enabled by the same company that created the iconic London Underground signage. The video about the project is outstanding!

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Newton in Bronze by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi

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St Pancras station – next door. And no, we did not go on to Kings Cross platform 9 3/4.

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Exhibition poster: Fawkes bu artist Jim Kay

So this was a momentous occasion! I got to meet all of my team mates from the Art Elements blog! The whole UK contingent! I have to say – it was so exciting, so energetic, and yet so familiar. I have known and worked with these creative talented women for years. I treasure these friendships! And while we were meeting in person for the first time, it felt like old friends getting reacquainted!

 

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The UK team! And me! All together none place! ( From top left: Lesley Watt, Caroline Dewison, Laney Mead, Niky Sayers, me. ) 

The British Library? Heavens. I cant even find the words. We toured their exhibit first. The Magna Carta. Original Shakespeare. The Lindisfarne Gospels. Beatles lyrics scrawled in pencil on old greeting cards. Medieval girdle books. Simple awe inspiring. I was incredulous.

Then we went to the HP exhibit. ( No photographs, naturally). What a beautifully curated exhibit! Arranged in groups, mirroring the subjects at Hogwarts, the items displayed ranged from Medieval pieces from the BL collection, to handwritten notes and sketches from JK Rowling, to new illustrations by artist Jim Kay. There were also pieces from the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall. ( Drawings below from an interactive piece at the end of exhibit)

Heading home – bag filled with treasures, gifts and more than a few books…. Mendel and Malachi were rather mischievous. ( Crocheted mandrakes by Caroline!)

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And hijinks continued as I worked on my travel journal the next day…

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You can read more about my travel journal over at Art Elements. There is a nice sense of spontaneity and memory-making that I get from creating a travel collage/art journal in real time. With found papers, and a little Googling…

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Me – I am back in the studio sculpting cauldrons that Snape might even sneer fondly over… There will be a whole new series of Mythic tiles this year. Magical creatures, witches, wizards, alchemy, and the like!

Stay tuned for part three of the trip coming soon!

I love airports. 

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At the international arrivals gate in Philadelphia- yet I hear Hugh Grant in my head from “love actually”. Well I may not be IN Heathrow but I’m awaiting Lesley arriving from Heathrow. 


And experimenting with WordPress on my phone. How did it work? We shall see. 

Whirlwind of beads. AKA Beadfest 2014

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 Bead Fest was two weeks ago?! Where has the time gone? Don’t answer that – I know: packing, unpacking, sorting. Sleeping, fondling beads, visiting with friends, art camp, field trips… More on the latter soon.  

So here are the hightlights, and the loot. 

 

1. Bead Fest is social!  Hanging out with Staci and Linda on Wednesday, the annual AJE dinner! So much fun! 

BF14 social!

2. Bead Fest is colorful and diverse. My display is for sure! I always bring a few tiles as they run parallel to my Mythic Nature pendants. Sold a few too!

BF my display

3. Bead Fest is preparation – for me! So much to pack and remember for display, class, swaps…  This was my class room still life from set up. Even though it was early Sunday morning – it went so well! And everyone had a great time, it seems. 

BF class prep

4. Bead Fest is learning. Teaching. Creativity. Exploration.  I was thrilled to teach at my first Bead Fest. I taught a mixed media class that incorporated quite a few techniques – that I am confident the students will apply in their work moving forwards. Here you see student work-in-progress, my concentration face, and class samples below. 

BF class WIP

 

Beadfest is shopping. Art beads. Glass, clay, metal, polymer, gems…

BF loot1

(Diana/Suburban Girl, Anne Gardanne, SueBeads, Jen/Glass Addiction, Humblebeads, HMB Studios)

BF loot2

(Sue beads, Caroline/Blueberri beads, Karen/Starry Road, Kristen Stevens, Melissa Meman, Diane Hawkey, Staci Smith, Lesley/THEA designs)

BF loot3

(Caroline/BlueBerri Beads, Mary/White Clover Kiln, Basha Beads, Kristi Bowman, Staci Smith, Green Girl Studios)

Hope you enjoyed that whirlwind recap! Now off to the studio to make more stuff! Fall shows are around the corner… 

Back from Berks!

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 Berks Bead Bazaar! 

What a fabulous time was had by all! There was threat of impending snow-mageddon, again… This was my first time vending at this great local show – I loved every second of it! My regrets: not buying any cabs; and not taking more pictures. But here it is: 

My territory

My home away from home: earthenware, stoneware, and polymer trays piled high. Class samples for Beadfest. And a great visit from dear friend Sally Russick. (Also great to see Sue Kennedy – who I have to thank for one of these booth pix.) 

Porcelain and glass

Porcelain and glass: (Clockwise from top left)

Louise Mehaffey, Joan Miller‘s robot cuties, Alice St. Germain beads, Joan’s sea creatures, Louise’s display. 

Marsha and Dona

Marsha Neal beads and seed pods at D7 Studios; torched copper and whimsy from Dona Jones. 

Staci !

My friend Staci and her amazing polymer creations. Happy to have her as a neighbor.

And a huge shout out to Diana of Suburban Girl Studio, and Patti Cahill – also neighbors. What a great weekend sharing time and space with these fellow artists; sadly with no pictures… 

Greg's cabs

Um – these are the cabs I wish I had… from Greg Graupp

Berks loot

But these are the treasures I did bring home! (Clockwise from top)

Top: Polymer and metal from Staci Louise Originals

Porcealin and stoneware form Marsha Neal Studio

Lampwork by Alice St. Germain

Enameled stunners from Anne Gardanne

Seed beads for my new obsession from Leslie of Twisted Sistah fame. 

Wee tiny porelain cabs from Joan Miller

Gorgeous ceramic pairs, and cabs from Diana/ Suburban Girl Studios. 

 

Thank you Joan and Louise for organizing a great show, and welcoming me into the collective. It was a pleasure, and made work truly fun! Sorry to be so breif – I have beads to go gaze upon… 

 

 

 

 

 

Blissed out. ArtBLISS 2013

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 Follow your bliss.

I know this J. Campbell wrote may be used overmuch – but it is a mantra for my chosen life and creative career. And it relates to the past weekend where I spent a blissful time with friends, old and new, creating, learning, experimenting, sharing and socializing. 

ArtBLISS 2013. 

Many heartfelt thanks to Cindy Wimmer and Jeanette Blix for the community they have created. Yes, its an art retreat; classrooms and a small sales venue. But its much more. Lifelong friendships are started, and nurtured. Support and encouragement offered freely. Inspiration and creativity are the daily norms.  

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ArtBLISS faces

The only complaint – there arent enough hours in the day. Or night for that matter! So refreshing to meet faces that priviously had been a computer avatar. Equally satisfying – spending time with like minded people… 

AB 13 charm swap

The annual charm swap – gorgeous, diverse charms created and swapped amongst particpating students. Amazing packaging! Great work, a priceless momento. 

AB 13 polymer

Saturday I had the pleasure to work with Christine Damm for a second year. The pastels and crayons dazzled the eyes! Class mates Terri, and AJE teammates Karen and Diana working, each piece stirring new ideas… 

3 ring circus

Friday and Sunday I was taking class with Richard Salley and Jessica Papke. Two rings of their “Three Ring Circus” class series. It was so phenomenal… I am going to go a little more in depth into that experience in another post. Really. 

My Ab 13

My weekend’s treasures. A polymer work in progress – a palette, and a process to work with going forwards. The rings – as I said – the class was so rich, and so fantastic… and it carried extra weigth with me. I am giddy with pride at the results of my labors and so excited moving forwards. And yes – I am wearing them now – a talisman to keep in touch with the energy of the weekend. 

I will save my philosophical musings for another time – I have supplies to order, and artwork to create. Thank you one and all for making the weekend so magical!

 

A lovely day at the Faire…

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This past Sunday we headed out for a day at the RenFest. It was gorgeous weather and we had a great time strolling, chatting with friends, and shopping a little… 

JBR stiltwalker

JDR posie house

JBR bubbles

JDR kiln gods

JDR Beth of Feywood

JDR Greenman

JDR fountain

Thanks to my talented husband for supplementing my photos – I will post again later this week with more sculpture by the amazing Feywood. It was a great day!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the reveal of the “Create with Cabochons” challenge!

 

 

 

 

 

Focus on Life – 52 photos. Catching up.

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Green

This week: Green Taken in the ceramics studio courtyard on a break from loading the big gas kiln. 

Hello everyone, 

Jenny here. I know I have been MIA. This weekend is the first in 2 months that I have been home without a show, or company. Posting on a Saturday would mean having it all done in advance… and you see how well that works for me. So this week I wanted to jump back in, catch up… I have posted many of these on Instagram, but I am not sure if many of the Focus on Life groups is there ( I know some of you are, Hello!)

Yes, the purpose of this year is to live and look mindfullly in the “now” during the week. And I have been for the most part. Its getting better now, summer, as my schedule is settling in: teaching “Clay Camp” and making things for Beadfest. So here is a glimpse. Thanks for your patience and understanding. 

Foodie

Foodie: I am a coffee snob, its so very true… 

Reminisce

Reminisce: Last weekend my 2 college roomates were here for our annual Girl’s Weekend. Alison summed it up best: ” Talk, eat, drink. Repeat.” It was wonderful to see them, and catch up – yet also feel like no time had passed. We have been friends for over 20 years…. 

 

Looking up

Looking up: This was a hard one. I was having trouble seeing interesting things. Until Oscar decided he wanted a snuggle as I was lying on the sofa… I also used the Percolator app on this one. 

 

Hope

Hope: What better symbol than the blossom about to burst open in all its natural glory? 

 

Hope to see you around more often! If you are on Instagram – look me up! ( I am jdaviesreazor over there!)

Have a lovely week everyone. 

PS. I still “owe” you typography… still looking. 

 

 

That magic moment.

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That magic moment. 

The kind of moment when you step outside yourself and realize this moment is so incredibly amazing and you want to record it in your memory. The split second when magic happens – the magic bean taking root, the dragon hatches, the apple is bitten. 

A few weekends back I had a moment  – I slipped away from my tent, my art and wares, my job… to sit with Carolyn Turgeon and Charles Vess. They were doing a collaborative “talk” on magic in the creative process at the Spoutwood Farm May Day Faerie Festival. I have met them each on numerous occassions and wanted to see what they would create in a tent, on an idyllic farm, on a sunny Sunday… 

Vess WIP

Carolyn is a fabulously charming, witty and very talented author. Her work most recent work takes classic characters from fairy tales and reinvents them in a style all her own. Captivating! She was reading from her novel “Mermaid” and Charles was drawing – a touch of pencil and then Sharpie! Carolyn read the scene of the mermaid’s transformation – and stopped at that magical moment before the potion is consumed. She asked us to imagine that moment  and what we would create from that point.

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Charles Vess drawing

Where did I go – since you saw me over Charles’ shoulder, scribbling away on my 3×5″ card… 

my notes

notes 2

I plan on making this piece – as close as can be without harming any mermaids… It was a lovely creative respite from a fun filled festival day. I count myself lucky to be in such good company!

Did I mention my sketch is on Carolyn’s blog? And a huge thanks to Carolyn for the pictures! 

Read more: 

Carolyn’s Mermaid blog post on this topic ( on www.Iamamermaid.com)

Charles website: Green Man Press 

“Mermaid, a twist on the classic tale” on Amazon.

 

 

 

 

Simmering…

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Its time to write the recipe, gather the ingredients, spice it up a bit… 

Its Bead Soup time again! 

Bead soup book

 

Lori has done it again, bigger, bolde, better? Well, it was great the last two years I participated that’s for sure!

I am thrilled to be paired with Jennifer Cabic! Her blog is here. ) She creates wonderful pieces in metal clay and copper, instilled with meanings and memoreies. What a perfect partner! 

J. Cabic collage

Her work can be seen in 2 Etsy shops: Impressionisms & Silver Peanut. Those “sealing wax” pieces are to die for! We had a nice email chat and I wish we were closer to share a coffee, or a glass of wine. 

But I cant tarry here – I have soup to prepare… Until later – 

 

 

Art Jewelry Elements – October reveal!

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AJE

 October is going out with a bang… at least here in the Mid Atlantic. I am writing this ahead of the reveal date, as we have a predicted date with Hurricane Sandy… 

You may recall that a month or so ago – I shared with you that I had become a member of the Art Jewelry Elements team – a fantastically talented group of bead artists, jewelry artists, designers… here and in the UK. At AJE we have a challenge of sorts… Component of the Month. Components are made, and offered to the team, and in a give away to the readers. Magic happens, and we post the pix here!

October’s CotM was this crazy fabulous seed beaded bead set and leaf charm by Kristen Stevens of “My Bead Journey”. Take a look : 

AJE Oct. components

 I knew I wanted to showcase the leaf and give it a little more visual impact as it was really delicate. I have a tendenacy to incorporate text into my pieces, as you most likely have gathered by now…  In keeping with the organic concept of the piece, I chose to pair it with seed pod slices, pearls, rough emeralds, and citrine. I utilized the seed pod beads as cones of a sort, where I attached seed bead and leather strands for the back of the piece. 

AJE Oct.

Here’s a detail of the pendant…to me the leaf was asking to be embellished – so I enameled a small flower and attached it with a soft rivet, using an enameled headpin. (Thank you SueBeads!) The quote reads: “dance on the edges of time” – an excerpt from this quote by Rabindranath Tagore: “Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.” That quote really struck me; so perfect for the season. 

AJE Oct detail

I will say – I had never used beaded beads before and wasn’t sure how I would incorporate them into my aesthetic. ( Hence the challenge, I know…) I am very pleased with the result, and love the beads. I like the texture they add, and a bit of volume visually while being lightweight. I look forward to working with them again! Thanks Kristen!

PLease stop by the Art Jewelry Elements blog to see what my colleagues have done!