Art Camp

Gail and I have felt the need this summer to make art, to express our creativity in tangible form. Life interferes with the making of art but when it is important when it nourishes your soul you make time.'

Saturday we got together to create. I get to the lake and find Gail is still in town running errands ( as referenced above life and duties can get in the way). I had packed my jewelry making supplies with two projects to work on. So I sat at her cast iron table overlooking the Seneca Lake and beaded happily until a spider dropped on my head. I couldn't even scream and run as I was in the middle of crimping the the toggle on.

We had been at the Manayunk Art Festival the weekend before and on the way back from Philidelphia to Upstate NY we stopped in Jim Thorpe, PA and had a break from the drive. We found a wonderful pendant Pietersite and silver. It has a wonderful hologram effect with copper, blasck and gray colors.

The other piece I worked on was a mixed metal clay piece made with my sister Lucy of Lucy Ellen Design. It was an Owl face with two metals so I used metal findings with 3 colors and colored pearls-gold, magenta, green. I had a fun stone piece that was oddly shaped but when placed with the owl made it look like a winged body. In the pictures are some of the fun owl pieces I have collected since being a Chi Omega Omicron Chapter U.C. Davis. The background original art work was by Gail Walker,

mermaid life

I find myself drawn lately to all things mermaid.
I have been thinking about how I love all things water. It seems the freedom from pain when I am in the water daily teaching classes or just swimming for myself motivates me each day. I live with nearly constant pain in my hip and knee lately if I do not get in the water to stretch all muscles out.

So I wanted to add to this blog the finished necklace from the mermaid beads made with Polymer at Karen's. I love the iridescent finish reminds me of fresh fish scales on a trout.

I love the metal components it reminds me of seaweed. The pearls are purple coins and green and blue regulars. Crystals accents have coating that reflects blue and green.

I just love this piece I find myself dressing to wear it once a week at least. I have several pieces that have beautiful sterling silver pendants int he same color palate yet I tend to pass them by. This piece reflects more of me, my work, my artistry, my aesthetic. It allows others to glimpse a bit of my soul-the woman trapped by arthritis that can be free as a mermaid in the water.