Everything is growing so ferociously in our garden that I decided it’d be fun to document the weekly harvest.
FRIDAY: Gorgeous gladiolas (a feast for the eyes), two tomatoes, and a yellow squash.
Monday: One Japanese eggplant, two zucchini, several tomatoes, two cucumbers, and a fistful of string beans.
Thursday: one butternut squash, one cucumber, six cat-sized zucchini!
Do you know any good zucchini recipes???
Seriously.
The fiance and I have been working hard this spring to spruce up the old farmhouse.
Why? You ask.
Because it looks like we are going to stay a while. Not only have our azaelas and hydrangeas finally begun to take root, but I have to admit, that I have been blooming here, as well. Call it a biproduct of caring for the space between and around these knotty-pine paneled walls, but for the first time in my 3 years living here, I’ve truly felt attached to this place. It is no longer just a transitional dwelling. It is our HOME. So we are tailoring it to our needs and fluffing the nest, so to speak.
Also, it must be mentioned that on Wednesday, my parents fly in for their annual week-long visit with us here at Chateau Beck. It’s not that my parents really care what state the old farmhouse is in, but it certainly motivates us to spruce the place up to make their stay more comfortable.
So here’s what we’ve been doing…
SMB not only scraped the paint off all the windows, but he also reglazed them, which is necessary for maintenance, he tells me.
While SMB did that (I am scared of heights), I stayed safely on the ground, touching up trim and painting the floor of our freshly screened-in porch. Thank goodness I am marrying a carpenter, who did all of the framing and screening and hanging of doors, while I was the master painter on this project. He works on the big picture and I do the details. Speaking of details, after the floor was painted we decided to splurge on a new set of patio furniture.
On Thursday afternoon SMB assembled the furniture, so when I came home from work, I was able to put my feet up and enjoy a cold one outside in a mosquito-free haven! Even the kitties got to come out and enjoy the nice spring weather with us.
Well, all but Spout, she is still a little tentative about all the new noises of the outdoor space, but she does peek out her perky white ears from time to time.
90% of the gifts I purchased this year are handmade by the artists of Etsy . I bought some wonderful, whimsical… and even practical goodies and got to support other artists in the process.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!
I was just perusing my friend, Julia’s shop on Etsy, as I often do, and I noticed that she is having a fantastic CLEARANCE sale on her wonderful handmade bags. Several of the bags are up to 50% off! This is a super-talented chic (and very-soon-to-be-mommy), so be sure to check out her market totes before they disappear! You can see more of Julia’s work HERE.
No, no, not a ring for me, silly – not just yet, anyway! I’m talking about the fun I had plotting and planning and creating an engagement ring for a good friend of mine here in Richmond.
Back in May, her then boyfriend, now fiance, Jonas, asked me very nonchalantly if I would make a ring for her. He sent me a photograph of a design he had in mind. After a little prodding and nosing around, I ascertained that yes, indeed, this was going to be a very special ring, as he was planning to ask Karen to marry him! So happy to have a part in the wonderful news, my heart skipped a beat, and I replied a resounding YES!
While on vacation in Portland, OR, a couple of weeks ago, he popped the question and presented the token of his intention. Now the happy couple is engaged! I can’t wait to see them both together tonight at dinner, ring on her diminuitive finger (a size 3.5, by the way), my part in the wonderful plot that is their engagement, complete.
The ring has both 14 karat yellow and white gold, a textured surface on the white gold, and it is flush set with eight 2.5 mm rubies. Eight is Karen’s favorite number.
I am excited to announce that my jewelry will be featured in the October edition of Richmond Magazine!!!
After being discovered at a local art event, I was interviewed by an exceptionally sweet Style Editor/Writer. Excerpts from my interview, along with photographs of my newest collections will receive a full-page publication in October’s Style section.
For a sneak peak at my latest collections, I hope you will stop by my booth at one of these upcoming shows:
Richmond, VA
Arts Around the Lake – on the campus of the University of Richmond (booth #8)
Sunday, September 21, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Virginia Beach, VA
Neptune Festival – 17th through 31st Streets on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk (booth #2627)
Friday, September 26, noon to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 27, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Bethesda, MD
Bethesda Artist Market - in Bethesda Place Plaza
Saturday, October 11
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008
Gallery 1: art6 poets. Gallery 2: painting, prints, photography, drawing, and sculpture.
Location: 6 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219
Phone: (804) 343-1406
Gallery hours: Thursday-Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m.
Make a trip to downtown Richmond and be sure to stop by the dynamic and ecclectic members’ exhibition this month. We will have a second opening on Friday, August 1, from 6 – 10 p.m.
I am showing two abstract, experimental paintings in this exhibition. The paintings are composed of oil on canvas and mixed media. I used my silver and copper metal filings in both pieces, which creates an interesting texture as well as a glitter effect. One piece already sold on the first opening night!
Having sat as a member on the jury for two seasons of the annual Mother’s day weekend Art Fair at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, I understand the importance of a strong booth slide. A highly competitive juried show, the Art Fair at Laumeier receives over 1,000 applications, of which only 150 are selected each year to participate. The most competitive categories are routinely Jewelry and Ceramics. Oftentimes when deciding between two or more artists who have work of comparable quality, the determining factor comes down to the booth slide. Which artist has a more professional, cohesive booth display?
I’ve been displaying and selling my work at both juried and non-juried art festivals for a decade and I have come a long way in terms on my own booth display. It has been a constant process of refinement, however, not-to-mention, that as my body of work changes, so does the way that I’d like to showcase it.
Above is a photo of the most recent version of my booth display, taken during the Powhatan Festival of the Grape 2007. It was autumn, so I selected natural and autumnal colors and even used some colorful, fallen leaves in my merchandising. Draping pendants or earrings on the leaves just made the work POP!
As I stated before, my booth display has been a constant process of refinement, one that I’m still learning to perfect. That said, I thank you in advance for feedback, display suggestions, tips, or tricks that you’d like to share.
From mixed metals to mixed materials, my inspirations are constantly evolving. I have been finding myself drawn to natural fiber beads lately. I found these great donut-shaped beads, hand wrapped in dyed hemp, from my local bead store, from which I created a new line of whimsical, dangly earrings, called, you guessed it, “Fruit Loops”. Selling at $22 a pair, you can find them on my shop at Etsy.
Another discovery during my hunt for inspiration and excitement, came in the form of a 20 mm hand crocheted bead! These, too, insisted on the formation of a brand new line of jewelry aptly named, “The Crocheted Ornament” line. This line comes in several styles and colors, most of which are available at my Etsy shop, as well.
This candid picture was taken by photographer, Jay Paul, a couple of weekends ago at the 43rd Street Art Festival in Richmond. My friend, Karen, went with me to scope it out and enjoy the autumn weather.
Ever since I moved to Richmond, my ears have been buzzing with the term “indie-Art.” So in my quest for enlightenment on the topic of Indie-Art, I’ve had to do a little research.
Although a common string of adjectives, that include: retro, vintage, bizarre, alternative, edgy, and handmade, popped up frequently during my investigation, I really appreciated this definition from good ole Webster:
Indie:1 : one that is independent; especially an unaffiliated record or motion-picture production company
2 : something (as a record or film) produced by an indie
Apparantly, the term “indie” was originally associated with the music and film-making industries. (Much to my dismay, “indie,” has nothing at all to do with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or Native American Indians). “Indie” is short for “independant.” Therefore, indie-art, is art that is made by the independant or unafilliated artist.
That leads to my next question: If an artist or craftsperson is represented by a gallery or multiple galleries, does that mean that they are no longer considered an indie-artist? Because by definition we are talking about independance, right? Non-affiliation. Self-representation.
Furthermore, the term, “indie-art,” paints similar mind-images as terms like “Bohemiam” or “Gypsy-esque.” Is indie-art a sort of self-removed subculture of art? Okay, now I’m really confused, because, aren’t artists, by nature, already somewhat removed from the mainstream? Are Indie-artists extra independant? Or is this term just extra redundant?
The past six weeks have been bursting full with life changes, which as you know, can be most encompassing. So the handful of “free hours” I had been guarding as “studio time” began rapidly slipping through my fingers to make room for the increasing demands of work, chores, and life maintenance. But I think we have finally reached a plateau of stasis in our household, which means there is light at the end of the tunnel, afterall.
I decided there was no better way to celebrate my reunion with my creative self than by treating myself to a long-desired tool – a metal tumbler. Recommended by a friend, I just purchased a new Lortone tumbler from PMC Supply, so I can consistently achieve a smooth, shiny finish, and work-harden my jewelry at the same time.
I used to brass-brush finish all my jewelry, giving the silver a whitish color, but I have to admit, not only is it easier on my hands and wrists to let the tumbler do the polishing, but it’s nice to be able to walk away and work on something else, while the tenacious little tumbler does it’s job. Now that’s efficiency!
Claire, over at ‘So Sweet and So Cold: Handmade Cravings’ featured my ‘Midnight Fire’ enamel earrings on her blog on Monday, August 27. She described them as “urban decay/prettyish”. I’ve never heard those three words used together, so I’ll take it that the earrings are unique. Thanks, Claire!
If you haven’t seen the 2007 member’s show at Art6 Gallery yet, you better get your little tushy in there to see it! The show comes down at 4:00 on Sunday, August 26. It features an eclectic mix of talent in multiple media from metal, to paint, glass, fiber, digital photography, and more! I have 3 brand new 6×9 wall pieces on display, in addition to 2 copper vessels, and a small scale sculpture in exploration of ‘Fertility’.
To find out about the latest happenings at Art6 gallery, a completely member-run, not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting the arts in the Richmond community, please visit the Art6 website and read the Art6 blog.
I’ll be travelling to Bethesda, MD this weekend for my first major juried art festival on the East Coast. It’s called the Bethesda Artist Market and runs on Saturday, July 14, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. If you’re in the area, stop in and check it out! Bethesda is only about 20 minutes from downtown D.C.
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