Shane Miller

"GIVE ME FIVE" FIBULA

2012-01-13T10:37:00.001-08:00

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I've recently become interested in fibulas.....and I'm not talking about bones....although I'm interested in bones, too. The kind of fibula I'm talking about is a brooch or pin, usually made of beaten wire, where the pin part is an integral part of the design. The early Romans used fibulas to hold their tunics and robes closed. A safety pin is a type of fibula.

Here in the Pacific NW Ramona Solberg was quite known for her bead fibulas. She collected incredibly beautiful beads from Africa ....India ....and all over the world. Many of these treasures found there way into her jewelry. The fibula below is an example of her work.

Alexander Calder is another artist who loved working with wire and made this fibula for Georgia O'Keeffe. It is in the shape of an OK....her initials. In truth this may be a pin instead of a fibula but either way it is an incredible example of some of Calder's jewelry. Georgia loved this pin and rarely took it off. In the second photo you can catch a glimpse of it again.

Using these two inspiring artists as inspiration, I took a small leap into the world of fibulas. For my first try I wanted to use only wire and not depend upon beads or other elements for the interest. With the silver market being so high, I decided to practice using 16 gauge copper wire....much more affordable. When my confidence improved I tackled making the hand fibula (shown at the top of the post)... for my friend, Kristi, for Christmas. She is a massage therapist and her hands are her best tools. She is always drawn to art and jewelry that feature hands so I knew this would be the perfect gift....if I could pull it off. I may have been a little over confident....it's tricky. After making this piece I have decided to go back to the basics and make some very simple fibulas for a while. The trick is getting a nice flowing design that has a simplicity and an elegance about it. I do like it that the hand is slightly abstract but once you 'see' it, the design jumps out at you. My hand fibula is made of 16 gauge sterling silver wire and is 3 inches long.

This is how I packaged Kristi's gift. I printed her image on almost transparent gampi paper and adhered the image to kraft paper. I tied the package up with a copper chain and embellished with a small metal beetle. I liked the vintage look of the wrapping and thought Kristi would, too.

I will continue to work at my fibula making and will probably eventually add some charms or small found objects for interest and color. So stay tuned.

JABBERWOCKY BUTTONS

2011-10-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

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For quite a while I have wanted to make sterling silver buttons. I would love to make some as wearable art for a show jacket that I could wear to an art opening....maybe the theme of the buttons could match the theme of the show. I kept getting bogged down in thinking about what gauge metal would be best?....should they be domed?....Should they be removable for laundering?...etc.

Recently my friend, Kristi, mentioned that she would like some buttons, also. We had a discussion about what kind of imagery or words she might be drawn to. Kristi loves the poem JABBERWOCKY by Lewis Carroll and can recite every word from memory. With her birthday being in September, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try etching some buttons. The photo etching technique I use is a wonderful way to get small lettering on a silver button without distorting the metal.

These buttons are just 1 inch flat discs of 22 gauge sterling silver. I etched a plate of metal first and then punched the buttons out with a disc cutter. When I try this again I think I will go with a slightly heavier gauge metal. Kristi was interested in flat disc type buttons but I still think it would be fun to try some other styles....domed....irregular shapes....etc.

Here is an image of the buttons on Kristi's favorite hemp jacket. You can see one of my HOUSES THAT MEASURE UP pins on the jacket....I think it lives there....a gift from another birthday. She only needed 4 of the 5 buttons and so sewed one on the pocket....I love that idea.

Here is the poem JABBERWOCKY by Lewis Carroll from THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS AND WHAT ALICE FOUND THERE...1872.

Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

ONE WITH THE WIND

2011-09-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

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Recently I was asked to make a commissioned box as a 50th birthday gift. This box was going to be a surprise for Kaci Cronkite...a local Port Townsend woman, an adventurer, a writer, a sailor/wooden boat owner and my friend. Right away I knew this box would be different from the others I have made.

Kaci was born and raised in Oklahoma on a ranch where the wind was a daily part of life. That same wind moved she and a friend, Nancy Erley, as they circumnavigated the globe in a sailboat (1995-2001) and moves her today when she is aboard PAX, her 28' Danish Spidsgatter built in 1936. Wind seems to be the common denominator of Kaci's life. As an artist, I was intrigued by this notion of making a box about the wind....a subject that can't be held in your hand or easily drawn or depicted. This was going to be a challenge.

Kaci is also very into books and writing and it was decided that this box, even though it is wall hung, would resemble a book....this was a first for me. The cover and spine are photo etched red brass. The cover depicts Kaci's boat, PAX, navigating the windblown waves of a wheatfield....melding her past and her roots with the present. A narrow piano hinge mimics the look of the hinge on a book cover. The over all dimensions are 8 x 10 x 1.5 inches.

On the backside of the cover I have etched the Beaufort scale, a scale developed by Francis Beaufort in the 1800's for determining wind force. The wording of this scale is beautiful and poetic. I especially love this description.... "Large wavelets. Crests begin to break. Perhaps scattered white horses." I added moon phases above and below the scale to show the passage of time and Kaci's connection to the natural world.

The back wall is photo etched nickel. The map is a symbol of Kaci's world travels and her circumnavigation. I have placed a small magnet on the map and eventually a tiny bronze sailboat will be attached there. Right now Kaci is wearing that boat (made by local artist, Cavin Ritchie) around her neck on a cord.

The bag, under the map, contains various life tools necessary for the navigation of Kaci's journey...a compass to find one's way....a sextant....a length of rope....etc.

A list is included in the box....things to remember to take. Kaci can lean that against the back wall as a reminder.

Even the edges of the box are etched parallel lines in nickel that resemble the edges of the pages of the book.

I like to use Japanese yen coins as the hangers on many of my boxes. As I was doing this I was pleasantly reminded that there is a stem of wheat on one side. This seemed so perfect for Kaci's box and a fitting end to my journey of etching the wind.

ART TALK

2011-09-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

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Come join Shane Miller and Kim Kopp for an art talk at 2pm on Sunday September 18th at Northwind Gallery in Port Townsend, WA. If you haven't seen the exhibit STORY/LINES yet, this would be a great opportunity to peruse the show. Kim and I will be talking about what inspires us....our processes and techniques...and much more. See you Sunday....

STORY/LINES

2011-09-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

I was invited, along with Kim Kopp, to participate in a two person show at Northwind Gallery in Port Townsend, WA. Saturday night was the opening. It was a beautiful evening and a large turnout. I am showing a selection of my narrative boxes....boats....and jewelry and Kim is showing a selection of her paintings. Many of Kim's pieces use metallic paints or gold or silver leaf which makes her work a perfect partner to my boxes which are photo etched brass, copper and nickel. These images don't do Kim's work justice....they need to be seen in person to understand the depth and layering in her paintings.

Even though I have shown my boxes at my annual GreyBird Barn sale for 3 years, this was the first time they have been shown in a Port Townsend gallery. The evening was filled with questions about the work and the techniques used. It was quite fun for me....a sort of coming out in my own home town.

The show will be up through September 26th and Kim and I will be giving an art talk on September 18th at 2pm. If you live nearby please come to the talk or stop by the gallery during open hours and spend some time with this show.

Here are a few images from the show. Remember to click on an image to see a larger version.

These look like some suspicious characters looking at art in another part of the gallery. Actually they are dear friends. Kate Snow is the center character....the curator for this show.

SAVE THE DATE

2011-05-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

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It's that time of year again....the 3rd ANNUAL GREYBIRD BARN sale is just around the corner. This is always such a fun event....a charming barn housing incredible art...lemonade and homemade cookies....old friends and new friends...a time for swapping stories and just being in the company of like minded people.

Save the date and come spend some time at GreyBird Barn....June 25-26th.

WILDNESS

2011-03-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

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"IN WILDNESS IS THE PRESERVATION OF THE WORLD"....this quote by Henry David Thoreau has always been a favorite of mine. It's a wonderful way to believe and an even better way to live.

A few years ago my sister, Lisa, shot an incredible image of a heron on it's nest. She and her partner, Greg, were on the ferry coming from Whidbey Island to Port Townsend, WA to visit me. At the ferry dock, on the Whidbey side, she noticed a heron on it's nest built on a piling right beside the ferry. Luckily she had her camera and was able to capture this great photo. If she ever wants to leave her day job...and it's a pretty good one....I think she could be a nature photographer. This isn't the first time she has been in just the right place at just the right time to capture a lovely image. When I saw the photo I thought of the Thoueau quote and decided to make a box combining the two.....with Lisa's permission, of course. The photo has the feeling of wildness/wilderness juxtaposed with the man made cable caught up in the nest...a powerful symbol of man's presence in the natural world. On the box the moon phases around the edge represent the passage of time.

This particular box doesn't have doors but instead has a narrow mirror. A great piece to use in an entry way of a home. It is 12" x 12" x 3" and is photo etched nickel with a cherry surround. This etching was accomplished using a salt water bath and car battery charger technique.

From March 4th - 28th you can see this box and several others at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts on Bainbridge Island in Washington as part of the GALLERY ARTIST SERIES.

Many thanks, Lisa, for letting me use your photo. I hope you are carrying that camera around with you all the time.

LONGING FOR OPEN WATER

2011-03-13T13:14:00.001-07:00

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LONGING FOR OPEN WATER is another narrative box that is on display this month at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts on Bainbridge Island in WA. This Gallery Artist Series will be on display from March 4th - 28th.

LONGING FOR OPEN WATER is all photo etched copper with the exception of the young woman in the boat which is photo etched nickel. I usually try to have at least 2 different metals for the back wall and the doors just to add interest but on this box I loved the richness of the all copper look. I am depicting a dark forest scene and the sameness of the metals helps with the continuity of the forest. The box surround is cherry and there is a driftwood finial on top. Within is one of my copper wire and gampi boats. This limited edition piece measures 12" x 12" x 3". When the doors are standing open the width across the front is 24".

I was a young adult before I saw the Pacific ocean and understood the vastness of that distant horizon line. It was a time in my life when I was only visiting the west coast and had to eventually go back to my home state of Arkansas and a small land locked town in the northwest part of the state. My property was about deep woods and persimmon trees and hooting owls and fireflies and thunder storms. All wonderful things but confining if you've just recently been introduced to the Pacific ocean. LONGING FOR OPEN WATER reflects that time for me. The young woman in the fern clad boat holds a chambered nautilus shell....a talisman of sorts....that helps her keep the thought of open water near. Perhaps she occasionally holds the spiraled shell to her ear....closes her eyes....and drifts on the current.

BUDGIE SOCIETY

2011-03-09T09:16:00.001-08:00

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This month I am part of a show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts on Bainbridge Island in WA. There are 5 featured artists: Barbara Wilson (painting)....Mark Horiuchi (ceramics)...Donald MacLane (kinetic sculpture)....Caroline Cooley Browne (textiles)....and me, Shane Miller (photo etched narrative boxes). The show runs March 4th - 28th. The opening this past Friday evening was well attended, in part, thanks to some very dear friends of mine who came out on a stormy and rainy night to support me in this endeavor. Big thanks and hugs to each and every one of you....you know who you are...I have the best friends.

This box, BUDGIE SOCIETY, was one of the featured pieces at the opening. It measures 12" wide by 8.5" tall by 2.25" deep. When the doors are open it is 24" across. It is made of photo etched nickel and brass with the box being made of cherry. This box is an edition of 5.

If you've read this blog at all you must know by now that I am totally enamored with vintage photographs. There is always an element of mystery there....who are these people?....what are their relationships to each other?...etc. When I first saw this group of people I immediately thought of combining their sad and stern faces with some activity that would be light of heart. And so the Budgie Society was born. They have gathered for the annual meeting and a day filled with talks and lectures and the camaraderie of fellow budgie owners. Each member also receives a free cuttlebone for their budgie....a good source of calcium and helpful in wearing down overgrown beaks.

A small budgie etched in nickel quietly surveys all the proceedings from it's safe perch high above on the corner of the box. I imagine it saying, "What's all the fuss about?"

AWED BY THE MILKY WAY

2011-01-12T16:55:00.001-08:00

It's a prestigious job being the keeper of moonlight, but even the man in the moon is awed by the vastness of the Milky Way.

From January 7th through the 31st I am part of a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts called THE MOON. Bainbridge Arts and Crafts is located on Bainbridge Island in Washington.

I created a box for this show titled AWED BY THE MILKY WAY. It measures 20" x 11.25" x 2" and is made of photo etched nickel, copper and cherry. Technically this box is a little more simple than most of my other boxes but, in this case, I think it works. AWED BY THE MILKY WAY has an elegance that is sometimes missing from my more complicated boxes.

The man in the moon, backed by an astrolabe of copper, stares longingly at the Milky Way from his small doorway in the moon. His job is to be the keeper of moonlight and to keep track of the moon phases with his calendar etched on the inside of the door. It's a great job...he's the envy of all his friends....still he wonders what it would be like to orchestrate the stars in the Milky Way.

This moon show was one of the best that I have attended at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts. The artwork was superb and the public was very generous with their comments and their wallets. It was also a great chance to get to visit with fellow artists....including Donna Snow and Morgan Brig. Check out their work....it's exceptional. I am grateful to my friends who came to the opening to support me and to my dear friend, Kristi, who took these photos....of course, I forgot my camera and didn't have a chance to take studio images of this piece before I had to deliver it. This box sold on the opening night but because it is an edition of 5 there is still a chance to own AWED BY THE MILKY WAY.

SEEKING POWER

2010-12-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

Remember that you can click on the image to see a larger version.

I am participating in a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts called "PLAY OF LIGHT." It runs December 3rd through January 3rd. The opening, this past Friday night, was a lot of fun and well attended. It's a great time to see friends, new art work and fellow artists.

My box for this show is called SEEKING POWER. For over 2 years I've wanted to make this piece and have drawn it repeatedly in my sketchbook. It measures 16 inches wide by 18 inches tall by 1.75 inches deep. It is one of a limited edition of 5 and is made of photo etched brass, nickel silver, copper, cherry, mica and a small 12V battery with an LED bulb.

The brass background is one of the larger pieces of metal I have ever etched. It took a while to get all the right sized containers and tanks to do the etching. I have recently switched from etching with acid to using a salt water etching technique that incorporates a car battery charger with a strong solution of salt water. Soon, I will publish a new post having to do with this technique.

I really like this background....an image of a roof top with all kinds of weather related gadgets. The man, in his turn of the century three piece power suit, is equipped with a lot of attitude and a 3-d copper helmet with a lightning rod attached to the top. I left fire scale on the copper helmet and lightning rod showing that this is not the first time that he has participated in this kind of activity. He is more than ready for the surge of power that will come to him with the first lightning strike...which can be seen by gently pulling the chain at the bottom of the box. Some people will do anything to seek and obtain power.

NAVIGATING THE PAST

2010-09-03T08:42:00.001-07:00

This is another one of my pellucid skimmer boats called NAVIGATING THE PAST. I chose vintage images that all related to the beach and to water...two of my favorite themes when it comes to vintage photographs. The images are printed on thin gampi paper and attached to a frame work of hammered copper. The copper frame is held together with waxed linen thread. The overall look is of an ancient skin boat held together with sinew. the stand is made of cherry with copper uprights. Unfortunately I forgot to measure this piece before it sold but it was approximately 9 inches long.

The other side of the boat. Remember that you can click on a photo to see a larger version.

BEET GALLERY

2010-08-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

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On July 31st BEET GALLERY in Portland, Oregon closed it's doors. After waiting 2 years for a solo show that should have been in October, I had the opportunity to be part of a two person show the first 2 weeks of July. I was glad for the opportunity to show in this gallery even for a short period of time and to get a little better acquainted with Sandy Japel, the owner. It was a solid show for me and a good way for my work to be seen by a different clientele other than the outdoor crafts market venue in which I have participated in the past....ART IN THE PEARL and the now discontinued ROSE ART FESTIVAL.

This is a difficult economic time for galleries and artists. It's hard to watch so many galleries struggling and some succumbing to the strain.....having to close their doors. For me it means a time to dig in....tighten the belt...try to keep the creative juices flowing even when work does not sell as quickly as it used to. Throughout history artists continue to make art in difficult times.... the strain informs the art and makes an appearance on the canvas or in the sculpture and certainly in the poem. I also think that the challenging economy gives us (artists) an opportunity to seek out a new model....a new way to present our work....having to look beyond our comfort zone. This past year I felt compelled to get off the road and not do the outdoor craft show market anymore. The risks started seeming too great...large booth fees....having to travel further and further from home base....crazy weather patterns, etc. Having done the outdoor craft market for almost 20 years I have many times felt like a compulsive gambler....hoping the next show will help pay for the last show. It can be a crazy making environment. I also have to say that in that same 20 years I have had my share of really incredible shows....but those successes seems few and far between these days.

Seeing my boxes on the wall at Beet brought some things to the surface that I've been feeling for a long time. Mostly it stirred up in me the feeling that I would like to step up to a new level with my work... possibly stepping out of the craft market and into a fine art venue with the boxes. That would require, on my part, work that is somewhat larger, bolder and one of a kind. In the past I have been making limited edition pieces but that won't fly in a fine art venue. It is possible that I would still have limited edition work in craft galleries. While in Portland I went around to five of the blue chip fine art galleries with my dear friend and fellow artist, Lin Haak. She is always encouraging me to be bold and to step up. I just wanted to walk into these spaces and try them on for size and fit and see if I could imagine my work hanging on their walls. I am often intimidated by fine art galleries. I was surprised to find that I felt comfortable in the spaces and can now have a visual image of carrying my work through the front doors into my top pick of the five. Once I have a new body of work built up I will begin the process of finding a good fit for myself. This is an exciting time for me....challenging, yes....but there are some good things waiting just around the corner. My work now is to just keep showing up ....for me....for my art....for my life.

TURN LEFT AT GUNTHER THE CROCODILE

2010-08-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of the article that was published in the PENINSULA DAILY NEWS just prior to our Artist Studio Sale held in July.

JENNIFER JACKSON'S PORT TOWNSEND NEIGHBOR COLUMN: Turn left at Gunther the crocodile

Shane Miller stands next to the 1952 Farmall Cub tractor she uses to mow the rustic acre that surrounds her house and barn, where she and four friends are holding their second annual midsummer art sale this weekend. -- Photo by Jennifer Jackson/for Peninsula Daily News

But turn off the main highway into town at Fredericks Street, then left on Otto, and follow the winding road past Nimba Forge and down the hill, and you'll find yourself in a rural enclave tucked between the town and business park.

And on the edge is Shane Miller's place -- that's her barn you'll see on the left before you round the corner at the bottom of the hill.

Pass the life-size figures of a man, woman and a coyote dancing, and you'll be at Miller's drive, where you will be greeted by Gunther.

Gunther is a crocodile, rampant, who holds Miller's mailbox in his claws.

He is just one of the creatures that grace her rural acre, where the animals roam free and the art is in the barn.

The animals are silhouettes that Miller created during her 12 years as a metal sculptor, doing large outdoor pieces.

She's graduated to smaller pieces, which she crafts in the barn, built as her work space.

Last year, she invited four artist friends to join her in holding an art sale in the barn, an event they are repeating this Saturday and Sunday, June 26 & 27.

"It's the perfect setting for bringing in the summer," Miller says of the property, which is bordered by woods to the north.

"There's definitely a country feeling."

More than 300 people came to last year's sale, where they were welcomed with lemonade and homemade cookies courtesy of Miller's friend Carrie Ehrhardt, principal of Port Townsend High School.

Ehrhardt is again setting up the refreshment stand for the event, which will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, and people are invited wander the property, dotted with old apple trees and resident animals.

Each has a name, including Thorndyke Major, the canine in the picnic area.

Miller didn't realize when she created metal dog silhouettes that they would evoke emotional responses.

"Almost every single one was bought as a memorial dog for someone," she said.

"People would come into my booth and be crying. They'd say, 'We want to look out in the garden and still see the dog.'"

Thorndyke Major is a clone of a sculpture that Miller sold to a woman who wanted the original, Little Dan, for the grounds of a home she and her son were buying back East.

Viewing the property, they discovered a glen of trees in back, and in the middle of the trees was a tombstone with the name "Thorndyke Major" on it.

The name turned out to be that of the former owner's dog, a Great Dane.

"Little Dan is now lord of the animal garden," Miller says.

Miller, a former kayak tour guide in Baja California, moved to Port Townsend and bought her house in 1998, which she describes as a "fixer upper for the rest of my life."

On the back porch is a black lab named Silas, who faces the arbor topped with metal crows.

There is a white fence topped with animal figures, originally the walls of her craft fair booth, and a patch of giant butter burrs screens an outdoor claw-foot bathtub.

There's also an old shed, and the barn, which is only 10 years old, but built to match one that Miller saw on a farm near Poulsbo.

She named it GreyBird Barn after a vintage toy zeppelin she saw that had the name "GREYBIRD" painted on it in red.

The idea of naming the barn after a zeppelin, which hovers over the earth, appealed to Miller.

"I believe there is a lot of power in words and especially in the name of something," Miller said. "GreyBird just seemed to fit my barn."

She also has a 1952 pickup truck, and mows her acre with a 1952 Farmall Cub tractor, nicknamed "Bliss," because that's what she feels when she drives it.

Miller is also a '52 model -- she was born in Hot Springs, Ark., where her grandmother had a florist business that she started on her side porch.

It was passed down to her children. Miller's mother, who inherited the business, worked there from the age 16 until her death three years ago at the age of 86.

Called The House of Flowers, it had the contract to supply all the flowers for the Hot Springs horse racing track through the season, Miller said.

The biggest event was the Arkansas Derby, which required gardenia corsages for the 300-plus women who worked there, and rose boutonnieres, 600 to 700, for all the men, from the stable boys on up.

"For derby week, Mom would call all the chickens home," Miller said, referring to siblings and family members.

"A whole crew of cousins and aunts would sit down and sew the horse blanket for the winner with hundreds and hundreds of gardenias."

The idea for a communal art sale originated with Miller and Linda Jarvis, a painter, assemblage artist and sculptor.

They invited Diane Gale, Beverly Saito and Lynn Anju to join them.

Gale does wood-fired ceramics and glazed pottery for kitchen and home, including tea pots and vases. Saito makes beaded jewelry and sculptural ceramics.

Anju, a jeweler, was not able to participate this year, so Shirley Moss, who makes silver chains, is filling her spot.

The GreyBird Barn art sale is held in conjunction with Diana Cronin's studio sale featuring six ceramic artists on Egg and I Road in Chimacum.

For last year's sale, the barn took on a life of its own, Miller said, as if the purpose for which it was built was happening.

"The big payoff was that it was so much fun," Miller said. "We have great camaraderie. We enjoyed hanging out for two days and getting to know each other better."

SUMMER STUDIO SALE 2010

2010-08-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

For several weeks I've been meaning to post just a few images from our 2nd Annual Studio Sale at GreyBird Barn in Port Townsend, WA. This sale took place on June 26th and 27th. The weather was glorious....the home baked cookies delicious....the company of my fellow artist friends was endearing....a good time was had by all. The week of the sale an article about me, GreyBird Barn and my property was published in the paper. Many people came from surrounding areas to see what all the ruckus was about....some carrying a folded copy of the article under their arm to give to me....so sweet! My next blog post will be the article. Enjoy these images and remember that you can view a larger version by clicking on the image.

The artists of GreyBird Barn: (from left to right) Shirley Moss...hand made sterling silver and gold chains, Shane Miller...photo-etched jewelry, narrative boxes and boats, Beverly Saito...beaded jewelry and sculptural ceramics, Linda Jarvis...mixed media paintings, sculpture and assemblages, Diane Gale...wood fired and glazed pottery.

Sculptural ceramics by Beverly Saito.

Paintings and assemblages by Linda Jarvis.

Shirley showing her hand made chains to a customer.

A couple of Shane's boats.

Diane's ceramics with Shane's jewelry in the background.

Shane with Morgan Brig....a friend and phenomenal metal artist.

Big smiles....a lot of camaraderie....that's Kristi in the middle, our friend and great helper and supporter of this event.

An overview....that's Bliss, my tractor in the foreground.

ANNIVERSARY SKIMMER

2010-07-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Recently, two major life events happened to my dear friend, Kristi. In addition to celebrating 20 years of marriage, her only child, Katie, graduated from high school. Both events were emotional and markers of life's march through time. What Kristi didn't know is that her husband, Tim, chose to surprise her with one of my skimmers for her anniversary. The real trick was in keeping the secret since Kristi and I are in touch almost every day....and from what I hear, Tim, isn't always the best at keeping secrets either. From another project I already had some wonderful photos of Katie from toddler age up through graduation. These images seemed perfect to me to mark these two occasions and a boat was the natural metaphor for life's journey.

This skimmer is made of beaten copper wire and thin japanese paper (gampi) that has been ink jet printed with archival ink. I love that the paper is thin enough to allow light through it....making it very translucent. Looking into the boat, the backside of the images are almost as clear as the printed side. The overall length of the boat is just over 12 inches and it is about 2.25 inches at it's widest point. Remember that you can click on an image to see it larger.

It means a lot to me that via my art I had a hand in helping mark this place in time for dear friends....their lives shared and the launching of Katie's boat into bigger water.

2nd ANNUAL STUDIO SALE AT GREYBIRD BARN

2010-05-27T06:11:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATE!!! June 26th and 27th
Mark your calendar for our 2nd ANNUAL STUDIO SALE AT GREYBIRD BARN in Port Townsend, WA. Five wonderful artists: Diane Gale....Linda Jarvis...Shane Miller...Shirley Moss....and Beverly Saito will be featured in a variety of mediums.

Our good friends at Diana Cronin's Egg & I Pottery Studio in Chimacum, WA will be celebrating their 5th Annual Open Studio & Pottery Sale. Once again GreyBird Barn Studio Sale will coincide with the Egg & I Pottery Sale. Read more info about Egg & I Pottery Sale here.

Bring your friends and come for a delicious day of art and fun.....Port Townsend is beautiful in June.

(remember that you can click on any image to see it larger)

Have questions?...Or would you like to be added to our email list?...
Contact Shane Miller

POND SKIMMER

2010-05-14T18:04:00.001-07:00

This is my second attempt to make a boat. This POND SKIMMER measures 15.5 inches overall with the boat opening being about 10 inches. It is made of flattened copper wire and thin japanese paper (Gampi). The image of the lily pads is from a photo that I tweaked a bit in photoshop to make it appear less photographic and more painterly. The stand is made of cherry with copper uprights.

Looking down into the boat.

Is there anything more fun than gazing into a still pond and wondering what lies beneath the murky water....tadpoles....a snapping turtle....someone's lost wrist watch....? I remember lying flat on my stomach at the waters edge and watching water striders...also called jesus bugs because they walk on water. They weigh next to nothing because with no effort at all they seem to skate or glide across the surface. I read recently that they can carry up to 15 times their weight and still stay afloat... they must have a little magic in their pocket. The striders remind me of my POND SKIMMER. It's not actually made to go into water but if it was I'm sure it would ride high and be moved around by the slightest breeze.

Remember that you can see a larger image by clicking on the photo.

SAVE THE DATE

2010-05-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

It's getting close to that time of year.... the SECOND ANNUAL SUMMER SOLSTICE ART SALE at GreyBird Barn here in Port Townsend, WA. Mark your calendars for June 26th and 27th. GreyBird Barn will host 5 artists this year: Diane Gale (ceramics)...Linda Jarvis (painting and mixed media assemblages)...Shirley Moss ( jewelry)...Beverly Saito (ceramics and bead work)...and myself, Shane Miller (jewelry and 3D mixed media boxes and boats). If we have half as much fun as we had last year someone will have to tether us to the ground to keep us from floating up into the clouds.

We will be sending out information via our email list and I will post more information on this blog as the date gets a bit closer including maps, times, postcard images, etc. If you would like to be included on our email list or just want more information email me at shane@waypt.com.

Just like last year we are having this sale in conjunction with Egg & I Pottery in Chimacum, WA. There will be 6 wonderful ceramic artists at Egg & I Pottery. We will have maps available at GreyBird Barn if you have never been to Egg & I.

Hope you can come by to see us....and see some great art....stay a while....have some cookies and lemonade.....shane

PELLUCID SKIMMER

2010-03-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have always been drawn to boats. Growing up in Arkansas near three lakes, there was always a boat in the backyard.....you see, my dad loved boats, too. There was an aluminum fishing boat with sweeping curved lines and at one time a large wooden boat big enough to sleep several people and later, once the kids were mostly grown and water skiing was out of the question, a party barge or two. I have wonderful memories of fishing for crappie, bass, and bluegill with my dad on Lake Hamilton. If I close my eyes I can still remember the smell of my dad's tackle box and the peculiar odor of the rubber purple worms. He used to tell a story of having me out in the boat with him when I was only 3 or 4 years old. A storm blew in and there was thunder and lightening in the distance. He said every time it lightened my fine red hair would stand straight up from static electricity. My dad kept trying to smooth my hair down afraid that I would draw the lightening to us. Needless to say, we did make it off the lake unscathed.

When I was about 12 years old I wanted a kayak so bad. Mom and dad bought me a kit for my birthday and dad and I worked on the wooden kayak with a cloth skin for months in the unfinished living room addition of our house. We had a pulley system rigged so that at night, or if company came, we could pull the boat up out of the way. Later in life I worked as a kayak guide in Baja...again being drawn to the pod like shape of kayaks.

Maybe it's all this early boat memory in my cells that joined forces a few days ago and led me to make a small sculpture of a boat. I'm calling this style boat a SKIMMER (thanks to my dear friend, Kristi, for helping me come up with this name.) To me a SKIMMER denotes light weight and a hull that barely touches the water. PELLUCID is a word that means translucent. A PELLUCID SKIMMER is the perfect description of this style boat.

The frame of my first skimmer is made of copper wire and just like the skin boats of early arctic people, it, too, has a skin. A very thin Japanese paper (gampi) that has been printed with vintage imagery covers the boat. I purposely chose imagery from old photographs that showed people enjoying the beach or water in general. I glue the paper on while it is damp and as it dries it shrinks slightly and really does resemble a stretched skin.

On this particular boat I used waxed linen thread to attach the ribs. The linen thread reminds me of sinew that was used in traditional skin boats. Eventually this 7 inch skimmer will have a stand. Next I want to try a slightly larger skimmer....maybe 12 inches....and then maybe 20 inches.....stay tuned!!

Remember that you can click on a photo to see an enlarged version.

I really love this organic shape that is both pod and boat at the same time. There is a beautiful translucency when the SKIMMER is slightly backlit.

This photo is looking down into the SKIMMER.

AT DUSK

2010-03-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

AT DUSK is the second box that was made for the exhibition ART COUTURE...HATS AND SHOES showing at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts through the end of March. Like the first box, this one is wired for a small light. When the light is off only part of the story is revealed but when the light is on, all is revealed.

I enjoy writing a haiku from time to time. This is one of mine etched in nickel on the right side of the box.

AT DUSK measures 10 inches wide...9 inches tall....and 3 inches deep. The box is made of cherry, photo-etched red brass and nickel, glass, a vintage photo on paper and electrical components.

Enjoy these images and remember that you can see a larger image by clicking on the photo.

A DREAM REMEMBERED

2010-03-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

This is one of the boxes I created for the exhibition ART COUTURE...HATS AND SHOES at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts. I've been making my boxes for a couple of years now and for nearly all that time I have wanted to illuminate one. At first I really wanted to figure out how to make the light be powered by a battery because I didn't want a cord showing....thinking that it might be distracting. A battery operated box is tricky. In a gallery setting with the light left on for long periods many batteries would have to be replaced. Then I discovered new vintage reproduction cloth electric cords. Since my boxes have a vintage feel to them this discovery helped me embrace the cord and let it be an integral part of the box.

The fun part for me in making this box is that when the light is off you only see part of the story but when the box is illuminated, all is revealed. A metaphor for life really. Also, I am attracted to layering and the slow reveal. On prior boxes this was accomplished through the use of doors. You had to be patient and discover the layers. In these newest boxes the secret is discovered through the twist of a light switch. When I had the idea to try this kind of layering of imagery I was reminded of reading children's books to my niece and nephews. Just as the story got good there would be the anticipation of "and then what happened" before the page was turned. Flipping the light switch is the same kind of anticipation for me. Also, when I etch metal I am always working from a transparency of the image. Sometimes in looking through my transparencies two non-related images may be stacked together. I love looking at the image on the top transparency and also seeing the image on the transparency behind it and then making up a story.

A DREAM REMEMBERED is made of cherry, etched nickel and red brass, glass, a vintage photo on paper and electrical components. It measures 14 inches tall...6 inches wide...and 3 inches deep.

Enjoy these images and remember that you can see a larger image by clicking on the photo.

ART COUTURE...HATS AND SHOES

2010-03-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

ART COUTURE....HATS AND SHOES is the title for the March exhibition at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts on Bainbridge Island. The show runs from March 5-30th.

BAC says about their show, "The clothes we wear are close to our heart – and also close to our heads, hands, and feet. For Art Couture, artists have provided us with great design, amusing stories, and unexpected poetry. When BAC invites artists to participate in a group show, we give them a specific theme or premise of the show. What they do with these broad guidelines is always impossible to predict."

I am excited to have two of my boxes in the show. I went to the opening this past Friday...it was well attended and a lot of fun to see old friends and get to hear reactions to all the art.

I tried something different this time and electrified my boxes with small lights. Check in on the next couple of posts to see the results of my efforts.

Collective Visions Gallery

2010-02-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

Just a note to say that THE YOUNG ENTOMOLOGIST (you can see this box in the previous post) was selected to be part of the CVG show (Collective Visions Gallery) in Bremerton, WA for the month of February. Only 128 entries were selected out of almost 800. Two friends from Port Townsend, Linda Jarvis and Diane Gale, also had pieces chosen to be part of this show. If you are in the area think about stopping by to view some wonderful art.

THE YOUNG ENTOMOLOGIST

2009-11-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

This is my most recent box called THE YOUNG ENTOMOLOGIST. I have always loved bugs, insects and especially beetles. I think they are so architecturally perfect for what they do.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE IT LARGER

On the exterior of the box is a luna moth photo-etched in nickel. The moth stands off the background, which is photo-etched red brass, by just enough that the wing becomes the handle for opening the door. The leaf finial on the top is etched copper with one section scolloped where some insect had a meal.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE IT LARGER

There are some surprises on the inside of the box. The young girl, etched in nickel, is from a turn of the century vintage photograph. I chose her because she looks a little tomboy-ish and not afraid of bugs. She reminds me of myself....quick to dissect a wasps nest....nimble at capturing fireflies (or lightning bugs as we called them in the south)....and fascinated by dung beetles. Behind the young girl and etched in red brass are the orders of the insects. I was a biologist long before I became an artist and scientific names are familiar and important to me. On the shelves to the right are a microscope....some specimen bottles with collected insects....and a wasps nest behind a magnifying glass. The body of the box is cherry and is intended to be wall hung by the connected Japanese yen coins. So far, this is one of my more complex boxes and I'm excited to try some more.

This limited edition box measures 12" wide x 12.25" tall x 1.75" deep when closed. When open the width is 26 inches.

Once while I was living in Arkansas I witnessed an owl sitting on a post near an outside porch light. The owl would fly away and in minutes come back with a luna moth. It would hold the moth in it's talon and strip the wings off with it's beak letting them flutter to the ground before eating the body of the moth...I was reminded of peel 'em and eat 'em shrimp. I will never forget those wings fluttering down like little ghosts. The owl repeated this ritual over and over again. The next morning there was a pile of large greenish moth wings...so beautiful and a little heartbreaking at the same time. How could I not love insects....

5 MONTHS LATER

2009-11-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

Being 5 months behind just about sums up my life. I am just astonished when I look at the date of my last post. I'm going to try to do better.

Here is a brief summary of the last 5 months. First of all the Art Sale at GreyBird Barn did happen and was a tremendous success. We had about 300 people come through the barn in two days. I had a lot of help from my friends to pull the whole event off. Here are a few photos of the event and of my barn shining brightly. I love that barn....and it has proved itself as a great spot to showcase art!

The rest of my summer was filled with art fairs and much anticipation mixed with a little expectation. In late July I participated in the Bellevue Museum Art Fair....In August I found myself in Sun Valley for an art fair....and in September I was part of Art In The Pearl in Portland. It was a bit of a challenging summer. There were lower than expected crowds at Bellevue and maybe people were feeling the economic crunch a little, although I had friends who had a great show. At every art show someone is having their best show ever and someone else is having their worst show ever. I usually fall somewhere right in the middle. At the other two shows all the artists were challenged with a lot of rain and wind and exceptionally cool weather. The defining moment for me was when my booth blew down at Art In The Pearl on the second day. Luckily for me, I didn't have significant damage but it woke me up. I'm determined now to try another route....to let go of outdoor shows all together and instead look for more galleries or the higher end indoor shows. I'll write more about this is a future post.

In October, along with 3 other artist, I was part of the 11th annual Port Townsend Studio Tour. There were 47 different studios open to the public and again GreyBird Barn turned out to be a perfect venue. Although I have lived in Port Townsend many years, this was my first year to be part of the tour. The weather was beautiful....fall was so in the air....my King apple tree was heavy with fruit (15 apples down one slender branch)...hot apple cider and pumpkin bars....good sales...and again a large crowd...about 265 people. We couldn't have been more pleased and plan to do both barn sales again next year around the same dates. Here are a few images from the Fall Studio Tour.

From left to right: Shane Miller, Wendy Jarvis, Linda Jarvis, Diane Gale and Dianna Cronin.

And last but not least I just have to show a photo of my 1952 dodge truck, Baladeuse, and my 1952 Farmall Tractor, Bliss. They definitely offered a little farm ambience to the barn sales. Remember you can click on any image to see it larger.

BARN STUDIO SALE

2009-06-17T07:25:00.001-07:00

My whole life I've wanted a barn....actually I would love to live in a barn. Several years ago I had one built on my property. Over time it became a big storage container for all my tools and anything else I didn't have room for in my house. That was never my dream for such a wonderful space. So a couple of months ago the topic came up in my art group about having a studio sale out of the barn. The kind of thing where one could have it year after year on the same weekend and create a following. After a lot of organizing and a lot of work pulling it all together the sale will happen this weekend. A wonderful group of artists will be gathered at GreyBird Barn.

Many friends have helped make this possible... unexpected gravel shoveled into the ruts in my driveway...homemade cookies and lemonade for the duration of the sale...help with chainsawing up a bunch of logs that were in the way...and many hands helping make my property look presentable. Also, all the participating artists have contributed hugely...creating the postcard....making the sandwich boards...distributing flyers...etc. My heartfelt thanks to everyone.

If you are in the neighborhood stop by for some cookies and lemonade and a chance to see some exceptional art.

TOO FAR FROM WATER

2009-04-22T18:49:00.001-07:00

TOO FAR FROM WATER is the second box that was created for the show entitled ROADS at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts on Bainbridge Island, WA. I'm pleased to say that this piece sold on the opening night to a significant collector of art in the area. It is a limited edition piece with a total of 25 in the edition.

The copper doors and nickel background are all photo-etched. The finial on this piece is a vintage level vial from Scotland. It symbolizes balance and water. The box itself is cherry with splined corners. The image of the boys in the sail wagon is from a turn of the century photo taken in a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. You can tell that it was a cold and damp day...I love the reflection of the wheels in the pavement...but not too cold for a little sailing adventure...even with no water.

The copper doors on the outside of this box depict a stylized wave pattern....the inside of the doors show day and night tide tables. This is the first box I have made with copper doors and I am very pleased with the result. I cut the sail wagon out and have it standing off the back wall by about 1/8th inch so that I could rig the mast with waxed linen cord.

Here is a detail of the etched nickel sail wagon. This box measures 12 3/4" tall by 9 1/2" wide with the doors shut (approximately 19 1/4" with the doors open) by 1 3/4" deep. You can click on any image to see it larger.

WALKING AGNES

2009-03-10T08:32:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, March 6th, Bainbridge Arts and Crafts (Bainbridge Island, WA) had an opening for the group show titled ROADS. This box WALKING AGNES was part of that show along with two other boxes that I created.

WALKING AGNES is photo-etched from vintage imagery onto red brass, nickel and copper. The box is made of cherry and the ostrich leash is made of waxed linen. This box measures 11" H x 12" W x 1.75" D. Click on the box to see an enlargement.

I was particularly drawn to the tree lined dirt lane receding into the distance when I first saw it. I knew that this photograph would be perfect for the ROAD show. I added the woman and ostrich from other sources. They are etched in nickel and stand off the background. There seems to be some question as to who is walking who. The woman seems to be going in one direction and the ostrich in another. Actually, we don't even know which one is Agnes???

Over the next couple of weeks, I will post the other two boxes.

DAEDALUS ABBREVIATION

2009-02-11T18:48:00.001-08:00

This image of DAEDALUS AS A BOY is one of my favorites. I have used this image as a piece of jewelry (a neckpiece that you can see in an earlier post) and will soon be using it in one of my narrative boxes. Last year I began making what I call abbreviations....these are smaller abbreviated versions of my larger boxes. This one is 4.5" x 6"x 1.25" and is photo-etched nickel. The frame work is cherry. The plate of nickel is held to the cherry using small round headed brass nails. It is made to be wall mounted.

I am drawn to images that depict flight....both personal and metaphorical...where wings are tried on for size and fit. The vintage image of this young boy, taken at the turn of the century just when man was beginning to challenge gravity, is a reminder of everything I love about flight...the magic...the courage...the freedom...the breaking of one's ties to the earth...the need to rise above it all. Daedalus, in mythology, was the father of Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun.

TIME FLIES

2009-01-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

Wow...I'm amazed at how quickly time passes these days. My intention was to just take a little break from the blog but the little break turned into several months. It doesn't take long to get out of the habit of doing something....such as posting. With a fresh year ahead of me I hope to re-find my habit and become a blogger once again. Thanks for your patience....don't give up on me.

A lot has happened in my art world....and in my personal world ....these last few months. For starters, I was accepted into 3 late summer and early fall shows. The SUN VALLEY ARTS FESTIVAL was the first. It was my very first time to show the boxes in the category of 3-D mixed media and I was surprised and thrilled to receive the award in that category. For me it is an affirmation that I am on the right track and that I have to just keep moving forward. My good friend, Helga Winter, also received an award in her category...Wood. We traveled to and from the show together and so it was wonderful getting to share our good fortunes with each other. Because we won our respective awards, we will both be invited back next year.

The next show was ART IN THE HIGH DESERT in Bend, OR. I was accepted in both 3-D mixed media and jewelry. This is a brand new show...beautifully organized...wonderful location...high quality art. I think we overwhelmed Bend with the quality of the show. Hopefully this next year the public will be more prepared for us.

Last, but certainly not least, was ART IN THE PEARL. This is such a great show and not an easy one to get accepted in. I applied in both jewelry and 3-D mixed media (boxes) and was accepted in 3-D mixed media only. I have applied for 12 years and have been accepted twice. This is a show you can never take for granted. I was fortunate to be approached by two different galleries... Beet Gallery in Portland and Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem. Both galleries and the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland are interested in representing my boxes. It's going to be a busy winter building inventory for these and other galleries and feeling prepared for summer shows.

I made a couple of unexpected trips back to Arkansas in October and December. In October I spent 2 weeks with my 89 year old father. He was in failing health and I am so pleased that we got to spend that quality time together. We didn't do a lot...4 days in the hospital....watched a lot of CNN and the weather channel (his favorite)....talked a lot about remember when...but it was all time spent that is so precious to me now. My dad passed away in December. It's odd having been on one side of the river with parents that hung the moon and now being on the other side of the river with none. I'm still processing a lot of my feelings about being an orphan. I'm sure some of that processing will show up in my artwork. It can't be helped If there is little distinction between one's art and one's life.

Since my last post there were many days spent with dear friends. Some are artists...some are cheerleaders for us artists...all are sweet to the core and so dear to my heart. I am wealthy beyond words when it comes to my friends.

It's going to be a good year. I'm feeling creative and inspired regardless of the slump in the economy. I'm excited about looking forward. My intention is to nurture the creative idea in my head....let it circle my heart and pass through my hands. If I can do that, all will be well.

OPENING AT KOBO

2008-06-25T06:44:00.001-07:00

The opening for the group show, 3 ARTISTS, 3 WOMEN, 3 FRIENDS, was Saturday night June 21st at KOBO Gallery in Seattle. There was much visiting with old friends, lots of laughter and a general feeling of celebration. It also happened to be my birthday and we...Linda, Helga, Kristi and I... celebrated by eating dinner at Greenleaf...my favorite restaurant. My sweet friend, Kristi, took this picture of the three artists. That's me on the left, Helga Winter in the middle and Linda Jarvis on the right.

Not only was it the longest day of the year, summer solstice, but it was a long day. We arrived at KOBO early to set up and left late to catch the ferry back to Port Townsend. The evening light was absolutely beautiful looking back at the city from the ferry.

THREE ARTISTS...THREE WOMEN...THREE FRIENDS

2008-06-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

CLICK ON THE ABOVE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

L I N D A J A R V I S

Studies in commercial art, design and illustration at the Burnley School of Professional Art in Seattle have provided me with a broad background in various disciplines and media. Working in mixed media and giving new life to reusable objects, has offered endless influence for exploration and experimentation for creative expression. My studio sits within wooded acreage on a hilltop in Chimacum, Washington where observations of the natural world and my own sense of wonder therein are ingredients for my inspirations in constructing sculptures and assemblages. Usually initiated by an image, thought or title idea, my work then evolves spontaneously unveiling a story or vignette often augmented by my illustrations and paintings of wildlife. My intent is to depict an aliveness, often times with humor, while balancing realism with fantasy.

S H A N E M I L L E R

From my studio in Port Townsend, WA, I create jewelry and narrative art boxes using a photo-etching technique. With the exception of a single etching workshop, I am self taught. For twelve years I was a sculptor and printmaker. My current body of work is an offspring of those two art forms. Each piece feels like a small sculpture and the etched surface is a direct product of printmaking. Pattern and texture become my palette more than color. I am also drawn to words and narrative and a good story. While choosing imagery for a piece of jewelry or one of my boxes, I have the privilege of beginning a story that someone else gets to finish. My jewelry might not be considered precious due to a lack of gems and gold but when a favorite piece is found at the back of the sock drawer three years lost, my hope is that the finder will feel as though they have discovered a treasure. The narrative art boxes, like the jewelry, are heirloom pieces made to be passed on through generations.

H E L G A W I N T E R

I hand turn unseasoned, salvaged, local Pacific Madrone (arbutus menziesii) on a wood lathe. Green Madrone, a wood that is unpredictable, is my favorite turning wood.
The drying process is delicate, referring to a sense of mystery, balance, the fragility of life and a sense of movement. I attempt to create objects that are pleasant to be with, invite to be touched, held and inquired. The process of my work is a self-discovery. The pieces are felt and become known to me only to be discovered anew through the beholder’s imagination that decides and investigates the function of the piece. Using dyes and patterns are inviting a closer look and investigation: Is it glass? Is it a gourd? Is it wood? What does the spheroid look like inside – is it smooth, rough, natural, dyed or even patterned – what creates the sound it makes? Vessel and spheroid, when given a new appearance, allow a quiet conversation to take place. Who am I really? How does my appearance, my attitude effect my inner being? Do they enhance the self or cover it up?Through these processes I strive to show the pureness of the wood – the essence of being.

GROUP SHOW ENDS

2008-06-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

The group show STORIES MYTHS AND LEGENDS just ended at Childhood's End Gallery in Olympia, WA. It was a well attended show with a nice range of beautiful work. Here are some images of my work (from left to right): AFTER THE HONEYMOON, LONG NOSE GAR, TIME TRAVELER, REMEMBERING THE NIGHT GARDEN and WATCHING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING.

My good friends and art buddies Linda Jarvis and Helga Winter also participated in the show. These delightful mixed media house sculptures are an example of Linda's work and the turned bowl and spheroid is an example of Helga's work. I am delighted that the three of us will be exhibiting together at KOBO Gallery in Seattle on the 21st of this month. I will post more information about this in a few days.

CROW BRACELET

2008-05-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am a long time admirer of crows. I love their blackness...the sharp glint in their eye...their social-ness...the way they walk when observed from behind...their raucous voice...and their unending curiosity.

Years ago when I made crows out of steel a man told me about how he had been befriended by a crow. They became such good pals that the man could go out in the yard and yell, "GEORGE", and George would come flying and sit on his shoulder. Ever since I have dreamed of being chosen by a crow. I can't imagine a greater honor.

Another man told me how he would buy bulk bologna and throw the slices frisbee style to the crows. Every day he would shorten the throw bringing the crows closer and closer. Eventually the crows came through his open door into the house to get their treats. I have seen a crow fly over my property carrying what appeared to be a piece of pizza...probably booty from somebody's picnic when they were caught unaware.

This crow bracelet is photo-etched sterling silver. It has five crows flying around the circumference and a pattern of checkerboard on the ends. It can be made to comfortable fit any size wrist.

MOTHER'S DAY

2008-05-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

This heart pin with the Japanese wave pattern was just made for a customer who requested one for her daughter-in-law for Mother's Day. The daughter-in-law is new to the family and it's her first Mother's Day and it seemed to be the perfect gift. It is photo-etched sterling silver and has a little window cutout for looking deep within.

Making this heart pin for this young mother makes me think about my mom and all the Mother's Days that we shared. My mom lived in Hot Springs, Arkansas and worked as a florist in the family business. She began as a delivery girl at the age of 16 working for her mom. We lost her...our common denominator...last year on her birthday. She worked until the week she went into the hospital. That was a total of 71 years working with flowers. We should all be so lucky.

Mother's Day at the flower shop was always a wild time. It is one of the biggest single day holidays for flowers. Work didn't stop just because you had a baby or a toddler. Mom took us with her. I remember being really little and falling asleep somewhere in the shop while my mom and her sisters worked deep into the night and the early morning making corsages and bouquets for Mother's Day. When we were babies (I'm the middle of five) we slept and napped in gladiola boxes because that was the cleanest place in the shop. As I got older I was either delivering flowers or sitting beside mom wiring them. It was a great opportunity to talk and visit and hear stories of her childhood and of her mother.

Most things had to be delivered by early Sunday morning on Mother's Day so that the mom's could wear their flowers to church. In the South, and maybe everywhere, I don't really know, children whose mom was living wore a red rose to church and if your mom had passed, you wore a white rose. Every Mother's Day mom would make a comment about how we would have to wear a pale pink rose because she was so tired and exhausted from all the work...just barely alive. She said that her mother used to say the same thing.

So this Mother's Day I will be thinking about my mom. I will smell some flowers and remember some stories and be grateful for every minute I got to be with her. I am so lucky.

EVERYWHERE I LOOK

2008-04-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Lately it seems that everywhere I look I see some kind of interesting texture or pattern. They are all around us...ivy growing up a concrete wall...the butt end of round hay bales...the inside of a security envelope. The little voice inside my head is always asking, "would this etch". Thanks to the age of digital photography I can now easily capture snippets of texture. I keep these visual treasures in a digital file in my computer where they accumulate just waiting to be dragged into photoshop and messed with. I often troll through this file looking for just the right image or background for a narrative art box or a piece of jewelry. Not everything translates or is easily etched but more and more I am able to determine that before I totally trash a good piece of metal.

On Wednesday my friends and art buddies, Linda Jarvis and Helga Winter, went with me to Olympia, WA, to deliver our work to Childhood's End Gallery for the upcoming show, STORIES, MYTHS AND LEGENDS. One advantage of being slightly late in delivering is that we got to see a preview of the show. Many pieces by other artist were leaning against the walls just waiting to be hung or arranged on pedestals. The opening is tomorrow night and it will be fun to see how all the art work will be displayed.

On the way home we stopped in Tacoma to check out some galleries. While walking around we noticed these wonderful grates in the sidewalks. I'm sure there are many other patterns scattered throughout the city and it will take another trip to discover them all. I can hardly wait to see how these might show up in my work.

THE PRESENT MOMENT

2008-04-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when artists are getting their acceptance or rejection notices from art shows around the country. We offer up our money and our ego to be juried by our peers. We are either accepted or not based solely on the taste of a handful of strangers and on the quality of our images...not necessarily our work. When we are accepted we wonder how on earth we will get it all done ...meet the deadlines...find a balance...have a life...and get the grass mowed. When we are rejected we walk around repeating the rejection mantra...it's not personal...it's not personal.

I have three shows lined up for August and I find it interesting how NOT in the present moment I am. My eye is already on the goal...focused on the golden carrot right in front of my nose. I'm thinking about August...counting the days left between now and August...if I get up an hour earlier how many work days would I gain between now and August. I have so looked forward to spring and summer and now I find myself overlooking those glorious months and focusing on August.

So I'm writing this post as a reminder to myself to breathe deep and often...to notice how the light is changing...to take a few moments to watch the chickadee carry nesting material into the birdhouse just outside my window...to enjoy the company of dear friends when the opportunity is there...to soak up a little sun and collect some vitamin d...to trust that the work will get done...and to find contentment in the present moment.

STORIES, MYTHS AND LEGENDS

2008-04-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

I'm working hard preparing for this group show. It's being a fun challenge coming up with narrative boxes that have a story, myth or legend embedded in their metal surface. I'm feeling like a writer without words. I'm challenged by how to tell the story without revealing too much...how to avoid making it trite...what is the hook...how to be a narrator instead of an illustrator. Sometimes I grumble through these challenges but in the end I know it is good for my spirit and my creative juices to get stretched. I'm pleased to be part of this show with my friends and fellow art sisters, Linda Jarvis and Helga Winter. I can hardly wait to see what delicious pieces they have created. Stay tuned for future postings to see some of my boxes.

LONG WALK HOME

2008-03-21T11:08:00.001-07:00

I found this image of a man and his horse at a flea market. The original is tiny...just 1.5 x 2.75 inches...it is slightly tattered and cost me a whopping 70 cents. This little image is like gold to me because of all the questions it stirs. Who was this man...where had he been plowing...what was the name of his horse...who took the photograph...was it a long walk home?

The neckpiece I made from this image is photo-etched sterling silver with a copper roof. It hangs from a sterling silver snake chain and measures 1.25 inches wide x 2.5 inches tall and is just under .25 inches thick.

The back shows an etching of moon phases which, for me, not only represents the passage of time but also are symbolic of planting and crops. Perhaps, after a long day of plowing, the man and his horses walked home under a canopy of stars.

This is the original. I've owned it for several years and am still moved by the captured image after all this time.

AFTER THE HONEYMOON

2008-03-18T17:23:00.001-07:00

AFTER THE HONEYMOON is the second box that I exhibited at the DOOR show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts. This is from one of my favorite vintage images...I've used this image in different art mediums for years. It's classic...the great car...the problem with the great car...the honeymoon and love affair with the great car being tested...the wonderful angle of the leaning man, his arm and the hood. I can't help myself...I would love this image even if it weren't my dad on his honeymoon. It was a 1942 Chevy Coupe that hauled my newly married mom and dad to Sequoia National Park from Hot Springs, Arkansas for their honeymoon. They had car problems on their return trip just outside of Salt Lake City on the edge of the desert. I think my dad said that a belt broke and he had to replace it with the belt that held his pants up. My mom was the photographer...I think she did a great job capturing the ordeal. Click on this image to enlarge it.

The other layer of this box is about crows and counting them to divine the future. There is an old traditional rhyme...
ONE IS FOR BAD NEWS
TWO IS FOR MIRTH
THREE IS A WEDDING
FOUR IS A BIRTH
When the car door is opened, three surprised crows peer out...THREE IS A WEDDING.

The box is 12.75 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall by 2 inches deep. The back wall is photo-etched red brass and the car and crows are etched nickel. The door is hinged and really works. The box itself is cherry with an inlaid strip of flying crows in nickel. There is a thin layer of mica on all the windows of the car.

Here is the original photo that inspired this piece.

WATCHING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING

2008-03-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

I can't remember a year when I've looked more forward to the arrival of spring. It's not that it has been a hard winter...it's been mild here in Port Townsend...it's more about the light and the sun and some signs of hope. At my house some of those signs include the early morning songs of birds...a pair of chickadees checking out one of my birdhouses...rough skinned newts migrating across the road toward the water...pussy willows about to burst open...and just a general lifting of the spirit.

Tonight at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts is the opening of a show called DOORS. I have two pieces in the exhibit...this one is titled WATCHING FOR SIGNS OF SPRING. It is 2 x 5.75 x 10.75 inches. The front of the house is photo-etched red brass and the back wall, door, roof and the vintage image of the woman is photo-etched nickel. The framework of the box is cherry. I was determined to make a house that was not a rectangle. It's been many years since I've taken geometry and figuring out all the angles and making tight joints was a real challenge. It's hard to tell in the photo but there is mica behind the window and just beyond that a small bird on a nest. The swallows on the inside of the door are a traditional symbol of spring and the hands on the outside of the door are symbols of welcoming. The woman is holding a large bouquet of spring flowers and represents that place within the heart that longs to dig in the dirt this time of year. You can tell by the original photo that she is someone who long loved flowers and birds and rough skinned newts and all the hope that comes with spring.

ALL ALONE STONE

2008-02-28T22:54:00.001-08:00

Years ago I kayaked in the Queen Charlotte Islands for 17 days with a group of women. It was a time I will never forget...so pristine...magical...eagles as plentiful as sparrows...the deep throaty call of the ravens...black bears...the sweet company of women...reading nautical charts...eating like queens...and finally paddling around a point and seeing all that was left of a Haida village, the deteriorating totems left standing on the edge of the shoreline... watching us.

On one of the nautical charts was a little pinpoint size dot that represented an island called ALL ALONE STONE. I thought the words were magical and poetic and have never forgotten them over all these years. When it came time to create a box for a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts that little island whispered to me.

This box is 6 inches by 6.5 inches and is made of cherry, photo-etched nickel and red brass, clear marbles, a vintage level vial and a single stone concretion. Concretions are one of my most favorite things on earth...I've collected many from beaches near my home in Port Townsend, WA. This concretion won the prize and gets to live in this box made especially to honor it.

THE POWER OF WORDS

2008-02-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about words and the power they hold. They seem so simple...just a bunch of straight or squiggly lines strung together and yet they have the potential to break a heart or send it soaring....to bring us near or to scatter us like leaves in the wind...to squeeze a tear or to make us laugh uncontrollably. A spoken word, whether a shout or a whisper, can change the world. I keep a list of words that move me and sometimes I will come across one in my sketch book and be inspired to create a piece of art just because of that single word. For me, that is powerful.

Then there are names. I also keep a list of great names...one I might bestow upon a dog if I ever get one...or an inspired name for a boat, (I once saw a tug boat in Seattle named EARNEST, I just love that)...or a piece of property...or a business. I especially love titles of artwork and have a pet peeve with art named, "UNTITLED #37". I know that some of my artwork has sold because of it's title. The words were the initial hook...maybe they stirred a memory or maybe they acted as a bridge of common experience so that the viewer could relate to me on a heart level without really knowing me.

My friend, Daniella Woolf, is an encaustic artist and used to use "untitled" on her work. One of her paintings was of brightly colored randomly placed dots from small to large. She decided to title that piece, "WHEN MAMA SPILLED THE BUTTON JAR". At her next show there was practically a fight between customers over that painting. Many of us grew up with a mom and her button jar...we can relate.

My friend, Kim Morris is another example. She weaves beautiful rugs with exquisite color. One rug is named "PICKING PEARS". When you see the rug you are struck by the beauty of the craftsmanship and by the gorgeous color combinations but when you read the title you can actually smell pears ripening in the late summer sun. Another rug is titled, "PERSIMMONS IN A BLUE BOWL". You can just imagine.

Linda Jarvis, a mixed media assemblage artist, and I often bat titles back and forth over the telephone like we were playing badminton, always hopeful to find a great double entendre. We both know the value of a good title and we both get frustrated when our work has occasionally been displayed in a gallery setting without a title.

So I guess this post is just an encouragement to all of us to use our words. To speak and to write from the heart...to make our words be meaningful and memorable.

QUEEN OF HEARTS PIN

2008-02-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

With tomorrow being Valentine's Day it just seemed right to post this pin. Does she look familiar? Yes, she is the Queen of Hearts found in a deck of playing cards. This image is from a vintage deck. She is believed by some to be a representation of Elizabeth of York...the Queen consort of King Henry Vll of England. But most people these days associate her with matters of the heart and romantic love.

In Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots," so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Valentine's Day has been celebrated as the day when the first works in the vineyards and the fields commence. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day. It has only recently been celebrated as the day of love.

So tomorrow don't be surprised to see pairs of birds sitting extra close to each other on the telephone wires or spring bulbs just starting to break through the ground. And about the romantic part....take a walk...hold a hand...let someone know that you think they are great. Have a sweet Valentine's day!!

This pin is photo-etched sterling silver and is just over 1.5 inches tall and just under 2 inches wide.

HOUSES THAT MEASURE UP

2008-02-11T18:21:00.001-08:00

What's not to love about rulers and measuring devices...the little tick marks in perfect order and numbers from petite to bold. I have always loved beautiful steel Lufkin rules and the wooden folding variety with the warm patina that comes from much use. More and more these beautiful tools are being replaced with plastic or some lazer or digital nonsense. It's just wrong.

While these house pins are modeled after a measuring devise and can be mistaken for steel, they are actually photo-etched in sterling silver. Some of the roofs are sterling silver and some are copper. There is a small window on each house...the gateway to looking within. All the house pins are 1 inch wide and 1 7/8, 2 1/8 or 2 3/8 inches tall.

I just gave the #50 pin to a friend who turned 50 yesterday...oh, and she's a real estate agent.

THE TIME TRAVELER

2008-02-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

THE TIME TRAVELER is ready for any and all adventures. With the world map behind him the universe is at his finger tips...well maybe his wing tips.

Over the last few posts I have been introducing THE TIME TRAVELER. Here is the completed box both inside and outside. It measures 12 inches wide (with the doors closed) by 14.25 inches tall. The framework is cherry and the metals are red brass and nickel with a vintage beveled protractor as a finial on top of the box.

I'm still working to perfect the photography of this box. It is tricky at best and I have struggled with my lighting equipment and bulbs burning out at critical times. As I get better photos I will replace these.

THE TIME TRAVELERS CHECK LIST

2008-02-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

THE TIME TRAVELER keeps a list of specialized equipment...all the things necessary for his journey and for his safe return. He also has to be well versed in math and equations of all kinds and have extensive knowledge of worm holes out in the universe. Click on the images below to enlarge them.

These images are of the inside of the doors of THE TIME TRAVELER box. They are etched nickel. My tungsten bulb just blew ...the one I use for photography...so these images of the doors are from the transparencies that I use to etch the metal.

MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

2008-01-29T19:53:00.001-08:00

Every time traveler worth his salt has a trusty mode of transportation. In this case it is a winged chair with Einstein's famous formula (E=mc2) and tempus fugit (time flies) etched on the back rests. It takes the knowledge of Einstein's formula to make time travel even feasible and it takes the hope and imagination of time flies to actually make the chair lift off. With any luck this time traveler will be off on a new adventure soon.

WHERE WE'VE BEEN...WHERE WE'RE GOING

2008-01-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

This is the suitcase that belongs to THE TIME TRAVELER...there have been many destinations. Can you imagine witnessing pyramids being built in Egypt... being in India for the birth of Buddha....and on the way back to present time zipping into Seattle for the World's Fair. I think we can all relate to THE TIME TRAVELER. Who hasn't wished they could have one more conversation with someone from the past...just one more moment...to be able to ask one more question.

IT STARTS WITH AN IMAGE

2008-01-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

Over the next several days the subject of my posts will be the anatomy of a box...well, not any box, but one of my boxes. I've talked about these narrative art boxes, schemed and dreamed about them for well over a year now. Of course I am influenced and find inspiration from the work of Joseph Cornell and, more recently, Mariko Kusumoto. Her box-like sculptures are Asian influenced and beautifully crafted and can be found at Mobilia Gallery in Massachusetts.

The idea of the box was my solution to being able to flesh out a story. I think I am a story teller at heart and while my jewelry has given me a canvas for storytelling, there is not always enough surface area to pull it off. With the ability to etch surfaces both inside and outside of the box, I now have plenty of room to tell the whole story, always being careful, of course, to leave some things for the imagination of the viewer.

For me it all begins with an image...although a word or a phrase is sometimes the trigger. I've mentioned in a past post how much I enjoy working with vintage imagery. There is something so visceral about those old images and the life led...a life I will never know anything about. I feel compelled somehow to create a life for them...to put their face back out into the world so they won't be forgotten.

The etching process that I do requires very high contrast images...a lot of vintage images just aren't. I spend quite a bit of photo shop time getting the images ready to etch. Many are faded or slightly out of focus and most are stilted in a way. The subject had to hold perfectly still for long periods of time in order to capture their image on film. To find a good vintage photo of a subject actually doing something is rare. I'm always looking for interesting hand positions and for how that can help my story along. I was lucky with the above image...with his right hand resting on the table (to steady himself for the photo) I have a perfect fist just waiting to hold something. In this case it will be a suitcase because this young man is THE TIME TRAVELER. Check back over the next several days and see his transformation and story evolve.

OAK LEAF BRACELET

2008-01-25T09:46:00.000-08:00

I have always loved oak leaves... the shape...the varieties of shapes...a symbol of the strength and elegance of the tree they come from. Where I grew up in Arkansas the oak trees were on the property long before I existed and with any luck, will be there long after I am gone. Those trees held our forts and tree houses...were friends when we just needed to get away and have a quiet moment alone...and today shade the cemetery plot just down the road where some of my family rests. Those trees are as woven into my DNA as any other genetic material.

This bracelet is photo-etched, 16 gauge sterling silver and depicts oak leaves being blown in the wind. The Robert Frost quote says, "LISTEN! THE WIND IS RISING AND THE AIR IS WILD WITH LEAVES." It is 1 inch wide and can be made in any length to fit any wrist.

FISH MIGRATION

2008-01-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading this blog at all I think it is probably clear that I really like fish. For years I collected fish pins (this was way before I even thought about being a jeweler.) I loved the fishes that Gabrielle Gould (a jeweler from Saint Augustine, FL) used to make. One was called RED HEADED BOTTOM FEEDER...with a name like that I couldn't resist. It was one of my favorite pins ever until I lost it. I still think about that little silver fish with it's red head and spiral wire for a back fin.

It took me a while to realize that I can make my own fish pins now. Over the next five days I will be posting a new fish each day. This is a migration of sorts of photo-etched sterling silver finned ones. I don't know where this migration is heading but I know I want to follow.

This checkerboard fish pin is 3 inches long and 1 inch tall.

This fish with scales is 3 inches long and 1 inch tall.

This little hatchet fish is 2.25 inches long and 1.25 inches tall.

This fish with dots is 3 inches long and 1 inch tall.

And finally, this little fish with dashes is 2.25 inches long and 1.25 inches tall.

ROBIN WITH NEST

2008-01-16T18:41:00.000-08:00

I've been noticing some harbingers of spring even though it is mid January. Just yesterday I was telling a friend that the birds were singing up a storm just outside the window... and a few brave little souls were bathing in the puddles in my driveway... and a bit later I noticed a pair of chickadees checking out my birdhouse for occupancy...and there is a different quality in the light ...and I can just feel it in my bones. I welcome spring and will be on the lookout for the very first tender shoots of green to nose their way through the earth reminding me where the bulbs are planted. And that fresh, baby, tender green color that will soon halo all the bare branches...green...spring...I think it is no accident that these two words rhyme. They are each like long lost sisters finally reunited...arms encircling each other. I'm trying to be in the present moment but it is difficult not to be looking ahead. I can hardly wait!!!

This ROBIN PIN is photo-etched sterling silver that measures 2.25 inches long and 1.25 inches high. The nest is oxidized copper wire. I often wear this robin pin on my jacket as a reminder to myself and others that spring is just around the corner!!

QUEEN OF HEARTS POD

2008-01-15T17:18:00.001-08:00

For the last couple of days I've been stymied by technology. I've been trying to learn about my fancy digital camera beyond shooting in automatic mode. That means learning about white balance...bracketing...exposure compensation...the difference between matrix metering and spot metering...etc...etc....it's been enough to give me a headache. I've had to walk away from this project several times. It all started because I bought a light tent for shooting my work. Jewelry is so reflective and can be difficult to photograph. With a light tent the light source is dissipated so there are no reflections or hot spots. Today I've been dealing with the reflection of my camera lens showing as a perfectly round black circle right in the middle of the piece of jewelry. It's taken more than just a little photoshop to clean these images up but I am mostly pleased with the results.

This is the QUEEN OF HEARTS POD. It is photo-etched sterling silver...measures approximately 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inches in depth...and hangs on an 18 inch sterling silver snake chain. The backside has a checkerboard pattern that mimics the bodice of her gown.

OAK LEAF POD

2008-01-12T12:20:00.001-08:00

I am drawn to pods...mostly seed pods...with their hollow interior full of hope for the future.

This sterling silver pod is my stylized version of the seed pod. It is photo-etched and is approximately 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch in depth. The doorway into the pod is stitched part way closed with copper wire...reminding us to be patient and that in time, the gift inside will reveal itself. The pod hangs by an 18 inch snake chain. On the backside there is a textural pattern of dashes...this pattern was found on the inside of a security envelope. The oak leaf motif is in remembrance of my mom and of the tall wise oak trees that watch over our family home in Arkansas.

TIME MANAGEMENT

2008-01-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

SUCCESS IS THE SUM OF SMALL EFFORTS, REPEATED DAY IN AND DAY OUT. -Robert Collier

Recently my art group discussed the subject of time management. I think most people have issues with time management in one form or another but I think for artists, it can be a real struggle. We are often self employed so we have to be good self starters. We have to wear so many hats...designer, craftsman, photographer, accountant, marketing genius, errand girl, secretary, research developer and computer wizard. It is so easy to veer off the intention for the day and at the end of the day realize that nothing much got accomplished. Throw in hauling some firewood or a quick run to the grocery store so you can have crackers with your soup and a perfectly good work day can be nibbled to death.

My particular challenge is that I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of person. I like to have a goal...work really really hard to achieve that goal...and then slack. After the slack, it takes a lot to get the momentum moving again. I have committed to my art group to try the slow but steady approach for the next month. I am actually going to keep a record... clock in and out so I can make sure I get my work hours in and be accountable to the group. We have each made a commitment to work on the areas where we are lacking. I'll let you know in a month if I have turned my work habits around...in the meantime...have a productive day!!!

VINE HEART PIN

2008-01-08T08:45:00.001-08:00

This vine heart pin is photo-etched sterling silver and is 1.5 inches tall by 1.75 inches wide. It is also available as a neckpiece with a snake chain. This is the kind of pin that you just let live on your favorite sweater or jean jacket. The small window allows one to look within...a window to the soul.

NOAH'S BRACELET

2008-01-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago my friend, Lin, ( you can see her wonderful paintings by clicking on her link on the right column) and her daughter, Krista, took a trip to Washington, DC. It was a gift from Krista to her mom knowing how much Lin would enjoy all the art galleries, and in the process they would get to spend some quality time together. As a surprise, Lin asked me to make matching vine bracelets as a memory of the trip. When Krista got home, her young son, Noah, loved playing with the bracelet and handled it whenever he could. Just before this past Christmas, Lin talked to me about the possibility of making a bracelet for Noah..now 5 years old. We talked about different imagery...his name on the bracelet...fish...animal tracks...boy stuff. Krista assured us that it needed to be just like hers...so with some creative shipping, the bracelet arrived in Wyoming just in time to get under the tree. It was a little tricky to make...so small...the blank was only 4 inches long...and my mandrel was a bit too large for hammering it around. When I finished it and held it in the palm of my hand, there was something precious about that small size. A few days ago Krista sent me this photo.

INGREDIENTS FOR A MOST DELICIOUS DAY

2008-01-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

1. A new friend who feels like someone you have known for a very long time coming to visit for the first time.
2. A day of wind and rain slanted sideways...but it just doesn't matter.
3. A ride in a 1952 Dodge pick-up.
4. A relaxed hearty breakfast at Sweet Laurettes.
5. Popping in and out of the downtown galleries.
6. Hanging out in front of a woodstove...talking...talking...talking.
7. Sharing art books...stories...vintage photos...hopes...and dreams.
8. Joining another dear friend and art soul for a gallery opening.
9. Selling a piece at the opening.
10. Being in the company of many artists.
Combine all of the above and stir together gently. Add liberal pinches of laughter...and finally bake with warm hugs. Now that's a sweet day even if you've given up sugar for new years.

REMEMBERING THE NIGHT GARDEN

2008-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Last night I was part of a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts called WHODUNIT. The plan was that each artist would create a piece of art on an 8"x8" canvas and sign the back instead of the front...a little mystery was afoot as people tried to figure out which artist created which piece. All the works were priced at $350 with the proceeds going to assist the elderly in art programs. Over 100 artist participated in all mediums. I'm happy to report that my piece sold on the opening night.

I titled this piece REMEMBERING THE NIGHT GARDEN because poppies are the flower of remembrance. I was especially pleased with how the beetles that walk around the edge turned out. All the metal is photo-etched. The beetles and houses are nickel...the poppies are red brass...the roofs are copper... and the stars are sterling silver.

JANUARY

2008-01-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

A fresh clean calendar...no scribbles in the margins...new beginnings. I think Kim, rug weaver extraordinaire and my sweet friend, said it best when she recently wrote..."time to think about what to focus on with all the possibilities that one feels in January...while there is still breathing room for dreaming before the constant pressure that seems to come with show season and yards full of growing things".

That seems to be how it is...it all seems possible right now. Art show applications are appearing in the mailbox...which shows to apply to...which shows do I have the best chance of getting in....which shows are worth the $30-$45 application fee. As the months tick by the pressure starts to build...replace inventory that sold at Christmas in all the galleries...create new work before spring...continually seek balance between work and a walk on the beach...now the grass is starting to grow exponentially and the tractor won't start...the cherry tomatoes I bought at the farmer's market are shriveling in their too small plastic pots (no time to plant them properly)...a crazy 17 hour day trying to finish those last pieces before loading the car leaving for a show......anyway, you get the picture. The truth is that I wouldn't change a thing...this is my life and I love it!!! So this January I'm going to dream about all the possibilities.

OUT OF CHAOS COMES THE DANCING STAR

2007-12-30T06:25:00.000-08:00

Last year I made a narrative box for a dear friend living in Hawaii. It was a gift for her partner in celebration of her 2nd year of sobriety. We discussed a lot of imagery and finally came up with crashing waves on the outside representing the chaos of alcoholism and the serenity of tranquil lily pads on the inside representing sobriety...the calm after the storm. The level vial is symbolic of seeking balance and the water that surrounds Hawaii. Inside, the two year coin rests on the steps which represent the 12 steps of the AA program. The door, with etched keys, opens to reveal the serenity prayer.

This box has handmade hinges...it was my first attempt and I had no idea how challenging making smooth working, non binding hinges would be.

Etching the waves was real tricky. I used a photo that my sister took on her last trip to Hawaii. Crashing waves are hard to photograph and etching them and trying to create movement often yields a result that is somewhat abstract. In this case I think the waves being abstract worked with the chaos theme.

LOADING THE SHEAR

2007-12-29T06:46:00.000-08:00

For months I've been looking for a used metal shear. I need one to cut nickel and red brass for the doors of my narrative boxes and silver for my jewelry. I finally found one at Benoit Sheet Metal in Woodinville. I think it will be perfect for me and help move me forward. This is Chuck carefully loading it on my 52 Dodge. It was quite a load...estimated weight is 650 pounds and estimated age between my truck, my shear, and myself is 160-170 years. That's a hoot...I think I like old things!!!

SERENDIPITOUS TIMING

2007-12-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

My dictionary defines serendipity as...the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.

Last Friday I headed to Seattle to pick up my new metal shear (more about the shear in the next post). On the way I was stopped, with other traffic, at the Hood Canal bridge as a submarine passed through. This happens from time to time but usually only when you are racing trying to make connections at the airport or ferry terminal or you are stopped so many miles back that you have no idea what the delay is all about. This time I had the good fortune of being stopped on the bridge...not in a hurry...on a beautiful day...and I had my camera with me. Here are some pictures of the submarine with two escort boats (the subs always look Darth Vader-ish to me), the struts of the bridge (I love those silhouetted lines), the metal grid pattern of the lanes with water below (I have no doubt that in the very near future this grid pattern will find it's way into my art work), and the Olympic mountain range in all it's glory resplendent with a fresh dusting of snow.

VINE BRACELET

2007-12-17T06:11:00.000-08:00

This is the kind of cuff bracelet that you put on and just don't take off. It is photo-etched sterling silver and is 3/4 inch wide. It can be made in any length to fit any wrist. The vine pattern is an every day, all the time look. Wear it casually with jeans or let it dress up your finest.

WHERE THE HEAVENS MEET THE SEA

2007-12-14T08:23:00.001-08:00

I love all things relating to water and stars. You can see that in my last post with the WATCHING STARS gate which I made many years ago. This bracelet, WHERE THE HEAVENS MEET THE SEA, continues that theme. The bracelet is a one inch wide, photo-etched, cuff style. It is made from 16 gauge sterling silver (substantial without being too heavy) and can be made to fit any wrist.

WATCHING STARS

2007-12-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

This is the last post about the steel sculpture retrospective...time to get back to the jewelry ( which you can see more of my scrolling down this page). It has been fun for me and quite educational to look back over more than a decade at the art that sustained me at that time...and how it relates to my art in the present.

This is my WATCHING STARS gate. What do fish do at night when no one is watching??? I like to think that they watch the stars. I really like the negative spaces and how the light shines through. I have a dear friend who has promised me that upon my death, this is the first thing that will be missing from my yard. She tells me so often, I am beginning to believe her.

GUNTHER

2007-12-14T07:53:00.001-08:00

This is Gunther...a smiling crocodile that holds a spun copper birdbath. Is he smiling because he loves seeing the little birds splashing about...or because he loves seeing lunch??? I had this sculpture galvanized. I love the look of galvanized metal and how it ages and reflects light. I have a version of GUNTHER that holds my mailbox.

GONE TO THE DOGS

2007-12-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

Just three more posts about steel sculpture and then I'll get back to the jewelry. In my mind it is all connected. Some of these dogs have found their way into the jewelry...Silas and Ballyhoo ( the lab and the howling basset ) can be found in the JOURNEY boat posted on Nov. 3rd. In searching through my own photographic archives it has been interesting and fun to see how similar ideas and imagery keep showing up in my work...even though years have passed and mediums have changed.

When I started creating these steel dogs I was amazed that most were purchased as memorial dogs. Someone had either lost their beloved dog to old age or they remembered a steadfast pet from their youth. They wanted to be able to look out the window, toward the garden, and see the silhouette of their best pal and remember those happy times. Many tears were shed in my booth during those dog years.

This is Silas...steadfast...loyal...a great foot warmer...salt of the earth.

This is Lucy and Ballyhoo. Lucy is a homebody but Ballyhoo craves adventure...especially of the aquatic kind.

This is Ballyhoo on one of those aquatic adventures. Thirsty or not thirsty?...that is the question.

See...don't these guys look familiar???

EXPLORING THE HEAVENS

2007-12-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

This is a group of sculptures that were installed in a Bellevue park several years ago. Along with several other artists, I was asked to have sculpture on display for a year. At the end of that year I moved this collection to my own yard. They stand on a small grassy area near the bend of my quiet road. I often hear traffic slow down to have a look...or are they looking at the deer who use my property as their personal thoroughfare.

You will recognize the bears (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor) from my last post. I think that soon they will find their way into my jewelry or narrative boxes.

CHARTING THE STARS depicts a woman gazing through a starry flounder...using it as a map of sorts. Is she charting her future or her vacation via her personal flying ship??

MISSING HALE-BOPP is in reference to THE GREAT COMET OF 1997. It was probably the most widely observed comet of the twentieth century, and one of the brightest seen for decades. It was visible to the naked eye for a record 18 months, twice as long as the previous record holder, the GREAT COMET OF 1811. Like this sculpture, I miss searching for it in the night sky.

HEAVEN'S SPIRE is a triangular column with a mica covered weather vane on top. When the sun hits mica, it dances with light.

URSA MAJOR AND URSA MINOR

2007-12-11T07:29:00.001-08:00

These were a favorite of mine...Ursa Major (the big dipper) showing Ursa Minor (the little dipper) her namesake in the constellations. From paw tip to toe Ursa Major stands about 6 feet tall and Ursa Minor is about 4.5 feet tall.

In Roman mythology the beautiful maiden, Callisto, was hunting in the forest. She grew tired and laid down to rest. The god Jupiter noticed her and was smitten with her beauty. Jupiter's wife, Juno, became extremely jealous of Callisto. Some time later, Juno discovered that Callisto had given birth to a son and decided that Jupiter must have been the father. To punish her, Juno changed Callisto into a bear so she would no longer be beautiful. Callisto's son, called Arcas, was adopted and grew up to be a hunter, while Callisto continued to live in the forest. One day Callisto saw Arcas and was so overjoyed at seeing her son that she rushed up to him, forgetting she was a bear. Arcas thought he was being attacked and shot an arrow at Callisto. Jupiter saw the arrow and stopped it from hitting her. To save Callisto and her son from further damage from Juno, Jupiter changed Arcas into a bear also, grabbed them both by their tails, and swung them both into the heavens so they could live peacefully among the stars. The strength of the throw caused the short stubby tails to become elongated. Juno was even angrier with Jupiter and managed to exact still more revenge on poor Callisto and Arcas. She went to the gods of the sea and forbade them to let the two bears wade in their water or streams on their long and endless journey around the pole star.

TOTEMS

2007-12-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

When I was working with steel I got very interested in totems. I think mostly I was drawn to the tall, narrow uprightness of them. All these totems are approximately 4 feet tall.

THE FISH GUARDIAN wears a copper screen vest with a verdigris patina. Copper rivet buttons hold it in place. A small fish gazes up through the surface at it's protector.

HOLDING AUTUMN LIKE A CAT...This title came from a passage I read in a book many years ago..."the old woman held autumn on her lap like a cat".

BEATUS EST PISCICULUS...or BLESSED IS THE LITTLE FISH......what else can I say, I just like fish.

TURTLE RACES...this piece comes with three stone and steel turtles.

BLUE HERONS

2007-12-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Washington with my regulators, torches, grinders...and my kayak. I actually thought kayaking was the reason I was moving to this part of the world. For 3 years prior I had been leading women's kayaking trips on the Sea of Cortez in Baja for a small company called Paddling South. In hindsight, I think kayaking was just the vehicle to get me here.

I knew a woman on Bainbridge Island...we had kayaked in the Queen Charlotte Islands a year or two before. I ended up living in her sauna in the backyard for the next 8 months. It was exactly 5 foot 6 inches x 5 foot 6 inches. That also happened to be my exact length.

Bainbridge Arts and Crafts was the first gallery to represent me. I began making some blue herons out of steel. They were life size and had a bluish finish that was applied with heat. While my steel work supported me over the next 10 years, it was the herons that were my mainstay. To this day I would bet that there are over 50 pair of these herons on Bainbridge Island alone. A picture of my herons even made it into a book put out by Sunset called LOW MAINTENANCE GARDENING.

And then some other birds began to show up.

HOW I GOT HERE

2007-12-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up thinking about the twisting path that has led me to the art work that I am doing today. I'm realizing that every bend and turn and change of medium was essential to my growth as an artist and as a person. All those stepping stones... and the absence of any one of them would change where I am today...and I don't want to change a thing. Also, I am noticing that ideas and skills, from way back when, keep circling back around...another chance for them to get put into the creative stew. They keep rising to the surface like bubbles long trapped under water.

I moved from Arkansas to Washington in 1993 after the death of my older sister, Betsy. Betsy's last year was a hard one...she had been diabetic for 30 years and blind for the last 10 years. I moved back to my parents home for most of that year to be an extra pair of hands for my mother as she took care of Betsy and Inca, her guide dog. I needed some kind of creative outlet...maybe a steel fish sculpture for my yard.... so... my brother gave me a quick lesson with a cutting torch. I took to it like a fish to water...a pun totally intended.

I had done a lot of woodworking...building my own house in NW Arkansas and various craft projects...so I was familiar with tools. I found that I liked working with metal...steel. I liked that grain was not an issue and that there was no concern about checks and cracks and moisture. I loved the weight. I loved making something look like what it was...not a cartoon of itself. I am a fisheries biologist so proportion and scale are important to me. But I think I most loved the longevity...these sculptures I was creating out of 1/4 inch steel would, more than likely, outlive me. I'm not sure I knew it at the time, but I think I was trying to leave my mark.

For the next several posts I will show some images of my steel work. I called that business AS THE CROW FLIES.

Here are some of my early fish.

HEADS OR TAILS

2007-12-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

This cuff bracelet is photo-etched, 16 gauge sterling silver. The band is 1 inch wide and can be made in any length to fit any wrist. Being so partial to fish imagery, this is a favorite of mine.

SPIRALS BRACELET

2007-11-27T06:08:00.000-08:00

Life is circular...we are all connected... what goes around comes around. This cuff bracelet is photo-etched...16 gauge sterling silver... 1.25 inches wide...and can be made for any size wrist.

POND BRACELET

2007-11-26T08:35:00.001-08:00

This is a cuff bracelet inspired from a photo of lily pads on a tranquil pond. I like it that at first it is a bit abstract and then, upon further study, the lily pads and lotus blossoms jump out. The bracelet is substantial without being heavy. It is 16 gauge sterling silver and is 1.25 inches wide. It can be made to fit a small. medium or large wrist and anything inbetween.

HEADING HOME

2007-11-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken by friends as I returned from a show in Portland, Oregon.

Going on the road to participate in juried art shows is a trip...literally. Many artist drive big panel vans...regular vans...campers on pick-ups...suv's...and other high volume vehicles. Few, if any, show up in a Mini Cooper (although now that I'm making jewelry, that is a dream of mine.) Prior to making jewelry I made steel sculpture from 1/4 inch plate steel. For 12 years I used a plasma torch, mig welder and many different types of grinders. After trying several vehicles for hauling my wares, I ended up with a transit bus with a hydraulic wheel chair lift. That was perfect for hauling the large sculptures but it was so huge to drive. I remember once sweating bullets as I approached the Golden Gate Bridge toll booth in the wrong lane and cleared the booth by only and inch or two.

I am now doing fewer on the road shows and staying a little closer to home. For several years now I've been driving my 1952 Dodge pick-up. Her name is BALADEUSE which means wanderer in french but her nick name is Jupiter Louise. I love driving this truck. She is the best vehicle I've ever owned ( well maybe tied with an Austin-Healey Sprite I drove in college.) I love her curves and flowing lines...her color (like a latte)...her sweet running boards...and the original Dodge Ram on her nose. For now she is the perfect show vehicle.

Lin Haak, a wonderful Oregon oil painter and a dear friend, painted BALADEUSE for a commission. Here is the work in progress and the end result.

BEST OF THE NORTHWEST

2007-11-12T06:54:00.001-08:00

I will be participating in the BEST OF THE NORTHWEST art show Novembet 16-18th. There will be over 280 artists showing their work in all mediums...come check it out. The show is just north of Seattle at Magnuson Park, hanger #27 ...just off of 7400 Sand Point Way NE. Hours are : Friday 10 am - 8 pm...Saturday and Sunday 10 am - 6 pm There is an $8 admission fee. Hope to see you this weekend.

AT EYE LEVEL

2007-11-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

Tools...I just think they are the best...especially hand tools. I am particularly drawn to measuring devises ( like vintage folding rulers with brass hinges )...beveled protractors...and level vials. A level vial can symbolically represent so many things: water...motion...a state of balance...being centered...being level...being on the level...or being level headed. It's also just fun and hypnotizing to watch the little bubble go back and forth. In this country it is just about impossible to find small acrylic level vials with clear fluid. They are all filled with dayglow green or yellow...not really my cup of tea. I have to drill a small hole in the end, use a syringe to suck out all the fluid, replace the fluid with clear oil and then epoxy the hole. Quite an ordeal. Sometimes for larger work I order glass vials with clear fluid from a guy in Scotland (he has over 10,000 vials). Some are as long as 7 inches with a slight curve...now that's a thing of beauty!!

AT EYE LEVEL is a photo-etched sterling silver play on words. This pin measures 2.25 inches tall by 2.25 inches wide and is also available as a neckpiece. I promise that wearing this piece will help keep you on the level and centered!!

SUSHI EXPRESS

2007-11-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

Last year I was asked to be part of a group show at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts. The theme was COMIC RELIEF. While many of my jewelry pieces have a whimsical feel, that is not something I set out to accomplish. It just happens. I actually find it quite challenging to create something funny, comical, whimsical on demand. On top of that I can't stand "too cute". There is such a fine line and staying on the correct side of the line is important to me. Whimsical is ok...evocative is even better...and a slight tugging on the heart strings is the best. SUSHI EXPRESS was one of the pieces created for that show.

Recently Sushi Express was purchased by a collector as a gift for Linda Hattendorf...the producer/director of the documentary film THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI. I've seen the film...loved it...and am so pleased that my work has found such a sweet home. This piece of jewelry is photo-etched sterling silver on a silver snake chain and is 3 inches tall by 2.25 inches wide.

IF WISHES WERE FISHES

2007-11-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

As far back as I can remember, I have always been drawn to fish. I have a degree in Fisheries but I don't think that is where the attraction comes from. Is it their shape...their lines are so perfect for what they do? Is it their variety...I am more drawn to game fish than to tropical? I just can't quite pin it down. I especially like fish in art and out of context from their normal environment. I used to make steel trout and salmon and loved to place them swimming through the garden or adorning a fence post or as a weathervane with their sleek bodies silhouetted against the sky. Now they have found their way into my jewelry.

IF WISHES WERE FISHES is a neckpiece that holds eleven sterling silver fish. Each fish is 2.5 inches long and is photo-etched with a wish. The wish on the center fish is I WISH MY MOM LIVED CLOSER. I lost my mom this past April... that wish is more poignant and precious than ever. Other wishes include: I WISH I COULD SPEAK FRENCH...I WISH MONEY WASN'T AN ISSUE...I WISH I HAD MORE PATIENCE...I WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO READ...I WISH I LIVED IN A TREEHOUSE...I WISH I COULD FLY...I WISH DOGS COULD TALK...I WISH I KNEW ALL THE CONSTELLATIONS...I WISH WAR WASN'T...I WISH I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW.

COUNTING THE DAYS

2007-11-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is an elegant neckpiece with an Asian influence. It's about the passing of time. When there is something to look forward to...an event...a reunion...a celebration...we have a tendency to leave the present moment and count the days until.....? Days...weeks ...months may pass as the moon, always in transformation, arcs across the sky. We can count the days on our fingers...toes...or on an abacus. In this case the abacus is represented by ruby colored glass beads. COUNTING THE DAYS is photo-etched sterling silver on a snake chain. It is 3 inches tall and 2.25 inches wide.

JOURNEY

2007-11-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is a favorite! People always want to know the story of this piece...are the dogs on an adventure or a misadventure...is the Basset howling out of pure joy or out of misfortune...is the Scottie seeing land at long last or the flashing glint of a fish just below the surface...and the steadfast Lab...is she the glue that holds this trio together??

This piece of jewelry has the recipe of a mythology of sorts. A boat as a vessel...a threesome as willing or reluctant participants...even a symbol of infinity on the outboard...add an appropriate title and a dose of imagination and the story stirs with life.

Journey is photo-etched sterling silver and is 4 inches wide by 2.25 inches tall on a snake chain. The propeller turns!

WAITING

2007-11-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

This piece is mostly about patience and how sometimes we are asked to just wait...the time is not right yet. It is also about giving birth...to an idea...a notion...a new perspective...a different calling...or literally to a new life. The woman and robin are photo-etched sterling silver and the nest is copper wire. She is 3 inches tall and 1.75 inches wide and is available as either a neckpiece or a pin.

THE TECHNIQUE

2007-11-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

A light sensitive plate of silver or copper is exposed to ultraviolet light passing through a transparency of the desired image. Where the light passes through and exposes the plate, the emulsion hardens and where the light is blocked, the emulsion remains soft. The plate is developed in a soda ash solution which removes the unexposed emulsion. The emulsion that remains on the plate becomes the resist when it is placed in acid thus creating the etched image.

DAEDALUS AS A BOY

2007-10-31T16:04:00.001-07:00

I love vintage photographic images. I enjoy rummaging through bins of photos at flea markets and antique stores. It always makes me a little sad, though, wondering why some family member doesn't have that precious photo...but then maybe nobody is left...no one left to straighten the bent corner...to blow the dust off...to remember. That's where I come in. When I use a vintage image in my artwork I always feel as though I am breathing a little new life into that memory that was a person. Maybe some day at some distant art show a customer will say..."Hey, that looks a lot like my great uncle Silas." Now that would be fun.

Here is a vintage image of a young boy that I found years ago in the bottom of a shoebox at an antique store. I was immediately captured by the image and especially loved the attitude...he didn't really want his picture taken that day...his pants were too tight ...or maybe it was his boots. Anyway, the pout almost undid me. For years I carried this picture around not knowing how to use it. Once I learned how to photo-etch on metal it became clear to me that images, like this one, would become an incredible resource for my artwork.

Using photoshop I spend a lot of time making an image etchable. Basically, I need clear crisp images that are high contrast. The image of this boy became one of my first pieces of jewelry...and still one of my favorites. I call this piece DAEDALUS AS A BOY. As I worked on the image I thought I was working on Icarus. I got more and more attached to the boy in the photo and finally could not bear the thought of him growing into a young man only to fall to his death in the sea because he flew to close too the sun...so the boy image became Daedalus ( the father of Icarus). Daedalus was an accomplished architect, inventor and craftsman.

For me this piece of jewelry is all about personal flight...about taking chances...about trying on our wings for size and fit. The wingspan is 5 inches and it stands 3.75 inches tall. The body is photo-etched sterling silver and the wings are copper. It comes on a 20 inch sterling silver snake chain.

2007-10-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

IN THE BEGINNING...

After years of procrastination about needing a web presence (mainly a web site), I finally compromised and decided to start a blog. A web site may still be in my future but for now my intention is to use this blog to talk about my art and my life...seems like there is less and less of a separation between the two. I like that.

From my studio in Port Townsend, WA, I create sterling silver jewelry and narrative art boxes using a photo-etching technique. For the last 12 years I have been a sculptor and printmaker. The jewelry and the narrative boxes are the offspring of these two art forms. Each piece feels like a small sculpture and the etched surface is a direct product of printmaking. Pattern and texture become my palette more than color. I am also drawn to words and narrative and a good story. When I choose imagery for a new piece, I enjoy beginning a story that someone else gets to finish. My work might not be considered precious due to a lack of gems and gold but when a favorite piece is found at the back of the sock drawer three years lost, my hope is that the finder will feel as though they have discovered a treasure.

So enjoy the ride...bookmark this site...come visit from time to time...see what I'm working on.