The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton

Sturdy...

2012-03-02T12:48:00.002-08:00

Hellebores are often prized in the garden for their unusual colors and exotic-looking flowers. What I love best about this particular flower is that they are sturdy. This flower is sometimes called the Lenten or Christmas Rose, because it is frost-resistant. They come back, year-after-year, blooming when other flowers are just thinking of sprouting and even the deer leave them alone for the most part. Even when all else is still brown or covered over with snow, the leaves of the hellebore are a surprising burst of emerald. These flowers are no ephemeral crocus with blossoms that disappear seemingly overnight, but last sometimes for months. These plants are survivors.

I want to thank everyone for their well-wishes and positive encouragement in the post titled, Speed Bumps. I definitely feel as though all the good vibrations helped heal me and guide me through a particularly rough time. I appreciate all the comments and the emails. They mean so much to me! Since I wrote that post, the bump has decreased in size and the discoloration has faded. The "scab" has healed over and it is well on its way to disappearing completely.

One of the things that I have had to let go of was the fear that the cancer could return at any moment. Every time I get a pimple or an ingrown hair, I can't run to the hospital to get samples sliced off... nor do I really want to. (I don't think my doctor wants to see me every time I get a pimple either!) This does not mean that I think I'm invincible... far from it... but it does mean that I am going to have to be more proactive about my health. I can do things like improve my diet and exercise and get more sleep! It's all about prevention. Monitoring. And if need be... treatment.

A positive that came from this scare is that I have been looking into alternatives to traditional surgery and have come up with some interesting and promising results! There's a doctor named Dr. Mercola who has developed a skin cream from eggplants (believe it or not) that effectively targets and kills certain types of skin cancer cells. It's pricey, but a lot less expensive than my last treatment and a heck of a whole lot less invasive than having a half square foot of skin removed.

My last encounter was what you'd call... less than stellar. It was stressful, painful, and they only treated the cancer. Spiritually, emotionally, and financially I was left in ruins. So... I want to embrace a different path to wellness that addresses the facets that were neglected previously.

February Reader's Challenge REVEAL...

2012-02-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today marks the last and final Reader's Challenge that includes a Design Kit from me. The February Design Kit sold out within minutes and was nice way to finish this series.

The Design Kit included a Simple Truths piece by Erin Prais-Hintz, a ceramic bead from Keith O'Connor, a polymer clay round from Pam Wynn, lots of dyed jade, vintage plastic, pink opal, rosewater opal glass, fuchsia Swarovski crystals, vintage glass, organza ribbon, irradiated shell, Czech glass, and a Luxury Bead Blend.

The Luxury Bead Blend was truly lovely! It was made up of ToHo seed beads, Miyuki seed beads, Czech glass, pearls, vintage glass, rose quartz, and other semi-precious stones!

The Mystery Components that no one saw until today consist of enameled rounds from me!

Curious to see what the participants made? Me too! Make sure to stop by their blogs and comment on the nice jobs that they did! Here's a list of the participants who are revealing their pieces today:

Speed Bumps...

2012-02-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

I've not posted lately. It's not for lack of material. By golly, there's a backlog of photos from Tucson, snapshots from gallery openings, and various projects in the works... but I haven't felt too much like writing lately. The biggest reason is that I've found another bump. It's not far from the original skin cancer site and frankly... it has me a little worried.

I've been trying to be positive and keep up with things, but there's a niggling little thought in the back of my mind... "Maybe it's cancer again."

After my first diagnosis, I had such a weird feeling of being betrayed by my own body. My cells were rebelling and fighting against me. All my life there has been adversity of some form or fashion, but all of it came from outside forces. Prejudice, bigotry, loss... all of them could be weathered. With enough inspiration, creativity and vision... I could see past the things happening around me in favor of something bigger, brighter.... better. But when the very fabric of your body turns against you... there's a sense of powerlessness. And when you feel that amorphous sense of being out of control of your own destiny, it never really leaves you. A little seed is planted. As a survivor, you carry that seed around with you, that it could happen again. The possibility is there. And there's worry that that seed could one day sprout and that terrible creature could strike again and that picture you've worked so hard to create... could... just... fall.. apart.

So, yes... there is a new little bump and no, it's not definitive if it's cancerous or not. Hopefully it's just an ingrown hair or a stubborn pimple or a blackhead that won't go away... and that with a little more time, it will go away. I have spotted it and will be monitoring its growth and should things get worse, I will definitely head to the doctor's to hopefully catch it in an earlier stage this time.

Sometimes there are unexpected speed bumps that come along; you can either be derailed completely by them or continue on. I wish to carry on.

Happy Valentine's Day...

2012-02-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break for the moment from the Tucson recaps to say, "Happy Valentine's Day"! I hope that your day is full of love in all its many incarnations and forms!

Lima Beads Party...

2012-02-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

After my day at the Swarovski, we headed over to Lima Bead Party! They always throw a wonderful get together! Everyone always has such a nice time! I know I did!

Q and Andy of Urban Beader.

New trend for 2012... aluminum foil accessories! Jewelry-makers will find a way to turn any household item into wearable art!

Another example of the latest trend! She makes it work!

Bonnie, Ali, Marilyn, and Danielle.

A dance party broke out in the kitchen! I've covered the faces of the participants to protect the identities of the dancers involved!

A Sparkling Good Time...

2012-02-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

I had the distinct pleasure of joining Margot Potter for the first ever Design and Creativity Challenge hosted by Swarovski! It was a special treat, because I rarely get to take any breaks when I'm in Tucson. Usually I am too busy to do anything but work the shows. So, taking the day to play and create with Margot at the Westin La Paloma was particularly sweet. We had an intimate group of six participants who were all great fun!

No one was cutthroat and mean-spirited. In fact, everyone was very supportive and kind. I had a great time! I was a little surprised by this, because usually in a competition atmosphere, people can get nasty. But all the other participants were just amazing!

The first part of the workshop was devoted to creating a design board. I do this as a regular exercise in my own studio, so I felt really comfortable. I wanted to embrace color and really wanted to work with warm, rich tones in my challenge piece.

After a short break for lunch, we got down to it. There were several tables loaded down with crystals and mixed-media supplies and tools. It was just like a scene from Project Runway!

An idea popped into my head and I ran with it. I created another collage with colored magazine pictures in the same burnt oranges and tangerine color family. I then poured 5 minute epoxy over it and embedded crystals and seed beads. The goal was to wash the paper backing off, leaving the ink embedded in the resin studded with crystals. Then I was going to use the heat gun to manipulate the resin into these crazy, sculptural cuffs. BUT... just like on Project Runway, sometimes even the best of plans just don't work out. The resin started cracking and broke into jagged chunks. I tried to fix it with more resin, but the more I used... the more it looked like someone tried to swallow crystals and threw them up. Yuck!

I knew that my crystalized vomit design would not cut it. So, I quickly went to Plan B. With an hour and a half left, I went into overdrive to produce something that I would be proud to put up for competition.

This is the piece that I ended up creating. One of the challenges was using the "mystery ingredient", which was cuplink chain. While I like the look of cuplink chain, it's not particularly the easiest material to work with. But I used it in a focal pendant, where I layered some filigree with a piece from TierraCast and a crystal-encrusted component in the center. This was all attached to some Grunge Board by Tim Holtz that I painted gold. I then used some filigree fans to dress up the focal and attached a small fortune worth of Swarovski crystal components. I tied for runner-up!

I had a fantastic time and really enjoyed myself! I definitely recommend taking this workshop! It was so much fun and we ended up taking a ton of swag back! I had a wonderful time with Margot and the rest of the participants who did WONDERFUL jobs! We had a champagne toast to celebrate the winners!

Swarovski outdid themselves with this venue! It was beautiful! The Westin was situated at the base of the Catalina mountains and there were gorgeous views.

Here is Leslie Rogalski out on the balcony. Isn't she a doll?

Doing a "renegade" demo of crystal iron-ons, Stephanie Dixon was showing how it's done!

It's always delightful to see Krystal Wick. She's such a positive force within the community and it was great to practice posing for pictures with her!

I feel like the words "Fusion Beads" and "Swarovski" go hand-in-hand. Here is Katie Wall and Mari of Fusion Beads. It was so nice to spend time with them. I adore them! Cynthia and I will be teaching at their store in Seattle in April! Keep your eyes peeled for more details!

What would a Swarovski event be without Marcia DeCoster? I didn't get to spend much time talking with her this year, but I had to make sure to snap at least one picture of this regal lady!

You never know who you're going to meet at Swarovski! I got to meet First Lady, Michelle Obama... just kidding! Her name is Lisa Wright and she's the author of, Oh No He Didn't!

I also got to see Anna from Kalmbach, who's working on another book.

The happy hour at Swarovski was definitely a nice way to end the day there.

Limited Edition Pre-Order...

2012-02-01T23:12:00.000-08:00

Before I left for Tucson, I made a couple of different prototypes for pieces. I had originally wanted to place them for order before I left for the desert, but just didn't have enough time. A friend of mine suggested that I put them up for pre-sale! There are three new designs: Freedom, Love Grows, and Waiting for Spring.

I had made this link a few weeks ago, but didn't quite like the hole placement in the original. So I moved the holes and am really happy with the results. I think it might be nice to add a dob of colored resin to the heart cavity or some colored two-part resin clay. I like the idea that there's a freedom to fill it with what you want or don't want. And I like that the bird is not afraid to fly.

A friend of mine gave me a potted plant when I started seeing my partner. It was a tiny thing in a tiny pot – just a few leaves in a yogurt cup. Over the years, the plant has flourished along with our love. The roots have grown deep... so deep that they've needed to be repotted at times. Those tiny things have grown into trailing vines, healthy and very much alive. That was the inspiration for this piece. That love grows and if you let it... it'll flower.

Before I left for Tucson, I looked out on the landscape and took note of the barren branches. Normally it makes me a little blue, but this time it didn't. Instead, I felt an overwhelming sense of potential. It was a building and budding energy, waiting to explode with spring!

All three of the pendants are available for pre-order. Since I'm still away, I won't be able to finish and ship them off until I return home. Each particular style is limited to twenty designs and once they're sold out... they're sold out for good! CLICK HERE for the "Freedom Pendant", CLICK HERE for the "Love Grows Pendant", and CLICK HERE for the "Waiting for Spring Pendant". Ordering these pieces now will help me get more money to purchase supplies and goodies while here in Tucson, which I would be very grateful for!

Glimpses from the Show...

2012-01-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

Yvonne and Frank of Pandora Beads.

In N Out Burger! (Double double animal style, please!)

Deb Nicholson and SuezyQ!

Liz and Sak from Saki Silver.

Robin Hawk and Greg.

Beth and Laurie Anne from Flirt.

Tom and Lisa from Ligonier. (Small world!)

Cheri, Cynthia, Devin, and Mike from ArtBeads.com.

Kelly and Barry.

Lillian and her friend.

Ali and Cathy from Lima Beads.

Christi Friesen!

Paula Best, Leah Fairbanks, and Ask Sara.

Jessican Prill and one of her beads.

Ute, Denise Peck, Kristal Wick.

Reader's Challenge REVEAL....

2012-01-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

This marks the reveal of the November/December/January Reader's Challenge. I left my piece back in Pennsylvania and didn't get a chance to take a picture of it before we left. But I am happy to present the work of the other artists who participated in this challenge!

The kit had enameled pieces by Barbara Lewis, ceramic pieces from Diane Hawkey, glass beads from RareEarth, and a mix of Czech glass, chain, Swarovski crystals, and lots of seed beads. The color was "jonquil". It's traditionally a "spring" color, but while I was walking through the woods in late autumn, I found a leaf that was yellow, tinged with green. Everything else was brown and gray, but this leaf, left in the middle of the path, was a vibrant burst of color.

And here's what they made:

Dawn from Morning Glory Beading

Below are pieces by Alice Bavaud. She's out of Europe and created a few pieces that are really fun! I love the textures and the way that she used the bright yellows.

Tucson Adventures...

2012-01-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some bronze coins that I made for my family at Green Girl Studios before I left Pennsylvania. They'll be available at To Bead True Blue, starting tomorrow and I'll have some at the Best Bead Show later in the week.

Here's the lovely Linka from Raven's Journey! I love their Czech glass and picked some up for the store.

A new food vendor showed up at The Gem Mall. I don't know what the company name is, but this is Lisa and she's serving up some mighty delicious corn... either on the cob or cut and dished up in a bowl. Lisa is also working a musical production. I love the people you meet in Tucson!

Julie Young will probably make many appearences in this blog before the trip is out. Here she is with Pam at the Gem Mall. They're from TierraCast.

Here is Sandra from the Knotty Do It All. She's giving a demo on her knotting device. It's so cool that we picked one up!

New Pieces from Green Girl Studios...

2012-01-28T00:27:00.000-08:00

Here are the new fine pewter pieces from my family at Green Girl Studios that will debut here in Tucson! Aren't they great? I'm a smitten kitten with the new Lucky Kitty-Cat Small Blessings Charm! I'm also particularly fond of the new Skull Toggle and the Running Rabbit Toggle! They are a lot of fun!

So It Begins...

2012-01-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

And, so it begins... coverage of the Tucson Gem Shows as seen by me.

We haven't even got there yet, but guess who we ran into at the airport in Minnesota? That's right, Katie Hacker! She was on her way to CHA. We had a nice chat while we waited to board our planes. Usually we only have a few minutes to catch up, so it was a particular treat for us to have a good solid chunk of time to talk. I admire Katie and all her hard work! She hosts a TV show, helps with a farm, has two kids, launched a component line, teaches, and writes books! In fact, Katie is coming out with a new book! It's called, Live Wire Jewelry: Make Colorful Designs That Shine! I can't wait to see it! It comes out February 9th and is available for pre-order now!

Don't worry... you'll probably see me post about Katie again. After her whirlwind adventure in California, she'll be joining us in the desert for the Gem Shows.

A Call to Arms...

2012-01-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

I call upon you now, readers of this blog, for your help! Right now, Allegory Gallery is participating in Facebook Small Business Boost. They are giving away advertising dollars! All we have to do is get as many "likes" as we can, before April 1st. If we get 100 likes before then, we'll get $100 in free advertising dollars! If we get more, we could even get $10,000 of free advertising dollars!

All you have to do to help is go to our Allegory Gallery Facebook page and "Like" us if you haven't already. (If you have liked us already, please don't like us again, because then you'll unlike us and we wouldn't want that.) It's as simple as that! Just CLICK HERE, make sure you're signed in and "Like" us. You'll have done your part to help a small business, just starting out, get more money to help promote and establish it. Every little bit helps!

If you could spread the word and get others who want to help Small Business to "Like" us, we would be most appreciative of your help and efforts. The more people we can get on board, the better!

The Kit...

2012-01-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

The February Design Kit sold out within the first few minutes! And as promised, here are some pictures of the kit. (Granted, they are not the best pictures, but pictures they are!) The Design Kit, which I think is extremely challenging (I don't work too much with pinks or fuchsia) consists of a Simple Truths piece from Erin Prais-Hintz, a ceramic bead from Keith O'Connor, a polymer clay round from Pam Wynn, lots of dyed jade, vintage plastic, pink opal, rosewater opal glass, fuchsia Swarovski crystals, vintage glass, organza ribbon, irradiated shell, Czech glass, and the Luxury Bead Blend.

The Luxury Bead Blend is truly a thing of beauty! It is made up of all kinds of ToHo seed beads, Miyuki seed beads, Czech glaass, pearls, vintage glass, rose quartz and other semi-precious stones!

Each kit ALSO includes a Mystery Component!

I can't wait to see what everyone makes! I think this is a perfect ending to a great run of challenges!

February Reader's Challenge...

2012-01-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

This will mark the latest and last installment of the Reader's Challenge (that incorporate Design Kits) on my blog. It has been a thrill to see what everyone makes and I have to say that I am in awe of all the talent! I feel lucky to have so many wonderful people participate over the past few months. Thank you for reading, participating and commenting on all the stunning designs!

The kits have been very successful and the blog hops a lot of fun! You might ask yourself then, "Why is this the last one?" Well... it's not an easy answer. I guess it boils down to wanting to try other things out. It was a challenge for me to round up the best materials possible for the kits and stay under budget every month AND get everything out on time. I also started these Challenges at a different stage of life. I didn't have Allegory Gallery then and I had more time to devote to this project. It was a lot of fun though and I really enjoyed seeing what everyone ended up making! And.... who knows... maybe someday down the road, the Design Kits might make a comeback?

For the last Challenge, I wanted to really test the creative limits of the participants. There are only 10 kits available! So, you better act fast! I won't even get a kit this time around! And to make things even more challenging, the contents of the kit will remain a mystery UNTIL after the last kit is sold. Once the last kit is sold, I'll post the entire kit, save the Mystery Component(s)! I will give one clue: Fuchsia and Pink.

CLICK HERE to get your Design Kit. Once they're sold out, they're sold out!

The Reveal for the November/December/January challenge will be NEXT WEEK! Mark your calendars! I'll post the blog hop on Monday, January 28th! This is a never before seen kit! Only the participants know what the kit consists of. I'm mighty curious myself to see what everyone did!

Thanks again for making this a success and for participating in the Reader's Challenges.

Art Saves...

2012-01-25T10:22:00.000-08:00

Barbara Lewis, author of Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: A Workshop in Painting with Fire, was kind enough to feature one of my blog posts on the Art Saves series on Jenny Doh's Crescendoh! A big thanks to Barbara for spotlighting my post!

Cornbread and Milk...

2012-01-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

I was going through boxes in my studio when I came across a picture of my grandpa. It has been a few years since he passed away and finding the photo made me miss him terribly. So I went into the kitchen and I made one of his favorites: Cornbread and Milk.

It's not anything fancy – kind of like him. He never put on any kinds of airs. It's just cornbread that's crumbled up with milk poured over it.

Later in life, he used to get really bad heartburn and this was one of the few things that he could still eat that he enjoyed without consequence.

So, I made myself some and thought fondly of the memories we shared.

Under the Floral Moon...

2012-01-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

As soon as I get home from the Shop, I brew some coffee and get to work. It has been a flurry of activity lately! My work goes late into night and I find myself sorely lacking sleep, but am happy with the things that are produced.

I created a limited-edition series of "Floral Moon Pendants". I rolled out porcelain and impressed it with different designs. I then cut the pendants out and let them dry. Once they were dry, I hand-tooled them and then fired them. Once they cooled, I prepared them to be coated in fine silver.

Then the hard work... finishing them. They're patinated, polished, buffed, waxed, buffed again and polished again. It's a lot of hand-finishing and it reminded me why I don't make more of these style of pendants!

I think the silver looks sharp and definitely gives the pieces a lunar effect. They seem to glow with a celestial coolness. The floral pattern look like craters and accentuates the moon effect.

I only created 16 pendants. Each one is unique and different and I am pretty confident that I won't be making any more. Each one is signed on the back and would be perfect as a focal on a necklace.

Imagine it hanging from a simple silver chain or from a piece of leather, embellished with white pearls. To find out more about the pieces and to get your's, CLICK HERE.

Ready to Tango...

2012-01-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

I received so many requests for me to make the "Tangerine Tango" enameled beads from THIS post, that I stayed up late and made a small run of them. I hate production work, so this will be a limited run. To find out more about them and to take home your own, CLICK HERE. I've only put up ten sets. Each set includes five of the vintage beads covered in glowing shades of orange enamel.

More Than Metal...

2012-01-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

I've recruited William to help me roll out these beads in porcelain. Aren't they fun? We pressed simple designs into the clay to add a decorative element. The impressions are enhanced and really shine when enamel is added. Before the enamel is layered on top of the porcelain, they kind of look like chewed up pieces of spearmint gum – lumpy, white and nondescript. But adding the color is magic and all kinds of hidden details are brought to life.

Of course, the high temperature porcelain reacts differently in the flame than metal does and the success rate is much lower. Sometimes the beads experience thermal shock in the flame and pop, snapping in half! A fourth do not survive the fire!

The porcelain also takes enamel differently and I've had to create a new cookbook of recipes to achieve the colors and vibrancy that I want. The above image is of my efforts. Seeing a dozen different color-palettes and five each of these beads make the process look easy, but is in fact, quite tedious and monotonous.

Tangerine Tango...

2012-01-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

You might have heard that Pantone's Color of the Year for 2012 is Tangerine Tango. I've been working in the studio to cook up the perfect recipe to capture this color and translate it to my enamel work.

I'm quite pleased with the results. I've added a bit more burnt golds to my version. I think it makes the darker – more red – orange POP! I can't help but daydream of using this in all kinds of projects! Just wait and see!

Dimples and Skulls...

2012-01-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

Another of my porcelain experiments included the creations of these dimpled rounds and little skull beads. I made the picture black and white to showoff some of the details of each. I think I might toss the dimpled rounds into the tumbler, but not for too long. I don't want them to end up looking like golf balls. And I think I might hand-paint the skulls (maybe Day of the Dead style). The jury is still out...

Comfort and Creativity...

2012-01-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

I recently saw a post on Sara Sally LaGrand's Facebook page and it really made me think. Not so much about if I would still keep creating, because I think I'm fundamentally someone who is hardwired to be a maker of things and is compelled to create. But it made me think... what would I do if I won the lotto?

And the thing is, I don't know if it would change my goals or even me for that matter. I'm not a fashionista and balk at the thought of wearing impractical clothes. I'm not really into fast cars or ones that you have to worry about getting scratched in the parking lot (of course, having a car that doesn't break down or catch on fire would be nice). I can't fathom living in an overly big house that was so stylish that you'd be worried to put your feet up or have cats. The thought of cleaning it or wandering the endless corridors gives me nightmares.

However, the thought of not having bills and wondering if I'll be able to scrape up enough money to cover all of them is definitely exciting. It would be nice not to have to count every penny. I don't go to the doctor's or the dentist's as much as I should and knowing that I could put my health first would definitely be a relief.

On the more extravagant side, I would like to travel more and see and experience more places. Eventually, even without the aid of the lotto, I hope to do that one day. I'd love to travel the flea markets and bazaars of the world looking for unique finds and interesting objects.

Not only that, but it would be quite nice if I could upgrade my equipment and materials and explore all the things that pique my curiosity. It would be a treasure to be able to take classes again or work with new processes without worrying too much about the expense of everything and if I'll be able to adapt it into my own personal work. I would be wildly fantastic to mack out a workspace with all the bells and whistles and work extravagantly with a pound of PMC or use gold or diamonds.

But I think my core of wanting to be a vessel of positive change and to inspire creativity and beauty everyday would not diminish. The desire to want to help support and sustain the artistic community that I belong to would not waiver. I would be able to help other artists achieve their dreams and create new work and let these artists not feel as though everything that they did was attached to a price tag. I know how hard it is to honor your muse truly and genuinely when you're creating things for sale. "Will this sell?" Is one of those questions I hope to one day not have to ask myself when I make something new.

I think the original statement of comfort killing creativity, results from a misconception that artists must suffer to make work. I think the "myth" of being an artist – someone who is unusual, crazy, sad, depressed, tortured, wild, addicted to drugs, sex, and alcohol – is a disservice to all artists. It's true that artists are people and are flawed just like anyone else, and that their craft often times allows them to see things that others don't, BUT do we have to proliferate the idea that art is born of pain? That in order to create art, that you must be inherently unwell? It's a romantic image, in that bad boy sort of way, but not necessarily something that I want to embrace. I think when artists can give up this false image, they are better able to cope with changes like success or sudden windfalls like winning the lottery. Then, when creativity is anchored in the Genuine Self and not rooted in the False Artistic Ego, nothing can kill their artistic spirit.

Something Old, Something New...

2012-01-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

When we were kids, we used to go out to Sebastian Inlet so that my mom could go fishing with her friends. I was too little to go out on the jetty; if I fell in, either I'd die by drowning or being dashed against the rocks by the rough Atlantic. They set out five-gallon buckets in a row with nylon cord strung up between and I wasn't allowed to cross that point. Instead, I spent time combing the beaches for shells and rocks with holes in them. I loved them before I knew what they were. Some people call them hag stones or witch stones; wearing them would give protection and looking through them could reveal hidden identities or peer into the world of Faerie. Cynthia and Sheila helped me make a necklace with the stones I collected with some of the nylon cord. I called it my "necklace of power" and pretended that I understood the language of mermaids and fishes when I wore it.

Years later, I am revisiting this form. I love the organic shapes and the stringing versatility of the pieces. I've made them out of porcelain and they have a magical, musical quality to them. I'm curious as to how this will translate into my work and how I'll finish them off. I thought about throwing them in the tumbler for a silky, matte texture... much like those original stones. Maybe glaze them with a clear glaze? Or finish them off with some wax? I am smitten with the bone-like quality of the white porcelain. Or maybe coat them in PMC slip and fire them again? I don't know exactly what I'm going to do with these pieces, but I feel very, very good about them.

Enameling Cookbook...

2012-01-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

In the kitchen, I am notorious for never making the same dish twice. I am an "intuitive cook" and often work from instinct and half-remembered recipes, improvising in between. While the results may be "good", they are far from consistent. Those that eat my food often times lament the fact that I rarely write down my recipes and always hope that lightning strikes twice when I'm trying to replicate a dish.

After I read Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: A Workshop in Painting with Fire by Barbara Lewis, I went a little "hog wild" and started enameling everything I could get my hands on. Like my cooking, I achieved results that I thought were "good" but I definitely noticed that some were better than others. I found myself in the same boat. "How did I get that color? Did I layer this color with this one? Or was it that one with that one?" So, in order to combat my natural bad habits, I've decided to create my own personal "Enameling Cookbook" where I store all my "recipes".

Above are some of my first recorded experiments. It's a rather dull affair; I don't too much care for production work. But it is a good baseline and I can see definite improvement in my consistency. Could this mean that I've turned over a new leaf? Probably not. But it's an exercise that I'm learning from.