Newton Open Studios is Coming

If you are in the area, come to Newton Open Studios May 14-15, 11am-5pm.  You will be in for a treat, as artists around the city open up their homes and join other artists to display and sell their work.  I will be at 70 Evelyn Road, showing with painters, sculptors,and photographers.  I hope to see you there!

August Flame: Sold, but there are more where this came from and each piece is unique!

Back again

Color Waves Choker:  This piece is now on sale at the Store @ the deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park
The entire venue is breath-taking!

So . . . surprisingly I am at a loss for words at the moment.  Have been sick for two weeks and am just back in the studio and to top it all off it snowed today.  I mean, really, it's April 1st, right?  Joke's on us.  The thing about Spring, even a spring covered in snow, is that you start to want to do and try a whole bunch of new things.  I know, I know, I said I was going to finish old projects first, but spring fever has gotten hold of me, so I think, maybe I will just add some new techniques to my old projects and see what evolves.  But for now, I am tired and have to go rest again--let those ideas gestate and see what is born this Spring and Summer!

Oh, and I forgot to add--anyone in the Boston area should come to Newton Open Studios during the second weekend of May (14th and 15th).  It's an awesome display of local talent throughout the city, and I will be showing my work with a bunch of friends at a group studio.  The website is NewtonOpenStudios.com.

It has been a while

Unfinished piece, one of a series, called Fly, Dream
fabric, thread, photography, and ultimately beads as well.

Okay, so about 10 days have gone by and I have not written or posted pictures.  The thing is, I have actually been working and making pieces for a show in May.  So how does one manage the time to create and also write about creating, which should be creating in and of itself?  It's a question I ponder when I can't sleep at night.  The other thing I think about is the fact that I tried to cliff dive during our family vacation to Mexico.  Now let me be specific, it was only about 20 feet high.  I climbed up there all confident, took a breath, ran toward the edge ... and then just stopped head hanging out over the side, with my feet gripping the edge.  Thinking this was just a one-time freeze, I tried again, and again, and again.  I was up there for at least 30 minutes.  Strangers from all over the world were cheering me on to jump.  One wise-ass from England, kept making gasping noises just as I would get to the edge--which I must say did make it more difficult to jump, though I guess I can't really blame him for my lack of courage.  My husband kept telling me to just do it.  Like the Nike ads--you know I don't see any Nike reps jumping off of cliffs!  My kids were yelling at me to just jump so we could get on with what we were doing.  And I swear, I really thought I was going to.  But I didn't.  It was very disappointing.  I try to do something outside my comfort zone every time we go away or try new things, just so I can show my kids that it is healthy to try new things and face your fears.  Well this fear seemed to stare me down and I realized that fear is really quite intangible, but sometimes very, very solid and immovable.  And it is fear that artist feel every time they start a new piece, get stuck in the middle of a piece, or even just finish one.  I have all these pieces that have not been finished, and I am hoping to face those fearsome little pieces and turn them into something I can feel proud of.

Directions finished--with minimal swearing

Yesterday I mailed the directions and piece to Beadwork Magazine for publication later this year. As you all know, I was a bit intimidated at the prospect of writing out the directions for this incredibly intricate and somewhat free-form piece.  But it is done--with minimal swearing.  Actually the most horrible language was saved for the car rides to and from the post offices.  Do people just forget how to drive when Saturday rolls around?  At one point, I was so frustrated, I just said to myself, maybe if I just swear loudly at no one it will reduce my road rage.  Lesson #1:  All it did was make me feel like an idiot.  But I did stop yelling, so maybe it worked.  In actuality, I think it was just grief over the passing of my dog that manifested itself as complete impatience with the outside world.  Funny how grief works--you think you're fine and then, WHAM!  You are not.  But still, you have to work, you have to teach your children, you have to help others and fulfill your obligations.  So, despite it all, I finished the directions and sent them off.  I am including a picture of the piece for you all to see--and a picture of Olive as a puppy. 

Back from Vacation

Metamorphosis

Have you ever wondered why you go on vacation?  While away with my family, I had a couple of wonderful moments--for instance, when one night at dinner the kids and I were teasing the sh** out of my husband for falling asleep early and not realizing it.  I know it doesn't sound funny written down here, but it really was amusing at the time.  But the real moment was on the plane ride back when I turned to my husband and said, "Do you realize our kids didn't ask us for one present, didn't say 'gimme' once, and actually liked being with us?"  Those are the moments you really want to remember for the rest of your life.

two down, two to go

Call me a coward, but I started with the easier parts.  At least they are done--and no swearing was involved, which my husband truly appreciated.  Ever since I met him, over 27 years ago, and at least since we have been together--about 23 years ago--he has been trying to get me to stop swearing.  There have been many reasons why he wants me to stop: for example, the one I often use with the kids, it's inappropriate. Or, you never know when a bad word will slip out in an unfortunate circumstance. It sounds trashy. It's rude. There are better ways to show how you feel. You don't want the kids to hear you use this kind of language.  The list goes on.  And each reason is a good one.  But though I do temper my language, I mean I think I am the only one in the word alive at this point who has actually said, golly-gee-willakers, and meant to say that phrase, I also sometimes need a few really choice and decidedly nasty words.  It is cathartic, strangely satisfying, and decidely not "nice."

Time Is Short

I have good news.  A trade magazine has accepted my a piece of mine and will publish it in an upcoming issue.  The bad news: I have to write out the instructions for making this incredibly complicated and time-consuming, albeit beautiful piece.  The good/bad news: We are going on a family vacation, so I actually have half the time the magazine gave me to do this. (Oh, as an aside, in the week before our trip I managed to have two killer migraines, and my son was home sick from school twice, and now has hives covering his entire body--the result of his immune system saying, "You think a virus is tough? Check this out!"  But anyway . . .)  How I handle this: I wake up at 5 every morning and think, "Get out of bed and work on this, you lazy bum, so you don't have to wake up at 5 in the morning anymore!"  Do I do this?  Well, today I got out of bed at 7 and am now writing to you all about how I am going to write the instructions, so that is a step in the right direction.  To continue my moment of actual productivity, I am actually not going to write any more for now, but will keep you filled in on how the directions are going.  Expletives might be used, so be forewarned.