Working Together Results

 Well, I finally am able to post once more from my April 11th post of "working together".  Here are two of the pots I was working on..the other sold, right out of the kiln! The sterling silver finials are actually Bruce's creations. I know you're saying "I thought you were the silversmith Cathy".... I am, and Bruce tried his hand at casting some years back and came up with all these beautiful finials and had them hidden away until now and he's found the perfect pots to use them on. So, I guess these are really a joint effort.

Sweet Little Paintings

 Our "lots of littles" show is quickly approaching. We've decided to have it here at our home on the weekend of Columbus Day, October 10 and 11.

Bruce will be featuring his pottery in "miniature" and "small" forms. Katie has prepared many "little felt baby booties" and "little teddy bears" and also small paintings for children's rooms.
I'm creating tiny sterling earrings, both post and dangles, as well as small pendents, and of course I'm working on a body of work called "Sweet Little Paintings"...based on yummy sweet foods and candy! Enjoy. I'll be posting (now that I've unglitched my computer problems) right along.

 Having a great time with the "littles"paintings. I've begun a series of "sweets" ergo I'm calling them my "sweet little paintings"! I'm back to acrylics and its only because I left them down South and have so many acrylic paints up here that I want to use them. I'm really enjoying the subject matter and the best part is I get to eat them when I'm finished!!!

Working together

 This piece is still raw clay and I'm carving a leaf pattern in it.
I find this process to be so enjoyable, although tedious and labor intensive, I continue to like creating this way. Bruce intends to glaze this piece a celedon, which is transparent and will allow details and layers to show through the delicate color.

 This is a piece that has been fired and glazed and now I'm using iron to add a tree motif all the way around it. It will later be fired again to reveal the glaze and iron detail.

 This pot is raw clay and I'm applying varnish to add an all over pattern which will block out the "wash" that Bruce will do when I'm finished. He'll wash away clay not covered by varnish and once the piece is fired and glazed and fired once more- the relief will take on a light and darkness to show off the original pattern I painted on.

Once the work is finished I will post pictures of them so you can see the final results....of course the success depends on the Fire Gods!!!! So many steps and so many ways something can go wrong, but when its right....its wonderful!!

Ferric Chloride Pottery

 Well, Bruce tried something different. He took a workshop with a Potter who uses this technique and this is what he came out with. The clay body is a Raku so there is no functional quality to these pieces unless you place containers inside of them to hold water.

 The pattern in the black rim was carved with a needle tool and sealed.

 This vase has a more classic form and was carved into while leather hard and pigmented with oil paint and sealed.

Latest work completed

 I'm still infatuated with river stones. These are two more "Lake Michigan" stones I picked up on our friends' beach in Wisconsin. I do not do any adjusting or grinding of any kind to them. I design and set them just as I found them: beautiful and rich. The bracelet has been polished to a high shine which I plan to change. I will add some oxidation to the detailed areas and to the grove down the middle of the double half round on either side. I'm really not sure if I will like it better or not but if I don't I can always re-tumble it and return the "shine" to it.

The next three pair of earrings are "Southern" subjects!! I love the bend of Palm Trees...the straight Palm works because of the slender shape of the rectangle but I do love the curves you find in many Palms in the South, especially the old trees. Some of them in the islands are bent do low that their tops almost touch the sand.
  I use a chisel to represent water and my swirley stamp works for a sun or moon....at least it does for me!!!
  Herons are great birds to draw. They have such a distinctive form. For those of you not knowing how I make these shapes...I draw them and cut them out of sheets of silver...one at a time with my trusty jeweler's saw and a very fine saw blade.

This stone is an Agate, and a very large one at that! It's a "statement" piece for sure. Not subtle or shy....but then my preferred style of jewelry and painting is Bold...those of you that know me can agree, I'm sure!

Our LITTLE show!

Hi,
  I usually don't "blog" text, just images and the process by which we create them but I thought maybe this time I might write about our newest idea for a "home show" in hopes that you will comment on it and let us know what your thoughts are on the idea.
  Bruce and I collaborate, as you know, on many of our creations and so many times we just put the results in our shop or just out there on the internet or for the elaborate pieces: galleries. One day this winter while driving to Katie's, we talked about how many small pieces we've both been working on
for one reason or another. The conversation began to sound like we were preparing for a gallery show, which often times contains a common thread throughout. Bruce came up with the idea of having a show of "littles" at our house in 2015 (oh and here we are!) So we were so excited by the prospect of having a theme we could both work with that we presented it to Katie and asked her if she would like to join us....and here we are! Kate's been working on some "little" baby booties that she makes from felt and hand sews. Her fairy sculptures are always a hit and fit in with our "little" theme as well. Now she's been working on beautiful children's book illustrations. We are all very excited to do this and putting it all together will be so much fun.
  If you have any ideas about when, how long or what should be in the show, please feel free to "comment" button below and let us know.  We are thinking early Fall right now but nothing has been decided. Thanks for tuning in.
Cat

Newest "little" 3x8 inch oil painting on wood "Kitchen Totem" $38

Oil on wood, 3x8",

3x8 inches IS really "little"!

Japanese Flower Chainmaille

Original Sketch, bottom drawing

Necklace and matching earrings

All components are hand made.

 Friends often ask me how I make each jump ring, composing, and connecting it all together. I keep thinking that I should ask Bruce (the real photographer) to photograph each of the steps along the way, but then "life happens" and I start a pot of sauce or run to the store and the next thing I know its 11pm and I'm working on my chain maille and you KNOW I'm not going to ask Bruce to set up his photography equipment to photograph anything!!! So...I'm going to try to explain as best as I can the process I go through for these pieces. I first begin with sterling wire of various gauges. I wrap them around a small metal mandrel held tight by my bench vice, cut them apart with my jeweler's saw and sort them by size. To make the ear wires, I start with 20 gauge wire and cut to size, use a jig to make the shapes and hammer tops to work harden them. The rest involves using a "pattern" or recipe if you will, to follow and with two flat nose pliers and my trusty magnifier headpiece, I connect the jump rings by hand into what you see above. The beads I use are crystal and for me, add a little color and reflection. The closures for my necklaces I make by balling up the end of a small wire and shaping it into a hook which then hooks into a larger jump ring to finish the piece. Whew....if it sounds like a lot it really really is and is probably why I only make chainmaille jewelry once in awhile. Thank you for reading and please comment or ask questions below by clicking on the "comment" button.

Japanese Flower Chainmaille in Sterling Silver

Original sketches. I decided against the stem and leaf
idea because it was a poor design, as the stem would have
been catching and hooking into clothing...especially sweaters. The design to the right (flower hanging from a
straight wire) was appealing to me and I added a small flower on either side. (photo at right)










 

Close up of finished set. Earrings below, to match. I added matching beads to the closure hook.

Matching earrings

Finished necklace and earrings

Winter is here!!!!!

I love this time of year...my creative juices and the need to hibernate begin! I've been baking up a storm for Christmas in between painting. I'm finished in the metal studio until Spring but still have some bench work to do. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone and hopes for a Great NEW year.

The Otter and the Fox! Sounds like a Disney Movie!!!!

 Well, we're back to creating "nature pots" again...we did this in a series many years ago for a show and nearly sold out. I don't know why we didn't continue to make more but so go the minds of the creative!!! In any case we've come back around to it. I'm very happy with my otter face. The fox not so much. I think I made him look much to "stiff". Better results next time. So far we've made: owls, fishers, squirrel, chipmunk, frogs...lots of frogs!!! I think rabbits should be next!

Perfume bottles!!!!

 Turquoise, Carnelian, Black Onyx, Red Jasper

 Each bottle has its own hand made chain which connects the top to the bottom so there is no "misplacing" it!

If you are interested in buying a bottle, please contact me for details at forest@ntcnet.com.

Each bottle measure 2 1/2 inches high and 1 inch wide. They are oval and not round in form. Sterling Silver and silver solder were used in creating them and all but the stones are hand wrought by me. Each bottle is $300 unless you are purchasing all four. The total for all four is $1000. I will accept paypal or check.

Crazy Lace Agate Pendent......Finished Piece

 Well here's the finished product from the sketches of November 22nd's post. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. I may go back and straighten up the bezel on the square carnelian but other than that I think its a good job.

The chain is commercial however the closure is handmade. it has sterling and black onyx bead on the hook.

Christmas necklace and matching earrings

Just finished this set. I'm in love with the RED. OK so I have this strange obsession with red this year...as I look out the window at our two red cars!!! I purchased these glass lampwork beads from "Beatle Baby Beads" over a year ago but knew I wanted them for the Christmas season....

 These beads are the most beautiful shade of red. Deep, dark and with the sterling dots on them, they are stunning.

 I used a soft (almost sand blasted look) sterling bead along with the mirror cut sterling beads for a contrast....

The byzantine pattern is my favorite and I used it between beads but wove the rest of the necklace in 2 and 1 pattern to keep it from getting too heavy. There's a lot of silver in this piece but I love the weight of it because it feels like I'm wearing something substantial.






Let me know what you think by clicking on comments below. I really enjoy feedback. Thanks.

My Creative Process unfolding

 This is the sketch I began with minus the bar at the top with the 3/4 jump rings attached at the ends.











The triangle bezel has been soldered to its own back plate and soldered to the large piece which encompasses the entire design.

The reason the image looks so white is because it's been in a "pickle" or acid bath. There have been several solderings in this design. Eight bezels, a square piece of wire and a few squiggles! Slow and steady and keeping each solder in its own place.












Here are the eight stones which will go into my design. The main stone being the inspiration for this design: a Mexican Crazy Lace Agate. I purchased this beauty from Gypsy Vic online. It has a small druzy to the left front and has the most amazing color....probably the most red I've ever seen in this type of stone. It tips just a bit into the orange spectrum which made me want to add Carnelian to the design and of course that wonderful black onyx that my fellow jewelry designers often pass over because of its commonality. I find the combination of these stones to be a wonderful expression of creativity and design and color.

 

 So...... since I'm still knee deep in the process here, I will leave you to continue and I will be back with the end results and hope that you will "tune in" for it and find the "comment" button just below this post to write your thoughts and comments to me. Some of you email me with them, which is also fine, either way I genuinely love knowing you're out there!!!