The Secrets to successful jewelry design are in this book!

 

I am thrilled and excited! After over a year's worth of hard work my book,
A String of Expression, is actually available for purchase at Amazon.com! The book details my process of creating one of a kind jewelry pieces by capturing ideas and inspiration from the pages of our own art journals. Intrigued? Check out the art pages below and the jewelry pieces that were inspired by them and tell me what you think! Discover more about this unique method of creating jewelry...pieces that are layered with our own genuine life experiences.

 

 

 

Photos taken on a Sunday afternoon

A girl and her cat.

 

 

 

Bold Elements of Inspiration

Objects



Journal pages



Color, texture, depth...Inspiration!

Drawing is a frame of mind, a loving embrace, if you will. (Susan Avishai)

What can be more magical than picking up a pencil and drawing something beautiful? My sister drew this portrait of a girl. It was one of her assignments from the online Portrait Workshop she is currently taking under the auspicious direction of mixed-media artist Misty Mawn. She claims I am capable of doing the same if I just practice. Really? I don’t know but I am willing to give it a try. There are times when it is necessary to stretch our brains around a new concept, go beyond our comfort zone and take an artistic quantum dive into the pool of unlimited universal potential. I will slip into my bathing suit and see what happens and I strongly urge you to come along.

I perpetually dream of going on an artist retreat to some faraway place such as the hills of Umbria but in this economy that can be quite challenging. Taking an online class can be an exciting alternative. There are quite a few artists who offer classes online. Listed below are some I know about…let me know if you hear of any others.

Visual Poetry- Online Art Workshop Series- Digital Photo-manipulation
Instructor- Susan Tuttle

Lk Ludwig offers several online workshops; see her blog page for descriptions.

Misty Mawn is talking about offering future online classes that sound very exciting if you love mixed media!

"Believe it or not, I can actually draw"
Jean-Michel Basquiat

Let the Day Unfold Before You

I can talk myself right out of writing something on my blog. I contend I have a million things to do, and believe me I do, but the crux of the matter is I don’t have anything interesting to say.

I had a normal day. I let it unfold before me, hoping all would be well and it was. I found parking spaces all over the place, I enjoyed being with my co-workers, I finished grading some papers, my car passed its emissions test, and low and behold I am writing on my blog.

I do not take days like this for granted. They are blessings… graciously offered and like a petal of a daisy they feel smooth and slight. That is how I will greet it tomorrow, only it won’t be tomorrow, it will just…be.


Art Pendants- Creating with resin papers and such!

I am in this Issue!

I am thrilled to announce that I have an article published in the latest issue of Bell Armoire Jewelry which is due out on the stands today. My article entitled, Inspired by Monet: Antique Tin Box Necklaces, discusses the creative process behind one of my latest obsessions, creating jewelry from antique tin boxes. Want to make one of your own? Check out the article...it lists the step by step directions on how to complete this pretty necklace!

Jewelry for a Good Cause

A dear friend from work asked me if I would design an original piece of jewelry to donate to a silent auction she was organizing in order to raise money for a dance group. I was happy to oblige and here is the result.

An Evening by the Lake

My sister, who is an extremely talented knitter, wanted my daughter to model her latest creation; a gorgeous shawl. It flows beautifully as you can see. The yarn is made from (of all materials) bamboo! So off we went to the lake to take the photos. I had the chance to use my new Canon, which I love! I also got some shots of a few old buildings in the quaint town of Ackworth.

I love the way the wind is blowing her dress.

Auntie and niece. Look at the details in the shawl.

Rusty things.

Monet is in Town!

I can't wait to check out the Monet's Water Lillies collection now on exhibit at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Going on "art" trips is an excellent way to keep your own creative juices flowing. Today I took a break from writing and worked on some wonderful jewelry pieces. I was very happy with my hand-wired clasps. I did not realize how much fun they could be to make. I love the idea of using totally original clasps in my designs!

Little tiny paintings.

Old books- fun to collect as well as use in mixed media art work.

Oil pastels

There is nothing more beautiful than the blue of apatite beads! They look so...french!

Sneak Peek- something new coming soon!

Fun with watercolor and pastels...

Blue,blue,blue...I can never get enough.