Buenos Aires Street Art

I love street art.  I’m not big on tagging or general graffiti, but I love seeing people do weird and wonderful things to change the ugly, gray monotony of the urban landscape.  This past summer I lived in Buenos Aires for a month and there is an amazing array of street art there.  It’s not illegal or looked down on, as long as they don’t paint on people’s homes or businesses without permission.  So it gives artists a chance to spend time on a project and accomplish some mind-blowing work.  It’s actually quite a community, and most street artists have some knowledge of each others work and the meaning behind it.  They also accept the fact that their work isn’t permanent and there is a good chance someone will come along to paint over what they may have spent hours or even days to create.  The “exhibition” is always changing.

Here’s a little taste of what I saw.  There are hundreds more examples, it’s all over the city.

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Women’s Day Art Exhibition at Wise Daughters

Wise Daughters will be kicking off International Women’s Week on March 2nd with the opening of a group art show featuring some incredibly talented women artists.  Of course one of them just happens to be me

It’s an eclectic bunch, including participants in the  expressive arts group at Sheena’s Place who will be showing their work as a collective.  There will also be four other individual artists, each working in a different medium and style.

My enamel art panels will be making their official public debut.

Sara MacHin does lovely work combining glowing colours with patterns and textures.

Patricia Phelan does stunning textile work that combines beautiful, intricate images with natural materials such as wood and bark.  She believes that handwork connects us to nature and to one another.  You can see her work at www.wovenbridge.com

Meredith Viner uses graphic images to challenge people’s assumptions about art and about the world in general.  Her website is www.shesaidpop.com and her Facebook page is www.facebook.com/shesaidpop

The opening party will be on Friday March 2nd from 6pm to 8pm.  The show will  be up until the end of April.  But if you come to the opening you get to meet all of us!

Here’s the Facebook invite.  Feel free to invite yourself and others!  https://www.facebook.com/events/321086511267074/

You can find Wise Daughters at 3079B Dundas Street West.  www.wisedaughters.com 

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Kingston Lapidary and Mineral Club

When I was in public school my grade 8 class was the first one to allow girls to take Shop.  Before that girls were limited to Home Economics, where I did a terrible job of making a handkerchief top.  I loved Shop. I don’t remember all the projects but what I do remember is making my first piece of jewellery.  I got to cut, shape and polish a small piece of sodalite that looked like lapis lazuli.  And then I got to set it in a brass pendant to make my own necklace.  It was a life changing moment.

Fast forward many years.  I had experimented with a lot of jewellery making, mostly beading and a bit of polymer clay.  Nothing that truly moved me.  I was temporarily back in Kingston and noticed a tiny little ad in the back of the local paper advertising a silversmithing course.  The Kingston Lapidary and Mineral Club was founded in 1962 and not only were they still going strong but they were now offering classes in lapidary – cutting, shaping and polishing rocks – and how to use those gorgeous rocks in jewellery.

To make a long story somewhat shorter, I took the silversmithing class.  My very talented (and patient) instructors were Arne, Bob and Eileen.  I learned an amazing amount there, including making my first band ring and my first bracelet that had about 30 solder joins (for those who don’t know, that’s a lot!).

I also later returned to be a teacher at the club.  I taught one of the first wax carving for casting and cuttlebone casting classes.  When I left the incredibly talented people who were in my class took over and became instructors themselves.  I’m pleased (and a little jealous, lol) to see that they offer a wide array of classes now.  Silversmithing, wire work, casting, repousse, resin, and more!  They have a fantastic shop with amazing equipment and after you take a class you can rent shop time for a ridiculously low price per hour.

So if you live in or near Kingston and you’re interested in jewellery making (or geology) check out the club.  They’ve just announced a whole list of new classes on their facebook page, so it’s a good time to do so.

Here’s the facebook page with the course announcements:

https://www.facebook.com/KingstonLapidaryMineralClub

And here’s their website:  http://www.mineralclub.ca/index.cfm?page=home

 

2012

Wow, I didn’t realize I hadn’t posted anything since November.  So 2012 is here, supposedly the year of the apocalypse according to some mighty old Mayan calendars.  Maybe they just got tired of making calendars and thought that 2000 years worth was enough?   I don’t even look at next year’s calendar, so those folks were really long range planners!

I do have some plans for the year ahead.  The enameling business has been gradually growing.  I’ve got lots of work to do this year, with lots of new things planned.  I will be researching new stores to carry my work, especially outside of Toronto (this is a hint to anyone who might be interested).  As always I’m creating new designs and new products.  I’d also like to get my bowls and/or art panels into a gallery show.  Some of my art panels will be in an exhibition in March, I’ll post on that when more details are available.  And of course, I’m still teaching enameling classes here in Toronto.

I realize this is an incredibly boring post so I’ll put up some pretty pictures of my  newest bowls

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New stuff!

I always like trying something new. Every piece I make is a chance to try a new experiment, whether it’s a new colour combination, a new firing time or new designs. I could never be one of those people who makes the exact same thing over and over.

My latest new stuff includes rings and cuff-links. I love the rings I make now but sizing is always an issue. People can get quite frantic because they want one of my rings but can’t find one that fits! So after a very, very long search I’ve found some adjustable silver-plated ring bases to set my enamel pieces into. I like big chunky rings and I wanted ones that had a quality feel to them. The ones I’ve chosen are a 25 x 18mm oval, which is big enough to make an impression but not so big it totally overpowers your finger. And the band is wide and has a hammered finish, which I love! I make the enamel “cabochons” so that they are inverted, either flat or concave depending on how many layers of enamel I use. This makes them even more unique than a regular stone-set ring. I am very pleased with the result!

I decided to make cuff-links because I feel bad seeing the forlorn faces of men at craft shows who love the colours and designs I make but can never find anything for themselves. They deserve something special too! So once again, after much searching and a few trial runs that didn’t quite work out I have found bases that are perfect for my little enamel pieces.

Right now I have a small but stunning selection of the new rings and cuff-links which I will have available only at craft shows or by contacting me directly. And I am only at three craft shows this holiday season, so get your boots on and come visit me at one of them! This Wednesday, November 30th I’ll be at the CBC Charity Craft Sale at the CBC building atrium, 250 Front St. West. 8:30am to 5:30pm. Saturday December 3rd I will be at the Parkdale Bazaar, in the Masaryk Cowan community centre at Queen St. West and Cowan, 11am to 5pm. And Sunday December 11th I will be at the super cool Frostbite: Bazaar of the Bizarre at the Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. West, noon to 8pm

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Bowl-a-rama

Oh how I love making bowls!  Working with a bigger surface that shows off the amazing colours of enamel is so rewarding.  I wish I could make bigger bowls but the maximum size my kiln will hold is about 7 inches across.  Of course the little ones are just so adorable that I love them too – it’s hard to pick favourites.

I use a copper form for the bowl and enamel on top of it, so you get a much sturdier piece than a fully glass bowl.  I prefer abstracts but the ability to add numerous layers of different colours also allows for more versatility of design than is possible in glass or ceramics.  Some of my bowls are more than 20 layers of enamel, and each layer is fired separately.  I use a combination of opaque and transparent colours, blending in a technique similar to watercolour painting – but at 1500 degrees!

I also use only lead free enamels, so they are food safe, but who would want to cover up those beautiful colours with peanuts!

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Dia De Los Muertos Festival of the Arts

My hair is no longer dyed black and I tend to wear comfy clothes but I’m still a little bit of a goth girl at heart.  So I’m very excited to be participating in the Dia De Los Muertos Festival of the Arts.

Dia De Los Muertos Festival of the Arts is both a craft show and a cabaret, with the craft show in the day from 1pm to 6pm and the cabaret part in the evening at 8pm.  The craft show, which is the part I’m participating in, is free and has a long list of very talented vendors.  It’s an eclectic mix including photography, body care, paper goods and more!  You can find beautiful jewellery with a vintage feel from Curious Oddities, super cool cards from Kaotic Ekko’s Curiosities, stunning pottery from Clay Girl, you can even get a corset from Absynthetika!  Now that’s variety!

It’s being held at Revival Bar, 783 College Street on Sunday November 6th.

Here’s the website with more info, including the full list of vendors:

http://diadelosmuertosfestival.wordpress.com/

Toronto Chocolate Festival

Nuit Blanche is all well and good but an even more exciting event is coming to town – the Chocolate Festival!  It starts October 2nd and runs until the 23rd.

There will be a chocolate high tea offered at the King Eddy on King street and The Old Mill Inn and Spa.  There is also a Chocolate Relay and a Chocolate Ball (the kind where you dress up, not the round thing you throw at people).  The Chocolate Sunday show at Roy Thomson Hall sounds particularly yummy, with samples of the world’s finest chocolates and chocolate infused savoury food (everything is better with chocolate).  And Chocolicious is a city wide event where GTA chocolatiers and pastry shops open their doors for special offerings and samples, many of which you can download coupons for.

Here is the event website:

http://www.torontochocolatefestival.com/

And this is the link to download Chocolicious coupons as they become available:

http://www.torontochocolatefestival.com/events/chocolicious/coupons

Distill

I’m a west end girl so it’s a big step for me to move east.  But I finally did it this week when I took my work to Distill Gallery.

Distill is appropriately named because it is in the gorgeous Distillery District.  This was once the Gooderham and Worts Distillery site and is one of the largest and best preserved collections of Victorian Industrial Architecture in North America.  It was restored in 2003 into a pedestrian only village dedicated to arts, culture and entertainment.   It’s a beautiful place just to walk around but there are also amazing stores, galleries, restaurants and cafes.  I also frequently go there to see plays at Soulpepper Theatre.

Distill Gallery has been in existence since the initial renovations of the District in 2003.  It’s a stunning little gallery with the work of over 100 Canadian artists/craftspeople/designers.  There’s some mighty impressive talent here and I feel honoured to be included among them.

Here is the website for Distill Gallery:

www.distillgallery.com

And the website for the Distillery District:

www.thedistillerydistrict.com

Wise Daughters

The quality of craft stores is this city is just astounding.  And the latest store to carry my work is the perfect example of that quality.  Wise Daughters is a beautiful store located in the Junction at 3079B Dundas Street West.

The big, beautiful front window lets light flood the store, giving it a wonderful airy feel and showcasing all the fantastic work inside.  The owner, Mary Breen, is not only nice but she also has excellent taste and there’s an irresistible array of unique craft goodies, from jewellery to knit goods to art and more!

And if you decide you’d like to learn a little crafting yourself then sign up for one of her many workshops.  They’re held in the spacious lower level of the store and include an incredibly wide array of topics.  You can learn silk-screening, drumming, jewellery making, sewing  and much more.  You can even learn to needle felt a moose trophy head!

So stop over to the Junction and check out Wise Daughters, and check out my jewellery of course!

Here’s the link to the website:

www.wisedaughters.com