absolutely smitten

I'm absolutely smitten with this woman's work. And her photography just as much as metalworking ... http://www.nstp.de/nstp/galerie/julika/index02.htm

marimekko

I love MARIMEKKO! What else is there to say! Love at first sight! I could fill this page with pattern after pattern with Marimekko... Have to figure out how to do some colourful patterns in jewellery. Sadly, silver is very monotone and grey.

A friend of mine is heading to Europe and planning to spend a few days in Latvia this fall and she asked me what I'd recommend she'd see while there on a short visit and I just could not come up with a solid answer... but last night it came to me! Pedvale Open Air museum is amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone heading to Latvia during any season, especially in the summer. It's beautiful. It's inspiring. It's picturesque. It's creative. A must see, if you're in Latvia. Rent a car if you have to... or hitch hike... or take a bus... just go!

spider webs, but not the halloween sorts

One very early morning this fall, as I was returning home after having worked a night shift, my neighbour across the street called me over to her front yard. The sight was unbelievable. Her entire little evergreen tree was full, I mean not just full, but covered, completely covered in tiny, beautiful, delicate spider webs that were only made visible to the naked eye because of the dew and fog that was still hanging about in the morning air. It was stunning!

cabbage? absolutely inspiring!

A little while ago, despite the overwhelming amount of work that was mounting on my studio bench, I decided to take a day off and went to help a friend out. She had a mountain of cabbage to deal with and I had some childhood experience (or just memories) of dealing with sour-kraut, and thus it just seemed like the perfect solution. It took me and her a full day to shred and pickle six five gallon buckets of kraut! I came away from it all thrilled and relaxed, despite the work, and ready to sit at my bench again. It was inspiring and invigorating on a completely different level then one might have thought. And it felt so very good to be doing work for someone else! Besides, cabbage is really beautiful. It reminds me of macrame and layering and all those beautiful things we experimented with while in the studio at school. Might have to revisit some of that again...

Just found this awesome blog by Andrew Goss. (I have adored his work ever since I can remember!!!) It's about concrete... some absolutely amazing things in there, like fabric dipped in concrete. Amazing! Started reading at about 5 am this morning and could not stop... still can not...

manhole covers

A friend of mine likes to take pictures of manhole covers. Another friend just commented about a week ago on how beautiful the manhole covers in parts of Europe are. And then I happened upon this one myself! Out of curiosity, today I did a Google image search of manhole covers and I could not believe the gorgeous images that turned up. We need to appreciate and notice the mundane, the every day object... and make more of these beautiful things!

pottery

Sculpture, pottery, ceramics... whatever you might want to call it. One of my absolutely favourite ceramic artists Andrea Piller has just asked me to do a show with her this winter! I'm absolutely thrilled - crossing my fingers, hoping it can be arranged!!!

balancing act

I had the pleasure of meeting Rudy Kehkla at a show this summer. He had these wonderful stone / fish / vertebrae like mobiles that were like a miniature balancing act - moving and turning and swinging to their own tune. Not only Rudy Kehkla was a neigbour at a show, but it turns out is also a very close neighbour of mine in the city. It was great to have met you! Thanks for the inspiration!!!

blown away

Spent a week-end in Ottawa and happened upon the new War Museum and was completely blown away! Not the contents of the museum, not at all. I'm not one bit interested in the craft of war, but the building itself, the architecture, the angles, the lights, the finishes, the surfaces, the colors of grays and browns and greens... or lack there of.... depends how one looks at it. Oh what an absolutely gorgeous building. Today I'm in complete awe of architects! In love! I knew of the Moriyama & Teshima work done in the city, (mostly around the University) but was completely oblivious to what had sprung up in Ottawa only a few years ago. It is worth a visit, even if you don't like tanks, guns and planes.

published in the 1970's ?

My kids found a book at a library and it has the most amazing illustrations on the cover! It's so well used that I cannot tell the year, but it must be the 70's... I wish I could do this stitch work in metal... ah... and the colours... lovely!

My 9 foot (275 cm) long chain of cubes had a chance to be a part of this really fabulous, interactive show / production in Seattle USA last spring called Exhibition in Motion at the SNAG conference. I wish I could have been there myself, but they have published a wonderful blog with pictures and info and are promising a video soon! Cannot wait! However, I did find this video, shot by an artist in the audience :-) Thanks to my friend A-M P for delivering my work! Above are a few pics of the other decorative & wearable pieces of art at the show.

NOT AN INTRODUCTION

No, this is not an introduction. Introductions to the world of blogs happened in 2005. This is just a belated commentary of things I like and communication with my world of making things, seeing things, noticing things... influences and thoughts, design and fashion, shapes and forms. It just took me a few years to get the ball rolling...