All posts by Karen

Creativity, Diversions, Earrings, Metal Work, Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy

Heavy Metal

June 27, 2011 Karen

The creative mind is a funny thing (not funny “ha, ha”, but funny “unexpected”). My day started with an early morning walk. Early for this artist is 9 AM when it’s already good and hot in South Texas. The moment I went out the front door, I spied my mother’s cat, Callie, who has lived with us for ten years. She’s a beautiful little calico who was lounging, full body, in the bird bath which was empty due to our drought. Can you picture her beautiful black, white and yellow body against the white concrete of the bath?

As I started down the hill, I was accosted by the loud sound of one of the hawks that is homing here at the ranch this summer. We’re not talking about a sweet little bird chirp here. We’re talking about a loud “caw, caw, caw” in a screeching tone as the hawk circled my head. I wasn’t sure whether I should run back to the house or hide under a tree. Eventually the hawk went on and I proceeded down the hill.

At the bottom of the hill and on down the road between pastures the wind brought a cool mist from the irrigation machine that was watering the land. It had that marvelous clean smell to it and reminded me of fresh rain. It was cooling for a while, but soon thereafter, my own mist was dripping off my brow as I trudged on in the heat.

The sights and sounds of the ranch engulfed me as I continued walking, encountering little birds, startled calves and lizards swishing through the grass. Just as I was thinking how pleasant it all was, I got to the top of the hill and there stood four of the bulls. They really are beauties in this own right, but the final sound I heard on my walk was the splat, splat as the business of those guys hit the ground. What a bummer!

Long ago, Dr. Sidney Parnes, taught me that one of the best ways to get creative ideas is to engage the senses. From him, I learned to bring fragrant tea or other natural aromas into the creative thinking process. I remember a tactile experience I provided for graduate students who, with eyes tightly shut, gently held a large strawberry in the very middle of one palm while touching it with one finger of the other hand. It sounds crazy, but they did some great descriptive writing following this experience.

With this in mind, I sat at the workbench and let the results of the morning walk wash over me. I thought I might produce something organic and natural looking, but I did not! I ended up with heavy metal jewelry. The pieces below started as foldformed metal and ended with chain. Even though I tried to put pretty beads on the pieces, they just didn’t work. How could the sights and sounds of nature drive me to this?

The piece on the left is a pendant hanging from leather. It started as a rectangular piece of metal and just kept changing. I used a ceramic bead on the leather.

The earrings below were planned as leaves, but that chain just kept getting on them and I finally gave in. They have a nice little swish to them and I’m pleased that they aren’t noisy little fellows.

So here’s the question. How can a morning walk end up as heavy metal jewelry? The answer lies in the nature of creative thought which often erupts from experiences. In this case the experiences were sensory. Those sensory experiences can open the artist to possibilities that were previously blocked. The idea/art produced may have no seeming relation to the experience; yet they are connected. I think it’s important to remember that when ideas cease to flow or your muse has gone home, there are many things you can do to find your way back home. The trick is to be open when creativity knocks on your noggin. A closed mind bears no art!

You see . . . creativity really is a funny thing!

Earrings, Techniques, Wire Work

Earrings Galore

June 24, 2011 Karen

When a customer told me this week that she was out of earrings, I realized that I was too. That started my earring frenzy and allowed me to help my customers stock up.

eardiscs

The first photo shows new disc earrings with turquoise and hammered copper wire dangles. I also made this design with coral dangles and think lapis will adorn the next pair.

The leaves on the second pair were made using foldforming discussed in a previous blog entry.

I think I’ve shown bottle cap earrings previously, but all of a sudden this week I needed 8 more pair. I’m lucky to have a good supply of bottle caps provided by by son. These came all the way from California.

The ‘S” earrings are self explanatory. I also make a big “S” necklace that hangs from a leather chord.

s earrings

I think the design for the pair below, made entirely from wire has possibilities for many other designs. I put a three leaf clover in one pair and hung dangles in another. These are made from 18 gauge wire.

I made several other pairs and found that the assembly line approach worked best in churning them out. I made 10 discs, then 20 bead dangles and 10 wire dangles before assembling the first pair. The same approach worked for making numerous copies of the other styles. Finally, I made about 20 plus sets of ear wires shown on some of the pictured pairs. When I made the ear wires I tried to pick up one tool and use it on all the wires before going on to the next step. For example, I turned a loop on each of the wires before going to the next step. It seemed to expedite things, but I surely did get sick of making ear wires! When I finished those ear wire I wondered why in the world I don’t just buy them at the store.

Now I know what I can sit around and do when I’m bored – make ear wires! I just need to find out how to get bored.

Bracelets, Necklaces, Philosophy, Wire Work

Which Came First. . .

June 12, 2011 Karen

. . . the design or the beads? I’ll bet you thought I was asking about the chicken and the egg.

Something initiates most new ideas, inventions, problem solutions and designs. Artists who say they’ve lost their muse might benefit from the examination of how their art begins. With musicians, the question is often “do you start with words or with melody?” The fiber artist might query whether the fiber drives the design idea or the idea hatches and initiates the search for the right fiber. Does the author select a setting or environment to write about and then create characters or vice versa?

Jewelry designers might well consider the above question “do my better pieces start when I’ve become fascinated by the possibilities for designing with a particular bead OR do I develop a design and then search for what gemstones would compliment it?”

For example, the bracelet on the left started with the square bead. Although you can’t see it in the photo, it is not perfectly flat and I wanted to show off its character. This bead led to the adaptation of my previous dimensional design and required the development of a square, as opposed to oval, face. You may recall the former, shown below, from past blog entries. The tutorial for this one is in my etsy store.

The bead has come before the design several times when customers have brought me rocks or gemstones collected during their travels. It’s often a challenge to make the right design to show off their treasure.

Other times, the design comes first. You’ve previously seen the double wire necklace series. These copper armatures require just the right size and shape beads for elaboration. Since each armature is a bit different, the bead requirements vary from piece to piece. The necklace below, found in my etsy shop, features heishi shaped moonstones and garnet rounds. I played with other beads before finding the right ones for this design.

Of course the bead and the design may come together at one time. Is this the perfect marriage? Do your exciting pieces begin this way?

At this point you may be saying “who cares?” Art just happens. If your art flows freely, you don’t need this analysis, but what if it doesn’t. I think we all go through periods, whether long or short, of inactive inspiration. These are times when we wait for a great idea and it doesn’t come. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that a little analysis of previous work could prove helpful? It doesn’t work for everyone, but it might work for some. During those “dead idea” times, I’d try almost anything!

A careful analysis of my own work reveals that the design usually comes first. I spend a good deal of time playing with wire and that’s how most things hatch. The problem often occurs in the search for the perfect complimentary beads. Sometimes my impatience during this search causes me to use the wrong beads and then the design falls flat. I hope to become a little more patient during upcoming searches.

I’d like to believe that the artist’s muse doesn’t really run away, she just needs a little time to rest now and then. Yet, it wouldn’t hurt for us to give her a little nudge through analysis.

Philosophy

Lucy at Dreamcatcher Ranch

June 7, 2011 Karen

The past few days I’ve looked a bit like Lucy when she and Ethel had the candy wrapping job. I’m sure you have seen snippets of the episode of the I Love Lucy Show where the candy comes faster that Lucy and Ethel can get it wrapped and moved down the assemble line. You can see it on YouTube.

I’ve always tried to make the most of my jewelry design time. Often this means stringing one piece while metal components of another have their turn in the tumbler or dry outdoors after they’ve been properly sealed.

I usually prepare several pieces at once before taking them downstairs to the torching room. Therefore, while some things are annealed or soldered others dry or tumble and this creates an assembly line for the designs – I’ll bet you have the picture. It probably works the same way at your house whether you’re preparing dinner while washing clothes or feeding the cows while the flat on the tractor gets fixed. We all multitask.

This week, however, the tumbler seems to get finished before I’m through stringing and the wire armatures are ready for embellishment before I get the foldformed pieced annealed and into the patina. I feel like someone gave each instrument in my orchestra a different tempo and some are playing a nice andante while others are engaged in a runaway fugue!

OK, you say, just show us the problem. Where are the pictures? Well that’s part of the problem . . . I didn’t get any pictures taken before the pieces went right out. You’ll have to trust me when I say that 13 necklaces, 5 bracelets and 14 pair of earrings have left this Lucy show since Friday.

Tonight, I’m going to stop wrapping those pieces of candy just like Lucy did and take a break. Here’s the only problem. Lucy ate some of those chocolates and I don’t think I should ingest any of these copper components. I guess they are just going to have to stay in the tumbler a few extra hours or just sit and wait to be annealed. What I do know is that it’s time to slow down the assembly line and get control of the schedule. After all . . . who’s is charge here?

family, Philosophy

Thanks Papaw!

May 30, 2011 Karen 4 Comments

On Memorial Day we are reminded of the thousands of military men and women who perished for our freedom. I was touched this morning by the Today Show’s story about young widows of military men who have banded together to help one another and make the most of their now solitary lives.

I am among the lucky ones. I haven’t lost a family member through military service even though my father, grandfather and uncles all served on foreign shores. All of them came home whole. We were blessed. So today I honor my father for his service in the army. He fought in World War II and the Korean Affair, but he never spoke about either. There were no war stories and there was no mention of what he saw or felt. I was left to wonder.

I know he was among those enlisted men who was commissioned during the war and I’ve heard my mother talk of how difficult it was for him to adapt to the change from “one of the guys” to leading the guys. I also know that he learned to cook while in the army; yet her never discussed the difficulties or the true significance of his time. I never even knew how he managed to come home one night from a foreign town wearing the wooden shoes that eventually set on our fireplace mantel instead of his army boots! I’ll bet that would have made a fine story.

At the end of active duty, my dad remained in the reserves and each summer he spent his vacation with other reservists during two weeks of hot summer camp. I don’t even know what he did there other than sweat!

In 2000 when my dad knew he had little time left on this earth, he asked my husband to fetch an old shoe box from his closet. The box held a military belt with a leather holster inscribed with U S. The holster contained a well kept Colt revolver that I had never seen before. My dad told us that he carried this in war time and that his father carried it in World War I. Now it hangs in our locked gun case as an ominous reminder of what was and what remains today. We are a country that fights to protect humanity and continues to sacrifice for the common good.

I now believe that my dad kept his stories to himself for many reasons. In particular, he did not seek sympathy or admiration for what he had done. He just did what most other young men did during that day and time so long ago. I also believe that to talk is to remember and he didn’t want to relive those desperate war days. He simply went on with life and left them behind as best he could. He must have dealt quietly with his own hell of memories and perhaps it’s best that I never knew what he experienced.

Thanks Papaw. I miss you.

Necklaces, Philosophy, Wire Work

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

May 28, 2011 Karen

No, I’m not practicing a witch chant; I’m just continuing my work on the double wire series. You may recall seeing some of these necklaces in a post several entries back. I continue to be fascinated by the myriad of possibilities that exist with this basic design. That’s the “Double, Double” part.

Then there is the toil. Each time I pull out a long piece of wire and double it back, I get excited about what may develop; yet, I toil over how to get just the right balance in the wire armature and the beads. The necklace on the right looks a bit off, but I turned it too much in the photo and it is actually OK in person. I would have taken another photo, but this one found a home yesterday. Part of the toil comes as a result of needing to think of both sides at once. I’ve learned I can’t just do whatever I want with one side of the wire and hope I’ll be able to do something appropriately balanced with the other. It just hasn’t worked that way. Yes, I know I should probably draw the design before I start, but I’m a hands-on designer, not a pencil artist.

A significant part of the toil is determining how many beads to use. Originally, I planned to use many more beads on these armatures. I had an unfinished double wire necklace with me one day while visiting a boutique and wanted to get the owner’s take on the armature shape. She liked it, but didn’t want any more beads on it. She appreciated the simplicity. In other words, she helped me see that less can be more.

Finally, as the title suggests, there’s the trouble part. This occurs when the boutique client calls to request another double wire necklace “just like” the one I sold her last week. “Sure,” I say while wondering what in the world I sold her last week. I often feel like quite the dim wit as a client carefully describes the pieces she wants replicated and I have no recollection of what she’s talking about. Obviously, I must do a better job of taking photos of EVERYTHING. I just haven’t been that disciplined. Yesterday, I went to a gift shop that sells my work and took a photo of the display. It should help me remember a number of the pieces that found a home there. By the way, this store, called Paper Bear, is in San Marcos, Texas. Visit this unique place if you have a chance.

I apologize for the poor photo on the left, but wanted you to see just how different these double wire pieces can be. This one seems to resemble a cat.

I guess my conclusion from all this “double, double, toil and trouble” is that it will continue for me. In the sports arena, that would probably be stated as “no pain, no gain.” Maybe for designers we could say “no play, no pay.” If we don’t play around with our designs (or toil), they will be the same old thing and may not sell. I, for one, am going to continue to play, take lots of pictures and hope for the best.

Earrings, Metal Work, Uncategorized

Upcycled Cans

May 25, 2011 Karen 2 Comments

Designing with cans, reminds me of my childhood. In my small town neighborhood in Medford, Oklahoma, there were no fences; so the backyards sprawled from one to the next without interruption. All ages and sizes of children often played “kick the can” at dusk and I remember that it was great fun. Have you ever played? We actually did not use drink cans, but usually had something larger. I learned quickly that you really should pay attention to the condition of the can. Since I played barefoot, if I kicked a rusted can on a rough point, I came home with a bleeding foot. Yet, this did not deter me from playing again and again. I don’t remember the rules of the game, but it had something to do with running and hiding while someone else counted. Then as the person looked for the hiders, one of us could sneak up and kick the can. Then it all started again. Occasionally, I hid so well that when I finally came out everyone else had gone home. Bummer!

The earrings pictured here are made from Coke, Sprite and V-8 cans. I appreciate that these are lightweight enough to be cut with paper cutters designed for scrapbooking. I’ve found that it is important to use the flattest parts of the can in order to get them into the cutter. Thus far, I’ve been riveting the can pieces onto copper discs, but feel there are many other possibilities.

The earrings on the left seem appropriate for Memorial Day weekend or the Fourth of July. Although the beads appear purple in the photo they are actually blue.

The colors on the V-8 can are more subdued and don’t show up as well on copper discs as shown below. If I wasn’t so cheap, I would try them on sterling silver. But, I AM SO cheap!

I haven’t yet put the earwires in the pair on the right. I think they might also make interesting necklace charms or small pendants.

I’ll continue to play with cans a bit more and especially want to layer several flowers on one disc. I think there are numerous possibilities for some fun summer pieces.

As for any other “play” with these, I’m afraid my days of “kick the can” are over. Now, the freedom I found playing this game is slower paced, but comes from creative expression.

Necklaces, Pendants, Philosophy, Techniques, Wire Work

It’s a Wrap

May 23, 2011 Karen 2 Comments

An expert friend kindly helped me learn a few variations on the wire wraps I use for cabochons. Below are a few that I’ve completed. The first shows a nice moonstone cabachon purchased from Magpie Gemstones (www.magpiegemstones.com) You might like to know that this great online bead vendor is offering a $200 shopping spree to some lucky person. You can get the details at the following link: http://www.magpiegemstones.com/spree.html Check it out.

Below is what I believe is a jasper cabachon. I’ve had it a long time and am debating what it is. You can see the wrap better in the second photo. This piece is in my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/74560684/copper-wire-wrapped-cabachon?ref=pr_shop

I also got this great turquoise cab shown below from the aforementioned vendor. I looked at it on the workbench for several months before deciding what to do with it. Then I wrapped it several different times. This piece is currently in my etsy shop. ( http://www.etsy.com/listing/74554455/turquoise-cabachon-necklace)

The piece below features a titanium plated drusy agate, also from Magpie Gemstones. I wrapped it with sterling silver since it was designed as an anniversary pendant. I’m happy to report that the recipient thought her husband made a good selection.

I completed numerous other wraps, but they were not fit for viewing. As with any new skill, they require practice, practice, practice. I’ve been doing a wrap or two every day before initiating the day’s design production work. I find that when one of my skills is lacking, I lose a great deal of technique if I don’t work on it a bit each day. My other skills that are more refined don’t require this. Here’s hoping I can get cab wrapping to that stage fairly soon.

I’ve done some design research on wraps by looking at the work of others online. I see many beautiful pieces wrapped intricately with tiny wire. Although I like these, they’re not my style. I want to keep a more organic look. I think we each have to find and stick to our own niche.

I find that it’s a big conundrum to determine what to do with a wrapped cab when it’s finished. Should I put it on a neck wire, handmade chain, leather cord or something else? I’m beginning to wonder if I should plan that final look before starting the wrapping. That bears consideration. Let’s just hope that as my wraps improve, that last decision will become easier to make.

Creativity, family, Philosophy

Design Stages

May 21, 2011 Karen 4 Comments

I’ve taken a bit of a break from writing while my family has been visiting. Although I would enjoy showing you pictures of everyone, my grandson was really the only willing subject. He and I thought we might offer you suggestions for steps in the design process.

Incubation: This stage requires relaxation and tension release. It is, of course, important to be free from restraints so that ideas can flow.

This stage may require some action that says “it’s OK to dream and think out of the box. Sometimes it helps to get into a new thinking position while you ponder possibilities. This highly divergent activity could mean you look at supplies or tools from a totally new angle as demonstrated in the photo above.

Marketing Research: This is a much more convergent and structured stage in the design process. It can require serious computer research while you determine if your idea has already been done and/or whether it is feasible.

You will want to be comfortably dressed while conducting this stage.

Practice: You may need to refine a technique or skills before starting your new design. Hammering, for example is a good skill to practice. When practicing, it is often wise to practice the same skill with various types of materials. In this case, my grandson worked with both large head nails and smaller rivets.

Try to keep from being distracted by other interesting things while practicing for your design. This can be a BIG problem!

Production: Once you are satisfied that your skills are perfected, it’s time to start creating your design. Guard against obstacles or personal issues that may get in the way of your work.

You will want to be well rested and free from hunger.

Unfortunately, by the time my grandson reached the completion of this stage, it was time for him to go home. Yet, we know the production stage of design development holds promise and look forward to this two-year old joining in the creative process again soon.

Philosophy, Uncategorized

Mother’s Day – The Nursing Home Experience

May 11, 2011 Karen

This is the pictorial explanation of the title. If you don’t want to look at old women, you should probably skip this entry.

Mamaw’s nursing home had a Mother’s Day party. All the “inmates” (Mamaw’s term) who are mothers were rolled down to the dining room for a celebration. My mother didn’t really think she wanted to go . . . but WE WENT! We tried to be fashionably late and some of the ladies had gobbled their snacks before we got there. Sometimes good food is hard to get in the nursing home.

Of course I wanted to get pictures of my mother, but at first there was little cooperation. When I asked for a smile, she gave me the face in the first photo.

We were offered punch, little finger sandwiches and cupcakes, but Mamaw ate very little. She just kept asking “who are all these STRANGE people?” I attempted to explain that they were relatives of mothers, but she continued to comment about their strangeness until I finally had to put the kibosh on her. I believe that when you are hard of hearing, you tend to talk loudly in crowds. That’s the benefit of the doubt I’m offering her. It seemed that she had more to say about the more rotund females among the strange people than about anyone else. I really wanted to keep that quiet!

I managed to get a photo of Mamaw with her favorite volunteer. This kind woman visits several times a week and also teaches a Sunday School class at the home. We really appreciate all her caring and her work. The best volunteers seem to be those who do not have a loved one at the nursing home. Jealousy often arises in the resident whose “people” are trying to help others. I must be careful. After all, I’m told; I’m not their daughter.

Another volunteer was kind enough to snap a couple of photos of Mamaw and me. I told Mamaw to try and look like she liked me and I think she did a good job. I guess you can tell from the photos that this great woman, my mother, might just be feistier than I am! I really glad she’s my mom!

Dreamcatcher Designs