I am excited to be teaching two workshops this summer 2017.  The first workshop is June 26-30, 2017 and is at MISSA on Vancouver Island, BC.  The workshop is Image and Mark-Making in Enamel: Surface Exploration.   Here is a link to MISSA so you can check it out https://missa.ca

I will also be teaching later in the summer at Danaca Design in Seattle, very happy to be returning there.  The studio and the owner Dana Carlson is wonderful and the students have been great.  The workshop Image and Mark-Making in Enamel happens August 18-20, 2017.  Here is a link to Danaca Design http://www.danacadesign.com/index.php?p=classes&c=coming

I’m excited that these two pieces have been accepted for the upcoming exhibition Alchemy4. This exhibition is the 16^th Juried International Enamel Exhibition, sponsored by the Enamelist Society and the exhibition dates and venues are:

July 29 – August 26, 2017 – Alchemy4 Exhibition at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

September 10 – October 22, 2017 – Alchemy4 Exhibition at Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH

January 7 – April 29, 2018 – Alchemy4 Exhibition at National Ornamental Metals Museum, Memphis, TN

In November 2016 I was excited to take a master class with Lori Talcott at Pratt Fine Arts Centre in Seattle.  The class was called “Intelligent Making”, in Lori’s class description she stated the “workshop aims to develop the skills artists need to align and articulate the many aspects of their studio practice”. We were fortunate to have Maria Phillips join us as a guest instructor as Lori and Maria made for an exceptional teaching team.  As stated in Lori’s class outline we “investigated research strategies to assist in identifying our interests and locate our work both in a cultural and historical context.   Various modes of writing were employed to generate, develop and articulate ideas with a goal to bypass art speak and cliches and concentrate on the aspects that make the work personal and idiosyncratic”.   In the workshop, Lori facilitated discussions of the assigned readings, directed exercises, and conducted both group and one on one discussions about our work.  Lori’s questions and directions provided me with new ways of approaching and thinking about my work.   As a result of this challenging but immensely supportive and enriching workshop, I am consuming different essays and writings and looking at different work in order to understand the context of my own work.   I am giving more consideration to the language, and images I use and asking myself why I am taking the approach I am.  My goal is a coherent body of unique work reflecting my interests.  Thank you, Lori Talcott, Maria Phillips, and Pratt for this excellent class and thanks to Amelia Milner for these photographs.

Please join me for the opening of Celestial Comets, Cupids & Other Heavenly Bodies at Facere Jewelry Art Gallery on February 8, 2017.  The exhibition runs Feb 8 – 28, here’s one of my pieces “Oort Cloud”

I know some of you will be groaning, but I just have to post a little about the snow.  We get snow so irregularly on the West coast that for me it’s a magical time.  As I’m not able to get to the studio I am just enjoying the snow. Enjoy the view from my perspective. 

As this new year begins I look back at 2016 New Years 2016, lucky to have spent it in one of the special places in the world…Tofino.  2016 was an intense, exciting year..beginning with this wonderful holiday with friends, a number of exhibitions, a residency and travel in NS, fabulous workshops..more on those workshops in future posts.  Which brings me to my goal for 2106. to post more regularly on my news page during this coming year.  Happy New Year..thanks for following on my journey.

Louise Perrone and I had a blast at Granville Island, thank you to everyone who came out. This was an ‪#‎jewelrydialgue‬ event for our upcoming exhibition at Craft Council of BC.  Pretty excited about this exhibition opportunity and very grateful for all of CCBC’s support.

Here’s a few views of my bench and work.  I knew what I had planned would change and although I brought copper mesh and enamels I haven’t yet used them.  I was little sidetracked to find an Orion Pulse Arc Welder and an electroformer at NSCAD…I have been using thin copper to foil to rapidly make shapes and form them.  More on the Pulse Arc Welder in another post.

As part of the Artist in Resident responsibilities, you give an informal artist talk in the Anna Leonowens Gallery.   On Wednesday, June 15 I gave my scheduled talk but as the summer session is a little quieter I was concerned that I would be chatting with 2 or 3 people so I was happily surprised by the number of people who attended.  The students are from all disciplines and asked some interesting questions about my work and process.  Thank you to everyone who attended, really enjoyed sharing my work and process with all of you.