cold connections - alexander calder

mary jane dodd

alexander calder - stabile

yesterday and today are about inspiration - 

susan lenart kazmer's book not only inspires, but teaches. 

today i wanted to share a side of one of the great masters of art that some of you may not have known about. many of you may recognize alexander calder for his sculpture - huge mobiles and stabiles that are perfectly balanced... often massive metal works that float seemingly effortlessly in the air, set in motion by only a slight breeze. 

this amazing man also made jewelry - and with his very large tools i might add.

i took some pictures from another of my favorite books, calder jewelry, to show you how he used cold connections in his work. 

alexander calder 

rivets

alexander calder

wire loops

alexander calder

tabs

alexander calder

paddle ended wire

cold connections aren't what you use because you don't know how to solder. this method isn't 'less' to soldering, it's just different. 

it's a choice. 

a choice that adds much to the overall design, a choice that will challenge you to be certain that your technical and aesthetic considerations have been thought out well. 

do you want these connections to take center stage? because they certainly can

or do you want them to be what they are? a way of connecting, providing structure, movement and a subtle design influence.

i am really excited about this challenge. 

like most of you, i have to allow things to percolate for a bit before sitting down to make. whenever i would submit to art bead scene's monthly challenge i inevitably would get my entry in on the last day. simply because ideas had to move around in my brain, get filtered and distilled.

mjd - 2010 calder challenge

enjoy your weekend - here in the midatlantic, foliage is peaking. 

life is good, yes?

Dreaming of Fall

Blog by Genea C-K

Hello friends!

I don't know about you, but I am dreaming of fall! I am not really into this hot weather crap. I love the crisp cool days, the changing leaves, wearing hoodies and jeans. I also love the earthy fall color palette. 

Color Palettes by Design Seeds.

"City Color"

"Color Yarn"

"Nature Tones"

It's no wonder I fell in love with my birthday gift from Karen and Nellie!  I just love the dreamy pastels and earth tones together. It's like a blend of spring and fall.

Here are a few of my favorite picks: Coffee Light and Sweet Sari Silk , Ceramic Discs, Large Hollow Pie Bead,  Interlocking Hammered Copper Chain.

For a little inspiration here are some GORGEOUS earrings on of my customers, Lisa Cone created. I just love everything about them! They remind me of finding treasures in the forest.

Are you dreaming of fall? What are you favorite fall beads?

xo Genea

Fall is in the Air!!!!

 Although I've lived in Florida for years now, I grew up in NW Pennsylvania, and fall is always one of my favorite seasons....It's hard not to get a little wistful when I hear talk of people busting out sweaters, hitting up football games on a friday night, talking about weather that calls for spiced lattes and teas...I fondly remember the crunch and crackle of raking leaves and seeing summer's bounty slowly fade into oranges, reds, and then into warm browns as nature, finally spent, winds down for a rest.

Although, our fall here in  Florida is much less pronounced, I look forward to turning off my AC and opening the windows for some fresh cool air that begins coming in a few short weeks!

So, let's grab a nice spice chai tea let's take a fall walk through Love My Art Jewelry member's shops to celebrate the season!

This beautiful pendant by Mary Jane evokes the smell of burning leaves and the beautiful glow of a autumn bonfire.......

Doesn't this collaborative set of Staci & Genea's remind you of a perfect day at the pumpkin patch? These colors evoke the beautiful hues of autumn with just a pop of beautiful blue sky.

Copper enameled hoops by Mary Ann can't help sing the praises of autumn's beautifully changing leaves.....

My own Lumpy Vertebrae beads remind me of smoldering bonfires.......

The colors in these fantastically shaped beads by Libby remind me of the first frost on the tips of the leaves.....

The buttery warm medley in Stacie's earrings remind me of taking a deep breath on a fall and feeling the last warm rays of indian summer kissing my face.

and finally, this stunning pendant by Julie, reminds us to pull on our cozy hats as autumn fades into the coolness of winter!

Thanks for taking a fall walk with me! I don't know about you, but I feel very inspired by autumn now, even way down here in Florida!

mary jane dodd

'paradoxically, we achieve true wholeness

only by embracing our fragility

and, sometimes, our brokenness.'

~ jalaja bonheim 

when one thing leads to another

mary jane dodd

yesterday was a blustery day... and many a leaf took flight...

in my head the words of samuel taylor coleridge circled about in a sing song-y type of way...

'the one red leaf, the last of its clan,

that dances as often as dance it can,

hanging so light, and hanging so high,

on the topmost twig that looks up to the sky.'

so i went to my bench and cut, shaped, hammered, filed, drilled and riveted... 

to get this... 

and once they are all done - 

these are waiting for me... 

my patience is being sorely tested - 

but i am ever so grateful for the ability to interpret and act upon what i am moved by...

october art spark

mary jane dodd

'every leaf speaks bliss to me,

fluttering from the autumn tree.'

~ emily bronte

trees bursting into flames of orange, red, yellow... leaves falling like rain... rustling against your shoes as you shuffle through them... finding yourself unable to resist their pull... 

your challenge for the month - 


color and movement...

there are many ways to create movement in a piece... using split rings and wrapped loops to dangle beads are some easy ones... 


but i really love wire paddles and trapeze components - i find them to be fun and versatile...

a trapeze can have a wire across the top to hold more beads (here i used lampwork glass by mika collins at pinocean) ...

this trapeze has an open top and uses a wire paddle to highlight a special bead (here a lampwork glass bead by our own patty lakinsmith)... 


if you would like to try these, you don't need much... 


12 or 14 gauge wire for the trapeze
18 gauge wire for wire across the trapeze
14 gauge wire for the paddles
(all wire purchased at the hardware store)
beads
mini washers, bead caps
a hammer
a bench block
round nose pliers
chain nose pliers
flush cutters
metal file
something round to wrap wire around - ring mandrel, prescription bottle, anything you can find in the house that does the job... 


for the paddles...

cut a 2" piece of 14 gauge copper wire... file one end... when you hammer metal, you move it... to create paddles begin in the middle of the wire and work your way down towards the end... the more times you hit, the flatter and wider it will become... so you want to hammer the most down at the end to create a wide paddle shape... if you have rough edges, use your file... remember, files work in the stroke moving away from you... use it only in the one direction, never using a sawing motion, as it will dull the tool... 

slide a bead down the wire to see where (and if) it stops... i use washers or bead caps to adjust the placement of my bead... personally, i like when the earrings aren't symmetrical... 

the beads on the earrings above have very small holes and didn't require any washer at all... 

the holes in these beads happen to be a bit larger... 

for the pendant i chose bead caps... 

using your round nose pliers you will create a loop at the top (trimming off excess first if you feel it is too long)... place loop over your ring or trapeze and tighten with chain nose pliers... 

the trapeze is simply constructed as well... 

(here i work off of the longer piece of heavier wire)

wrap wire around a ring mandrel, prescription bottle, wooden dowel, handle, hammer head, anything that does the job... 

cut opposite side... 

using your round nose pliers, create loops at either end... you have a choice of whether to orient them to the side or the back... 

i usually hammer at this step and use my fingers to work the shape the way i would like it... hammering work hardens the metal and allows it to keep its shape better... my aesthetic choice also happens to be a bit more rustic... if you have a tumbler, you can keep your piece round and shiny and harden the metal that way... 

in the finished pieces above you can see how the different loop orientations affect the design... in this one i ran ball chain through the loop... 

please do not feel limited by these ideas - they are just that... create movement and color in your own beautiful way... we are waiting to see your interpretation... 

now for the rules of the art spark: 

1. all work submitted must be 75% handmade - you can use components made by others - but we encourage you to experiment as well... 

2. please submit your images to our flickr group... unlimited submissions per artist, up to 3 views of the piece... however, you will be entered once for our monthly giveaway... and you will be in the running for designer of the week once as well (we need to spread the love, right?)...

3. along with the image, a glimpse into your process, some insight would be appreciated... also please give credit for any work that is not your own... 

4. your work does not have to be completed jewelry... if you wish to submit images of components you make, that is just fine... again, some insight into how it relates to the theme of the month would be great... 

here is what our sponsors have donated for the month:

dvd on cold connections

jardin de primavera cab from 

cabbing rough

gorgeous enamel work from

barbara lewis

how it works:

a weekly designer is chosen from the flickr group on mondays... 

a randomly chosen participant on october 31st will be the winner of items donated by our sponsors... please have your images uploaded by the 30th, i would hate for anyone to be overlooked because of this... 

*** this is the one year anniversary of our challenges - thank you to all those who have participated in the past and will participate in the future... we value the symbiotic relationship that has developed... we learn from you as (hopefully) much as you learn from us... the collaborative nature of this community is one we are proud to be involved in... 

i am moved by ~

the colors of autumn... looking up through flame bright trees into crisp bright blue skies...

manifestations of fragile strength... delicate  hand dyed fibers wrapped around strong, life worn circles of copper... 

knowledge that is unearthed from within us when we put fear aside; if you open up, it will present itself...