Walk with me

Walk with me Handmade ceramic pendant and two round beads.  Glazed and high-fired to cone 5/6, pooka shells, stone beads, found objects, natural strings.
Walk with me
Handmade ceramic pendant and two round beads. Glazed and high-fired to cone 5/6, pooka shells, stone beads, found objects, natural strings.
Seed bead Hand carved ceramic bead with relief glazing.
Seed bead
Hand carved ceramic bead with relief glazing.

Hello! From two summers ago, a memory of a tangled seaweed necklace studded with rocks inspired this recent work. I named this ‘Walk with me’ because I think of the person wearing it as a collector who picks up bits and pieces on long meanders on the beach or in the woods and strings them in her memory.

This is one of the artworks featured at the annual Edge Arts Collective show at the Orcas Centre Gallery on Orcas Island. The show is one of the most anticipated of the year among island artists and collectors, not least because of its swinging opening night party. It opens this Friday October 4th, party starts at 5.30pm. All invited.

I’ve had a long busy summer, and Fall (my favourite time of year! featuring my favourite colours!) signals my time to hunker down in the studio and translate my summer’s travels and inspirations in new work. Off I go. Won’t you walk with me?

Citrus Denim

"Citrus Demin" Hand stamped ceramic pendant, oxide rub, celadon and clear glazes; found beads and custom made black cord with stainless steel clasp
“Citrus Demin” Hand stamped ceramic pendant, oxide rub, celadon and clear glazes; found beads and custom made black cord with stainless steel clasp

Citrus Denim

This one’s available too at the Annual Salmonberry Silent Auction and Dinner – the school’s main fundraiser event – that takes place this Saturday evening, May 4th on Orcas Island. The details are in the description in the photo caption above. This beautiful piece measures 2.25″ x 3″ and comes with a 16″ black cord, all beautifully packaged in a giftbox. Mother’s Day gift? If this one speaks to you, contact me at optimismandco@gmail.com with your bid (any amount) BEFORE 3pm Pacific Standard Time, Saturday, May 4th and I’ll put your name on the bid list. I’ll contact you with delivery details if you win!

Have a cow

'Mover and Shaker' Pin, pendant and bag tag
‘Moover and Shaker’ Pin, pendant and bag tag

"You Moove Me" Pin, pendant and bag tag
“You Moove Me” Pin, pendant and bag tag
"A Moodern Heart" pin, pendant and bag tag
“A Moodern Heart” pin, pendant and bag tag

Three of my latest cow pins/pendants/bagtags are available for bids this Saturday at the Salmonberry School Silent Auction and Dinner on Orcas Island – the school’s annual fundraiser. Each pin measures 2.5″ x 2″ and is handstamped and carved from brown clay that is then glazed in iron oxide and satin white. If there’s one you like, contact me at optimismandco@gmail.com with your bid (any amount) BEFORE 3pm Pacific Standard Time, Saturday, May 4th and I’ll put your name on the bid list. I’ll contact you with delivery details if you win!

Putting it out there

Display box of 5 ceramic pendants, embellished with seashells, found beads, jadeite stones and vintage buttons.  For individual purchase.  Prices from USD68 to USD128.
Five handcarved ceramic pendants, embellished with seashells, found beads, jadeite stones and vintage buttons. Available as a set or individually.

My first showing of work on Orcas Island!  I exhibited two sets of ceramic jewelry in keeping with the show’s theme of Wearable Art.  I was surprised to find myself the only artist to show jewelry (not a bad thing on hindsight), which serendipitously complemented the sumptuously handmade, hand beaded cloaks, costumes, fabric, masks and puppets on display. The costume works of Judy Tepley was astounding in their detail and intricacy, and I felt humbled thinking of the effort I spent in the mere bits of beading and threading I incorporated in my set of ceramic pendants above.

The show opened on Dec 1 with a warm reception that was perfectly family-friendly, with artists on hand to help with mask making and sock puppet creations, not to mention a delightful spread of pre-Christmas bites.  My boys thus occupied, gave me time to chat with other artists and guests I have never met.  It was a nice low-key debut personally.

I love the custom-framed box above and want to give special mention to its designer and maker –  the very creative Andy Troxel – who used seasoned wood reclaimed from the humble pallet, and pulled it all together  at a week’s notice.  Thank you, Andy!

Hung at the entrance foyer of Orcas Center for the Wearable Art Show.
Hung at the entrance foyer of Orcas Center for the Wearable Art Show.
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My second display at the Show – a collection of elegantly simple ceramic pendants in earth colored glazes, inspired by the twigs and the curled shavings of tree bark picked up while beachcombing on Orcas Island.

Past Life Of A Pendant

When I design something, I do think about how it can be used, but this little piece surprised me.  Can you tell what this pendant was originally designed for?

Anvil Blue on waxed cords

Not so successful in its original purpose, I strung it on three waxed cords on a whim, the night before a sale, and sold four of these the next day. Something about the shape, the way it sits on the neckline or where it leads the eye, flatters the wearer.  Dare I say sexy?   Someone said it had a retro reference, well, an added bonus.   It looked good with the bare shoulder styles in tropical Singapore.  I left it at that.

Anvil Blue on Wool

On Orcas, where the pacific Northwest summer breeze is more unpredictable, I strung the last pendant in this style on a necklace that I had made using curly knitting wool that I had woven like a ‘friendship band’ in some sections, and it changed the look of the pendant immediately.  It can be worn lower on the front, over turtlenecks and sweaters, almost like a long, loose scarf, warm and fuzzy around the neck. Neat.  Now I have a versatile accessory that adapts to the seasons.  It would be fun to wrap around the waist as a belt buckle too.   To think it started life as a napkin ring.

I once was a napkin ring

 

Sold in the USA

BW-W32 Porcelain Rattle Bottle in Blue & White - Click Image to Close
Porcelain Rattle Bottle in Blue and White
by Ellen Wherrette

I write this, totally bemused.  I’ve made my (unexpected) first sale here in the US. Yay!  I was on Day Two of the annual Orcas Island Artists Studio Tour, visiting the studio of ceramic artist and sculptor, Ellen Wherrette, when she bought one of my own floating ceramic necklaces right off my neck – literally.  She liked it so much that she put it on immediately.  Truth be told, it looked better on her than it did me. Thanks, Ellen, for a wonderful morale boost – I am honoured!

I made it months ago in Singaporean ceramic artist Jessie Lim’s studio.  It features a fired, hand carved tribal mask pendant in an oxide wash, strung together with similarly treated hand coiled ‘bone’ fragment beads.  The oxide was brushed on, left to dry and then burnished off with newspaper to get the aged effect.  I used a clear nylon string so the beads would float on the wearer’s neck.

Here is a much chunkier version of the piece that Ellen now owns, to give you an idea.

The chunkier Tribal Mask necklace