Sunday Color Snippets

Art Every Day - my day 8

How beautiful leaves grow old.
How full of light and color are their last days.
- John Burroughs

I fell in love yesterday.

Giggle, let me clarify. I left the BF in bed, bundled up and with cameras in tow I ventured to Central Park. I'll admit that my expectations were low - the Autumn colors this year just haven't been their best.

Well, I fell in love. At the Eastern edge of The Ramble I stumbled across leaves that looked painted. The colors weren't consistent across the leaves. It was almost as if a mixed media artist had created a background of color on each leaf.

This maple tree had worked so hard to deliver Autumn that I felt the need to honor it's efforts and share my love.
I played and like a child picked leaves from the ground.
Nearby, I said thank you with all my heart.

May your Sunday be captured in color.

Combining My Love for Photography & Jewelry Making

Art Every Day: Day 12 my day 7

My supplies were delivered, well the bulk of my supplies were delivered, I need a few more things but I am so excited I can't wait any longer to share this with you.

Fellow Flyer, Tracey at Chickpea Studio, posted a step by step how to make your own glass tile necklaces and Michelle at Shells in the Bush posted her most recent pendant creations from her paintings on her blog so I am more than inspired.

I am excited.

What a great way to combine my love of photography with my love of jewelry making. I have always wanted to learn to work with resin but until I have a separate studio space (it can be quite smelly) that will have to wait - so this is the next best thing.

I resized some of photos yesterday just to see if I created the right size, how they would look, blah blah blah. And, I love them.

I gravitate toward many specific things when I take pictures; texture, color, patterns but in looking back through the last few years of photos I realize that I really love flowers, messages from the universe, and street art. So, I've decided to create a mix of pendants from the last three.

Next steps print on glossy photo paper, get the rest of supplies and then wait until next weekend. I need to clean my desk and create some space in my tiny apartment in order for this work to get done in a more efficient manner.

Hmmm, I wonder what I can get rid of - this might be fun.

How you spending your weekend? What are you creating?

AEDM - Phases

Art Every Day - Day 11 my day 6

I knew early yesterday that creating for AEDM just wasn't in the cards. I honestly tend to either crash Wednesday or Thursday nights after my day job and since it didn't happen on Wednesday I knew that it would on Thursday.

So, I consciously decided to take 3 pictures out my window at work during the day.

I work in Manhattan just 2 blocks away from the Empire State building. My office faces North, the sun would be at my back, and one of the buildings across the street is not gray - it is brown, orange and brick. I wanted to capture that building, the sky and the light at 3 separate times.

I took the following pictures close to Noon, 3pm and 5 pm out my closed 11th floor window. These are untouched and unaltered.

Notice how the sky changes, the shadow on the building, and the colors. The light at Noon was so white but by 3pm had become warmer and made the building and the sky richer in color. This is good to know when you are taking portraits. Portraits taken during the middle of the day will be washed out or highly shadowed but if you wait just a few hours the colors will be richer. If you wait too long, you'll miss the best light.

Enjoy

Art Every Day - A Necklace via Knotting

Art Every Day - Day 10, my day 5

I have been working on this necklace for about a month now.

No, not consistently, as you can see by other posts I jump around and work on a lot of different projects. This is a necklace of pearls and shell. Each bead is individually knotted. The knot should be placed as close to the bead as possible. Once the knot is secure it is glued.

It has taken me awhile, because I honestly, I cannot work on knotting consistently for a long period of time. My hands just don't let me - they cramp due to the tension that you must keep on the silk thread when pulling the knot tight. So, I do a few knots a couple times a week.

I choose to not get discouraged because there is no deadline. The process is different than my other endeavors so, I choose to embrace it. I have also come to accept that when a piece speaks to me and needs to be knotted (trust me, I sometimes sit down with a design and the beads end up leading and changing the plan) I quickly know that I just need to trust and go with the flow.

This piece will be finished on the ends with French wire (which basically is shaped like a very tiny slinky). I will create an s-curve clasp and then I will decide to part with it.

Sometimes, parting with a labor of love is the most difficult part of creating.

Do you ever fall in love with your creations?

AEDM - Carving Wax

Art Every Day Month - my day 4

I participated in jewelry making classes a few years ago. Yes, "fine" jewelry making classes. I learned how to carve wax so that my piece could be cast. I learned how to use a jewelers saw and cut a sheet of sterling silver, pound, file, sand, solder, and form my design into wearable art.

Oh, how I miss all of it - so, I've decided that even though I can't have an acetylene torch in my apartment, there are other ways that I can continue my craft.

I sat down at my desk and started by sawing a piece of wax (much harder than candle wax) into a smaller piece, then into a shape resembling what I want in the end. I have decided to create my own small charms: hearts, flowers, a butterfly maybe.

I love to see where this takes me because honestly carving isn't my favorite part of jewelry making. I prefer a sheet of metal. I prefer to take the flat sheet and form, saw and pound it into a 3 dimensional piece of art (see below). I do have to admit though that I had fun starting my charms. For me, the difficult part is next -  refining and sanding the wax piece. It needs to be as perfect as possible - meaning no blemishes so that the casting result has few imperfections.

Below is a necklace I designed and created out of sterling silver and bronze using Swarovski Gems. This was featured in Swarovski's 2010 Gem Visions book and can be seen in full by clicking here.

I love to make jewelry - it really is what makes me dance inside. I get lost in the process and hope one day to create full time with metal and a torch.

What makes you dance inside?  Does your soul sing when you are doing what you love?