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In my quest to support my fellow artists and makers during the pandemic, it has occurred to me that I probably don’t need anymore mugs. So when artist Bri Larson released her latest batch of ceramics, I resisted the temptation to buy another mug and opted for this adorable little vase instead.
I’m a sucker for a good artist biography, and this book on sculptor Ruth Asawa did not disappoint. I’ve been lucky enough to see a number of Ruth’s iconic hanging wire sculptures, thanks to my many trips to San Francisco (where, thanks to living there for most of her life, she is best known), but I confess I knew very little about Ruth’s life or art beyond those. Which is a shame, because Ruth Asawa was a badass!!
I’ve been continuing my mission of staying home and supporting artists and makers online as much as possible this year. But I will admit I’ve been pretty bad at documenting it, which is a shame, because I’ve purchased some incredible art this year!!
So today, I thought I’d share two recent ceramics purchases on display in my studio. (With some plants and paintings of course!)
Somewhere in the evolution of my jewelry brand, people started thinking of me as a minimalist. Not in the throw away all your stuff sense (because we all know THAT will never happen) but in the design sense of the word. Paired down. Simple. Clean lines. Not a lot of excess. Mostly black white and grey. Etc, etc.
Which is pretty ironic for a girl whose MFA thesis explored floral patterned textiles in the domestic interior.
Last week I headed to New York City for Jewelry Week. But before I got down to some serious jewelry seeing, I had to make a trip to see the Yayoi Kusama Infinity Room at David Zwirner Gallery. It was my first time seeing a Yayoi Infinity Room in person, and while I wished I could have stayed in longer (entry was very strictly time) it was still a pretty great experience.
And then of course, I couldn’t resist taking a pic of one of my Contra Collection rings in front of another work by Kusama.
I’ve been sharing lots of pictures of the gorgeous grounds at Golden Rock Inn Nevis, but the truth is, my room was pretty great too! The owners of Golden Rock are artists themselves, and the rooms definitely have a modern bohemian vibe that clearly came from an artist’s eye.
A couple of months back, I shared that I had moved this chair from my MFA thesis into my current studio. What I didn’t share is that one of my big goals (that I could never seem to get around to) was to actually share both the images and text from my thesis on my website.
But finally, only 13 years after I actually completed my thesis, I have FINALLY published my MFA thesis on my website. I’m so proud of not only the work, but the research that went into this project, and it continues to inform not only the designs of my jewelry but how I think about the world to this day.
So if you’re curious to know more about this project, you can see images and read the full text here!
Since I pulled out my watercolor markers again a few weeks ago, I’ve also found myself revisiting some of my favorite art books. (From some of my favorite art exhibitions.) And my current go-to for inspiration has been the exhibition catalog from the Matisse/Diebenkorn show that I saw two years ago.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find out about it in time to see it at the Baltimore Museum of Art (which is much closer to me) but I was going to be in San Francisco while it was up at SFMOMA, so I made it a point to clear out time in my travel schedule to see the show.
It definitely didn’t disappoint. I’ve seen a number of Matisse shows in the last handful of years, but this was the first time I really looked at Diebenkorn’s work. The show explored the ways that Diebenkorn was inspired by Matisse, but yet at the same time, Diebenkorn’s paintings have their own identity.
My favorite work of the entire show was the one above, called Coffee. I’m not exaggerating when I say it literally brought tears to my eyes.
Sadly, no photograph or reproduction does justice to the depth and soul this painting has in person. But still, I’m using it as a beacon as I think about the kinds of paintings I want to create. I know I have a long way to go, but I like that the idea of this painting gives me some kind of direction for my own.
Speaking of my own paintings, I’m still just doing some small works with watercolor markers. (Though I’m hoping to move into some bigger paintings on canvas this summer when I’m not so bogged down with jewelry orders.) I’ve been inspired by the silos I’ve seen doing lots of driving in the countryside where I live, but I’ve also been thinking about how those relate to some of the shapes I was drawn to last summer.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know this new year has brought a bit of a transition for me. I’ve had to temporarily relocate out of my beloved studio so that we can repair some damage to the subfloor. (The result of some flooding that took place last summer.) While it’s definitely not ideal to have to move studio spaces (especially while I’m prepping for two trade shows) I’m doing my best to see the positives in the situation.
Fortunately, I’ve got a lovely space to relocate to while we do the repairs. Last winter, I did a little cosmetic renovation on our den (including painting the floor) and it’s made for the perfect happy space to relocate my business to for a few months while we do the repairs on my studio. And while I don’t love giving up my skylights in the middle of winter, I’m focusing on making this new space a bright, happy oasis filled with paintings and plants!
One of the highlights of my trip to New York City Jewelry Week was the opportunity to see Jewelry: The Body Transformed, the blockbuster jewelry exhibition at the Met. (Ok, technically, I saw it twice while I was on the trip. And once more last weekend, since a friend and I had to go to New York anyway to coach a cross country meet in the Bronx.) But can you blame me? The Met is my favorite museum in the world, and to see my chosen profession given top billing in such a prominent exhibition just makes me incredibly happy.
Just seeing the introductory text is a thrilling testament to the power of jewelry: