Ring Around Show

Didi Suydam
aquamarine and topaz

I have just added another gallery show to my schedule for summer 2008. This show is focusing on rings and bracelets. From the wild and unconventional, to the beautiful and elegant. It will take place at Didi Suydam Contemporary in Newport, RI.

Didi Suydam
sterling silver

I have long admired the work of Didi Suydam, so I am very pleased to be invited to show in her gallery. Her work first caught my eye as she is one of the few jewelers to incorporate holloware techniques into a jewelry collection. These techniques involve taking a flat sheet of metal and hammering it over a variety of steel forms to actually compress the sides into a rounded form. It is possible to get a shallow bowl form from pressing the metal into an indentation. However, to get a deep form, such as the piece above, it is necessary to do some very precise hammering. Most people give up after making one piece with this technique.

I am expecting to send some of my new Wrought and Brocade series works to the show, including a couple of new pieces. I promise to get a photo posted as a preview before I send them off to the show.

Self-reflection

Wrought Inlay Ring

blackened silver and 18k

This last month has been one of deep self-reflection. The trials of travelling left me in a state that allowed me to break through all of the busyness of my usual routine to take a good look at what direction I want to take in many aspects of my life. I think this is something I should do more frequently, but since it had been postponed so long, it was particularly protracted.

It always surprises me how long it takes to get back into the creative mode after the intensity of the shows. I am usually on fire with ideas and energy before the shows, but it takes a good month to really get fired up again afterwards. I have been challenging myself to balance these extremes. Creativity manifests itself in many various ways and I wonder if creative people have to accept and work with their own ebb and flow, or if it can be manipulated.

On another note, I have another show coming up this summer. For those that have known me for a while, show usually means retail craft show, but actually, these shows are gallery shows. It is a different way of presenting my work to an audience, one that may be better suited to my new work. The latest confirmed show is at the ARTspace Gallery at the Kohler Art Center. The show does not yet have a title, but it is "an exhibition focusing on works that incorporate objects, paintings and jewelry using highly decorative, rococo-inspired techniques in a contemporary manner".

I also found out that I will be in a touring show next year that I am very excited about, but I cannot share the details quite yet. I will post an update when I can.