In symmetry

Old piece, new piece. I had this casting for a long time. I sat on it, almost literally. That is OK.
I decided it would be a good time to revisit. Perhaps there's a bit of symmetry in all this
chaos, and chaos is good.
I'm quite pleased with them even if they are not in perfect design harmony with the current direction, but they reflect my inner desire for that perfect symmetrical asymmetry.

Caged but free

New piece made in between the time spent on repetitive work. It was refreshing, quick and easy. I love it when it just pours out and it's accepted on the other side as well (meaning the person whom it is going to was wowed by it. So was I. )

"Caged but free", tonight in yoga idea of freedom or attaining freedom was mentioned, and I thought this would be an appropriate title. We seem caged (contained) but we are free, inherently, always..free

M.I.A

Life sometimes throws us some incredible obstacles. It is testing our patience, it's our stress test, just like the ones performed by the government recently on our banks. How much can you handle? What is your breaking point? Also, what are you doing wrong that things get thrown back in your face. You're not going according to the flow of life. You are fighting it.

So I survived this stress test, I feel good, better than I thought I would, I thought I'd feel discouraged. I feel a renewed sense of optimism. It is fleeting at moments, but those moments occur when I start projecting into the future. When I am aware of "now" and this particular moment, life flows and feels rewarding and good.

Here's an image from Zurich's "Z" magazine, thanks to my pal David Vandeval. This was such a surprise, such a wow my work can look that good, wow I can be a part of fashion in a way that I never thought I could. It's inspiring, rewarding and fun.

Thank you David! Thank you Nico!

Artist statement- simplified

I am always thinking about what I am making as I am making it and I am always curious to define for myself what drives my creativity.
The most honest (and this is still work in progress) came today, it will start something like this:
Oblik concerns itself with the journey of the line. It is simply interested in seeing the line move, create form, become a shape. It watches the line repeat itself numerous times to test the creators patience. The line mimics what happens in nature alas not intentionally rather intuitively.

To be continued....

The Hurricane

or any other name for that matter. It reminds me of the chaos in my head, that is neither good or bad, it just is like that at the moment. I am navigating through interesting times and I think this sort of represents what I am working through. We tend to run in circles, meet the same challenges and situations all the time, it means we very seldom step out of the whirlpool and make a leap out. The saying "History repeats itself" is a perfect example of that.

I am working on taking that leap, and at the moment am completely embracing my chaos, sometimes with more grace and ease than other times. It is all part of the process. These photos are of unfinished piece I tend to use for the upcoming show in May.

It is one of those pieces I'm not sure about, but I think I like it more than not.

Repeat

I always pass the barn doors on my way home. I love them for multiple reasons. My healthy obsession with repeat patterns in nature and around me; their color; the style of the door that clashes with the neighbourhood feel.
Last week en route to the studio the garbage cans and their lids offered further repeat pattern structure I enjoy.
These had to be recorded for me since my line repeat obsession gets carried through everything around me. It is a satisfying, almost cooing feeling for me, noticing these unintentional repeat patterns in nature.

In progress

Work for the exhibit is coming along. In the midst of all the press and blog activity last week, I finally ventured into the new idea yesterday. It was a good and a bad day to start something. I felt tired but I was partially motivated. But I inched on forward I wanted to see if this is the piece I will take to the next level. I think I like the way it's going. The name could be "A piece of New York", or something relating to the physical space I live in. I had the slate piece for a long time and I wanted to include it into the work as a token of remembering other building blcoks of this town.
Seems to be a complex piece, as seen in my overly elaborate soldering set up.

This morning I took a photo of my spring 3 graces. I picked them up at the farmers market on Saturday and they are slowly opening up. It was wonderful to sit down to do some personal work and meditation while taking a look and seeing them slowly open. It brings up the orange in our bedroom discussion, which will soon have to be really thought about. Kevin's desk is coming along quite wonderfully and within a couple of weeks I hope to have it in the room. The room needs a paint job and I think a splash of color. Orange and walnut I love so I hope to try for it again.

Preparation for a show

Lots has happened. I have been M.I.A. for the past month or so and just trying to explore this new situation that I have created for myself. Creativity has been flowing and then it grinded to a halt I think fear managed to creep in.

I think I'm back in my mode, and am working on preparing pieces for an upcoming group show at the Taboo Gallery in San Diego, California.

Just picked up a copy of Lucky Magazine with a piece published there. I am very happy to see things slowly taking an interesting course. I like the duality, the fashion foward and fashion right of my pieces, and I like the marriage to the craft world that I come from as a trained metalsmith. I would like to keep my feet in both worlds as this work progresses.

I am working still with my lines and am pursuing two things. One is this idea of the line and patience exploration. The other side a subconscious layer, the idea of change, personal experience through abstraction of my jewelry art. I am interested in beautiful forms that have movement and are appealing, but when I look at them I think about the place that I am in mentally and how that reflects through each and every piece.

This is "Grass is always greener...." and it's two rows of multiple wires that are hammered on the ends and dipped and oxidized.

I look at it and I see this vibrant time for myself and I see the parallel how we always think that the particular situation we are in is never as good as it can be. I am trying to be very present and allow myself to explore and enjoy this creative time and space that I have finally allowed myself to experience.

The second piece in work is called "Change", the two worlds that I am working on personally, the idea that we have this 3D world we live in and then we just have us. Or I have I am. And it's a tempestuous sea at the moment, it's murky and unclear, but I am trying to guide myself through it and come out with less weight on the other side. It's hard work, but I like that I can explore it visually and three-dimensionally as well as mentally.

the list

-acceptance Delaware with sales at the show
-front page for a week with sales within the month of February 2009
-acceptance by the retail places I submit my work to

-trip to CO at the end of February 2009

-trip to Ljubljana and a successful show

-sewing class

-continue with this sense of calm and contentment with everything that comes my way

Beach mornings and holiday time

These were my mornings. This one rather crowded one, but still enjoyable. Tybee in the winter time. I made sure that I was out each morning around 7am at the latest with the dog, to breathe in the air, the quiet and beautiful sunrise. I was out there in the afternoon or late mornings for a walk, just taking in as much as possible. Reflecting and being quiet was easy for that week, despite the large number of people at the house and kids getting up early in the morning. It is always easier to be around other people`s families because you can enjoy them without the history that comes with your own family.

Which brings me to my current struggle. Day 4, I am stuck in the realms of cigarette smoke, and somewhat of a lock down in the house since my family doesnt believe in outside activities. We are so different, and here is my chance to be with it and accept it and learn to let go, yet I engage in the same old pattern that seems to cause me grief and anxiety.

We never do much, we sit around, and we seldom go out to enjoy the really beautiful nature that surrounds this place. The house is in the sticks and the only thing that is wonderful around here is nature and we don`t go out. We sit and breathe in cigarette smoke and we don`t open the windows. Ah yes so much I can be sad and upset about.

In any case, we all have our struggles. And this is one of mine. As much as I feel that I have made leaps into living a more mindful life, this part of my life always fails to be in sync. Eckhart would say that this is what my practice should be about. So much more to learn...