The Jeweler’s Directory of Decorative Finishes
Posted by Administrator on Dec 28, 2006
The Jeweler’s Directory Of Decorative Finishes
I got this book as a Christmas gift, and I’m really enjoying it. It is organized into chapters for various techniques used to addd color and/or texture to metal. Some examples are fusing, patinas, roller printing, and etching, although he covers at least twice that many techniques. An explanation of each techniqe is given, followed by ten or so samples of sheet metal that has been colored or textured using that technique, and an explanation of exactly how the technique was used to obtain the given finish. The samples are numbered, and then the chapter ends with a few pages of inspiring finished jewelry. Each piece of jewelry in the gallery has a number (or numbers) next to it that correspond to the sample finishes, so that you can see how a given method might look in a finished piece of jewelry.
This book is geared toward someone who already has a basic knowledge of how to craft metal jewelry. An advanced jewelry maker will probably still find inspiration in the variety of finishes McGrath shows in the book. A complete beginner might be able to acheive some of the finishes shown, but without knowledge of how to make jewelry out of there colored/textured metal, might feel frustrated, as the book does not go into detail on basic jewelry making techniques. For me personally, it is a book I will probably refer to often. I already know some of the techniques, but others, such as enameling and granulation, are on my list of things to learn someday. Even in the chapters on techniques I am more familiar with, there were a few effects shown that I wouldn’t have thought of trying on my own.
Happy Holidays!
Posted by Administrator on Dec 19, 2006
Happy Holidays, and thanks to everyone who stopped by my shows and Open Studios this past month. In case I forgot to tell you, I guarantee my work, so if you bought something as a gfit that turns out to be not quite what she wanted, or if a piece gets damaged somehow, please let me know - I can fix damaged pieces and exchange gift items for a better color, different style, etc.
If anyone in the Berkeley area is reading and needs last minute gifts, I will be at my studio a lot this week so you still have time! Contact me to make an appointment or just see if I’m there before you drive by.
Top 20 works of art worldwide?
Posted by Administrator on Dec 6, 2006
A post on Art Biz Blog led me to this Top 20 list of the “best” works of art in the world.
I’m probably admitting too much about my lack of knowledge of art - both classical, modern, post-modern, etc - considering I aspire to make my living off of art and fine craft - but I thought it would be fun to share about my favorite works of art.
When I traveled around Europe for the first time about five years ago, there were two pieces of art that really made me stop and catch my breath. Both were by Michelangelo: David (in Florence) and the Pieta (St. Peter’s in Rome). I went to a *lot* of art museums, and granted, I was sometimes probably too hungover to appreciate the art (it was right after college graduation), but those two pieces would still top my list of “old” art. I guess that probably shows my preference for sculpture. While I did see many incredible paintings, none struck me as much as these two sculptures.
The next time I toured western Europe, about a year later, I discovered some modern art that I really liked at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. There was an abstract painting by Matisse, and some sculpture by Calder, that stood out to me among lots of other really interesting modern art there. I don’t remember the names of the pieces, but the images stuck with me after leaving Paris. I also discovered in Paris the girlfriend (or maybe wife?) of Rodin, Camille Claudel, while at the Rodin museum. Rodin’s Thinker is a great sculpture, but I really loved some of Claudel’s smaller sculptures.
There are a few living artists who continue to amaze and inspire me, and all three work in metal. Ruth Asawa’s large crocheted wire sculptures are awe-inspiring, particularly since I’ve done a little wire crochet and have personal experience with the physical challenge of working metal in this way. Jewelry artists Arline Fisch and Mary Lee Hu, who also use textile inspired techniques in their metalwork, are two of the people who inspired me to work with metal. Arline Fisch’s book, Textile Techniques in Metal, is one of my all-time favorite books, and if anyone wants to say that she and Hu are not artists because they work in a “craft” medium, I will argue with you about that. To me, their jewelry is sculpture, and the fact that it can be worn is irrelevant. I just like looking at it - all the details fascinate me.
So that’s my short list of well-known art that has been the most influential or inspiring to me. What’s your favorite piece(s) of art, or the artist(s) that have been most inflential to you? Now that I’ve written this post, I’m tempted to make another list, of unknown artists I love - since I know many aspiring artists and crafters personally who do incredible work.
The Beader’s Guide to Color by Margie Deeb
Posted by Administrator on Dec 4, 2006
Margie Deeb’s book “The Beader’s Guide to Color
Whether or not you use beads in your chosen art/craft, the beautifully illustrated discussions of color theory in this book make it a good read. Professionally photographed pieces of beadwork accompany pages on specific color combinations, and small diagrams show suggested accent colors to go with a chosen main color. I refer to this book whenever I need color inspiration.
For seed beaders, the book has an additional perk: all suggested color combinations are listed with the color number of the recommended Delica bead for that color. Also, since there are so many inspirational pictures of beadwork, many beaders will like this book just for the inspiring work shown. I don’t do a lot of seed beading, however, and this is in my top 10 list of art and craft related books that I own.
