Spiral Necklace

  I know I have been neglecting the blog, especially when my mother emails to inquire why I have not updated lately:)
  There are a number of unfinished wire projects strewn about the work area. I would show you, but I'm embarrassed by the sheer volume of incomplete designs I have accumulated since the beginning of the year.
  I did finish something this afternoon just so I could write a blog post. This spiral necklace was inspired by a necklace Lynne Merchant was wearing the day I visited. Only hers was in silver and she had a different configuration of spiral clusters. I thought the clusters of spirals were extremely voluptuous and sensuous and I wanted one for myself.
  The necklace looks great on and feels beautiful laying against the neck.

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  This week I have been working on a wire sculpture along the lines of The Tangle and The Vine Pot. I expect to finish in the next week or two. I have not worked a design that requires 40+ hours of time since late last year.

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  Mid June is the second anniversary of this blog. I have a few things I'll want to say about that in the coming weeks.

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  Thank you to all who left comments last week. Blogger was acting up and it was impossible to respond, but I appreciate you.

Lynne Merchant

  Last week I discovered that Lynne Merchant has a gallery about 2.5 hours away from my home. I wasted no time and scheduled my Saturday for a trip down to San Diego. Could there possibly be a better wire gallery or store or museum anywhere?

  I had a wonderful day viewing her work and got to touch it! And meet her!!  I also purchased a wire pin made by her:) Now aren't you jealous?  :))

  If you are going to be in the San Diego area and you love wire, don't pass up a chance to visit her gallery!

  If you don't know who Lynne Merchant is, she is the woman who taught most of the wire teachers out there today. Like Sharilyn Miller, Conne Fox, Janice Berkabile, Tracy Stanley...countless more....

  You can find Lynne on Facebook here
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lynne-Merchant/211928952152042

  On Sunday I made a simple necklace very much influenced by my trip.

Wire Inspirations

  How many of you receive 'The Jewelry Making Daily" email? This morning's email began with a promising title  "Wireworker​s: Did you know you're a metalsmith​?".

  The article was a particularly good one for the daily email but it wasn't about wire working at all. It was an encouragement to wire workers to move into metalsmithing and supposedly expand their techniques. Which, to my mind, was sending a subtle message that wire holds you down and to truly advance you need to move into working with sheet or solder.

  One tiresome factor (for me) in all the daily newsletters from the jewelry industry is a push to teach you the next new thing. They glorify the idea that it's good to seek after every jewelry making technique that comes your way. That we should always be open and expanding ourselves into new mediums.

  My local bead store ladies often give me puzzled looks that I don't take a class in polymer clay or the latest free class offered on pouring resin. It isn't that I don't value other forms of jewelry. I admire and delight in many other styles of work and other people's creative techniques and strengths. Some polymer clay artists just break my heart with the beauty of their works and I'm tempted to go tearing off in a new direction and spend my time and energy learning silver clay instead of wire.

  The point of my post today is not to discourage anyone from trying new techniques or enjoying new classes if that is their hearts desire. The point of my post is to offer a counterbalance against the constant need for new. I want to remind you what can happen if you stick with something.

    Here is a list of great wire artists who have stuck with wire for 20-30 years. Look at what they can do:

http://www.dieladielka.sk/sortiment/diela/29-ladislav-jurovaty/strana-0/


http://www.barbaraberkdesigns.com/html/gallery.html


Lynne Merchant has finally updated her website and it contains every article/interview written about her for free
http://lynnemerchant.com/





http://www.barbarapatrick.com/html/frames.html


 http://mobilia-gallery.com/artists/afisch/




Here is a link to the Jewelry Making Daily email today



http://www.jewelrymakingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2011/05/11/learn-new-jewelry-making-techniques-from-wirework-to-metalsmithing.aspx http://www.nwbasketweavers.org/portfolio/Marilyn/index.html

Bangle set

  I was going to make a set of 6 bangles, but I ran out of the size silver I wanted. That, and the price put a stop to my plans:)

  I've gone back to work on my Bead Dreams project this weekend. I ripped out all the weaving and changed the wire gauge size and I'm liking it better:)

Wire

I LOVE these earrings. They have everything I love about wire, which is, just wire being itself, and doing it gorgeously!
  The design has been in my sketchbook for many months but I refused to make them in 20 gauge. Now these are 16 ga frames drawn down to about 19 ga at the ears.

  The new draw plate finally arrived and it was everything I hoped for. Precision machined holes, all marked and in order and it pulls like a dream. I do not enjoy filing the wire down to fit into the draw plate. It's a pain and kind of fussy, but I do like the new design options I can have using heave gauge wire when needed.

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  Haven't been able to get much else done the past week. We have been busy shopping for a used car for my daughter and finally found one. It's a stick shift so now she needs to learn to drive it and we had to get it into the shop to be sure it was safe to drive (and spend more money on it:(  )

  The cat is in the beginning stages of kidney disease and that has taken up my time also.

  I really miss the wire and I hope I can get back to it regularly soon.

Sterling Hoops

  "What's this" you ask? Why do I post boring earrings?

  These earrings have been a long time coming. I hate 20 gauge hoop earrings. They always feel flimsy and cheesy. Am I right?  Err, maybe some would say "they're delicate and feminine".

  I just don't like them!

  But if you go any larger in wire gauge you end up with wire uncomfy to delicate ears.

  These are 16 gauge wire hoops tapered down to 20 gauge at the end. I purchased a 10$ draw plate from Etsy. But, now that I see it is possible to taper like I want, I purchased a really nice draw plate from Rio Grande. Can't wait to get it. I'm pretty confident that a well machined draw plate would have made these earrings much less traumatic to make:)

ONLINE EXHIBITION OF JEWELRY FEATURING NON-PRECIOUS MATERIALS

Ganoskin is having an online exhibition accepting rank beginners thru long time professionals. Don't miss out on a chance to have your work seen folks! I already entered this morning.


"ONLINE EXHIBITION OF JEWELRY FEATURING NON-PRECIOUS MATERIALS"


To be hosted on www.ganoksin.com



This exhibition will be held online only, and will feature jewelry

that is primarily constructed of non-precious metals and other

materials (Precious metals being defined as silver, gold, platinum,

palladium, and their alloys).The jewelry should be designed to

actually be worn, not just viewed. This exhibition is open to

everyone from master goldsmiths to rank beginners, and is not juried

- all entries with qualifying images will be accepted.



To qualify images must be "jury quality", clearly focussed, show the

jewelry clearly, and be visually pleasing to look at. All images

should be in jpg format only, under 1MB each. Images should have a

neutral background with no props, preferably gray or white. Entrants

will be notified if images are not of acceptable quality, and may

submit new images through the closing date.



Each person may submit up to three pieces.



Entries should be e-mailed to: onlineexhibition@earthlink.net Please

put the exhibition name in the e-mail subject line. In the body of

the e-mail identify each piece with title, material(s), dimensions,

price or NFS, country and name of the artist. If you have a web site

or online selling site you would like linked to your piece(s) please

include the correct address(es), or whatever contact information you

would like included. You will have two lines for contact

information. Any broken links will not be used. Sales will NOT be

conducted from the exhibition!



Entries will be accepted between April 1 and May 31.



Beth Wicker

onlineexhibition@earthlink.net

www.bethwicker.com