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Dec 15, 2014
Dec 10, 2014
Nov 15, 2014
Nov 3, 2014
Oct 26, 2014
Oct 16, 2014
Oct 10, 2014
Oct 9, 2014
Oct 2, 2014
Oct 1, 2014
Gustav in Barcelona: LA JOYA BARCELONA ART JEWELLERY FAIR, 10/9/14 - 10/11/14
I'm so happy to be travelling to Barcelona at the end of this week to participate in the La Joya Barcelona international art jewellery fair. I've been hard at work these past few weeks, finishing show pieces and anticipating with great excitement the great embarrassment of beautiful sights and fascinating people I'll encounter there.
I've been working on a handful of new pieces. As a sneak-peek, I'll share a couple of pictures of one that will be particularly surprising to those who follow my work...
COLOR! Here's one of my classic forms (The Knot) with a red wash that turned out a vibrant pink:
Time to get packing! Stay tuned -- I'll be live-posting from the event!
Sep 23, 2014
Scenes of a Move
I've moved studio to the Midland Building, just a bit north and west from the old location. Here's a taste; I'll post more when everything's set.
Sep 9, 2014
NEW WORK: 2 Bent Hickory Necklaces
Two bentwood hickory necklaces in two different forms, with magnetic closures.
Simplicity is an important challenge.
Sep 4, 2014
NEW WORK: ARC SERIES Hickory & Walnut Pendant
"Who knows when first/aortic arches/registered/an ocean’s surge,/or slipped awake/or stirred asleep;/how many tides/had ebbed until/the tiny seahorse/heart could leap?"
This pendant is part of my ARC series: using bent wood segments as forms on their own terms.
Sep 2, 2014
NEW WORK: Titanium & Shou Sugi Ban Oblong Hinge Cuff
“The urge to destroy is also a creative urge.” (Pablo Picasso)
When I use Shou Sugi Ban there is an element of burning away but also preserving what is underneath. It's a beautiful tension.
Aug 28, 2014
Aug 26, 2014
Aug 12, 2014
Studio Visit: Dominique Bereiter
Last week, I had the great fortune of a visit from the jewelry artist Dominique Bereiter. Dominique has been following my work for some time, and invited me last spring to speak at the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), where I had a wonderful time.
Dominique and a friend visiting from Baltimore voraciously and joyfully descended upon the studio and wanted to see and know about everything in it. We had a great conversation about the genius of primitive man and my recent experiments with shou sugi ban, the Japanese wood burning technique I recently blogged about.
Dominique's lively eyes lit upon a newly finished piece: a necklace made with AD IDEM (Norm Sartorius) wood and a piece of cold bent hickory. I was able to get a couple of pictures before she and her friend waltzed off to continue their Chicago artist touring.
Dominique and a friend visiting from Baltimore voraciously and joyfully descended upon the studio and wanted to see and know about everything in it. We had a great conversation about the genius of primitive man and my recent experiments with shou sugi ban, the Japanese wood burning technique I recently blogged about.
Dominique's lively eyes lit upon a newly finished piece: a necklace made with AD IDEM (Norm Sartorius) wood and a piece of cold bent hickory. I was able to get a couple of pictures before she and her friend waltzed off to continue their Chicago artist touring.
I'll be working on this iteration of the collection, and will share as I finish more pieces. I love the marriage of the rough, colorful, hand-worked chunks, to the sleek, cool hickory.
And I'll look forward to seeing Dominique at the next Baltimore American Craft Council show!
Aug 5, 2014
Visit My Work at the American Craft Council Show in San Francisco
I always love doing conferences in San Francisco. It's so great to give and get support from fellow artists, and gallerists, and to see new, exciting work -- I feel like San Francisco trips have been particularly vibrant.
Unfortunately, because of the million things going on this summer and fall, I won't be able to make the trip out to the American Craft Council Show in San Francisco this year, from August 8 to 10, at the Fort Mason Center, and open to the public!
But it's open to the public, and my work will be there, along with the work of so many of my amazing colleagues in the art community. I highly recommend a trip if you're nearby!
Awesomely, you'll be able to visit the Artful Home/Jiun Ho Showcase, where they're kind enough to be featuring some of my work. Artful Home is a super-wonderful retailer with whom I've been working for years, and Jiun Ho is a major interior decorator in the Bay Area.
Below, find some shots of the work you'll be able to visit. Let me know if you do stop by -- maybe you can take some pictures for me?
Unfortunately, because of the million things going on this summer and fall, I won't be able to make the trip out to the American Craft Council Show in San Francisco this year, from August 8 to 10, at the Fort Mason Center, and open to the public!
But it's open to the public, and my work will be there, along with the work of so many of my amazing colleagues in the art community. I highly recommend a trip if you're nearby!
Awesomely, you'll be able to visit the Artful Home/Jiun Ho Showcase, where they're kind enough to be featuring some of my work. Artful Home is a super-wonderful retailer with whom I've been working for years, and Jiun Ho is a major interior decorator in the Bay Area.
Below, find some shots of the work you'll be able to visit. Let me know if you do stop by -- maybe you can take some pictures for me?
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| a Signature Organic Coil, in ebonized oak (limited ed.) |
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| walnut brooch with cherry 3D printed "comb" (one of a kind) |
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| detail of "comb" |
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| AD IDEM rings, various woods (on of a kind) |
Jul 31, 2014
Shou Sugi Ban: Japanese Wood Burning Technique
Shou Sugi Ban is a simple, beautiful wood burning technique designed to naturally preserved wood and historically used in Japan for wood siding.
Wood begins raw, as with the in-progress rings below:
Then you apply flame with a torch, clean and sand the wood as desired, and treat it with linseed oil. I like to use lacquer, sometimes, too, to seal the ring and reduce the lovely but agressive burnt-wood smell.
Here's a before-and-after:
And the final product:
I like using Shou Sugi Ban because it's a natural finish, and one that mimics the self-preservation of a tree in a forest fire: it's the last line of defense, and the particular way the wood burns creates a barrier between the flames and green, live wood.
It's this kind of natural strength I like to honor in my work, through my materials and processing, whenever I can.
This particular ring is part of the AD IDEM series.
Want to translate this technique into a home project? Check out this Apartment Therapy tutorial!
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