Downtown Fredericton has restarted their Thursday afternoon artisans market in the Wilmot Alley that runs between King and Queen Streets. It's a pleasant little market with all hand made craft, visual artworks and music. Worth dropping in to see between 4 and 8, if not to see me, than to see the other artisans or listen to some cool beats. Rain location for days like today is King's Place Mall center court.
The Fredericton Arts Alliance, that has been providing a summer residency program for a number of years, is holding their residencies at the York Sunbury Museum this summer. Located in gorgeous downtown Fredericton's Historic District, and it's not hard to find which of the 2 city blocks it's on.
My residency starts on Saturday July 24th. My residency partner for the week is Leigh Merritt, a talented potter that I had the pleasure of working with last summer at the casemates. I am looking forward to seeing what Leigh has planned for the week, while I am wracking my brain for inspiration regarding the word "Metamorphosis" for the upcoming Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia's annual competition and exhibition.
Showing posts with label Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Quick Update
Last night was the official opening of the Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia's annual competition and exhibition at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax.
We decided to go last night.
I happily picked up an Honourable Mention in the Nova Scotia Stone Category.
I can also finally show off pix of the submissions.
Sea Grass bracelet, sterling, pearls, weaving, wrapping .
The bracelet in action.
A fuzzy pic of the Honourable Mention: Skate
Reef Life: a neckpiece in sterling with pearls and a simulated topaz.
Detail of neckpiece.
We decided to go last night.
I happily picked up an Honourable Mention in the Nova Scotia Stone Category.
I can also finally show off pix of the submissions.
Sea Grass bracelet, sterling, pearls, weaving, wrapping .
The bracelet in action.
A fuzzy pic of the Honourable Mention: Skate
Reef Life: a neckpiece in sterling with pearls and a simulated topaz.
Detail of neckpiece.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Cargotecture, et al
My most recent momentary obsession and research topic has been the construction of housing using decommissioned shipping containers. I think that the idea appeals because it is a relatively cheap construction material to acquire, it stacks like Lego bricks (and I love playing with Lego), the design possibilities are incredible and lend themselves to Bauhaus styling which plays into my interest in Art Deco period architecture, and it's green. I'm not a huge environmentalist type, but why spend big bucks on new when the same effect can be achieved with recycled components. Put all of that together with the desire to stay unique and voila: a new studio/house project may happen someday sooner than later. The key question is going to become where it happens though.
Here's three of the dozens of links for Cargotecture that I checked out recently:
http://www.shipping-container-housing.com/index.html
http://ecopods.ca/
http://www.containercity.com/
Still working on the submissions for the Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia annual competition and exhibition. It is a must to get things finished off this week as they need to be in the post very soon to meet the deadline. I will take pix of the entries, but I won't be able to post them until after the judging has taken place for the show.
This Saturday, August 22nd: Women's Festival in Fredericton, all day till 9PM.
Back at the Garrison Studio shop for tomorrow and next week I am next door at Productive Hands from 11:30-1:30, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That's the NB Crafts Council's shop where I will be demonstrating for 2 hours each day.
And yes, there is stuff on the bench, work in progress for custom orders, but not finished yet.
Cheers,
Here's three of the dozens of links for Cargotecture that I checked out recently:
http://www.shipping-container-housing.com/index.html
http://ecopods.ca/
http://www.containercity.com/
Still working on the submissions for the Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia annual competition and exhibition. It is a must to get things finished off this week as they need to be in the post very soon to meet the deadline. I will take pix of the entries, but I won't be able to post them until after the judging has taken place for the show.
This Saturday, August 22nd: Women's Festival in Fredericton, all day till 9PM.
Back at the Garrison Studio shop for tomorrow and next week I am next door at Productive Hands from 11:30-1:30, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That's the NB Crafts Council's shop where I will be demonstrating for 2 hours each day.
And yes, there is stuff on the bench, work in progress for custom orders, but not finished yet.
Cheers,
Friday, August 7, 2009
This week
Heading into a busy week starting tomorrow with my residency with the Fredericton Arts Alliance in their casemate at the Garrison District. I have 4 days to work away on some fabulous ideas for the "Sea Life" entries for the Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia. I worked up some maquettes earlier this week for a bracelet, pendant and neckpiece. I'll be working these all in sterling silver and will be using a lot of textile techniques in the construction.
I built a slide presentation that can run on my laptop for the residency as well so that there are images of past work, show booths, and most importantly, studio shots of where the work is usually done as well of some slides of quick and random facts about me. Sometimes technology is helpful in capturing attention when you are doing low tech work.
Once this coming week is through, then it is back to the usual studio again, to finish up the entries for the guild show and start work on some new items for the New Brunswick Crafts Council show in Fredericton, September 4-6. In between here and there, there is a women's show in Officers' Square on August 22 and I have some classes to teach as well a few casemate days to put in.
Sometime after the 20th of September when the shop closes for the season, I will be doing my first live presentation, as compared to dead or via forums, on working in the handcraft industry. This first seminar will be geared for a jewellery making audience. Once I get a trial run of this done, and secure my feedback, I'll be figuring out how to take that show on the road too.
It was an interesting week at the Garrison shop for me, a lady walked in one day wearing a pair of earrings that she purchased at the Originals show in Ottawa, from me. She loves them, and what a complement that she would choose that pair for her trip east. A couple of other ladies form the area were in too, and they were very pleased to see my work, very expressive in their appreciation. They'll be back to see more.
I realize now, what a great opportunity it is to be able to present my work to the local community. It has been a rarity until now and mostly restricted to NBCC related events for the past 3 years. Doesn't hurt to get out there and get known at least a little bit in the home town.
I built a slide presentation that can run on my laptop for the residency as well so that there are images of past work, show booths, and most importantly, studio shots of where the work is usually done as well of some slides of quick and random facts about me. Sometimes technology is helpful in capturing attention when you are doing low tech work.
Once this coming week is through, then it is back to the usual studio again, to finish up the entries for the guild show and start work on some new items for the New Brunswick Crafts Council show in Fredericton, September 4-6. In between here and there, there is a women's show in Officers' Square on August 22 and I have some classes to teach as well a few casemate days to put in.
Sometime after the 20th of September when the shop closes for the season, I will be doing my first live presentation, as compared to dead or via forums, on working in the handcraft industry. This first seminar will be geared for a jewellery making audience. Once I get a trial run of this done, and secure my feedback, I'll be figuring out how to take that show on the road too.
It was an interesting week at the Garrison shop for me, a lady walked in one day wearing a pair of earrings that she purchased at the Originals show in Ottawa, from me. She loves them, and what a complement that she would choose that pair for her trip east. A couple of other ladies form the area were in too, and they were very pleased to see my work, very expressive in their appreciation. They'll be back to see more.
I realize now, what a great opportunity it is to be able to present my work to the local community. It has been a rarity until now and mostly restricted to NBCC related events for the past 3 years. Doesn't hurt to get out there and get known at least a little bit in the home town.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Finished and Photographed
Finally, posting some pics of some new work:
This is Flower Slide with a peridot coloured Swarovski Gem prong set in the middle.
It was a piece that just didn't come together the way I initially wanted and so it sat unfinished for a couple of weeks. I think that this actually turned out pretty good what looked like a disaster when it was being made for the MAGNS competition.
It was a piece that just didn't come together the way I initially wanted and so it sat unfinished for a couple of weeks. I think that this actually turned out pretty good what looked like a disaster when it was being made for the MAGNS competition.
This is Freak 2, based on Paranoid Freak 1, which ironically I have yet to photograph. Fresh water pearls in greys and light mauves are woven into a soldered frame.
And because I hate to waste material, and I didn't think that the ring from last years MAGNS competition was worth tossing in the show submissions box as a keeper, it has been renovated into this funky twisted pendant and earrings with round faceted garnet beads.
Check out our web's jewellery pages to hunt for more new items that aren't being show here.
Enjoy.
--
Friday, June 27, 2008
Guitar Pendant
We were asked by a Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia colleague to participate in a fund-raising event for the NS Symphony children's' programs. The challenge was to create a piece of art (whatever type you do) from a musical instrument.
I bummed a soon to be deceased acoustic guitar off of my buddy Dave. It was one that he had used for years while busking and had finally started to warp and deteriorate to the point where he either had to rebuild it or throw it. This solved his dilemma too.
The subsequent piece is the result of chisleling free the fret bars, pulling the g-string, some bits of guitar hardware, sterling silver and silver solder.
The fundraiser will open at the Fireworks Gallery in Halifax on October 4th.
I bummed a soon to be deceased acoustic guitar off of my buddy Dave. It was one that he had used for years while busking and had finally started to warp and deteriorate to the point where he either had to rebuild it or throw it. This solved his dilemma too.
The subsequent piece is the result of chisleling free the fret bars, pulling the g-string, some bits of guitar hardware, sterling silver and silver solder.
The fundraiser will open at the Fireworks Gallery in Halifax on October 4th.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
WE WON!!!
The most amazing thing happened last night. We won.
We received The Frank Phillips Award of Excellence for our "Ribbon" entry at the Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia annual exhibition and competition. This is as good as winning the lottery in many ways because we are always surrounded by exceptional craftsmanship at one of these events and to receive this award for technical excellence is really outstanding.
This is a short post there is a lot of work to finish up in regards to getting the press information out and it is already afternoon.
You can read about it here: Current Release and see the piece at the bottom of the page.
More later,
Cynthia
We received The Frank Phillips Award of Excellence for our "Ribbon" entry at the Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia annual exhibition and competition. This is as good as winning the lottery in many ways because we are always surrounded by exceptional craftsmanship at one of these events and to receive this award for technical excellence is really outstanding.
This is a short post there is a lot of work to finish up in regards to getting the press information out and it is already afternoon.
You can read about it here: Current Release and see the piece at the bottom of the page.
More later,
Cynthia
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Good news after taking a plunge
Like many folks, I like good news, especially when it is a good surprise too.
We received a call from a colleague in the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council and of the Metal Arts Guild on Sunday evening. My initial reaction to someone calling is often "what did I do now?" as compared to "what did I do right?" and I usually do not hesitate to ask.
It turns out that what we did right was submit a piece to an upcoming gallery exhibition called The New Cartography of Craft at the Mary E. Black Gallery in Halifax, opening on October 25th. The jury passed and accepted the piece to the show. She was calling to tell us the good news.
What we really did right overall was be adventurous enough to stretch just a little bit, make an unusual piece that isn't really the norm for us, and get off our butts and toss it in the ring and risk the possible rejection of the item as not being 'suitable' for the exhibition. It's wonderful that "A Connected Necklace" is good enough. (I'll be able to post pictures of it after the gallery opening so be patient)
There were several things required in the call for entry for this piece, excellence, a relevance to theme both in regards to the idea of New Cartography, and for the Neocraft conference that this exhibit runs in conjunction with, a deadline, an artists' statement, and a return envelope. Some if the bits were easy to do, some took a bit of effort, and actually putting the postage on the envelope to send it took the most effort. The work paid off. This also met another of our goals for this year: participating in more than one group exhibition opportunities.
There are lots of opportunities out there for all of us in the arts/fine crafts field. Some are handed to us when we are approached by a store owner who is genuinely interested in carrying our work, some come to us through our affiliations with various arts/crafts groups that we can join, and others are posted in the backs of magazines or on online forums. Sometimes we have to dig for the opportunities. Sometimes we have to dig within ourselves to find the inspiration and the nerve to move on the opportunity and that can be the hardest dig of all.
Other good news from the past week includes having an image of one of our pendants included on the Fredericton Arts Alliance Art Trek poster, coming up on the 13th & 14th of October; and our colleague from Sunday evening's call also told us that "it would be very worthwhile" (that's code for you may have won something but I can't tell you what) to come to the opening of the Metal Arts Guild annual exhibit and competition at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax on the 2nd of October.
As an artist/fine crafts person who is working to build a positive reputation and identity in metal and stone, I have to tell you that it involves a lot of risks. It would be very easy to sit at the benches and work away making things all day, every day and to never leave that space and face the 'real' world. The real world involves everyday issues of marketing and commerce, and inevitably that means some form of judgement, whether it is someone making a decision to purchase a piece of work, a gallery prospect deciding if the work is the "right fit" for their clientele, a juror deciding if your images of your work or your actual work itself is "good enough" for the show or exhibit... Every time we put ourselves or our work out there we are at risk of a judgement.
I have been finding that learning to live with and coming to love the risk makes the time that I spend making my jewelry far more valuable than it would be otherwise. It's one thing to make it, and to do it well, but it is so much more rewarding to know that I am not the only person enjoying it.
There is joy in sharing,
Cynthia
We received a call from a colleague in the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council and of the Metal Arts Guild on Sunday evening. My initial reaction to someone calling is often "what did I do now?" as compared to "what did I do right?" and I usually do not hesitate to ask.
It turns out that what we did right was submit a piece to an upcoming gallery exhibition called The New Cartography of Craft at the Mary E. Black Gallery in Halifax, opening on October 25th. The jury passed and accepted the piece to the show. She was calling to tell us the good news.
What we really did right overall was be adventurous enough to stretch just a little bit, make an unusual piece that isn't really the norm for us, and get off our butts and toss it in the ring and risk the possible rejection of the item as not being 'suitable' for the exhibition. It's wonderful that "A Connected Necklace" is good enough. (I'll be able to post pictures of it after the gallery opening so be patient)
There were several things required in the call for entry for this piece, excellence, a relevance to theme both in regards to the idea of New Cartography, and for the Neocraft conference that this exhibit runs in conjunction with, a deadline, an artists' statement, and a return envelope. Some if the bits were easy to do, some took a bit of effort, and actually putting the postage on the envelope to send it took the most effort. The work paid off. This also met another of our goals for this year: participating in more than one group exhibition opportunities.
There are lots of opportunities out there for all of us in the arts/fine crafts field. Some are handed to us when we are approached by a store owner who is genuinely interested in carrying our work, some come to us through our affiliations with various arts/crafts groups that we can join, and others are posted in the backs of magazines or on online forums. Sometimes we have to dig for the opportunities. Sometimes we have to dig within ourselves to find the inspiration and the nerve to move on the opportunity and that can be the hardest dig of all.
Other good news from the past week includes having an image of one of our pendants included on the Fredericton Arts Alliance Art Trek poster, coming up on the 13th & 14th of October; and our colleague from Sunday evening's call also told us that "it would be very worthwhile" (that's code for you may have won something but I can't tell you what) to come to the opening of the Metal Arts Guild annual exhibit and competition at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax on the 2nd of October.
As an artist/fine crafts person who is working to build a positive reputation and identity in metal and stone, I have to tell you that it involves a lot of risks. It would be very easy to sit at the benches and work away making things all day, every day and to never leave that space and face the 'real' world. The real world involves everyday issues of marketing and commerce, and inevitably that means some form of judgement, whether it is someone making a decision to purchase a piece of work, a gallery prospect deciding if the work is the "right fit" for their clientele, a juror deciding if your images of your work or your actual work itself is "good enough" for the show or exhibit... Every time we put ourselves or our work out there we are at risk of a judgement.
I have been finding that learning to live with and coming to love the risk makes the time that I spend making my jewelry far more valuable than it would be otherwise. It's one thing to make it, and to do it well, but it is so much more rewarding to know that I am not the only person enjoying it.
There is joy in sharing,
Cynthia
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