IN MY STUDIO

A peek into my production process and aesthetics, and why a messy desk works for me.

Three new necklaces!

Ah, winter. Full of holidays mere days apart, especially the big ones. Someone wrote recently, “When Christmas is done, it’s DONE!” They’re right. One minute I’m trying to find a tree that’s small enough to fit in our little rental home, the next I’m finishing off the last of the eggnog for a whole nother year. Winter is not as cold here in Northern California, not nearly as cold as Michigan, or New Hampshire (40 degrees below zero sometimes) but I’ve also never had unheated studios before, either. My former studio at A Street was pretty cold, but small-ish, so easier to heat with a space heater. My newest studio at 33Arts (3840 Finley Avenue in Santa Rosa) is bigger, harder to heat quickly, too. It can only accomodate one space heater, it’s on the main floor, and it faces north. I wore three wool sweaters today, and a wool hat, and my hands were still freezing! Not conducive to working with polymer clay. But it’s spacious, the light is steady, I have plenty of worklights, it’s beautiful, and I can tolerate cold better than heat. And it’s pleasantly cool through spring, summer, and fall. So, no complaints Now the peek into my design process. I made three beautiful new horse necklaces this week. Two faux ivory horses, one strung with rose/blush pink/pale peach semi-precious stones and pearls, the other with sage/pale olive same. And a blue faux soapstone horse with pale blue and aqua. It was so hard to condition the clay (polymer clay does not like cold) but I figured out how to get it warm enough to work.

Many layers of beads, many choices…

I have beads I’ve collected for almost four decades, from local stores, online shops, bead and gem trade shows, bead traders who come to my home with their wares, thrift shops, and antique stores. Some of my beads are new, most are vintage, and a lot are antique-to-ancient. Most are imported from Europe: France, Venetian glass beads from Italy, Bohemia (now Czechoslovakia) all well-known producers of antique glass beads.) I also use beads from Africa (trade beads, handmade pot metal beads in all shapes and sizes), India (semi-precious gemstones), Japan (who pioneered cultured pearls, now known as freshwater pearls, also glass beads), and China, a new leader in all, but especially freshwater pearls and semi-precious gemstones. Oooh, almost forgot the beautiful “Roman” glass beads, actually made in Afghanistan from broken/misshapen perfume bottles and bracelets, rescued from the midden heaps of ancient glass factories along the Silk Road trade routes and reshaped into new beads. I love them all! And I get very particular about which ones I use in each design. Size, shape, hue, texture (matte, polished, faceted), all matter. This is why it takes me hours to string a beaded necklace. I never know where I’m headed, but I always get there…. And each of these higher-end pieces get a special finishing touch. A tiny pendant at the clasp, and my signature (literally!) horse charm in sterling or antique brass.

Its all in the details… In this series, I wanted subtle variations in the colors. For this, I need good lighting, a wide choice of beads: Real pearls, semi-precious gemstones, glass, stone. All in a variety of sizes, shapes. I love matte texture, and facets, too.

And the justification for a messy studio? Noted writer Austin Kleon shares and insight in how a messy studio contributes to our creative process, here. I know other artists have cleaner spaces. Fewer options, perhaps because it helps them focus. Or they know their path, and they don’t need to wander away from it. They may know what works for them, and sometimes I wish I were wired that way, too. In the end, this is how every space I occupy, this is how it looks. “Good bones” as one visitor put it. Everything is arranged and organized, yet attractive and intriguing. I usually try to clean up most of the “creative mess” for open studios, but most of the time? I just leave it there. Because I like to work during such events. I want people to relax, dig in, really engage with my work. When they’re ready to talk, they’ll ask a question. And I’m there for them, ready with a book about the Lascaux Cave with great photographs. Ready to share my inspiration, my stories. Ready to encourage them to pursue their own creative work, the work of their heart. Because I know when I make room for my art in my life, when I embrace my messy, making-self, my trial-and-error designing self, my love for certain color palettes, but also being open to new ones, my almost-obsessive need to keep collecting the materials and supplies that speak to me, to make the work that pleases me (and hopefully, YOU), I am in my highest, best place in the world. So there you go. To make is human, and making takes time, space, and sometimes messy habits.

horse necklace trio I think they turned out pretty well! I use mostly sterling silver for my accent beads and findings, but antiqued copper looks soooooo beautiful with blush pink pearls and peach moonstone. The blue soapstone horse called for pale blue/pale aqua beads this time. I like it. Here’s how they look in my studio. Pretty good fit! And now you know why these pieces start at $350, too. A lot of work and time, and precious materials go into each one, including the artifacts and beads I make myself. And no two are alike. What is YOUR creative process? Be sure to share it with me the next time you visit! And if you can’t wait til my next open studio, you can always email or text me to confirm a time to visit. Until then, big big hugs, Luann

JUST IN TIME FOR THE KEENE ART TOUR!

I’ve been collecting ancient glass for awhile now. There are sites of old glass factories in Pakastan, which are 1,000 to 2,000 years old. Modern folks are gathering the glass shards from broken bowls and bracelets, and reshaping them into wonderful, beautiful beads.

I love the colorful tube beads made from ancient glass bangle bracelets.

Retooled beads from ancient glass bangle bracelets. Miniature works of art!

But I especially love the translucent shards make from broken vases and bowls. They have amazing patina, and I can hardly bear to cut one from its strand and use it in jewelry.

I am haunted by water these days. I dream of the Pacific Ocean. I’m obsessed with those old Japanese fishing floats.

Probably not authentic, but I don’t care, the color is right!

And I’ve been working almost non-stop with these old water-color glass shards and semi-precious stones–apatite, amazonite, peridot, freshwater pearls–in aqua, pale greens, turquoise, teal and blue.

Here are some images of necklaces I’ve made. To give them that old, collected-over-time look, I’ve used antiqued brass chains and findings, bronze metal beads, recycled found metal beads in copper, brass, silver. Every single one is different.

Ancient glass, prehnite, peridot, apatite, pearls.

Repurposed stone pendants from antique Afghani necklaces, ancient glass, pearls, kyanite.

Some are bronze rings with multiple drops–lovely!

Of course, you can’t have a signature necklace without coordinating earrings, can you? I’ll try to post pics of those, too, before the big weekend.

Enjoy!

MINI BEAR COLLAGES–DONE!!

I finished all fifteen mini collages.

I was indeed fifteen minutes late to Jeff’s. In my defense, we’d just had another 6-8″ of snow and the streets were slick! Jeff said he didn’t notice I was late. I love Jeff.

You can see the first set of six bear collages at my Etsy shop.

These are little guys–they fit in the palm of your hand.

I decided to let customers decide if they want one as a pin, with a small hanging cord on the back, or mounted on a very tiny beaver-chewed stick (for additional $$).

I think they came out really great! But then, I’m prejudiced.

It felt wonderful to work on these. I really like working on a tiny scale. And in these little pieces, I made everything except the seed beads. Sometimes I think about making my own seed beads (I already make my own 6o beads, sometimes) but seed beads are tiny–10o to 12o. That means 10 or 12 beads to the inch. Don’t go there, girlfriend.