Featured Artists: 2Roses

I met John and Corliss of 2Roses when I was lucky enough to become a member of Etsy Metal earlier this year. 2Roses is constantly producing stunning jewelry that often incorporates surprising materials, experimentation, and humor. Not only do they know their stuff when it comes to creating art objects, they always seem to make the time to offer up a little perspective when it comes to business in the art world, which is great because sometimes I take things a bit too seriously. Here are some of my favorites from their Etsy Metal featured member Q&A:

What pieces are you most proud of?

We don’t think of our work in that way. Each piece is an expression, an idea, which takes on a life of its own. Some are humorous, others serious, or political, or deeply personal. Even so, the pieces are imbued with different meanings by the people who own them. We recognize that we are not in control of how our pieces evolve once they arrive in the bigger world. We also recognize that ideas have consequences, and that is the power of art.

What direction do you see your work going in next? 

We continue to explore and experiment within the framework of functional ornament. The real medium that we work with is the intangible space between the wearer and observer of our work.  

Do you collect anything? If so, do you display your collections?

We collect everything. We are a big one-way sieve passing through the universe. 

What is your most prized possession?

Each other.

 Read the complete interview at the Etsy Metal blog.

EM Project Runway Challenge: Can't We All Just Get Along

 This week for the Etsy Metal Project Runway Challenge we were asked to incorporate pattern and texture in our pieces. I've always been interested in using repetition of form to create texture and depth, so this week was a lot of fun.

Copper Necklace

The Project Runway Challenge:
The designers were divided into two groups of five. They were given the opportunity to create their own unique textiles and asked to create a cohesive collection.

For Our Etsy Metal Translation:
Since this challenge was about pattern and textile, our challenge is to incorporate those into a piece. Do it however you like, etching, roller printing, drawing, or just fabricate a piece that forms a pattern or texture. Make it work!

Copper Necklace

Torn

Torn, Brass

I created this piece for the most recent Etsy Metal Book Club Challenge. The book was "The Curious Case of Dr, Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson. It took me a good while before I was able to get past the first couple of pages, which may have had something to do with the play rehearsals that were taking place downstairs from the apartment I was staying in for a few weeks, but once I settled in there seemed to be a subtle rhythm that moved the story along. I was also very impressed with the way the author built tension. Much different that the suspense novels I'm used to, Stevenson used the concern and speculation of a friend to slowly develop the plot and create tension.  

Torn, Brass

For this piece I went with 14 gauge Brass and juxtaposed a smooth polished surface with one that is cracked a marred in an attempt to create a representation of the continual struggle we all have to choose the right thing, especially when "right" is such a subjective concept. 

EM Project Runway Challenge: Go Big or Go Home

Every week Members of Etsy Metal take on a new challenge that parallels the challenges on Project Runway. This week (week three) the designers on Project Runway were asked to design a piece for a model on stilts for the first ever outdoor runway show. The Etsy Metal Translation is to make it BIG, over the top, larger and crazier than you would normally do, but still trying to keep it wearable and fashionable.

 

 I usually feel like my work is on the larger side to begin with so I was a little stumped at first on how to go bigger and still hold on to my aesthetic. I decided to go with a hammered copper piece joined with balled wire rivets. I'm pleased with the way the negative space creates a lighter feel in a larger form. Although the piece seems big, I feel like I could have gone even bigger! Maybe I will.

The Etsy Metal Project Runway Challenges are open to the public. You can find out more about the challenges and join in the fun by checking out the Etsy Metal Blog!

Book Club Challenge: "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons

Hyperion, by Dan Simmons, is one of my all time favorite sci-fi reads. When it was chosen as the most recent book for the Etsy Metal book club I was super excited to read it for the second time. I went back and forth about the piece for a long time and actually ended up reading all four books in the series again before I finally decided.

Hyperion is filled with mystery from the Prologue all the way through, and for me the most intriguing part was the juxtaposition of Christianity and the Church of Final Atonement. Both are fringe religions at the start of Hyperion and both are presented as equally preposterous, the first being outdated product of an antiquated society and the second focused around "The Lord of Pain", better known as the Shrike, and viewed by the general population as a barbarous cult that sends it's pilgrims to certain doom.

Atonement Brooch: Sterling Silver, Copper, Garnet

Hyperion recalls the tales of the seven pilgrims of the final Shrike Pilgrimage. Each tale tells of the connection the pilgrim has with the Shrike and the planet Hyperion. The Shrike is first mentioned in the Prologue as the Consul remembers "screams in the night and the hundred-faceted, ruby blood gaze of the Shrike itself". As the pilgrims tell their tales a clearer picture of the form and brutality of the Shrike slowly develops with "metal blades protruding from [it's] forehead, four wrists, oddly jointed elbows, knees, armored back and thorax." The reader is never presented with a clear explanation or solid connection between the events that have unfolded in the pilgrims lives and the motivations or intentions of this creature, this "Lord of Pain".

When Sol Weintrob takes his child, who suffers from an illness that has her aging backward, to the priests of the Church of Final Atonement and asks for guidance in having her be "made well" the bishop states that Sol is speaking of physical well being and that "[The Church of Final Atonement] is the final arbiter of spiritual salvation".

Atonement Brooch: Sterling Silver, Copper, Garnet

What is the Shrike? Should we fear it or revere it? Either way, I hope my piece does the Shrike a bit of justice. For a look at what the other Etsy Metal book club members came up with please follow the Etsy Metal Blog or Become Friends with Etsy Metal on Facebook. The book club post will be up next week! 

It's all about the process: Etsy Metal Charm Swap 8

So excited that I was lucky enough to sign up for Etsy Metal's 8th charm swap! What's a charm swap? The best thing ever! 20 Etsy Metal members sign up to make 22 charms each. One complete charm bracelet is sold through the Etsy Metal shop with part of the proceeds going to a youth organization, one of each of the charms goes into the shop as well, and each participant gets a fabulously wonderful charm bracelet. For a look at some of the previous charm swaps go to the Etsy Metal Blog and search for "Charm Swap". While you're there make sure to follow the blog, sign up for the news letter, or make friends with Etsy Metal on Facebook for Charm Swap 8 updates and tons of other cool info.

I decided to fashion my charms after some rings I made early this year for Ring a Week (I know, I know, totally dropped the ball on that one). I really enjoyed using origami techniques with foldforming and everyone knows I'm hooked on the red patina.

I started several weeks ago folding some strips of copper:

 

Today I cut the folded strips into cabs:

 

And then gave a few of them a red patina:

I'm really excited about how they're coming out. Stay tuned for more progress!

Etsy Metal Blog Carnival: Creative Space

This months Etsy Metal blog carnival is all about our studio spaces!

Bench

 I love artist studios. Each one is as different as the artists themselves.  Like a fingerprint or a psychological evaluation, the artists studio reflects the personality of the creator. My studio is where I go to get messy, to experiment and make mistakes, a space where anything goes and every mistake or breakthrough seems to come at just the right time and leads in just the right direction. Don't get me wrong, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. I can often be heard muttering or cursing, sometimes under my breath and other times at the top of my lungs. But somehow even the mistakes seem to belong tossed among the heaps of tools and materials that accumulate with every project (See last post for a clear illustration on this!).

Soldering Area

The world slows down when I'm working in the studio. There are times where my internal voice is lulled into a quiet and meditative hum and the pieces seem to effortlessly fall into place with the rhythms of sanding or hammering. My studio is one of the most personal aspects of my life and yet it is one that I love to share and experience with others. Somehow the space transcends the boundaries of what I regard as private and allows conversations to begin through my process and my work.

Office Nook

Friends and Family

 My studio, being an extension of myself and the things I value most, is filled with mementos. Photographs, ticket stubs, souvenirs and artwork adorn the walls, bulletin boards, and shelving. At times the spaces are crowded in so tight I imagine there is no way I'll be able fit one more thing and then I tuck another treasure into place. Every few months I rearrange the items, dust them off and remember why they are there in the first place. Inspiration, life is full of it.

Treasures and Mementos

This particular space is especially personal because I was able to design and build the bench and soldering area myself. I'd never really taken on a woodworking project before, and it's not quite level or trimmed perfectly, but it's mine and it works. The remainder of the furnishings are hand me downs and cast offs; the cabinets were discarded from a laundry room, the desk was a gift from my step-dad when I first moved out, a bakers rack from a friend who was pairing down her studio space, shelving that came with our house but didn't quite work for us. It's a hodge podge of organizational methods that attempts to keep the clutter at bay and it's absolutely perfect.

Brand New Bench!

Interested in the studio spaces of other Etsy Metal members? Keep on reading!

 Rebecca Bogan - http://www.AdobeSol.com/blog
Shirlee Grund - http://lichenandlychee.com/blog/ 
Beth Cyr http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
Elizabeth Scott http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog
Cynthia Del Giudice http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com
Michele Grady http://www.michelegradydesigns.blogspot.com
Erin Austin - http://metalmusing.blogspot.com/
Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com/
Evelyn Markasky -- http://markasky.blogspot.com/
Kathryn Cole - http://www.kathryncolejewelry.blogspot.com
2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com
Lauren Anabela Beaudoin/Creative Dexterity - http://creativedexterity.com/Blog/main.html

Etsy Metal Blog Carnival: From my Sketchbook

This months Etsy Metal Blog Carnival has us all sharing some pages from our sketch books! I love thumbing through sketch books. It's like a window into someone's artistic process.

Sometimes I sketch just to sketch. I start without a plan and see where it takes me. I usually start with a line or a movement that I repeat over and over until something starts to take form. These alien plant forms emerged in that way and I have revisited them many times over. I'm not sure that the forms will find their way into my jewelry work, but it's nice to have something to work on when I'm taking a break from creating with metal.

Sometimes I sit down with a specific project in mind. For the Etsy Metal charm bracelet to raise money for Japan, I knew I wanted to work with flowers because they are so important in Japanese culture so I mapped out some one by one inch squares and started brainstorming. I ended up going with the first sketch for the flower form and refined it a bit to the right.  I'm pretty pleased with the way they came out.

Find out how other Member of Etsy Metal use their sketch books:

Nodeform http://nodeform.blogspot.com/
Michele Grady http://www.michelegradydesigns.blogspot.com
Elizabeth Scott http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog
Su Trindle http://quercussilver.blogspot.com/
Evelyn Markasky http://markasky.blogspot.com/
ArtigianoJewelBox: http://www.artigianojewelbox.com/category/blog
Rebecca Bogan - http://www.AdobeSol.com/blog 
Shirlee Grund - http://lichenandlychee.com/blog/ 
2Roses - http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com 
Beth Cyr - http://www.bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
kate jones http://www.katejonesdesign.blogspot.com

Featured Artist: Lorena Angulo

I first came across Lorena Angulo's work through the Ring a Day project and was immediately drawn to her amazing use of texture, detail, and color. Her pieces often explore cultural themes related to her heritage and feature many iconic forms such as hearts, skulls, flowers and birds. I am always stunned by the incredible presence that small jewelry objects can have. Lorena's work is both intimate and powerful.

Flaming Heart

Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Lorena Angulo and I was born in Mexico where I grew up surrounded by wonderful folk art and jewelry from the Native Indians of a lot of states. My biggest influence while I was a very small child was when I lived in Chiapas, Mexico; this magical state has filled my heart with wonderful memories.

I always loved to create and I have been a self taught artist since I was young. I decided to study Mass Communications and lost for a little while my passion for art and creating. It was until I moved to live to the USA that I started to missed my culture and traditions a lot and in 2006 my sweet husband told me I need it to follow my heart and find my wings again. This was the year I started to take silversmithing classes at Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, Texas. This was the year also that I was introduced to a very new material called PMC (precious metal clay.)

  

Describe your work in one sentence

Artisan Jewelry with Soul! 

What pieces are you most proud of?

This is a hard question for me because a lot of my pieces are very close to my heart. If I have to choose a couple of them it will be my first “Milagro Heart” I made and it was also my first piece published, my “Arbol de Vida” (tree of life) and a commission piece I was honored to make for Corliss and John Rose; “Corliss Calavera”.

What are you favorite materials to work with?

Metal clays (Pure Silver, Bronze and Copper) but I also enjoyed fabricating with sterling, copper and brass. In reality I am always in the look out of new materials to play with and my list can get very long!

Lately I have been playing with Creative paper clay and Craft Porcelain.

LOVE CATRINA

What direction do you see your work going in?

I want to be able to show my work in more places and be able to tell my story in every piece I make. I want to be in more galleries and be able to create wholesale collections but keep on creating my one of a kind work that I love so much.

Who or what is your biggest artistic influence?

My biggest artistic influence is my culture and traditions. My country and all the wonderful memories I have are always present in my work. I admired the work by native artisans.

If you could have your work critiqued by another artist who would it be and why?

Robert Ebendorf. I met him when he came to teach at Southwest School of Art here in San Antonio and I will always remember my experience with him forever. He is an incredible artist and his wonderful spirit can be seen in his work.

I have a big respect for him and his work and I am very sure that taking his class gave me a different perspective in how to transform my work and be able to tell a story in a new way.

What is the best advice you've ever been given?

Follow your heart!

Never compare yourself with others because everybody is unique and your work has to represent what you are.

ARBOL DE VIDA

If you could add one tool to your collection what would it be?

A rolling Mill!!!!!!

I will have so much fun with it!

What do you listen to in the studio?

I usually listen to Latin Music from romantic to dance music. I love to have good energy when I work and if I can sing and dance (if it is possible) I will do it!

What is your most prized possession?

My Family.

My husband and kids.

Do you collect anything? If so, do you display your collections?

I collect Folk Art, mostly from Mexico. I have all my folk art pieces display around my house.

Arbol

How do you spend most of your free time?

Going out with my family. We all enjoyed a lot going to small towns around the city where we can listen to wonderful live music; eat great food and visit galleries and antique shops.

What do you wish you were doing with your free time?

Spend the time with my kids is what I love to do with my free time.

If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?

Racism and compassion.

I am so sad to see how people can be so rude to each other. Some people and kids do not realize how hurtful their words are sometimes. We need to have more tolerance and be kind to each other.

Corliss-Calavera

Where can we see your work?

http://www.lorenaangulo.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenaangulo/sets/

http://blog.lorenaangulo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LorenaAnguloJewelry

I will be in Gruene, Texas in September for the Texas Metals Arts

http://www.texasmetalarts.com/index.html

What's New: Books, Buttons and Japan

Wednesdays are hereby dedicated to What's New! This week I've got three new pieces in my Etsy shop that have interesting stories. The first is a pendant entitled "Lost" and was inspired by the novel "Lost", by Gregory Maguire. "Lost" was the first book chosen for the Etsy Metal book club jewelry challenge. Check out what the other readers came up with by clicking here!

Lost

Brass, Copper, Sterling Silver

I've also added some buttons to the shop and there will be more to come! I was preparing a new batch for an event at Origin in Eureka that's coming up next month and I decided to go ahead and make a tutorial on the process. It's my first one! You can check it out here!

 

Assorted Buttons

Brass

Lastly, some of the folks at Etsy Metal are putting together a charm bracelet to help raise money for Japan. We've each made two charms, one for the bracelet which will be available through the Etsy metal shop when it's assembled and another to put in our own shops. I chose to use cherry blossoms in my charms to signify unity and the ephemeral nature of life.

Cherry Blossom Charms

Sterling Silver, Garnet, Copper

What's going on in Japan affects us all and we have a long road ahead of us. If you are not interested in charms please consider making a small donation to the Red Cross. Every little bit helps! 

Thanks for reading and please do tell me, what's new with you?

Etsy Metal Blog Carnival: Tools are cool

I want I want I want. This months topic: most coveted tool.

Until this week a rolling mill would have been on the top of my list, but alas, my flex shaft broke (Super Sad Face)! I'm not surprised, it was a cheapo model that I've had for almost four years. I never knew how much I loved my flex shaft until I had to work without it. The things we take for granted. So for now, my most coveted tool is a new Foredom with all the bells and whistles, but at this point I would settle for another one from harbor freight.

If I want to wish really big I'll go ahead and wish for a rolling mill, guillotine shear, hydraulic press, set of stakes and a kiln wrapped up and delivered to my door along with my new and never again to be undervalued flex shaft.... it's always nice to dream! And what would I do with all those shiny new additions? I would surface detail to death. Who knows where they would take me, but I'm sure it would be wonderful.

Check out what other Etsy Metal members have their eyes on:

2Roses
Elizabeth Scott
Tosca Teran
AdobeSol
Nodeform
wildflowerdesigns
Beth Cyr
Evelyn Markasky