Monthly Archives: June 2021

1″ diameter, glass and found objects

I heard that unprecedented numbers of people are quitting their jobs right now.  The pandemic made us all pause and take good hard look at what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.  While the process has been painful, it seems like the changes that it’s brought about for a lot of people are positive.  My family has been taking apart an old typewriter, and today I decided to start to use the keys.  Until I looked closely, I hadn’t noticed that the question mark and the comma were on the same key.  It seems like a message from the universe… pause, and question.  

 2″ x 2″, found objects

I’ve been holding onto this board for almost a year, waiting to put it into a pendant because it has a fantastic shine to it, and a great graphic quality.  But alone it was too new, too gold and green.  And the bezel with its fake gold color was too yellow.  Then I found the silver and black earring that’s now at the top.  With its patina of age it calmed down the piece and made it complete.  I’ll keep this one away from the silver polish and let the real precious metal lose its shine while the fake versions can glow and reflect to their heart’s content.

1″ diameter, terra cotta and found objects

My studio is full of bits and pieces. The smaller I work, the harder it is to throw out what I sweep up off the floor.  When I finish a stained glass window I have pieces left for mosaic.  When I finish a wall mosaic I have scraps left for pendants.  And they’re all so beautiful.  This pendant is made from a metal washer that was on the floor and ceramic tiles. It’s so satisfying to turn something that was once garbage into something new.

1″ diameter, stone and ceramic

This pendant is in honor of the new patio that’s taking shape in front of my studio. Today they placed the last stone to complete the brick spiral at the center, and it finally feels real. It seems like we always come up with design ideas that make contractors look at us like we’re nuts. But once they’re built we love them, so it’s worth being quirky.