I just recently found this paper and had to restrain myself from buying the entire store stock. I'm using it in some of my jewelry, but I've also saved a sheet to frame with this photograph of my grandmother. Now I just need to get a better copy of the print and a frame...
Last week I had friends visiting from out of town and I took them to one of my favorite spots in Chicago, the Garfield Park Conservatory. The first time I ever visited the conservatory was to see a Dale Chihuly show. This installation, Persian Pond, is still there. A bench is situated directly in front of it, so you can sit and pretend you are in the tropics and watch the koi fish. Seeing Chihuly's work again inspired me to visit his website to look at some of his other installations. If you're interested in taking a visual a vacation, you should look too. He has put his art around the world in many different environments, and he's even done set design. One of the reasons I like his sculptures is because he doesn't let the fragility of the glass limit him. He finds ways to juxtapose them in harsh environments, or do just the opposite - make them seem like they've belonged all along.
I just recently started taking a metalsmithing class at Lillstreet Art Center. Despite the fact that it takes me an hour to get there, I've really been enjoying it. It's great to be learning something totally new. Yesterday I learned how to texture metal by putting it through a roller with fabric, wire, leaves, etc. Now I am constantly searching for different materials to create unique textures. This morning I made the ring above using nickel that I had run through the roller with some vintage trim. The only sad part is that the trim gets completely destroyed when it goes through the roller, and there is only so much of it that I want to sacrifice!
