Renewing the Spirit

Art. Artiste. Artists. The journey we travel is a path to begin adventurers. Recent events this summer have included some soul searching about life. If you had one day left on earth, what would you do? If you could only make one more creation, what would it be? I would make a ring. Circles complete life cycles. Rings are the essentials of completeness. A stone set in the middle would give the ring balance and a Sapphire would be my choice. The bezel would be complex and ornate with lots of negative space. When I retire, I want to make a ring a day for 99 days. So I'm curious, what would you create if you only could make one more creation?

My newest artworks are an homage to a dear friend of mine who left the earth this summer. Memories keep the spirit new. I'm thankful for the artist training that my jewelry instructor, Martin Drexel spoke of while teaching metalsmithing at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. (The college is set in the hills of Portland and offer great classes!) He often mentioned that memories and metal are kindred spirits. Together, they can weave into a creation, that when worn, enables the wearer to be inspired. The viewer, is the spectator, and can appreciate the beauty. So with the tools in hand, I'm creating doves. My doves will be from clay and then incorporated into metal work. I'll post some photos when I'm done:) For my Chicagoland friends, gifts from the heart to bind the spirit:) I hope you have the opportunity to create an homage artwork for a dear friend:)