don't be an idiot with the tweezers (paraphrased)

while laying in bed last night flipping through the pages of "form emphasis for metalsmiths" by Heikki Seppa(required read/resource for my class at penland), i came across this most hilarious and true statement. the wording is so matter of fact (don't be an idiot with the tweezers!)... i can't get over it.

"Among the many securing devices, the tweezer (self-closing) on a stand is much abused. Its proper use is so limited as to hardly justify owning one; its improper use is so common that it is surprising anything is ever accomplished with it."

{thanks for reading} lynn

suzanne beautyman

a while ago we went to the museum of contemporary art detroit to see cranbrook's graduate show.  apparently it is not usually held at this location and is not usually such a mad house (it was very overwhelming).  i believe the cranbrook galleries are being remodeled. anyway, we really went to see work by suzanne beautyman.  i innitially met suzanne last year during a workshop she instructed while i was a student and she was in the midst of grad school.  the photos do not really do the work complete justice, but her display was really beautiful. see better and more photos of her work here. this show is titled Oppulent Boarders, a series of brooches...

{thanks for reading} {lynn}

midnight gardening

{i came home from work monday night to a silent house and an orange extension chord which i followed to our back door to find this gardening operation, terrarium style}

GRAM

A week (or maybe even 2 weeks) ago, Alissa & I went to Grand Rapids to see the Alexander Calder Jewelry exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.  We went on the last day it was open of course. I had not been to the museum since they remodeled it years ago, it's really quite nice. We also saw the "Artprize" winning piece from last year which is a giant oil painting (that looks like a photograph) of what I assume to be the waters of Lake Michigan. It's a very comforting piece.

The Calder show was just outstanding.  I was blown away with a lot of the pieces in the way that I cannot believe he was making this type of work in the 30's. Many of his pieces were actually created as loving gifts to his wife and others in his life, which i thought was really sweet and honest.  The work is all hammer-hammer-hammer-cold-connected, but movable and lovely and simple. It all looks like gold, but most is brass. I forget to love brass sometimes. Once again, I only have a few images as I was not allowed to photograph in the museum, but I did anyway (please do not hate me, it was done only in adoration).

{thanks for reading}
 lynn

listening in the studio III

something you might not know about me,
i have a weakness for rap music.
get this album.

variations of home

these works are from of a thesis exhibition by a friend of ours, erica stephens. the work is all in ceramic and is dealing with the idea of home and what it might mean to other people. erica was in many of my jewelry classes while i was in school but decided to get her bfa in ceramics instead of metals. check out the jewelry influence! you can take a girl from jewelry but you can't take the jewelry out of the girl (or whatever cliche thing it is that people say). anyway, it really pleased me to see these little ceramic decal "home" pins.

on another note, it's always a little uncomfortable to go back to school and in the gallery after having graduated. i end up feeling like i want to get out of there which is too bad because i enjoy showing up and supporting other artists. i think there is definitely pressure after graduating to sort of get out of town or do something "great" outside of kalamazoo. but the thing is, you can do something meaningful anywhere you are. it just might involve an occassional pep talk and reminding yourself to go and brush ya shoulders off (thanks jay-z).

thanks for reading
{lynn}

KIA Area Show

Last night was the opening for the West Michigan Area Show at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. There were many nice pieces and it's great to see the enthusiasm for the arts in Kalamazoo and great work coming out of the area. Alissa has a necklace in the show and she will hate me for bragging for her, but she was awarded the Daniel J. and S. Denise Fletcher Award for exceptional jewelry. Truly, her piece rocks my socks. I will show you some of my favorite pieces (well, the pieces i photographed before i was reprimanded by the guard... it's good to break the gallery rules, no?)

{the piece is tited "Tchotchke" and is made of sterling silver, wood, plaster, wax, pigment}
{alissa & caroline chatting}

{another favorite piece at the show by Maureen Nollette titled "White" and made of a length of ribbon and straight pins.}

{below-- a brooch by Devin Ragotzy - copper, paint, plastic, paper}

{textile work by Jennifer Moss}

{photography by George Crow - the background should be black but there was a lot a reflection, it's like he's standing in the gallery, actually this guy really was in the gallery}

{"frenzy bowl" by wade macdonald}

thanks for reading!
{lynn}

spring

i wanted to post these on sunday when they were taken, but my internet wasn't letting me. these are alissa's two bunnies, roxanne and moose. roxanne wanted our raspberry/blueberry pancakes. they are crazy furry beasts, but exceptionally cute.

so, happy spring! (it finally feels like it) go out and absorb the sun when it isn't raining. and, well, absorb the rain when it isn't sunning.
{lynn}

i'd dap that

while in houston i met a guy briefly who was wearing a t-shirt with a b&s guage on it. he told me about some group or person who also made shirts that said 'i'd dap that." if you know who this person is, or how to acquire one of these shirts, let me know! this brings me to my next point of interest... new tools! otto frei just shipped me this super sexy dapping block set. after removing a lot of grease, i'm in love. 

{t h a n k s f o r r e a d i n g}

     Lynn 

Little Things / In-Between

One week later... I've managed to sit down and pull through the mad SNAG cluster resting in the back of my thoughts and produce a little feedback.  Firstly, and most importantly, thank you to everyone in Houston that made our trip that much more easy and enjoyable.  I'm talking about all our friends and colleagues we've met over the years, the volunteers, the Hyatt staff, the taxi drivers, the Final Night DJs, the people that run that little Thai place down in the tunnel, and the guy who came up at 11:00 at night to unclog an already un-clogged toilet.  

Thank you for small things that made a huge thing that much more awesome.

I didn't get very many photos either, but I managed to scrape together a few shots of the -in-between- at SNAG Houston..

loving the hotel multiples..

between-lecture assemblage..

sunset view from the 26th floor..

pre-flight fruit tart and sweet, sweet coffee....


For another view of the SNAG / Houston experience, check out Anthony Tammaro's blog, which includes video talks with featured artists and SNAG members, and whirlwind tour of the two-night gallery hop in Houston's Museum District!

Can't wait for Seattle..

Alissa