turn

The economy has turned, pieces of on my own world have turned, and now the weather has followed this head-over-heels tumbling act.

After two hard frosts, it was time to turn the garden under, ending the abundance of summer, and preparing for cool season crops like leeks and lettuce. A couple of weeks ago I took down a massive bunch of bolted arugula from where I had hung it to dry. In the driveway outside my studio I sat and separated seeds from pods. It was warm then. No 10% Dow drops, no news yet about reeling world banks.

This weekend, after composting the last frost-wilted tomato plant, and feeling quite sorry for myself and overwhelmed with the world, I saw bits of green arugula peaking up through the river rock, in hard-packed earth, in between the stones and our feet, and despite all impossibilities.

They wink at me: Your turn.

distractions

My poor neglected blog...I have had several delightful distractions, and after a couple of weeks with family, and a weekend in Portland, I am now ready to tackle the monstrous piles of to-dos and to-files and to-do-not-forgets that seem to be interbreeding on my workbench. I must, sorrowfully, admit that I have nothing new to share with my metalwork, but I've posted two pictures from my rainy visit to Portland.

The above shot is a detail of Allan Houser's bronze sculpture Desert Harvest at the Portland Art Museum 's sculpture garden, and the image below looks into the Zig Zag Bridge (yatsuhashi) at the Portland Japanese Garden.

pod blog

These began their lives as tubes of recycled sterling silver and survived cutting, sanding, hammering, drilling, sanding, hammering, oxidizing, hammering, buffing, and general overworking. The result: two pods, minus peas.

twig

I'm not sure I can adequately describe the kind of crazy my day job has snowballed into, so spending time in the studio this weekend was a must. Nothing like a hammer and anvil to make a girl feel like herself. These earrings are a new favorite in an attempt to balance both of my worlds. I cut, etched, and oxidized a curved piece of recycled sterling sliver to look like a twig, or piece of bark. They're light and lovely and will be a talisman against the hordes of post-its tomorrow.

In other news, brendesign is now included in the collections at Circular, an eco-friendly, earth inspired shopping haven in Anchorage Alaska. I'm happy my work has found a home in the 49th state, and I would so love to visit...

still sleepy

I good day in the studio ended in another addition to the sleep series I started two weeks ago. Half of this 1" recycled sterling silver circle is cut, etched, oxidized, and bound with a 14k recycled gold wire wrap.

sleep

Last night was a roam the house night, which doesn’t really work, as there are only 5 rooms and the hardwood floor creaks. So, last night became a sketch the dirty dishes on the counter night (I was desperate).

Needless to say, Sleep is the only thing on my mind in the studio today. The result is a set made in honor of my evanescent goddess, a ¾” piece of recycled sterling silver, the front buffed to a shine, and one edge a delightful uneven cut oxidized to a smoky grey. A contrast of our (occasionally) lucid state, and the subconscious beyond…

home again

Hello, all--I'm finally back and unpacked! Italy was absolutely everything I hoped it would be and more. I would love to go back...soon. I don't have my pictures online yet, but will post them when I get around to sorting and labeling. The above photo is at the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, where we wandered through water gardens and rooms filled with frescoes.

I came home to piles of work and to-dos that should have been finished before I left, but that is just how my world is. One fantastically fun to-do was to harvest my giant heirloom Oregon Applegate garlic and hang them to cure. Aren't they beautiful?


Now it's back to the studio for me!