All my sales and gains from creating works out of my glucometer strips have supported my donations to the American Diabetes Association. I have received so much help from their information and resources. The website was a great comfort when I needed information, and what they post has always been reliable information.
I found my Endocrinologist through them, and many, many resources that have helped me manage my health.
In return, I am happy to donate (as I always have) 10 % of my sales to the ADA. I am really motivated to get a few works finished so I can send in another donation. Please visit their link and investigate the site.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Visit to Bowers!
Bowers Museum in Santa Ana recently hosted the Bead Society of Orange County. It was a great event with a lot of very skilled artists and vendors. I was very impressed with Unicorne Beads from Placentia, and also with Lori Mendenhall's work. Overall everyone's work was fun to observe and handle, but these two vendors really stood out. They helped me look around for more copper rings, and inspired a few more ideas to incorporate in my own works (without ripping them off). Their customer service skills were superb!
I do miss the collaboration of being around my artist friends more often. We all seemed to motivate and inspire one another quite a bit. I got a little of that familiarity when speaking with Ms. Mendenhall, and Jon from Unicorne Beads.
While I didn't find any copper jump rings or supplies, I did get in contact with a few online chain-maille sites. I am a bit frustrated in translating the size specs from where I bought previously to the professional chain-maille supply sites. It's just one of those things you need to see, touch, and feel before ordering.
The visit was enjoyable as always, and I purchased some supplies to custom-bead a rosary for my grandmother. This will be one killer of a project, but I hope she will like it for a Mother's Day present. When her son, Dan, passed two years ago, she gave me the rosary her Godmother gave to her for the services. I have had it almost every day since, and used it again at another son's funeral (Matt) this year. I want to make a special one for her in return. I have her favorite colors picked out, really nice donut beads from Unicorne. I think the donut shape will feel good rolling around in her fingers - no sharp corners for her finger bones. I'll incorporate the yo-yo beads also, and wire it up in copper. We'll ask her favorite priest to bless it - but that means I'd better get to it! Mother's Day is quickly approaching. Pics to arrive soon.
I do miss the collaboration of being around my artist friends more often. We all seemed to motivate and inspire one another quite a bit. I got a little of that familiarity when speaking with Ms. Mendenhall, and Jon from Unicorne Beads.
While I didn't find any copper jump rings or supplies, I did get in contact with a few online chain-maille sites. I am a bit frustrated in translating the size specs from where I bought previously to the professional chain-maille supply sites. It's just one of those things you need to see, touch, and feel before ordering.
The visit was enjoyable as always, and I purchased some supplies to custom-bead a rosary for my grandmother. This will be one killer of a project, but I hope she will like it for a Mother's Day present. When her son, Dan, passed two years ago, she gave me the rosary her Godmother gave to her for the services. I have had it almost every day since, and used it again at another son's funeral (Matt) this year. I want to make a special one for her in return. I have her favorite colors picked out, really nice donut beads from Unicorne. I think the donut shape will feel good rolling around in her fingers - no sharp corners for her finger bones. I'll incorporate the yo-yo beads also, and wire it up in copper. We'll ask her favorite priest to bless it - but that means I'd better get to it! Mother's Day is quickly approaching. Pics to arrive soon.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
out of 4mm rings
I have exhausted my current supply of 4mm copper jump rings. I will check with various vendors, and try out a new one in Urban Maille. Their rings looks so beautiful!
I'm at a point of some frustration right now: I have much of a 'fabric' created to mount on a beautiful wooden panel. The work is almost done if I continue it as-is. It's a little bit boring to me, though - I want to know more techniques of chain-maille and incorporate something with a bit more skill and beauty.
The lack of supplies have kept me from working too fast on the sculpture. It's been a blessing: I can revision it before completing the work and mounting it. I also have been inspired for the modifications I'd like to try on other panels. We'll see where it goes!
I'm at a point of some frustration right now: I have much of a 'fabric' created to mount on a beautiful wooden panel. The work is almost done if I continue it as-is. It's a little bit boring to me, though - I want to know more techniques of chain-maille and incorporate something with a bit more skill and beauty.
The lack of supplies have kept me from working too fast on the sculpture. It's been a blessing: I can revision it before completing the work and mounting it. I also have been inspired for the modifications I'd like to try on other panels. We'll see where it goes!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Slideshow from Slideroll
Trying to import images to blogger, but no success yet. Let's try a slideshow from the slideroll site:
Back to work!
It's been great to return with seriousness to creating a few bodies of work. I'm exploring a familiar concept in sculpture, by connecting my used (and sealed) glucometer strips into a chain-maille like fabric.
My first real success with this process is listed to the side. It began as a project in my undergrad sculpture class. The assignment was to create something beautiful out of something ugly. I was new to being a diabetic, and testing my glucose a few times a day. Without health insurance at that time, I was really vigilant in finding the balance that my body worked with. At first it was such a hardship; I truly hated to test. Later, I realized that I could begin to predict and plan for sugar highs and lows. The restraints and pains of testing were helping me to avoid an emergency, or costly hospital visit.
With the encouragement from the professor, Doug, and his assistant, Jocelyn, I continued on with the piece long after the assignment was due. It was accepted into the juried show at the UAM, CSULB. I received a scholarship from the Fine Arts Affiliates at CSULB, and later as I asked Accu-Chek's parent company (Roche Diagnostics) for permission to continue the work, I ended up selling my first big success to them. The same company that manufactures the strips and meters, helps me to keep my diabetes in check, now keeps my sculpture on display in Indianapolis. What an honor!
My first real success with this process is listed to the side. It began as a project in my undergrad sculpture class. The assignment was to create something beautiful out of something ugly. I was new to being a diabetic, and testing my glucose a few times a day. Without health insurance at that time, I was really vigilant in finding the balance that my body worked with. At first it was such a hardship; I truly hated to test. Later, I realized that I could begin to predict and plan for sugar highs and lows. The restraints and pains of testing were helping me to avoid an emergency, or costly hospital visit.
With the encouragement from the professor, Doug, and his assistant, Jocelyn, I continued on with the piece long after the assignment was due. It was accepted into the juried show at the UAM, CSULB. I received a scholarship from the Fine Arts Affiliates at CSULB, and later as I asked Accu-Chek's parent company (Roche Diagnostics) for permission to continue the work, I ended up selling my first big success to them. The same company that manufactures the strips and meters, helps me to keep my diabetes in check, now keeps my sculpture on display in Indianapolis. What an honor!
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