Try Something You've Never Done Before

I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it.

-Pablo Picasso

The last few weeks have been frustrating for me. I am always trying out new ideas and sometimes the final product is not what I was attempting. These "challenges" seem to come in clusters and so, I've had one disappointment after another recently. When you are working with found objects or just trying something new, there's often no clear cut method. It takes so much experimenting to not only get the technique, but to then get it to do what you need.

It is difficult sometimes to go against the norm. If only a simple clasp or a traditional setting were all I needed to complete a piece of jewelry, life would be so simple. But, there is something inside me that just doesn't see the purpose of creating another piece of jewelry that you've seen a million times before. I always have to be different and so do my creations. Believe me, this does not make life easy, even though it does make it interesting.

I was feeling a bit disjointed today, eyeing all my unfinished projects, when I saw the above quote from Picasso.

Picasso was always trying out new styles and techniques. So, he must have always been doing things he did not know how to do. He did them anyway, and kept on doing them, because he wanted to learn how to do them.

This quote inspired me to take a fresh look at some of my recent unfinished projects. And do you know what? They all came together. I see a solution. I can combine the different techniques I've been working on to get exactly what I was aiming for.

I'm off to do this now. Meanwhile, I hope the quote inspires you too. Don't be afraid to try something you've never done, it's the only way you'll learn how to do it.

Asbury Park Images at the Boardwalk 2009

I have several 100 year old postcards on my site of Asbury Park NJ circa 1909. I took some pictures last week of some familiar spots as they are now in 2009. Here you'll see, Convention Hall, The Paramount, The Casino, Madame Marie's, and the now empty Carasoul building.

More Inspirations from The Met

Just last week, a new exhibit opened at the Met called Art of the Samurai - Arms and Armor 1156-1868. Learning the properties of metal and moving that metal is what jewelery making is all about. Those who make the Samurai arms are total masters of metal. So, this exhibit was interesting to me, from a jeweler's perspective.

The first half of the exhibit is mostly the blades themselves, shining in space, incredibly old and looking as though they were made yesterday. All I could think of while looking at them was to wonder at the knowledge and the strength of the person who forged them.

The second half of the show was the armor. This was interesting. Again, some of the pieces were hundreds of years old, but in perfect condition. Most were kept in families through many generations. It turns out, each Samurai had a special style of his own. They liked the bold, over the top look! Check out the guy in the gold necklace who is the poster boy for the show. His actual armour is in the show. The antlers are black lacquered and glittery! I just love the huge gold prayer beads he wore.  They contrast with the black just right. This was a fun show to go through, opening my mind to different approaches to metal and ornament.

GARNET BUCKLES
On the first floor there is a hallway that I often find myself in at the Met. It's on the way back to the Great Hall. There are some ancient pieces of Celtic and Frank items. I'm always drawn to a few of these and finally took a picture, so that I might be able to use them as an inspiration someday. The red is slivers of sliced garnets. I think these were from the 500s AD. Someday I'd like to make something like this. I'm starting to think about buckles and this would be a good start, don't you think?

 American Stories, Paintings of Everyday Life at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Another one of the newer exhibits I viewed at The Met on Friday was called American Stories, Paintings of Everyday Life 1765-1915.   (Be sure to click on the link because they have a great online sample of the paintings and narrations of the show.)

This show is so well put together. It's a series of rooms, small collections that each make a point and lead us through American Art. It's not preachy, it's enjoyable. So many old favorites are there, but there were quite a few surprises for me. 

One of the first paintings made me laugh. It's called Sea Captains Carousing in Surinam, ca 1752-58. The scene looks right from one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The painter has poked fun of himself and painted himself vomiting in the hallway.

Another surprise, Why didn't I ever know about Lilly Martin Spencer (American, 1822–1902)? Her paintings are delightful. I am going to look into more about her. Painting from a women's point of view in the mid-nineteenth-century, with wit. We can't get enough of that.

Some of my favorite American painters had multiple works in the show - Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, William Merrit Chase and John Singer Sargent. But walking into one of the rooms, I was drawn to a huge yellow canvas. I was surprised it was Frederick Remington's Fight for the Water Hole.It looked so different outside of the Western themes that I'd expect it in. In this room it more than held it's own, it dominated the room. It looked to me like a brand new painting, because of the fresh perspective. 

It's a lovely exhibit. If you can't go to see it, the online exhibit is worth browsing through.

A visit to the Met

Yesterday I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I have a membership there this year and have been trying to take advantage of that. I wholly recommend anyone in the area to do this. The Met has so much to offer and there are new exhibits every month, so there is always something new to discover there.

 I went to see the special Vermeer exhibit called Vermeer's Materpiece The Milkmaid. The focal point, of course is the titled piece, on loan to the Met. They have also gathered all their own Vermeers together and some other works by Vermeer's contemporaries. 

The Milkmaid surprised me. I thought I knew Vermeer. I thought I knew what all the fuss was about him. The light, the composition, the servant girl, I've seen these before and admired them. I have always loved Young Woman with a Water Pticher. 

But the Milkmaid is not the same! It is crisp, crisp, crisp lines. It is so much more of a photographic portrayal. And the colors are just so right. It is beautiful. It is worth going to see if you have the opportunity. 

I loved that the exhibit had the other works nearby, because I went back and forth, looking at Water Pitcher and Milkmaid, observing the differences between them. Water Pitcher is more diffused, as through a veil. I still love Water Pitcher, but have even more love and respect for Vermeer after seeing The Milkmaid. 

It also pointed out to me yet again, how important it is to see works of art firsthand. A picture of the works can never fully give you the same experience.  In a book, pictures of these two works will look very similar. In the same room with both originals, you will be struck by their differences.

Stay tuned.. I'll review some of the other exhibits I saw in the next few days.

What's Going On?

In the past few days, I stirred up alot of changes. Actually, I've been working on all these changes for months, but now they are something you can see.

I have a brand new website called Mary Lu Wason Studio Art Jewelry.. 
Take a look at www.MaryLuWason.com


This site is a portfolio and a marketplace for my art jewelry. I found that I needed a place to showcase and maintain a focus on my collections. It's also a place to point to for show entries, galleries and wholesale accounts.

Every part of the pieces on this site are handmade by me. No purchased charms or earring hooks, clasps or other jewelry supply findings, i.e., no shortcuts.

The site is a little bare right now, but I am so happy to present it. It's a start on this new journey, just a step forward. I hope you enjoy browsing it. Most items there are also for sale, both retail and wholesale.


Amethyst Lobster - Unique Jewelry is undergoing a complete transformation.


Creating the new signature site for my art jewelry required me to re-evaluate the Amethyst Lobster site. I believe it was getting confusing for customers. So, it is now wiped out and I will be building it up again with a clearer and more cohesive style. It will focus mainly on the (obvious from the name) nautical and seaside inspired hand-crafted jewelry. 

Since I was making changes to Amethyst Lobster, I decided it was time to move it to it's own domain. I originally started it as a part of my Lobster Lu Postcards site.  It grew and grew and really should have had it's own domain years ago. So..now it does at www.AmethystLobster.com .

I hope this helps to clear up some confusion. Please feel free to send your comments or concerns. I'm still here and will soon have a few of the old favorites back on Amethyst Lobster, as well as many more new items on both sites. 
 

Escape from the Ordinary

I was supposed to be working on some rings this week. But the Esc key pendant that I started a few weeks ago kept bugging me. So, I let the plans drop to heed the call of the Muse.

This is a sterling silver square that I textured with a hammer and other items of destruction. The sawed out circle has a brass collar. The focus is the Esc key from an old computer. My way of recycling. The keys are very high for jewelry, so I had to saw the plastic key in half. And the shape of the key is difficult for this type of bezel setting. I will try a different method for my next computer key. There's a copper "scrap" with two tiny 1.5mm Cubic Zirconias in a burnished setting. I love the way they sink into the copper and contast with it.

I will put this on a simple brown suede cord.

Wearing this, I will state my desire to escape from the ordinary that surrounds me. My jewelry, too, I hope will escape from that. Some people find comfort in the common, but I feel stifled and bored with it. So, I'll continue to listen to the Muse. I'll work on more designs to recycle computer keys, so that I can offer a line to my customers soon. I know my customers are always looking for a way to state their uniqueness. Soon, we will all escape from the common.

A New Day, A New Direction
Well, I did it! I finished the course at Studio Jewelers, Ltd. It was not easy, but it was sooooooooo wonderful. I learned more about making jewelry than I thought was possible. I am so grateful to the wonderful teachers there. They are really the best!
(Check out their website at http://www.studiojewelersltd.com/index.html ).

So, now I have so many new skills and so many new designs swirling in my head. First, I need to set up my own studio so that I can do more of the types of work I just learned. There is so much, though. A little at a time is all that is possible.

But the main, major tool for a bench jeweler is the bench itself. It's so specialized, there are so many features that make perfect sense and become a necessary part of creating.

The jeweler's bench height is important. It's higher than a regular table or desk. The bench pin (the wedge of wood sticking out of the middle) is where most work happens. That often needs to be eye level, or chin level, for comfort. A chair that easily adjusts height, is also required. There are two openings on either side of the bench where slats of wood for arm rests can go. When setting stones or holding something firm, the arm rest helps to hold the project steady. My bench also has holes to hold mandrels. When banging rings or bracelets, it's so much easier to have the mandrels held firm. Another very important part of the jeweler bench is the pull out metal lined tray. Without it, the floor is a mess of metal or wax shavings and dust. Besides, tiny stones and metal pieces of a project tend to fly at the most unexpected time. Without a bench, a jeweler will spend most of her time, on hands and knees, searching for a stone that dropped. Believe me..I know this for a fact! There's also a cut-out tray that slides out and has a little shelf above it. This
is another way to catch the precious pieces and ensure there is no space between the jeweler and the bench. If you are working with a precious metal, you really don't want to lose anything. Some frequently used tools can go on the shelf. In my case, a jeweler's saw and some files.

A jeweler's bench is much more than just a workbench. It really is a tool, that allows a smoother creation process.

I was so excited to recently receive a jeweler's bench as a gift. Here it is! It took quite a bit to get it where it stands today. The UPS couldn't handle it (cracked the first one). So, I drove myself up to Zak's in the Diamond Distrit, NYC and in the pouring rain, they loaded a new one and took back the broken one. (Those guys are great, if you need any jeweler tools). I was so happy with this brand new bench in the back of my van. I looked up and realized I was in the middle of Times Square. The lights were shining for a new day, a new direction in my designs. The whole world of moving the metal ahead of me.

Here's a picture of the bench before being christened. If you can see, the bench pin is a rectangle. I had to cut it, as jewelers before me, into a v shape. This requires woodworking saws. What an ordeal! I felt like I was committing to jewelery making as I realized again and again, I did not want to be a woodworker!

It stands in an alcove of windows that overlook the forest. It is a joy to sit at this bench and create objects to adorn my friends - those I have met and those I hope to meet someday. I look forward to this bench getting old, with nicks and holes from making many fresh and inspiring necklaces, bracelets, rings, brooches and maybe a tiara or two. Oh...and the kitty is looking for a diamond cat collar.

Expanding My Skill Set

This week, at school, I made this ring. It involved transferring a pattern, sawing two identical pieces, soldering at 3 places, lots of sanding and polishing and finally a little pearl and rhinestone setting.

I like the design of a circle in a shape and the side view profile of space between the two identical forms. I would like to play with this concept in the future with different materials and finishes.

Week One in Studio Jewelers School

Here's a two metal (brass and copper) turtle brooch that I made on my second day of school in Studio Jewelers. I'm learning incredible skills and making new pieces every day. I'm so excited at the possibilities of new designs these new skills will enable me to create.

Calder Jewelry Exhibit Inspires Brass Bangings!

The very soon to be over exhibit of Calder's jewelry at the Met soooo inspired me this winter! I love brass and Calder did too. It is very hard to make jewelry and not want to try some of his designs. They are often simple and yet stunning.

So, here are a few bangings I've been doing. The M initial pin is almost an exact copy. Just for myself. The original Calder's were huge, this one isn't so big. And I did a bit of a matte finish on the brass. Calder used sterling or iron for the pins themselves. The contrast of the dark metal with the brass is interesting. I tried just using brass.

The spike necklace is perhaps not done. Calder made one with a spike between every ball of the "plumber's chain". Those spikes are over 4 inches. Calder's jewelry was BIG and often unwearable. I find that so inspiring. Should I leave this necklace with the few spikes in the front that is more wearable, or make the sunburst of a necklace that is totally art and amazing and not quite wearable?

Well, these are like drawings, little studies in the style of a great artist.

Is that a tiara for a little bird, or an over the top brass ring? Depends on your perspective, I suppose. It was a fun ring to create. I made it quickly in between pounding the necklace spikes. Calder made some lovely flower blossom necklaces and tiaras. I didn't see any rings exactly like this, but it is inspired by him. It's very light and easy to wear. Banging it made it nice and strong. I think I'll experiment and expand on this design. Some earrings to be added too.

Hope you're having a nice weekend!

Love Letter Valentine Altered Art Domino Pendants

Yesterday, I made these sweet little pendants, using collages of vintage
images and dominos. I solder a frame around the edge and a sterling silver
jumpring.

Aren't they sweet?

If you are nearby, at the Jersey Shore, come down on Friday or Saturday to
Vintage Variety on First Ave in Atlantic Highlands. I'll be there with these
pendants and other jewelry - something for every style and price range.

Have a Sweet Valentine's Day!

"I'm in Love with a Jersey Girl" Valentine Sale

Vintage Variety Shop
76 First Ave
Atlantic Highlands NJ
is hosting a trunk show with
Amethyst Lobster Unique Jewelry
on Feb 12th, 13th and 14th 2009
Noon - 7pm - Thursday -Saturday

Come Shop for your Valentine & the Henry Hudson Regional Marching Band receives a percentage of all sales for their upcoming trip to Disney World!

Anything in the store is eligible! Vintage Variety offers new, vintage and recycled clothing and accessories! Amethyst Lobster offers unique jewelry that is handmade in Atlantic Highlands!

Come early and make a wish list to give to your Valentine! Preview some of the jewelry at www.AmethystLobster.com