Starry Night

It was very difficult to get a good print on this beautiful dark rich Lapis form Pakistan.  I picked up this piece at a Rock Show and it seems to be a corner of a larger square.  The Lapis has not only the usual dark blue color but also some specks of silver in a band through the middle  Hence the name:  Starry Night.  The Howlite pendants and Lapis beads accent the base in the coils of Muhly Grass and blue waxed linen thread.

Approximate Size:  9 X 8 X 4 inches

Genesis

 

This basket is formed on a slab of Zoysite which is the bedding rock for Sapphires (the dark green sticks) and Rubies ( the deep pink).  The pendants are also Zoysite and I added some small garnet colored beads for accent.  The Muhly Grass in this coiled basket is laid open in a shallow design.  It is more of a saucer shape than a deeper bowl that I usually form. 

Approximate Size:  12 X 10 X 2 inches

ARTISTS@WORK

Alliance for the Arts
10091 McGregor Blvd | Fort Myers | FL | 33919
 www.artinlee.org

Saturday, March 15, 10AM-1PM
Main Classroom & Green Market Grounds

14 Different Demos Including:

Kumihimo Braided Jewelry | Raku Pottery | Bird Feather Carving
Bead Weaving | Pine Needle Baskets | Chain Maille | Mosaic
Fused Glass | Wood Turning | Viking Knit Jewelry | Eggshell Art
Stone Sculpting | Weaving | Wire & Cloth

Featuring:

Aradia & Al Liccardi, Jenny Burnham, Analilia Clay, Dee Cooper, Kathy Erickson, Dale Eulitz, Renee Farr, Petra Kaiser, Phil Krym, Sherry Moesch, Bobbi Robertson, Trudy Sampson & Jim Sobel, Rose Young and Gloria Winer.

Presented in partnership with the SWFL Fine Craft Guild

Diamond in the Rough

The base is Barite with a large Calcite crystal.  Too bad it's not a Diamond in the Rough!  This stone chunk was mined in a Tennessee mine where combinations of minerals are found.  While the miners extract their designated minerals these pockets of jewels are brought up too.  Combinations of minerals growing together are unusual and bring high prices.  I paired this rare rock with Muhly Grass,  Quartz chips, and Magnesite  pendants.

Approximate Size: 9 X 9 X 3 inches

Beside Still Waters

The base is Aquamarine. Such a wonderful color and translucent stone gives the basket movement but stillness and depth at the same time.  African Opal pendants and squares and Jade beads complete the picture.  Muhly Grass composes the main body with a few pine needle accents on the top edge.
This basket can be viewed at the Marco Island Center for the Arts  in month of March, 2014

Approximate Size: 14 X 13 X 4 inches

Trees Have Soul

 This basket was a lot of fun to make but posed some construction challenges.  The odd shape of the base made it difficult to judge the placements of the pendants and teneriffe pieces.  In coiling it it necessary to maintain shape and symmetry from left to right and up to down.  The size of the teneriffe rounds were not the same size as the Petersite pendants, but luckily the bead fit inside the teneriffe ring.  I wanted to do something with the natural hole in the base so I planned another teneriffe there.  All these adjustments that I had never done before made the basket's outcome uncertain. 
This piece communicated to me throughout its growth.  Turning the petrified wood slab as I sewed, various visions of animals seem to be frozen in the base.  In one direction, a quiet bunny, in another a turtle, in another a playful monster.  Made over the busiest time of the year, Christmas, this basket was worked on in short periods, which means it probably took longer!  But success.  Below is the second place ribbon from "Mirroring the World Around Us" show at the Cape Coral Arts Studio in February, 2014.

Approximate Size: 15 X 10 X 4 inches