productive days

Ocassionally, I have bursts of speed and creativity that completely engulfs my day. I love days like this. I have more ideas than time, so I try to work as fast as possible. The benefit is all the work that gets finished, which feels pretty satisfying. The downside is that everything else kind of falls to the side. The house is a wreck, emails are piling up and I loathe leaving my bench. The idea of leaving for a few hours is almost painful. Sessions like this require a lot of time management, breaking up chores in chunks so things get finished and my family doesn't rebel.





My friend Bob Burkett helped me design and construct this little slider turtle, showing me tricks with wax to get clean results. Its really small, about an 1 3/4" long and 1" wide. The shell is cast in shibuichi, the body in sterling, set with onyx cabachon eyes. I love it.

After completing the turtle, I couldn't seem to get enough of wax, so I started this doll. She's about 5 1/4" tall, perfect for 1/12 scale dollhouses. I'm planning on making her into a little pixie, dressed as if she found her outfit from items found arond the house. Maybe I'm influenced by 'The Borrowers" from my childhood!

I'm really happy with how she looks and especially her jointing. It was a real challenge to get the elbows and knees to bend, with a full range of movement, but also look like accurate human joints. We're in the process of molding her now, so hopefully she will cast well in resin.

I made this ring while working on the turtle. Its a study in setting cabachons, using a large rose cut sapphire and two rose cut garnets. I really enjoyed learning to use wax to make bezels (thanks Bob!). Now I can use all those stones I've been hoarding. I told Bob he should make videos to teach his innovative techniques in wax work, but I don't think he thinks there's enough interest.

I have another 5 - 8 pieces on my bench that are in different stages of completion. I usually work in groups, shifting between carving in tight detail to loose, gestural lines. This gives my hands and eyes a break and its also good to step away from a piece, to really see it. This mermaid pendant is destined to be cast in bronze, shibuichi and sterling. Hopefully we'll have some ready to send to Andrew to debut at his store and a few to sell in Hawaii next week. This time it will be just me and my friend Jessica Wiesel, which will be fun, but probably hard since I've never been away from little family. I'm looking forward to soaking in the ocean and eating loads of tropical fruit and masubi (teriyaki spam on rice- love it!) not to mention all the other hard to find asian foods I grew up with.

If you're on Oahu next week, come down to Honolulu for the SoftFlex Bead Show! Stop by and say hello, check out our limited edition pieces (I'm working on some mechanical owls and another mermaid!) and maybe give us some tips on where to eat. Show starts on Friday, see you there!

where do the days go?

The days seem to rush by, one minute I'm cleaning up the breakfast dishes, the next its midnight and the house is quiet and I have a few short hours to work before its time to start again. Sometimes it scares me, this passage of time, seeing my children changing before my eyes, limbs lengthening, slimming, losing the plumpness of babyhood. Its times like this that I'm bursting to stop everything, to stay in those perfect moments.

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time on etsy, since I have the store now and its doing surprisingly well. I picked up these labradorite pendant from a store called SilverFound. They are very beautiful, about the size to fit in a quarter, very luminous and reasonably priced. I think they'd look amazing with some faceted briolettes and handmade chain (my fave combo).

This is a custom felt animal I ordered from Pentip, also on etsy. She makes adorable felt animals like dragons, foxes, griffins and unicorns that are also poseable. This kitty was designed to look like my beloved Paddy. I think she captured his debonair charm and sweet expression.

My sister Sheila and her boyfriend Steve came for a visit and we had the best time at a little rock mining store called Elijah Mountain in Hendersonville. We love searching for rocks in creek beds and along streams, so this was a nice excursion only twenty minutes away. Basically you buy a big bucket of dirt and rocks culled from various areas where gemstones are found (along rivers usually) and shift through it with strainer and water. When the dirt washes away, what's left is rough stones like rubies, sapphires, citrines, amethyst, quartz and garnets. Sometimes there are fossils and unusual stones like kyanite and emerald. They are pretty rough, but we plan to use our yield on the lapidary grinder and smooth them out to make pendants. Azalea had the best time shoveling through the buckets and discovering the treasures. I think we'll have to make some of these strainers so we can pan along some of the rivers nearby. You never know, we might find gold.

new etsy shop!

Hello! I opened an etsy store called Enchanted Adornments by cynthiathornton the other day, after months of hemming and hawing on whether or not to do it. I wanted a way to sell some of our limited run items (besides the shows, since so many folks can't make it to them). In a way, its a good draw for people to come to the shows. Its far easier to make a bunch of new things and carry them to the shows, but I'll take some of the special goods and upload them to my new little store. So far, it has been fairly easy to figure out, but I'm pretty slow at adding things since I'm such a perfectionist. It takes me forever to take good pictures, then write a description.

I really enjoy shopping on etsy, browsing through the listings and stores, knowing I'm buying handmade. I feel like I'm helping the economy by supporting small businesses like myself. Besides, its pretty nice to stay at home and not run around wasting gas and time hunting for a parking spot (one of my pet peeves - especially when I have to parrallel park, or when there's loads of folks competing for spots, like our downtown). Anyway, if you get a chance, stop by!

smokey mountain park

Max waving 'hello' while attempting to wander through the tall grass at Cataloochee, part of the Smokey Mountain Park. There were lots of wild turkeys and elk roaming around the pastures, calmly ignoring the folks stopped by the side of the road taking pictures.

Azalea is learning to use a digital camera, something she is enjoying immensely! The elk and wild turkey look far away in the picture, but were actually pretty close. We were going to bring our dolls for a photoshoot, but forgot them in the rush to leave. I think Greg was a little relieved.

I took this picture of Greg and Max at a scenic overlook using a 'miniaturize' setting. I love how everything takes on a grainy, vintage photo look.

Here's my favorite miniaturized photo. I think the grass looks like moss, the trees like tiny wired and flocked toys and the flowers like painted paper. It was nice to take a break from preparing for the show in Philadelphia next week. Sometimes its easy to go into a zone and not move for several hours, resulting in a stiff neck and sore eyes. We are hoping to have the little house finished and ready to take with us, along with a few limited runs of some designs in bronze (which are always a hit!).

work in progress

This is (a rather blurry) picture of one of my latest beads. Its carved in polymer clay on a brass rod. Its a few hours away from completion....but I'm at the point where I tend to go wild with details. I can't resist noodling on a piece forever. I adore simple, rustic and rough hewn pieces, with marks of the artists hand readily visible (Kathy Van Kleek comes to mind). Work like that always seems to have a magical quality to it, as if the fingerprints and tool marks lend a bit of mystery. I suppose its a subtle reminder of the artist.

Yet, its so difficult for me to make things simple. So, should I noodle away, add roof plates, window panes and other fancy details? Or should I aim for something less ornate? Smooth it out, crisp up the edges and cast it? What do you think?

paddy

My sister took this picture of Paddy and myself when we were in art school, maybe 15 years ago. Its a very telling picture, I think, with his sublime expression and those melting eyes. He walked in through my open apartment window one day while I was airing out my room (in a vain attempt to disperse the fumes from oil paints and turpentine) and sat down by my feet. He visited every day, a friendly stray who politely accepted rice and other tidbits (even though we knew he dined on Fancy Feast and other fine treats from homes all over the neighborhood). He eventually chose my sister and I as his favorites and stayed with us through countless moves across the country, a constant companion through all manner of emotional terrain. He kept me company when I kept to myself, which happened to be a fair amount of the time.

I couldn't find the pictures of him wearing his red bowtie, which complimented his 'tuxedo' perfectly, but I think he still looks like a lover in this one. Paddy was one of the most loving beings I've ever known, winning over every dog, cat and human in his path. That cat was even patient with Azalea and Max, allowing them to hug and 'pet' him! I loved that cat. He died from old age last week, so we made a bed for him under the azaleas and rhododendrons (his favorite place to watch the birds). I'll remember him always.

jewelry t.v.!

Can you believe GGS is a spotlight artist on Jewelry Television? This appearance has been brewing for a couple of months, negotiating time frames for filming in the studio and deciding which pieces to showcase. The whole process of going on t.v. is fairly interesting, a little stressful, but that's to be expected. I was a little nervous about talking on live t.v. but it turned out to be easier than I expected. One of the most nerve wracking things was doing my makeup! They instructed me to use a darker pallette, since the lights tend to wash people out. I felt a little like a drag queen, since I rarely wear makeup and even then its just a bit of eyeliner. The heat under the lights was startling, not to mention the numerous cameras. Looking into the right camera at the right time took some practice, but I think I did o.k. I dreaded going on the show, but it turned out to be a fun experiance. As soon as I get a copy of the segment I'll put it on you tube.

Here's a still screen of Greg demonstrating a bronze casting, that jtv used on the show. He cleaned the studio for almost a week in preparation of the camera crew! I think the video looks great! I told them that Greg was way more comfortable in front of the camera and far more photogenic, but they wanted me to talk (which I thought was surprising, since I've been told I have a sort of dry personality). Anyway, we really enjoyed working with all the lovely folks from j.t.v. and I especially enjoyed the tour of the huge warehouse filled with beads and gemstones!

summer afternoons

I love this picture of Azalea and Max! He has to copy everything big sister does. Its pretty cute. Good thing she's a really good example and is very loving to him.

This little boy sure knows how to get into things. Note the impish grin as he pauses before chasing Suni with a stick. Unfortunately, he still puts everything in his mouth and if its attached to something, he uses brute force to make it palateable. Sigh. We have to watch him like a hawk.

We went to the Greenville Zoo yesterday and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon strolling through the exhibits. We love zoos, its fun to sit and draw the animals, or if your like Azalea, pretending to be one. Yesterday, red pandas were the favorite creature, so Greg picked up a foam mask at the gift shop and she wore it for the rest of the afternoon. Max absolutely loves it when she pretends to be an animal! Its sweet to watch. I can hardly believe the summer is half over. I find myself longing to be outside, playing with the kids, hanging out with friends and enjoying our mild weather. It has been really difficult to get back into work mode. My things to do list keeps getting longer and longer. I haven't even really felt like making anything. This streak of slacking will end, I'll force myself to design, or carve or string up the awaiting projects and feel productive.

Art Fest!

Good news! The classes I proposed to teach at Art Fest were accepted! I worked on the proposals for a month, making samples, writing descriptions and photographing the pieces. I enjoyed the process, but it was a little stressful wondering if the workshops would be chosen.

Art Fest is an annual retreat that takes place at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA in the spring. People travel from all over the world to attend the workshops taught by well known artists and craftsmen from a variety of fields. The workshops range in skill levels and techniques, but focus on new ideas. You don't have to be talented, or professional - just willing to learn and to enjoy the company of other creative people. I attended as a student a few years ago and had an amazing time! I met lots of wonderful people and really loved the location, a beautiful small town 40 miles north of Seattle, nestled right on the Puget Sound. The other, perhaps best thing, about Art Fest, is the encouraging enviroment to experiment with new materials and ideas. Its very nourishing to the spirit to just play, with no expectations to make great art, or sellable products, which can be stressful and limiting.

I'm extremely pleased to teach again at this prestigious event! I am also very happy that my brother Andrew will be assisting my workshops! We work very well together and I think folks will be happy to have both of us there sharing information. I am so looking forward to Art Fest this year!

Wonder Cabinet Butterflies

Create beautiful little butterfly creatures to place into wonder cabinets, incorporate into charming mobiles or sew into lovely dolls. This workshop will cover a wide variety of useful techniques: basic sculpting, raised effects on paper and wire, molding polymer and quick painting finishes. Many supplies will be provided, especially the more unusual ones like interference paints and polymer mediums. Various molds will also be available.

I am very excited to teach this workshop at Art Fest 2012! These little lovelies are really enchanting! I filled a shadowbox with a variety of them and displayed them along with my other butterfly specimens and they look pretty realistic at first glance. Observant folks always do a double take and lean in for a closer look, which always pleases me. These are so much fun to make and delightful to decorate with. I think they would also make beautiful ornament gifts. Join Andrew and I for this charming workshop this spring at Art Fest!