Family

A Bird in the Hand

I must have birds on the brain, but lately I have been obsessed with getting those little feathered creatures into my craft work. Mainly in metalsmithing, but also in some quilting and paper & card projects I am working on. This post is titled for a metalsmithing project I am working on called “A Bird in the Hand,” which is a sterling and copper Hamsa which you will read about and see at the bottom of this post. As I finish this and other projects, I will update the blog. But for now, this post focuses on art and artists whose work uses birds in some form or another. In Fact just today, Dolan Geiman had a Friday “Link Love” all about birds!!! He read my mind I guess.

First, there is Jodie Hurt who I recently discovered on Etsy. I am the proud owner of these two pieces (pictured below) by Jodie. She is a junior high art teacher by day, crafty girl by night… constantly messing around with images and fun materials. She lives in Kansas City, Kansas with her husband and two dogs; Gracie the boxer and Charlie the chow-brador. She has a brilliant sense of composition and uses a beautiful bright palette.

Mary Emma Hawthorne inspires me to get out my old beat-up JJ Audobon book I got at the Carry On Shop and make bird shrines (either houses, wall shrines, or watch-crystal pendants). Hawthorne received a B.F.A. from Texas Christian University in 2004 and has shown in several venues throughout Texas and Dallas since. She is young, and in my opinion, very accomplished. Her work reminds me of things I have seen at the American Craft Council Annual Show.

One of my favorite practicing artists is Dolan Geiman. He uses birds, among many other beautiful “Americana” imagery, in many of his works. Geiman is a nationally recognized mixed media artist creating original paintings, collages, constructions, and limited-edition reproductions. Like many indie artists I know, I discovered his work both online via Etsy, and through his blog. He also offers his work at nationwide art and craft fairs, and through gift and home decor retailers — Geiman’s artwork enjoys permanent residence in homes across the globe. Geiman also works regularly with the design industry to create and place work in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and other commercial locations.

What makes his work so appealing to me is the fact that his pieces are produced from salvaged wood, found objects, and other recycled materials. Geiman’s eco-friendly artwork emerges from a folk art tradition infused with a contemporary, urban style. His artwork successfully weaves together the rural with the urban and the vintage with the contemporary. Motifs such as rural America, woodland creatures “specifically birds,” and country music are popular and reoccurring themes, creating an artwork that introduces a modern aesthetic while remaining true to its rustic roots.

Next on my list are Roberta & David Williamson, a husband and wife team of two jewelers from Berea, Ohio. I had the pleasure of meeting David at the 2008 Smithsonian Craft Show at the National Building Museum in DC. Oh my goodness: I am absolutely in love with their work as everything they create somewhat revolves around some of my favorite things: ephemera, especially of natural history subjects, entomological subjects, flora and fauna, and tin toys, among other antique trinkets. Their work is inspired by family, and from their garden. They use straight forward fabrication methods, casting, and soldering to create their jewelry. If you were to see their display, it is almost like a “Cabinet of Curiosities,” of beautifully crafted and composed pieces. Each piece is so carefully designed and assembled by these two artists. The one of a kind pieces are sawed, formed, fabricated, soldered, finished and patinated by the artists. They don’t use any assistants to put these pieces together, and what makes their work so beautiful is that you can see how they must inspire each other as they go through the process a creating their work, piece by piece. Both David and Roberta come from different backgrounds and education, but each have an MFA in jewelry and metalsmithing from Virginia Commonwealth University. I so wish I could take a class with them. Their work is in numerous private and public collections and has been shown in over 50 books and publications. That is where I first discovered their work, in a book about brooches, where one of their gorgeous pieces embellishes the spine of the book. I was lucky enough to receive a postcard from David at the Smithsonian show, but was way to shy to ask for his autograph.

Another person whose work I admire (and aquired a few pieces from), is Latvian artist Marina Terauds. She has dedicated her work to printmaking (etching, mezzotint, aquatint, drypoint) after receiving her Master degree in printmaking (Latvian Academy of Arts) and in art pedagogy (Latvian State University).

Although the stylistic elements in her art have varied, there always was love for the unique, spiritual alchemy, searching for a combination of beauty and the mystery of nature. Her works, although in point are not the naturalistic reflection of the world around, but charm the spectator by the thorough knowledge of the subject shown. All of Marina’s prints are hand printed on the premises using traditional printing methods unchanged in over 400 years. Some of her work is somewhat “fantasy” with fairies and other beautiful women in flowing gowns. But what is most appealing to me are her natural subjects, including such birds as chikadees, tits, buntings and nests.

Of course, you remember my friend Meg’s sketches. If you like to see more of her work, you can read my last article, “Eye Candy”.

Below is a sculpture that my husband bought me at an American Craft Council Show – Created by James Mullan, this amazing craftsman makes these beautiful sculptures using bird decoys, antique toys, and his wife, Victoria, makes mixed-media jewelry. Jim & Tori Mullan’s jewelry and mixed media sculpture, is made with recycled metals such as copper, brass and steel. The metals are hand stamped with various patterns and then oxidized to achieve an array of colors and finishes. Natural imperfections, which occur during oxidation, add to the individuality of each of their pieces. Since the designs are handmade with various metals, finishes, and antique findings, it is rare that any two of their pieces will be identical. I am lucky to own this Blue Jay, photographed here in one of my studio’s cubby-holes.

birutes_purlienes_gyvybes_medis. Birutės (Navickaitės) Purlienės jubiliejinė keramikos darbų paroda ir Giedros (Purlytės) Mažrimienės tapybos paroda „Gyvybės medis – iš kartos į kartą“. Birutė Purlienė. “Gyvybės medis” lithuanian

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