I Speak for the Trees

I Speak for the Trees

I am profoundly saddened by what is happening in the state of Oregon. Is there no place left on earth that isn't tainted by destructive environmental policies?

Huge swaths of clear cuts are what is left of our beautiful and diverse old growth coastal forests.  Destructive logging on private timber lands is just the beginning. What follows is the aerial herbicide spraying of the new "managed" forest that devastates wildlife and other competeing vegetation and pollutes the drinking water and air in nearby communities. Sadly, this is all legal, courtesy of the Oregon Forest Practices Act.  Efforts to reform this act stalled in the Oregon legislature this year due to powerful lobbying from the timber industry. 

As a member of the Rockaway Beach Citizens for Watershed Protection, a local grassroots association of citizens working to ensure clean, safe air and drinking water, I had the privilege of planning a town hall event that included a panel of experts speaking on these issues and the screening of a new film Behind the Emerald Curtain. Filmed in Oregon coastal communities, it highlights current forestry practices that put at risk our air and water quality and offers a look at practices that are fish and drinking water friendly. In October, this film will be posted online, but here is the official trailer:

Behind the Emerald Curtain

For last night's screening of the film, I donated a jewelry set as a raffle item.

Thinking of the plight of our coastal forests, "I Speak for the Trees" kept circling through my head as I was embossing and painting this recycled tin. It's the first time I thought of painting only the raised portions of the embossed pattern, while leaving the background unpainted. 

Usually I use the exact opposite process by painting the whole surface and then sanding the raised areas to remove the paint there (as in the earring charms and the focal on the cuff). Interesting inspiration.

I also figured out a way to make the leather cuff adjustable to a variety of sizes. (I hate setting snaps, so this was a great way to avoid having to struggle with them.)

I  am happy that the gal who won this set was featured in the movie. She lives in a cabin on the hillside,  got sprayed by herbicide, and ended up very sick and in the hospital. In the trailer, right after they show the containers of chemical (atrazine), she's the gal with the long braid who talks about the spray coming into the health clinic. She was just delighted with her win!

We're All Ears :: September Reveal

For me, this challenge inspiration and process was w-a-y more interesting that the pieces I actually created. With that said, here we go . . . 

The Inspiration

This month's inspiration is a performance art piece from Japanese dance and art troupe ENRA called  

Torque Starter.

Check out other Works by Enra.

Without color to rely on this month, the design focus is on shapes and geometric forms. 

The Process

First step, pull out black and white materials. Limit myself to these materials. (We'll see how that goes.)

Second step, watch the video several times, look for appealing shapes, and draw them. 

Now . . . start creating! Cutting discs from white tin.

Drawing shapes on tin pieces with Sharpie and doming them. (Feels a bit like Zentangle.)

The Earrings

Ok, so this idea had promise, but the result didn't hold up under the ultimate scrutiny of a close up photograph. Totally unhappy with the quality of these, and my perfection won't let me live with them. But that's what challenges are all about. Sometimes you hit; sometimes you miss. This is a miss. 

On these next pair of earrings I decided to highlight the spiral shapes and trapezoids in the video. Basic earrings. Nothing special. Maybe this challenge is going to defeat me. Usually I am very pleased with the pieces I create. There is still hope. I hope. 

Life got busy and my muse departed. I really wanted to create something I feel proud of for this challenge, but I am throwing in the towel on this one. Thanks, Erin, for another great inspiration. Sorry I couldn't do it more justice. 

Update:

Speaking of justice ....

I'm think that part of my problem for this challenge was that I was distracted by another project. My creative energy gravitated to a cause for which I have great passion, the environment. I made this set as a raffle item donation for an event that I was involved in planning. Here is a link to my blog post about it:

I Speak for the Trees

New Consignment: Forsythea (Astoria, Oregon)

A collection of my jewelry is now available at a lovely shop in Astoria, Oregon. Forsythea, a store I have long admired, specializes in artisan decor for home & garden and features work by local artists. Patricia, the owner, waded through the five display cases I packed of every style of my jewelry and chose an eclectic selection of pieces, shown below. Her cool shop is right on the main street of town and gets quite a bit of traffic, so I am hoping to get some exposure there. Astoria is such a vibrant place - so funky, and so much happening. 

It seems that every time I go there, someone is camped out in those chairs in front of the store. I don't blame them; it's a great place to people watch, especially on Sunday during market hours. 

Step inside and you'll find stunning artwork and beautiful displays. 

            *photo from her Facebook page

These are the 10 pieces Patricia chose to consign for me:

Mixed Metals:

(Handcut, textured and antiqued aluminum, copper and brass gears, handmade earwires)

(Textured and antiqued copper washers, copper and silver dangles, handmade earwires)

Gemstones and Metal:

(Chalcedony, copper washer, copper and silver wire, handmade earwires)

(Peruvian blue opal, silver dragonflies, handmade earwires)

(Lapis lazuli, turquoise magnesite, silver, handmade earwires)

(Larimar, amazonite, embossed and patinated tin, antiqued brass, handmade earwires)

(Blue lace agate, copper, handmade earwires)

(Blue lace agate, textured and antiqued copper washer! antiqued copper beads and chain)

(Prehnite, blue quartz, amazonite, copper, handmade earwires)

(Prehnite, blue quartz, fire agate, textured and antiqued copper washer, copper wire, antiqued copper chain)

Forsythea

1124 Commercial Street

Astoria, Oregon