Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Wire Jewelry

Bea Rivera is the owner at Chic Designs,
teaching Chris Jackson at All Strung Out.


Hello friends, Yesterday I completed another class in wire jewelry.  Bea Rivera at All Strung Out and I made bracelets and necklaces using chains and colored beads to add to our collections.  I combined yellow and white wire to use with everything in the necklace, and multi-colored wires to use for everything this spring.

Teaching new muscle memory is the goal, and provides incentives to add to the collection.  There are so many ways to use wire and color, one can barely imagine all the possibilities.  Also, there is a new pictorial on JoAnn's in Fayetteville.  They have inventory in many colors of rings in all sizes.  New ideas for chain mail in colors.  In May, we will explore ideas in class at NWAAC.  As May classes classes approach, there will be new details.

New skills add muscle memory as we practice them.

Friday, March 16, 2012

More on the Visit to Dark Star Visuals



After a visit to Dark Stars Visuals, I thought it was time to deal with the beads and other items we need to make jewelry, repair jewelry, and enhance our final products.  Often people will use a list.  I like to be inspired by the store.  The colors are amazing, and the choices of products are impressive.  At Dark Star, Stacey and I discussed upcoming projects like my May Class at NWACC on Wednesday's in May 10-12.  I work at the Crossing in Bella Vista.  A phone call to 479-855-1903 will provide registration details.

While I was looking, Stacey was discussing an order with a salesman.  She will get a large order of wire, for the new wire art trend.  She also ordered metal sheeting to pound into distressed disks to use as  focal pieces and additions to chains and wires for necklaces, bracelets and earrings.   It was a great trip.  I am a great fan of  lapis and real stones for work.  Besides stocking one wall  of stone beads, there are thousands of small bins of specialty metal pieces to include in our work.

There one can also find sterling silver and gold filled wire, as well as base metals for projects.  She has  many display cases to inspire the work.  She also stocks clothes to wear with our new creations. Needless to say, the beads were our main destination, but the bakery next door proved irrisistable to my husband Gregg, who grew up working in his father's donut shop in Moline, Ill.

It's often good to shop a lot of places for jewelry making.  We often visited Sedona, Arizona, from Phoenix.
Dark Star is another great place to check out when planning creations for our future.  Jewelry making is a great boon for relatives and friends on holidays and gift occasions.

Most outlets in this area are now covered, and besides Walmart and Hobby Lobby there are many choices for us in Arkansas.  Please visit all these places when the occasion arises.   You might find just exactly what you are looking for.

Your Friend, Chris

Thursday, March 15, 2012

We Visited Dark Star Visuals Today.
Here Is a Photo Tour

Have breakfast or lunch, only a few steps away.

The weather was perfect for fresh rolls and good coffee outside.
The bakery is a good motivator for husbands.

I  looked over bead supplies.

There is a large selection of jewelry equipment.

Browsing for jewelry items is fun.

Stacey and I discussed findings and jewelry classes.

Dark Star Visuals since 1991
106 N. Block Ave. ~ Fayetteville, AR 72703 ~ 479.443.2323 ~ Hours: Tues. - Thurs. 11am - 7pm ~ Fri. - Sat. 9am-5pm
Closed Sunday & Monday 
Serving Northwest Arkansas ~ Located in Fayetteville on Block St.
The store is easy to find.
Drive down College South, downtown, turn right on Spring, down two blocks, left turn.
Bring change for the predatory parking meters.






Dark Star Visuals since 1991 106 N. Block Ave. ~ Fayetteville, AR 72703 ~ 479.443.2323 ~ 
Hours: Tues. - Thurs. 11am - 7pm ~ Fri. - Sat. 9am-5pm Closed Sunday & Monday 
 Serving Northwest Arkansas ~ 
Located in Fayetteville on Block St.

--



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Necklaces by Chris Jackson

Wednesday evening I took a class called multi-strand masterpieces.  I finished the blue necklace at class, and coped with the issue of crimp beads allowing 6 strands of necklace through to finish the piece and attach the closure pieces. It finally happened, and I fell into bed so pleased to have finished in time.  No more then, I've made them myself, but wanted to perfect my effort for further teaching ideas.

Suddenly, by Thursday, I was seized by an incredible urge to do just one more, you know, the more practice the better--suddenly I wielded the clippers to cut my favorite 3 strands, worn to reunion 40-and 45 in Moline, Ill., to make a new one!  There were beads to sort, wires to cut, crimp beads to ready, and focal beads to plan at the right place.  One more. The fingers now old and worn did it again, 3 wires at once, beading quickly to lessen the pain, now intense.  Then it happened again the final crimp bead...6 wires, no way.  Not finish! No way!

Just this one more--at 9 PM, issue resolved, a bit of a stretch, but  hello, a new necklace to place on the bust, to look at and not wear..but to have it done. Done! at last. But, alas, there are more beads that match--perhaps a new bracelet, to not wear but look at.  3 wires cut, crimp beads ready, focal beads in bin, new project started.  Now tired, more pain--just a bracelet. One more...like papers in college, one more, what's one more anyway.

The beads, the wires tangling, the dog wants petting.  I will finish this today, again, the crimp bead, again resistance.  Now it's 11 PM--not my best time of day.  One more time.  It is done.  No matter.  No more. Even if I only wear it once in my whole life.  Sleep, sweet sleep.  This is how a new class ends 24 hours later.  3 pieces.  One for jeans, the other for a new green dress.

Yes, I wore the blue necklace today.  Soon I will wear the multi-colored one too.  Too much time, work, and pain, and enjoyment obviously not to enjoy.  Maybe one more--some time.  Later more on another visit to Dark Visuals in Fayetteville.  So I thank you Ms. B, my teacher at all Strung Out---more for sure, just tomorrow please.  This is the motivation for beading. More More More--can't stop--Just more.  More tomorrow.




Monday, March 12, 2012

All Strung Out, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Jewelry Supplies and Classes

Bead display - All Strung Out

During a visit to Sam's, I ran into a beading teacher from NWACC who gave the great news that there is a
beading store in Bentonville - All Strung Out.

I visited this morning and met Jeff Peterson who opened the store months ago after losing a house to the Joplin tornado last year.  He had worked for Michael's for 10 years at various locations, and settled in Bentonville.  It was lucky for all of us, since some of his suppliers are unique, and his store has many items not easily found in these parts.  He has a wonderful display of completed jewelry, and crafts, and classes,14 this month alone!

A new resource is always wonderful for crafters who are addicted to the art of  jewelry making.  I have found that one can not take too many classes in jewelry making.  There are always new techniques and styles to learn and incorporate into our passion. One simply cannot learn too much.  Please visit Jeff and see for yourselves.

Bead Parties and Classes too.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

American Art Center - Northwest Arkansas

Durand's "Kindred Spirits" cost $35 million.
The original is 50 times better than this graphic.

I remember the stir when Alice Walton bought "Kindred Spirits" for her future art museum, which is the finest collection of American art in the country. The painting had been donated to the New York Library, but they put it up for auction to raise money for their endowment. They invited a select group to bid on it, and Alice Walton won.



We visited Crystal Bridges yesterday with members who drove several hours for the experience and Sunday worship. We looked at the license plates. People were there from Nevada, New York, all across America.

We were looking for the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington. The same initial gallery featured "Kindred Spirits." As I walked up to it, goose-bumps went up and down, from my head to my feet, time after time. Goose-bumps are funny. They arrive without warning and cannot be summoned. This was a familiar painting, ever since art appreciation class at Augustana, but no print can do it justice. The graphic above is just for reference. When you visit the museum you will know what I mean.

A Chicago visitor to the dog park told me he came to Benton County just to see the museum. He said Chicago had an America art museum for several years, but it folded. He was awe-struck by Crystal Bridges, which was built over Crystal Creek, where the Walton kids used to play.



Admission is free for everyone. We refused to see a Frank Lloyd Wright shrine in Phoenix because they wanted $15 each. We looked in the windows for free. Later I read the place was in trouble, short of funds. Open Source is a better approach - make it available for free and good things will happen.

The second painting is another one that must be seen in person. Imagine this, if you will. The lighting is perfect at Crystal Bridges, a combination of natural and man-made. The floors are that floating wood style, kind to the feet and legs. The paintings hang unprotected, except for the constant hovering of docents, guards, and slavering Dobermans. I made up the part about the Dobermans. The 18" inch rule applies, and people are very careful to hang back.

We could observe the paintings close enough to see the brush strokes. The Peale portrait of Washington, below, is remarkable for having the blue sash and the epaulets. He wore one or the other, not both, because both are honorary decorations.

The graphic is fairly good, but hardly as striking as the original. The moire pattern on the sash is so realistic in the painting that it looks exactly like silk, not a painting of silk.

This is better than most photos of Peale's Washington,
but the sash in this graphic reminds me of plastic flowers.

The trails, sculptures, building, and setting are all a delight for anyone. People can park away from the museum and walk a trail through the woods to the building. Shuttles also move visitors from parking lots to the main entrance.

The only disappointment was the latest in modern art, which reminded me at once of modern theology - an expensive sham that no one will identify as fraud. I called one amorphous lump on the floor "Silver Poo." An enormous painting called "Black Balloon" was nothing more than vertical strips.

The transition to modern art was fun - The Ashcan School. Those are realistic scenes painted in a hurry. I thought of several artists I wanted to see on the next trip. The Chicago visitor said, "You have to see it at night, when the entire building changes."



Many expensive purchases go into private collections and are seldom seen again. A rare painting can be increase in value many times faster than other investments.

I saw Alice Walton at a recent meeting. She was so pleased to be donating all this art to her own hometown area, instead of keeping it for herself. Collections grow in value when they exhibit a great range of artists, styles, and eras. This museum will benefit the whole region in many ways, and its creation earned money for many institutions that wanted to generate some cash from their own previous investments and donations.

Alice went looking for one piece of lost art. No one knew where this unique painting went. A conversation with someone led a family to say to Alice or her representative, "Oh, that's here. Hanging on the wall in our home." It was a short drive away from the proposed museum.

Benton County's Crystal Bridges American Art Museum


After just visiting Crystal Bridges this weekend, I felt a new blog was called for since virtually every frame for each piece of art work inspired new wire art designs for jewelry, not to mention the beautiful silver tree.  Each room was new and interesting inspiration for using art and jewelry in new ways to commemorate the beautiful art displayed.


The American inspiration from Indian to Andy Warhol  gave me more new ideas to interpret
wire designs for new jewelry designed to honor ideas shown in the thoughtful artwork arrangements from Indians, and their jewelry, to the frames used for the older art for necklaces and bracelets to celebrate these
frames for new kinds of wire art used when we make new jewelry for our own work now. 

 It has a direct influence on our designs in clothes and furnishings as a beautiful part of our past and present.  Alice Walton has chosen carefully the most representative pieces to celebrate our past and present as Americans.

Alice Walton and her family built this for everyone to enjoy.