Check out barbeeartdaily.com

I met Diane Barbee at Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, AZ. I absolutely LOVE her paintings. Something about the whimsy, to use her term. And, the color. They make me feel HAPPY. I can't wait to see "Harlequin Dress with Purple Shoes" completed.  Curious? Check out Diane's work here:

http://barbeeartdaily.blogspot.com/

Alexandria Festival of the Arts

I'm was excited to learn this morning that I've been invited to participate in the 8th Annual Alexandria Festival of the Arts. My husband, historical figurative painter Kenneth Ferguson, was invited and will be exhibiting as well. If you haven't seen Ken's work, check it out... AMAZING! 

The show is set up along King Street in Alexandria's Old Town, a quaint, historic town with many different shops, restaurants and more and stretches all the way down the street to the Potomac River.

I've never been to Alexandria, but Ken was there with his brother Peter one summer, years ago. We are definitely planning to build a little time around the show to visit the historic sites, battlefields, etc. in the area.

Featured in HOT DAD GIFTS Etsy Treasury by Monicaj

I was happy to wake up this morning to a message that one of my oxidized sterling silver MEN'S BRACELETS was featured in an esty treasury - HOT MAN GIFTS, curated by Monicaj. Since there are literally millions of items to choose from when buildiing an etsy treasury, it's a huge COMPLIMENT to be included! Plus, I love Monicaj's INDUSTRIAL AESTHETIC in this collection. Check out her choices! (That's my bracelet, fourth from the left, top row, BTW.)

P.S. Monicaj has a number of other cool  treasuries that can be found here.

A Quick Bio

EDUCATION  

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

B.A. Art, with emphasis in Art History

                                

University of Minnesota

Art History Graduate Program  

 

SELECT JURIED SHOWS

Art Fair on the Square, Madison, WI 

Celebration of Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ  

Arizona Fine Art Expo, Scottsdale, AZ

Sedona Arts Festival, Sedona, AZ

MAIN STREET Fort Worth Art Festival, Fort Worth, TX

Bayou City Art Festival, Houston, TX

Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festivals, Carefree, AZ

Cottonwood Arts Festival, Richardson, TX

Beaver Creek Arts Festival, Beaver Creek, CO

Downtown Aspen Arts Festival, Aspen, CO

Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour, Carefree, AZ

 

GALLERIES & BOUTIQUES

Brio Gallery, Galena, IL

Raku Gallery, Jerome, AZ

About the work

Classic Designs …Turned Contemporary 

Precious metals, combined with intricate and time-consuming weaving techniques, are the building blocks for my jewelry designs. I’m a personal adornment sculptor and create out of my home studio in Phoenix, Arizona. 

With a background in art history and studio art, I'm self-taught in jewelry making. I think of myself as a weaver, more so than a bench jeweler. I participate in select juried events throughout the year, including the prestigious Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’ve been a full time artisan since 2007. 

About the Work

My jewelry conveys an ongoing fascination with the idea of transformation and how objects of great beauty can begin with simple, even plain, components. In my work, wire on the coil becomes transformed into classic jewelry designs for women and men, using weave structures that are ancient, contemporary or out of my imagination. In some pieces, I let the beauty of the metal and the complexity of the weave stand alone. In others, I embellish—with a pendant I’ve sculpted from fine silver, an inlaid gemstone clasp or Swarovski pearls.

 

The Process

The creation process begins with sterling silver, 18k gold, 14k gold filled or copper wire, from which links of difference sizes are created. Using these links as the basis for constructing the piece (hundreds can go into a single design) I select a weave or weaves to use. Some weaves are round or tubular to create dense chain; others are flat to create mesh. Once the weave is complete, I may leave the metal in its natural state, or manipulate it with oxidation or other surface finishing techniques. Finally, I add embellishments and closures. While the weaves are time-consuming and painstaking—you could call it a labor of love—the work is focused and meditative, which is my joy. The end result is distinctive personal adornment with wonderful tactile qualities and tremendous visual intricacies.

little thrill

My husband and I are at dinner with friends last night at Tonto Bar and Grill in Cave Creek, AZ. As I look across the table, I notice she is wearing my ANANSIE earrings. And she is ROCKING them. Even after doing jewelry design for five years (or whatever it is), I still get a thrill when at seeing my designs out in the real world. Thank you friend, for being such an awesome model for these cool dangles!

P.S. What helped it work... my friend has the cutest short haircut. She was wearing a simple sleeveless linen turtleneck sweater in ecru.