ThompsonGirl - Fine Artisan Jewelry by Diana Ferguson

2010-06-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

I was excited to find out yesterday that a project submission I made to Art Jewelry Magazine for a bracelet I designed in 2009 has been accepted! It's quite a big deal - I will be writing a 2000 word article, providing process photos and including tips and tricks. All with the help of my assigned editor of course. Don't know when it will actually publish (could be 9 to 12 months out) but the final product is due in late September. More later...

Summer 2010 Newsletter!

2010-06-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Click here to read my Summer 2010 newsletter. It's got updates plus great info on some of the new materials I'm incorporating into my jewelry designs. Enjoy!

Check out barbeeartdaily.com

2010-05-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-18T10:37:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Speaking of a passion for quality...

2009-12-26T15:52:00.000-08:00

Speaking of a passion for quality, a nod to fashion line Phi for choosing quality over commerce. While it is sad to see a label close their doors, sometimes that may be the better choice than the alternative; to wit:

"...the management team of Phi, while discussing its future, saw a shrinking opportunity for small luxury labels to succeed. Julia Hansen, the chief executive of the company, which had about 35 employees, said the decision to close was influenced by the many requests from retailers to change designs to make them less expensive. (By designer standards, Phi’s prices were not overly obscene — a pair of harem shorts may have cost $1,495, but they were suede.) “There was a lot of pressure to go down a path that we felt would compromise the integrity and value of the brand,” Ms. Hansen said. “But this was about being realistic.”

Read the article from the New York Times here: "So Young, So Smart, So Gone"

Inspiration for the Day - Hermes

2009-12-26T15:33:00.000-08:00

My inspiration for today is Hermes: for their use of color, for their sense of whimsy, for their ability to make art out of simple basics, and most of all, for their long-standing conviction that beautiful items of quality and distinction are worth spending money on.

I've particularly fallen in love with the "Le Monde est Vaste" Silk Twill Scarf, designed by Cyrille Diatkine; not only is it beautiful and the concept behind the imagery fascinating, but a percentage of proceeds go to the National Geographic Society Crittercam program. Check it out! And try not to get too distracted from whatever you were doing browsing their web site (I'm not saying that happened to me).

Le Monde est Vaste Silk Twill Scarf

Cat Deeley's Finale Necklace?!

2009-12-16T22:20:00.000-08:00

[Idle] curiosity made me do it... Google Cat Deeley's "So You Think You Can Dance" Finale necklace, that is. Turns out Cat is launching her own jewelry line, inspired by vintage pieces she owns. The line will be available on QVC. OK, not so crazy about the necklace (a little bling-y for my taste); LOVED the shoes.

Cat Deeley wearing one of her necklace designs.

The Color Turquoise

2009-12-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

On December 8, Pantone named turquoise as it's 2010 Color of the Year, pointing out its [perceived] "qualities of protection and healing in stressful times." Read more here: http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20706&ca=10

I had the pleasant experience of working with the color turquoise recently, in the form of blue-lined crystal seed beads that I picked up from my LBS, Isabellas. The project was an off-loom square stitch bracelet. The second I began sorting through the beads, I found myself mellowing out. The weaving itself was meditative but more so, the calm expanses of tropical waters evoked with each bead handled did the trick. It is always great when a piece you are working on also becomes an antidote to the stresses of everyday life!