Luxe design~workshop is now at 1000Markets!

I am now selling my jewelry at 1000Markets! It is a wonderful site with a compassionate and diverse community. Most of the work listed on the site are my metal designs, but I will soon include a collection of my gemstone jewelry.

If you can... stop by and visit. And... while you are there check out some of the other shops and markets. I think that you will like the atmosphere.

Here is the link to my shop: http://luxemetal.1000markets.com

Have fun!

My day job...

I just thought that I would post a blog about my "official" job... For the past 18 years I have been a freelance food stylist in the Atlanta area. I love what I do and often find that people are curious about the details of such an unusual vocation.

I had never heard the term "food stylist" until I happened to meet a food stylist at a wedding many years ago... I was immediately curious and excited! It was not until years later (after my son was born) that I had the opportunity to begin working with her and learning more about the field.

People ask me how did I get started? It was just luck! The seed was planted at that wedding years before and I stayed in touch with that stylist. It just happened that she needed an assistant at a time when I could jump in.

Things were so different then... Camera's that shot film... It took 90 seconds each time a Polaroid was taken to access the shot! That seemed like eternity when you had food drying up on the set! There was no healing brush on a computer to remove pins or toothpicks that were used as support in a shot... If you did not hide them... it was big trouble! In addition to digital cameras and Photoshop the food itself has changed so much!

Today we have what seems like an unlimited supply of beautiful produce. It is really annoying when a client wants peaches and there are none available... anywhere in the world! We are so spoiled...

My style today is looser and more about appetite appeal than it was back in the 90's when clients were looking for a more controlled "perfect" image. Digital photography allows us to get a shot while the food is still really fresh and not worry as much about the little pins and such that can be removed with the press of a button.

I feel like a very fortunate person to have landed such an unusual and fun job. When I talk to young people I tell them to think outside the box and not just focus on jobs that are the most common. There are lots of great jobs out there that we don't even know exist! Explore!

I am including a few images that I styled a couple of years ago. These are images from a really fun job that focused on bread. The Photographer is Carlos Garcia of Garcia Studios Inc.

Simple Things...

Last spring I went camping in North Georgia with family and friends and stayed at Cooper's creek campground. I woke in the morning to the clear and LOUD call of the whippoorwill and spent my days observing the simple things that I often overlook in my daily life. I was particularly drawn to the carpet of new flora that was so beautiful and lush!
In looking back through some of these older photos I am amused by how I have been unknowingly incorporating them into my work. Flower stems, leaves, pods... I guess they have imprinted my mind with their sweet and simple images.
The weather is warming here in Georgia and I am getting anxious for a new camping adventure!

Learning to enamel with Linda Darty's new book!

I just read "The Art of Enameling" by Linda Darty and it was GREAT! I have been wanting to explore some enameling in my metal designs and heard about her book. I was told that the book's photo gallery was reason enough to purchase it.... So true, beautiful work, incredible photos and close attention to the details as she explains different techniques and processes.

As a beginner I like to explore many different techniques and let my knowledge of a given subject guide me in future efforts. Linda explains the different processes in a easy to understand fashion and completely covered my initial interest.... torch firing, small kilns and incorporating precious metal clay with enamels, as well as plant a seed to move onto more complex projects.

So far I have just experimented with small kiln projects. Learning how thick to apply enamel to provide an even coat and figuring out how to get the powder to adhere to surfaces. I ordered a sample box of enamels from Thompson Enamels and I must admit that I am as fascinated as I am overwhelmed by all of the different color choices! My attempts are still in an infantile stage, but I am having a great time experimenting.

If you are familiar with enameling and would like to offer suggestions on technique or materials... Please feel free to add your knowledge. I would enjoy learning more about what products you use to adhere the enamel powder as well as tricks that you have learned.

I dedicated a full day to reading the book initially and have gone back several times to study a process more fully. I can tell that this book will get a great deal of use over time and would recommend it to anyone who loves enamel work and would like to learn more about it.

Thunder Snow in Atlanta

Celebrating a bit of snow right here in the deep south!

Free little knot ring!

I have been trying to think of a way to say thanks to those people who purchase more than one item at a time...? It happens on a regular basis and recently I figured out what to offer. My little knot ring is the perfect little token. Its handmade by me, symbolizes something sweet and it is more about my effort than the cost of the materials.
So here it is...
Visit my shop at http://www.metalluxe.etsy.com

I am on fire now!

After months of working with a small hand torch I came to the point were it was time to go for the big flame and get an oxy/propane torch! I had requested it for Christmas and was researching torch setups when I saw a friend at a gallery show I was in. After checking out my new work he asked about what type of torch I was using. I told him my setup and he mentioned that he had a torch setup that had been his dads, that I could have...
It arrived with the handle and various tips, plus the regulators for the tanks. It is a beautiful set. I would guess it to be from the fifty's. It has a lovely patina. It still took a bit of time to get the hose, tanks and odds and ends together, but finally it is up and running!
I do feel special working with this setup. Not sure how his dad used the torch, but now it is making jewelry, firing enamels and soldering silver and copper! I have always been attracted to used tools... the stories they must have... the ways that they have been abused, and cared for... I can tell that this torch was cared for by its former owner and now by me too!