Things to love about San Fransisco ...

The weather. Moderately warm with cool evenings makes for perfect holiday weather.

The de Young Museum. Amazing architecture and full of STUFF ...

Everything about Golden Gate Park is fantastic. The sculpture, the gardens, free music, couple dancing -oh my goodness I could go on and on !

I loved the wide, hilly streets and the Spanish influences in the streetscapes.

And I really like the old school cop cars! This city was a great change of pace after New York!  I also love d the cliff walk along the coast to the Golden Gate Bridge - it is quite the icon ...

Now look out San Diego - you are next on the list!

Love love love ...

Love was in the air on my last day in New York ...

A brisk stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge revealed that romance is alive and well in the Big Apple ...

Just like their European counterparts, loves lock a padlock to the bridge and throw the key into the water to pledge their love.

Tres romantique!

I would have to write 11687.50 days and still counting ...!

And of course on the way to MOMA I stumbled across Robert Indiana's iconic sculpture. So long New York - I think I could be just a teeny bit in love with you myself!

More New York adventures (stop me when it gets boring ...)

I think today was my favourite day in New York! It all started at The Metropolitan Museum of Art...

This place is just one giant treasure box - so many amazing objects. I was in Heaven! I spent oodles of time in the Medieval area and so on. I have to admit I kinda flew through most of the painting galleries ... Well the Miro was awesome and I guess Monet has a certain appeal ... But for me it really was all about the objects from all over time and place. I was shattered by the end of the day so I strolled down to Central Park and indulged in one of these ...

...this could in fact be love! As I sat there munching on my ice cream a little Jazz trio struck up some tunes ...

There were some cheeky little visitors too ...

Now a little bead porn courtesy of those crazy guys and gals of Ancient Egypt.

Will share some more jewellery from the Golden Olden Days soon! What a treat visiting New York has been! I am ready for a change of pace though - guess I am a country girl at heart!

New York, New York

Well, having survived a flight that seemed to last FOREVER, I made it into New York - bleary eyed and a bit worse for wear. I think there are massive amounts of germs circulating on long haul flights and next time I might try a full-body condom or some such to keep them at bay!

I have walked and walked and walked some more to try and familiarise myself with at least some of the city. I survived the madness that is Times Square ...

(No need to ever do that again ...!)

I was lucky enough to catch a show that I missed when it came to Australia ...

... and yes, it really is as marvellous as everyone says! Mind boggling costumes - I was gob-smacked.

My main aim was to get to the art museums here but when I went to hit up MOMA, the queue was cray-cray and my feet were sore so I put it on the back burner for now. I am planning the better part of a day at the Met though ... 

This is a really friendly city and once you get the hang of the pedestrian crossings the traffic is manageable - although I would never attempt to drive in it - what's with all the horn tooting??

I am pacing myself nicely, taking care of my poor knee (yay for anti-inflammatories).

For the jewellery makers out there - I visited the jewellery district today and had an awesome time picking through some vintage stuff at one place and went oo and ah at others! Time now for a cup of tea (in my delightful digs), a foot soak and to plot a plan of attack for the Met!

Whatcha been up to Sue?

Lately I have been doing a whole lot of not very much. Turns out I am rather good at it ... It has also become apparent that the less you do - well, the less do. I think it is becoming a habit! I am starting to believe that old adage "if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it"

I did manage to rouse myself from my sloth-like stupor to start messing about with some assemblage ideas. Of course there is always a lot of "research" involved when you start a new project. I started with every Michael deMeng YouTube clip. This in turn led to some crazy cat videos ...well lets just say that once you start down the YouTube path it s a slippery slope people!

This is the very first stage of a shrine assemblage called "if all my thoughts were beautiful". For the record I would like to point out that her poor head was already cracked - I just kinda highlighted the fact.

I made the crown from copper and I would like to create a bit more of a verdigris on there. Looking at the photos I think I might darken up her lips too...

I also taught a workshop this week. It was great fun - always tiring and I felt I had definitely earned my Corona when I got home but so rewarding! Guess what happens when you give a bunch of textile artists a hammer and a jewellers saw and show them how to use them? 

They get busy! Most of these students had never used a jewellers saw before! They learnt to drill and file and rivet! At the end of the day when i saw their collective acheivements, I felt like a proud Mama!

There were even some lovely examples of their needlework ...

I think they left feeling empowered despite the frustrations of learning how to load a jewellers saw and snapping a few blades! We used old spoons, mica and brass. Good job ladies!

Now I am ready to slink back to Slothdom. Don't want to overdo things you know ...!

Influences ....

I think I have always had a bit of a "thing" for folkart and religious iconography. I love all those sad eyed saints depicted on Russian triptychs. And what is not to love about the beautiful nichos and reliquaries associated with Mexico? Not to mention flowery decorative shrines and the like. I am often drawn to simple symbols like hearts and hands - they have such universal appeal and most cultures relate to them. I also have a propensity for chopping up dollies for their eyes ....It is no surprise then that of late I have been borrowing heavily from all these cultural influences to create my jewellery. I also think that my mind is wandering to Mexico 'cos I have a trip planned there!

The heart with the hand inside it and the heart with the eye are both brooches. I am working on getting better at bezel making. The eye has its own little bezel too. I have used resin to fill both of the brooch bezels. The hand one has tin as a background and in the eye one I used paper. I cut the bezel strips from copper and brass trays but used copper sheet for the backs. There are some vintage rhinestones and earring bits involved too! The heart with the cross is a pendant. I approached this one a little differently - mostly because as it turns out I am a bit impatient about waiting for resin to cure! I still made the bezel from recycled material with a copper back. I added brass stampings top and bottom. The main difference is that instead of resin, I made a heart shaped die and used my homemade hydraulic press to form up some tin to sit inside the bezel. Hence it has that nice domed look. I riveted the cross and heart to the tin before I set it into the bezel. There was a fair amount of fiddling etc because I am not yet very skilled at the whole bezel thing ...Still I am pleased with how they look - and I will keep on persevering with the bezels!

Pop up shop ...

four days to go ...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SueGarrard