Random Thoughts on Aesthetics, SATC, and The CiDu Project

After many months of reading, researching, writing, and thinking about who I am as an artist, what inspires me, and what I want to pursue, I have finally arrived at some beneficial conclusions to support my emerging practice as a fine art jeweler.

For some time it has been clear to me that my childhood experiences in Japan had a significant impact on my aesthetic development. I’ve enhanced those aesthetic impulses by solid grounding in research on wabi sabi aesthetics and Zen philosophy.

By now you may have guessed that I have a slight obsession with jewelry (of course), fashion design, France, and Jane Austen literature, (her novels are wonderfully nuanced–the frilly movie adaptations? Not so much).

All of these things lend themselves to my pursuit of a name for a new jewelry collection that is inspired by the textures of the urban landscape. You see, I am in love with Seattle–it is for me what New York is to Carrie Bradshaw. (Spoiler alert: if you click on the Carrie Bradshaw link, you will Not Be Amused by the hints about the new SATC movie. Not Amused.) That is to say, the city of Seattle is a major character in the Story of Me. I have been, for a long time, fascinated with the way surfaces crumble and decay: the rust or verdigris on metal, the crumbling concrete, random grid patterns–the whole schmiel.

So, I’ve been thinking of a name for this city-inspired collection and my Muse (who is hilarious and who always know the right approach to inspire me) suggested

A bit of Spanish champagne and cheese

Here’s to the end of a lovely week. I’ve almost finished unpacking and settling in to my new place and my new job. To celebrate, I wandered over to The Cheese Cellar for a treat of champagne, stinky cheese, and prosciutto. After assessing my modest budget and taste preferences, the owners kindly recommended Mont Marcal’s Cava Reserva sparkling wine (because as we know, it’s not officially champagne unless the grapes were grown in France’s Champagne region); and for the delightful, stinky cheese we chose the symmetry of a Spanish pena azul. (The prosciutto was, of course, Italian, but shh…)

I can’t wait until I can start working in my art studio again. In the meantime, I’m working on my website…

A Book, Some Kombucha & Random Fabulousness

Anonymity is a luxury craved by the famous. And when that elusive gem cannot be obtained then the next best thing is a dark, sexy little cafe like the basement cafe at the Elliott Bay Book Company in Pioneer Square where I am currently tucked under the stairs enjoying a cold bottle of Kombucha. A funny thing about Kombucha: apparently the imbiber is supposed to shake the bottle gently–not like a Polaroid, which I made the mistake of doing, and almost set off an explosion the likes of which would surely have rustled the Gentle Progressives and Hungover Hipsters quietly noshing and quaffing healthy things along with yours truly. Moving on.

Speaking of moving, I survived the move thanks to the good hands and good humor of the folks at Superfriends Moving. (Thanks Craigslist!) Now it’s all about surviving the horrors of unpacking and fake Feng Shui-ing my castle into some semblance of peace and harmony–all in good time. Meanwhile, at Elliott Bay I picked up a new, art jewelry book: New Directions in Jewellery II. It’s the type of book that overwhelms the senses with a large number of visually stunning images. I find in cases like these, it’s best to glance at the images briefly to get a sense of what I like, then to read the book again, more slowly and to incorporate the text in the second reading. But already I’m curious to learn more about Iris Bodemer, a fine art jeweler from Germany who studied at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam and the illustrious Rhode Island School of Design. Bodemer utilizes inherited family memories and drawing techniques to create a dynamic tension between common and precious materials while inviting the viewer to explore the connection between the layered meanings.

On the random fabulousness note, I am stunned by the effortless chic of a trio of Women of a Certain Age who have just sat at the table beside me. Though I am not particularly intrigued by their Northwest Nordic-wear, I am intrigued by their retro-chic ash blonde hairstyles: geometric, Dorothy Hamill wedge bobs into which they have planted impossibly expensive sunglasses. I can just see them in Aspen….

(image credits: New Directions in Jewellery II, courtesy of Amazon.com, Dorothy Hamill, courtesy of Cal State San Bernadino)