Copper Pendants or ???

On our last day in Suzan Kraus's workshop, we made copper pendants by cutting out copper sheets, distressing them with hammers and heatguns, and weaving inserts to go behind their little "windows". These are some of my results. (The copper colors don't show well due to the scanner light.) They are about 1-1/2" square, excluding embellishments.

Be sure to click on the image for a larger view.

Feminine Memory Vessel

In Suzan Kraus's Signs & Symbols workshop, hand-writing with our off-hand, collage techniques, personal symbols and memories ... all were included in our Feminine Memory Vessels ... rather a high-falutin' appellation for my old cigar box, but a fun and interesting project. I wasn't totally pleased with my end-result, but it's worth presenting here, with all its flaws.

Signs & Symbols Collage Workshop

I recently took a 4-part collage workshop with Suzan Kraus at the Jung Center here in Houston. It was based on the 5 universal signs and symbols, and included inspirations and techniques for various collage projects. Suzan is a wonderful teacher, very kind and generous, and we all had a great time. I took pictures of some of the students on the last day, and got everyone except Anne, who must have been visiting the "necessary" while I was shooting! She's a lovely lady who also contributed a lot to the class ... sorry, Anne, I'll catch you next time!




Suzan Kraus, doing a demo.


Susie & Laura, heatin' & dancin'

Mary Ellen, weaving copper & paper

Suzan & Nancy collaborating



Patricia heating up the place.

Christy & her bright weavings.

Mothers and Daughters

I neglected to post this little encaustic (beeswax) collage I had done for my Mom for Mother's Day (which I guess is appropriate since she didn't receive it until Father's Day!)

Simple unbleached beeswax embedding collaged images; stretched canvas support. The coiled copper wires represent both the telephone lines that my maternal grandmother handled as an early telephone operator, and the ties that bind the female members of my family.

Father's Day Book

For Father's Day this year I wanted to make a little book for my Daddy. The book is made of brown paper lunch sacks, folded in half and stitched down the center, with a tanned deerskin binding. The deerskin was from a deer killed by my Dad's mother, Hallie, who was an avid hunter all her life. The cover is embellished with a vintage domino, wire-wrapped with copper wire (stitched through the cover of the book), and a beaded "bookmark".

The photo below (framed in the same deerskin) is of my Mom & Dad, years ago in London, on their way to a costume party.

Daddy always loves to make people laugh, even (or especially) at his own expense. It's one of his most endearing qualities.

All 4 of us (now grown) kids have always known we could turn to our parents in good times and bad, with never a fear of being turned away without a well-thought-out solution (or two) to our problems. We recognize that we are very lucky in our choice of parents!

Inspiration is the word ... to strive for quality over quantity, to treat others with respect, and most of all to respect ourselves and act accordingly.

My father has always been, and will always be, my favorite Life Teacher.