I love the hustle and bustle of spring. It's such a busy time of year here in northern Ontario, with the plants are coming out of their winter dormancy and sprouting up as fast as they can, gardens going in as early as possible - but not too early or the frost will kill the tender plants. The birds are building nests, hoping to raise their young in time for them to be able to fly south in a few short months. It's been busy in the studio, too! So much has been happening I hardly know where t... Continue reading ...
Out of chaos, Comes beauty.
As promised in my last post, here are some of the pieces I crafted for the Art Gallery of Sudbury. I will be delivering them in person on Monday.
You can also see the effect all that rampant creativity has on my studio! It's not usually the tidiest at the best of times, but now it's completely out of control. Tidy the studio is at the top of my to-do list when I return home next week! Continue reading ...
Muse:
a. A
guiding spirit.
b. A
source of inspiration.
I have often
been asked from where I find the inspiration for my work. If you
have seen any of my art or jewellery, I think it is obvious that much
of my work is informed and inspired by my deep connection to the
earth. I am so blessed to live in a relatively unspoiled rural area,
so I am able to experience and be inspired by the land and all that
grows and walks on it, the rivers and everything that swims in them,
the wide-open sky a... Continue reading ...
As promised in my last post here is my Aspiring Metalsmiths Art Jewellery Challenge piece. A mixed media pendant created from sterling silver, copper from my scrap box and a broken agate I found in a box of odds and ends while spring cleaning my studio. This design stretched my skills quite a bit, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. Interpreting a painting in metal was the perfect marrying of the artist me and the metalsmith me. I can definitely see myself developing this challe... Continue reading ...
I had a very productive day in the studio yesterday, working on a piece for the Aspiring Metalsmiths' April Design Challenge . For this challenge, we are to design a piece of wearable art with a favourite artist or style in mind.
I have many favourite artists and styles, but I chose to focus on Lawren Harris, a Canadian artist who was one of the founding members of the Group of Seven. I love the lines in his abstract landscapes.
Unfortunately, the photos I took of my work in progress didn't t... Continue reading ...
I've been falling behind with posting my Thing a Week Jewellery Challenge efforts, so here are a couple of more "Things" for you to see. Week 7: Another eco-friendly bracelet created from vintage copper wire. This one is very substantial, simple and rustic. And something a bit different for Week 8: An adjustable leather bracelet. Created from leather scraps that were given to me, and a large leather piece with an embossed horse-head which I discovered in a box of odds and ends left over fr... Continue reading ...
Across the road from our farm and house are gloriously tangled thickets of hawthorn trees. I am always struck by the lacy, abstract patterns created by the branches and long, spiky thorns.
Beyond the hawthorns stand groves of poplar and birch.
Their linear, upright trunks contrast beautifully with the hawthorns. These trees inspired the copper and sterling cuff I created for the Thing a Week Jewellery Challenge on Flickr. This is a view taken last autumn, looking from the stand of poplars... Continue reading ...
Lately I've been on a real Alexander Calder kick. In fact, three of my five Thing a Week pieces have been inspired by his work. Week two was this copper necklace:Week four, a cuff: This past week, I created another copper necklace, again Calder-inspired. I think I was channeling my inner hippy, too. Doesn't it look like something straight out of the 60's?
The last few months have found me floundering a bit creatively. Feeling a bit stuck and uninspired, in an effort to jump-start my creative flow I joined the Thing a Week Jewelry Design Challenge 2011 Flickr group. Each week we design and create a piece of jewellery, and upload a photo of it to the group pool. So, at the end of the year, we should each have created 52 new designs. I thought that participating in the challenge, with the accountability factor of posting something each week, ...
High bush cranberries grow thick along the creek (brook) and road. The tart, deep red berries provide nourishment through the autumn and winter to the birds and animals that live nearby.
The berries are particularly striking against the white snow, and that vision inspired the creation of a series of pieces I call "Winter Berries".
 "Winter Berry" Synthetic Red Jade and Sterling Silver Earrings  "Winter Berries" Synthetic Red Jade, White Freshwater Pearl and Sterling Silver Necklace See these,...
|
A Bit About Julie
| Julie A. Brown, Wabi Brook Studio |
| A Farm Near New Liskeard, Temiskaming Shores |
I'm a full-time artist and metalsmith following my own path. I live a creative life inspired by nature, and fueled by tea and dark chocolate. When I'm not in my studio slapping paint around or pounding metal, or collaborating with my Spirit of the Arts partners, you will find me in my garden under my favourite tree, lost in a good book.
|
2014 Winter Workshop Schedule:
Wednesday, January 26: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. - Ring Making
Friday, January 31: PD Day Art Adventure Camp: 9:00 a.m to noon - Exploring Texture and Colour
Tuesday, February 4: 10:00 to Noon - Earring Making Thursday, February 13: 10:00 to Noon - Chain Making Tuesday, February 18: 10:00 to Noon - Introduction to Metal Stamped Jewellery
Tuesday, February 25: 10:00 to Noon - Metal Stamped Jewellery Part 2
Tuesday, March 4: 10:00 to Noon - Metal Stamped Jewellery Part 3
All workshops and classes are held in the studio at Spirit of the Arts on Lakeshore Road in New Liskeard, ON
|
