I have been invited to be one of the artists featured at the Art Gallery of Sudbury's big Spring Event Fundraiser! My work will be on display at their dinner and concert on April 27th. I am honoured to be part of this big gala event, and have been hard at work in my studio creating new work especially for it. If you are in the Sudbury area, you might want to save the date. It sounds like it will be a fun evening filled with good food and great music by the Eagles cover band "Hotel Californ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Julie Brown on Sunday, March 11, 2012,
In :
Metalsmithing
I've been catching up on custom orders over the last couple of months. This ring was commissioned by fellow artist and Riverside Farmer's Market vendor Bonnie Tickner for her husband.
She wanted a plain band ring with a tiger's eye stone, and not too bright and shiny. So I created this simple ring with a bit of texture and this beautiful stone. We decided it looked better with a darkened finish.
Even though the design was simple, creating this ring presented an interesting challenge. It is ... Continue reading ...
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...
It's hard for me to believe that almost a month has gone by since my last post! Things have gotten a bit crazy here at the Brook, and I'm finding it hard to keep up. Spring has finally arrived. I noticed this lone crocus in my garden while I was hanging out the laundry. Crocuses are one of my favourite spring flowers. Such hardy little things.
I have a lot of news to tell you, but it will have to wait for another day. I'm going out to play in sun! Continue reading ...
I know I must seem obsessed by spring. After several months of being house and studio bound due to a cold-related health challenge, being able to go outside for more than two minutes makes me a bit giddy. I feel like a caged bird that's been set free!
One of my favourite things to do as the warmer spring weather melts the blanket of snow is to walk around and see what is uncovered.
The other day while out exploring with the dogs, we found the long lost Dora the Explorer ball.
While walking up to my studio yesterday, I saw my first flock of geese flying north. There have been robin and killdeer sightings, too, but not yet by me. These are fairly good indicators that spring is truly on its way, although it is not unusual to see robins looking for worms under the snow.
Getting back into my studio to work on the backlog of portrait commissions and other projects feels wonderful. Even though I was fretting the whole time I was away, thinking about all the work I had ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Julie Brown on Wednesday, March 30, 2011,
In :
Living by the Brook
It was finally warm enough that I could get out for a short walk yesterday. A sure sign of spring!
I took my camera with me, on the hunt for other, more subtle signs that spring is well and truly creeping in. Some things I found:
Leaf buds on trees
Paw prints in mud
The huge snowdrift at the top of the hill is shrinking so that the road is just over one lane wide instead of the less than one lane it usually is all winter.
We are supposed to have a week of temperatures above freezing, which h... Continue reading ...
The grass has not riz, and I know where the birdies is - they are chowing down at our feeders, trying to keep warm on this snowy first day of spring. Winter is not yet letting go in my neck of the woods, and will still be hanging around for another month or more.
I do love the cold beauty of winter, even though by this time of year I am looking forward to seeing some green. The ground is covered in a soft white blanket, but other things we don't see the rest of the year are exposed. One of m... Continue reading ...
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
Posted by Julie Brown on Saturday, December 11, 2010,
In :
Metalsmithing
The Aspiring Metalsmiths team I belong to has a monthly blogroll challenge. I missed the one last month (I managed to take photos and start my post and then my computer crashed and I lost it), and I'm late with this one, but better late than never, right?
The topic this month is "What skill do you want to learn next?" I found it incredibly difficult to choose just one thing. I love learning new skills and, still being very much an "aspiring" metalsmith, I feel that I haven't really solidifi... Continue reading ...
I'm a full-time artist and metalsmith living 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, you might find me trying to tame my jungle of a garden, or playing a rousing game of Chuckit with the dogs.
Catch Me at Riverside Farmers' Market from 8 a.m. to noon
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I'm a full-time artist and metalsmith living 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, you might find me trying to tame my jungle of a garden, or playing a rousing game of Chuckit with the dogs.
