Partial Key to Happiness Charms

I couldn't resist the "Charmed" event happening at the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh. It just so happens to coincide with Valentine's Day in case you were questioning the imagery. Materials: brass key and sterling silver.

Whatever Happened to that ear you ask...

Here is the completed reliquary, Hearing Protection Protector: A Reliquary for Ear Plugs. The image below reveals the earplugs inside. This piece utilizes hearing aid batteries donated from members of the Ajo community in Arizona and my undergraduate metals professor.

I will try to start blogging more than once a year, but no promises.

Eh?

Here is a start to a new reliquary I am working on for ear plugs. Along with the hearing protection theme, I am also collecting used batteries from hearing aids. A big thank you goes out to members of the Ajo community for their contributions thus far!

The Ordinarily Overlooked

Here is the poster for my upcoming exhibition entitled, "The Ordinarily Overlooked". The show runs January 28th - February 26th along with two other solo exhibitons by metal artists Nathan Dube and Alison Pack. It is located at Bruce Gallery in Edinboro, Pennsylvania.
Bruce Gallery is the art gallery of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. The gallery hosts seven shows a year by emerging and established artists.
Gallery Hours: M-F 12-7pm., Saturday 12-5pm., Closed Sunday
The gallery is located in Doucette Hall on the Campus of Edinboro University.
The address is: 215 Meadville Street Doucette Hall Edinboro, PA 16444

Mechanical Mistake Eraser: A Reliquary for Eraser Debris

This piece was started a while back in an automata workshop with Michael Croft hosted by Arizona Designer Craftsmen. It celebrates all the hard work and indecision that goes into designing a piece or drafting a document (before the computer). It takes a lot of effort to make that eraser debris and so I deem it precious... or maybe I just wanted a magic machine to erase all my blunders, mistakes and errors that I have made over the years.

Digging for Gold: A Reliquary for the Dandelion

I carried this "dandelion fluff" around in a jar for over four years before making this piece. I harvested it on the family homestead in Wisconsin. I tend to have a lot of things like that hanging around to feed off of for my reliquary creations, although many times I have to have my items to contain specially shipped in when the idea finally comes to fruition. This sometimes makes for an interesting scavenger hunt for my friends, family and people I contact out of the blue. Most are up for it, but some never call back or just walk away.


The main part of this vessel was raised from one sheet of copper, hammered to resemble garden trowel shapes. Leaf embellishments and collars for the wooden shovel handles were added later. I carved all the wooden handles by hand because I was too lazy to turn them... that seems wrong doesn't it.

Packaging Packaging

Packaging Packaging: A Reliquary for the Styrofoam Peanut comments on the transient nature of society today. People frequently relocating and families spread out across the country are common situations prevalent in our nation, thus necessitating the use of this particular object. The idea of taking great care in the elaborate packaging of what is usually used in packaging other possessions is a way to give recognition to this helpful, useful and often taken for granted item.