MLH 21st Biennial Exhibit at LowellArt Gallery

It's starting to feel like I'm getting back into my old pre-pandemic-groove. Art-wise at least. Everything else in my life seems to be changing but submitting work to exhibits, going to receptions, seeing my weaver-friends feels a bit more like what normal was.  

On Thursday Bryan and I went to The LowellArts Gallery for the opening reception of the Michigan League of Handweavers 21st Biennial  Exhibition. What a beautiful space they have over there!  This show is always great sampling of what the Michigan fiber arts community has to offer.  I didn't get many photos. I'm really working on being more present with less having my phone out. 

I was pleasantly surprised when the awards were announced that I had received an honorable mention for my Evil Eye Bangle. Thank you Barbra Bushey for the award!

Also thank you Helen for purchasing the necklace that I entered. She already has a number of my pieces so I know the Copper Daphne Necklace will be going to a good home when this show is over. 

I'm reminded and humbled that even though I'm not currently producing a ton of my usual artwork, I still have just enough in rotation to feel like I'm staying relevant and keeping my art career going despite my full-time day job, my big personal yard projects and getting ready for our wedding. Life is busy but very very good. 

Evil Eye Earrings in Fuchsia and Orange

After finishing the Evil Eye Bangle and earrings in blues I started thinking about other colors and their meanings.  I found this website with some color breakdowns: https://evileyecollective.com/pages/evil-eye-meaning

This second pair of evil eye earrings turned out quite stunning.  I'm always wary to use this metallic fuchsia color because it is not color-fast.  I figured that since this is in earring form they won't be touched and rubbed on as much so I'd try it out.  I love how it looks with the neon orange.

Based on my poking around the internet, the orange represents happiness protection and creativity/playfulness.  The pink is friendship protection, calming/contentment/relaxation.

I got on a kick and made a version of these earrings with the same colors but with the orange as the larger focal color.  I guess I could use a bright pop of color to go with masks at work lately.  I'm finding that wearing dangly earrings are easier with the masks.  They show better and I don't accidentally pop off the backing on the stud earrings when I have to remove one side of my mask to drink my coffee.  I've already lost a few backings that way.

This last photo shows the detail on the black beads.  They're faceted to add a little more interest to this design.  I'm glad to be slowing down on mask making to get back to blogging, beads and my large weaving. Updates on that coming soon I hope.

Evil Eye Bangle and Earring Set

Sometime during our camping trip last summer the idea of an Evil Eye, Nazar or Mati design started rolling around in my head. I guess I've always been a little superstitious.  It can't hurt anything at least.  I keep 2 horse shoes turned up above the high traffic doorway to my house and above my studio door. I burn sage on occasion.  I suppose it's part intrigue, part hobby for me.

I started looking up a bunch of designs and meanings after a while.  I linked the Wikipedia page above. The evil eye talisman runs rampant throughout religions and history.  There are so many design options to work from, it's been fun just looking.

So I decided to pick one nice scrolling design and a simpler one with rays coming from the edges.  I drafted both of them and started with the simpler and slightly smaller design.  I'm not always sure I'll like how a design turns out. Sometimes the circles aren't quite right, or the color combination isn't quite right.  Neither of these issues came up in making this set.  I have one little blip in the design that I'm not sure anyone but me will notice.

I really like how the bangle turned out, I really LOVE how the earrings turned out.  There's something sleek about the diamond with the eye in the center floating alone.

I figured with this COVID-19 bad juju floating around some talisman jewelry pieces were in order.  I wonder what I should do next?  Probably that fancy scrolling version of the evil eye. In the meantime I'm wearing this set as much as possible.  I had to pick up more mask-making supplies from Joann's today and we grabbed carryout for our day off together and I wore them out.  Maybe I'll even shower at some point. I have sold 6 more masks in the past 2 days so I've got to get back to making those so that I have options for people.