First Annual World Champion Belt Buckle Competition

Hey everybody!
There is so much to catch up on. But for now, some eye candy: check out the beautiful buckles in this exhibition put together by Bryan Petersen and Richard Helzer: The First Annual World Champion Belt Buckle Competition. Finally, an exhibition on BUCKLES!!!

20 Questions

I am really excited to be participating in an upcoming exhibition at the

Tempe Center for the Arts:

"So often, the contemporary art realm is faced with the question "What is it?" This exhibition helps the viewer answer that question and embraces the unusual, quirky and off-beat appeal of

artworks that do not always fit into categories such as painting, drawing and sculpture.

Each artist created a site specific installation or environment for the artwork placed in this exhibtion. The TCA worked with artists, creating story lines, questions and conversation topics for audiences. Several types of interactive games are being made available including brochure scavenger hunts for adults, coloring pages and worksheets for children and social media options

such as Twitter, Facebook and online blogs.

The exhibition featues 12 Arizona artists working in a variety of media and themes, playing with the popular game "Twenty Questions"

Participating artists include:

Ron Bimrose, Tempe

Miro Chun, Phoenix

Mitch Fry, Phoenix

Corinne Geertsen, Mesa

Mary Bates Neubauer, Chandler

Kimberly Nikolaev, Chandler

Christy Puetz, Phoenix

Joe Willie Smith, Phoenix

Kaori Takamura, Carefree

Beata Wehr, Tucson

Denise Yaghmourian, Phoenix

I will be posting images of these amazing artists work soon, but for now, check out the links! I have been working on my Nebulae series- it has grown and multiplied and will include around 25 pieces for the exhibition.

If you are in the area, be sure to come by the Tempe Center for the Arts on Saturday, April 23

from 7-9 for the opening reception. Many of the artists will be there! If you have not yet been to the Tempe Center for the Arts, go! It is an absolutely gorgeous building that looks on to Tempe Town Lake, with many art pieces installed on the grounds. The structure actually mimics nearby Hayden Butte, complete with a copper roof.

Stay tuned for more!

NAU Students

For the first time, I have been teaching full time. I'm instructing at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and loving it! The only downside? Workign on my own pieces has taken a major back seat. It rarely happens these days! We have been covering marriage of metals, hollowforming, hydraulic press forming and embossing, enameling, a variety of casting techniques and much more... Here is a small sampling of some of my students work here at the mountain campus:

Erica Lund

Josh Schretenthaler

Lia Sawalqah

Doris Benally

Theresa Wallace

Ben Alonzo

Interested on the happenings in our metals department? Check out the Metals Club Blog!

500 Silver Jewelry Designs

I just recieved my copy of the new Lark Book: 500 Silver Jewelry Designs in the mail! This book contains an image of a belt buckle I created in grad school-part of the series below-and was chosen by juror Talya Baharal.

The image below is included in the book. I am so excited to be a part of this, and have been glued to the pages as this book contains silver designs that are unexpected and manipulate the material (silver) sometimes beyond recognition. Its a page turner, and will be available in stores very soon!

Dynamical Balance

Silver, nickle, holloformed and fabricated, marriage of metals

2009

Yuma 32 Pins

check out some of the beauties i traded for at the yuma symposium:

betsy douglas, ellie richards, james thurman

maureen brusa zappelini

patty smith, mary chang, fred zweig

leon nash- available for sale here

lynette andreasen

already thinking about the pins i'll make for next year! ...and better start making trade pins for snag!!

To Yuma and Back

ok, its been a while. and no, i have not been in yuma this whole time! teaching here at nau keeps me more than busy, and in the studio working less and less. those to-do lists just get longer and longer, and time shorter...

i attended the yuma symposium last weekend, and had a blast catching up with old friends and meeting new. it is so inspiring and refreshing to listen to other artists talk about their work and process. i was able to talk one student into going, and i know he will be attending for years to come. please click on the link to learn more about this great opportunity to listen, learn and meet some amazing people. there is so much more that happens here besides what the symposium has to offer- i highly recommend a trip to the symposium next february!!

michael dale bernard giving a post lecture demonstration of powder coating

the asu gals

my student matagi sorensen and i at the student show

lute's famous "especial" mmmmm

lute's casino- where the pin swap and lots of fun happens

can't wait until next year!

Small Metals, Big Ideas

Check out what the ASU graduate students and faculty are up to on this video about the exhibition Small Metals, Big Ideas showing until November 28th at the Night Gallery in the Tempe Marketplace. Grads, faculty and alumni have work on display. While all the metalwork was created at the ASU metals shop, it is incredibly diverse! Stop by and check it out, or watch the video, which aired on Phoenix' PBS station:

Small Metals, Big Ideas