Author: ShebaMakeda

ShebaMakeda @ the Dimensions 2012 Sculpture show & sale – September 6-9, 2012

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I’m thrilled to announce I’ll have my very first two flameworked glass sculptures from my new Elemental Goddess series exhibiting and available for sale as part of the juried Dimensions 2012 Sculpture Show:

– Sun Goddess in her Secret Garden, approx. 9″ high (exhibited in May at the Museum of Nature) and

the new Stone Goddess under Moonlight, approx. 6″ high –

There’s a story that goes with each of them – ask me about it… Looking forward to seeing you there!

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
DIMENSIONS – A PREMIER SCULPTURE SHOW IN OTTAWA“DIMENSIONS” is presented by the National Capital Network of Sculptors.
The show displays a remarkable cross section of sculptures in a multitude of media, styles and working methods from 33 Ottawa area artists. There are bronze, stone sculptures, wood carving and assemblages, clay and glass sculptures, as well as multimedia pieces and other forms of three dimensional art.  The show runs from September 7-9th, 2012 – with a special invitation only opening night, silent auction and meet the artists event on September 6th, 2012.Some of the artists will be demonstrating sculpture techniques on Saturday and Sunday.

SHOW HOURS:

Friday September 7th from 6:00-9:00 pm,
Saturday September 8th from 11:00 – 9:00 pm
Sunday September 9 from 11:00 – 5:00 pm
LOCATION:
Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts
310 St. Patrick St. (at Cumberland)
OPENING NIGHT/VERNISSAGE:
Thursday September 6th from 6:00-9:00pm @ St. Brigid’s
Come and meet the artists – there will be a silent auction to benefit the Ottawa Boys & Girls club as refreshments served – I’ll have two beads up auction.  Licensed event and refreshments will be served.
NOTE: as this will be a licensed event, attendance is by invitation only – please ensure you have this invitation below available either in print or on your smartphone when you arrive.
Visit the NCNS website: www.sculptureottawa.ca

My new torch!!

ShebaMakeda 2 Comments

It’s a limited edition Carlisle Lucio Torch designed by the Venetian maestro Lucio Bubacco specifically for sculpting in soft glass. I tried it out at this year’s Gathering and it was pretty fantastic both on tanked oxygen and on a Regalia oxygen concentrator.

It’s a fairly significant step up in heat from my Mega Minor and has a fantastic wide but very soft and fluffy flame which is exactly what i’m looking now that i’ve made the move from wearable beads to large sculptures. Most bigger torches currently on the market have that intense blow torch effect and overly penetrating flame that’s necessary for borosilicate glass but really is overkill for soft glass. According to Carlisle this torch will still work up to medium boro – i guess just slower compared to other torches its size?

The Lucio gives off a lot more radiant heat than my Mega Minor so i also picked up a kevlar sleeve just in case – we’ll see if i need it for long sessions. I’ll be taking the torch through its paces over the next few days both to see how fast i can adapt to it and how well it suits my style of work. I expect my current EX15 oxycon won’t run it at full capacity but that should be just fine for now. I’m also assuming it will take me a while to fully adapt to this new torch (hopefully less painfully than when i upgraded from my HotHead to the Mega, LOL) but hoping the transition will be short. Updates and assessment pending…

(Photo credit: Glass Shoppe Studio)

6th BeadSoup Blog party results!!

ShebaMakeda 37 Comments

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Once again, I’m thrilled to be part of Lori Anderson’s 6th BeadSoup Blog Party where 400 beadmakers and jewellery designers from around the world exchange blind packages to spur their creativity.  This time around my partner is Joanna Matuszczyk, a jewellery designer from Poland. This is the bead soup she sent me:

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Quite the lovely variety, huh?  I love the well-coordinated mix of all the different textures and shapes plus it’s in my favourite colour too – PURPLE!!  I’ve never worked with materials like bamboo, ribbon, copper or fabric beads (except the glass beads/gemstones), so it really took me out of my comfort zone.  Now, I tried to use everything but honestly I just could not figure out how to work those felted butterflies in… i think they will have to be separate piece… maybe a fun dangly necklace on a silver chain? We’ll see…

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First thing i decided was that i was going to use ALL of those lovely ribbons – it was such a perfect mix of colours, plus i couldn’t resist the lush effect.  Then i turned the ceramic button into the clasp and knotted the loop created from doubling the ribbon strands into the catch with a few copper jump rings (which i made!) to keep the strands in place.  Then, i lightened the edge of the bamboo tube to match the ribbons and wrapped it first with the brown crocheted ribbon (incredibly cool and retro) then with masses of copper wire to create a hook for the dangly mix of glass and gemstones.  Final touch was stuffing the knitted balls into the bamboo tube to create a fun and unusual focal.

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I’m pretty happy with this necklace, especially since when i first received the package, i had absolutely NO idea what to do with all that ribbon nor the fabric beads.  But then… that’s the point of the BSBP – to get us all to experiment with materials we normally never or rarely use and discover some new ways to invigorate our own designs… and of course to have FUN!!  

OK… I’m off to check out the other Bead Soups, grab a cup of tea and join me!  There were three reveals this time around (i’m in the 3rd)  – you can find them all here (or by clicking the picture below): http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.ca/2012/06/participants-of-6th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

ShebaMakeda @ the 2012 New Art festival

ShebaMakeda 1 Comment

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For the fourth year in a row,

i’ve been accepted into Ottawa’s premier artists show the New Art Festival this coming weekend and i’m really looking forward to the show despite the fact that the weather is calling for rain both days.  

(Hopefully it’ll just rain overnight or something and be nice and sunny during the day?)

Details & Map
Saturday June 2nd & Sunday June 3rd, 2012
10am-5pm (rain or shine)
 
Central Park in the Glebe
(Bank Street & Clemow just south of the 417)
 
TNAF website:  http://www.newartfestival.ca/  (for further details and the list of artists)
 

I’ll have my usual work plus a few new additions as i’m somewhat changing direction (see that big gold goddess statue? i need to post the awesome back story to that one but no time yet). Click on the pics for large printable versions of the flyer and site map.

Hope to see y’all this weekend!

Ev.

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BeadSoup Blog Party Results!!

ShebaMakeda 36 Comments

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I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the bloggers to participate in Lori Anderson‘s January 2012 edition of her BeadSoup Blog Party – essentially a jewellery exchange where beadmakers and jewellery designers from around the world exchange a kit of beads and must design a piece based on the kit they receive. I was partnered with Gaea Cannaday, a ceramic artist from California. We have no idea what we will receive so it’s all about working outside your comfort zone and having a bit of fun along the way.

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This is what i received (forgot to take a pic before making the necklace) – a wonderful square heart focal in soft red with some coordinating accent beads which i have yet to figure out how to use – a bracelet or earrings maybe? The ceramic beads are all made my Gaea herself and I think the copper clasp as well. I’d never worked with ceramics before so at first i was perplexed.  I considered making some coordinating beads of my own to match and was testing various colours before finally deciding NO, they would compete and it was best to design a piece that really showcased the rich colours and textures in her beads on their own.

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Soooo… i went digging through my gemstone stash to see what i could find.  At first i was leaning toward some aquamarine but in the end decided on these serpentine jade tubes with red coral and deep gold glass accents.  This necklace is so fresh and spring-like, i’m quite happy with the result!  The pale green jade really makes the coral and the glaze on the heart pop…  i love red, it’s like an instant pick me up during this long dreary winter.

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Here’s what i sent in for the exchange – an earthy goddess, a couple matching accent beads, some agate and citrine nuggets, freshwater pearls and a clasp made from shells. Unfortunately, I had one shipping snafu after another so Gaea didn’t have much time to design her pieces but i think she did a pretty stellar job – you can check out her BeadSoup post HERE to see what she did with my beads.  Can’t wait to see how she finishes one of the oval tabs she’s bezeled in copper to create a pendant…

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This is the fifth BeadSoup hosted by Lori and i can’t even imagine how much work it is to coordinate details for such a large group, so just wanted to say:  THANKS LORI!

You can check out the full list 200 participants below – grab some tea and a comfy seat, it takes a while.Image

Hostess, Lori Anderson

1.  Adlinah Kamsir (Singapore) and Hajer Waheed (Kingdom of Bahrain)
2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)
3.  Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)
4.  Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman
7.  Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu
15.  Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)
16.  Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)
 
21.  Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski
22.  Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)
24.  Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)
25.  Sabrina Straub (Switzerland) and Kathy Combs
32.  Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)
33.  Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)
34.  Diane Cook and Lyn Foley
37.  Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)
39.  Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)
41.  Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)
42.  Erin Grant and Jean Wells
43.  Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday  (you are here)
45.  Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)
48.  Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent
54.  Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)
55.  Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)
65.  Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)
66.  Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)
76.  Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)
78.  Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)
83.  Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)
84.  Nan Emmett and Nicole Valentine-Rimmer (Canada)
89.  Rebecca Anderson (UK) and Lori Anderson
92.  Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde
93.  Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick
95.  Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)
97.  Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)
98.  Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)