still running

like a chicken with it's head cut off-
doing more than I should, working like a madwoman in my studio, and fretting about getting it all done on time! I know I've been neglecting my blog- I'll be hopefully finding more time available after next weekend's opening...so, until then.....
ciao- M

BZ BZ busy

I've had a few topics lately I wanted to blog about- The Japan disaster, the rising cost of metals, the digital submission process...among others...
so, I'm jotting this down now- that way , once I'm finished doing all of this extra work in my studio I'll actually get some time to sit down and really write.
It's all a balancing act these days...I'm getting work ready for a show in April (Seedboat gallery in Silver City NM- opening April 1st) an open studio (mid April) Tucson fashion week (end of April) and the SNAG conference in Seattle (end of May). Plus, I've picked up an unexpected teaching gig, and I'm working for a local Opal dealer by making bezels.

New castings March 2011

OH, and yesterday I got my new castings back from the casting house (not like I have any time to finish them....)
I've always thought my initials sounded like "am busy" MBZ....
I think there's a conspiracy here! LOL

OK- I'm off to make some money for travel this summer-

Tucson, keepin it subversive

Tucson is a really laid back place to live- ample space for studio and gardens- I think we have pretty cheap rent too (though I haven't rented in years)
we spend a huge amount of time outside- so those of us with Seasonal Affective Disorder have no problems at all- Here in southern AZ we have so much sun it's almost maddening.

When I first moved here (from Boston in 1992) I was told that the few white puffy clouds that were in the sky made it a "cloudy" day...and that one day I would be just like all the other Southern Arizonans, who plead for a drop of rain to eek from a feeble cloud.....they were right!

When it rains here it's like a party- everyone goes to the window and the porch and slurps in the smell of wet creosote bush and desert ozone. You should see the tweets about the rain- Tucson Tweeps all bombard their twitterverse with exhalations of joy.  The plants green up, and birds tweet merrily.....All is good with the desert world..for about 15 minutes. Then it's back to sun sun sun sun sun sun sun.......The rarity of rain can explain why Tucson is also the home to Rainwater Harvesting and our local RH guru Brad Lancaster.(check out his book and website here)

Tucson is unlike most of AZ also because it is a patch of Democratic Blue in a sea of gun totin' whoop it up red Republicans. (ok, I'm exaggerating there, got a bit carried away with my stereotypes,  but we are really a Democrat haven in a red state) There are often motions for Pima county to succeed from the rest of AZ. While Portland keeps it weird, Tucson keeps it subversive.

It's awful that Tucson got "on the map" this year from the acts of a lone disturbed individual. But it was heartening to see the community pull together in the wake of the tragic shooting spree. We all have a lot of healing to do- and us subversive liberal artsy fartsy Tucsonans are keeping it real down here in the Olde Pueblo.
ciao for now- M

next phase, workshopping it out!

Every independent artisan has  to find a balance of studio /teaching/office/family. Since I has Cosmo, I've been spending time here in Tucson, mostly working in my studio/office, and concentrating on my mom duties the rest of the time. I haven't had much opportunity to really shop out my teaching skills, until now, as Cosmo is growing up and becoming more independent... I am announcing my next phase- "work shopping it out"!(WSIO) 

me in my studio 

Would you or your metals organization like to have me come and teach a workshop? I've been teaching on and off for the past 15 years, (in Italy and the United States) and love to demo/ answer questions/lead you though investigations. Many of my students continue with their metalsmithing to this day- and a few of them have had a good deal of success, getting teaching gigs themselves, and one even recently got accepted to the ACC show in Baltimore!

I want to teach short workshops on different metals techniques (I have a huge list of techniques that I'm qualified to teach- got a technique you are interested in? ask me, I most likely have taught it) and I'm also interested in teaching design challenges, or teaching about social media and online marketing.

I am currently on the books to teach a fun mixed metals workshop at "the Ranch" near Seattle in May- (just before the SNAG conference) I'm also looking into the possibility of doing a pewter workshop in the area around the same time, or in July , when I plan on escaping Tucson's heat to go visit my sister in Hood River Oregon (and pick/eat cherries in her orchard)

SO, as I am currently getting my schedule booked for teaching workshops this summer through December.Anyone want me to come and teach? I have some spots open and would love to come mix up some metals with your group at your studio! You can contact me at bzap724@cox.net and we can schedule a call to chat about your group's needs, and see if we can put something on the calender! 

off to the studio now- may the Flux be with you!ciao-M

Hi Ho Hi Ho to the Yuma Symposium I go

Every February for the past 32 years a group of artists and creative thinkers make the trek to Yuma Arizona to attend what has now become known as the Yuma Symposium.
It started as a backyard barbecue after a visiting artist lecture series at AZ Western College, and has grown to an annual event with hundreds of enthusiastic attendees. The Yuma Symposium is self described as this:


"The Yuma Symposium is comfort food for hungry artists.
The presenters come from around the country to share their work; and like a potluck with great friends you know it’s going to be good. We bask in the warmth of Arizona’s winter sun while forming bonds that may last thirty years or more."  

One of the things that past attendees know is that the Symposium actually unofficially starts weeks before the actual event- This is the time period in which we begin to create our pins for the annual pin swap, which happens the first night of the conference, at Lutes Casino (a local watering hole). 


There are differing attitudes about the pins- 
As a Business card-some artists really concentrate on making a specific statement with their pins- showing their aesthetic sense, and usually having a web address on the back.
As a joke- these are the quirk pins- with rubber chickens and googley eyes..
As a creative excercize- these pins are the ones that the artist has done a bunch of experimentation and the pins are jumping off points for their own work for the rest of the year (I tend to make these kinds)
As a process- where the pins are made within a certain constrained time- mass production of a certain form- made with love and speed. 
and then there is the mystery pins---that leaves you guessing (usually pretty funny too)  


I thought I'd show my blog readers my batch of pins, before they get dispersed to the winds...
so- here is an image of a few of the 35 pins I've created for the Pin swap-
they are made with an experimental process that I've been playing with- one that reminds me greatly of the work I used to do in my years as an art student at the Museum School in Boston....

a few "Yuma Pins" for the Symposium 2011

Just to give you a side by side comparison to my old art school pieces, here is an old image of one of my works from 1988- I am in the far left corner, to give you a sense of scale...

"Galloping Spiral Rosette" 1988  

 

The piece is made of carved and painted styrofoam- I made a bunch of similar works- all with a motif of stone walls, shapes and movements. I believe they mostly have been destroyed at this point- Incredibly hard to store and transport, I gave up on these larger scale pieces, and have been exploring similar ideas in my metalsmithing...

Just for fun, here is an image of some of my similar pieces I've created using my metalsmithing skills-
these bracelets come directly from the same line of exploration as my early large scale works- but are MUCH more simple to store, and are fully transportable to boot!:-)

currently available at http://braceletworkshop.etsy.com

OK, rambling over for now- I've got to go check on my pins- hopefully they are all dry and ready to be packed up for the Yuma journey
I'll be taking lots of pics at this years symposium- will blog about the experience when I return-
ciao for now!- Maureen