It's a long long night in November

Ah yes, the days are getting shorter and the light more dim, so I have moved upstairs from the poorly lit basement 'studio' area that serves me well in the summer.  My work space now is the kitchen table, as we rarely eat there and it's spacious enough for most of my projects, just not enough room for all the little "accoutrements" that I occasionally use when doing my work.  The light in the morning is great as I have two large east facing windows beaming in natural light and the kitchen light bulb is directly overhead my workspace.  I do enjoy having good light to work with and this way don't have to power up my OTT light to see stuff.  And if I have to get something done that's really in need of task lighting, I just take it right to the window over the sink. 

The fall sales are fast approaching...I've already done two and the next few weeks has every weekend filled with activity.  My next event is at the gorgeous old (I almost wrote auld) Ralph Connor House on Westgate and it is sponsored by the University Women's Club.  It runs Friday and Saturday, November 13th and 14th, starting both days at 10 am.  It's worth the trip just to loll around the interior of the building. 

Since my last post, I've done my share of visiting schools.  In October I was busy for two weeks at Balmoral Hall while a teacher there was out of the country for her daughter's wedding.  That was a wonderful experience, and I got a chance to be with the girls in the art room and studio.  They were in the midst of working on various projects...the Senior 3's and 4's were working on painting furniture, using the theme of "Fame" and utilizing the styles of the artist of their choice.  It was a multi-layered study, and the work was progressing marvellously, although it's far from complete.  I hope to be able to see the finished projects and probably will as the pieces are often displayed in the foyer or atrium in the main building.  Because of the vast experiences and backgrounds of the girls, there is a lot of variety in the notions of the theme and the interpretive painting styles range from masters of the high renaissance to more  modern artists like Murakami, as they're all very au courant on the latest fashion trends.  Several girls have taken it upon themselves to celebrate art forms that originated in the countries of their birth, so this adds another interesting layer to the already inspiring pieces.

After that stint was over in late October, I had to get to work on my own.  I finished a number of coffrets and vessels, and about four books that had been begun before my 'regular' day job started.  I also have done a few other types of journals that incorporate mixed media...I did a few sketches while I was demoing at the school, so I integrated them into the covers.  Those still are in progress, so no pics yet. And I've made a few buttons and am revamping the style of my jewellery pieces as in Zingarella.

Speaking of pics, I got a new "toy" a few weekends ago, and am gradually learning to use it.  I love the quality of the pictures that the Blackberry Curve takes, and it saves having to share a camera (or know its whereabouts) to photograph my work.  And of course, I love the spontaneity of being able to take a picture whenever, and not having to lug it around like some tourist.

Zingarella, above, is the name I am giving to this series of necklaces.  They're inspired by the gypsies in the opera Carmen, one of my most favourite and the one I first learned and saw in London.  I've seen it many times since and although it sometimes takes a back seat to some of the other music I enjoy, the gypsy's entrancement always gets me back.  Just as Carmen seduces Don José with her words..."le charme opère", the spell of the gypsy is a tough one to overcome. 

This necklace however is not meant to be the bijouterie of the seductress Carmen; she is much too serious for it.  This would far better suit fellow tarot reading friends, Mercedes or Frasquita.  Of course, it doesn't have to be for a gypsy...