young + talented

my daugher, ayva is a talented artist/designer.  she is inquisitive, has great ideas and is able (with a little help) to execute most of them.  she is 10!

recent project:  duck tape accessories. 

it is all the rage... duck tape everything.  she started out making wallets, purses, earrings, covering her shoes.  you name it. 

for this project::  we got a call from cathy carter, the coordinator of the high school's fashion club.  she wanted ayva to make an outfit for the upcoming fashion show.  (in 2 days)  artist under pressure!! perfect!!  one trip to walmart, a basket of duck tape, a cutting mat, scissors and an old dress.  ayva and i discussed color pallete and layout.  i wanted to make sure her idea was solid and she stuck to what was in her head.  that is all i did for her. next, she cut, cut, cut, measured + stuck the tape to the dress foundation.  she made a matching handbag and feathers to toss to the crowd as well.  sweet. 

i am so proud!  at age 10... ayva sunshine blows me away with her talent and attention to detail. wow!
view ayvas' blog here:  helloayvalevin

here are photos of the process and final project.  my job is to make sure i get photos of everything!!! 

xo  jessica

we must take a few editorial shots.  xo

last minute her brother was invited to walk the runway.  so, she made him a matching neck-tie, and knee patches so her could be stylin too!

master craftsman: sarah morton-erasmus

my dear friend, sarah morton-erasmus is a talented metalsmith.  sarah crafts each and every piece in her workshop, which looks like an old world atelier.  her jewelry is meant to last a lifetime, and anything less than perfection won't do.

Sarah Morton-Erasmus grew up in a family passionate about handmade objects. By the age of twelve she was busy in her fathers studio soldering and sawing his copper scraps into jewelry and sculpture of her own design. Creating came naturally to her. Craft became skill, skill became art,and jewelry became her passion. In 1999, Sarah received a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Oregon. She continued her education by apprenticing with sculptor Ken Scott, and master goldsmiths Gary Dawson, David Stanwood, and Gary Swank. Living in New York in 2001-03, her first jewelry collection emerged, highly infulenced by the city and its resources for jewelry production.

In 2003 she moved back to Oregon and settled into the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. These beginnings have nurtured a respect for technique that fuels her creative process. “My father taught me long ago "good design is all about method” In her studio there are boxes of “experiments” that she is constantly adding to when she is designing. Hinges, clasps, bits and pieces, waiting their turn to become something beautiful, something loved.

sarah has a new blog that catalogs her past work as well as her most current pieces.  a work in progress, so stay tuned. view sarah's blog here:  mejewelryco.blogspot.com

 these are earrings made for me on my 30th birthday.  

!!30 rubies.18K gold. silver.  

custom chevron earring made for me on my 36th birthday.

s t u n n i n g

sarah: you inspire me!

 

give me a k i s s

the columbia art gallery in hood river, oregon approached amarett jans + myself about creating an installation that is interactive.  an installation that will intrique the younger crowd.  we said, "y e s" 

my inspiration: a few of my favorite things...

kissing, typography and doodle-ing. 

this is our flyer made by amarett jans.

g i v e  me  a  k i s s

the ideas here is to give me a kiss on the small paper that i provided, with the lipstick i also provided as my medium.  after the k i s s, i tacked the paper on the wall... watching in grow with each k i s s!  into a wall of kisses.  

beautiful kisses.  who does not like that? 

hand wrote k i s s on each 100+ cards...

my smallest lil artist:   eula leon erasmus age 3

s a t i s f a c t i o n   g u a r a n t e e d

the second half on my interactive installation was a large 3'x6' panel with the type, "satisfation guaranteed".  with my fear of letting people down--- it seemed right.  i attached a small shelf next to the panel with paint pens on it.  the pens where used to doodle onto the type.  it was hard at first to see my crisp-clean panel get "tagged".  it was great, my fiends + gallery guests had a great time putting their art on my 'art'. neat!

(typography script found from the web) 

columbia art gallery.  hood river,  oregon

m e. 

my soul sister: sarah morton- erasmus - a talented metalsmith

go check her out!  www.mejewelryco.blogspot.com

superb doodle-ing

show will be up through may!  go add your doodles and kisses. 

xxx jessica

w h a t ' s   y o u r  n u m b e r

my friend amarett jans, created an amazing installation on the other side of the wall from me.  she had a live model with an illustrated paint by number on her face.  the guests helped fill in and completed her face into an amazing skull. so awesome.  

our work was very yin-yang.  that is why we have such and amazing friendship and artistic relationship.  xoxo.

jessica + amarett

5.2.12