Art Roundup!

Being in a creative environment has a number of perks, not the least of which is the fact that we run into really cool artists on a daily basis.  We exchange images, websites, and stories about artists we’ve encountered in the studio frequently, and I thought it was about time we shared some of our recent favorites.  These artists range from B3 customers, to employees and friends and are all inspiring in their own right.  We hope you’ll find as much in joy in looking at their work as we do.

 

Stephanie Anne – “Master of Deception”

A couple months ago, our Inventory Coordinator, Jen sent around an image of a piece by Stephanie, a long-time friend of B3.  (Stephanie was actually the first intern we ever had and is one of the main reasons why we even have an internship program, and she still continues to be a part of the team behind the scenes.)  The squid form is composed of felted wool, sterling wire, and Swarovski crystals.  The scales you see in the image were all handmade by Stephanie!  They are all hand-pierced copper that she silver-foiled and enameled.  Something tells me the images does not do this piece justice and if you were lucky enough to attend the SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) Conference this past spring, you got to see this piece up close and personal and frankly, we’re jealous.

 

Learn more about this artist and check our her artist statement here: http://stephanieannedesigns.weebly.com/

 

Mary Ellen Croteau – “Close”

Some of you may have seen this artist when we posted about her incredible piece on our page on Facebook a couple months ago.  Rebeca shared her work with us (Mary Ellen is actually Rebeca’s friend’s mom!) and we were all absolutely blown away!  As the title suggests, this eight-foot tall self-portrait was inspired by the work of painter Chuck Close. However, it’s Mary Ellen’s twist on materials that is perhaps most astonishing in this instance.  The piece is composed entirely of reused caps (about 7,000 to be exact!) from sources such as beverages, cleaners, and personal grooming products.  The color variation is achieved solely through layering the original color of the caps themselves.  All of us here have a certain level of patience probably above average but this even floored us!

Learn more about this artist and check out her artist statement here: http://maryellencroteau.net/

 

Lisa Rosenberg – “Wrist Corset”

Lisa is one of our B3 team members and recently shared this piece she created in her silversmithing class with me.  Needless to say, I was drooling.  The piece which she calls “The Wrist Corset” is copper trimmed in sterling silver with sterling silver grommets and chain.  She does not currently have an online shop where you could buy your own wrist corset (yeah, you know I asked!) but stay tuned – she may set one up soon!  In the meantime, if she has you inspired to learn how to make your own work like this (and you live in Illinois) check out the class she took in Carol Stream at the Many Hands Studio – contact Kathryn Larson at [email protected] for information.

 

Joshua Diliberto – Chainmaille/Cosmology/Drawing

Rebeca was recently contacted by this artist/B3 Customer when he realized that they both love two very specific things – chainmaille and cosmology!  Upon visiting his website, she also discovered that he was an incredibly talented drawer.  His highly detailed drawings are stunning and we just had to share them.  We also really liked this quote on the home page of his website: “BE AN ARTIST IN WHATEVER YOU DO. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR THOUGHTS AND BODY WHILE HAVING COMPASSION FOR OTHERS AND THE WORLD AROUND YOU. LIVE AND THINK DELIBERATELY, INTENTIONALLY, AND DO NOT LET LIFE HAPPEN TO YOU.” -JOSHUA DILIBERTO

Learn more about this artist and check out his artist statement here: http://www.joshuadiliberto.com/index.html

Our Website’s New Look!

We are so excited to be unveiling our website facelift! A new look has been a long time coming and we hope you’ll love our updated style as much as we do.  Although this site update is largely cosmetic, there are a handful of changes to the organization of our site and the ways you can navigate it.  This blog post will address some of the changes we made to help familiarize you with our new-ish site, however, feel free to contact us with questions if we missed anything.

While this new look is a lot of fun, we are still planning a major site overhaul at the end of this year into the beginning of 2012. Some of the changes we made now will stay and some will change yet again.  At this stage, we really want to hear from our customers about what is working, and what isn’t.  One of the great things about our major site overhaul is that we get to start with a much cleaner slate and your input will help us know how to begin piecing together the ultimate shopping experience and chainmaille resource.

Our Website Feedback Survey is now closed but we still want to know your thoughts about our website.  Leave a comment, write on our wall on facebook, send us a tweet or email us at [email protected] and most importantly, look for a longer survey in the months ahead that will give you the chance to tell us your complete wish list for B3’s new website.

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NEW MENU + SUB-MENUS

Our main website navigation still lives in basically the same place as the old one but we think this one is lots more fun (check out the fun jump ring animation!  We’ve been playing with it nonstop, too *wink*) and much easier to see and use.  Simply click on the page you’d like to visit.

We also added a new sub-menu in the blue bar right underneath the main menu.  If you see a little arrow, you can roll over the sub-menu item and see a dropdown of quick links to individual pages.  Want to jump right to the Aluminum page?  Now you can.

 

The sub-menu for each main menu item will remain in the blue bar no matter what page you go to so there is no need to go back to the main page.  For example, let’s say you’re in the “Buy Supplies” section and want to jump from the Aluminum page to the Niobium page, you’re just one click away!  Roll over “Colored Rings” in the sub-menu and click on “Niobium” and you’re there!  No need to go back to the main supplies page to get there.

 

OTHER NEW FEATURES IN THE PAGE HEADER

You can always access our home page by clicking on our logo or by clicking the home icon. In addition, access your cart or our contact information by clicking the corresponding items in the upper-right hand corner of the header.  You can also use the search bar to search our site by using keywords like “Aluminum” or “Chained book”.

 

NEW SUPPLIES PAGE

We think our new supplies page is clearer and much more user friendly.  From this page, you can access each category of supplies that we sell.  We added quick links to popular products/pages as well to get you to what you need even more quickly.

 

NEW BASE METALS PAGES

We rolled out our new base metals pages a while ago but there are still a few features that are worth pointing out.

Want to learn more about a certain metal?  Click on “more info” to read more about that particular metal so you can design which one is perfect for your project.

Near the top of every base metal page, you’ll see a list of letters.  If you know the size you need, you can click on the corresponding letter (for example “L” if you were shopping for size L18) and jump down the page to that size. Once you’re there, click on the ring size for stats and uses and/or jump to the same size in a different metal using the links below the table.

 

SLIGHT CHANGES TO OUR KITS PAGE

At the top of every individual kit page, you will see a pretty large menu that lists all our kits by level.  You can jump right to the kit you want by clicking the link for its page.  If you’re not sure what you want, you can browse through kits by using the Previous and Next arrows.  The kits will appear in order of skill level as you browse so just keep an eye on the level in the parenthesis next to the kit title to make sure you are getting the right kit for you.

 

NEW HELP SECTION

Our help section includes our FAQ as well as cool links, resources, and articles from past B3 newsletters.  If all else fails, visit our contact page and let us know your question so our customer service folks can help you.

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Now it’s your turn to let us know what you think.  Spend some time clicking around the site and then share your thoughts by filling out our survey.  The survey is 8 questions and will take about 5-15 minutes to complete. Thank you again for your time and feedback and don’t forget to enter to win a B3 gift certificate!

 

YOU could be the next B3 Designer!

We are so excited about our new “By Artists for Artists” Design Program.  This program gives the opportunity to both seasoned and brand new designers to produce their own Blue Buddha Boutique tutorial.  Read on for more about the program as well as our current B3 Designers.

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Once accepted into the program, you and your design will go on an information-rich journey that will result in a beautiful Blue Buddha Boutique tutorial, international exposure, and the satisfaction of knowing you have inspired fellow maillers to take their chainmaille to the next level.

FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDE…

Targeted exposure: Your design could be featured in any number of jewelry publications as well as other Blue Buddha Boutique marketing materials which reach an audience of hundreds of thousands of jewelry artists ranging from novice to expert.

Complimentary B3 Products: Your design will shine its brightest when made from our top-quality supplies which is why we offer complimentary product to create your design and to use in step-by-step photography for the tutorial.

Competitive compensation: Earn 2-4 times what you’d receive for publishing in a magazine.

Flexibility + Artistic ownership: This program is meant to support designers and help them do what they do best which is why we offer flexibility when it comes to writing and creating tutorials as well as ownership over the final product.  After a short exclusivity period, the design you create with B3’s help will be yours to sell on your own as well.

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ABOUT OUR DESIGNERS


REBECA MOJICA is a an author, instructor and award-winning chainmaille artist. She is a contributing editor to Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine and the author of the best-selling instructional jewelry book CHAINED. She knows more than 100+ weaves, including more than dozen patterns of her own creation. Rebeca’s work has been featured on a local television station and in the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times. Her projects for students have been published in numerous books and magazines. She is the founder of Blue Buddha Boutique, one of the largest chainmaille suppliers in the world.

 

KAT WISNIEWSKI is an innovative jewelry artist and designer of riveting wire and chainmaille attire.  She displays her cutting-edge creations at various artisan shows and via her online shop and is currently seeking retail representation. Kat also enjoys teaching chainmaille & wirework, as she has done professionally since 2005 throughout the Chicagoland area, and also at the internationally recognized Bead&Button Show. Having invented about 9 weaves and chainmaille patterns featuring stylish glass and rubber rings, Kat has rapidly become a well-respected and nationally known expert in the field of modern chainmaille fashion.

 

VANESSA WALILKO is a jewelry designer and wearable art maker.  Her chainmaille jewelry and clothing pieces have been featured in national exhibitions and won national awards.  She’s taken top prizes in the Bead Dreams Competition, the British Bead Awards, the Jewelry Artist Awards and several Fire Mountain Gems competitions.  Her beadwork and clothing have been featured in shows at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  Her work has been published in Step by Step Wire Jewelry Magazine, Bead Magazine, and Bead&Button Magazine.

 

OMNI MEE’s dream was to become the digital Andy Warhol when he entered college, by the time he graduated college he was more interested in art that people could touch and use.  Omni taught himself how to make chainmaille in 2004 using the worst possible tools, equipment, and first project.  Five years later he finished the first project and started making jewelry.  In 2010 Omni opened his jewelry business “Entropyware” focusing on using original designs and weaves while incorporating seed beads, and other unique components.

 

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YOU COULD BE NEXT


We are currently accepting applicants for this program.  If you’re interested in becoming a “by artists for artists” designer and B3 Ambassador, send us an email telling us about you and your work as a chainmaille artist.

CONTACT US: [email protected]

Rubber Ring Clearance Sale!

Reduced prices by 15% on our entire stock of Rubber Rings!

These special prices will be available until May 31st at which point we are discontinuing our current stock of rubber rings.

SHOP RUBBER RINGS CLEARANCE SALE


Why we are discontinuing these rings:

Due to changes in manufacturing we have been unable to provide our customers with the consistency you’ve come to expect.  We have decided to stop carrying this product for a while in hopes of ideally finding a U.S.A.-made alternative in a broad range of colors and sizes. We know how frustrating it is when a supply store stops carrying something you adore working with and are keeping our pliers crossed we will find a good solution.  We also know how frustrating it is when you receive a product you expect to be of a certain quality and it’s not up to snuff which is why we think you’ll understand this choice.  We only sell the best supplies and hope to in the future offer the best Rubber Rings in new and beautiful colors – we’ll keep you posted!

Also note, we will soon stop carrying the Anodized Aluminum machine-cut rings (AAmc) and have reduced the price on those rings as well. We originally began vending these because they are used in the book Link It!.  However, with the book being discontinued and with our rubber ring discontinuation, we feel this is another product we could move out to make space for something new.  We will likely eventually add size H16 AA to regular production, as that was our most popular AAmc size.

Rest assured we are NOT selling any faulty Rubber Rings as part of this clearance sale.  All items on sale are of the quality you expect and have been quality controlled – we are simply reducing the price to clear our that stock and make room for other products.

Ask an Artist: Charlene Anderson talks about finding inspiration, translating it into a piece, and sharing it with the world.

Charlene Anderson is an incredible prolific and generous artist. As the 2010 Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry Magazine Artist of the Year, she had a project published in every issue and continues to develop designs for the purpose of sharing them and inspiring chainmaillers, novices and experts alike.

We took this interview as an opportunity to learn more about where this inspiring artist finds her own inspiration.  Her thoughts are sure to have you looking at the world through chainmaille-colored glasses and seeing potential for designs in unexpected places.

Thanks again to all our readers who submitted questions for Charlene.  Stay tuned as we continue bring you closer to chainmaille jewelry artists and experts and find out how you can submit your questions to them.

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You mentioned in your artist profile that your traveling has influenced your work, how so?

Travel provides untold opportunities to be inspired. Whether it is paintings by Rembrandt in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg or beadwork by the Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania, travel is my number one artistic influence. Photographs, postcards, fabrics, baskets, landscapes, architecture…almost anything can be an inspiration. I have a huge collection of things I have collected in my travels that inspire me every day. The inspiration can come in the form of a shape, a color story, or a technique.

Do you look exclusively to jewelry from other cultures to find inspiration?  What other forms of art inspire your jewelry?


Actually, very little actual jewelry serves as an influence in my work. The only exception is the Maasai beadwork (example shown left) I collected while in Kenya and Tanzania. Most of my inspiration comes from commonplace things…colors people are wearing, landscapes and flowers, architecture, paintings…anything can be an inspiration if you keep your eyes and mind open.

Do you take photos of things you see that could inspire a project or do you have other ways of remembering visual influences?

I take a lot of photos (even in the pre-digital days I took thousands of photographs a year) and also collect postcards, pamphlets, brochures, fabric swatches and all sorts of things. I have them filed by country in a large filing cabinet (such as this photograph of corn taken by Charlene in Togo, in West Africa.) I’ve been to over 100 countries so this is the most logical way for me to file them.

I’m lucky in that I have a really strong color memory…I can see a color once and match it years later…which really comes in handy when shopping for beads, fabric and other artwork supplies.

When you see something that inspires you, how do you translate that into chainmaille?

The first way is with shape…chainmaille weaves are architectural by their very nature and work especially well in translating those inspirations. My favorite way is with color. I have some rather unorthodox color combinations that I love and use often that were inspired by my travels.

The other way I use my travel inspiration is to actually incorporate things I collect on my travels into chainmaille pieces. The Maluaka bracelet from Step by Step Wire Jewelry used beach glass from Hawaii…but don’t limit yourself by including just the obvious like beads…sometimes things that are a little offbeat may be a starting point for a new design. With a Dremel you can make almost anything work like a bead!

Moving from Hawaii to Wyoming must have been a bit of a shock!  Does your living environment affect your designs (i.e. color choices, weaves, weight of the pieces, etc.)?

The biggest change is in my work after my move was in my color choices. The light is very different in Hawaii vs. Wyoming so what worked in the tropical light of Hawaii doesn’t work as well here. My palette moved from clear, intense, saturated colors to a more earthy and muted palette.

I was back in Hawaii recently and made sure I packed my bags with my “tropical” clothing and jewelry because it looks so beautiful there!

Chainmaille continues to grow as a craft but even so, it’s still a pretty small world and I would imagine there isn’t a huge chainmaille community in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (although, correct me if I’m wrong!)  How do you stay connected with the chainmaille community?

Two words: The Internet! The perfect way to connect, stay inspired, and get all the tools and supplies you need!

What are the best ways, in your experience, to get exposure both locally, and outside of your immediate area?

For local exposure, look to your local newspapers, and think outside the box if you want to show your work. Here in Jackson lots of hotels and restaurants have regular shows (and yes, even for jewelry.) Look to your libraries, corporate offices, clothing stores as potential places to have shows.  Offer to talk to schools, groups, clubs and organizations about your work. Think outside the box..anything can be an opportunity to promote your work.

As far as exposure on a larger scale, you need to decide what your goal is. Do you want galleries across the country to carry your work? Do you want to write and publish? Do you want to teach? Each of these requires a different approach, but in the end I subscribe to the “if you don’t ask you don’t get” method. Ask for what you want and you’ll be pleasantly surprised what you get.

How do you balance your time and energies between the different jewelry medias and all the other elements of marketing yourself and your art?  How do you make sure that what “needs” to get done gets done in the presence of wanting to create?

Rule 1: Marketing never ends.

I find that between promoting my own work and managing my online store, where I sell jewelry tools and supplies (I leave the rings to BBB!) I spend more of my time on the business side than I do on the actual creating. If I was an artist focusing on jewelry sales as my primary source of income I know I would have to spend a lot more time creating, but my online store (www.purveyorofallthingscreative.com) provides a large portion of my income so I must focus a lot of time there.

The steep rise in metal prices, especially silver, has had a huge impact on what metals I am now using in my jewelry. I am wondering if other maille artists are feeling the crunch, what alternate metals they are choosing to work with, and how it is influencing overall design of pieces.

A good design is a good design no matter what the metal. For those unable to work in silver, aluminum is a good option. Look at the rise in metal prices as an opportunity to educate your buyers about the beauty of other metals and their suitability for jewelry, as well as a challenge to your design skills. Combining metals, using colors in aluminum and niobium, and rethinking your designs can help maillers deal with the increase in metal prices.

Sometimes I can look at a pattern and get lucky to figure it out, however, I am at a loss when it comes to choosing the correct ring size. Is there any sort of formula to follow?

My suggestion is to learn the basic weaves and learn what ring sizes work for each weave. With that knowledge you have a starting point for figuring out what rings will work. For instance, I know Byzantine works well in BBB Aluminum in size F18. When I look at a weave based on Byzantine I have starting point to help me figure out what size will work. In the end it does come down to trial and error and personal taste…I like fairly firm, unfloppy weaves so that influences my ring choices.

As the Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry Featured Artist of the year in 2010, you had a project in every issue.  Why do you think it’s important to share your projects with your fellow crafters?  Do you have any projects that are your trade secrets (i.e. projects we’ll never see instructions for?)

I love teaching but my rather isolated location limits the number of classes I can teach. I feel that publishing my projects in magazines like Step by Step Wire Jewelry and on the web is just teaching in another format. As far as trade secrets…I have projects in the works that are due to be published and that will be the first time they see the light of day, but as a teacher at heart I love to share my knowledge and hold nothing back. Students pay for my knowledge and I don’t think it fair to hold things back.

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Learn more about Charlene Anderson:
Website: http://www.charanderson.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/charleneandersonartist
Twitter: http://twitter.com/char_anderson
Blog: http://charleneanderson.typepad.com/unravelings/