watergirl designs

new year, new aspirations...

2011-12-26T16:24:00.000-08:00

On the heels of my last show of the year, which is the Presents of Art gallery show by the Upstairs Artspace in Tryon, NC, is the highly anticipated 2012. At the end of every year, I always set new goals for the coming year with a newfound vigor. 2011 ended well with a new venture, my work becoming part of the indie-pendent boutique in Atlanta, Ga. and with the gallery show. How to pick up where this year left off has been most perplexing to me this time around. Those droplets of water are still drifting through the air, yet to splat upon their intended places. I am not Miss Planner, tight & well-organized schedules have never been my forte. But I look forward to keeping you all posted as the droplets do fall. Shows? New galleries? Yes to both...let the mystery begin to unfold...Thanks for following and Happy New Year!

steel wire sphere - 'endless'

since June...

2011-11-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

Another round of Art in the Park Asheville took place in October, a very successful month for sales, despite this wounded economy. New venture on the horizon: A new gallery/boutique in Atlanta, GA [more details in the near future].

I'm working on new designs. I'm also working on adding more pieces to the etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/watergirldesigns

And now, I want nothing more than to get to work on new pieces. Au revoir for now!

p e a c e o n e a r t h

June Kickoff of Asheville Art in the Park

2011-06-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

AAitP 2010 [right in front of fountain]

The first Asheville Art in the Park of the year happens Saturday June 11. Lots of unique, local artists will be set up near Vance Monument and the fountain in Pack Square downtown. Come check us out. Show creator Andrew Montrie aka Muddy Knees Ceramics and his work will be around. I'll be in space B10 with my handmade wire jewelry. Support local artists. We donate 10% of our sales to area non-profit art-based organizations.

wire orbs pendant

Orbitals, wire orbs, and pearls galore in original designs. If you can't make the show, visit http://www.watergirldesigns.com/ to see my work. The website sorely needs updating, but you'll get the idea.

p e a c e

gypsy

new venue for watergirl

2011-03-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sharon Tharrington, talented jewelry artist and proprietor of immensely successful ArtSource in Raleigh, NC, spotted my jewelry at the Arts Council of Wilson and invited me to be a part of the gallery. Just off Six Forks Road at North Hills, ArtSource casts a lot of fine artists talented in such mediums as painting, mixed media, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, and other mediums from realist to abstract. Take a visit if you're in Raleigh, you'll be impressed.

Au revoir to a good year

2010-12-31T14:12:00.000-08:00

2010 -
You were a year like all others, bringing mayhem and madness, comedy and accomplishment, love and hate, rewards and punishments -- in your own right, you were a year like NO other. What a crazy dame. Farewell to you and hello to your successor, 2011. May it be another banner year.

spill-inspired pendant

2010-06-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Can an oil spill a.k.a. a major environmental disaster inspire the design of a pendant? Yes, it can.

'consciousness vs. greed' - chrysocolla & copper wire pendant

I took this wire and chrysocolla pendant to the Asheville Art in the Park, where it motivated a conversation about the issue with the lovely person who bought it and her friend. It made me realize the main reason I like my pieces to stir up conversation -- the connections that are made as a result.

live . breathe . be aware

photos by sharon

asheville art in the park, 10K, gulf support

2010-06-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Firstly, thanks to the artists of InspiredArts for putting on a successful show at Flat Rock Playhouse in May. Now it's on to Asheville Art in the Park, downtown Asheville, Pack Square. I'll be there on Saturday June 12 and Saturday June 26, 10-5. The show occurs on the 19th as well. I've got the race bug and decided to skip that show to run a 10K. So come see me on the 12th or 26th. Lots of great art, lots of great other stuff in downtown Asheville.

I've decided to send proceeds from my sales to either Greenpeace or the Red Cross towards their Gulf oil spill clean-up and support efforts. I can't not do something. My heart has the say-so in this one, and I'm listening. Any other artists doing shows that want to match my proceeds, feel free. Artists are some of the most conscientious people I know. With our collective action, we can make a dent.

clean oceans. happy lives

nc coast at sunset

shows, galleries, summer!

2010-04-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, is this summer filling up! Apart from beach trips and surf camp, training for half-marathons and triathlons, and a part-time job, there is the business side of things. I'm happy to say that the business side of things [a.k.a. the jcb -- jewelry creating biz] is so not like work sometimes that it should be illegal. To still enjoy it after 8 years is a Godsend. I might even have to do a 10-year anniversary thingie when it arrives.

I'm preparing for upcoming shows in May and June, the first being the Flat Rock Playhouse Craft Show from May 7-9. Check out this link:

http://www.flatrockplayhouse.org/craft-show.html

Next up is the Asheville Art in the Park, the last 3 Saturdays in June. More details as June approaches.

I'm also considering 2 new galleries, one in NC and another in Atlanta, GA. Yes, I have felt the sting of the economy; but in these times, you just got to keep moving. Knowing that new galleries are opening this summer gives an artist hope...and plenty of motivation.

live green. smile. breathe in summer

new jewelry, updated site, tired eyes

2010-03-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

I literally spent my whole Saturday working on new pieces and updating the website with new items: necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, and men's jewelry. The website update was long overdue. Frankly, maintaining the site is one of my least favorite parts of the biz. A necessary evil, it is. But it is done. Check it out: http://www.watergirldesigns.com/

that's bull

2010-03-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

This chaotic smorgasbord of Industrial Glam, I recently placed at Woolworth Walk in Asheville, NC. I actually created it about a year ago but held onto it, mainly because it was a unique piece and I got attached to it [which happens from time to time, or A LOT]. I was curious to see how long it would stick around. The fact that it sold within a couple of weeks had me wondering what unique being had bought it. I wish I could meet more of those who buy my work. Whenever I do get the chance, it's a pleasure. But this soul...yes, I would have loved to meet this one. Hope you're out there starting conversations with your new neckpiece. FYI, I found the bull skull, of all places, at a shop at the beach.

close encounter of the wired kind, circa 2009

2010-02-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

While creating one of the wire box pendants, I saw some sci-fi'ish, buggy, creature-like thing emerge, so I decided to take a photo before the pendant was complete. The shadow adds some effect. And then, the completion:

manipulating scrap

2010-01-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

Nothing like getting distracted by a scrap metal facility and spending the next 3 hours searching through rusted and greasy industrial parts, other people's metallic throwaways, and discovering an ample pile of stuff to use. Part of this sculpture is new material [the steel wire and copper pipe]. The rest of it is from scrap and found objects. This, my first attempt at sculpture, has me noticing the much larger, gigantor-sized industrial parts at the scrap metal facilities that I need a pick-up truck bed to haul. I daydream of mega-sized sculptures that require a park or warehouse to inhabit. Maybe someday, after gaining welding/metalsmithing experience and a super-buff assistant...

Asheville Art in the Park

2010-01-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

My first scheduled shows set for 2010 are for the 3 Saturdays of June 12, 19, & 26. The show is Asheville Art in the Park, right in the pulse of downtown Asheville. There will be dates set for October too, so check back or keep an eye on http://watergirldesigns.com/shows.htm, where locations and times are also available.

start at 1

2010-01-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

Greetings! Started my blog as an addition to my website, www.watergirldesigns.com. I felt that my bland News page on the website just didn't quite cut it in 21st century North America. Time to innovate. Time for a blog.

I'll soon be posting current happenings about shows/festivals, galleries, new designs, etc., etc. So be sure to check back regularly. As I become more familiarized with blog world, you'll hear more from me.