Sharing The Love … Promoting Others

artisan jewelry, ceramics, classes, comedy, food, jewelry, painting, promoting others, sewing

During this time of shameless self promotion I decided to take a break from it all and share some of the amazingly talented people I know with you. Presented here are a few whom I have had the great pleasure of knowing for a long time, and some I have become acquainted with in 2022.

Bell Pine Art Farm: goddess sculptures
bellpineartfarm.com
I have known Debbie since I lived in Oregon back in the late 70’s. We met in college in art class. She is still a dear friend, has a deep creative soul, and creates these amazing little goddess sculptures with her husband, Reed.

“Each of our deeply inspired clay designs is hand-detailed and finished by the two of us with seasonal help from local artists. Our rural Oregon home studio is situated between the Cascade Mountains and the Oregon Coast Range in a forest on the edge of a small valley.”

 

 

Cathy Trachok: painter
cathrynetrachok.com
Cathy and I went to Art Center College of Design together in the 80’s and remain good friends. I just can’t get enough of her sunflower paintings!

“The amazing thing to me about art is in the idea of the visual as a shared experience. It is communication across cultures, time and experiences. There is magic in art, inviting all to look, and yet allowing each individual to interpret that image in their mind’s eye. Both the artist and the viewer can learn from each other, and that sharing leads to discovery on both sides. It is that communication that inspires me to keep painting and sharing my work.”

 

Liz Lauter: ceramics
lizlauter.com
I have never met Liz but I am completely mesmerized by her candelabras.

“My artwork is about the celebrity of ornament: its design elements, patterns, material forms and expression of the Feminine. I straddle the worlds of “decoration”, “craft”, “folkart”, “functional”, “feminism” as my work pulls from historical decorative design, nature and my own experiences as a woman.”

 

Sweet Pea Paris: food and Paris
sweet-pea-paris.com
I can’t recall if we met in middle school or high school but I’m so proud of Alisa and all she has accomplished. I long to visit Paris and take one of her food tours, probably the chocolate one. I know we will laugh a lot!

“I launched Sweet Pea Baking & Catering in September 2006 (at the beginning of the American food trend in Paris), based on amazing American flavors, tweaked and twisted here and there, all of my recipes are made with the finest ingredients. The problem? You just want to keep eating it. So there I was, Event Catering, giving Gastronomic Food Tours, Cooking Classes, Pastry Cheffing, Food Styling for other cookbooks and, poof! I was recruited by French publishing house Marabout. I’ve written three cookbooks so far, published in 5 languages and over 10 countries.”

 

Irmgard Geul: embroidery paintings
irmgardgeul.com
I met Irmgard in an online workshop years ago about promoting our artwork. Since then I have watched her artwork blossom and evolve. I love this new direction.

“My most recent work I like to be known as “Embroidery Paintings” a self explored technique where I apply embroidery and stitching over acrylic paintings on paper, to create depth and a visual perspective. Although I still have a continuous love for abstraction, for now I have been challenging myself in creating the stories and adventures on and around my daily surroundings.”

 

 

 

Silvera Jewelry School: jewelry classes
silverajewelry.com
I started taking classes from Joe during the pandemic to keep my sanity, stay busy and learn new skills to add to my jewelry designs and creations. He is a kind and patient teacher who offers so many interesting classes online and in their studios.

“Silvera Jewelry School began in Berkeley, CA in 2010 and was started by Anat and Joe Silvera, both professional jewelers and artists. From the start, Anat and Joe dreamed of having their own space to teach, to create a clean, well organized, and welcoming school for their students. Over a decade later, the school has grown into a well known hub for the jewelry community, with veteran instructors, a classroom full of benches and jewelry tools, and a schedule bursting with workshops, including classes taught by visiting master jewelers from around the world.” Silvera recently added a new partner and co-owner, Jenn Parnell Kirkpatrick.

 

Camp Fashionista: sewing school
campfashionista.net
Dori and I became friends in middle school. It’s a pleasure to still be friends to this day and exciting to watch her business grow.

“Dori Gladden is a fashion designer, entrepreneur, teacher, and mother, who has traveled the world designing for over 30 years. Originally from Los Angeles, Dori now calls the Bay Area home and has worn many hats in the fashion industry, from corporate environments to running her own label. Her launch of Camp Fashionista, a design school located in San Jose, CA, for both children and adults, allows her to share her passion and inspire the next generation of designers.”

 


Robert Barber: painter
robertbarber.com
Another Art Center College of Design friend, Rob was an amazing painter then, and is even more so now. His passion is undeniable.

“Painting has been a lifelong passion for Rob and he paints as faithfully to life as he possibly can. He is fascinated with why things appear the way they do, and this inspires him to paint realistically. At the same time, our world is an active and continually changing place, and Rob seeks to reflect this sensation by also painting with energy and movement.”

 

 

 

Jenny Reeves: jewelry
jennyreeves.com

I don’t know Jenny personally but we are online friends. Her jewelry always takes my breath away. She is an inspiration to me.

“The unique textures in Jenny’s jewelry are created by the ancient process of fusing, or joining metal using only heat.”

 

 

 

Also, a couple of things kept me laughing this year, thank gawd!!! 

Ayo cheetah… wussup?!
instagram.com/goodboy.noah/

Making us laugh and teaching us how to cook at the same time. Brilliant!

 

 

 

Backpack Backpack
instagram.com/nicktrawick13/

Funny stuff with a catchy tune that I absentmindedly sing to myself every now and then.