Seder 2024 - the inspiration

The Seder table for 2024 was perhaps the most beautiful table covering I have ever created, yet it was low-cost with a spring theme.
This post shares the serendipitous inspiration and images of my Seder table that may give you some ideas for your own festive table suitable for any occasion. 

Every table setting starts with a moment of inspiration.

This table theme was inspired by a colorful bag of Jeremiah's Pick Coffee beans. 

While looking for an idea.....I spotted a grocery store display of Jeremiah's Pick Coffee in turquoise and orange. These bright spring-like colors  jump started my brain. (This is not a product endorsement or affiliate link -- I just loved the colors of the bag.)

Then, in the next aisle of the grocery store, I found these orange and turquoise bowls (left side of photo) and the oblong plate. I knew that I already had the other orange and blue soup bowls.

ON A ROLL!  These colors also matched so well with the turquoise and orange plates stored in my cupboard that I had not used for years.
I poured all the coffee beans into a reusable storage container and began to modify the coffee bag -- cutting off the top, folding the edges over, and inserting a dish inside to transform it into a centerpiece vase.

A "frog" stabilizes the flower arrangements.  If  you don't have one, an old frog for flower arrangements can usually be found at estate sales for a dollar or so.  Frogs are reusable and better than floral arrangement foam.   

The coffee bag centerpiece anchored the color theme for decorating the table covering and the flower arrangement. Birds of Paradise from a neighbor's yard, and my theme was established.

The next post will be about how to create the table covering. 

Stay tuned... Subscribe to ASK Harriete, find me on Instagram, or Facebook.  

Harriete 
A few of my previous seder tables below:

Seder 2023 ( public album on Facebook)


Seder 202 2 (public album on Facebook)

Seder 2017 (public album on Facebook)

 
  

Seder 2024 - Creating the Table Covering In Mon-kiri

My Seder table covering for 2024 was all hand painted or cut from paper.
Inexpensive with impressive results.

After, my color theme chose me (shown in the previous post), I needed an idea for the table art, i.e.,  a decoration theme.

I wanted to do something along the lines of Japanese floral for spring like this beautiful Kimono given to me as a gift (close-up photo shown below) .... but I had limited time and budget. Getting ready for an out of the blue Earth Day CBS News interview, I had suddenly used up all my extra prep time.

That's when I remembered this book  for mon-kiri *I have had this book for over 60 years. I used to do this Japanese paper cutting as a child. Copyright is 1959. 

I have used this Japanese paper cutting guide for my art jewelry bracelet forms in the past (shown in the bracelet below.)

Using Japanese origami paper folding, you can cut out complex shapes very easily.

To create your table covering, start with plain paper to cover the table. I used plain white paper, but nicer paper could be a great addition. 

I invited two friends to help out and share the fun. So consider inviting your family or children to participate in creating your table covering.

We laid out the cut out paper flowers and traced around the edges with pencil.

We mixed acrylic paint and started painting. I mix paint on paper plates to dispose of later. 

As a final touch for the first few hours, artist, Martha Safra, painted a gold vine in iridescent acrylic paint. This added a lot to the continuity of the flower theme down the length of the table. 

After this first session in table decoration, I cut additional flowers from origami paper, pieces of gift wrap and magazine paper. I used a matt knife, but ordinary scissors also work very well. 


Since the paper is folded for mon-kiri, I ironed it flat after cutting.
Iron the paper face down with no steam, just a warm iron. 

Place all the flowers on the table first to figure out your spacing and overall composition. Plan on the placement of your dinner plates so you don't waste too much time on a location that will be covered up with a plate.

A can of spray glue allows you to put glue on the flowers very quickly. Work fast. Spray glue outside on newspaper or junk mail, run inside with a sticky flower and place each flower one at a time.

For bigger flowers use your imagination. Once you know how to fold and cut paper as shown by the templates in the book, use your imagination.  The templates in the book only work for small flowers.

I made my own napkin rings from tin cans.
Orange and turquoise napkins repeated my color theme on orange & turquoise plates.

Imagine! All the flowers were either hand painted, or created from origami paper, gift wrap and magazine images.

Stay within your color theme and it will always work.

Gold glasses and gold flatware really give some metallic sparkle for the theme.

An antique Czechoslovakian Orange Water pitcher was used to serve water. I've had this for years. 

The orange ceramic water pitcher fits the theme for all my Seder plates.
I thought this was an amazing table for Seder 2024. Tell me what you think!


Points to remember.

Pick only two or three colors for a strong theme.

Complimentary colors will usually be a dynamic combination.

Choose colors appropriate for the season. 

Repeat the colors with every addition to the table. Napkin, napkin rings, place cards, more dishes, keep on going.

Enjoy the process. You can work on the table covering over a couple of days.

Harriete   

* This is an affiliate link. If you want this mon-kiri book buy it now. Seriously, they are very hard to find.

Previous Post about the Seder 2024 table.

 Seder 2024 - the inspiration

 

A few of my previous seder tables below:

Seder 2023 ( public album on Facebook)


Seder 202 2 (public album on Facebook)

Seder 2017 (public album on Facebook)

 
  

 

 

Thanksgiving 2023 Combines Art /Craft History and Czechoslovakian Pottery for Inspiration - Six tips for your table.

My Thanksgiving 2023 table setting was inspired by 100 year old Czechoslovakian plates.

This plate was the inspiration for this year's table. 

Over 40 years ago, I bought five plates for a few dollars at a flea market.  Since then.....I've searched  to find more plates, hoping to find enough to set an entire table -- and recently purchased nine more plates on e-bay!  The plates are over 100 years old.

Here is the quick history of this extraordinary abstract pattern.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the porcelain factories (that had been making porcelain plates for the aristocracy) attempted to reinvent their industry by painting blank porcelain plates with abstract images and political messages supporting the new revolutionary political ideology. 

Artists at that time, like Lissitsky and Kandinsky (as two examples), thought their art or craft should be as revolutionary as the politics. Constructivist, Supremacist, and abstraction were considered revolutionary ideas. Constructivism focused on experimentation with modern industrial materials to reflect admiration for machines, technology, and functionalism. Supremacism emphasized expression of artist feeling rather than visual representation of objects.

El Lissitzky's poster Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge

Kadinsky-CompositionVIII

My plates are marked Czechoslovakian and were part of an effort between 1918-1938 to create an export industry in porcelain and glass factories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These plates and this water pitcher were the beginning of my theme for Thanksgiving 2023.

The pitcher looked fantastic next to a framed metal collage I did for my CD catalog cover from 2004. They both have a fragmented pattern.

Here is a closer image of my CD catalog cover image from 2004.

Now, back to Creating the Thanksgiving Table -- step by step.

The table started with plain paper.

After the paper is taped on, I place the plates. This year I am using under servers for a touch of gold.
Tip 1: I have learned to place the plates early in the process so that I don't paint under the plate and waste my time. This year I only had a few hours to paint the table cover. There was still a lot of cooking to do.

Tip 2: Place the flower arrangement early. No sense spending a lot of time painting under the flowers that will not be moved.
Tip 3:  Always, always, always do your own flowers. Flowers from the grocery store are pretty, but average, lacking personality. Going to all this effort for a one-day table covering, you can easily imagine that "average" is not good enough. You don't have to buy expensive flowers, and foliage can go a long way. Notice how I used ivy from my garden. Ivy is free. Foliage from your yard is free. Many times foliage can be more interesting than standard pretty flowers.

Tip 4  Mix your own paint colors. Sorry, but paint colors directly out of the tube are average by definition.  I mixed my paint to match the colors on the plates. The patterns on the plates inspired my painted shapes.  Painting the table is a great way to enlist the participation of your family or friends, but this year I was painting solo. Amazingly, as I studied the plates to paint the table covering, I began seeing more detailed shapes in the plates that I had not noticed before.  Inspiration and spontaneous decisions allowed me to choose to replicate or modify or deviate from the shapes and patterns on the plate.   

Tip 5: Details are everything. Gold markers that I bought online were used to outline the painted shapes quickly with gold edges.  This whole table was painted in about three hours -- but it was such a creative joy that I would have loved to spend two or three more days painting. Putting down the colored dinner plates and Czechoslovakian plates at every place setting continued to generate inspiration all the way around the table.

No time to stop. Add candlesticks to the composition.

Add details to the composition and placement of the table objects.


Vintage 1950's black and gold water glasses provided additional pointy geometric shapes.

Gotta keep moving fast . . . . !

A gold marker pen for outlining the patterns added gold outlines -- like on the plates. There was no time to be careful. Did you look closely at the plates? No two are exactly the same.  They were all hand painted.  Although they follow a similar layout, each plate shows a bit of individuality.

Go fast, make mistakes. Paint over a mistake. Details are everything.

Add wine glasses and vintage gold flatware. These all have to be hand washed only. You can find the gold flatware on e-bay. No one wants it except crazy people like me.....hand wash, hand wash, hand wash.   


Creating this one-of-a-kind table covering to establish our theme for Thanksgiving 2023 makes the evening special.   My guests always talk about previous table themes.

Tip 6:  Create a seating plan for better conversation.  Pressed for time, Bill, my husband, made a seating plan. Then I wrote the names on the table covering above the forks.

Let me know what you think of the table for Thanksgiving 2003. Really... I want to know.

Look for me on Instagram where I am creating a number of reels, stories and posts  for this table with more images.

Be inspired.

Harriete

Photo credit for images: Philip Cohen, Bill Shelander, Alpa Sheth, and Harriete Estel Berman
Check out my Instagram reels, posts and stories for more images.

 

 A few Thanksgiving Tables from Past Years:
Thanksgiving 2019



Thanksgiving 2017 in Black and White

Artistic Expression and Being an Artist 2016

Vintage Visual Feast Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving 2014 


Setting the Thanksgiving Table

Gelt, Gilt, and Guilt

Thanksgiving Visual Feast Giving Thanks 2012 with a Mondrian Theme for the table and food.

Thanksgiving 2010


Thanksgiving 2009

 

Crafting Sustainability - Personal Sustainability, Professional Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability

Join us this Sunday, June 11 for the San Francisco Metal Arts Guild Metalsmithing Day!
10:00a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Bring Your Lunch

This is the first time in three years that there will be a Metal Arts Guild Metalsmithing Day.
This is held in collaboration with California College of the Arts with a focus on sustainability in metalsmithing.

Location: CCA (California College of the Arts

                     1111 8th Street, San Francisco, 94107.

Note: entrance is located at 455 Irwin St.

No registration is required. The event is free to everyone. You do not need to be a member.

Hear about simple and advanced efforts you can make towards more sustainable practices in your studio.
The demos and speakers will be lead by the following presenters:
Jack da Silva: Remote Teaching and General Eco-Friendly Practices.
Sharon Zimmerman: Ethical Marketing -Creating Better Experiences for your
Customers.
Harriete Estel Berman: "Crafting Sustainability" 
Jennifer Hounshell: Will demonstrate mold-cutting.
Rikki Smeltzer: Make cast-able objects from common waste.
Dan Macchiarini: Learn recycling your “Matt-Carving Wax” drops and filing.

Come see the San Francisco Jewelry Metal Arts Studio at California College for the Arts 

Will I see you Sunday?

Harriete

 

 

 

Modern Judaica - Book images and text

This month (February 2023), a new book will be published that includes images and commentary from over 50 makers of Judaica -- and some of my work as well.

Titled, "Modern Judaica",  this book has been in the works for about three years. A book project like this is a major undertaking, but I think COVID definitely added a few levels of complexity along the way. The author, Jim Cohen, had a challenging task paring down this selection of makers and images for this remarkable book.

This post will share a few observations about my experience and what I think it takes to get your work in a book at this level. This post is going to be a little raw (because I am writing this post from my phone -- a new adventure in itself.)

The first thing any artist or maker needs to attract such excellent exposure is (and a repeated topic on this blog) --  you need great professional quality images. Regardless of how convenient and good your cell phone is, it isn't good enough for this purpose.  At this level,  you need professional-quality images, with a resolution appropriate for a full page in a book. (Each image is typically between 24 MB to 32 MB.)

In this example, a full page was dedicated to these Shabbat candlesticks right across from the Table of Contents. I couldn't be more surprised or pleased with this level of exposure, but . . . . If you don't have the top quality images large enough for a full page, there will never be a full-page photo of your work.

When Jim Cohen contacted me about being in this book, he made no guarantees about inclusion, but my photos were ready, and I was able to send images in with complete information within a day.

You never really know, but I take opportunities like this seriously. My goal is to be prepared in advance.

Later on, when Jim Cohen interviewed me for the book, my husband and I edited the transcript extensively and intensely for more than a week.  

No kidding! Everything was put aside. Every optional minute was put into improving the transcript.

I wasn't asked to do this,  in fact, I was sure that this was breaking a rule or some expectation I didn't know about, but if there was going to be text about my work I wanted it to be as good as it could be at that moment. And I worked on it immediately because I didn't want to be responsible for holding up the progress of the book.

I did not know what would be included until my copy of the book arrived.  Turns out there are eight pages about my work (nine pages if you include the photo opposite the Table of Contents). A huge honor and I am very grateful.   But it wasn't just luck and it didn't happen by accident.

That's what I want to tell you. Opportunities come and go -- so you must be prepared in advance which takes commitment, hard work, and thinking ahead.

Create your own opportunities by doing your best work. Break boundaries.  Move forward. Step ahead. 

If you would like to listen to a streaming ZOOM program with the author, me, and two other Judaica artists, here is a link to the Zoom program.

If you have any questions about my short presentation, leave your comment/question below or ask your questions in the comments here, or reach out to me on Facebook or Instagram.

Harriete

P.S. More about the book itself in another post.

 

Giving Thanks, Remembrance and Reflection at Our Thanksgiving Table

The Thanksgiving Table 2022 was a departure from my normal seasonal themes and precision. 

Beginning with a couple of squirts of red paint on a plate -- red as symbolic for a difficult and painful year. The black paper (behind the plate) represents mourning.

A big brush dipped into the two shades of deep red paint, equipped me for cathartic broad strokes to thrash out my emotional pain. 

Over the past couple of years, many of us have felt loss. It may have been personal or more abstract.  Covid, missed family and friends, political worries, or social upheaval -- so much that continues to impact how we feel every day.

For me, my Thanksgiving Table has to be different and unique every year. This is an artist's life revealed -- a table setting that must be memorable.  Pussywillow sticks provided strikingly vertical lines out of a base of red berries from my yard topped with three red roses from the florist. 

 This year I used Japanese lacquer red plates that I had purchased years ago. 

The plates contributed to a practical approach of trying to be inspired and create a new theme while using things I already have.

The table setting progressed rapidly with Marissa's help on the morning of Thanksgiving.  Normally, the setting would be done the night before, but we had to wait this time to let the fresh red paint dry overnight -- those broad strokes had some thick places.

My vintage 1960's gold leaf glasses are always a good choice for Thanksgiving. 
We need wine glasses.

The napkins were left over from another time when we all entertained ourselves by shopping. 

Vintage 1960's gold plated flatware was the height of style until dishwashers made them too inconvenient. I still love them anyway.

The table is ready for the meal and a small group of company. A small group seemed an acceptable Covid risk parameter.

As everyone neared filling up with servings on their very full plates of food, each person shared one or two "thoughts of gratitude" this Thanksgiving. What can I be thankful for?

Answers:
I am "grateful for an education."  said an inspiring young lady at the table.

I am "grateful for our neighborhood."

I am "grateful for being born in the second half of the 20th century."

What are you grateful for?

Please share in the comments.

 

Television Teasers and Live TV with "Gail on the Go" - Listening to the Voice of Experience

Recently, I drove to Los Angeles for the opportunity to be featured on a Los Angeles morning TV news broadcast called "Gail on the Go."  

I learned a lot. And here are some of the insights that are worth sharing!   

For this television experience, I had four goals:

GOAL ONE: LA viewership potentially reaches 14 million people, but the demographics are not pre-selected for art or craft.  However, it was an opportunity to introduce the Craft In America exhibition space in LA and the Craft in America JEWELRY online video to millions.

GOAL TWO:  It was also a chance for me to "practice" being on television. Like most skills, no one starts as an instant expert. One must practice their craft -- but in a completely different way than the metalsmithing craft experience.  This would be a "live" opportunity to practice.

GOAL THREE: Learn more about the production of television & videos.  I was told to be at the gallery between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.  Can you imagine? Television starts early. We got there at 6:20 a.m.   Gail (the on-camera host/reporter) and Bob (the producer/cameraman) talked to me about my work, my history, their television plan, and expectations.  Actually, it was a very relaxed environment.  Really!  Over the next 4 hours, we did multiple short interviews and several live 30-second segments, called "teasers," during the morning news.   In each of the 30-second "teasers", they try to set up some intriguing images or topics about the exhibition at the Craft in America gallery.  

GOAL FOUR: Be prepared with ideas and be ready to adapt. With several "mental visions" for this opportunity, I brought more recycled black plastic from home to place into the window display.  Once I saw what they could do, I suggested that a teaser could show me actively placing more plastic in the window as an action shot. "Yes", "yes", they liked the idea.

Then it was getting close to the time to get ready for the interview. Thinking fast....I suggested that "Gail on the Go" might like to wear one of my Recycled Black Plastic bracelets during the interview. "Yes", "yes",  Gail and Bob loved the idea. I have to say, the bracelet looked great with what she was wearing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, I had extra bracelets in the car.... so Bill, my husband and personal assistant for the morning, went to get another bracelet.  

He also got my mobile studio -- actually a cardboard box filled with black plastic for cutting while riding for hours in the car.

"Gail on the Go" and the artist, Harriete Estel Berman, sat together in the window of the gallery and talked about a variety of details that Gail and the producer might want to cover when the camera went "live."  Otherwise, there was no preparation for the questions that Gail might ask me.  Behind the camera, staff members of Craft in America (Carol Sauvion, Emily Zaiden,  and Joan Mace) watched. 

While Gail and I talked between "live" segments, I casually started cutting plastic.  This is what I normally do for hours....it is a slow process.  Serendipitously, this also helped them visualize my next suggestion. What if I was actively cutting plastic on camera -- another "action" shot. "Yes", "yes", they liked it.

Between action shots, I also noticed Gail adeptly using her phone to communicate with the control room. She found short clips from the Jewelry video and images from my website for the television station to include in the broadcast.  Her mastery of phone interface was impressive. 

Another level of astonishment was that Bob, the producer/cameraman (shown in the photo left), used his cell phone's camera to capture "B roll" images.  "B roll" is any extra footage, images, or video clips for supporting content to use as background or details. 

Wow!  

At one point, Bob asked, "Do you have any shots of the Recycle jewelry being modeled on a real person?"

Within a minute, I am using Gail's phone to show them images on my website. They chose some images to send to the studio for editing....where the studio editor would prepare to insert my photos into the video segments with text information, links, and resource information, all within minutes while we waited at the gallery for the next "live" teaser or interview segment.  

Also while we waited, I showed Gail how to cut shapes from the plastic trays and containers.  She is curious about everything and it became obvious that she would like to try doing just about anything.  Gail was thrilled to make her own cuts in the black plastic.

Time for the interview. The producer/cameraman did not use a tripod for my interview so he could move around for different angles and move in for closeups. I was given a last-minute tutorial for hand signals to navigate silently during the interview.  Yikes! Learn fast.

Cutting plastic trash has become second nature for me, but cutting AND talking during an interview, AND looking at Gail or looking into the camera, AND thinking of what to say articulately and intelligently, all at the same time..... That was a challenge!  I had no idea what the questions would be. I need more practice like this (i.e., well-prepared, "spontaneous" commentary), but I survived.

Whenever the opportunity presents itself in situations like this, I try to learn some insights from professionals in other professions.  Here is the big lesson that I learned from Gail.....and a great lesson for everyone.

"Gail on the Go" visits and talks to people all over the Los Angles area covering activities of cultural interest for an audience of millions.  While we were talking off camera, she confided, "Every artist needs a website."  I AGREE! (All caps to yell this loudly!)

Every artist and maker in every media needs a website. Social media is good, but it is not a website.  A website is your "go to" resource for opportunities just like this television shoot.  A website is your first step for putting your work out there 24 hours a day for public consumption.   Gail told me that she was often disappointed when the to-be- featured artist didn't have a website for links, extra photos, or supporting information for viewers to follow up independently.  Consequently, the opportunity is lost. 

A website is essential to leverage your visibility before you step out into the public view or before the craft show.  With all the digital technologies and apps, there are no excuses or barriers to entry.  Website templates are relatively easy to use. The learning curve is designed for easy interface, and if you don't feel ready for learning website construction, then you could hire a high schooler or college student for their youthful familiarity with the internet interfaces.

I use SquareSpace....but there are many other websites that provide easy-to-use templates. Pick a style and jump right in. Websites can and should be constantly updated.  So don't wait.  Let the website grow whenever you have time or new thoughts to include. You can change it at any time. Websites are not like a finished drawing. Websites are always in flux. 
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Learn from the voice of experience.  Learn from "Gail on the Go."  Where is your website?

Harriete 

Crafting Value & Identity - an interactive artist's talk with Harriete Estel Berman

Crafting Value and Identity

Join me in conversation with Emily Zaiden from Craft In America.  This Zoom program is free. 
January 21 at 12 pm PST.

Send me your questions now and I will answer them with visual images.

or 

Ask your questions during the Zoom.  

Reach out! What do you want to know?

Submit your questions in advance for visual images 

or

ASK Harriete your questions during the Zoom. There is no guarantee we will get to your comment or question unless you submit it in advance, but we can see how this goes.

 

Submit questions when you Register, or leave as comments on this blog post.

         

This artist's talk is sponsored by Craft In America

 

Fabrication Photos Beginning to End

The objective of this post is to provide some insight into the entire fabrication process of my latest work.  In this post, a series of photos track my fabrication of the menorah that is featured on PBS as additional content for the JEWELRY program of Craft In America. I was very fortunate to finish this menorah two weeks before the six-person video crew arrived at my studio.

This is a brief post with only a few of the images. All of the questions are from Nona, my new studio assistant. If you want to look at some more detailed information with step-by-step fabrication shots, click here, to go to my website.

The photo below shows the preliminary layout of the frame. This shows the general dimensions and allows me to visualize the structure before I start working with the materials.  I usually don't draw out my ideas in advance. Instead, I usually let them percolate in my head and adapt as I choose materials for a new piece.  Taking photos helps me double-check if it looks "right."  Studio shots are also useful for social media, or occasionally, books or exhibition catalogs that publish studio shots. I've had this happen on many occasions.

Nona asks a few questions for this post:

Nona asks: "What are you thinking about when you sketch out the frame?"
  "Is it all about the measurements and physical support?"

Harriete's answer: At first I am only thinking about the overall proportions, checking the actual dimensions so that I cut and bend enough tins to fabricate the entire frame plus some extras for a back-up plan if needed.  At this stage, it is too early to worry about the physical support, but I knew that the materials selected for the back were going to be cut and folded from an old steel folding table, which would be really strong. 

Nona asks: "What is your process for picking tins?"

Harriete's answer:  For the front of the window frame, the metallic gold tins were picked from my extensive collection of recycled post-consumer tin cans. You may recognize some of the tins but I tried to use a variety of common tins in a similar color range and with recognizable images related to the kitchen. A tin for Grape-Nuts and some nutrition labels were perfect for this objective. I love using humble materials to make something beautiful. Trying different arrangements with the tin cans often helps to generate new ideas and allows me to experience how the tin can colors work together.  I wanted the tins to have a golden glow and be similar in color. 

Nona asks: How do you shape the tins for the frame?  

Harriete's answer:  When I receive tin cans, they are all opened and pounded flat for storage. After picking tins from my raw material inventory, I bend or roll the tins for the frame shapes,  I use a bending brake and other forming tools in my studio. I've been working with tins for 33 years....and have developed a lot of techniques and skills from years of experimenting.   

Nona asks: How do you problem solve if you don't have the colors or textures that you want?

Harriete answers:  Using a range of blues for this piece, I started to compose the turbulent San Francisco night sky.  Layers and layers of carefully cut tins allowed me to get the painterly effect I was looking for.

If I don't have the colors or textures that I want, I keep looking through my thousands of stored tins.  I may spend hours and hours and hours looking for the right color or pattern.  I am convinced that something is there in my studio ...I just need to find it. 

Nona asks: What do you use for cutting the tin?

Harriete answers:  I buy every pair of metal cutting shears that I can find, but most of my tins are cut with a jewelers' saw. (Watch the JEWELRY video to see me cut tins with a jeweler's saw.)

Nona asks: How do you attach the tins together?

Harriete answers:  The pieces in the sky are riveted together with small rivets made from sterling silver or 10k gold wire. If you look super closely at the next photo you may see the rivets in this close-up.  The metallic sparkle from the rivets is mirrored in the starry sky and gives the cityscape a night feel.

Nona asks: Did you use a reference image for the tower and the hill or for the sky?

Harriete answers:  For Sutro Tower and the hill (Twin Peaks), I found a small photo.  But also, every night in early 2021, my husband and I would go for a walk and we could see Sutro Tower and San Francisco. During Covid, the sky was amazingly clear without pollution. The sky in tins was totally from my imagination, other than looking at the sky, night after night....mostly, I tried to make it up from what I was seeing on our walks looking at San Francisco in the distance.  

Nona asks: At what point did you attach the menorah and what was the process of constructing the menorah like?

Harriete answers:  I started working on the brass Menorah components very early so I knew how deep I could make the frame and window sill. (There was a requirement from the exhibition sponsor that the artwork could not extend more than 3 inches from the wall.)  

Though I constructed the Menorah early in the whole fabrication process, it was not polished until the very end so that I didn't have to worry about it getting scratched. The construction of the window sill and the structure that holds the Menorah consumed the final two or three weeks.  There is a hidden structure that holds the Menorah in place, but the Menorah is not attached to the window sill.    

The whole piece took four intensive months to fabricate.

Just like Nona, you can ask your questions, and  I will add them to this blog post or a new post.

Harriete 

More details? Look at my website if you want more information and details.

Previous Posts in the "Craft In America" in my studio series.

A Gigantic Wish Come True...."Craft In America" Visits My Studio

Perspiration in Preparation & Planning for "Craft In America"

An Optivisor for a Crown - Two Vans Arrive with the "Craft In America" video team

"Craft In America" Day 1 - Fabrication in Video Time vs Real Craft

Soft Lighting, Sharp Focus, Reflective Questions

Craft In America - JEWELRY Episode - Streaming Now!

"They Whispered Names to Me - I am a channel"

Craft In America - JEWELRY Episode - Streaming Now!

Craft in America JEWELRY episode is streaming. You can watch the entire episode .

Would you like to see a preview or trailer as well?            
                   Here is a preview of the JEWELRY episode:

 JEWELRY is streaming online now, or watch on PBS broadcast TV on Friday, December 10, 2021* 
*Check the time for your local television listing. 

The 56-minute video highlights a variety of artists and their perspectives about jewelry and materials.  Tom Herman uses precious materials, which is a phenomenal contrast to my use of recycled materials of tin cans and post-consumer plastic; Gabrielle Gould is inspired by nature, Jesse Monongya is a Navajo/Hopi jeweler, and Art Smith reflects an innovative mid-20^th century aesthetic. This program also includes commentary by the co-editors of Ornament Magazine.

The range and diversity of aesthetics and materials should provide thought-provoking scenarios for a great conversation.  I look forward to hearing what people have to say.

Be honest. 

Harriete

Previous Posts in the "Craft In America" in my studio series.

"Craft In America" Day 1 - Fabrication in Video Time vs Real Craft

A Gigantic Wish Come True...."Craft In America" Visits My Studio

Perspiration in Preparation & Planning for "Craft In America"

An Optivisor for a Crown - Two Vans Arrive with the "Craft In America" video team

"They Whispered Names to Me - I am a channel"

"They Whispered Names to Me - I am a channel"

Soft Lighting, Sharp Focus, Reflective Questions

The final day of the Craft In America video shoot was filled with surprises.

Throughout the entire time, I marveled at all the activity, the professionalism of the specialists, and the amazingly sophisticated equipment.  I often felt challenged mentally and in a hyper-alert state trying to absorb what they were doing. What would I need to do to perform, how would I meet their expectations, and anticipate what they would need me to do next?   There was no practice -- everything was "Take 1" and done.

Day two with the Craft In America video crew started early. 

While the Director of Photography was working on B roll* with me, the rest of the crew worked in my living room to rearrange furniture and set up lighting for the personal interview.

Below you can see how they created the soft lighting.

Behind a large scrim that they assembled in my living room was a very powerful light.  (You can see this light in the studio shots in previous posts.)

Note the cloth on the floor that they placed to capture better sound. 

The sound guy is on the left side of the photo (above.)

I actually had both a body mic and the boom microphone for the interview.
(The sound guy decided which microphone to use.)

The crew made all the decisions for where I sat or stood, and how my body should be positioned. I was interviewed by director Coby Atlas (that's her back at the center of this photo).  This formal interview lasted an hour and a half. Later in the afternoon, we talked about the work on display in my living room. I think it will be interesting to see how they use the interview in the final video edit. I've noticed on previous Craft in America segments that the interview content was integrated into the whole segment seamlessly. They rarely use only the interview, oftentimes mixing it up with studio shots as an auditory compliment to the visual artistry. Talking heads don't tend to hold the audience's interest for long.

So much work went into this production. The crew of six people was at my house for six hours on the first day, and seven hours on the second day.  That's seventy-eight hours of shooting, plus all the travel time, pre-production and post-production, for only 10-15 min of final footage! I know we think of crafting as a labor-intensive endeavor, but film is equally labor-intensive. It's not sweating over a hot forge or sawing at a piece of metal, but instead, it is a highly coordinated effort of camera, audio, lights, gaffers/grips, director, producers, editors, and talent.

Honestly, this experience was dazzling, especially considering that due to COVID, not one person had entered my living room during the previous 15 months. Now all the furniture was moved and there was a flurry of people, none of whom I was supposed to pay any attention to. Coby informed me that she was going to ask me questions, and I was supposed to focus only on her.   That was very difficult.  It was kind of like a "60 Minutes" interview but with only one camera, and no hairstylist or make-up.  I suspect that one must really "hit the big time" first to get hair and make-up support during a video shoot.  

There was no advance preparation for the questions. The entire two days were spontaneous, and my answers were purely extemporaneous. I never had a second chance. No Take 2's.  I have no idea how well I did!  There was no time to think or plan.  It was a whirlwind of experiences and I am so grateful to everyone who made it happen.  The interviews will be streaming soon!

Below is the one-minute preview. There will be more video segments to share soon.

Harriete

*Definition of B roll from Wikipedia: In film and television production, B-roll, B roll, B-reel or B reel is supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot.  The term A-roll, referring to main footage, has fallen out of use.

Previous Posts in the "Craft In America" in my studio series.

"Craft In America" Day 1 - Fabrication in Video Time vs Real Craft

A Gigantic Wish Come True...."Craft In America" Visits My Studio

Perspiration in Preparation & Planning for "Craft In America"

An Optivisor for a Crown - Two Vans Arrive with the "Craft In America" video team

 

 

 

 

 

  

"Craft In America" Day 1 - Fabrication in Video Time vs Real Craft

Among the many last minute preparations during the final week before "Craft in America" came to my studio, I planned and laid out a sequence of jewelry fabrication demonstrations that they had requested.  (The images in this post are a few of my step-by-step demo samples for the video shoot.)

The executive producer had specifically requested that I demo the making of a triangular bracelet featured in the Ornament Magazine article....(shown below) which is a fabulous, fabulous, fabulous bracelet, but it is made from tin cans that are very hard to find.

A major difficulty, however, was figuring out how to modularize the making of a one-of-a-kind bracelet that is dependent on difficult-to-find, one-of-a-kind tin cans.  I don't buy tins from e-bay as I truly want my materials to be scavenged from the waste stream of our society, and NOT from a retail site like e-bay, ..... but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Nothing was going to deter me from my plan. I eventually found (and guiltily ordered) two triangular Altoid tins offered on e-bay. One of them arrived only the day before the crew arrived. That was too close!  I do not like to operate on the margin of a crisis.

The "Craft In America" crew, chose to dedicate the first day to fabrication techniques in the studio. 

In this situation, I learned of the extraordinary difference between "video time" - one or two minutes is all they wanted - and real craft fabrication time of five to 40 hours.  I'll bet in the final television segment we will be looking at the fabrication for no more than a few seconds.

My regret was that I didn't have more of the intermediate step-by-step progressions prepared.  However, I can take some comfort retrospectively that this was not a "how-to-video."  My assumption is that they will use this setting to give the audience some insight into the creative process, and not a fabrication lesson.  I've watched almost all of the prior "Craft In America" library of DVDs or videos on Youtube, and the fabrication shots are only part of the bigger picture.  

Seriously, they would video each step for only a few minutes -- and even that seemed to be too long for the cameraman. Secretly I was told by Bill, my husband, that the cameraman seemed to be making all kinds of hand signals to the crew.  At the time, I didn't notice (because I was not supposed to look at the camera).

Below is a screen capture from the JEWELRY video on PBS by Craft In America.  If you watch the episode you can see me cutting the tin and soldering.

Eventually, the camera was turned off and the cameraman said, "Let me know when you get near to the end."  I think he meant, "When will some real action happen?"  I guess sawing, drilling, filing or grinding are not very exciting video content. 

From an initial state of naïveté, I became increasingly aware of the chasm between my sense of craft making real-time and their sense of "video time".  I was shocked by the rapid fire chop, chop, chop, jumping from one set up to another.  No feedback, no transition and no time to reflect.  I frequently found myself taking a deep breath, repeating the mantra, "I can do this" .... back straight, abs sucked in, go forward. Telling myself, "I can do this." 

For example, hammering one tiny gold rivet usually takes me a few minutes.  From my normal perspective, I had hours to go with more riveting, . . . but they were done with each segment of video recording after 3 or 4 minutes and cut off my snail's pace of gold riveting.

Every few minutes, the Director would ask, "What do you do next?"  I would then jump right into a very short description of the next fabrication activity. 

Typically a very short discussion ensued between the director and the DP, then a decision was made and instructions given, usually requiring the crew to move or shift the camera. 

The yellow arrows point to tiny Gold rivets.

Moving the camera was a production in itself. I am not kidding!!!!  The DP would lift the camera off the tripod with muscles flexing.  The gaffer and focus guy would take charge of the tripod, collapsing the legs, pick it up, carry or move the very substantial tripod to the next proposed location.

Within a few moments, the tripod was placed in a new spot and the camera clicked back into the tripod. Simultaneously, lighting and sound were moved to new locations. Then sound was tested, lighting and framing confirmed, and focus checked. Ready? Go! 

Look for the very small gold rivet on the inside.

While the crew was repositioning, my brain was going a mile a minute about what tools I need to be ready for the next scene.  I couldn't really pay any attention to what the crew was doing; if I wasted their time, I was also wasting this opportunity. 

Truly the more variety of video scenes that they could record in that afternoon, the more possibilities that they would have to edit for the final product.

The yellow arrow points to the gold rivet.

Any extra recorded scenes might become useful for YouTube excerpts or other promotional material to promote the show.  In my head, it was my responsibility to be prepared and do my best.....but get this....there were never any practice takes.

No multiple takes.  No "Take 2" or "Take 3". Each segment was done once! And then, video time moved on to the next step, segment, or topic.

I'm fascinated by film production and the making of documentaries.  I'm no expert, but I have gained some insights over the years.

Documentaries emphasize capturing the video recordings without practice, it is supposed to be real life. I just didn't realize they would take that precept so literally considering the importance of this show.
This is the other side of the bracelet. It is not finished.  Keep reading...

Another precept of documentaries is that they expect to get the best verbal commentary on the first take, especially with real people, not actors.  Instead of improving with iterations of practice, the documentary subjects tend to begin sounding "rehearsed" or artificial.  This was the foundation of making documentaries when I took a video class at the local community college several years ago.

I've also heard these kinds of comments by listening to the director's commentary on movies from Netflix, videos from the library, or YouTube!  Every time I can find a director/producer commentary, I listen to learn more. 

Those director commentaries always provide some new insight for a novice like myself.  Some directors prefer to do several takes of a scene. Small changes in each take of the scene -- Take 1, Take 2, Take 3, Take 4, . . . .  Other film makers,  like Clint Eastwood, are well known for doing only one take of a scene. The expectation is that the actors put everything into the first take if they know that there will be no backup, no Take 2. This is it.   

That was how the entire day went for me. One take! And on to a new scene . . . one take.  Then another new scene . . .  one take!  Chop, chop, chop.

I grew more comfortable with this as the day went on, but it still surprised me.

Also, I was instructed to look only at Coby (the director), not at the camera or elsewhere.  For me, that was really hard to do with five other people standing just outside of the "scene". In the beginning, I was very distracted. The artist's eye wants to see and look at everything. I have an eye for detail. How could my eyes only look at one spot or one person?  This was yet another stress to force my brain to not look elsewhere.

We ended the day at five o'clock. Again I was a little surprised.  Video and film shoots are usually 10-12 hour days.  I can only hope that they reached their goal for Day One. 

What do you think?

Do you want to watch this video? It is now streaming on PBS online. Broadcast date is December 2021/January 2021. Check with your local PBS station. 

Previous Posts in the "Craft In America" in my studio series.

A Gigantic Wish Come True...."Craft In America" Visits My Studio

 

Perspiration in Preparation & Planning for "Craft In America"

 

An Optivisor for a Crown - Two Vans Arrive with the "Craft In America" video team

This post was updated on December 2021.

 

 

 

 

  

An Optivisor for a Crown - Two Vans Arrive with the "Craft In America" video team

Finally, on Saturday, June 5, the first day of the "Craft in America" video shoot arrived. I was told that a "small crew" of six people would arrive by 11:30am coming from Los Angeles. I've hired individuals for producing videos before, but could not imagine how or what would require six people (as they defined "a small crew").  Of more concern, I could not imagine how six people would fit into my studio at one time.

Two vans and a third vehicle drove up with lots of equipment and the 6-person video crew went right to work unloading, setting up equipment, checking functions, and synchronizing channels.   

I was amazed at all the equipment. Now all this equipment compounded my concerns.  Even though I had cleaned and organized the studio for weeks, there isn't much space other than a narrow aisle on each side.

With rapid-fire "hellos" from everyone, I was introduced to all six people (but could only remember three names and that everyone confirmed full vaccination status and a recent covid test, which is the industry standard). 

Each member of the crew remained focused on their equipment.  Soon, as a group, we  had a quick walk through the studio and the house (where some of my artwork is displayed).  Within a few minutes, Coby Atlas, the director decided to start the shoot in the studio and stay set up there for the entire first day. 

In the photo below, Emil, the sound person, is checking the audio stream connection to the camera via blue tooth. 


In the next photo below Sal Coniglio, Assistant Camera is in the center. ) Eventually, I figured out that he was person responsible for focus. As the focus puller, it is his responsibility to maintain the camera lens's optical focus on the subject or action being filmed.  He has a separate monitor that is also connected to the camera via blue tooth. In addition, at any time when the camera needs to be moved, he helps move the tripod to the new spot and/or adjusts the tripod height up and down. 

While the crew was setting up all the equipment, Coby asked me to show her my bench, tools, materials, displays, etc., and explain my work processes and step-by-step fabrication that I had planned to show. She wanted to familiarize herself with possible options for the shoot that day. 

This was the last time on Saturday that I looked so nicely dressed because I asked Coby what I should be wearing for the studio shoot. (Since we would be shooting in the studio that day, I did not want to look "fake" or unrealistically "dressed up" in the studio.) 

Coby responded by asking what would I normally wear in the studio?  I said "overalls" with tools in hand.  Immediately after that brief discussion, I dressed "down" to my overalls and donned an Optivisor - i.e. the ever-required jeweler's crown.  

Thank goodness I had spent so much time cleaning up the narrow aisles in my studio.  Six people in my studio was indeed crowded.  Sid, the DP (Director of Photography) was a substantial person. The camera was very large, evidently very heavy and unwieldy.  The tripod was even bigger.  In the photo below, you can see five people (Sidney, Coby, Mark, Sal, and Denise Kang, Associate Producer ) squeezed into the narrow aisles.

Sal, the focus puller with his own monitor is in the foreground (in the photo below).  I am envious of his stool mounted on rollerblade wheels.
The Director, Coby, was ever-present, but physically very tiny.  Notice that Coby is barely visible in these shots.  In the narrow studio space, she could not see me directly.  She could only see what I was doing by looking into the monitor on the camera.

The camera was gigantic with all kinds of knobs, buttons, ports, and dials. (Forget any idea of video taken on your phone.) Below you see the camera's view and Sidney Lubitsch, the DP, looking at what is framed in the display.  

Emil, the sound guy (and a S.F. Bay Area local), had a soft fuzzy microphone at the end of the boom. He had to work from the aisle on the other side. I loved that he was really into the sound of metal - sawing, grinding, filing, riveting and the step shear. Go Emil!

The sound guy had the priority of capturing good audio without letting the boom, or the shadow of the boom, appear in the shot.

Notice how they added extra light (top center of the next photo) even though I had a widow and skylights directly above me, and the garage door open.  Light and more light!

Gaffer Mark Markely (photo left) was responsible for lighting, helping move the tripod, and every other detail job.   

After an hour or two of shooting in this tight space with everyone kind of stacked on top of each other, it was time for lunch.   
I had offered to make lunch (in previous phone conversations,) but thank goodness, the Director had relieved me of this responsibility and said they would cater lunch.  Denise, the associate director, had identified a nearby Greek restaurant providing take-out meals.  

We all sat outside on the deck for lunch and it felt good to be in the open air and out of the cramped studio space. And this outside table was the only surface without something on it for the video shoot.

For me, this was the first time to have people and food come into my house from the outside world in 16 months. What a treat! This "Craft In America" video shoot was my first official break from the hibernation of covid quarantine.

In this photo above (from left side clockwise around the table to the right) is the crew;  Denise Kang, Associate Producer; Sidney Libitsch, Director of Photography; Coby Atlas, Director; Sal, Focus (at the end of the table); Mark , Gaffer; Emil, Sound; and me on the right.  Bill, my husband, took all of these shots, without which there would be no images of the day and it would all be a blurred, waning memory. 

Stay tuned for more images in this photo diary of "Craft In America" in my studio. There is still the fabrication and "interview" on Sunday with a Clapboard initiating Harriete's interview. 

Stay tuned to find out how the crew set up and shot the raw content for one segment for a future episode of "Craft in America."  

Harriete

 

Previous posts in "Craft In America" in my studio are listed below:

A Gigantic Wish Come True...."Craft In America" Visits My Studio

 

Perspiration in Preparation & Planning for "Craft In America"

Perspiration in Preparation & Planning for "Craft In America"

In late April, I first heard that "Craft In America" would like to do a video shoot at my studio during the first week of June.  That left a little over a month to prepare -- and I was grateful for every single day.  However, I could not simply drop everything else that I needed to get done, but I did prioritize two broad categories of preparation.  One priority was to clean my studio so that a video crew could access the inner sanctums of my working space.  I knew how to do this, but it would take weeks of intense effort. There was a lot to do! The month of May already had a full agenda before this popped up!  

The other preparation priority was to fulfill a stream of requests from the Associate Producer, Denise Kang, and the Director, Coby Atlas.  

Photo Credit: Philip Cohen

Denise Kang asked for images of my artwork and studio shots of Harriete in her studio. These images would be used primarily for "advance publicity".  Wow! This never occurred to me.  At this point, I had no idea when this "Craft in America" segment would be aired, the crew had not even arrived yet, and already they needed images?

Fortunately, I had an extensive portfolio of professional quality images for my black plastic jewelry. This, of course, should be every artist's and maker's number one level of preparation (as I have written about extensively on ASK Harriete).

Studio shots caused me more concern as I hadn't taken updated images in the studio for a while. Usually, I take studio shots on a regular basis. I also make it a practice to take images during the fabrication of every piece because the work-in-progress images can come in handy for books and magazines.  But once in a while I forget or get overwhelmed with the demands on my time. 


Lady luck was on my side!  Coincidently, my daughter was coming for a two-day visit in May.  She knows how to get the best smiles from her mother and frame the photos in the studio with her creative eye. 

If you look closely at these images, you will see that the chaos of a messy studio surrounds Harriete the artist.


During the pandemic, I had grown accustomed to stepping over and around all the stuff on the floor. In these photos, you can see that the aisles are filled with pieces of metal, scraps, and open tins. Definitely not ready for the video crew.

To better anticipate what needed to be done, I scoured the local library and checked out all of the available DVDs of previous "Craft in America" episodes. I found even more "Craft in America" shows and excerpts on Youtube. Although they varied in content and style over the series, I saw that they like to emphasize and integrate the fabricating processes of their craft subjects.

Coby (the director)  had mentioned this also.  Therefore, I needed to prepare examples of work-in-progress. Coby specifically requested step-by-step examples of the fabrication of a tin can bracelet and step-by-step examples for the black plastic recycle bracelet.

Below are a couple of photos of the steps to make a tin bracelet, cutting the tin, and drilling the rivet holes. 

I was really worried about how to "stage" the fabrication process -- if every step takes three to five hours or 10 hours, and every bracelet is one-of-a-kind, how would they edit for continuity? 

 

Below are three shots of a fabrication step for the Black Plastic Gyre Boa Constrictor Necklace - cutting black plastic shapes.

I began to think of this staging of my fabricating process like a cooking show.  The cook has only 30 minutes to show the major steps of how to make a cake that takes four hours.  In this case, the video crew would be digesting the fabrication of a bracelet that might take 10 - 20 - 500 hours into minutes. YIKES!    

All of this seems so simple, but throughout the month of May, I was just guessing about what they would need or like to see. My excitement was turning into concern. One-of-a-kind materials and labor-intensive efforts are difficult to demonstrate in minutes.

In addition, any time taken to for new photos or staging a fabrication example would be time taken away from cleaning the studio.  Every minute of May was stressful.

Now that the video shoot is over, I realize that the weeks of preparation did indeed help to highlight the fabrication steps.  Still, there were a couple of times when the video crew was recording as I meticulously sawed or cut tin for an extended period of time (i.e. a few minutes) and they grew exasperated.  They eventually stopped recording and said, "Let us know when you are almost done."   I suppose they thought I was nuts!  They want action.  By their standards, my crafting work appeared very ss-ll-ooo-www. . . .

I'm told it will be edited and condensed with the skills of their amazing editor for the final video.  We shall see...... 

Photos of Harriete Estel Berman in the studio by Aryn Shelander

Previous Posts about Craft in America video shoot are listed below:

A Gigantic Wish Come True...."Craft In America" Visits My Studio

 

A Gigantic Wish Come True...."Craft In America" Visits My Studio

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

 

I must confess -- for more than a decade I've had a wish... that my artwork would be featured in "Craft In America," a Peabody Award-winning series about craft.  And sometimes, wishes do come true.  This past weekend a six-person crew arrived at my studio and home for a two-day blitz of video.

The experience is still overwhelming, even in retrospect, too much to describe or digest in one post.  I am both exploding with elation and trying to get my feet back on the ground. While fresh in my memory and with elevated consciousness, I want to share some of the impressions and highlights through the next several posts with lots of images.

It started in late April with a surprise phone call asking if I would be interested in being interviewed for a segment on an hour-long program about jewelry in the documentary series, "Craft In America?"  The caller, Carol Sauvion, is the Executive Director, Executive Producer, Director, and perhaps, most important, the Visionary who has developed "Craft in America" from the brainstorm of an idea to a 15-year run with PBS.

And this came about largely because of a sequence of three events:

• My creation of the Black Plastic Gyre Boa Constrictor Necklace in 2018 
• The recent article about my jewelry work in Ornament Magazine which featured this same necklace
• The professional endorsement of Ornament Magazine Editor, Patrick Benesh-Liu

Carol said she wanted to move forward quickly with the shoot on June 5 & 6.  This put Harriete into overdrive at warp speed through the month of May. Now I really had to finish the other artwork that I had already started and promised to complete which was overdue two months ago (more on this later), study and take the tests for re-certification as a Certified Group Exercise Instructor (my secret lifestyle), and clean up my studio after 14-months of accumulated "I can just push stuff aside since no one is visiting" pandemic mindset.

My studio was out of control.  I had organically let detritus pile up leaving only irregular lilypad-like spots to barely step through. I hadn't cleaned or dusted my studio in more than a year (some parts perhaps for maybe two or three years).  Chaos reigned in competition with sedimentary layering. The dust had accumulated beyond my realization. 

Hours and hours each day cleaning, sorting, tossing, Goodwill, SCRAP, give away, repositioning, hiding elsewhere (e.g. stuffing the car), consolidating, etc. for over two weeks , soaring past 14,000 daily steps on my Fitbit without ever leaving my house -- I could never have cleaned the studio without the amazingly generous assistance of emiko oye, Jen, and Sara.  emiko (my most trusted studio assistant from years ago) helped for three solid days during the two week cleaning marathon. 

Anticipation fueled this grueling, intensive effort. Then the excitement morphed into trepidation during the last three days. Was I ready? Was my preparation adequate? 

There still seemed to be a lot to do beyond just cleaning the studio to be ready for this oopportunity.

Stay tuned....getting ready for a "Craft in America" video crew.  There was so much to do.....so little time.

Harriete

 

Photo Credit: William Shelander

 

There is No Substitute for Great, Amazing Images.

There is no substitute for your very best, amazing images. I mean this very sincerely and am witness to the results of having great photos readily available. 

Almost two years ago, Glen R. Brown came to my house/ studio to interview me for a proposed article in Ornament Magazine. Yes, two years ago.  I was thrilled and filled with anticipation prior to the interview, but the actual interview turned out to be one of the most difficult of my career.  Why do I say this?

I had been preparing diligently the entire week before. I painted all my cases, changed all the work on display to show a selection of jewelry, and was very excited with expectations for a comprehensive dialog.

However, the reality of the interview became a rather dry hour or so, and I subsequently felt as if Glen was not interested in my work or in what I had to say about it.  Instead of an enthusiastic conversation, I grew afraid that Mr. Brown was somehow disappointed.  Despite the apparent lack of connection, I drew deep on my years of experience and dogged determination -- I kept trying my best with one tactic or another through the interview. 

Afterward, for my own mental stability and self-esteem, I pretty much wrote it off as a lost cause. 

Consequently, for more than a year and a half, and especially through the isolation and dark days of the Covid pandemic and quarantine, I moved on and effectively tried to forgot about my expectations.

Then in March 2021, a faint glimmer of excitement reawakened when Patrick Benesh-Liu called to say he was considering publishing the article in the upcoming issue of Ornament Magazine.   Patrick requested "some photos" to consider for the article as well.

This started a flurry of activity, as I searched through my inventory to send a few possible images for the article.  In follow-up discussions, and in striking contrast to the initial interview, Patrick was supportive, enthusiastic, and loved the images.  He then requested more images, "if I had more."  I jumped at the chance and sent more images, and more images. I was unbridled in searching through years of images stored on CDs for the biggest and best images to send to Ornament Magazine.  With each communication, Patrick would say, "the more images the better."

When I say the "biggest and best images," I mean high-resolution images, 28 - 45 MB each, for print.  No cell phone images either. All of the images were taken by Philip Cohen.

Quality images are not just an ego boost for documentation of your artistic effort. Quality images are critical to include in a magazine or book. Quality images attract the audience and reflect the quality of the magazine or book.    

I had no idea how things would turn out after that initial interview.  But in the end, the amazing photographic images taken over the past  32 years would indeed be appreciated and complement this Ornament Magazine opportunity.  And it did so beyond my expectation -- an eight-page article with 1, 2, or 3 photos on each page.

I have said this before, and I will say it again, there is no substitute for great, amazing images that represent your jewelry or artwork in any media. 

Great images all by themselves can create opportunity.

Ornament Magazine gave me several extra pages for an Artist's Showcase because of the great images -- and the color quality of the printing is fabulous.

So lesson learned:  Take fabulous images of your artwork.  They may expand or even create opportunities in your future. It did for me! 

Stay tuned for upcoming posts.  I will be documenting a super surprising video experience in my studio that starts tomorrow. So much to say....so little time.

Harriete 

P.S. Find Ornament Magazine at Barnes and Noble or at your local library or renew your subscription today.  The article also led to a Zoom panel which you may find insightful for the variety of perspectives. Panel participants include: Amy Flynn, Wayne Nez Gaussoin, and Holly Anne Mitchell, moderated by Patrick Benesh-Liu, Associate Editor of Ornament Magazine. Special Guest Harriete Estel Berman

The article also led to a Zoom panel which you may find insightful for the variety of perspectives.  Panel participants include: Amy Flynn, Wayne Nez Gaussoin, and Holly Anne Mitchell, moderated by Patrick Benesh-Liu, Associate Editor of Ornament Magazine. Special Guest Harriete Estel Berman

Screen shot courtesy of emiko oye. 

 

    

 

 

    

 

Interviews - Croquet, Roulette, or Chess

Interviews may turn out unpredictably.  Actually, this could be an understatement.  Some interviews are like a game of croquet; delightful, easy repartee, you hit the ball through the hoops. It can be a fun, feel-good experience with plenty of joyful and mutually relatable understandings.

Interviews can also be like playing Roulette. Take a position, place your bet, the wheel spins, but the ball seems to drop everywhere except where you are.  The outcome is unpredictable, despite lots of wishful thinking. 

Or interviews may proceed like a game of chess; lots of preparation and strategic thinking, anticipating possible moves, all to help to stay on track. 

Interviews can take more detours than rock slides on California One.   Sometimes interviews feel like they go through all three game analogies at one stage or another. Throughout the past two years, I've been able to participate in several interviews.  Now, with the COVID isolation and time for introspection, I've also arrived at a few observations that I would like to share over the next few posts.

But at the moment, I'd like to invite everyone to listen to the recorded  ZOOM panel discussion from Friday, April 23. 

For this online discussion, I set up all my lights, prepared my notes, and jumped through hoops. 

 

Here is the link in case the link above failed.  

https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-nOxubxPQO6ptn4K4RwCdQ?fbclid=IwAR3AH2GdM0KVyidJ5eiJsyOcdoRtRDdOelIyLI8b0HJtSx_mRiV5lX2pknc

This panel discussion is connected to another interview just published in the latest issue of Ornament Magazine where some of my work is highlighted.  

More about this later. This was definitely a Roulette opportunity with plenty of chess overtures.

Here is a link to purchase purchase Ornament Magazine.

Harriete

Thanksgiving With Covid Style

Year after year I have proudly shared my Thanksgiving and Seder tables. Decorating and preparing the table settings have been my favorite part of festive holidays -- and friends and family have enjoyed looking at photos of the creative table settings. I routinely painted tablecloths, adapted themed decorations, found unusual dishes, and used plants and flowers from my yard to reinvent the possibilities.

This year a new dimension of creativity was called into action for Covid-19 style and safety.

This year, the number of people was reduced to only a few neighbors. 
Three tables were spaced 10 feet or more apart, which used the entire length of our outdoor deck.

Two people from each household at a table.

Table setting had to be implemented quickly to avoid problems with animals, and wind. There were individual flowers at every table. The "flowers" were mostly from my yard. A challenge to see the potential with new eyes and some creativity. 

I loved the orange seed pods with the orange dots on the vase (below.)

 The red berries looked great in a red vase.

For the safety of guests and hosts, no one was allowed inside. After checking for personal requests, I brought out a full plate of food for each person.  Once everyone was served, we ate outside in the seasonally cool air with jackets and hats on, and fortunately warmed by the fall sunshine -- all socially distanced at our seats. All of us wore masks if we moved around.

Learning to entertain with social distancing requires a new repertoire of social skills -- and advanced planning along with layers of clothing to stay warm -- for me, four shirts and a sweatshirt for the middle of the afternoon.

For us, Thanksgiving 2020 was a new adventure with unprecedented challenges that will be remembered as a special event in a most unusual year.  Yet every day, I am conscious that the sustaining goal is a healthy future for all.

Stay safe and socially distant for the holidays.   

Harriete 

 A few Thanksgiving Tables from Past Years:
(I think I should make a book with all my holiday tables so you can do this too.
Thanksgiving 2019



Thanksgiving 2017 in Black and White

Artistic Expression and Being an Artist 2016

Vintage Visual Feast Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving 2014 


Setting the Thanksgiving Table

Gelt, Gilt, and Guilt

Thanksgiving Visual Feast Giving Thanks 2012 with a Mondrian Theme for the table and food.

Thanksgiving 2010


Thanksgiving 2009

 

The Font of Experience "InFlux"

In the time of COVID-19, daily existence seems fractured.  Efforts to move forward feel constrained, challenging, and like a never-ending series of marathons filled with obstacle courses.  To cope, I try to focus on the expectation that this will all be a memory some time in the future.

 

There have been other historical eras impacted by plagues, natural disasters, and political upheavals. In the late 1960's, I was a much younger version of myself, but the daily news brought images of shocking political unrest and social change into every home.

 

This current intersection of political upheaval, pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes, and social change makes the book, "In Flux: American Jewelry and the Counterculture,"  especially apropos and relevant.  The book covers art jewelry of the 1960s, '70s, and early '80s. (More about this book in another post.) My metalwork from that time period is included because much of it exemplifies the emerging feminist frustrations of the time. 

On Thursday, November 19, Cindi Straus will be leading a conversation with me and Joyce J. Scott.  The  conversation is titled "American Jewelry and the Counter Culture."  We will discuss our early experiences as makers in the turbulent and politically exciting period of the 1970s and early 1980s -- and possibly how our past exposure in those social  disturbances has influenced our work to the present day.  Do the values and issues of our formative years as makers relate to or inform us in these current events?

Zoom makes it possible for everyone to listen in to this one-hour conversation.  You don't have to travel to New York or spend any money on hotels.  Zoom right into this conversation about how the politics of that time changed us and changed art jewelry and metalwork forever.

 

This event is presented as part of New York City Jewelry Week in partnership with Art Jewelry Forum, both of which are financial sponsors of "In Flux: American Jewelry and the Counterculture."

 

Cindi Strauss is the Sara and Bill Morgan Curator of Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design for the Houston Museum of Fine Art. As a curator, she will be asking the questions to me and Joyce J. Scott. 

 

Both artists have art jewelry currently on view in 45 Stories in Jewelry: 1947 to Now at the Museum of Art and Design in New York.  We will discuss our early experiences as makers in the turbulent and politically exciting events of the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.

 

The online event is free for MAD Members and Art Jewelry Forum members, but anyone can pay a small fee to listen in to the conversation. Learn more by clicking here.

 

MAD Members, please email [email protected] to receive your promo code for free tickets.

AJF Members may email [email protected].

Womanizer, Kitchen Queen is part of "The Family of Appliances You Can Believe In" Learn more. 

 

 

Uneasy Beauty - Original, Personal, and Provocative

Last week, I was 3,000 miles and a world away from today.  Saturday, October 13 was dedicated to my first visit to the Fuller Craft Museum and the opening reception for the exhibition "Uneasy Beauty." The whole day was a rich experience. Why was it worth traveling 3,000 miles? Why even go to an opening reception? 

First, true confessions.  I went to this opening because there are too many times when I wonder why I make my artwork.  Perhaps like many artists, I spend so much time alone in my studio, experimenting on yet another vague and uncertain idea . . .  and wondering why should I try so hard or care so much.  At such times, I can remember this opening and the images of my artwork on a brilliant fuschia wall at the Fuller Craft Museum (above.) The photo of my Black Plastic Gyre Boa-Constrictor was on the cover of the catalog for "Uneasy Beauty" as well. 

Wow!  It does indeed feel good to see this exhibition in person.  And the bonus honor to have my work featured in this way doesn't come that often. So, if and when I find myself at that uncomfortable, uneasy moment working in the studio, struggling, pushing, testing unwilling materials to look like something unexpected, a little shot of memories from the Fuller Craft Museum opening will help me push forward with the challenge.

At the opening events: It was a real treat to see old friends and meet new fellow makers (shown below).

(left to right) Masako Onodera, Boris Bally, Curator Suzanne Ramljak, Harriete Estel Berman, Holland Houder

 

Brave 4: Breast Plate, 2013

Boris Bally
gun triggers, gun bolts, and gun barrels, brass shells, stainless cord, 925 silver 26" x 11 1/2" x 2"

Notice that (in the photo above) Boris Bally is wearing his gun triggers necklaces so well with pride and bravado. They echoed the uneasy beauty of his Brave 4: Breast Plate necklace in the exhibition (left.) 

I finished and wore a smaller, special version of the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace (above) just in time for the opening.   (It filled 85% of my largest suitcase and was definitely not a carry-on option.)  I can't understand why jewelry artists don't take the chance to wear some amazing examples of their work at openings.  It is sharing your work with an appreciative audience.

 

Spoiler, 2009

Erica Spitzer Rasmussen
cotton, buttons, handmade paper, human hair
27" x 18" x 9"

 

 

The exhibition "Uneasy Beauty" has become my favorite exhibition in a very long time. Curated by Suzanne Ramljak, she carefully selected the artwork to be original, personal, and provocative. The exhibition overall and the individual artworks always surprised, expanded, shifted one's thoughts addressing diverse, difficult subjects.  But first, you were captivated and drawn in by the beauty of individual objects. 

(I will include a selection of images taken at the Uneasy Beauty exhibition in this post.)

 

 

 

Elegy by Sally von Bargen
The center brass disc says: "this elegy of truth-these lot treasures - lies brought this lament."

I wish that I could share an image of every artwork in the exhibition. 

Not one artwork was a dud. That in itself is an accomplishment. There are times that you go to a show, and there are pieces that you wonder, "how did that get in?"

Come on, admit it! We've all been to exhibitions where some of the work just does not measure up to the quality of the other art or craft. 

 

 

 

 

 

Elegy  (close-up image), 2008

Sally von Bargen
brass, paper, digital photographs, paint
10" x 18" x 4" 

In "Uneasy Beauty" nothing disappoints the viewer either visually or conceptually.  Powerful artwork demanded thoughtful introspection such as Elegy by Sally von Bargen. ( I assume that these are photos of military personnel that have lost their lives, but I have not been able to confirm this.) 

If you can possibly go to this "Uneasy Beauty" exhibition before the closing date of April 21, 2019, I recommend you go out of your way or at least purchase the catalog.  

 

 

Uneasy Beauty exhibition at the Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA

Another striking aspect of this exhibition was the installation of the artwork.

There were subcategories for the organization of the work in the exhibition. (These same categories organize the artwork in the catalog.) The subcategory titles on the wall really helped with the visual flow of looking at the work. For example, under the Victim Fashion category, Spoiler (shown above) by Erica Spitzer Rasmussen hung on the wall near a pregnancy shaped corset by April Dauscha (left) or bra undergarments by Mimi Smith (below right.)

Protector Against Illness: Black Tamoxifen Bra, 1996
Mimi Smith

nylon, lace tamoxifen pills, acrylic paint, satin hanger 16" x 15"

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another superb example of the thoughtful installation of the artwork was one display case with four different collars by three artists.  White fabric shirt collars by Anika Smulovitz, silver Corporate Collar by Edward Lane McCartney and a worn black fabric Object of Mourning collar by Renee Zettle-Sterling held a close conversation when grouped together in a case.

White Collar #9                                      Corporate Collar                          Object of Mourning:Impermanence#3

Anika Smulivitz                               Edward Lane McCartney              Renee Zettle-Sterling

Mellitus Bracelets Installation, 2011

Doug Bucci
Mellitus bracelets, process installation, insulin pump, and Continuous Glucose Monitoring transmitter

There were many more excellent artworks within the exhibition. Doug Bucci's red Mellitus Bracelets Installation was one of my favorites. He doesn't hold back from sharing the personal experience of wearing an insulin pump as the most modern of accessories. What can be more uneasy and challenging than dealing with a life-threatening disease, and the impact of constructive or destructive lifestyle decisions? The presentation of the three red 3-d printed bracelets was very effective both visually and conceptually.  

During the evening events at the Fuller Craft Museum, Suzanne Ramljak gave an insightful slide lecture,....though perhaps a bit long, this slide lecture provided context for the selection of artwork. I love listening to lectures like this. I want to see gears working, the stretch that curator's take to pull together a diverse group of work.

This is a show worth seeing.     

Harriete

 

My Dear, 2015

Masako Onodera
repurposed fur coat, parts from silver-plated coffeepot, oxidized, thread
12" x 7" x 50"

 

 

Fabulous and heart-stopping news!

Fabulous and heart-stopping news! That is what I would call it when Curator Suzanne Ramljak told me that they were using a photo (left) of the my Black Plastic Gyre Necklace Boa for the cover of the catalog "Uneasy Beauty" (shown above).
 
How did Suzanne know about this image? Because Suzanne discovered it on an ASK Harriete blog post Photography -- Mannequin Needed! Rent, Buy, or Borrow? Basic or Stylized?  The post covered several of the mannequin shots taken on one of the photo shoot days. Maybe, out of 50 mannequin shots, Philip Cohen and I  had winnowed them down to five images. An exceptionally painful irony was that I usually only buy a few photos of each genre and had not purchased that one image, neither was it sent it to Suzanne Ramljak at an earlier deadline.....so back to my photographer Philip Cohen to buy another image. 

Being featured on the cover of the catalog is good fortune but also at least partially a result of two approaches that any artist can take for their own art or craft.

The first one is diving deep into an idea without reservation or hesitation. Going all out. Making an artwork for an exhibition without compromise is not the same as art or craft made for your customers. I believe it is necessary to put blinder's on and ignore market influences. Consumer tastes can be superficial, trendy, or financially motivated.  In contrast, speaking purely from your own artist's voice amplifies the potential to stretch into uncharted waters. Magnify a vision far beyond "average." Fabricate your dream. Whether this work will sell or not is irrelevant to the artist's vision. 



When Suzanne Ramljak and I were discussing work for this show I showed her a bracelet (right) made from black plastic waste. I told her that I had dreamed of making a much larger version.  She encouraged this direction, pursue that dream and I  proceeded to make a Black Plastic Necklace Boa that was 26 feet long with my entire force of nature, full blast every available second of the day or night for two months. My family and I had to survive the two months of craziness. I took the deadlines seriously. 

The other approach is planning the photography. Documentation and vision of the photos, while the artwork is in progress, can really help create a successful photographic image.  The quote from Louis Pasteur always comes to mind for me, "Chance favors the prepared mind."  What are the possible uses for the photo?  Can a close-up, full view, plain white paper background, model or experiment capture the artist's intent?  One photographic approach may be appropriate for a specific situation, and the model shot takes the photography in another direction. 

It is super exciting to have my work on the cover of the catalog. Super thanks to Suzanne Ramjlak who had confidence in my work to invite me to make something unknown for the show. She had unbridled optimism for the artist's vision without restriction. 

The Black Plastic Gyre Necklace Boa will also be on the entry wall of the exhibition (I've been told) but will have to see for myself at the Fuller Craft Museum opening.  If you live near by or will be visiting Boston, I hope you will be able to see this exhibition.

At the Fuller Craft Museum, there will be a related exhibition in another gallery by MassArt students: Discomfort Zone: Fashion and Adornment from MassArt.  During the opening evening, there will be a live model presentation of some of the student works during the event. 

The festivities begin at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, with a not-to-be-missed Curatorial Lecture by Suzanne Ramljak! Who doesn't want to peer into the mind of the curator?  I for one can't wait!!! I am traveling 3,000 miles so I can get there really early.  Look for me there.

Harriete

     

Harriete  

More Information about the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace can be found on my website.

Previous Posts in this series about photographing the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace Boa:
 

Photography -- Model Challenges & Working Out the Details

Photography -- Mannequin Needed! Rent, Buy, or Borrow? Basic or Stylized?

Photography and The Plain White Background

Photography - More than Documentation?

 

Is Artwork Ever Old? Stitch Care Mend Fold Muse Reach Stress Wear Break Torn Mad and ANGRY!

Is Artwork Ever Old?  An artwork from 20 years ago can still resonate today, perhaps even more so than ever!

I've never considered my earlier work as "old inventory." Spoken clearly with the artist's voice, work made in previous decades can gain more meaning in another time.  This is how I feel about my artwork in the current exhibition at the Peninsula Museum of Art in Burlingame, CA. The #metoo movement and the Kavanaugh Supreme Court controversy have given this group of artwork from 1996 to 2004 new meaning.

After listening to the entire day to the Judicial hearings I am stressed, worn, torn, mad and angry about the mishandling by the Senate Judiciary committee controlled by old white men exposing their ignorance, incoherence, and insensitivity.   

O.K. back to the artwork...

I knew that the photos of the wall quilt titled, "Stitch Care Mend Fold Muse Reach Stress Wear Break Torn" from 20 years ago were not good enough, so I asked my photographer, Philip Cohen, to take new photos.  I needed new images. The original photographs were taken at the cusp of the digital age and the pixels from early digital images dated the artwork, far more than its theme and content. The master image was even stored on a format that I can't access. Some kind of supergiant mega-disc brand state-of-the-art digital formatting of that time .... that has since vaporized from the face of the earth. 

The piece is also difficult to shoot because of its size (6 feet x 6 feet), so while it is installed at the Peninsula Museum of Art, this is the perfect time to have new images taken.

Having images taken of older work is not about being stuck in the past. No, not at all. This is about how, with time and experience, my standards have continued to evolve. Even styles of documenting art and craft change over time. New photographs can give this work better documentation for a wider audience and fresh eyes.



Digital standards have changed, evolved, improved. This is not unlike the changing social and professional standards since Anita Hill in 1991.  The #metoo movement has changed the standard of what was previously tolerated and survived, to a time of visible controversy and action.

This Sunday, Sept. 30, the Peninsula Museum of Art will host a discussion titled, 

"Truth and Consequences"

 

Artists Harriete Estel Berman, M. Louise Stanley, and John McNamara will discuss work in the exhibition in the context of our time.

The event is free.

Sunday at 2 PM – 4 PM

Peninsula Museum of Art
1777 California Dr,
Burlingame, California 94010

Harriete

P.S. I will compare the old photos with the new photos in another post.

Big things are happening, stay tuned! 

 

A Mistake, A Miscalculation, The Precipice of Ruin Becomes An Opportunity

Life as an artist constantly presents missteps, hurdles, and obstacles to creating and presenting your best work. During fabrication, there could even be a mistake or miscalculation leading you to the precipice of ruining entirely your work in progress. When this happens, I know that the situation is an opportunity for improvement.  

This summer, it happened again.  I had planned to loan an older piece to an exhibition that had been on loan to my parents for years.

The first hiccup came to light when my mother let me know that she really didn't want to part with her favorite piece. I could not disappoint her and take it away on loan for an entire year to an exhibition. So, I opted to fast forward as a "force of nature" into making a new artwork in the same dimensions as the 18-year-old original, only better.

On any new piece, figuring out how to make it is always the slowest and hardest part.  But I had done this piece before, and now had 18 years more experience.  All that it required was an intensive 6-week long marathon to get it done in time!!!!!!!!!!!!
An additional obstacle was that I would have to assemble all the parts while away from my studio to be at my parent's house.   Like a crazy person, I fabricated new panels, cut slots in the panels and grass blades (as many as I expected to need) while in my shop at home. Then, I shipped the blades of grass in advance.  I could not take any risks of taking a 15-pound box of metal grass blades through airport security. Each blade of grass was as sharp as a razor blade.

At my parents' house, I sat on the floor for up to eight hours a day (if I was lucky to work eight hours). Determination and dedication without rushing.  Careful choices to pick each blade of grass.

The assembly marathon continued on our family beach vacation...every single day until this was done.  Each blade of grass was inserted one at a time.  Nearing completion, another hiccup came to light -- I realized that in my rush at home in my studio,  I had cut a lesser number of slots in the 2nd panel. Yikes! It wouldn't look as dense.   Another hiccup. I decided to adapt by inserting two blades of grass in each slot (except for the edge.)

It worked!  This impromptu decision is invisible. Thank goodness. 

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

Speaking of the edge, I considered this the most important part as it was the most visible.

The selection for each blade of grass was very important, especially at the edges.

Here is the super good news. Right from the very beginning, I could tell that the new piece was going to be better than the older work. A super encouraging sign for all this crazy effort witnessed by my family, day after day.

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

It is one thing to work hard in your studio where no one sees how much time and sweat goes into each piece. Quite another when everyone has to witness the difficult process, cut fingers, and choices to sit inside instead of going to the beach. 

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

There are always unforeseen difficulties magnified by not being in my own studio. In this case, after completing the first of two panels, I realized that I hadn't pre-cut enough blades of grass.  I had to cut more by hand and custom fit them to the slots. Because I was in such a rush, and not working at home, these were variables that were not planned. 

 

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

Keeping the blades of grass and little shards and splinters of steel under control was important. This led to converting a corner of the bedroom into a makeshift studio space.

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

Do I need to tell you that I reached my goal?  The density of the blades of grass was super intense -- at least four times the quantity of my original in the series.

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

You can see this finished artwork yourself.  A Yard of Grass II is in an exhibition in New York City opening this week.

TERRA in FERMA - Exhibition on climate change and pollution.
Dr. Bernard Heller Museum (formerly Hebrew Union College Museum), Hebrew Union College

One West Fourth Street
September 6, 2018- July 2019
Opening 5:30 p.m on Thursday, September 6, 2018.
I.D. is required for entry into the museum.

Admission is free.

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

 A Yard of Grass II              Harriete Estel Berman  © 2018

8" height x 36" width x 6" wide

(Photographed on the kitchen table with a leaf from the table for a matching background. Necessity really is the mother of invention.)

 

Visiting Artist Lecture with Harriete Estel Berman

Emily Cobb at Humboldt State University  (in Arcata near Eureka in northern California) has invited me to present two days of lectures and discussions for their students, but there is a public lecture on Thursday night, April 12 at 6:30 p.m.

If you have any questions or issues that you would like me to address, leave your request in the comments. I will incorporate that into the lecture.

Do you live in the area? I hope you can come.

Harriete  

 

Drowning, Strangled, Suffocating in Plastic -- and Experimenting with Images

This series of posts has reviewed the photographic documentation of the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace.  The formats included a standard plain white background, a mannequin, and a posed live model.  I had one more rather radical idea that I wanted to reveal in a post before a final comparison of all the formats.   
I had an idea of creating a photographic image that could possibly convey a larger environmental message rather than strictly focusing on documenting the necklace.  

This post shows the progression of this photographic experiment.  The step-by-step images illustrate the evolution of my idea and highlight the reality that most projects are not fully coherent at the initial conception.  All too often we forget the trials and tribulations during the hours of preparation and the work that it takes to bring an idea to reality.   There can be lots of mistakes along the way, and that is O.K.  If you ever read the book, Creativity, Inc * you will hear numerous anecdotes about Pixar's ideas, storylines and characters that required tenacious development, multiple iterations, mistakes, and revelations all the way through.

For my photo experiment, I took tangible steps at the very beginning and planned to give it time to evolve.  I sewed the sheer organza dress and reserved an evening for a practice session with Jen, the live model, in my living room -- literally a dress rehearsal (shown above.) 

Then on the next day, the experimental postures that seemed to work best in my living room were photographed at Philip Cohen's studio (shown below.)  We were trying to portray what drowning or floating in a deluge of plastics looks like.

A couple of experimental postures were just the beginning..... 

Photoshop magic took out the sawhorse support for the photo (below.)

Then the image was handed off to my daughter, Aryn Shelander, a professional graphic expert for more Photoshop experimentation. Aryn was very supportive of the photo experiment idea and took on responsibility for the final result. 

I saved a few of the many iterations as Aryn sent progress reports to me and asked for creative direction. Below are screen grabs as the modified photo developed.  I will also admit that it took lots of back and forth iterations to figure out exactly what to do to get the intended imaginary.   It was a trial and error effort that evolved throughout.

 For example, we decided that  Experimental Iteration #1 was too blue. 

Next, Experimental Iteration #2 (below), we tried changing the colors of the water. 

 

Experimental Iteration #2

In a further evolution, Iteration #3 (below ), we changed the color of the deeper water and added the cityscape to appear that it was also submerged in water.

 

Experimental Iteration #3 

With these details, the image and my intended message were converging.

In Experimental Iteration #4 below, we added some floating trash in the water and added a shadow under the necklace to make it appear that it is suspended near the bottom.    

 

Experimental Iteration #4

In Experimental Iteration #5 (below) the water is murkier.  This is a nice effect, but it also made it too hard to see the necklace. 

Experimental Iteration #5

Aryn decided that the necklace needed more clarity.

In this final version (Iteration #6 below), a little extra contrast helps the necklace to show up a bit more. 

 

Experiment Iteration #6 final

Iteration #6, above, is the tentative final photo for my radical experiment.  Aryn and I decided to stop at this point and think about it for a while. As of this post, this photo experiment has taken close to three weeks of development including Photoshop iterations. 

A tip from the Photoshop professionals is to create separate layers for the various effects so that you can push and pull, change, or alter each element separately.    

The hardest part for me was to realize that the necklace and the model were now components of a different artwork -- the photo.  The Black Plastic Gyre Necklace is literally submerged in the larger message about climate change, plastic pollution, and the impact of plastic in the oceans strangling marine animals and fish.

Your opinions are most welcome. What do you think? I look forward to hearing what you may have to say.

Harriete  

More Information about the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace can be found on my website.

Previous Posts in this series about photographing the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace:
 

Photography -- Model Challenges & Working Out the Details

Photography -- Mannequin Needed! Rent, Buy, or Borrow? Basic or Stylized?

Photography and The Plain White Background

Photography - More than Documentation?

 

Photography -- Model Challenges & Working Out the Details

Working with a live model requires a lot more planning than any other option for photographing jewelry or art clothing.  Finding a model is the first challenge. A close friend agreed to model, but I would have loved to have had more model options just to experiment. 

Clothing for the model becomes a critical issue. While planning for the photographic documentation of the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace, I purchased two white dance dresses plus sewed a transparent organza dress. Just sewing up the dress was a stress test in itself.  Twelve hours of stitching double layers of slippery sheer organza without knowing if it would fit, look good, function well, or live up to the vision I had for this photo shoot. 

We started with a dress rehearsal in my living room (shown below) and practiced a full range of movements and poses.

You can not imagine my relief! The dress fit perfectly but I had all kinds of contingency plans for a nip and tuck emergency sew.  During the dress rehearsal, Jen Ohara (the model) and I reviewed underwear options and practiced the poses. Every detail counts. Ultimately we decided to have her wear one of the dance costumes and the organza dress at the same time which gave more layers of fabric. 

Before the actual photography even began at Philip Cohen Photographic, I am snipping at raw edges of the fabric edge. It is hard to know in advance what the camera will ignore and what the camera will see as a major flaw.

If I could make any recommendation when using a model in addition to all the advance preparation, it is to have an extra person as an assistant.  I knew this but didn't have anyone to help this time.  Thus you see me in the photos below at Philip Cohen photo studio making all the adjustments to the model and the necklace.  The necklace was long and heavy.  Sometimes we needed two people just to move it.
During a photo shoot with a live model, an assistant can step in to make each of the adjustments while you keep your eye on the bigger picture. When I had to go into the camera frame for each adjustment, it was very hard to see everything.

I would move into the frame, change the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace, model, dress, fan, and move out of the camera view for an inspection.  It was all distracting and time-consuming, and I never had time to study the composition. 

In two hours we tried several poses, standing, sitting, and a few unusual postures for an experimental photographic composition.  (This will be next week's post as the Photoshop iterations still need work.)  Modeling can be tiring as well.  Jen had to balance on two saw horses as just one example. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the third photoshoot in five days.  Both Phil Cohen and I were getting progressively more tired.  Creativity takes energy. I am still having decision fatigue. 

A few of the final contending images (from over 100 possibilities) are shown below. There is some variability in the exposure. Ignore that issue. It will be fixed. (These are the proof shots for review rather than the final photos.)

Let me know what you think of the different poses of the model and layout of the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace. Pick your favorite.

Model shot #2

Model shot #3

Model shot #4

Model shot #5

 

 

 

Model Shot #6

 

 

 

 

Model shot #7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd appreciate hearing about your opinions about the images.

 

Harriete   

Posts in this series about photographing the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace: 

Photography -- Model Challenges & Working Out the Details

Photography -- Mannequin Needed! Rent, Buy, or Borrow? Basic or Stylized?

Photography and The Plain White Background

Photography - More than Documentation?

 

Photography -- Mannequin Needed! Rent, Buy, or Borrow? Basic or Stylized?

While photographing the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace I wanted to try using a mannequin to provide scale and to see the necklace worn with the neutral context that a mannequin can provide.

Suzanne Ramljak, the curator for the upcoming exhibition, Uneasy Beauty,  also told me that she would like a mannequin photo in the exhibition catalog for the Fuller Craft Museum. That declaration raises a huge expectation that the mannequin shot needs to be very good, but I am not sure the images using the mannequin shots deliver.  See for yourself in this post. (The next post will showcase the model photos.)  

Since I was committed to at least trying a mannequin photo session, the next question was whether to rent, borrow, or buy a mannequin? 

Borrowing proved to be impossible.  One artist friend did offer her inventory of many mannequins, but she only had mannequins with black painted bodies. That would not work for a black necklace.  I felt that a white mannequin form would be necessary to provide high contrast for photographing a black necklace.

Ultimately, I decided to rent a mannequin and Mannequin Madness in Oakland , CA was recommended to me.

Mannequin Madness (shown above) turned out to be a fabulous resource for renting or buying. They have mannequins of every kind and description. 

Mannequin Madness also has an area set aside for photography with a plain white background paper ready to go. They also have photography lights. This is all available for $30 an hour with a two-hour minimum and they will let you use 2 mannequins or dress forms in their warehouse included in the price. That is a real bargain!   

Available for an additional fee are tripods and "ghost mannequins".  Check out the Mannequin Madness website. Even if you don't live in the San Francisco Bay Area, they do ship and have other locations.  

I rented a mannequin for $90 for a week. Perhaps if I had more time, I would have considered buying a used mannequin that needed a new layer of paint to refresh her appearance, but I had no time for cosmetic mannequin repair during the week-long photographic marathon.

The vast diversity of mannequins also raised a number of issues that I had not considered until looking at all the options at Mannequin Madness. Some of the mannequins had no heads or no arms.  Some had stylized hands, hair, and faces that would not work for this necklace photoshoot. There were other factors or potential options that I didn't fully appreciate until later.  On the mannequin that I selected, the arms detach for transport, great, but they only attach to the body in a fixed position. Nuts! I could not pose the arm differently or bend the elbow.  And the legs were ridiculously skinny, so skinny that I didn't like looking at them head on.

One feature that I prioritized was natural looking hands (despite the oblique face) when I selected a mannequin.  I also wanted a seamless neck and head for the image that I visualized in my mind before the photoshoot even began.  Here is how it turned out below. 

Mannequin Photo #1

I think this is a good image. The photo shows a close-up with lots of detail. The necklace fragments have a high contrast profile against the white background and mannequin. Using the mannequin in this pose also provided a more traditional jewelry necklace shot. The downside is that you can not see how long the necklace actually is -- 26 feet long. 

 Photographer Philip Cohen and I worked together for hours on the mannequin photos (shown below). Moving a 26 feet long necklace is not easy.  The Black Plastic Gyre Necklace is far heavier and more delicate than you might expect. The length was easily tangled or twisted and it does have a bottom side so that it can lay properly without damaging itself. 

Below are the best of the mannequin images from perhaps 75 shots. They present a variety of compromises. What do you think? Do you have a favorite? Let me know.

     Mannequin Photo #2 

Mannequin Photo #3

Mannequin #4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mannequin #5

Mannequin #6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final mannequin image (#6) uses the mannequin without putting the necklace on the body. While I think it is an interesting image and provides scale for the necklace, I don't think it shows the necklace to best advantage.  

Which photo would you pick as best choice? 

The next post is about using a live model and what I think turned out to be the best photographic shots despite the trade-offs and obstacles.

Harriete  

 

Previous Posts in this series about photographing the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace:
 

Photography -- Model Challenges & Working Out the Details

Photography -- Mannequin Needed! Rent, Buy, or Borrow? Basic or Stylized?

Photography and The Plain White Background

Photography - More than Documentation?

 

Photography and The Plain White Background

Photo image #1

For the first photo shoot of the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace, I used plain white paper background. This is possibly the most conservative approach to documenting the artwork.  It also gave photographer Philip Cohen practice with lighting and exposure for the challenging black-on-black textures.

Out of the 75+ images Cohen took in three hours, the goal now is to select just a few of the best.  I pay for each image that I decide to keep, therefore I need to choose wisely.  Experience has taught me that I end up using the best images over and over, but at this initial selection stage, my brain is often overwhelmed with decision fatigue.

And because I am still vibrating with concerns with the intricate details of fabricating the artwork, it is difficult to view the work objectively at arm's length to see what is the best image.   

So, of the five photos in this post which ones would you buy?

Photo image #2

Which photos capture the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace most effectively? Tell me what you think. 

Photo image #3

Here is how I went through my selection criteria:

A minimum requirement is a full view and a detail close-up -- but which ones?

Also, I'd like to have a vertical and a horizontal.  One never knows which situation may call for a particular format.  Reframing an image in Photoshop is an option, but the result isn't always the best quality photo. Optimal focus and lighting is always in the original image from the photographer.

Social networking sites add to the quandary on vertical or horizontal. The constant use of computers for viewing images has made the horizontal format very popular. Horizontal images work well for Facebook and social network banners. Vertical images work better on Pinterest.  Instagram leans toward square. There is no way to use one image for everything anymore.

The full view below is great, but it presents a major weakness  -- there is no way to know that the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace is 26 feet long.  

Photo image #4

With a plain white background, there is no indication of scale.  This image provides no clue for a viewer to tell how big this necklace is at all, yet for my purposes, a plain white background is essential to emphasize the stark black and white contrast.  Typical alternative backgrounds such as wood texture, sand, rocks, or a room-like context may work for an editorial shot, but would likely distract excessively from this particular artwork and my expectations for using the photo.

How can a photo of a large object reveal detail, materials, scale and the artist's intent all at the same time?

Photo image #5

Lacking any reference for scale, this close-up section could be 2 inches or 2 feet.  This can be a serious issue when a curator or juried situation is looking for something bigger or smaller if they don't fully comprehend the description.

Out of the five photos in this post, which ones would you select?  Each choice adds expense.

Would you change your choices by knowing that I have additional shots on a mannequin and a model?   These will be shown in the upcoming posts.

 

Harriete

 

Background information about hiring a photographer (below.)

Here are a couple of very practical issues when you hire a professional photographer.

Professional photography is an expense that some artists and makers may consider optional, but there is no doubt that professional quality images will elevate your work when seen by exhibition sponsors, curators, and potential buyers. Professional quality images can open doors and provide opportunities.  Lacking professional quality images may incur an opportunity cost that an artist may not even realize. 

Once you've chosen to have professional photographs of your art or craft, ask photographers about their fee structure.  Philip Cohen charges by the hour for the photography session, and then I pay an additional amount for each final image that I choose.  But money is not the only issue. You need quality photographs and a photographer that is familiar with your medium. A working relationship with a photographer that understands your intent is paramount.

 

 

Harriete  

 

Posts in this series about photographing the Black Plastic Gyre Necklace:

Drowning, Strangled, Suffocating in Plastic -- and Experimenting with Images

Photography -- Model Challenges & Working Out the Details

Photography -- Mannequin Needed! Rent, Buy, or Borrow? Basic or Stylized?

Photography and The Plain White Background

Photography - More than Documentation?

 

Thanksgiving 2017 in Black and White

This year my Thanksgiving table theme was in black and white, a reflection of the current propensity for political and social polarization.  

With a small group this year, our conversation topics brought everyone into thoughtful and civil debate. Some controversies were acknowledged but remained unresolved.  In particular, the recent revelations in the news about inappropriate behavior by men in power positions are leaving everyone shocked.

#Metoo can't be ignored, nor should it be. I don't know any women who haven't experienced inappropriate advances. The widespread public revelations could lead to a huge pivot in society. Although I remain circumspect about accusations without evidence, I tend to believe the women. Where will this lead?  How will social behavior and expected norms shift?

   

The black and white theme included white roses flowers and a white pumpkin.

White carnations, white roses, and white Gerbera Daisies with black centers continued the motif. The black bowl worked well as a framing device for the flowers and foliage.

This year the black and white theme was inspired by my collection of Knowles Ebonette vintage dishes. Designed in 1954, they are of a classic mid-century modern design. Every plate was hand painted with the black and white lines so they vary quite a bit. The dinner plates have a slightly squarish shape. The bowls are slightly irregular. It seems the blank ceramic for these dishes were painted in different patterns.

The Edwin M. Knowles Company "ceased operations in late 1962 citing a lack of foreseeable profits.   This was largely blamed on tariffs which were said to encourage the importation of foreign dinnerware at prices so low that E. M. Knowles could not be competitive."

The current debate on "made in America" is not a new topic.

I also used my vintage gold plated flatware and gold and black glasses. All mid-century modern that I have collected for years.  

In closing, I wanted to share one secret for a memorable table setting  that can be used anytime you want to set an amazing table -- it is as simple as a roll of paper. Sometimes I feel inspired to paint the paper or more often I discover a roll of gift wrap that offers great colors or patterns. A great pattern on the table can inspire a new way to look at the dishes you already own. 

Harriete

 

Fabricating TRUTH with a Web of Lies

Ever since the January presidential inauguration, I have been repeatedly dazed by both shock and dismay.  In addition to stepping up my political activism significantly, I have been channeling my fears and frustrations into "Fabricating TRUTH" along with three new bracelets. Today's post shows the final steps for one of the bracelets, "Web of Lies". 

Harriete Estel Berman soldering the decorative edge to Web of Lies Bracelet

Confidentially, I must confess that the final steps of finishing any artwork fill me with anxiety -- so much concern that I sometimes even delay finishing. Does that happen to you?

Will the final results be equal to my original imagination?  I always find the end of a project scary. I am worried that the last steps will ruin weeks to months of work.  

For these bracelets, I never made any drawings or models.  I've never made anything similar. In the beginning, it was more of a concept with little idea about how I'd even construct each bracelet. It was all in my head, nothing more than a mental image.

Despite my concerns, I pushed forward.  

Because I imagined that the "Web of Lies" bracelet should be gold plated, I had to find a plating shop which is becoming increasingly difficult to find. But instead of a problem, this adventure led to a surprising highlight.  A fellow silversmith, Gary Reopelle, who owns Monsen Plating in Berkeley, CA, agreed to plate my "Web of Lies" bracelet.

Gary is a rare breed.  At 76 years young and tough, there aren't many silversmiths and plating shops anymore. A rare breed in another respect because there surely aren't' many Republicans in Berkeley either -- but we were highly aligned with our hand skills, silver repair work.

 

 

 

The gold plating solution is cyanide-based and has to be shipped with a hazardous materials surcharge, so this would cost close to $200.  But it was really important to the concept of this bracelet to have it gold plated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gold plating on the Web of Lies Bracelet was an important symbolic component for the bracelet because Trump properties and branding ostentatiously uses the appearance of gold, (even if it is plastic or paint) as a symbolic motif. The superficial gold is a pretense of value, so thin it is essentially fake.  

If you aren't familiar with the Trump brand, this photo (left) is a stellar example of the prevailing decorative motif. 

 

 

  

Electro-cleaning is always the first step for all plating. Removing the buffing compound, fingerprints, and every speck of dust is essential for good plating. This was followed by a rinse with a hose. All the waste water (even from the cleaning tank) is considered hazardous waste and has to be disposed of in compliance with environmental protection standards. It costs over $600 to dispose of one tank of "rinse water." No wonder plating in so expensive. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The photo (left) shows the Web of Lies bracelet with a nickel plate. It looked fabulous already. Nickel plating has a hard smooth bright finish.  There was an intermediate step of a copper plating (before this) for great adhesion of the plating. Each of the plating steps took only minutes as the shape of the bracelet was easy to handle.  Nickel plate is necessary so the gold plating does not alloy with the brass construction or copper plating underneath. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The photo (left) shows the gold plating solution. The gold molecules in solution will plate on the bracelet.  This is as much skill as intuition. Gary kept adjusting the volts and amps to get it to plate just right (shown below). So exciting! 

Gold plating..... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the photo below you can see Web of Lies gold plated.

I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Gary Ropelle, owner and master at Monsen Plating for his skill and generosity. He and I are in the same increasingly rarefied silver repair business. He has a lifetime collection of hammers (left) and forming tools (right) that made me jealous.  A lifetime of accumulation for working with metal.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Monsen Plating also had another feature that I greatly admire .... space for tools and equipment. 

In contrast, my studio space is squeezed into a two car garage.  Whether doing silver repair or artwork, I often dream of having a gigantic studio in my next lifetime. In the meantime, I am working as fast as I can.

Stay tuned for my next post with behind-the-scenes photos of Philip Cohen's professional photography of TRUTH and the three bracelets. 

Harriete 

This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.

Advancing Science Even Though I'm Not A Scientist

Recently, I participated in the March for Science, San Francisco. It was important to lend my voice and my presence to support to such an important topic.  

There were thousands of people from every part of the community and many great signs....but this one really resonated with me.

GOT POLIO?
ME NEITHER. 
THANKS SCIENCE

I am old enough to remember the fear of polio. When the first vaccines were available, everyone, I mean everyone, stood in line at the local high school to get vaccinated. The lines were blocks long.  I remember seeing every person I knew, and many who I didn't, stand in line. No one complained about the inconvenience because this vaccine would prevent polio. The vaccine was free.  It eliminated the pervasive fear of polio that came every summer.
 
I'm not a scientist, but I think it is important to support science. Walking in the March for Science was a visible statement along with a mass movement.  But there are many other ways that any individual can help at any time.  One option is to participate in a medical research study as a healthy NORMAL control subject.

With emerging technologies to inexpensively study genetic markers, DNA, and manage volumes of information, medical research is changing. Now with something as easy a saliva sample, studies can look for genetic markers for disease -- but many studies take much longer time to complete due to a lack of a reference population.  They need more NORMAL people to compare samples and distinguish non-disease from disease.

The future holds the possibility of treatment for many diseases before there are even symptoms. Medicines are being developed and studied to understand their effectiveness based on an individual and not the whole population.

GOOD MEDICINE relies on Good Science.
This is not a futuristic dream. It is now.

This is where every artist and maker can help advance science. By agreeing to participate in research as a healthy control, you can advance science. A small amount of your time, saliva, blood...or other samples can advance science. Many of the studies that I have participated in were only a survey or demographic study. Your participation in science can change the world. 


Below are three places to sign up for a study as a control subject. You can just participate based on your availability, whether there are study centers/universities near you,  your interest in a research topic, etc. Perhaps there is a disease that runs in your family that you would like to understand better and change the treatment for future generations. You always have the choice to participate in a study as a healthy control.

Michael J.Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research matches you up to studies. Not all studies relate to Parkinson’s

Research Match will match you up with a number of different studies. You can say no to anything that you don't have time to do. 

Verily Life Science — a Google life sciences company owned by Alphabet — is finally kicking off the massive study it first announced three years ago. What is a healthy person? Sounds really interesting, doesn't it?

Harriete

This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.

Misstress of the Home Trapped by Modern Convenience

Many years ago (actually in another century), I made a sculpture (shown above) titled: "Misstress of the Home Bound to Modern Convenience."  Memories of this piece have been echoing in my mind for months while preparing for New Year's Day 2017 -- a self-imposed deadline to launch new digital content and update my online presence.   

Are we trapped, bound or benefitted by "Modern Convenience?"  This has been seven months of virtual housekeeping efforts at the risk of getting swept away by Google as an obsolete version. Technology is convenient, yes, but the effort to re-organize, improve access, and reduce expenses comes at a price. 

After 7 months of effort, I have two new websites, an artist website and separate website for my silver repair business.

With the new website is a new email address.  I would be glad to share it with you to stay in touch. Here's how...

Email me directly by clicking on the envelope (in the upper left column of this blog) or contact me through my website form  or copy from the image (below right).   I'm not printing the email here in order to avoid getting spammed. 

Misstress of the Home Bound to Modern Convenience (the upright vacuum featured in this post) is 27" in height. It is not a found object but fabricated in 1982 to look like a real appliance. This is a very real and personal metaphor. "Harriete" means "mistress of the home."  At the time I was commenting on many of the cultural expectations placed on women and the demands of modern living.

Misstress is purposely spelled "miss" as in the confinement of the idealized stereotype of "Miss America" beauty contests. 

A new website also means eliminating my old website and the email associated with it. Very scary indeed! A thirteen year old web identity has been swept away. My old email @harriete-estel-berman.info will be gone.....nada...no more.....   If this email was the only email you had for me..... it is disappearing.  

It has been a huge effort to update all my "log in" information and newsletters.  If... I have missed your updates...email me at my new address. When was the last time you look at every social network that includes your work?  

More legacy costs are being swept away ..... 

For 28 years I had a studio phone for my studio and silver repair business. I grew up with the yellow pages at my fingertips, but who uses the yellow pages any more? My realization is that a business phone listing  in the yellow pages is archaic. 


I was spending $720 a year to have a listing in the yellow pages for my silver repair business, however,  my new website for Berman Fine Silverwork was bringing in all the work.  An update on my website and online presence like  YELP and Facebook was just another example of "house cleaning" for the 21st century. Most of my customers contact me by email anyway. My cell phone will now fill every role, every day, studio and business.

Speaking of cell phones. The upside is that my both of my new websites are now mobile friendly, a mandated requirement by Google for being ranked in search results. Is your website "mobile-friendly?

The Professional Guidelines  are now completely available on line also. Every word in every document is completely searchable on the web in addition to a downloadable PDF document. The Consignment Contract, Exhibition Contract, and Model Release Form are available as Word documents so they can be edited to suit your needs.   

So my new year is a new me, new website, new email, new ways to get in touch. This Everready Working Woman is cleaning house.

Everready Working Woman from 1984 now meets the 21st century.

Harriete

This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.

Artistic Expression and Being an Artist

From my earliest memories I have always wanted to be an artist. The lifelong aspiration was not simply to make art or sell art, I wanted to be an artist.  The depth of this "being an artist" constantly spills over into daily life -- and positively overflows with anticipation of a shared experience with family and friends.  Witness the Thanksgiving table above as this year's display of artistic expression.

Every year I look forward to reinventing my Thanksgiving table as an extension of being an artist. This year the table color scheme was persimmon red, black and gold. 

Company is invited for a late afternoon gathering so that the natural lighting has the golden glazing hues of fall.   For me, the light coming through the windows is as important as the lighting in a painting.  Experiencing the light, the decorative arrangements, the food, and friends all resolve to the point that so much of life's activities can be artistic experiences. 

Thanksgiving is such a profound holiday in its simplicity of acknowledging what we are thankful for.  The commercial and/or religious aspects are secondary to the idea of spending time with friends and family together.

As we slide into the merchandising marathon for the remainder of the year, I relish the golden tones of artistic expression without selling anything. 

 Harriete

This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.

 Below are past Thanksgiving Tables. 

Part of the fun is working on the preparation together. Thanksgiving 2015 

Reinventing my table each year is my favorite part. Thanksgiving 2015 

Flower arrangements are different every year. Thanksgiving 2014 is still my best. 

Chanukah Gelt & gold theme. Thanksgiving 2013

Sharing the festive planning with my daughter. Thanksgiving 2012 

Thanksgiving 2011 the leaf motif included the carrot cake. 

Wrapping paper can work well to establish a color scheme. Thanksgiving 2010

These vintage inspired Thanksgiving 2010 theme of black and chartreuse

 

Brass spherical vase used for 

Brass spherical vase used for Thanksgiving 2009 was my first hollow-ware project from 1971.

Wrapping paper is a great way to establish a strong motif for your table. I try to reuse the wrapping paper for other uses after this festive meal. Thanksgiving 2008.

A Painful Purge and the Legacy Costs of Information

A legacy of information! 
I'm going through all my color slides….and black & white photos.  Thousands of images and thousands more duplicates.  A legacy of my entire career.

And throwing it all away.  Obsolete media.

 All my original images will be digital from here on.

In looking through 40+ years of accumulated physical images, I am reminded of the history and optimism anticipated in each and every image that is going into the trash.  As an artist I adored the quality of the images and took pride in being prepared when needed.  It was a badge of honor at a professional level. I remember the care and investment of time and money that went into the composition, processing, selection, cataloging, storing, organizing, and maintaining these visual manifestations of my craft skill and artistic vision. Now I am taking these beloved slides and photos out of their neat and tidy boxes, taking careful inventory to keep one, just one copy of the best image,  and dumping the rest into the dumpster.

I feel remorse in the wasted materials. I feel guilt in generating such waste.  This is a painful purge.

But the physical media has become a burden.  

Fortunately, the "information" of these images will live on when converted to digital media.   My daughter helped me realize that companies large and small deal with this legacy cost" all the time. They have archives of information that could be valuable to current or future users.  Information companies like Weather Underground choose to preserve past weather information and make it accessible on their website. They realize that the history of weather information is valuable, but stored data must also be compatible with newer digital interfaces.  Researchers using newer or different platforms need the archived information to be compatible to gain the benefits of analyzing long term trends over decades of accumulated information in ways that were not previously possible.  

Artists also may have a legacy of information or objects.  At what point does old work become out dated inventory?

I look at it differently. Old work has potential in future exhibition opportunities. It could even be my retirement income as I have witnessed in the revival of interest in mid-century modern jewelry. Important painters often kept their best work increased in value.

Museums are the consummate examples of legacy information and the costs of maintaining archives.   They store objects and information indefinitely with the expectation that value will be realized well into the future.

Why did I finally decide to throw away all these slides and photos?  I was reading a book about behavioral economics … “Misbehaving - The Making of Behavioral Economics"  by Richard Thaler.  The book discusses a relatively new field in economics observing how many financial decisions are not made on a purely rational basis.  

One financial concept struck home for me - "sunk costs."  The book made clear that my slides and photos that are no longer in a useful form (and all the time and money I invested in them) are "sunk costs."  Keeping them any longer would just cost more storage expense. Businesses often describe this storage expense as  "carrying cost" or inventory cost.  However, if the images (or any other inventory items) are not or cannot be used any longer, they have no current or future value.  To use up storage space in my cramped studio is just more wasted money.  

Every artist and maker has legacy information in their older work that represents their career and their credibility. The construction of my new website caused me to re-examine how I needed to make my images (my "information") more accessible for current and future use.   In the past three weeks, I have invested a great deal of time to find one, just one best copy of each image to digitize for the future.

I see my new website as a new and more accessible form of my work -- a new catalog that enables more people to more easily access my images and for me to connect with more opportunities.  I look forward to adding images to my website that were not digital. Images of inspiration and work in progress could be interesting to a wider audience.

I took great professional pride in my inventory of slides and black & white photos  to be ready for opportunities.  Now the ongoing value of my "information" (the intrinsic substance of my images) through this new digital media greatly expands how I can gain the attention of others and be prepared for many more opportunities.  My new website is adaptive to phones, tablets and computers.  Using a template site (which I resisted for years) means that it will be a stable format for further changes in technology.

Despite my acute awareness of my past investments, I see this transition as a revitalization of my legacy information.  Take a moment to look at my new website.  Critique the content.  Find mistakes.  Bookmark it for later updates. Lots more information is coming in future months. This is a work in progress, a new future, a new  year.

Harriete

 This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.

 

An Exuberance of Color in Studio Jewelry

I fly to Santa Fe, NM this August for an opening of an exhibition at Tansey Contemporary curated by Gail Brown. I am honored to have my work included in the show which is titled: An Exuberance of Color in Studio Jewelry.

The catalog is available online.  It is very well done and filled with exceptional work.

Participating jewelers include Julia Barello; Harriete Estel Berman, Jessica Calderwood; emiko oye; Arline Fisch; Donald Friedlich; Rebekah Laskin; Karen Massaro; Bruce Metcalf; Mike Simonian; Marjorie Schick; Joyce Scott; Barbara Seidenath; Helen Shirk; Marjorie Simon; Rachelle Thiewes; Linda Threadgill; Cynthia Toops; Dan Adams; Roberta & Dave Williamson; and Amy Lemaire.

Each jeweler is featured in the catalog. If you have the opportunity to see the show in person, I believe it will be worth your time. 

 

Do I go to many openings?

The time and effort to travel for an opening is not an easy option. I typically prefer to save money, keep expenses low, and stay home to work, but this invitation from Gail Brown to participate in this exhibition represents a long relationship of generous patronage. Going to Sante Fe is an adventure. 

After the show, I am taking two days off with my husband for a cultural history trip to Chaco Canyon in northwest New Mexico. Originally this was supposed to be just for an kind archaeological adventure, but it seems that this area was recently designated as a 'dark-sky preserve' so I have (sucked in my breath and) committed to camping under the stars. 

Will I see you in Santa Fe?  Thank you to everyone who made it to the opening on Friday evening, August 5, 2016.

Harriete

This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.

RELATED POSTS: 

Profit and Lost from Seth Godin 

Exhibition Opportunities For Finished Work? How to Find Them.

 

Vision of the Artist, Vision of the Photographer

In February, Boris Bally invited me to participate in an exhibition about "changing society's views about the dangers of handguns."  The show title is "IMAGINE (Innovative Merger of Art & Guns to Inspire New Expressions) Peace Now!" Each artist was given a disabled hand gun (randomly chosen and mailed to the participating artists) to use as part of the artwork. 

When my gun arrived, it was the first time I ever touched a gun.

The gun was from a "gun buy back" program. You can't see the damage to the gun in the above photo. Harriete, ever the perfectionist, actually spent a lot of time improving the appearance of the gun.

The problem was that the artwork had to be finished and photographed by June 30. That is not much time by Harriete standards. I had no idea what I was going to make until.... 

...until I saw this check writing machine at a yard sale.

I knew immediately what could be done!
The illustration below was drawn by my daughter, Aryn Shelander as we discussed the piece. As I recall the blood was her brainstorm which was a terrific idea as I wanted to give the final artwork more graphic impact.

The title of the artwork is "Checking the Cost of Gun Violence."  I knew the title from the very beginning.

After countless hours of research I found the statistics that would go with the work. The lettering from recycled tin cans had to be red as if written in blood.

The barrel of the gun was attached to the handle. Much to my surprise this was the easiest part of the assembly. It was as if the gun was made for the artwork.

The pool of "blood" and new red face plates for the gun handle were created from recycled tin cans.

To get to this point required intense weeks of work. Above is an early test shot in the studio.  I try to take a few test shots during fabrication to make sure that my artistic vision of the artwork is going to work in the photo. 

Next I added blood red paint to match the blood red metal. 

Drips were hard to create.  Not sure how long they will last.

Another test shot below. Now I need spent bullet casings (technically referred to as shells.)

Getting the shell casings from bullets required a couple of trips to local shooting ranges. I wanted used shell casings as that seemed more symbolic. 

It was really exciting that the folks at Jackson Arms shooting range gave me a generous amount so I could pick through them.

Another test shot.  Test shots also help to show the photographer my vision for the finished photograph. Above is the "quickie shot" with my phone. 

Below, my photographer, Philip Cohen, provides photos of the finished sculpture with all his professional skill, superior camera, lights, and action.   

Various close-up images are shown below. Philip Cohen always gives me a wide selection of close-ups and I pick from the preview images (shown in this post.)  

I pay for each shot....and can only use three images for this exhibition entry....so I choose carefully.

32, 514 people including children are killed each year.

 

Statistics on the front are actual gun statistics from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
"EACH DAY"  there are 31 Murders, 55 Suicides, 2 Accidental Deaths, 1 Death by Police Action, 210 Injured, and costs $627 Million in  America.  Each DAY!  

The 89 shell casings represent the average number of deaths each day in America involving guns.

I hope you found this interesting to see the progression from vision of the artist to the professional quality images from Philip Cohen.

Feel welcome to offer your opinion about your favorite images. I can only submit three images to the exhibition.

Harriete

P.S. More news about the traveling exhibition, future exhibition venues, and the catalog in future posts. I understand that Boris Bally is looking for exhibition venues. There will be a Kickstarter Campaign for the catalog.

This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.

Gemini Battlebot (I Helped Fabricate) Will Be On TV

The Gemini Battlebots that I helped fabricate were on broadcast television!! Thanks to everyone who watched it on Hulu!!  ABC Battlebots showed Thursday, June 23  at 10:00pm West Coast time. I have no idea what will be shown, and the little I know about the Battlebot competition, I am not allowed to reveal. Shhhhhhhhhhh.........

If you missed the show....here is a longer preview (1:48 second) The whole show was hilarious to us...in the know. You can see my son, and even my husband on national television! The production for Battlebots was amazing. This is the first time my son built a Battlebot and he got to be in a nationally televised competition.  (Gemini Battlebot shown at 1:18, 1:36. My son and his team member 1:25) 

The experience fabricating a contender for Battlebots was empowering, but the outcome at the time was unknown. Sometimes you simply have to try your hardest, work day after day. stay up late night after night, and then pull an all-nighter because if you don't try, nothing will happen. 

And if you do try your absolute best.... you will at the very least create a possibility.

Harriete 

Above: Harriete drilling holes in the Gemini weapon parts at the TECH Shop, San Francisco, CA. (Blue tape on the drill bit was to mark where to stop.) That day was a solid 10 hours of drilling, and grinding....non-stop.  Photo credit: Ace Shelander.

Ace designed, engineered and was the primary fabricator for Gemini Battlebots. More part fabrication at the milling machine shown below. 

This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.

At the Intersection Between CAD/ CAM and Craft

Recently, I was a guest worker at Radicand in an effort to help my son, Ace, fabricate his Gemini BattleBot for an upcoming Battlebot competition for an ABC summer show. The smaller red robot (at 125 lbs.) (in the video below) is the one I helped make. 

 

Photo above shows some of the Radicand engineers and Aryn Shelander (guest worker 12:00 midnight to 3:00 a.m.) during our all-nighter.

The much larger scale of every part in this Battlebot was certainly a challenge but I soon realized that my hand fabrication skills translated well. And among several surprising observations, I soon realized just how important it is that handcrafting skills are still needed.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was witnessing the entire fabrication process beginning with CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacture) and progressing through each of the necessary steps to final assembly and operational testing.  Not everything is computerized.  A good "eyeball" and steady hands were involved.
 

After the parts were perfectly cut with a a waterjet, I still had to figure out where to manually mark the holes (referencing from the cut edge with calipers), center punch the holes, hope the drill centered itself accurately on the center punch, and then to actually drill the holes straight.

I have plenty of experience, lots of skills for precision metalwork, and at the same time, at every step I was astounded by the inherent possibility of inaccuracy. The CAD provides a tolerance of 0.001 inch, but how accurate can a skilled craftsperson be while rushed to get this done as quickly as possible?    

CAD/CAM offers precise designs, but in reality, some machine-made perfection must integrate with handmade steps.  The bridge between theoretical precision and adept skills is left in the hands of the human maker.

 

Moving on....more observations...

My son, Ace, designed his entire BattleBot in CAD software called Solidworks. (This is one the major software design programs used for prototyping and manufacturing.) 

Most of the parts were cut from steel and aluminum by water jet. The results were quite impressive. The TECH Shops (at both San Francisco and San Jose) have water jets. It costs $3.00 a minute to use the water jet (after you pay to take a class). 

The water jet cuts the holes first so the small parts don't move (this why it doesn't appear to be moving very much at the beginning.)  Then the water jet cuts the edges of the parts.  The speed is determined by the material and thickness.

Additional parts were cut with a water jet at KELLER Industries in San Carlos. Their water jet was even bigger, faster and louder. The Keller brothers and sons were incredibly nice and reduced the intimidating, even daunting, hurdle of approaching a commercial industrial metal fabricating business.

While water jet is used for large-scale fabrication, it is also ideal for prototyping and one-of-a-kind. Just pop in the file and the computer controls the cuts.  

Here is a short video.

Harriete can cut sheets of aluminum and file them close to CAM perfection, but should I cut six sheets?  Where is the role of CAD/CAM in our craft work? I am a huge advocate for craft and hand made, but seriously question why we should be hand crafting in those situations when machines can do the work faster and cheaper. This is especially true for multiples.

Is "hand made" purity an absolute attribute when technologies could help us be more productive?

Are we disloyal to handmade if we consider using fabrication technologies that can help us be more cost-effective?

I love making by hand, but there is a place where we should be working smarter and faster when the machines can do it as well as (or better than) we can.

This isn't an easy topic to tackle. I don't think the answer is absolutely one way or the other.  CAD/CAM or handmade or mixing the best of both?  I am beginning to think that we need to learn the computer software and the technologies if they can help make our work better and faster. 

Harriete

This post was updated on December 11th, 2021.

I Love the Smell of Dykem in the Morning

Recently, I took on a new role of intensive robot making to assist my son in the assembly of his Gemini Battlebots. We worked at the fabrication space of the prototyping firm, Radicand.

My first observation was that the scale of everything was ten times larger than my usual metal working experience.  We are talking about 1/2 inch thick aluminum, 24" x 24" large plates of steel, and titanium.

Would my fine metalworking skills translate into another realm? 

In a rush to squeeze this sprint assembly into my busy life, I filled a shoe box with my favorite tools. Dykem, jeweler's saw, saw blades, cut-off discs with mandrels, Opti-visor, and more.... including my own task lighting. 

Was I going to be embarrassed taking my jewelry and sculpture skills into the domain of mechanical engineers (all men) and CAD/CAM engineering?   

It really does seen to be a domain of men.  Another early observation started two weeks ago looking for local water jet cutting and welding services.  Whether calling or visiting in person, there seems to be no women in any machine shop or welding establishment. In a time when women are entering every field (including combat), metal fabrication seems to be a male dominated sphere.  The engineering prototyping world also included only men. Surely there must be women in the metal fabrication field and geek world, but I didn't see any.

Would my hand crafting skills in tin and silver repair translate into this "real world" scale? My favorite tool for layout is Dykem. Fortunately,  I brought mine from my studio. The fabrication space at the shop didn't have their own. Not every mother can bring their own bottle of Dykem. I love the smell of Dykem in the morning.

Just in case you don't know: Dykem is a solvent based layout die for marking metal. It provides a clear background to mark or scribe lines and it is so much easier to see against shiny metal. I learned to use my son's digital calipers, and in no time I am reading CAD drawings and marking large metal blocks as precisely as a person can at 1/100th of an inch.

Marking metal for drilling holes was my first job. I wasn't drilling one or two holes but 60 holes at a time.  And then continued drilling for ten hours non-stop. I am not exaggerating. 

Then, I was drilling holes with larger drills through 2 thick layers of super strong aluminum plates. These were high technology materials that weighed around 20 pounds or more.  It was heavy to hold in the correct position while pulling down on the drill press. I had no time to stop. It is good I've worked out lifting weights at the gym.

 
Then came countersinking holes.  Eventually, I learned that if I was more aggressive with the countersink it worked much better. 

It was really hard work holding the plates up with one hand, and pulling the drill bit down with the other. 

Next, I learned to tap every hole with a drill. Every skill was scary at first, but I was totally in my element.

My skills and metal work precision were right on target. I got better very fast. Complicated layouts, drilling, and tapping were well within my skill set. This was an empowering experience. 

Would you like to see more fabrication shots of the Gemini Battlebots? Click here.  If you're interested . . . there are a lot more photos coming.

I have more observations about the intersection of CAD/CAM and handmade. More posts soon...when I recover...but here is something you might want to know.

Jewelers and metalsmiths can and should take their skills and tools to the design and prototyping field.  I know several metalsmiths with art school skills and education and they have told me what they do in prototyping, and it sounded really interesting. They have fascinating projects and make a great living. They can still make their own work without the starving artist mentality.

This was my first personal experience within the design and prototyping field. To the many jewelry and metalsmiths reading this blog, there is an alternative to the struggle of making money solely in "crafts" where a viable living is frustrated by a highly competitive market with a shrinking audience.  Learn CAD software and take your design sensibilities and technical skills where it is needed and appreciated in a growing field.

More observations coming soon.

Harriete

 *The title of this post "I Love the Smell of Dykem in the Morning" was inspired by the famous quote :  "I Love the Smell of Napalm in the Morning" from the movie Apocalypse Now. It was spoken by the character Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore as played by actor Robert Duvall. He played a super tough, fearless character in the movie.

This post was updated on December 11th, 2021.

Vintage Visual Feast Thanksgiving 2015

Every year, my favorite part of the holiday season is theme development in preparation for my Thanksgiving table . Similar to theme development for a booth display, the theme for a table should stimulate a visual feast of repeating design elements over and over.  

Photograph of the Thanksgiving 2015  by Philip Cohen.

My goal each year is to reinvent our Thanksgiving table and deliver a completely different and memorable experience. Our 2015 table was inspired by vintage 1950's/60's screen printed Filkauf commercial fabric, fabric that I found in a secret, dusty, musty storage room at Direct Office Furniture in Harrisburg, PA. (Check out the Red Door Consignment Gallery for great furniture options at the same location.)

 Vintage Fabric from the 1950's/60's is marked "Filkauf Inherently Fire Retardant Fabric Screen Printed".

The screen printed leaf pattern and fall colors were perfect for a Thanksgiving table. To save time I fringed the edge. It looked great.

A phenomenal stroke of good fortune, the fabric was large enough to cover the entire table for 17 people in one piece.  Photo left is before setting the table...   

 

 

The idea for the vintage theme began 5 months ago with the discovery and purchase of two "atomic era" (1950's) starburst candlestick holders from West Germany.

Yes they are a little weird but I loved the orange translucent colors and vintage atomic aesthetic that also reminded me of pumpkins. Then I had to find six more online. Amazingly, most of the Friedel Gesch plastic purchased online was unused, still with the original tag. Imagine, they have been sitting in a drawer for 60 years!

Orange candles weren't hard to find. Adding small sugar pumpkins boosted the orange shapes and color  on the table. The sugar pumpkins will be cooked at a later date. 

These vintage Libby glasses from the 1950's with gold leaf design further repeat the leaf theme of the table cloth perfectly. I bought them for a past Thanksgiving and fortunately had about 20 of them. 

  

 

The gold plated flatware was my grandmother's from the 1960's. I remember when she bought it. I think she only used it once. Dishwashers and convenience-focused lifestyles really brought an end to gold leaf glasses and gold plated flatware. None of this is dishwasher safe.  

All of the plates were from my collection of vintage dinnerware collected over the years. The colors were selected to match the colors in the tablecloth.  The plates sat on gold chargers to repeat the gold of the flatware and gold leaf glasses. 

The floral arrangements were real fall leaves with the addition of some dried orange pods. Both the leaves and orange pods echoed the tablecloth leaf motif and colors.  

 

Left is our menu card inspired by the vintage fabric tablecloth.

Dessert included a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in the shape of leaves inspired by the tablecloth. It took a whole crew and hours of work . . . and topped off with a final touch of chocolate creativity to bring this to fruition.

 

 

 

 

 

  

The dessert crew made abstract chocolate leaves as the final touch.

The photo below shows how you make the chocolate leaf shapes. 

Just paint warm chocolate on wax paper, let them cool, and peel them off. 

 
Theme development with repetition of the visual elements works every time. Give it a try for your next holiday table or booth display. 



Harriete 

P.S. Commercial fabric is often fire proof so it would be suitable for booth display.

E-bay and Etsy are both great resources for finding obscure items for theme development. 

This post was updated on December 11th, 2021.

Thanksgiving tables from previous years:

Many images of my Thanksgiving tables can be see on Facebook albums. 

Thanksgiving 2014- Setting the Table

 

 

 

 

 Gelt, Gilt, and Guilt - Thanksgiving 2013

 

 

Thanksgiving Visual Feast Giving Thanks

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2012 was inspired by a Mondrian  color theme including the cake and cookies. 

 

  

 

Thanksgiving 2011 followed a leaf motif including the drinking glasses and the cake with sculpted cream cheese frosting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2010

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2009 is  a traditional fall motif with leaf motif including cake and our drinking glasses with gold leaves. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THANKSGIVING 2008  was black, grey and silver. 

 

Art Adventures in Wonder Washington, D.C.

Adventures always start with a journey. After a 3,000 mile, cross country, red-eye flight, I arrived in Washington D.C.  exactly 6 hours before the fancy shindig opening at the Renwick Gallery.

My first goal for the day was to see my own artwork on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

In this gigantic museum (right), I was searching for an area called the Luce Art Center.

The artwork on display in the Luce Art Center is shown on shelves to offer insight into the depth of the permanent collection in paintings, sculptures, folk art, and crafts.Famous Selection from the series "The Deceiver and the Deceived" 

My metalwork was surrounded by the excellent company of other metalsmiths.

The acquisition number next to each object allows the viewer to look up information online. There were computers nearby if you wanted immediate access to information.  Information on my piece can be found at 1997.51.  A little weird...at first their webpage showed only the back image of my work, so maybe they couldn't tell the front from the back. I'll have to write to them and correct this mistake. 

FURTHER IRONY AND UPDATE: I wrote to the Smithsonian about the lack of a front image on the Luce Art Center website. They were very kind to write back and tried to correct the omission. It turns out the front image of "The Deceiver and The Deceived" is on the main website, but the artwork was photographed sideways. The wall piece should have been photographed with the word "famous" at the top. Usually, an artist wants their work photographed right side up, but since there is a keyhole on the back for hanging, I thought the photographer would have figured out the right way to photograph it. Oh well.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is amazing.  The building is a dazzling combination of ornament and decoration that I never tire of admiring. The variety of collections and exhibitions is extensive. I highly recommend this as an art destination of the highest priority. Entrance is free.

Curators at the best museums have an incredible skill for the juxtaposition of artwork. In the portrait gallery, "Shimomura Crossing the Delaware" by Richard Shimomura hung directly across from a portrait of Bill and Melinda Gates by Jon R. Friedman on a painted blue wall.  This conversation between two paintings was worthy of discussion, but I had no one to discuss this with at the time.
(I snuck these images for your review.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WONDER
The opening of "Wonder" at the Renwick Gallery started at 7:30pm.  My amazing art adventure in Washington, D.C.  was a marathon day. 

This was a festive, celebratory event beyond the usual craft/art opening. This is the first time the Renwick was open after a major two year renovation.

The live woman "statue" (left) was in a central location near the decadent chocolate desserts.

 

It reminded me of the white busts I had seen earlier at the Luce Art Center (left) and the exhibition of Hiram Powers' The Greek Slave. 

Moving through the Wonder exhibition, each large room of the Renwick had a different installation by one artist. Everything was of a monumental scale which was truly wonder - ful.
Shindig by Patrick Dougherty

I loved each room and the artwork for different reasons.

Installation by Gabriel Dawe. Photo from Wonder Gallery Renwick  

The concept of craft and working with materials was expressed with radically different approaches by each artist/maker. This artwork looks like vibrating beams of light. It was far more intense than this photo reveals (from the Renwick website).  In person, at night, after a very long day, and drinking a strong vodka and orange juice far too quickly (for medicinal relief of thirst), the colored thread seemed to vibrate!!!!!!! 

Walking up the stairs....to see more installations.Stairs at the Renwick Gallery leading to the 2nd floor. 

This light sculpture Volume by Leo Villareal (below) hung high up over the stairwell.  

This light installation seemed the least hand made craft of all the rooms. The left photo was from the Renwick Gallery website by Ron Blunt.

The computer controlled lighting was dazzling like my rhinestone wallet, but it seemed a little glitzy without enough craft soul in this context. (Photo right taken at the opening with my phone.)  

 ANONYMOUS DONOR by Chakaia Booker Photo Ron Blunt

The tire sculpture by Chakaia Booker (above photo) had a demanding presence defining a completely different kind of implementation of hand made; it had a bold, gutsy, uncompromising strength. Made from radial tire detritus it invited the viewer to examine modern materials like tires that keep our society moving.

Now contrast the coarse and ugly tire material to a glass marbles installation by Maya Lin.  (below)

I have seen many inspiring installations and artworks by Maya Lin, but for some unexplained reason, this room was not as successful. Perhaps it was too subtle in the excitement of the occasion.  A portrayal of cracked wall (?) seemed ironic considering the two year renovation of the historic building.

Another problem was that some barricade ropes prevented people from walking among the marbles glued to the floor (probably out of concern that a careless step might ruin the installation or risk their lives slipping). 

 

 

Move to another room...This installation by Tara Donovan is constructed from styrene index cards. I am still trying to decide what I think of this installation. The volume of new styrene plastic used to make these sculptures made me very uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that I could not appreciate  the visual impact.  I could not ignore the environmental impact of plastic, along with the production and disposal issues.

Saving the best for last. Two more rooms to mention...
Hand made "wallpaper" made entirely from insects. Even the red painted tint on the wall was made from crushed cochineal insects. 

In the Midnight Garden by Jennifer Angus  Photo by Ron Blunt from the Renwick Gallery Wonder website.

The initial impression of a highly, decorated, hand made wall paper (perhaps consistent with the era of the building) was created from insects. I was told that the insects were farmed in Indonesia. Definitely, this room had a new definition for hand made.   

 

 

 

This installation by John Grade seemed the most "Wonder"ful of all. Middle Fork by John Grade Photos by Ron Blunt from the Renwick Gallery Wonder website.

An entire tree was recreated bit by bit into a gigantic installation that filled the room with awe. Each 1/4" rectangle of wood created a lattice resembling bark surface and tree silhouette. It was simultaneously powerful both close-up and far away.

Most of the photos in this post for the Wonder exhibition came from the Renwick website including the one to the left. At the exhibition, the tree filled the room so completely that I don't think an individual could look down the inside of the trunk like this....but it gives you a great idea of the scale of detail and form.

This was truly an example of the artist's vision combined with execution by hand to bring a grand inspiration to reality. Not everything can be fabricated by machine or created by computer. Sometimes it can only be hand made to create Wonder.

There was one more installation in WONDER by Janet Echelman that has no photo on the Renwick website. I can't say I know what to make of it.  At the opening, the ceiling installation didn't leave me with a strong first impression. I've seen her work at the San Francisco Airport as well and had a similar experience. She's been selected for such prestigious exhibitions as the Renwick and the S.F. airport, but these two installations seemed to be lacking. The airport installation suggests that some computer programmed lighting is supposed to be involved.  As is, the colored cord alone of these pieces look like scaled up versions of work by Ruth Asawa from 40 years ago. There is no surprise in how the materials themselves are used. The only wonder for me is why the work was selected, but tell me what you think.

Go the Washington, D.C. to see the show. Fill your heart and mind with inspiration on a grand and gutsy scale.

Go to see Wonder. 
Harriete  

This post was updated on December 11th, 2021.

Identity Complex - Lost and Found

In November of 2015, I had just found out that my artwork, Identity Complex, would be on view at the Racine Art Museum in Racine, Wisconsin.  The exhibition that includes my work is titled "Lost and Found: Featuring Kim Alsbrooks and Nikki Couppee."

Artists in the exhibition were selected from RAM's permanent collection including:  Boris Bally, Harriete Estel Berman, Jerry Bleem, Robert Ebendorf, Geoffrey Gorman, Tina Fung Holder, Judith Hoyt, Lissa Hunter, Esther Knobel, Keith LoBue, Karyl Sisson, Kiff Slemmons, and Anne Wilson.

So the question that I always want to ask participating artists is . . . "How did your work get to be in this museum's permanent collection?"

In this case, I can at least answer for myself. Identity Complex was purchased by collector Karen Johnson Boyd from a solo exhibition I had at Sybaris Gallery in 2001. 

Now many years later, I appreciate Sybaris Gallery for their confidence in my work.  It is regretful that such a supportive gallery has closed.

When amazing collectors like Karen Johnson Boyd buy the best artwork from an artist, they change the fortune of the artist. I am very grateful for the support by this patron whom I have never met. 

When generous collectors like Karen Johnson Boyd give their collections to museums, their gifts enrich the lives of many viewers in the public. 

If you are traveling or live near the Racine Art Museum, I hope you will get a chance to see this exhibition.

Dates of the exhibition:
September 25, 2015 - January 3, 2016

The one-page exhibition guide highlights the theme of "incorporation of  'non-art' materials."  The found objects and materials used in the artwork "construct layers of meaning." 

Identity Complex Vanity Seat is constructed entirely from post-consumer tin cans. Even what looks like a soft cushioned fabric seat with trim and a button is all metal.

The legs have writing on the inside. The quotes recount the terrible comments I (or each of us) say to one's self when looking in a mirror. Messages from advertising and media create an impossible standard of perfection for comparison.

"Beauty magazines make me feel ugly."

"My breasts are too big, my breasts are too small."

"Big pores, dry skin, age spots and wrinkles." (left photo)

"My waist is too thick and I hate my thighs."

 

Under the seat, the internal dialog continues with a statement... 

"Can’t stand that person in the mirror, Make me over, paint my face, airbrush my blemish, color my hair, botox my wrinkles, reduce the appearance of fine lines, erase the circles under my eyes, tattoo my lips, pencil my brows, masque my imperfections, whiten my teeth, soft focus, perfect lighting, Am I visibly firm?  Is there an age defying complex?"

Harriete

Photo Credit for all images in this post: Philip Cohen

This post was updated on December 11th, 2021.

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What I Learned From My Halloween Costume

Looking through some old photos at my parents' house, I found old memories . . .  and remembered that long ago I learned a valuable lesson from my Halloween costume.

My mother used to make costumes (photo above) for my sister and me from crêpe paper because at the time it was very inexpensive and it could be sewn using a sewing machine like fabric.  Above I am wearing one of those costumes. (I am on the right side, my sister stands behind me to the left.)

One year . . . (succumbing to peer pressure conformist tendencies) I begged for a purchased costume like all the other kids had for Halloween. I wanted one of those costumes that came in a cardboard box -- with a mask inside. The lid of the box even had cellophane so you could see inside the box without opening it. I can still see it clearly to this day.

My mother caved in and the (somewhat out of focus) photo below shows me (on the right again) as some kind of princess.  My sister (left) was a clown. 

These photos also caused me to remember a profound lesson that I learned that day. 

My realization at 8 years old was that a store-bought costume was not as good as home made. In fact it was a flimsy, generic copy that wasn't unique or special in any way. I was so embarrassed that I had coveted this item so highly and then found out it was such a poorly made piece of junk and that anyone could just purchase and wear it without any creative thought or imagination.  There was nothing unique or special about this costume. 

Halloweens have been magical ever since. I learned that home made and hand made are better even with imperfections and mistakes. Anyone can buy a look-alike costume.  But when it is your idea and you make it yourself, it becomes a memorable experience and expresses your unique character.

This lesson I learned at the age of 8 has taken me a long way.   Perhaps makers are makers because they have had a similar experience.  Imagine . . . and make it your own.

Harriete

Jen is wearing one of my past Halloween costumes. The hairy spider costume was intended to be good for exercising, but proved to be very hot.

MORE COSTUMES FROM THE PAST (in no particular order)


Dalmatian Dog (me) with two pint size firefighters 1991

 

Ghost family 1988

Pumpkin plant....my son actually walked around with his head inside the pumpkin.

Everyone ready to Trick or Treat includes Pumpkin plant, butterfly and scarecrow.

Butterfly costumes on another day. 

My son ACE.

This post was updated on December 10th, 2021.

Abracadabra - What Is Said Will Be - I Create as I Speak

During my tour of The Magnes Collection, Dr. Daniel Viragh shared fascinating insights from the Hebrew he was reading on various historical objects . . . and then a startling factoid was mentioned. It turns out that "Abracadabra" -- those magic-inducing words that we think come from the Disney movie Aladdin and Arabian Nights -- actually have roots in the ancient Aramaic language.  The phrase has a meaning; "What is said will be." Wikipedia says Abacadabra means "I create as I speak."

In my opinion, the literal meaning and the passage of this phrase through the millenia demonstrates the power of words. 

This resonated with me a lot. I've embraced the 21st century idea of writing down my goals to align myself with the power of postive thinking, yet here is a similar thought expressed in an ancient language.

In other words, people from thousands of years ago, also had the idea of stating their goals, and repeating their goals, to bring forth the power to make it happen.  They weren't calling for magic, they were stating a call to action with a plan.

So instead of wishful thinking or hoping for luck, you may benefit by actually stating your goals and understanding the action plan needed to make it happen.

Speaking about the power of words reminds me to invite everyone to a brief lecture at The Magnes Collection. My lecture topic is "Recycle, Re-purpose and the Meaning of Materials." The Magnes is calling this a "Pop up lecture". We will look at a tin and glass menorah from their collection (left), along with examples of my work.

Harriete Estel Berman

The Magnes Collection is at 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA.  
This is a block from the BART station, and close to the Univeristy of California, Berkeley Campus.

Pot Luck and Hot Topics with MBMAG

Just in case you'll be in the Monterey, California area on Feb. 16, I will be speaking at the Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild lunch meeting and social.  This public event is free. 

DATE: February 16, 2014 Sunday
LOCATION: Moss Landing at the Haute Enchilada's back room.
TIME:  12:30 Pot luck Lunch and social. Bring food for the pot luck and get to know the Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild members. 
           1:00 Short meeting for MBMAG membership
           1:30 p.m - 3:00 p.m. Lecture with Q & A

The early afternoon lecture begins with a brief description of my work, with some examples on hand for closer inspection. Then we jump into some professional development topics and resources that can help makers with their own work. 

Are you suffering from self-rejection? Wonder how to promote your work effectively online? Want tips for the best (low cost to no cost ) strategies for your images, website or blog?

Do you have questions or topics that you would like to discuss? Bring up the controversial issues, burning topics or discuss the every day professional practices that will boost your career.

 

No topic is too small or too hot to touch. Even spicy, well-seasoned  artists struggle every day to be the best they can be. Join the conversation.  Spark the Q & A.

You can also submit your topic request in advance (without raising your hand)? Write directly to me at [email protected] or leave a question in the comments. 

Or I can answer your questions anonymously.

Stay tuned to the MBMAG event page on Facebook or their website for more details.

Harriete Estel Berman

Gelt, Gilt, and Guilt

Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander

Every year I create a new table motif for our Thanksgiving table. This year with Chanukah and Thanksgiving on the same day, Chanukah gelt and autumn colors set the motif of round gold dots.

Chanukah gelt is gold foil wrapped chocolate.

Do you see the gold dots on our table covering?


Photo Credit: Aryn Shelander 

The gold chargers, gold flatware, and vintage gold drinking glasses all followed our theme. Eight candlesticks polished brightly were symbolic of the eight lights of Chanukah.

Our Menu includes contributions from all our guests.

Menu design by Aryn Shelander.

We concluded our meal by asking each person at the table what they were thankful for in the past year. My daughter reminded us that the more specifically we articulated what we were grateful for the more positive impact it would bring.

So I thought back over the past twelve months and remembered the people connected to me in one way or another who have succumbed to the ruthless effects of alcoholism.  It has been wrenching to witness how they have slowly lost connection with their families, friends and even their own internal motivations due to the grip of alcohol. My heart goes out to everyone dealing with alcoholism in their lives.

One thing we can do is talk about difficult issues openly without judgement.

My thanks goes to everyone for giving to each other, their families, and communities without guilt. This is what friends and family are about.

Photo of the thanksgiving table taken by photographer Philip Cohen using an Apple phone panoramic option. The chairs look kind of funky as the camera seems to combined them. They are all 100+ year old chairs painted black.

Ace flies his plane from the deck going over the canyon like a Turkey Vulture and then, they catch the plane in mid air on the way back. That was thrilling! Photo Credit: Philip Cohen 

No shoes in the house! They all wait for their owner at the front door.
Photo Credit: Philip Cohen 

Harriete Estel Berman

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving 2008

 

What Information is Needed for Appraising Value?

As mentioned in the previous post, an appraiser contacted me about appraising the current value for a 1997 work recently donated by a collector to a major museum.  In response, I asked for an appointment to have a phone conversation. The phone call felt more like a necessity than an option. Thank goodness we opened the discussion. I was concerned about asking for the phone call, but the appraiser actually appreciated the nuanced conversation the phone call offered.

My primary goal was to help the appraiser to establish a current value using whatever information she requested. Hopefully it would justify an appreciated value since 1997. I had a number in mind, but didn't want to say so until the appraiser considered the factors I thought relevant to this situation.

While prices for recent work may be a consideration, the appraiser needs to compare recently SOLD work. That is just the way it works.

The images of my artwork on my website were instrumental to the conversation with the appraiser.  I do leave "sold" work on my website for documentation, but remove the prices. However, I know the retail prices from my Inventory Records. 

Initially, the appraiser was looking only at my jewelry, perhaps because of the size of the individual beads, or it was the first page she landed on. 

In my mind this was not a good comparison since I considered the Worry About Worry Beads Coming Undone to be sculpture, and not jewelry at all. The conversation moved to sculpture for further evaluations. On the sculpture page, there were many examples of work that had sold in recent years. These provided better value comparisons.

Next we moved to the teapot page to establish that Worry About Worry Beads Coming Undone was profoundly influential on the design for many of my teapots that had sold at similar or much higher prices.  

 

 

My objective was to establish the importance of the Worry Beads as a seminal artwork that had an important influence on the design of several teapots.

Since the Worry Beads were completely unique, there was no identical work to compare. 

Finally, I mentioned that the Worry Beads sculpture was composed of 12 individual and unique worry beads, plus the wire "tassel." So one perspective could consider a value for each individual element and what I would charge for repair or replacement.

To conclude the conversation,  the scary part, she asked me to estimate a number. I gave my current valuation, but still don't know the final appraised value....perhaps she went higher or lower, but I do know she appreciated the extra information from our phone call to inform her decision.

In summary the appraisal value was determined by these main factors:

• Type of work: sculpture.
• The specific work was seminal to subsequent work.
• Retail prices for sold work with somewhat similar attributes (e.g. materials, size, concept, novelty).
• Cost of replacement or repair by artist.
• Establishing that other work sold for much higher prices.
• Reputation of the artist.

If an artist/maker is represented by a gallery, the appraiser may have contacted the gallery instead of the artist. Since no gallery currently represents my work, the appraiser contacted me directly.

A secondary goal for my conversation with the appraiser involved some learning about appraising artwork in general.  The 2014 SNAG Professional Development Seminar in Minneapolis will have lectures by an appraiser, collector, and curator all discussing "Collectors, Collections and You."

Stay tuned for more PDS information. Opportunities related to this program are on the horizon. This will be a series of lecture offering great insight into establishing value for our art and craft. Save the date Friday April 25, 2014. The PDS is open to the public to attend.

Harriete Estel Berman

Free Mentoring Opportunity

SNAG is finally ready to embark on its mentoring program titled "The Road 2 Success" and the program is free for all SNAG members.

Enrollment is first-come, first-served. 

Sign up begins September 16th at NOON.

The list of mentors covers a broad spectrum. To be sure, it will be interesting to see how this mentoring program develops. 

There are no guarantees, no predictable outcome, but everyone who signed up is ready to take an adventure together. This reminds me of one of  my favorite quotes:

 

"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night.

You can see only as far as your headlights,

but you can make the whole trip that way."

                                        - E.L. Doctorow

Teachers from an academic program are always so articulate it amazes me. They are accustomed to verbalizing the issues for their students.

Writers and workshop teachers spell out the problems and solutions in step by step process.

Production makers have a lot of experience in the turbulent ebb and flow of selling in the marketplace. The kind of experience you only get on the road of hard knocks.

One of a kind makers have a different focus all together.Their design decisions are based on finding and uniquely expressing an artistic voice.

If you aren't a SNAG member already, make sure your membership is updated in the next five days or you may miss out on a great opportunity to work with this list of Mentors:

Kristin Anderson
Alison B. Antelman; metalsmith, teacher
Boris Bally; self-employed Metalsmith, entrepreneur-at-large
Gillian E. Batcher; Owner at Jewel Envy and PASH Jewellery Design
Harriete Estel Berman; artist, author, organizer
Wing-Ki Chan; Professor and Program Coordinator of Jewellery Studies, George Brown College, Toronto, Canada
Shannon Conrad; President of Etsy Metal
Donna D’Aquino
Don Friedlich; studio jeweler, former SNAG President
Geoffrey Giles
Lora Hart
Victoria Lansford; artist, author, educator
Micke Lippe; maker, volunteer, teacher
Tim McCreight; Senior Editor, Brynmorgen Press
Etienne Perret; designer, goldsmith, gemologist
Kevin Potter
Billie Jean Theide; Professor of Art at the University of Illinois
 

Harriete Estel Berman

CraftCast Interview about the BAD & UGLY

Alison Lee of CraftCast boldly opened the conversation in a passionate dialog about the BAD and UGLY issues circulating in the arts  & crafts community. If you want to skip the "chit chat" in the beginning, advance the podcast 11:48 minutes.

This discussion was largely inspired by my lecture, "The GOOD, The BAD, and The UGLY in the AGE of the Internet."  

The lecture has over 9,400 views (at the time of this post).

Harriete Estel Berman

P.S. Check out the other podcasts on CraftCast.

REFERENCES to Keynote Lecture Synergy 3: The Good, BAD and the UGLY in the Age of the Internet

Today I gave my Keynote Lecture for the International Polymer Clay Association annual conference Synergy 3. The lecture title is:

This lecture will be published on ASK Harriete as a SlideShare PowerPoint with recorded audio. Subscribe to ASK Harriete so you will be notified of the publication.

Here is the HANDOUT Good-BAD-UGLY-Handout-References (PDF) to download or use the  individual links below. The references are mentioned in the order of appearance in the lecture.

IMAGE: Clint Eastwood, Leone and Eli Wallach on the set of THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY    1966.

 

 

 

IMAGE of extreme close-up and wide angle view is a signature voice of the director Sergio Leone.

BOOK: The Long Tail by Chris Anderson.
ASK Harriete describes “the Long Tail” in a post titled, "Long Tail - Blockbuster versus Netflix, and the art/craft world. "

 

Reference to Michael Jordan found  in the online article  “Best Advice: Down But Not Out” by Peter Guber

BOOK: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success  by Carol Dwek

 

 

 

 

 

QUOTE from April Winchell found on Wired.co.uk in the Business section:  “Regretsy closes, the world mourns the end of DIY meets WTF”

 

BOOK:  Talent is Overrated  by Geoff Colvin

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK:  Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK:  Risky is the New Safe by Randy Gage

 

 

 

 

Polymer Art Archive

CRITIQUE GROUP GUIDELINES

ASK Harriete

PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES for the artists and crafts community


BOOK:  IMAGINE: How Creativity Works  by Jonah Lehrer

Jonah Lehrer lecture for the Knight Foundation:  “Jonah Lehrer earns $20,000 honorarium for talking about plagiarism at Knight lunch”  (Scroll down to find the lecture. He actually starts talking at about 53 minutes into the video, so move the scroll bar into the lecture.)

Transcript for Jonah Lehrer lecture titled:  “My Apology” by Jonah Lehrer

 

WEBSITE: Creative Commons Licenses 
 

 

WEBSITE: U.S. Trademark and Patent Office

ORIGINAL DRAWINGS for the lecture by Aryn Shelander 

 

 

 

Harriete Estel Berman

P.S. Links to the books and movie DVDs are provided for your convenience as affiliate links.

Related articles:

Risky is the New Safe -- Inspired Opinions

Fearfull, Fearless, Scared, Empowered, Makers, Women Make History

The GOOD, The BAD, and The UGLY in the Age of the Internet

BREAK THE BEAD

Lark Books is offering a new opportunity for an upcoming bead book! If you would like to submit your work the information is below. I have also provided links to resources that will assist with a successful entry.

The deadline is extended!

Worry About Worry Beads Coming Undone by Harriete Berman
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Information for upcoming book  1000 Beads can be found by clicking here.

Worry About Worry Beads Coming Undone by Harriete Berman
Philadelphia Museum of Art

There is no entry fee to 1000 Beads.


NEED HELP  with your application?
TOP TEN TIPS for Getting Into a Juried Exhibition, Show, Book or Magazine 

One bead from "Worry About Worry Beads Coming Undone"

Can you make a bead  like no other bead before? All work must be made no earlier than 2010 and more recent work is considered better. The deadline is May 10, 2013. Yikes!

Black and White Identity Beads by Harriete Estel Berman based on the concept of creating identity in our consumer society by what we buy, and why we buy it.
Photo Credit: Philip Cohen

Ordinary materials can be extra-ordinary.

AOL Bead by Harriete Estel Berman Photo Credit: Philip Cohen

Think outside the box
                        (OR should I say outside the bead?)
With a book of 1000 beads there should be plenty of entries, but there will also be lots of competition.

 

Black and white identity Necklace       Photo Credit Phil Cohen

Strategic Thinking When Applying to a Juried Opportunity can make a huge difference.  ASK Harriete can help.

 

The quality of your photos can make all the difference between acceptance and rejection. Read this post for comparisons: Juried Submissions: What information do jurors really take into consideration?

Photo credit for photo comparison:
(left) Steven Brian Samuels      (right)  Philip Cohen

There are many great photographic options, but professional quality photography with perfect focus and proper exposure is your key to success.

The PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES can help you with two documents:
GUIDE TO PROFESSIONAL QUALITY IMAGES

WORKING WITH DIGITAL IMAGES EFFECTIVELY

 

  Sugar Necklace"
  by Liesbet Bussche

 

The deadline has been extended . This book wants new work not previously published, a perfectly understandable recommendation, but then why was the entry originally posted with so little advance notice? The deadline has been extended to May 10, 2013, which is fantastic, but with poor distribution.

 

 

 

 

 

Urban Jewelry Pearl Necklace
Taipei, Artist: Lisbet Bussche

Why not reach out beyond the concept of small glass beads to a larger audience? Reach out to sculpture, metals, design, lighting, or ceramics to expand the definition of beads. Ask other fields to submit a bead(s).

If the crafts community doesn't open itself  to the unexpected we are limiting ourselves to a diminished expectation.

 

 

Ubran Jewelry Pearl Necklace
Taipei,   Artist: Lisbet Bussche

Beads can be tiny.  

 

Beads can

also be  

 

BIG!

Beads can be 1mm, 1 inch, 1 foot, 10 foot.

 

 

Table by  Mattia Bonetti

Table by  Mattia Bonetti

I have included images of bead sculpture, furniture and jewelry in this post. Please Click on the images to go to the original source of the image.

Murals Created with Thousands of Buttons, Pins and Beads
by Ran Hwang

In the effort of transparency, all of the images were found on the internet. Some of the images are my work.


Thomas Heatherwick's Bleigeissen at the Wellcome Trust London.  As you travel from floor to floor, the colour spectrum changes according to the light from the Dichroic lens filters, creating a waterfall rainbow effect.

Can you take the idea of a bead from ordinary to EXTRAORDINARY?

Hanging Glass Bead Sculpture in Sculpture Garden, of Walker Gallery of Art, Minneapolis MN.

Share a link to extraordinary beads in the comments.

Good luck with your entry.
THINK DIFFERENT. Break the BEAD...

Harriete Estel Berman