I was excited about the July
selection for several reasons. For the first time ever, I finished the book and
project on time!
And… I had decided to take a
road trip. Yes, I traveled 7+ hours to join the group at Allegory Gallery in
Ligonier, PA. It was so great to meet Andrew, Laurel, Amy, Terri and Connie. We
enjoyed Andrew’s hospitality, including the yummy peach cobbler and interesting
chocolate “wedding cake”. Thanks to Amy and Laurel for running down to the ice
cream shop.
For the month of July Andrew
chose the book, The Cookbook Collector,
by Allegra Goodman. It is the story of
two sisters who are very different from each other. Emily is the corporate CEO
during the rapid growth of technology, while Jess, the philosophy major is the
perennial scholar/environmentalist. As Goodman introduces her many characters,
you wonder what their connection will be. The free-spirited Jess spoke to me
early on. I went in search of the “Green Girl” pendant I purchased a few years
ago, but could figure out how to use. It’s a rather large, heavy rectangle,
with 2 holes on top and 3 on the bottom. When I reread the quote on the back I
knew it was perfect for Jess!
My goal this month was to
work out of my stash. The conch shell on the front of the pendant steered me
toward a ‘beachy’ theme. Out came the larimar I purchased in the Dominican
Republic. I challenged myself to work “outside the box”, or should I say “outside
my box”. The finished piece is asymmetrical or
unbalanced.
I also wanted to to showcase some wirework and be a little more creative this time. I've included wirewrapped sections of beads, handcrafted links and connectors.
Finally, I created a simple pair of earrings with my handcrafted earwires.
Check Andrew Thornton's blog for more information and links to the other members of the group.
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
These are beautiful! I'm so sorry I missed the chance to meet you. Hopefully you'll be able to make another road trip down at another time. Hope you enjoyed your time here in western PA!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Melissa. My trip was way too short. It was great to meet those who were able to attend. I do plan to make the trip again sometime.
DeleteOh nicely done! The asymmetry is great... And the larimar is delicious. Having read the book ages ago I didn't remember a beach theme - but the quote so reminds me of Jess... Awesome.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jennifer! You're right - the book did not have a beach theme. My inspiration was all abou the quote on the pendant. I "went beachy" with my stone choice because of the conch shell on the front
DeleteLovely, elegant and long which I really like. Love the message on the Green Girl pendant and how it fits Jess so well. I really liked this book and the way each character chose to find his or her way. I like the way your necklace mirrors this message in your search to find your way and make challenges for yourself and your jewelry.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful comment, Mary. I wanted to know more about Jess as I read the book and was almost disappointed when the story veered away from her.
DeleteI identified with Jess also. The quote on your pendant befits her well. Lovely necklace you created.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary!
DeleteIsn't it wonderful when the things in our stash speak to us... sometimes year later. I think the pendant is a perfect mantra for Jess's character. And I think your necklace is really lovely. I hope you continue to experiment and make asymmetrical pieces, because this one turned out so nice!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you so much for traveling all the way to see us! It was nice to get to know you better and spend time getting to know one another. I do hope that you'll get to come back again. And thank you so much for participating!