Why Ring A Week?- Blog Carnival

Our first RAW Blog Carnival!
What was your inspiration for participating in RAW?

RAD #1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markasky/sets/72157613803257694/

Near the end of Ring A Day a feeling of relief settled in, shortly followed by a feeling of panic. I was tired of making a ring a day, but I wasn't tired of getting on my computer everyday to see what everyone made, and hearing what comments and support I was getting for my Ring of the Day. It was a little scary to think about losing the connections that were formed. It made working alone in my studio a friendlier place. 

RAW #1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markasky/sets/72157625662614093/

So when Tomi suggested a Ring A Week, well, it seemed like the perfect follow up. Here was a chance to stay connected, and have the time to actually think about and work on more complex ideas or a series of rings. I had gotten some great ideas from RAD, but I really didn't want to make any more pasta or dryer lint rings. It is really fun and inspiring to belong to a group like this sharing a common interest and to have developed so many friendships with people all over the world. It almost seems odd to have such supportive, inspiring, and good friends that I have never met face-to-face. The internet is an amazing place!!  Somehow we should get a group photo!!

Check out how other RAW participants were inspired to join RAW by clicking on the links below:
Marcie Abney - labellajoya.blogspot.com
Joanne Harrill - www.jojobell.com
Thomasin Durgin - www.metalriot.blogspot.com
Amy Nicole - www.rubymtnbeads.blogspot.com
Janice - www.doxallodesigns.blogspot.com
Aleksandra Micic - www.micicart.blogspot.com
Lana Chu - www.ginkgoglass.wordpress.com
Kerry Alice-Twigs and Heather - www.twigsandheather.blogspot.com
Lorena Angulo- blog.lorenaangulo.com/
Kate Jones-- www.katejonesdesign.blogspot.com
Maria Apostolou- www.createjewelry.gr/blog
Sarah Small - www.bysalla.blogspot.com
Rebecca Bogan - www.Adobesol.com/blog
Elaine Luther - www.CreativeTextureTools.com/news
Rebekah Timlin Meddles - www.lunasadesigns.blogspot.com
Laura M (Zoeowyn)- zoeowyn.blogspot.com/
Kimberly (bahamadawn) - www.bahamadawn.blogspot.com
Erin Austin - www.metalmusing.blogspot.com
Catherine Witherell - www.happydayart.typepad.com
Michele Grady- www.michelegradydesigns.blogspot.com 
Joan Furilla - http://jfurilla.wordpress.com/
Kathryn Cole- www.kathryncolejewelry.blogspot.com 
Posted 3 days ago. ( permalink ) 

Is There Life Outside of Metal?

Etsy Metal Blog Carnival -- February 7, 2011

Tell us about other kinds of art and craft you do. What other media do you work and play with? How often do you get to create? Does it relate to or inspire your metalworking?


I've always wanted to open up a store where I would sell art and craft items and have workshops that would teach different media. That way I would have access to everything. It would also satisfy my need to keep buying art and craft items! My house sometimes feels like that store. Over the last 20-30 years, I've tried every media I possibly could.


Lately, metal has definitely taken over my life, it's so easy to combine other media in metal that it seems to satisfy most of those other needs. Adding enameling, I can paint and draw on metal, I can punch holes and sew metal together, I can cast it and use it like clay. I can create small sculptures. I have to say that I'm totally obsessed.

                  

Encaustic Self Portrait

Encaustic Photo Booth

I teach an art class twice a week to disabled and able-bodied teenagers. In creating lessons for the class, I look at other mediums and find myself thinking that this is fun! I need to do more of this. But I usually, only do it in the class. One thing that carried over was working in encaustic, painting with wax. 

From the encaustic you can see two of my other obsessions, self-portraits and photo booth pictures. I have about 40 or 50 strips of photo booth pictures from when I was in college, about 30 years ago (and it only cost $.25!). My friend and I used this as our art medium, our teachers weren't quite so sure about it. I've always done self-portraits, drawing sketching, painting and I still do them on occasion. I have Photo Booth on my Mac (I was very excited to see that!!) and I do use it frequently, with a cache of pictures waiting to be made into something. The pictures don't look quite as good, I guess that's because I'm 30 years older and that camera seems to pick up every detail! The encaustic self portrait was from a picture using Photo Booth.

Metal Photo Strip

My photo booth pictures have totally inspired my metal work. I have used them many times as inspiration. As a matter of fact, I have a whole story about it on my website:       www.evelynmarkasky.com/Site/Photobooth.html


The other thing that I do at least 2-3 times a week is sketch. Of course, that is mostly for ideas for my metalwork. Yes, I am obsessed!!


Please check out the other blogs in the carnival and see how other artists answer this question:


1. kate jones - http://www.katejonesdesign.blogspot.com
2. kathryn cole - http://www.kathryncolejewelry.blogspot.com
3. 2Roses - http://www.JewelryTutorial.blogspot.com
4. Twigs and Heather - http://www.twigsandheather.blogspot.com
5. Erin Austin - http://www.metalmusing.blogspot.com
6. Thomasin Durgin - http://metalriot.blogspot.com
7. Nodeform - http://nodeform.blogspot.com
8. Beth Cyr - http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
9. stacey hansen - http://wildflowerdesigns.blogspot.com
10. Nina Gibson - http://ninagibsondesigns.blogspot.com/
11. elizabeth scott - http://esdesignsjewelry.com/blog
12. Evelyn Markasky - http://markasky.blogspot.com
13. Amanda Conley - http://amandaconley.blogspot.com
14. Jenny Baughman - http://ridgeschool.blogspot.com/
15. Catherine Chandler - http://catherinechandler.blogspot.com/