News

First Friday Firsts: Popcorn and a Movie in a Ring

Posted on by Nancy Lee

First Friday is my one and only Open House per month. After eight years of being on deck most every first Friday of that month, I mixed things up a good bit late this summer. I had entered a piece in a juried exhibition at Gallery 924, the fine art gallery run by the tremendous people at the Arts Council of Indianapolis, and it was accepted. But how to be two places at once? I really wanted to go see my work in a fine art gallery setting, and knew that I also harbored the desire to meet the woman behind the idea for the exhibition: Sara Urist Green of the PBS online show The Art Assignment. So, I decided it wasn’t an either-or situation. It was going to be BOTH.
Friday’s excitement started with my escape plan – a few minutes before 6:00PM, I ran out the front door of my building, and smack into two dear friends who lived hours away – only to find out they had moved back to Indy! Into my studio we went, and chatted for a good twenty minutes. Sublime. Then, off to Gallery 924!
Upon arriving, I saw several people I knew and said hello, then went on the hunt for my work – a ring names “Popcorn and a Movie,” dreamed up just for this show. There it was, in the locking display case I had scoured the earth for (thank you, Aronstam Jewelers!).

Popcorn and a Movie Ring, Sterling, gold, pearls

Only someone else’s work was sitting next to mine. A shock, for sure, but what can you do? I survived my ego attack and moved on. Then I spotted Sarah Urist Green and moved in to introduce myself. I was saved from that by a friend I had worked with at the IMA – she gave me a brilliant introduction. Thrilling and a tad bit starstruck, I still managed to hold up my end of an interesting convo on the arts, most especially women in the arts and opportunities to make work, make fun work from The Art Assignment prompts, and actually showing that work in a curated gallery setting. Non-traditional work in non-traditional venues is the wave of the future, however, getting people together in the way we were together on Friday evening was a rare and wonderful treat for me.
Hoping to be involved in some way with a future Art Assignment! To learn more about the Art Assignment that led to the making of Popcorn and a Movie, read on…
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News, Studio News and Notes, The Muse, Updates

Fixing What’s Broke

Posted on by Nancy Lee

It’s easy to have passion for working in metal – my chosen path. What’s not always easy is the attendant challenges that come from pursuing my passion fully and the hard work that it takes. Bookkeeping, sweeping floors, and rebuilding a broken website  aren’t high on my list of things in which I care to specialize, but I do them because they are a means to an end. It has to do with creating a lifestyle that I’m more comfortable living in than the one the corporate word offered me. It has to do with bringing my work out to you. It has to do with making the effort to put myself out there no matter how unprepared I feel.

So, if you’re reading this, I’m several months into rebuilding my website, and this is my first blog post on it! And there is a long, long way to go. I have a list of 8 more things that need to work better – such as, what’s up the with the “this is a demo store for testing purposes – no orders shall be fulfilled.”? Bull doodie! I want to fill orders and I have two items in the shop right now – go on and check it. But that stupid banner won’t go away. Probably something I stumbled upon early on in the webgame and thought would be a good idea. And now it is not.

I’d love to hear your feedback on what you like and what you don’t and what you’d like to see some more of!

Jewelry Notes, Studio News and Notes, The Muse

Time for Custom Jewelry?

Posted on by Nancy Lee

Officially it’s fall. Are you an Autumn person? Golden, green, and red changing leaves crunching underfoot, yellow mums in yards and sidewalk planters, fresh crisp air and all the apples you want.

Skeletons and mock cobwebs in doorways, pumpkins on porches followed by the cornucopia of Thanksgiving. I may be getting ahead of myself talking about Thanksgiving, as I saw people in shorts only yesterday, but it’s coming! If you are a planner, you might already be engaged in holiday information-gathering. Listening to loved ones, awaiting clues as to what they might like, what might make a nice present. You might even be engaged in some early holiday gift-buying.

Progress photo for a custom pendant set with ironstone by Nancy Lee

Many of my lovely clients have handmade in mind during the gift-giving season ahead. Or, they may have a special occasion and want a custom pair of earrings or pendant for themselves. The custom jewelry process can seem full of mystery. I like to make it easy and fun – it’s jewelry! The process starts with a conversation, and flows smoothly from there. My clients are updated with progress photos taken from my workbench, like the photo above. In the end, you have a one-of-a-kind piece that you can be proud to wear or give.

Custom Ironstone Pendant (c) Nancy Lee

My son never leaves the house without that pendant. It means more to him than any gift we’ve given him . – Curt Boehm, Danville, Illinois

My clients often tell me that the piece I made for them is a favorite, they always receive compliments when they wear it, and (best of all) it’s a family heirloom!
Start a conversation of your own. Click the “contact” tab at the left and I’ll get back in touch with you right away.