Going To Jackson

I’m busy busy building inventory for the little show I am doing at my friend Christy Sing’s hatshop in Jackson, WY on February 22nd (come one and all!!!). And since this is the second show I have done in the span of a year, the other being at the Filson flagship store in Seattle last spring, I want to tell you what these shows mean to me as a working artist!

I’m not a full time, working artist living in an urban setting. I am a full time, working artist who is a jeweler, photographer and writer as well as a farm operator/manager and a smokejumper wife. I am alone here six months of the year — during the growing season, specifically — most of my best friends live a goodly distance from me in neighboring states and countries. I am alone. A lot. In short, though I do identify as an introvert and classify myself as a gregarious hermit (because I am also the life of a party), I am in danger of being too isolated. Last year I decided I wanted to try to do two shows a year wherein I get to meet and brush shoulders with faraway friends and supporters. And I hoped to be able to do those shows in shops and small businesses that belong to dear friends.

I am not planning on doing art shows on a regular basis but I do want to climb up out of my hide-y-hole a couple times a year to meet as many of you as possible, face to face.

I’d like to do a show in Santa Fe in the year to come and I would like to make my way over to the East Coast for a little show, too. Doing these shows, preparing for them, building inventory for them is tremendously energetic work. I really pour myself out. I must rigidly apply myself to a daily routine — eating healthy, exercising as much as possible, maintaining good sleep habits, while working at my bench as much as possible. I have to prevent my body from breaking down after hours and hours of hunching over my work while attempting to grow my inventory on a daily basis. I usually only have 1.5-2 months to build inventory for these shows and I build my inventory from scratch because I never have anything on hand! It’s SO MUCH FUN. I try to create batch designs so that I have some-of-a-kinds to offer as well as a fleet of one of a kind work.

Something I really like about preparing for these shows is that I allow myself to fully disappear into my work while I am creating and holding onto this much inventory. Life becomes very simple and clear.

Eat, sleep, run, create.

I know that not everyone can make it to these little shows and I can comprehend that that might frustrate some people but I am a better artist and jeweler for doing these shows as well as a better human. When I meet you face to face, it feels really good to my soul. When I get to watch you handle my work, try jewelry on and react to something you deeply connect with it’s extremely magical for me. You’re real!!! I’m real too. All of this is real!!! These shows really serve my own heart in a massive way. I am physically exhausted when they are over but deeply energized and stimulated by so much wonderful contact with amazing people. Thank you for considering coming to Jackson to see me. I can’t wait to see you.