Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

  During a very brief recent trip to Kansas City Mo. I visited the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art with my nephew Matt as my guide.  Many years ago, when I lived in that area, my mom and I would spend hours there enjoying the sculptures, paintings and architecture.   We spent several  hours enjoying the architecture and art as well as eating lunch in the café next to a fountain. we pretended to be  somewhere in Italy during the 15 th century eating excellent food. Easy to do at that cafe!  The current special exhibit is REFLECTING CLASS IN THE AGE OF REMBRANDT AND VERMEER .  It offers a different way of seeing history as well as appreciating the masters.  http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/exhibitions/ Seeing the actual paintings, the detail of the brush strokes, and the stories was mesmerizing.  I knew how luxurious the laces and fabrics were just by looking.  It was as though I hear the satins moving and the lace fluttering and feel the textures without touching. 

I'm doing the Happy Dance!  It's what happens when a completed project looks like the picture in my head!   As a designer (interior designer or jewelry designer) I generally have a picture in my head that needs to be translated to paper.  It could take the form of a floor plan, a sketch, a collage of ideas.  Once it gets onto paper then the 'how to make it happen' stage takes over and eventually the pieces come together.  Once the project is complete there is  that moment of fear and of anticipation,  The question, "Did I get it right?  Does it work?"That question is always right there no matter how much research, knowledge and talent has gone into the project.  Almost always the completed outcome is within the realm of acceptability. Sometimes I get to do the Happy Dance because it is so close to that picture in my head. Today's post is about sharing the process and the joy in the finished piece with you. My dad was a lapidarist by hobby

  My ‘Silver Bug’ Collection is finished!  It contains 11 silver bug jewelry pieces made with silver metal clay (Art Clay, FYI silver clay and one piece Hadar’s Steel Clay) and it has taken close to a year to complete.  I do admit I worked on it sporadically!  Throughout the process of creating this collection, I took photos and wrote a post about part of it.  http://www.lindabrittdesign.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-making-of-silver-bug.html   Today’s post is an overview.  Yes, the shape and colors of bugs interest me –mainly dead ones. (Not live ones so much - unless we are talking butterflies)  My bug project started as soon as I found some stylized bug stamps at The Art Glitter Co. in Cottonwood AZ.  www.art glitter .com/  I ordered some Art Clay silver metal clay and some FYI silver metal clay and started thinking and sketching.  I wanted dimension and some sparkle in each of the pendants.  For the dimension I cut, dried, carved and layered each bug. Form