I am really excited about the next show we are going to have in the space that has since been named Iceolated Article! Andrea Woodard will be showing prints from her "Walls" series, as well as have some Zines and unmatted prints for sale. Norah Caldwell, who is as I write, showing her work at Strut fashion show in Richmond. With Jenny You, one of my sister's roomates as a model. Norah will have all kinds of funky jewelry ranging from $10 rings to $1000 mokume necklaces. We will once again be having a first Friday opening, April 2nd 5-9pm, with hours also on Saturday the 3rd from 1-5pm.
I am currently in the process of moving my studio into the gallery, and although I will not have much new work per se, I have been working on a lot of projects that I am excited to share with everyone. Today I began the long and painful process of putting together an online store. Website building is sucking the life out of me, but I have faith that it will all be worth it shortly. Thanks for hanging in there. For now this is it, www.elainerb.com no longer exists. In my quest to become a retail store/studio/gallery, I have told many local artists that I would like to show their work. And although many people seem excited, I have only had one amazing person come through. Kristi Totoritis is now showing her girly glass ($12-$40) and recycled skate deck bracelets!($13 or 2 for $20)

I am super stoked for next Friday, I know that its going to be so much better than last month, and I also know that through time this is going to be a really great space that will be hopefully be attracting makers of all sorts, although primarily utilitarian design.

Ahh, I almost forgot. Check out this video of me that the fine boys at Squid and Beard made!!!
http://vimeo.com/10138226 password, glass

Hope to see you all on Friday

my show!!!!

So, the show went amazingly well, it was totally worth the wait. It was so wonderful to have Erin and Andrew there with me all night. Lots of great friends came to see the work, and lots of randoms found their way in too.
Plus I got the most amazing surprise, Lane and Michelle came to visit me from Richmond, I had no idea that they were coming. It was such a love fest, and these are my favorite events.

Thanks guys for coming and being excited about what Im doing, I got my business license in the mail the other day, and I am now the proud business owner of a retail store named Isolated Article. Of course the store isnt all put together yet, but its in the works. You cannot rush these things.
The next show that we are working on will be April 2nd, and include work from Andrea Woodard, Norah Caldwell, and myself. There is room for others in upcoming shows, plus I'm looking for stuff for the store, so email me if you are interested. elaine072@gmail.com

love

studio show

So Im finally having my show this Friday evening. Today they were tearing up the street in front of our building, and I was thinking...oh no, if the climate isnt going to stop me than man will. Not sure yet, but Im assuming its all going to work out. Not worth stressing.

Also, Ive been saying NO to going out and getting drinks with friends, which means Ive been working non stop, and my only connection to people is email and texting. Its probably better that way, I feel amazing.

Ive got lots of new stuff, working on a line of jewelry using found objects, mostly stones, cameos and pearls. Also, as I was coldworking some cups and glass dinos today I was thinking, "you know this guy could use a blingin gold chain" so thats one of the things that Im going to do tonight, make some obnoxious jewelry for my dinosaurs and caterpillars.

almost march

Ive been taking advantage of the space allotted me, and experimenting with first 2d designs and also store front design. I have ultimately had more failure than success, but that's how it is for most things. For this piece, I was inspired by the work of Jose Parla. However for my piece, I used spray snow and ice in a can. The "snow" is more like a dry spray paint, but the "ice" is runny and wet, with lots of stringy texture bits. That was really the fun stuff that added dimension and interest. Then I cranked up pandora and used a broken chopstick to etch thoughts and song lyrics over and over piling up the text. Every once in a while I sprayed a new coat or when outside to see that there was not yet enough. The only problem with the finished piece as I see it, is that from the road it looks like an uneven coat of white spray paint. But I think that from the sidewalk, close up it looks really fantastic. This image is taken from inside of the building, you can see Mc Guffy's shadow in the background.

On a scale I would say that the success of this piece is a 7. and that is just because it looks kind of like a mess from far away. Lesson learned.

This chair was shown to me by a friend of mine, Devon. Its a similar, and much more successful counter part to something that I had struggled with in school. The idea of blending blown glass and chair. I think that this artist did an amazing job with the concept, and Im so glad that I am able to see a successful image of something that haunted me for such a long time.

Being trained as a jeweler in school I have a very mild exposure to a great many processes and techniques. One of which is setting stones. Ive made bezel settings, and done a bit with trapping, but thats about it. So for basket settings, which can be modified to create any prong setting, although it works better for larger stones, I use this website every time.

Today I had some guys from a project called squid and beard come into my studios to film a documentary short. I had a really great experience, but also a bit awkward and nerve wracking into how to act and what to do. Its such a strange feeling to be watched. I feel the need to both show off and be natural at the same time, which is quite difficult and can often add to tripping all over ones self. I think mine went alright though.

instead

So Im quickly discovering that blogs are more of a one way conversation. However post whatever you like. Thanks Olivia, I have no idea how others can become posters too. Perhaps a different site. Good enough.

Last night I made these rings. Sterling silver and Peridot. Im wearing them now. although they are really fun too look at and wear they are more dress up rings than everyday wear. However I am discovering the beauty of having blingin rings. With jewelry such as earrings and necklaces, the beauty of it is for the onlooker, not the wearer. Rings are primarily for the wearer to admire. And something that I often forget is too keep rotating rings and keep them interesting, because they are something that I see everyday. I ususally dont make too many rings because they are less universal in the sizing, but I believe that Ive been having the same problem with necklaces recently. I generally make necklaces at a length that I feel comfortable in, which is generally 14 inches. However when I see them on other people, they sometimes look like chokers, which is not the look that Im going for. Adjustable sizing your my only friend.

Last week I cast this sink counter. I did it using these two different resins. We had thought that 2 boxes of the Artistocrat was enough, but I ended up getting 2 more boxes of the Glaze coat too. Look at these boxes, one looks like fruit candy, and the other is telling you to pour it over your entire table, lamp and knick knacks included. What I learned about this stuff: 1. make sure your surface is level, 2. and free of holes. My surface of course was neither of these things.

Basically the pour-on is like a 2 part casting plastic that is perfectly clear and takes about half a day to dry. I would like to do some experiments with it in a mold to see if you can cast objects into it as well,however I dont think that it sets up fast enough to cast anything hollow. My counter top took about 10 hours to be fully dry at about 1/2 an inch thick. I think there are lots of really amazing possibilities and experimentation possible though.






I was at Miller's the other night for and sitting behind us there was a couple with this Lynx and cub made of rabbit fir sitting on their table. Weird.

now were a blog

Hi guys.

So, Im starting this group because as time goes on I have become to feel more and more isolated while working in the studio. I used to love sitting in the glass classroom and just working on something for hours as classes started and ended, meals were eaten, ciggs smoked on the roof, beer consumed in crit rooms, conversations and interactions. I miss the interaction and discussion. Everyone here is musicians, I dont know how to talk about music, and they dont know how to talk about art. I have been lucky enough to meet mentors, and I think it is very important to have a community of people who are interested in what you are interested in.

Heres what were going to do. Start posting articles and reading them, and discussing them. The internet allows us to highlight and google names in the articles and look up their work and become enlightened by new artists and thoughts about ways of working. Im excited hope you are too. invite anyone else you want.

first article is:
http://www.juxtapoz.com/Features/interview-with-rj-rushmore
love you guys
e