I have been a quiet girl this Summer.
With my nose firmly placed against the grindstone, I have been forging new paths for After Dark Jewelry while practicing new skills in photography and web manipulation. The outcome: I am FINALLY able to announce the arrival of brand new designs on www.afterdarkjewelry.com! I have spent the past two months elbow deep in photos and web code and have begun the process of posting all of my latest jewels up on the site, with many more to be added daily. I am also enhancing all of the best-selling designs already on the website and am posting new photos as the improved versions are created, many of which have been posted as of this writing. What a massive undertaking this has been! I do hope you enjoy After Dark Jewelry's new and improved website; there are constant additions to come in the following weeks.
However, I have much more to share with you, my friends. It has been a flurry of activity in and out of the bungalow this summer as I was whisked off to New York City for a whirlwind mini-break, complete with behind the scenes action at Christie's Auction House and the American Museum of Natural History! After Dark Jewelry was also a vendor at Austin's 2009 Bat Fest this past August. What could be better than a day with the bats? I have many photos and stories to share with you in the near future.
In the meantime, I shall leave you with my sincere thanks for your continued support; your blog comments, messages and emails are a treasured highlight of every day, especially when I have difficulty seeing around the mountain of photos and web code filling up my wee bungalow on every side.
A small taste of the new collection for your enjoyment, now up at www.afterdarkjewelry.com :
Missing You,
Natasha
www.afterdarkjewelry.com
Friday, October 2, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Studio After Dark: The Unveiling
Creativity - like human life itself - begins in darkness.
~ Julia Cameron
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath.
Taste the muddled darkness of your mind.
Then...
A spark.
See the tunnel in the distance?
That pinpoint of light so far away?
Can you catch it?
Can you mold it?
Do you have something to say?
Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.
~ George Bernard Shaw
In the quiet solitude of my studio I close the door to the noise of the world and attempt to convey with my hands what my mouth often can not. Childhood struggles, spiritual scars, artistic enlightenment and the mysteries of the universe serve as sources of inspiration as I sit at my desk early each morning.
What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit.
~John Updike
There are those who can produce astounding works of art at any time, in any place. I am NOT one of those people. My creativity is sometimes precariously balanced on the head of a pin. However, I have found a key to unlocking my creative potential -- THE STUDIO. Would you please be so kind as to join me on a tour of my creative space?
My studio is like my mind -- eccentric and cluttered and seemingly full of contrasting ideas. Currently I am working on two collections: one is based on anatomy, and the other is inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites. Quite an unusual combination!
Finished anatomical piece - Time in a Bottle
Newly created Pre-Raphaelite jewelry still on the work table
My favorite part of the studio is a beautifully hand-painted vintage cabinet which I use as my clay and paint desk. It is also instrumental in hiding away the massive amount of tools I have collected over the years. Barrett and I found a matching set of these Medieval cabinets sitting abandoned in a warehouse and promptly adopted them. The brother to this piece makes a comfortable home in the living room as our entertainment center.
They need a bit of TLC but are so unique and utterly inspiring.
Inside view of Medieval cabinet
Stuffed with supplies! (My paint drawer)
The working side of my clay desk, with assorted tools and jewelry projects in various stages of completion.
My inspiration board
Front and back view of pendants in progress on the work table
Pile of clay jewelry cuffs that haven't passed the test. I keep my mistakes as visual aides to help remember 'What NOT to do'.
Anatomical illustration hidden inside each cuff -- depicts the physical transformation of the body when strict corsetry is practiced over time.The artist must summon all his energy, his sincerity, and the greatest modesty in order to shatter the old cliches that come so easily to hand while working, which can suffocate the little flower that does not come, ever, the way one expects.
~ Henri Matisse
My bead station -- always messy! Finished jewelry hangs temporarily from hooks on the wall. I keep all of my findings, beads, and stones in large organizers with drawers for easy access.
A few of my more interesting book shelves. I also have dozens of jewelry, clay, altered art and mixed media books and find them extremely useful when practicing new techniques. My first piece of advice: research, research, research!
I have a habit of arranging all my books in this manner because I am so inspired by the appearance of antique books as well as cover art in general. What an intriguing painting this grouping creates!
A wall of 'family portraits' near Barrett's desk.
A comfy nook to catch up on my blog reading.
One of my first violins takes its place on the wall, along with a vintage newspaper clipping. I enjoy mixing 3D elements with flat images.
Some of my favorite studio oddities.
Recently completed jewelry still lays on the work table -- just finished these pieces yesterday.Any great work of art... revives and re-adapts time and space, and the measure of its success is the extent to which it makes you an inhabitant of that world - the extent to which it invites you in and lets you breathe its strange, special air.
~Leonard Bernstein
~Leonard Bernstein
Warm Wishes,
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Ants After Dark: The Main Event
Guest Blogger: Barrett Klein
Allow me to introduce myself. As a relative newcomer to After Dark, and to Natasha's fabulous life, I happily and humbly invite you into my world of embracing science and art. Growing up with a family of artists, it was natural for me to spend time in my father's art gallery or surrounded by my mother's artwork. My identical twin brother is a brain imaging scientist and professor at Columbia University and my older sister is a marvelous musician and luthier at her violin shop, Korinthian Violins. As for me, at five years old I became enamored with insects and have retained a love of insects ever since. Almost everything I have accomplished, from making natural history displays at Chase Studio and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), to teaching and conducting behavioral research, has revolved around insects.
Creating dung beetles for the Hall of Biodiversity. Photo: Denis Finnin, AMNH
Praying mantis in the Hall of Biodiversity, AMNH.
Battling scarab beetles. Photo: Denis Finnin, AMNH
While my dissertation involves SLEEP behavior in honey bees...
Barrett in Germany
Sleeping Bees
Thermal Bees
It is difficult to focus exclusively on my honey bees when so many opportunities arise bringing science and art together. Here are two:
Faux Frogs -- the study of mate selection by female frogs in Panama, using robots. I make the frogs and Joey Stein (of Moey Inc) makes a computer-controlled unit that regulates the singing and inflation of the faux frog's vocal sac.
Faux Frog
Illustrating a damselfly field guide, written by John Abbott:
It was only natural for me to be drawn to Natasha and to After Dark's creations. With an affection and admiration for nature, Natasha shares my desire to uniquely and esthetically incorporate and highlight nature in art. It is a privilege for me to join After Dark and to be able to introduce myself to you, After Dark's international family.
Now that you know who I am, I can share with you one odd evening here at After Dark:
Readings, simultaneously in French and English: Bernard Weber's Empire of the Ants.
Potluck: Feast befitting of ants, including Liz M's Ants on Logs.
Films: Our cinematic entertainment included The Naked Jungle, followed by Phase IV.
The Naked Jungle: 1954 classic in which Charlton Heston is no match for either a raiding mass of Amazonian army ants OR the acting skills of his female lead.
Phase IV is a 1974 trippy feature starring an inexplicable (and, for the most part, unexplained) takeover of planet Earth by an unprecedented association of different ant species (led by a spider wasp queen, for good measure). The arms race between a pair of human scientists and their intelligent ant adversaries inspired awe, fear, and respect (if not from some of our audience, at least from the scientists within the film). The classic film THEM! would be left for Ants: The Sequel, to be planned at a later date.
The MAIN EVENT for the evening, however was a test of wits and skills. We set up the equivalent of an 800 meter human sprint competition, but instead of pitting one political regime against another, we set up a single elimination tournament across SPECIES of ants.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1: Collect ants from front yard. Upon cursory examination, you might naively assume that a tiny ant is a tiny ant and that your front yard consists of one species of tiny ant. Take a closer look. We used vials, a magnifier (20x with LED light), and gathered five species of ants belonging to four different genera within minutes of starting our search. (If you don't have an expert ant biologist on hand, distinguish species by gross anatomical differences, being careful not to race one member of a colony against her larger sister).
Step 2: Ant wrangling. Insert one ant from each genus into one end of a clear PVC tube, small diameter preferable. Pinch tube both behind and in front of ant until the racing gun goes off. Dramatically fling currency on racing table (for effect), choose sides, and feel the weight of imminent victory or defeat in the air.
Step 3: Once a victor has been determined for each heat, continue until one champion obliterates her competition, then allow your adrenaline levels to drop, and carefully return each ant to her respective point of collection in the front yard.
Tree-dwelling, common predator of unusual size and uncanny ability, the carpenter ant is able to surmount vertical surfaces with aplomb. This ant is known to unmercifully chomp wood.
Twisting, weaving, and evasively maneuvering, the acrobat ant dances with unpredictable grace. She holds her rear end high over her body while on the run.
The bane of many humans, this fiery mound-builder should serve as a harsh reminder that this ant is not to be trifled with.
Miniscule, will this tiny adversary overcome her larger competition? Before you dismiss her, remember Bruce Lee's sage advice when locals were betting on fighting mantids in Enter the Dragon.
Who was our Austin ant CHAMPION?
Stay tuned for the answer in the next blog installment...
and feel free to cast YOUR vote!
Allow me to introduce myself. As a relative newcomer to After Dark, and to Natasha's fabulous life, I happily and humbly invite you into my world of embracing science and art. Growing up with a family of artists, it was natural for me to spend time in my father's art gallery or surrounded by my mother's artwork. My identical twin brother is a brain imaging scientist and professor at Columbia University and my older sister is a marvelous musician and luthier at her violin shop, Korinthian Violins. As for me, at five years old I became enamored with insects and have retained a love of insects ever since. Almost everything I have accomplished, from making natural history displays at Chase Studio and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), to teaching and conducting behavioral research, has revolved around insects.
Creating dung beetles for the Hall of Biodiversity. Photo: Denis Finnin, AMNH
Praying mantis in the Hall of Biodiversity, AMNH.
Battling scarab beetles. Photo: Denis Finnin, AMNH
Barrett in Germany
Sleeping Bees
Thermal BeesFaux Frogs -- the study of mate selection by female frogs in Panama, using robots. I make the frogs and Joey Stein (of Moey Inc) makes a computer-controlled unit that regulates the singing and inflation of the faux frog's vocal sac.
Faux Frog
It was only natural for me to be drawn to Natasha and to After Dark's creations. With an affection and admiration for nature, Natasha shares my desire to uniquely and esthetically incorporate and highlight nature in art. It is a privilege for me to join After Dark and to be able to introduce myself to you, After Dark's international family.
Now that you know who I am, I can share with you one odd evening here at After Dark:
The night we celebrated ANTS.
The occasion? Fellow ant biologist Sasha M. is moving. A festival honoring ants (and Sasha) was long overdue. The venue? After Dark's H.Q., nestled in the pulsating heart of Austin. How to celebrate our ubiquitous neighbors, those six-legged animals with a keen sense of smell, efficient division of labor, and profoundly social organization? We decided that a fitting honor would take several forms through the night, including what must be Austin's very first ANT OLYMPIAD, followed by readings, and potluck film feast! As an entomologist interested in insects' impact on human culture, I had an easy time selecting the haute couture for the phantasmagoria: Readings, simultaneously in French and English: Bernard Weber's Empire of the Ants.
Potluck: Feast befitting of ants, including Liz M's Ants on Logs.
Films: Our cinematic entertainment included The Naked Jungle, followed by Phase IV.
The Naked Jungle: 1954 classic in which Charlton Heston is no match for either a raiding mass of Amazonian army ants OR the acting skills of his female lead.
Phase IV is a 1974 trippy feature starring an inexplicable (and, for the most part, unexplained) takeover of planet Earth by an unprecedented association of different ant species (led by a spider wasp queen, for good measure). The arms race between a pair of human scientists and their intelligent ant adversaries inspired awe, fear, and respect (if not from some of our audience, at least from the scientists within the film). The classic film THEM! would be left for Ants: The Sequel, to be planned at a later date.
The MAIN EVENT for the evening, however was a test of wits and skills. We set up the equivalent of an 800 meter human sprint competition, but instead of pitting one political regime against another, we set up a single elimination tournament across SPECIES of ants.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1: Collect ants from front yard. Upon cursory examination, you might naively assume that a tiny ant is a tiny ant and that your front yard consists of one species of tiny ant. Take a closer look. We used vials, a magnifier (20x with LED light), and gathered five species of ants belonging to four different genera within minutes of starting our search. (If you don't have an expert ant biologist on hand, distinguish species by gross anatomical differences, being careful not to race one member of a colony against her larger sister).
Step 2: Ant wrangling. Insert one ant from each genus into one end of a clear PVC tube, small diameter preferable. Pinch tube both behind and in front of ant until the racing gun goes off. Dramatically fling currency on racing table (for effect), choose sides, and feel the weight of imminent victory or defeat in the air.
Step 3: Once a victor has been determined for each heat, continue until one champion obliterates her competition, then allow your adrenaline levels to drop, and carefully return each ant to her respective point of collection in the front yard.
THE PLAYERS:
Tree-dwelling, common predator of unusual size and uncanny ability, the carpenter ant is able to surmount vertical surfaces with aplomb. This ant is known to unmercifully chomp wood.
Twisting, weaving, and evasively maneuvering, the acrobat ant dances with unpredictable grace. She holds her rear end high over her body while on the run.
The bane of many humans, this fiery mound-builder should serve as a harsh reminder that this ant is not to be trifled with.
Miniscule, will this tiny adversary overcome her larger competition? Before you dismiss her, remember Bruce Lee's sage advice when locals were betting on fighting mantids in Enter the Dragon.
Who was our Austin ant CHAMPION?
Stay tuned for the answer in the next blog installment...
and feel free to cast YOUR vote!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Hope After Dark: The Welcoming
Sometimes, you just KNOW you've made the right decision. A pivotal fork rises from the ground and splits your life into two potential paths, and a choice must be made. Night sweats and daymares persist through the first tentative step into new territory. Only then, when you are in your most vulnerable state -- when there is no turning back and you've plunged head first onto the asphalt, hoping to escape the transition with only a skinned elbow or two -- do you you actually find out if you've chosen the correct path.
And then the sun comes out and slaps you on the ass. The planets align, the tiki gods grin in your direction, and you realize you should have moved to Austin six months ago.
Hope no doubt faced similar angst when driving cross-country to work for an eccentric accessory designer she'd not yet met, leaving her fiance, family and friends to spend three months in After Dark Jewelry Land. Wanting to leave a sunny first impression, I whisked her off to Mayfield Park for a picnic with the peacocks.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost
Warmth and Love,
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