Orlan Johnson "Pepper Grinder" at the Joyful Jewel 8-27-15

"Pepper Grinder"
Orlan Johnson
Constructed and Turned Wood with Metal Grinder Mechanism

There is still time to get steaks or salmon on the grill for tonight.  This pepper grinder on the picnic table will give an extra dose of freshness to the meal.  Of all the grinders Orlan Johnson has made, I like this one the best for it's darker and wood and copper-colored mechanism.  The swirls in the wood accent the movement of the handle.  Watch out you don't get too much pepper while admiring these things!

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Orlan-Johnson.html

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Pam Epperson "Bird Honey Pot" at the Joyful Jewel 8-23-15

"Bird Honey Pot"
Pam Epperson
Pottery

It's a honey pot!  Pam Epperson has made a turquoise and green lidded pot sporting a curious frog and a hopping bird.  Now it just needs some honey and a spoon to be ready for afternoon tea

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Pam-Epperson.html

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Joseph Sand "Large Vase Mauve Blue Brown Vase" at the Joyful Jewel 8-22-15

Large Mauve, Blue & Brown Vase
Joseph Sand
Pottery

I would call this a large vase by Joseph Sand.  And it is perfectly shaped and the colors are pleasing, soft and blendy.  A model of what a nice sized vase should be.  Yet -- this vase is less than 2' tall, if you go to Joseph's kiln opening this weekend, you see other vases almost as tall as you are!  Here is a YouTube video he made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkdtsmUaAGI

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Joseph-Sand.html

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Rita Baldwin "Sitting on the Edge" at the Joyful Jewel 8-21-15

"Sitting on the Edge"
Rita Baldwin
Oil Painting

Here kitty kitty.  Looking pensive yet alert, a beauty "Sitting on the Edge" in Rita Baldwin's painting, I think she would rather smell the flowers than come over to say hello.  There is a lesson in this.

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Rita-Baldwin.html

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Wendy Wilkins "Purple Flower" Mug at the Joyful Jewel 8-20-15

Purple Flower Mug
Alcohol Inks on Ceramic

Working with alcohol inks, Wendy Wilkins produced the exceptionally vibrant painting on this mug. Surely that buttery yellow warms the coffee of tea inside.  And you'll get to savor the purple flowers with each sip!

Wendy Wilkins earned her MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill and is the owner of WHW Studios, a giftware company featuring her vibrant nature-inspired art.  With a boundless imagination that refuses to sit quietly in the background, this left-handed daydreamer creates bold and colorful worlds on canvas and in novels.

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Wendy-Wilkins.html

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Terri Lange "Black Tie" at the Joyful Jewel 8-19-15

"Black Tie"
Terri Lange
Acrylic Painting

Terri Lange calls this abstract painting "Black Tie" and I can see the formality of it.  Also, the passion of the red "scarf" makes me think of a special prom night, full of kisses and dips on the dance floor!  I enjoy making up my own stories to abstract pieces but do appreciate a title that I can attach a story to.  Thank you Terri for this vivid image.

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Terri-Lange.html

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Terry Perkinson "Jo Jo the Gremlin" at the Joyful Jewel 8-16-15

"Jo Jo the Gremlin"
Terry Perkinson
Green & Blue Patterned Wool, Nylon Sweater, Cotton Batik Fabric, & Other

I know a little girl who got "Olivia Owl" for her birthday and I know that this owl will be so well loved.  Who will love this Jo Jo Gremlin by Terry Perkinson.  Made with love from an old nylon sweater and batik fabric -- and with a face, well you know -- only a mother could love! Awaiting adoption and a full beautiful life.

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Terry-Perkinson.html

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Patrick Hitesman "Summer Vacation Imbibing" at the Joyful Jewel 8-15-15

Summer Vacation Imbibing
Patrick Hitesman
Painting

With his summer vacation about to be over, art teacher Patrick Hitesman, must already be missing the extra time for the pursuits pictured in these of his paintings!  Leisurely sipping on the sail boat, sharing grapes with his beloved, watching the antics of his children while sipping a beer - let's hope he will still make some time for these as school starts again!

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Patrick-Hitesman.html

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Roberta Kraitsik "Knit Washcloths" at the Joyful Jewel 8-13-15

Knit Washcloths
Roberta Kraitsik
Acrylic Knit

These are the best washcloths ever!  I used to get them from my mother in law.  She is gone now so I am glad that Roberta Kraitsik still makes them.  Colorful and with just enough "bite" from the weave to scrub bits of food off the plates. Not high art, but certainly a traditional craft well worth having, and each one is unique.

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Roberta-Kraitsik.html

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Carolyn Levy "Lidded Turtle Box" at the Joyful Jewel 8-12-15

"Lidded Turtle Box"
Carolyn Levy
Pottery, ~ 4" x 6"

A sea turtle swims gracefully along the front side, and again in sepia on one of the other sides, of this clay lidded box by Carolyn Levy.  The perfectly fitting and elaborately adorned lid is easy to remove and replace with it's finial and the whole box sits securely on plump feet.  As is Carolyn's way, there are multiple details in texture and shape on every part of the box.  A surprise inside -- can you guess what neon matte color is there?

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Carolyn-Levy.html

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Judy Hogan "This River" book at the Joyful Jewel 8-11-15

"This River"
by Judy Hogan
book

Wise heart words from Judy Hogan, bravely spoken about an international love affair. "The River" features poetry from one river - The Haw - and another - in Russia.

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Shannon Bueker "Peony & Ghost Hound" at the Joyful Jewel 8-9-15

"Peony & the Ghost Hound"
Shannon Bueker
Watercolor

In this large painting, Shannon Bueker has painted magic!  The peony is bold as it should be and is being sharply eyed by an ethereal being, the Ghost Hound.  Some of you writers out there, please tell more the story. Surely this could be a whole novel, spiritual fantasy -- and you'd already have the book cover!

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Shannon-Bueker.html

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Nancy Smith "Migration" at the Joyful Jewel 8-8-15

"Migration"
Nancy L. Smith
Bees Wax Collage

This is a brand new and lovely media for painting Nancy Smith.  The process is interesting and here is what Nancy says about bees wax painting:

Bees Wax Collage is a hot wax art form using pure bees wax as a glue to attach collage elements (most often papers) to a surface. It is different from encaustic art which also uses bees wax though not in its pure form.  With encaustic, bees wax is mixed with resins to form different colors that are then heated and painted on a surface. With bees wax collage, color can be achieved by using different colored papers that are applied in layers along with the heated bees wax. Each layer is burnished and after cooling is buffed to a transparent sheen. Some papers are thin enough that they become almost transparent when the wax is applied so that even with the addition of multiple layers, one can see all the way through to the bottom layer. This is a very durable art form (when kept away from a heat source) with some pieces still in existence dating back to 200 BC.

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Nancy-Smith.html

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Susan Ketchin "The Christ-Haunted Landscape" at the Joyful Jewel 8-6-15

"The Christ-Haunted Landscape: Faith and Doubt in Southern Fiction"
by Susan Ketchin
book

Have you ever wondered about the inspiration writers call upon?  Susan Ketchin has explored the topic "Faith and Doubt in Southern Fiction" in her book "The Christ Haunted Landscape."  In it are her deeply thoughtful commentaries and insightful interviews with twelve popular southern writers.  As her one reviewer said "Susan Ketchin leaves no doubt that old-time religions remain a potent force in the literature of the contemporary South."

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Kate Ladd "Drowning in Words" at the Joyful Jewel 8-5-15

"Drowning in Words"
Kate Ladd
Acrylic and Mixed Media Collage

The first thing I thought about in reading Kate Ladd's title, "Drowning in Word" is that music can take the place of words.  Yet as I looked closely in the collage there are pages from old songbooks as well as from an old dictionary mixed in among, a full-overly full--brain, and pictures of philosophers and so much more.  The drowning may be from too much thinking and I can certainly understand the perils in that.  What a great reminder to slow down, to parse down words and thinking to what one really wants to say or peruse, and even to encourage music to it's jazzy no-word flittings.  From one avid reader and music lover to another, Kate, I see that spacious silence and dreamy nothingness is calling.

http://www.joyfuljewel.com/Rita-Baldwin.html

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