final Penlandia post

So I know I've been super behind on blog posts and my last Penland post.  What can I say the holidays are right around the corner and things are about to get cray-cray!!

But nonetheless I'd like to share the last of the Penland posts, with photos taken from the studio visit, and this one below of the River Arts District in Asheville.  

Everytime I go to Asheville there is a new place to visit!

the gorgeous moths (and other bugs) collected at Penland.

Penland Resident Artists studio visits with Dustin Farnsworth (wood) and Micah Evans (Glass)

Creepy cool,  Dustin sculpts the faces from wood!

Micah's glass is just ridiculous, so imaginative and fragile.

And Micah at work, so badass!

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I'll show you mine, if you show me yours

Show n' tell at Penland is alot of fun, it's a very informal exhibition where we get to see what everyone has made over the session. I especially enjoy it because everyone is giddy and excited to talk about the process and geek out over handmade objects.

It's also great because you can buy your friends work and get very beautifully handcrafted pieces for a great price! 

Here are some photos I snapped:

Lillia Hernandez's "Baby Muerte" eye glasses. 

A gut purse!

Fabric sculptures

Letter press and Printmaking. 

Amir talking about his process. 

Very beautiful handmade books.  I LOVED them.

My dear friend Carrrrol talking about her many jewelry pieces.

Folded paper, these were so intricate and a wonder to absorb.

I really loved this book.

Gut sculpture.

Wonderfully abstract paintings. (Ignore that orange cord!)

Iron sandwiches!

Textile samples from Natalie Chanin's class.

Portraiture on clay.  These were wonderful.

My friend Mariah's hand and moth.  She was collecting tons of moths!

This is really adorable, a pop up and cut out Penland postcard.

Funny glass pieces by 'Big' John

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Copper in Glass

This is my friend Alexandra doing her thang, she is a ceramicist by trade but decided to take glass blowing.  This is a piece of glass with copper in it! Whoa, isn't that cool and badass?!



The glass studio at Penland is infamous for always having a good party and jammin out at all hours of the night.
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Romero Gurman Glass studio

Finally, a Mexico post! ha, I know I said I was going to and going to and never got around to it until today! When I arrived in Mexico City, Jesse Bert met me at the airport and we checked into the hotel near the Zocalo (town square). It was an overcast day but the weather was wonderful, cool and breezey (very unlike Greenville, NC).

Jesse and I had time to kill before meeting Lari at the airport (her plane was massively delayed) so we visited Romero Gurman glass studio just on the outskirks of Mexico City.

Gurman and Romero business teamand Jesse Bert
having a good laugh with their adorable son.

Jesse getting a closer look at
Romero Gurman brass set glass production work.

Design process of mixing the glass pieces.

Production closet. I love Deborah Gurman's organization!

Storage bins for the different glass/colors.

A cutting machine, just place your original on the left side
and cut out an exact replica on the right.

A bezel set glass piece in sterling silver.
Gurman fabrics them himself.

Glass beadworking station.

Debora Gurman and Marco Romero are a wonderfully charming and talented husband/wife business team. They teach classes and sell their work in Mexico and internationally. They were so generous in giving me a tour of their studio and soon-to-be workshop space.

Marco is not only a highly skilled glass worker but also in metalsmithing. He has a ridiculous amount of machinery (I was SO envious). I'd estimate about 10 glass kilns, and several soldering stations.

*Side note, their adorable 4 year old son was busy running around playing with the machines.

Not only did the successful couple have an awesome studio, they also are very organized with their production work. Debora was really proud of the way she had the glass jewelry categorized.

And here is a Youtube video of their work:



Hope you enjoy this post!
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Featured Artist: Joshua Craig

Over the past month or so, you may have noticed, I've mentioned Joshua Craig's name several times. He is a new graduate student of ECU's metals and jewelry program. I've gotten to know him more over the past month and seen his influence and presence have an effect in the grad program and also undergrad studio.

Needless to say, I'm very happy he chose to attend ECU. His work is, to use one of my favorite words, KICK-ASS!

I really love his vessels and enamel work. Josh has a great breadth of work - going from chased bowls to thread-wrapped spiculums.

Most recently, he gave me one of his brooches that I was coveting for a long time. I pretty much told him to give it to me but he was very gracious to actually pretend like he didn't notice!!!

Anywho, check out some of his work below...you'll be enchanted.

The brooch above, is simply beautiful.

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