cafe jewel

  

Ask a jeweler to refinish a bar...  I had the chance for Illy Coffee, Tea and Espresso.  Seems more to me like play than work.  Mission: create a self-serve bar to showcase Illy brand merchandise, starting with an existing wood framework (before photo left).  I sanded the painted surface roughly, and applied an "Italian tile" floor vinyl with adhesive and staple gun.  Next I cut aluminum stair edging to cover the seams, and filed all edges so they were soft to the touch.  Finishing up - a stainless steel rail, casters, and some special cafe touches.  Almost want to make another one for myself!  Future photos to come of the final Illy installation.

painting for tania

"Deep water, baby" June 2012  3'x4'acrylic on canvas

In honor of Women's History Month, join us as we celebrate Women in the Arts, March 2-9, 2012 at the Nissan Infinity Gallery in Upper Tumon.  Experience the work of gifted Guam artists through a wide range of media, both two- and three-dimensional.  I'll be exhibiting "Coral Ring" (left), and some other never-before-seen pieces.  This event is sponsored in conjunction with Soroptimist International of Guam, Guam Council of Women's Clubs, Guam Council of the Arts & Humanities Agency.  Opening reception Friday, March 2 at 6:30pm.  Exhibit will be open during regular business hours Monday through Saturday.  

Micronesian Island Fair 2011

           

high waters

Micronesian Island Fair 2011
Flooded out on the first day!  I was blessed to join the passionate Inadahen I Lina'la / Sagan Kotturan Chamoru group of local artists & craftsmen.  A sudden storm flooded most of Ypao on the first day, drenching Guam's school children & closing down the festival within the first few hours of operation.  
With muddy water up to our knees, many vendors closed up shop, but the die-hards made the best of the situation by gathering for a serenade of conch horns & a ceremonial budweiser, talking story into the night.  Ypao became a surreal liquid landscape.  Thankfully the sun came out on the weekend, in time for craft & artifact viewing, live painting by and henna tatu.  

 

etupak by isla rae

Joey Certeza live painting

artifacts & kewpie

two eager future artists

ancient anchor, spondylus, grinding stones. thanks johnnycake!

Joey's mahi

latte, sea & sky by isla rae

her Pohnpeiian name ~ her greatgrandmother's name
by isla rae

Joey's work on me

ray by isla rae

carrying on traditional motifs- painting by Joey Certeza & henna sails by Isla Rae

pugua pouch & stuffed crab

6 conches harmonizing, heaven to my ears

    

Rust & Acrylic

Rust paintings I exhibited at the Micronesian Island Fair. Lionfish camoflague into the patterns of rust printed on the surface.  The rusty pieces of metal used for printing were found at Port Authority on Guam- an area soon to be dredged in preparation for the military buildup- threatening the habitats & breeding grounds of many species of ocean wildlife.  To learn more about the dredging project and its environmental impact ~ http://weareguahan.com/the-issues/apra-harbor/  

Pika's Cafe supports local artists in a big way.  I am thrilled to be this summer's featured local artist.  On display is the Guahan Print Series- a set of 5 original photomontages created with love and passion for our island of Guam.  The five prints include:
Latte Stone ~ "Make Your Mark
Mangoes ~ "Mannge (delicious)
Nunu Tree ~ "Espiritu (spirit)
Sea Turtle ~ "Protehi (protect)
Sunset ~ "Mahalang  (longing for home)
Each 18x24-inch poster is $20. with 1/4 sales going directly to Japan earthquake & tsunami relief efforts.  Sold prepackaged in a rolled tube, these make excellent off-island gifts to bring friends & family a taste of home.
Speaking of taste, Pika's Cafe is the most delicious Chamorro fusion restaurant on island.  The tinaktak burger is served on spongy panini bread, which soaks up the sweet coconut milk making every bite a nostalgic trip.  They can even adapt it veggie-style (which they did for me) substituting a tofusteak doused in the same goodness.  Biba Pika's!

photo by Nahono Tsuruga

A Healing Gift ~ I painted this 5th Chakra on canvas for a friend.  The focus is the thyroid gland, as it sits in the throat, with the vertebral column and clavicles, and the 5th chakra symbol radiating at the top, sealed by silver thumbprints (& some chanting).  I carved the drawing into the painted canvas with a pointed bbq skewer before the paint dried.  The backlit effect was a cool post-discovery.  Now this painting is displayed in her home backlit by a candle.

surprise

Inspiration comes from everywhere.  These pieces of reed & wire are scraps trimmed from a garden screen.  I couldn't help myself, love the raw shapes and feel of these prospective designs.

afternoon drawing game

On the patio with little James, he's 5yrs old ~ He started each drawing with a mark, I would make the next mark, and so on. With a little embellishment per James' requests, we came up with some neat stories. In this one a large fishing boat is determined to catch everything in the sea, even the island on the horizon... but a group of mermaids save the day.

In the second drawing, a factory is polluting the waters of a lake and river, carrying it into the ocean. I saw the recognition in James' eyes when he saw how the pollution got to the sea.  "But who will save the day now?" I ask him...  "Well, the mermaids, of course!"

1,000 Cranes for Japan ~ Silent Auction for Earthquake and Tsunami Relief

Tonight, April 9, 6-9pm at Meskla Chamorro Fusion Bistro, Hagatna, Guam

Entry Donation- $25.-

Local Artists & small businesses pool their wares for this worthy cause. I'll be donating a starfish pendant and earring set, 5 limited edition Guahan series prints, & 2 capiz-shell collage shadowbox frames. I am so happy I have something to give toward the survivors of beloved Japan. I have just arrived back on island, but I heard that there have been many fundraisers for Japan within the past month, and am reminded of how exceptionally giving are the people of Guam. Even in a time of our own struggle, we pull together to help Japan because they mean so much to the island. Just another shout-out for island hospitality and generosity!

------------------------------------------ ~

Happy to say all 5 of the Guahan limited edition series prints were auctioned off, as well as the prints that were there for display! One lucky lady went home with the starfish set, and lots of artwork found new homes.

a sweet black 1000 Cranes Tshirt for a $20. donation- see graphic above, quality excellent.

I know there are more available- inquire here 1000 Cranes for Japan group

Thanks to all who participated in this successful evening : )

Dino~Couture

This is an activity I did with some young friends, 5-8yrs old. Watching me working, the kids were fascinated by the materials strewn over the table. So I let them have a hand at the design process, coordinating colors, textures & themes. What they came up with was playful and fresh.











We used vintage-style victorian lace appliques, placing beads and embellishments on them.  Mikey, the scientist of the bunch, enjoyed looking at them with his pretend microscope (binoculars) while we talked about the details in coral or carnelian, learning about nature and the shapes it takes.  Bella mixed silver chain and black pearls with soft pink coral beads. I noticed the girls were much more careful with their choices of color and placement. But according to Mikey, when it comes to design theory, more is more.

Casting Natural Objects

One of my favorite things to do is cast natural objects. They capture incredible natural detail and textures, always a feast for the eye to explore.

What is a good candidate for casting? Many natural shapes are castable, usually simpler forms are best. It has to be strong enough to withstand the mold making process, small enough to fit into a mold frame, and easy enough to retrieve it from the mold without too many cuts. It's always amazing to see how perfectly molten metal flows through the form of a shell, twisting through it's passageways so naturally.

Most casting forms are made of wax, rather than the actual found object. This ensures a successful burnout process from the plaster mold, as wax is sure to melt out of the plaster mold more easily than shell, etc. To get there you must make a silicone or rubber mold around the actual object. Once it has cured, then molten wax is injected into the rubber mold to create a positive wax model of the object. When the wax has cooled & hardened, a plaster mold is formed around this wax model, the wax is burned out, and finally molten metal is shot into the plaster recess, creating the final piece.

If you have a natural found treasure that you would like to cast into metal, let's make it happen! Some objects I have seen cast: coral, starfish, bumble bee (post mortem), shell, seeds, twigs, leaves, tiny bones, teeth, tiny machine parts... each casting brings new discoveries. Learn more details about the casting process at the workshop.