NYC / STUDIO / LAS VEGAS
May became June so quickly! It began with a short trip to New York to visit my daughter, who recently moved from L.A. to the Lower East Side. Hitting the streets of NYC is always an adventure. With each foray, there is the happy anticipation of serendipity just up the block or around the corner.
New Yorkers live out loud. Whether creating vibrant street art, distinctively dressing themselves, making music in the subway, or, like the older Chinese woman dancing alone to her boombox in the middle of an empty Chinatown tennis court, they excel at public self-expression.
 Antique technology for sale near St. Mark's Square. |
Accidental design of a shattered bodega window. |
Evening light in the East Village. |
A confirmed point of view in the Meatpacking District. |
Someone's inspiration taped to the refrigerator in my airbnb. |
A question begging to be answered. |
A few more snapshots
I had time for a couple of museum visits. There was the Whitney Biennial which, as with any diverse show, gets mixed reviews.
 Raúl de Nieves |
Jon Kessler |
I can always find things to love at the Met, though it can be a challenging effort to navigate on a crowded Sunday!
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Mind-blowing metal- and gemstone-work in this Fabergé flower basket that once belonged to the wife of Czar Nicholas II. |
 The Met rooftop has been taken over by a wonderfully eclectic and surreal sculptural mash-up of reproduced parts of elements of the museum's collection. Created by
Adrián Villar Rojas.
Exploration of color
As spring morphs into summer, I've been immersed in color with my newest designs. Maybe it's the afterimage from the full-spectrum vividness of Mexico, or the seasonal exuberance that arrives with increased light and flowering plants. Combining colored gemstones is a lot like combining flavors for a delicious meal. Easy to see how "a feast for the eyes" became a popular expression.
 This gorgeous opal made me think of a satellite image of a river system. |
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 Spring shades of green. |
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Desert browns. |
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Sky blue aquamarines in the garden outside my studio door. |
This necklace was inspired by a display of rosé bottles in a wine shop! |
Channeling images of islands in a
tropical sea. |
New "wing" pearls
These beautifully shaped pearls come from the hinge part of the oyster shell. The metallic color is natural. I love juxtaposing the elegant lustre of the pearls with the more rustic quality of oxidized silver.
Upcoming summer trunk shows
June 22-24, at
Spectrum Fine Jewelry in Wilmington, North Carolina.
July 14-15, at the
Golden Bough in Aspen, Colorado.
JCK Las Vegas
Las Vegas isn't a place I'd choose for vacation, but when we go to the enormous JCK wholesale show, Craig and I enjoy the challenge of exploring beyond the Strip to discover other aspects of a city known for hyped-up entertainment. This year we found an Indian restaurant that looks out on the airport runway where you can see the planes land and take off, or check out Bollywood music videos while watching the sunset and eating delicious navratan korma.
Snapshots from the show
Off the Strip
Moment of Zen, Frida's palette
Frida Kahlo thought a lot about color. When we visited her Casa Azul outside Mexico City, the color chart she created was on display. I'll attempt a translation of the meaning she assigned to some of the colors.
Green: light, warm and good. Also, leaves, sadness, science.
Coffee: the color of mole, of the leaf that went away, earth.
Yellow: madness, sickness, fear, apart from the sun and of happiness.
Blue: electricity and purity, love.
Black: Nothing is black, really nothing.
Blue-green: color of bad news and and good business.
Ultramarine blue: Distance. Also tenderness can be this blue.
Red: blood? But then, who knows?
Wherever you are this summer, I hope you're enjoying the season!
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Our final night's sunset from the back yard. 
