laurieopal

Experiment in coral

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:22:02 GMT

This is a pendant made for Jean Ward.
The stones are fresh water pearls, garnets, garnet crystals and carved aquamarine. It was a successful experiment and I loved making it. It reflects the underwater coral I see in Hawaii. https://laurieopal.dreamwidth.org/116640.html

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Ray Mine Silica Pendant

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 07:54:20 GMT

I'm really looking forward to being at Boskone (Feb 9-11) and seeing all the folks I know. I'm making lots of new work.

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The stone is a fabulous Ray Mine Silica. The stone is far more beautiful then the photo, but I thought it was acceptable and it does give a good idea of the setting. The emeralds are slightly greener in life. The druze crystals don't really show in the photo. They are seriously beautiful in life. Click on the picture for a better view. From the collection of Terry Sisk Graybill.

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Ray Mine Siica Pendant

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 07:43:38 GMT

I'm really looking forward to being at Boskone (Feb 9-11) and seeing all the folks I know. I'm making lots of new work.

The stone is a fabulous Ray Mine Silica. The stone is far more beautiful then the photo, but I thought it was acceptable and it does give a good idea of the setting. The emeralds are slightly greener in life. The druze crystals don't really show in the photo. They are seriously beautiful in life. From the collection of Terry Sisk Graybill.

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New Stones

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 21:42:00 GMT

I've designed new pendants for these and they are cast I'll be putting them up in a week or so. But i wanted to put up the stones now.I''ll put up the pendants when they are set.

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the top ones are a citrine tear drop with matching industrial pieces. t
The bottom is Kilmanjaro jasper. It phototgraphed less brilliantly bright than in life.

i'm working on a coral and octopus and will put up the stones very soon

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Belated cross-post from Body Impolitic

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 20:30:32 GMT

Laurie says:

My daughter Cid Pearlman's choreographic video that premiered at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, had it's European premiere September 18-25 at the Viimsi Artium in Estonia, featured in the PÕHJA KONN festival.

My daughter Shayin and I went to see it and it was amazing. Cid describes in on her web site:

(home)Body invokes complex relationships between embodiment and place. We explore questions such as What does it feel like to be at home in your body? What are embodied experiences of home across intersections of identities and expressions? With a multiplicity of voices, dancers and poetic imaginaries, the work speaks to ideas centering home and body through personal, experimental, and topical approaches. The films involve site-specific and immersive environments both natural and built. Spaces and bodies interact in a collaborative and choreographic conversation.
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https://vimeo.com/668419882

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It was a pleasure to see it again. Cid spoke beautifully about her work and her collaborators, including video artist Mara Milam and lead poet/dramaturge Denise Leto. Denise was there and spoke abut her work really movingly.

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I'm still recovering from the 10 hour time difference (I jet lag badly), but being there was an absolute pleasure.

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The line on the photo is from a poem that with the poems of a group of poets - JJJJerome Ellis, Naomi Ortiz, Willie X. Lin, Tanaya Winder - exquisitely frame the work.

And the music is by Jonathan Segel (camper van) and brilliant composer who has working with Cid since 1993.

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two new glorious stones

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 03:57:02 GMT

Stones are malachite and chrysocolla and I can't wait to set them. Just got them this week. New designs are going thru my head like mad.

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Amber from Estonia

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 02:40:57 GMT

I was visiting in Estonia.Which is why I haven't posted lately, to see a featured performance of work by my daughter, Cid Pearlman,the choreographer, at a major arts festival in Estonia. I went with both my daughters and other than the 10 hour time difference it was marvelous.

I was able to find some antique amber that was very special. The triangular piece I'm going to set in a one of a kind design. The rock is going to be the base for a leaping artic fox commission with emerald eyes. I had another base planned for this but the amber is perfect. The red amber beads are a gift for my daughter Shayin.

I'll be back posting normally after a little more recovery time. I saw some exceptional art there and will be posting about that as well.

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New Diachroic Glass Design

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 06:26:11 GMT

This is one of the new designs I was talking about in my last post. Click on it to get an improved photo. Unfortunately the large gorgeous fresh water peal was impossible to photograph. This one is far more beautiful then this image but it is the best I could do and I did promise to put the new designs up. The actual color is far more brilliant and flashes from gold to purple and back.

I'm taking some down time so I won't be posting for a couple of weeks. Take care.

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Two New Designs

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 03:11:53 GMT

I've been working on a couple of new pendant designs but I'm not happy with the photos. I'll work on them some more and put them up within a week.

But Terry Graybill just received two pendants from me for her collection and they are photographed below. The photos are OK. The opals are far more beautiful but Ethiopian opals are really hard to photograph.

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Dragons eye is an emerald. Please click on photos for best image.

They are both set in sterling and I am very happy with them!

I've been dealing with a sick cat, who is much better, but haven't gotten as much jewelry as usual done lately

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Polishing a Lot

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 02:20:24 GMT

I've cast a group of new work including several commissions and a couple of one of a kind pendants.

I've been quietly working in wax a lot and I'll have some photos of the new work in a week or so. First lots of stone setting.

This stone is lapis and chatoyant malachite. It's the very best of its kind I've ever seen and I love the way the design worked.

Stone is about 3" long and the setting is sterling. Click on image for best picturre.

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Beautiful New Stones

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:49:57 GMT

I'm looking through my stones and thinking about new designs. These are two that really knocked me out.

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This one is druze in zoasite

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And this is ocean polished Baltic amber

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Please click on them to get best photo. When I design for them I will definitely put up photos.

And, as you can tell, I'm back at work

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Two Pendants for Baycon

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 03:28:47 GMT

I'm leaving tomorrow. It's been too long and I'm really looking forward to Baycon. These are two of the one-of-a- kind pendants that I'm bringing. Please click on images for best photo.

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Lapis in sterling
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Pearl and Ethiopian opal

Packing now.

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Going to Baycon Next Weekend and Green Jasper Pendant

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 05:53:09 GMT

It's been a long time and I'm really excited about going to Baycon. (It's July 1st - 4th) There are so many people I haven't seen in a really long time.

I haven't been posting as often as I should because I've been getting ready. But I'm almost done. Done will probably be Thursday but that's OK.

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This stone, a green jasper, inspired thoughts of Van Gogh's Cypresses. As you can see in the design. The other stones are brilliant yellow sapphires. The metal is sterling silver and it's about 2" high. Pendant is from the collection of Bayla Fine, and she suggested Van Gogh as an inspiration for my design work. Please click on the picture for the best image.

It was a pleasure to carve and the sapphires were perfect for it.

I'll be putting up some things I'm bringing to Baycon next. Really looking forward to going!

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More Commissions from Balticon

Sat, 10 Jun 2023 02:34:57 GMT

Here are two more photographs of very different work. Please click on photos for the far better image.

This is carved white jade probably 19th century, set in bronze with a carved bronze dragon. I love old jade. Making a suitable dragon for it was serous work. It's from the collection of Nancy Cobb and is about 2" wide.

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This Austalian opal stick pin is carved in sterling and is about 1.5" high. It's a stunning small opal and is from the collection of Bayla Fine. Thanks to Kurt Siegel for the excellent photo: opals are difficult to photograph!

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Back from Baltimore and Recovering

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 22:53:05 GMT

I'm back, I had a marvelous time and I'll be posting some of the commissions I brought to folks there.

The pendant below us 2 cranes with red heads (rubies) from Hokkaido in Japan. They are considered very special there, and were going extinct until folks started feeding them as a regular practice. Bayla Fine saw them in a documentary and commissioned the pendant. I was really grateful she suggested them. They were a lot of work carving and very satisfying to make.

Please click on the picture to open it up. The expanded photo is *much* better.

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I'll post more later this week.

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More New Pendants for Balticon

Tue, 23 May 2023 00:22:14 GMT

This is an exquisite chalcedony set in bronze with a small amethyst.

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And this is a stunning fresh water pearl (photo doesn't do it justice) with a knapped obsidian in a neolithic style. Both set in bronze.

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I love working with really interesting semi-precious stones

Balticon starts this Friday and I'm hoping to see lots of folks I know. I have several friends I know will be there.

And I'm almost ready!

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A Couple of New Works for Balticon

Sat, 13 May 2023 02:49:32 GMT

I've been working really hard on new pieces for Balticon. I'll be putting up more next week. But these are a couple of them.

One is a stunning piece of handmade diacroic glass by Nancy Pearlman. The actual piece in a deep green and a deep blue simultaneously but the photo continues to emphasize the blue and since it's gorgeous and the best I could get. I chose it.

The second is a cats eye moonstone with a diamond that I think of as an astronomical. The photo doesn't do justice to the moonstone but it's adequate and I'm tired from working so hard.

Click on the pictures to get a good view, please.

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Stones for New Designs

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 02:36:46 GMT

I've made original pendants with these stones for Balticon. (ck the preview for best photo)

The purple chalcedony with amethyst and the pearl and the carved obsidian blade with the pearl handle are cast and the malachite will be soon or I may just bring the stone.

I have a group of castings ready for tomorrow and lots of polishing to do in the next 3 weeks.

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Jade for Pendant

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 04:10:13 GMT

I've been working on a pendant, carving it in wax and then to cast into silver. This is a lovely vintage jade carving. I'll put up the pendant when it's done. It's carved on both sides so the lovely carving is always visible, and is obviously reversible. The wax carving is leaves and branches that works really well with the jade carvings.

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I'm working on a whole group of pendants for Balticon for Memorial weekend in May. This is final work on most of them. I've been working on them for quite a while.

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Dragonfly

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 01:27:33 GMT

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I put this dragonfly pendant away for Simran quite a while ago and just sent it to her registered mail. She sent me this photo to let me know that it had arrived, with a note that said:

"It arrived!!!!

Thank you!"

I thought it looked really lovely on her. The body is a stunning opal and the head is a deep red antique Hungarian garnet.

And a side bar about the painting that I thought I would share:

"Side note:

The photo was taken in my mom’s kitchen, and the painting on the wall behind me was painted by my grandmother. My mom’s mom was a medical illustrator when young, and would pick up painting commissions for most of the time I knew her, mainly compositions incorporating people’s photos. The still life was likely created in a class (she was a lifelong learner)."

I thought the painting quite beautiful.

I'm working on some waxes for jewelry I'll be bringing to folks at Balticon on Memorial Weekend. The photos will not go up til after they receive them. It's keeping me very creatively busy.

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Similar and Not

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 00:50:33 GMT

These two pendants are both copper and silver but very much different in all other ways.

I thought it would be interesting to show them in contrast. Please click on them to get the right image!

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Sunstone in sterling. It's about 1.5". The photo does not catch the varied luminescence as well as I'd like.
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Copper ore in sterling. About 2.5". This one particularly needs to be clicked on.

I'm taking some down time after Boskone and will post again when I'm back at work. Down time much needed!

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New Work for Boskone Plus One

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 00:56:51 GMT

Really looking forward to going to Boskone and seeing everyone. It's been too long.

Click on the photos for the quality image.

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It's malachite and druze.The druze crystals are far more beautiful in the photo. It's set in silver and is about 2" high.

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It's a stunning lapis set in silver. It's abut 2" high.

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And this is from the collection of Bayla Fine.

It's beautiful nephrite jade, very vivid in silver. It's about 2.5 inches high.

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Photos are OK

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 01:43:14 GMT

Please ignore previous post if you saw it. The problem is with my connection. Otherwise photos are visible.

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Finally the Kangaroo

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 05:57:38 GMT

Here it is and I got a pretty good image of it. My first and possibly my only kangaroo. Click on image to get the right photo quality

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it's is sterling with a gorgeous Ethiopian opal. Height is about 2.5 inches. From the collection of Bayla Fine. The kangaroo was her idea and I'm thrilled.

I'm getting ready for Boskone and am super busy. I will be putting up a couple of new designs I'll be bringing next time I post

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Dragon with Antique Garnets

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 04:08:45 GMT

Finally this is the dragon I've been writing about. It took forever but I'm really, really happy with the design.

It's in bronze and is about 2" wide. From the collection of Marcia Crump

These are the very last of my antique garnets, except for a few very small ones. They worked beautifully with the bronze. The large garnet in the claw is much redder than the photo.

Click on the photo for the good image.

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I have a good photo of the kangaroo that will go up next.

And I have a new design with a lovely lapis that I'm photographing now. I'll be bringing it to Boskone in a couple of weeks.

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