working on my crown

Crown - Jean Michel Basquiat, 1983 

 … all the beauty -human and physical- of the city represents such a triumph of humanity. In the black gospel tradition, which is so central to New Orleans culture, there is a saying: "No cross, no crown." If you don't accept the burden of your humanity and your finiteness and your suffering and, perhaps more important, that of the people around you, you will never reach the ennobling reward that the word Heaven represents to the believer. You can't have a triumph without triumphing over something - whether from outside or from within yourself. No cross, no crown. - Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters 

Item of the Day - January 14, 2013
"Working on My Crown"
a tiara style crown with a circle of wire that loops around the back...

Making things, creating what becomes art is more than just a hobby or fun way to pass the time. It is a part of my life's purpose and what I was called to do. It is bigger than me and I realize that. - Kristine Mays
Pledge $40 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE!

jewels of inspiration

“I'm not going to lay down in words the lure of this place. Every great writer in the land, from Faulkner to Twain to Rice to Ford, has tried to do it and fallen short. It is impossible to capture the essence, tolerance, and spirit of south Louisiana in words and to try is to roll down a road of clichés, bouncing over beignets and beads and brass bands and it just is what it is.” - Chris Rose, 1 Dead in Attic 

Item of the Day - January 12, 2013 
"Jewels of Inspiration"
There were treasures to be found-- nuggets of inspiration, pockets of wisdom, history and power. She wanted to drape these experiences around her neck like fine jewels.
Pledge $40 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE!
It's big like a breastplate, made of steel wire coated in clear plastic.

eat it up!

New Orleanians, poor, rich, and in-between, white and black and in-between, take their cooking and eating seriously, just as they take their music seriously, and their dancing, and their masks and costumes, and their celebratory rituals, because it is not mere entertainment to them. It is a part of a ritual in which the finiteness, the specificity and fragility and durability and richness and earthiness and sadness and laughter of life, are all mixed together, honored, and given tangible form in sound, movement, and communal cuisine. - Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters 

Item of the Day - January 11, 2013
fork+spoon
Here I am ready to eat it up -- to soak it all in. Where else can you experience such vibrancy -- this mixture of spirituality and divine spirits, this richness of sound, the robust flavors of food, the sway of hips moving to brass bands down the street? Such a celebration of life! I want to capture it all in wire!

Pledge $400 to my campaign and snag this item!

music punctuating the streets!

Please help me to travel to New Orleans where I will capture the essence of the city's culture and breathe it into wire. Kickstarter is ALL OR NOTHING. If I don't meet my goal, I won't receive anything. Please help by making a pledge and spreading the word! GO TO KICKSTARTER.

If you have already responded -- THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Please continue to spread the word, sharing this with everyone you know!

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy. - Anne Frank 

Item of the Day - January 10, 2013
'the exclamation point' size:
TOP -26 in. (h) x 12 in. (w) x 6.5 in. (d), THE DOT - 10 in. (h) x 8 in. (w) x 6 in. (d)
She could almost hear the music punctuating the streets!
Pledge $300 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE!

powerful woman...

I genuinely feel that my life has become wonderful simply because one day I decided to believe that it could be. – Unknown

Item of the Day - January 9, 2013
'like a woman'
size: 26 in. (h) x 18 in. (w) x 8 in. (d)

She felt a certain excitement about it. It was a chance to step out and do something new! Regularly $800 this piece is being specially offered for this campaign.
Pledge $600 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE!

a big heart!

A lot of times, we fall into the trap of thinking that it’s our circumstances that determine our quality of life, when in reality, it’s gratitude that makes life sweet. – Jason Gray

Item of the Day - January 8, 2013
'My Heart is Full'
 Her heart was full and she had so much to share.
 Pledge $300 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE!

the journey continues on...

God created us to live with a single passion, to joyfully display His supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. – John Piper

Item of the Day - January 7, 2013 
'Heart in Her Hand'

She stepped forward with a certain boldness - exposing her heart and sharing her dream. She was overcome with gratitude when others responded cheering her on! A flat wire woman with loops attaching each limb so that it moves like a marionette doll.

Pledge $35 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE !

baby steps

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou

Item of the Day - January 6, 2013
Baby Steps
The courageous days were great but some days she took small steps, reminding herself to have the faith of a child. A set of little girl mary jane shoes in black with silver 'button' accents.

Pledge $100 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE set!

giant steps

It is not revolutions and upheavals that clear the road to better days, but revelations, and lavishness of someone’s soul inspired, and ablaze. – Boris Pasternak, poet

Item of the Day - January 5, 2013
'Giant Steps'
What steps would she take? She knew this was yet another chapter of her journey -- a walk into the unknown. She took HUGE steps some days, like an amazon or a superwoman. (Picture a King Kong sized woman stepping over large buildings!) Her passion drove her forward.
Pledge $80 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE !

taking steps

When I dare to be powerful— to see my strength in the service of my own vision, then it becomes less important whether I am afraid.– Audre Lorde

Item of the Day - January 4, 2013
The 'Andrea' boot
She needed to take a big step -- to slide into her big girl shoes and embrace the future in a bold new way. Her boots were made for walking and that's just what she did! While I love the idea of shoes, I stopped creating them simply because I'd explored the limits of shape and sculpture with this object. Here's what I wrote about this shoe after creating it: She was fun and silly although her shoes made her stand out in a crowd. The boots revealed the persona behind the smile – the superhero that she really was, the brave courageous warrior within, the woman who could not be stopped!

Pledge $80 to my campaign and snag this item!
Hurry - there is only ONE! Regularly priced at $150. 
Once it's gone, it's gone.

a is for adventurer!

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are. – John Pierpont

Item of the Day - January 3, 2013 

And so the story goes -- Three little birds came her way with a message she could not ignore. "We want to share a secret with you", they said. "You can fly too. In fact, you can SOAR!" They told her to go to the city of saints.
She figured she could do one of three things:
a) Go after her dreams
b) Ignore the call to do something greater
c) Hide behind her fears She chose A and hopefully you will too!

Wire Letter A
Most of my letters are uppercase so this is an anomaly!
Pledge $15 to my campaign and snag this item! Hurry - there is only ONE !

happy new year!

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” - Brad Paisley 

The adventure continues on! I am excited for all that 2013 will bring!
My desire is to share my work in new settings, among new audiences, in new cities, and with YOU - a gathering of long held relationships and new acquaintances.
I recently mentioned my latest adventure -- my Kickstarter campaign as I raise money to travel to New Orleans where I will capture the essence of the city's culture and breathe it into wire. I have less than 16 days left for this Kickstarter account.

Kickstarter is ALL OR NOTHING. If I don't meet my goal, I won't receive anything. Please help by making a pledge and spreading the word! GO TO KICKSTARTER.

As the campaign has progressed, I have added a few new pledge incentives, including an 'item of the day' - a daily featured work of art that will be for sale for only one day.