Studio Tour: Cursive Design + Up In The Air Somewhere

As someone who loves to look at things, and obsessively partakes in internet-window shopping, I subscribe to a lot of blogs, tumblrs, pinterests, and the like. I go through so much visual candy everyday and it gets to a point where you like a lot of whats going on but its also a lot of the same things and its easy to just skim through much of it. But when I discovered Susan's ceramics and Sarah's jewelry, it was a kind of revelation because they showed me something I hadn't seen before, ideas that I haven't thought of before. Airy, dreamy, almost-way-too-delicate, gold accented vessels that straddle the line between art and functionality? Also some of it looked like water towers? Balls-y and playful collage based jewelry in a weird but perfect mix of disparate materials? AWESOME. 

At some point, I realized that the two share a studio together in Chicago's West Town neighborhood (coincidentally, adjacent to Laura Lombardi's space which I shot that same day). They have always been at the top of my list when I started this studio tour series and thought it was a great opportunity to meet and hang out with two people I've always wanted to meet and hang out with! Their studio is, of course, beautiful and dreamy just like their work. As I snooped around with my camera, it was cool to see how two artists working in different areas, that don't really make the same work aesthetically, can also play off each other in small ways. I hope this comes through in the images. 

Enjoy !

See all the images on my site or on Flickr

Studio Tour: Laura Lombardi

The thing about Laura Lombardi's jewelry is that each piece seems to be full of history. Its true that she uses vintage and dead stock pieces to create her jewelry which has something to do with it but I think she composes in such a way that  it implies that each bracelet, necklace, pendant was found in some ruin, having been worn by an oracle, priestess, prophetess, seer. Although her jewelry gives the feeling of antiquity and ceremony, they are also thoroughly modern, edgy and feminine.

A couple of months ago, Laura agreed to let me stop by her studio in Chicago with my camera. A gracious hostess, she chatted with me about her work, background, inspiration, gave me a little sneak peek at her spring line and, of course, let me snoop around. She even made me a necklace while I was there which makes it even more special. To see someone as nice as she, enjoying such great success at a young age is really inspiring. I hope you find these pictures equally as interesting and inspiring.




Also view images on my site or on Flickr

Dianne Oh Deer

Trades are the currency of artists ! Its a great way to connect with people you admire and gives you the opportunity to have the things you like. Especially if you are like me -- buying nice, new things for other people, and mostly purchasing groceries and other need-based items for yourself. A fun shopping trip for me is usually a visit to the thrift store which is great and you can find really nice, unique items but sometimes you just want something new.

Recently Dianne Tanner of Dear Oh Deer and I did an exchange and I was able to get one of her beautiful necklaces. She was even so nice as to do a custom turquoise nugget necklace with a hawk feather. I love the combination of the two and the long length of the piece.

I am also happy to say that she will be stocking these feather & stone necklaces in her shop very soon! Sources say by the end of the week so keep an eye out for them.

Go see more of the beautiful things she makes in her shop!
And then go see her pictures and read her words on her blog!