Pete and I are just completing back-to-back road trips. First, it was my 3rd annual road trip to the Tucson Gem Show, then it was a jewelry photography workshop in Santa Barbara.
Tucson (February 3 – 8)
The Tucson Gem Show is a mind-boggling experience. Dealers and buyers come from all over the world and I can’t imagine the volume of business that gets transacted during the two weeks that the main events run. It is the largest such show in the country, possibly in the world. It sprawls across the entire city of Tucson - taking over every hotel room, conference room, parking lot and public venue. A special shuttle system operates during the show just to move the huge number of visitors from one place to another. In reality, it is not just one show, but a collective of assorted specialized organizations (such as the AGTA - American Gem Trade Association - or the G&LW - Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers) running their own shows.
I’m fortunate to have my college friends, Erin and Lloyd, to stay with when I go to the show. It’s nice when my personal and professional life intersect like that. Lloyd is COO of DMetrix, and since physics was always my weakest subject, I will not attempt to dscribe what he does, I will simply quote this from the company’s website: "DMetrix is developing innovative microscopic-imaging instrumentation that naturally integrates advances in optical design, digital imaging, telecommunications, and bioinformatics."
I spent more than I intended, but it’s easy to rationalize: I can’t create jewelry with stones I don’t have! Yes, the state of the economy is frightening, and it was certainly a topic of conversation everywhere, but if my choices are quit or move forward, so I'm trying to move forward.
I wrapped up my shopping spree by joining the traditional gathering of my gemology alumni group at the bar of the Hotel Arizona on the last Saturday night of the show. We have show & tell, & play “stump the gemologist”.
We took the long way home, and detoured through Phoenix to stop and visit my friend Michael Sturlin. I met Michael when he taught a workshop on crocheting fine silver wire for the Metal Arts Society of Southern California, and we discovered we had many interests in common. He and his wife, Praparat, invited us to their home for lunch,and it was doubly delightful because not only did I get to poke around Michael’s studio, but Praparat, who teaches Thai cooking classes, treated us to a fabulous lunch.
Brooks Institute (February 13 – 15)
As I write, I’m sitting in the Santa Barbara Roasting Company — in Santa Barbara — sipping coffee and watching the clouds drift across the surrounding hills. Up in those hills, Pete is slaving away in a special jewelry photography workshop at the Brooks Institute. Have I mentioned before that he’s very sweet and supportive? The workwhop is two full days over this Valentine’s weekend. We don’t care about the Hallmark holiday (the instructor claims he didn’t realize it was Valentine’s weekend when he set the schedule), my only complaint is that the hotels charge more this weekend because of it. Pete says he’s having fun in the studio there, and I’m certainly having fun wandering around Santa Barbara.
Schroeder Gallery
I’m very excited to announce that the Schroeder Studio Gallery in Old Town Orange (it’s about 30 or 40 minutes from Laguna Beach, for my non-Orange County readers) is now carrying my work! It’s run by Judy and Katie Schroeder, a mother & daughter team. Judy is a watercolorist and Katie does fused glass, and the gallery represents a small collection of other artists and craftspersons, including yours truly now! If you’re in the area, stop in and visit them:
112 E. Maple Ave.
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 633-0653
(one block north of the Plaza, across the street from The Filling Station Restaurant)
Their hours are:
Monday ~ CLOSED
Tuesday-Thursday ~ 10:30 am - 5:30 pm
Friday ~ 10:30 am - 7 pm
Saturday ~ 10:30 am - 4 pm
Sunday ~ 12 noon - 4 pm
