thoughts and prayers

'Lip Service' 4x3" brooch, sterling silver, paper, colored pencil,

graphite, watercolor, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

empty talk  hollow words

here's a thought

'Thought Bubble' brooch 2.25x1.25" sterling silver, paper, ink, mica
Quote by Henry David Thoreau;
Kathleen Faulkner

...or don't see. 

things change

'Stick Pin'  4.75" sterling silver, stick;  Kathleen Faulkner

Back in the day

when running free was a given 

no worries about touching

or being in close quarters

 a sneeze brought a

'bless you'

a cough meant not too much

Community of stick pins. Kathleen Faulkner

We had our art openings and events 

filled to the brim

hugging and laughing

the good old days. 

'COVID safe' stick pin, 4" sterling silver, paper,
gouache, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

Today's stick pin is fully covered

for protection

no direct contact

social distancing is currently in place

as it sits in a box 

on a table.

carry on smartly

'Good Schooling'  Brooch, 4x4.5" sterling silver, gouache, 

graphite, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner 

 

The power is in the numbers.

 

remembrances

'Apartment Complexity' front-back, ring size 6.5-7

2x1.25x.25" sterling silver, colored pencil, graphite, 

ink, found gasket, mica;  for the show,

'Right On! Rites, Rituals, Remembrances' 

Facere Jewelry Art Gallery, Kathleen Faulkner

We lived in apartments in the city.

I learned to be quiet at a very early age 

so as not to disturb the neighbors.

All around me was the noise of the city.

It was background.

 

As a small child 

with family from the deep South

I heard stories

that made me afraid.

Later I learned about diversity 

It opened up my eyes 

and made the world 

a more interesting place.

 'A House of Many Colors' brooch, 4x1.5"

sterling silver, found object, colored pencil,

mica;  for the show, 'Right On! Rites, Rituals,

Remembrances' Facere Jewelry Art Gallery,

Kathleen Faulkner

stranger in a strange land*

'Cosmos' 20-24" chain, colored pencil, mica, paper, sterling silver;  Kathleen Faulkner

  

 2016 is coming to an end.

Soon it will be a new year

filled with uncertainties.

I distract myself with art and good sci-fi.

 

Earth is starting to feel claustrophobic.

The cosmos calls.

*'Stranger in a Strange Land'  Robert Heinlein

 

Fly by Night

'Fly by Night' brooch with converter,  2x3" sterling silver, colored pencil, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

I put the umbrella in it's stand and began to open it.  

I saw something small and furry in the folds.

As I got up close for a better look it suddenly hissed.  

I was taken aback

 and then it flew away.

Small, mysterious bug eating mammal

Our world is a better place with this little bat in it.

where the rings are the thing

'Greetings from Saturn'  earrings 1.5" diameter, sterling silver, colored pencil, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

I have been working on my jewelry show coming up at Facere Jewelry Art Gallery in Seattle. It is called Nocturne and will be featured June 15 through July 5, 2016.  

  
It is about life and events that happen in the night. 

I've been at it awhile.

The longer I work on it, the farther out into space I go.

make love not war

'Mistletoe' ornament for Holiday Show at Facere Gallery
1.25" diameter, sterling silver, paper, gouache, mica;
Kathleen Faulkner

In Norse mythology,  Baldur, god of the summer sun and son of Odin and Frigg, was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe.  Frigg brought him back from the dead.  Crying with happiness, her tears became the white berries that can be seen on mistletoe today.  Frigg then declared mistletoe a symbol of love and that no harm should befall any who stand under it, only a kiss, a token of love.

just a thought

'Flora' necklace 18-22" long  sterling silver
paper, ink, graphite, watercolor, mica;
Kathleen Faulkner

It is the Season.  

Today is 'Black Friday'.  

People are rushing in hoards to the big box stores.  

There is an alternative:

Support your local artists, craftsmen, galleries, 

independent book stores and shops.

Consider spending locally and let's keep the money in our communities.

  Here's wishing you a stress free and joyous Holiday Season!

Cheers!

Life of a bird.

'Indicator Species Series:  Whooping Cranes' post earrings,
1.5" diameter, sterling silver, paper, ink, watercolor, colored
pencil, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

Whooping cranes are the tallest North American birds.  They're named after their sound, they can live up to 30 years and they are endangered.
Because of unregulated hunting and loss of habitat, at one time, there were as few as 21.  Now, thanks to conservation efforts, there is a limited recovery:  around 437 as of 2011.

Whooping cranes are an indicator species of wetland health.  

“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

It's a what?

'Indicator Species Series: Mussels'  2.5" diameter, sterling
silver, paper, colored pencil, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

'An indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment.  For an example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change.  Indicator species can be among the most sensitive species in a region, and sometimes act as an early warning to monitoring biologists.'  

Wikipedia

Here is a short list:

Mussels, clams and oysters are susceptible to toxins, pollutants and minute changes in environmental conditions.

Mosses often indicate acid soil.

The northern spotted owl indicates old growth forests.

Lichens are indicators of low air pollution.

Tubificid worms are indicators of sewage seepage. (does Victoria, Canada have an abundance of these?)

Adult frogs and toads absorb through their skin and are indicators of water pollution.

Salmon are an indicator species for wetland ecosystems

Non-Alaskan grizzly bears are indicators of mountain ecosystems, measuring the health and diversity of the ecosystem.

In the pacific northwest, the environmental health of estuaries is monitored by the indicator species of eel grass.  

Kelp is a foundation species and can be used as an indicator of other species occurring in the environment.

Maybe this is something you'll give a little thought to as you go about your day.

Life as we know it.

'A Red Herring' 2x4" brooch, sterling silver, paper, gouache,
watercolor, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

So many distractions and so little time.

I'm grateful to be focused on art these days; It took a long time to get here.  

Life's been a roller coaster ride.

Signs of Life

'Indicator Species Series: Northern Spotted Owl'
4x3" Brooch/Pendant, gouache, paper, mica,
sterling silver,  Kathleen Faulkner; photo by
Larry Bullis

I am invited to be in the show, 'Signs of Life' at Facere Jewelry Art Gallery in Seattle October 7th through the 27th, 2015.
This show features the work of nine jewelry artists, each paired with a writer picked by the gallery. The journal, 'Signs of Life' combines stories with jewelry art and is in conjunction with the exhibit.

 I don't know yet, who the writers are.  I'm really looking forward to it all.

stick it

'Branching Out'  brooch 7x3" coral, sterling silver;
Kathleen Faulkner

I found several odd shaped branches and wondered what I should do with them.  

One thing led to another and, before I knew it, I had a slew of stick pins.  Then I decided to draw the sticks.  Then I remembered this piece of coral.  

I guess you could say that I'm branching out.

'Stick' pins various sizes, wood, sterling silver;
Kathleen Faulkner

'Stick' pin gouache, mica,
sterling silver;  Kathleen Faulkner

'Stick Pin, Too'  gouache, mica
sterling silver;  Kathleen Faulkner

we are all salmon people

'Something's Fishy'  brooch, 2x3" sterling silver, gouache, pigment,
ink,  mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

I remember standing on the bank of the John Day river watching the salmon heading home.  

There were so many that I imagined I could walk across them to the other side.

Things are different now. 

a helping hand

'Safety First' 20" milagro necklace, sterling silver,
paper, gouache, ink, graphite, mica; Kathleen Faulkner

We never know what lies ahead.

Some say that we create our own reality.

Whatever is true, it can't hurt to have a helping hand.

Ex-Votos from Mexico, Girard Collection, Museum of International
Folk Art (DCA) Santa Fe, NM A.1981.42.694V.1 Photo by Paul Smutko.

Farewell, friends

'Bamboo' earrings, 2x5/8"; sterling silver, paper,
colored pencil, mica; Kathleen Faulkner

I had been thinking of taking out the bamboo.  It had become wildly out of control and heading toward the neighbors.  It grew in the sunniest location and I wanted that space for a garden.  

One day my friend said that he had people who would want that bamboo and would dig it up and take it away.  They did that.  It was a gift.

'Pine' earrings, 2x5/8" sterling silver, paper, colored
pencil, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

Many of the trees on my property were here when I moved in.  The previous owners planted tight and 'uniquely'.  

The pine grows too close to the house. I am cutting it down. Across and away from it is a beautiful cedar I've planted in memorial.  

bats in the belfry

'Love Me'  Necklace 18"long, bat 3x5"; sterling silver,
colored pencil, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

Here's what the average human thinks:  Bats are ugly and scary and carry rabies.

Here's what scientists think: Bats are necessary for pollination of over 300 species of plants.  A single brown bat can consume 500 or more mosquitoes in an hour. The economic impact of the loss of bats in North American agriculture is anywhere from 3.7 million to 53 million annually.

Here's what the bat thinks:  I'm as afraid of you as you are of me.  I won't hurt you.  I just want to take care of my babies and eat bugs.  

We do what we need to do

'Her Eyes a Bashful Azure'
sterling silver, colored pencil,
paper, mica; Kathleen Faulkner

I read Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, 'The Brook'.

I had been working on the Dictionary Necklace.  Azure was the last word of the 'a's' and I was trying to figure out how to draw the word without using the color.  I didn't figure it out and ended up drawing the word as it looked in the dictionary, all the while thinking about a line in Tennyson's poem.
I kept thinking about it.  I liked it so much I decided to make a necklace about it.

'Her Eyes a Bashful Azure' Back;
sterling silver, colored pencil,
paper, mica; Kathleen Faulkner