Enamels

Mallory Weston's teapots intrigue me. The hollow forms are stitched together from intricate, flat sheets of metal. It's the perfect hybrid of mediums and mystery. In 2009, Weston was asked to partake in the Mobilia Gallery's annual teapot exhibition and she created her first piece with this technique, which she developed in response to a challenge she faced: her workspace.

Unexpected textures abound at this year's ACC show in St. Paul. Sleek adjoins nubby, craggy erupts from lustrous, and subtle variations make lovely work even lovelier.

Kim Geiser's enamel jewelry is a study in rough and smooth. The artist uses stencils to add designs to her modernist pendants and recently started scratching graphite markings on the surfaces of her glossy pieces.

Mingei International Museum
Transformed by Fire
San Diego, CA
Oct. 22, 2009 – July 3, 2010

Blum & Poe
J. B. Blunk
Los Angeles, CA
Mar. 12 – May 15, 2010

A pair of radiant retrospective exhibitions on view this spring in Southern California offer a rare in-depth look at the careers of two masters, and remind us of the Golden State’s place at the vanguard of the modern craft movement.

For a first-time visitor, the American Craft Council’s Baltimore Show can be somewhat overwhelming - in the best possible way. I experienced that today when I entered the Baltimore Convention Center for a sneak peek at the exhibitors in our 34th annual show. I was immediately struck not only by the sheer number of artists, but also by the eclectic variety of the work on display. It’s an incredible sensory experience to encounter exquisitely handcrafted goods in such a range of colors, shapes, textures and materials.