Adventures In Selling Handmade Jewelry: My First Exhibition

Before getting my glass mosaic into the Rockaway Artists Association's Studio 7 Gallery, my work was included in Independent Artworld's "Limitless" exhibition.

Independent Artworld is run by Lilly, an FB friend and former acquaintance from the 92nd Street Y, where I took jewelry classes. She puts together "pop-up galleries" around the NYC/NJ area. She invited me to participate in her October pop-up, "Limitless."

I once displayed a couple of my wire pieces in our local restaurant, but hanging glass jewelry in a shadow took some work. With the wire pieces, I could stick pins through the loops and hang the pieces that way, but obviously this wasn't an option with glass. Lilly and I spent several hours fussing with the layout until we managed to get a nice, clean look. She came up with the idea to pin the jewelry from the back, hang the chain, and then let the pieces drape. It worked!

The event was held in Jersey City, which I'd only been to a couple of times. It's actually an interesting neighborhood, with many Indian restaurants -- my favorite! It's also an up-and-coming area for galleries and artists. Still, I was a bit surprised when I learned that the pop-up "gallery" was actually being put together in the lobby of a take-out Chinese restaurant. Art and egg rolls!

Lilly had a decorating plan, though, and constructed a really beautiful space featuring about a dozen artists. The other pieces were stunning and I was in great company. As you can see from these photos, it really looked like a permanent gallery. If I hadn't told you, you'd have know idea that a take-out counter was only a few feet away!

To kick off the month-long exhibition, there was a reception for the artists, which included some live music. Lilly suggested I wear all black, so my colorful pieces would really stand out. It felt really good to see my jewelry professionally displayed along with some great art. I even sold one of my triangle necklaces!

Since we were in Jersey City, Jon and I took advantage of the neighborhood and enjoyed a delicious Indian dinner at one of the nearby restaurants. I unfortunately don't recall the name of the place, but there are dozens of great restaurants in the area. We'd love to return when it's warmer and explore more of JC.

Every artist has to start somewhere and I'm grateful to Lilly for giving me this opportunity. I admire her for supporting artists and for actually doing something to give them a showcase or their work. She proved that you can make any place beautiful if you add some art -- even a take-out joint.

Check out more of my handmade fused glass and wire wrapped jewelry at Naomi's Designs.

My Fused Glass Mosaic Is In A Gallery!

It's been a bit more than two years since I started working with fused glass and I'm eager to make bigger and more complex pieces. I LOVE making jewelry and my microwave kilns were a fantastic investment, but I'd really like to create vases, sculptures and larger art forms. Since I still only have my microwave kiln, I've had to get inventive in what I CAN do -- and have designed several fused glass mosaics. My hard work has paid off, though, because my piece, "Winter Frost" is currently on display at a gallery!

I made this mosaic by using clear dichroic glass, which I layered and fired multiple times. From some angles, the glass appears to be clear, but from other viewpoints, it's very colorful. I was inspired to create the piece when I saw some frost on the ground during a sunrise. I am not usually awake that early, so it captured my attention!

"Winter Frost" is part of an exhibit called "Of Women," which is at the Studio 7 Gallery in Fort Tilden, Rockaway, NY. Fort Tilden, as you may have guessed, was once a military base out in Queens. Many of the buildings are in ruins, but several have been converted into galleries and a theater. The compound is right near the beach and is in the middle of Riis Park. It's isolated, but apparently well known. I've been told the area is packed in the warmer months.

"Of Women" runs through April 8, celebrating Women's History Month. The exhibit isn't so much about women as it is about honoring female artists. True confession: Winter Frost is not my favorite mosaic. It's not the one I would've chosen for this exhibition. But once I saw it hanging on the wall under the large amethyst sculpture, I could see just how it fits in.

As you can see, Of Women features some very talented artists. The gallery itself is stunning and I still can't quite believe that I'm a part of this thing. I went there on Saturday to do my volunteer shift and really enjoyed looking at the other ladies' masterpieces.

Far Rockaway itself is kind of a pain to get to. It's in Queens and is part of NYC... but it's in the middle of nowhere. I didn't think the middle of nowhere exists in NYC, but it does! My neighborhood has a suburban feel, but we're near the subway, LIRR stop and several bus routes. It's easy to get around and takes 15 minutes to get to Manhattan. Rockaway does have an LIRR stop and subway, but you have to switch trains several times and then take a bus to Fort Tilden. The first time we went there, we took three trains and two buses -- remember, we were just traveling in Queens!. We then discovered that you can take a bus almost all the way back to our area, so that cut down on the travel time. Still, it takes about 90 minutes to commute in our own borough!

Rockaway is also super windy and cold. It's beautiful, though, and I'd love to return in the spring when it's warm enough to walk along the boardwalk. While I was doing my gallery sit, my husband spent several hours crawling around the abandoned military ruins. Yes, this is how Jon entertains himself!

If you're in the NYC area, try to check out Of Women. I have one little piece in the exhibit, but there are many memorable and provocative paintings and sculptures. It's the type of exhibit that will stay with you for a long time.

Meantime, please check out my NEW Naomi's Designs website!