Letters From Our Readers 35.5
Token of Appreciation
I finally have the time to go through all the stacks of paper that have somehow overwhelmed me here. My dear Arthur died on April 13, 2010, after years of battling MS (thirty years in wheelchairs), while he was continuing to teach upper level courses in science at Willamette University. He was Research Professor of Science and taught for forty-five years. I came across your twenty-fifth anniversary issue and was so shocked at how many years have since flown by. Please renew my very belated subscription at the one-year level (I’m seventy-nine!), and I am enclosing a small donation for your outstanding research and presentations.
Mary A. Payton
Salem, Oregon
It is both an honor and a pleasure when someone deems your work worthy of assistance, whether financial or otherwise. Currently the magazine industry is at a crossroads, where growing one’s subscribership in the digital age as well as finding print advertisers has been a challenge. Such donations as yours are truly welcome. We at Ornament sincerely appreciate your donation.
Ornament and Polymer Clay
Thank you for your thoughtful review of Terra Nova: Polymer Art at the Crossroads in the current issue of Ornament, Vol. 35, No. 3. I appreciated your kind commentary, both as one of the exhibitions Boundary Breakers and as the designer/art director of the book. Together the exhibition and the book were groundbreaking for the field of polymer and Ornament’s coverage was vital to their success.
I am a longtime subscriber and I sincerely appreciate Ornament’s mission and perspective. Your coverage of the entire field, including polymer is informative, educational and insightful. I also enjoyed your piece on the Mingei show in this same issue.
Jeffrey Lloyd Dever
Laurel, Maryland
Lovely Write-Up
I just wanted to send a quick note to express my gratitude for including such a lovely write-up with beautiful artist images for this year’s American Craft Exposition, in Evanston Illinois on the campus of Northwestern University, shown in Vol. 35, No. 4. The page looks just wonderful—as does your entire new issue! I hope you will be joining us again this August 23-26 for what should be an incredible 2012 show.
Stephanie Glickman
Chicago, Illinois
Fresh with Delight and Surprise
I am writing in response to your article on bamboo jewelry in Vol. 35, No. 3. Bamboo, while it is growing, is tender and malleable. If you apply the wire-wrapping technique used to shape living Bonsai, you should be able to train the bamboo into torques, coils, almost any shape you wish, as well as to twist, twine, or braid it. If you form it at the correct growth stage and harvest it at the proper maturity, the results should be permanent after you allow it to dry and remove the wire.
Although I do not have firsthand experience with this gardening technique, I have observed various plants deliberately distorted for ornamental effect, and it is probable that bamboo could be manipulated in this ecologically efficient way. If it works, you could harvest an entire “crop” of bamboo shaped for jewelry (bamboowelry?)
You might also try shaping freshly-cut bamboo by tying or taping it, then drying it in silica with or without using a microwave oven (no wire in a microwave). This is a flower-drying technique.
Please continue all your creative research. Every issue of Ornament rewards the reader; it is always fresh with delight and surprise.
Sura Ruth
Jackson Heights, New York
Thank you very much for your thoughtful letter. I was aware of manipulations on live bamboo, using wire and various clamps; one of the artists shown in the article, Fred Tate, does use this type of bending with his metal and bamboo jewelry. This was one of the reasons why I did not attempt this approach, as I did not want to encroach on his area.
My primary reasons for working with black bamboo was its beauty, strength and lightness. I thought this sustainable material might substitute for those metals used in jewelry, which are becoming so expensive due to the worldwide demand for metals and minerals.
Also, since I had to thin our grove of black bamboo, since it is a runner, I wanted not to waste the culls. I began with steambending, which takes a long time, before switching to torch bending, which is quicker and thus more practical if one has to make something for sale. Your idea of using the microwave is very interesting, although I am not sure how to tie the bamboo easily without using wire. Even though those I have shown or given bamboo torques have liked them, so far sales at a friend’s gallery have been almost nil. I would really like to introduce bamboo to the jewelry community but I would need someone to invite me to give workshops. In the meanwhile, I am still working on bamboo jewelry.
P.S. My bamboo jewelry is now selling.
Robert K. Liu Ornament Coeditor
A Beautiful Job
The article on Traveler’s Market in Vol. 35, No. 4 is wonderful. Thank you for a beautiful job and thank you for writing so well.
Lesley Martin
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Feeling Fortunate
Thank you so much for the wonderful article in Vol. 35, No. 4. I had been out of town at a conference and a student of mine brought it for me to read. As a former art director, I can appreciate all of the work that went into the article. It is wonderful. I feel so very fortunate to be in your magazine. Over fifty-five comments and over one hundred thirty of my Facebook friends ‘liked’ the article.
Patrik Kusek
Fairfield, California
In Gratitude
My gratitude runs deep for inviting me to continue our mutual alliance for beauty. Thank you for introducing me to author Robin Updike. She is a lovely woman. I so enjoyed our brief but kindred meeting. The interview process can be daunting for me, but Robin has such an ease about her and an understanding that is deeply rooted. Thank you and your Ornament family for your continued devotion to our rich world.
Carol Lee Shanks
Berkeley, California
Carol Lee Shanks was featured in Vol. 35, No. 4.
From Our Facebook Friends
This magazine is fabulous... very inspiring for any artist or crafter.
Lana Denison
Received my copy of the latest Ornament the other day. I have a library of Ornament going back to about 1984. Best publication! And the bolos, in Vol. 35, No. 4—I am in the process of making two of channel inlay. It is amazing how gorgeous you make the magazine. Thank you.
Rose Marie Christison
We recently spent time in Phoenix and went to the Heard Museum where we saw the fascinating exhibit featuring bolo ties, covered in Vol. 35, No. 4. Love Ornament!
Celeste Gleeson Manley
There is still time to see this engaging exhibition curated by the Heard Museum’s Diana Pardue. It continues to November 4, 2012.
About Our New Digital Edition
I have no use whatever for online magazines. I want to cuddle up with Ornament in a comfy chair, with a cookie, a notepad and a Dr. Pepper, not try to read on the computer, with my husband interrupting me constantly so he can get online to play poker, cribbage, solitaire, backgammon, crosswords, or read cartoons and comics. No way. Print version only!
Barbara Ward
I would rather have Ornament in print rather than the digital. Looked at the whole digital magazine and it is not for me. Thanks.
Rose Marie Christison
Just checked out the digital edition and found it unpleasant to read on my computer (Mac). It may be my internet connection, but it was slow to load pages, and often the left page loaded and the right stayed blank. Navigating around to read the enlarged page was cumbersome. Also I did not like that whole advertisements became links, so that I could not enlarge the advertisement to read it, but instead found the site opening in a new window.
I have switched over to digital subscriptions for several magazines through Zinio. I have no problems like this with their online reader or with issues downloaded into their reader application on my computer. Hate to be so critical, but thought you might find my feedback useful. You have a great publication in print and I will stick with that for now! Thanks for the opportunity to try out the digital.
Zann Carter
Thank you for your valuable feedback on our first digital sample. We are on Macs here in the office and have not experienced any of the issues you mentioned, but we certainly appreciate the information and have forwarded your message to our publishing company to see if we can improve the experience on your end. It is possible to zoom in on advertisements without clicking through to the web links. You just have to be sure that your mouse is outside of the advertisement’s borders before you click. This will allow you to use the zoom function. Clicking within the advertisement will take you directly to that advertiser’s website. We hope this is helpful.
Let us know what you think.
Ornament welcomes comments from our readers on all topics regarding personal adornment. Published letters may be edited for brevity. On all emails and posted letters please provide your first and last name, city, state or country. Write to P. O. Box 2349, San Marcos, CA 92079-2349; send fax to 760.599.0228; or email message to ornament@ornamentmagazine.com.
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Our upcoming issue 37.4 contains
Nubian Jewelry
Kate Mensah
Philadelphia Craft Show
Some of Our Popular Articles