Blog
Setbacks
Setbacks are always part of our journeys. Sometimes they can be a catalyst for whole new work. And these times are filled with uncertainty and change, so embrace the unexpected, keep calm and carry on.
Fidget Rings
Many individuals swear by the effectiveness of fidget rings (worry rings) as a discreet and fashionable way to manage anxiety. The repetitive movements involved in spinning, rolling, or sliding a component of the ring can help redirect anxious energy and provide a sense of calm.
Wild at Heart
I admit I am a bit of a fashion maven. Recently when window shopping with my mom, I was pleasantly surprised by the latest fashion trend of hearts. If anyone knows my work, you would know that hearts are central to my ethos. Some of my first pieces I made were hearts. Below are my lastest heart creations along with a fashion collage I put together through Urstyle with a couple of items from my Hearts Collection.
Nune Coepi
Some things happened this spring that completely knocked me off my game. I stopped posting on social media and took a month break from making just to focus on health. My partner and I have begun a healthier diet. He taught me a saying recently that I haven't heard before.
"Nune Coepi" meaning "Now I begin again"
Jewellery Giveaways
I am busy preparing for shows this year. I was just in a Valentine's Day show, and now gearing up for a Lion's Club Craft Show in my childhood town of Dundas Ontario. I am discovering that a lot of the local shows have giveaways and I find it very satisfying to create something unique for each show door prize, specifically for craft shows that are charity events such as the Lion's and Lioness Clubs which have many wonderful programs for people in their communities.
Asters & Amethyst Collection
Bright purple asters
Lighting up the forest floor
Painting late summer once more
-Janice Hagey
This current collection is based on my drawings of asters which then formed a repeat pattern and became the focus of most of the pieces.
Learning Pattern Design
Pattern design has a rich history. Inspiration can be pulled from everywhere, including nature, math, fashion, interior decor and art history are just a few ideas. Doing a deep dive into patterns in art history will lead to designs from the Middle East to Asia. To understand more formal pattern design such as symmetry, the book Pattern Design, by Lewis F. Day is informative. For more modern approaches to patterns, there are many books and online courses that are helpful. Make it in Design and Bonnie Christine on Skillshare are two very good sources for learning.
New Directions
In 2017, I moved back home from Southern California, to Ontario Canada. My dad had been diagnosed with a degenerative illness in 2010, which was just after beginning my jewelry career. For many years I travelled back and forth helping out for weeks and sometimes months at a time. My dad passed away this year and was a harrowing journey of hospital stays and caring for him at home. My mom and I were by his side at home. It was painful to see a man capable of so many things slip away.
Blacksmithing Day
The art of blacksmithing takes us back to the iron age in history, however medieval times comes to mind for most people when thinking about forging steel in hot ovens.
Learning to hammer steel is something that I have always wanted to try. When I found Los Angeles based non-profit, Adam's Forge, a few years ago, that desire became a reality. I was never brave enough to sign up for the class alone, so I enlisted the company of my partner to check it out with me. He was all in even though his art, illustration and design is more cerebral.
