I am so excited about the new website: www.shopnewdiscoveries.com.  I apologize for not updating the blog in a while, but I have been totally focused on getting this new site up and running.  I hope you like it as much as I do!

Look – something shiny!  This started as a joke between friends – I am quickly distracted by beautiful things, especially jewelry.  Well, that’s exactly what I said the first time I saw Erica Stankwytch Bailey’s jewelry.

Erica is a contemporary metalsmith.  Yes, she makes jewelry, but with an edge.  In Erica’s own words:

“My work involves a variety of technical applications that allow me to create conceptual and aesthetic work/s. I inspect the world in great detail and have always collected shells, seed pods, stones and interesting organic elements. My studio often resembles a laboratory with trays of collected specimens lined in rows. Whether by fear and fascination, disgust or admiration I am constantly moved by life. From the minuscule piece of reef collected on the shore to the enormous sadness evoked by the many inequalities that exist I am constantly inspired. Lamination, chasing, metal weaving, fabrication, enameling, forging, raising, forming and cast metal parts are often combined in my work in an effort to create pieces that are tactile and invoke in the wearer a sense of personal attachment. Using these techniques allows me to take small pieces of history/time and translate them into visual moments for the viewer and myself.”

Stop by and discover Erica’s “something shiny” work for yourself!

New work is starting to arrive!  Our trip to Philly was a big success – and now you can see the new work in the gallery.  Over the next several weeks, I’ll introduce you to our new artists and their work.

First up is Mackintosh Enamels.  Mackintosh Enamelware is made by fusing vitreous enamels onto copper forms.  Vitreous enamel is glass that is applied in a dry or liquid state and fused onto the copper in a kiln at a base temperature of 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Their pieces may be used for serving pastries, cheese and crackers, fruit, hors’ devours, sushi, candy, or salad.  They can also be used as soap dishes, potpourri holders, incense trays or bases for dripless candles.

We have selected pieces in their new line:  it’s brown and turquoise and includes beautiful spring flowers.  Stop in and discover Mackintosh Enamels for yourself!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  I love meeting artists.  The other day, a gentleman walked into the shop and we started chatting.  About a year ago, he decided he needed a creative outlet; a friend showed him how to throw a pot; he was hooked.  He started taking classes – and became good enough to take part in the students’ sale at Lill Street.  He works on Roscoe Street and, during one of his walks, discovered my store.  When he told me his story, I asked him to show me his work.  His photographs made me want to see the pieces in person – seeing them in person got me hooked.

Meet Will del Genio in his own words:

“I’m a software engineer. It’s what I’ve done all my life. Late 2008 I happened to visit a good friend at his studio and he happened to teach me how to throw a pot. I realized immediately afterward how satisfying and relaxing the process was. Working on the wheel shaping the clay with my hands felt great physically and was mentally refreshing. After starting to take ceramics classes I learned I had been lacking an outlet for my creative mind. I discovered how fulfilling it is to create beautiful three dimensional, physical, tangible, immutable objects.

“I’ve always liked building and creating things with my hands and working with tools. I found the wheel to be my favorite tool, allowing me to easily make round shapes with precise curves. In the curves of the pots I see the mathematical functions represented everyday in nature and the world around us. I’m always exploring the limits of clay, pushing further to see what is possible and what is practical. I’m constantly trying to improve my pieces, making them bigger, taller, with more flowing curves, better thrown walls, more character in the shape, more interesting surfaces. This challenge is impossible to complete, but it is also impossible to resist.”

Stop in and discover Will’s work.

I just got back from the Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia.  This is a major event where hundreds and hundreds of artists from the US and Canada show their works to people who own galleries all over the country.  It also happens to be the show where I find about 75% of the art and artisan crafts that I sell.  This year's event was a good one, though marred a bit because of the two snow storms that battered the area in the week before the show.  Unfortunately, several artists were unable to make it to the show – and so was my cousin Anna, who typically helps me decide what to buy.  But, no worries, I still found some new artists and new work from current artists.

In the coming months, I will be receiving new work from Tabbatha Henry, Amy Meya, Cynthia Jones, and Dotti Potts.  I will also be getting some new ceramics from Bradley B Pottery and Hilborn Pottery; new glass pieces from Fire and Light Originals, eluCook, and Jim Loewer Glass; new mixed media work from Bibelot Designs and Mackintosh Enamels; and new jewelry from Eye and I Glass and Erin Stankwytch Bailey.

As I receive the new work, I will let you know more about each individual artist and will provide you with pictures of their work.

Stop in and discover new artists and new works!

I recently added some new pieces from Bob Rickard of Rickard Studio (previously Kronos Works).  Bob’s Art2 panels are 12″ square pieces of aluminum that have been sanded, masked, then painted with chemicals to create different patinas, resulting in amazing wall tiles.  Art2 panels come in a variety of colors and designs.

Stop in and discover Bob’s new work!

As you all know, I love meeting new artists – and it’s a real treat when they happen to be a friend of a friend.  That’s how I met Jodi Bova – she is a friend of Theresa Bertocci, another of my artists.  Jodi came to Theresa’s recent “meet and greet” – and we started talking about her work.  A week later, Jodi’s work was hanging in the gallery.

Jodi’s current body of work, “solder art,” depicts the contradictory relationship between human emotion and artificiality.  Her use of low-relief figurative sculpture and minimalist paintings synthesize human experience with the rigidity of solder.  Her “solder art” juxtaposes our fragile relationship with life and our enduring quest to manipulate it – thus depicting the nature of the ever growing presence of our technological, scientific, and industrial advancements.  Her color palette is influenced by the tone and emotion of the message.

Jodi is primarily a self-taught artist, though she recently received her BA from Columbia College with a concentration in Fine Arts.  She is an artist and clinical therapist working with individuals exposed to trauma, specifically women and children.  She utilizes traditional and contemporary therapy practices, including a specialization in art therapy.

Stop in and discover Jodi’s fascinating work!

My brother’s best friend died of cancer two years ago.  In the final days of his fight, he moved into hospice care.  It was the first time his family had dealt with hospice and it was a blessing to them and to him.  Later… after… his mother decided to give back: in his honor, for their kindness, to help others.  She got involved with Friends of Hospice, which benefits the Hospice of the Calumet Area in northwest Indiana.  She and a small group of women create 10-Paper Boxes and small writing journals, with the proceeds directly benefiting the hospice.

10-paper boxes interweave a long history of paper crafting, begun in second century BC China, with the current trend for innovative and quality products.  Every box is handmade and covered with at least 10 papers from all over the world, including Japanese Yuzen, Florentine prints, Indian cotton text., French marble and Lokta from Thailand and Nepal.  The box is then embellished with unusual objects such as onyx, malachite, iron zebra jasper, vintage brass filigree, glass pearls, antique buttons, and lapis.  Each 10-paper box is a unique piece of perfection.  The entire process of making one box takes 10 hours and requires the talents of four artisans who combine their love of paper, texture, color, design, and craftsmanship.

His mother, whom I have known for over 25+ years, contacted me recently and showed me the boxes and journals.  I knew I needed to carry them in my shop.  On their own, they are incredible.  Once you know how the proceeds are used, they become even more special.  Stop in, discover these boxes, and help others!

I love meeting new artists and learning about their stories.  The week before Thanksgiving, I received a call from local artist Mark Moleski.  He had heard about New Discoveries from a friend and wanted to show me his work.  When he got here, we started talking, and I realized we have a lot in common.  Before deciding to pursue his art 4 years ago, Mark worked for over 15 years in a large corporate environment.  He got burned out and decided it was time for him to pursue his passion.  And, since then, he has been happier and more fulfilled than he had been working the corporate grind.  Sound familiar?  Yes, it could have been my story – except where I decided to focus on making art accessible to everyone, Mark decided to create art.

So far, Mark has three separate, yet similar, series:  Stand, Sit, and Read.  Mark works in mixed media using india inks and newspaper and magazines.  He discovers new takes on familiar images and newspaper articles and photos, creating a new story behind the story.

Currently, we have Mark’s Stand Series: Shoe Box III in the shop.  However, Mark will provide us with pieces from his other series (see them at www.markmoleski.com), if you are interested.

Stop in and discover this exciting Chicago artist!

On December 4th from 5-8, New Discoveries will be hosting a get together with local glass artist Ian Duncan. 

Ian, an instructor at Chicago Hot Glass, is an up-and-coming young glass artist.  He has a unique style that fits in perfectly at New Discoveries.  We currently showcase several of Ian's bowls and vases.  On December 4th, Ian will bring even more of his designs to the shop so that you can see a broader range of his work. 

Stop in, meet Ian, and discover his amazing glass designs.