03.09.20 Tourist for a Day

This is the photo in my blog banner.  It is a collection of zircons from the Hall of Gems at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

I took it in the summer of 2013 (before I ever thought seriously about taking jewelry making classes) on a family vacation to Washington DC. I grew up in the DC suburbs, our family had a membership to the Smithsonian - and went often - this became my favorite exhibit more than 40 years ago.

In front of Calder's "Obus"

We were back in DC in February - it was a weekend of wall to wall family events - except for a few hours on our first day there...so, we hopped on the Metro and headed out to be tourists!

We started at the National Gallery of Art - also a favorite - especially the contemporary art in the East Wing. Not only did I see Calder's sculptures and mobiles, but there is a new Ellsworth Kelly installation in the foyer.

Ellsworth Kelly at NGA

While my own work tends to be much less abstract - I have always loved the incredible use of vibrant color by both of these artists.  I could (and have) spend hours in the museum's light filled atrium just meditating on the objects around me.

NGA Degas Art Mug

After soaking up some culture, grabbing lunch, and this fabulous new mug (link in the photo caption if you want one too) - we headed over to the Museum of Natural History...because a Smithsonian visit is not complete without a trip through the gems.

I spent a couple of hours meandering through the halls filled with rough and finished stone specimens...but it was different from my previous experiences...this time I was looking at the gems and minerals as a jeweler. 

Cross section of Spectrolite

I could identify things by sight - without first looking at the information labels - and as I walked through, I was thinking about the various pieces I had made using the stones in the glass cases.

It sounds silly, but I was almost giddy when I realized how much more meaningful it felt to come back to this place with new knowledge.



I decided to take photos - a lot of photos - of the various stones I have used in my work, and I created an album on Facebook.  Over time, my plan is to add photos of my jewelry made with these minerals and gems in the comments under the pictures from the museum.

I loved this turquoise grouping (of course I did) - especially the piece showing the bright blue in the matrix, which I use in so many pieces.



I knew when I started taking classes at Creative Side that I would learn new things, but I continue to be surprised at how much knowledge I've acquired - about myself, the creative process, and the world around me - beyond what I expected.

Thanks as always for joining me on the journey.

Until next time.