Kalaya Steede

Dear Friends, My gallery has decided to move and it saddens me to say that I will not be going with them.  I have broken away from the herd. So what now? This is what I ask myself and to be honest I do not know.   I turn to you. The ones who come back to read...to listen to my failures, successes, and my angst.  I am grateful that you are still here. The Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) was here in New Orleans.  I was so thrilled.  I made new friends and visited with old friends and we had a blast! Halstead held an exhibition along with SNAG at RHINO Contemporary Gallery.  200 kits went out and 30 pieces were selected for the Halstead Design Challenge.  My piece, What's Her Story? was selected to be among one of the 30.  I was so honored. _/\_ Inspired by the women of Storyville and Bellocq's photography this brooch is the first in its series. The story behind the story. Every woman has a story, especially the women ...

Curiosity guides my heart stronger then ever these days. Pivoting once again and shedding my old skin for new.  I'm still exploring with my enamel mandalas but am now incorporating my photography. The most difficult part is allowing the decal to dry overnight but since I don't do that it's not so hard.  LOL!!! The base is white and I fire at 1450 Fahrenheit. Same as above but this has more of a burned negative effect.  One can get some fabulous effects by being impatient.  The cracks is probably due to the coefficient of expansion in the enamel.  Still have lots to learn about this dark magic of vitreous enamel! I also have a new studio mate. Pema (Lotus in Tibetan) is a rescue and is fighting off some serious heart worms.  Regardless of her past and not feeling well, she still manages to give lots of love to whomever she encounters.  Pema really knows how to be at ease in muddy water just like the lotus and ...