Kalaya Steede

Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth. Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself. ~The Matrix It's hard to get out of my head and out of my way.  These past two weeks I've been doing just that.  Letting things go and just doing.  Most of my new work I posted on my Facebook page but my latest work is still on the bench. It all started with this green stone known as uvarovite.  Now that stone has been with me for about 2 years, maybe 3.  It was time for it to go out into the world. The pendant was all done and ready to accept the stone. BUT...I wasn't feeling it. COME...ON!  Are you kidding me? All you have to do is add the stone and move on or is it? My hands moved over to my stone box (I have only one).   Really?   Yes, only one and pulled out this beautiful blue stone. Arizona chrysocolla Which also sat on my bench for over ...

"A man, a plan, a canal, Panama" Like I said in my Facebook post... it starts with a vision and then becomes a reality. by Kalaya Steede I am sure this happens to most of you.  Friends and family just hand you stuff and say, can you make something out of this? Sure...because I have the power!!!  Hahaha!!! In reality the object can, and will, and HAS sat on my bench for months, sometimes years until inspiration strikes. My inspiration was my friend, Tysheena, turning 30 years old. At first I was given a guitar pick that she is currently using but me being all sentimental and stuff asked for something a little more personal. I said... How about giving me you very FIRST guitar pick?   And so she did and it too sat on my bench for about a year. When I make a piece I usually start off with a plan and try to visualize how the piece is going to look like and make some notes.  I decided that I was going to get out of my way and just do i...

but finding myself back where I started... causing suffering to others and then myself... I stray from the path... but to find myself again... ॐ mary jane you are such an inspiration... Namaste Kalaya

And it has not been me!  Hahaha!!!  I am just kidding.  There are lots of things that has been keeping me away from the bench these days.   For one, I was recently invited to do a guest post on Love My Art Jewelry !  Eeee...so exciting!  I get to share my journey with others. And... two, working on organizing a workshop in Mexico! Where in Mexico you ask? In this really cool, old town known as San Miguel de Allende. I am organizing this workshop with an amazing artist!    Jesse Bert  to be exact and his home is right there in San Miguel!  It is going to be packed full of fun, adventure, and FUN! Students will focus on the construction of belt buckles. Similar  to this one (which you might of seen already)... Botas by Jesse Bert and this one (which you have not seen already)... Jesse Bert the back side because it is just as important... Jesse Bert and this one... Jesse Bert Is that carved eb...

Merci beaucoup for all the lovely words on the last post The Risk to Bloom .  I am truly touched by everyone who stopped by. I bow in gratitude. I felt such a flow of energy when making Riesgo (Risk).  I am wondering if I will be able to make anything like it again.  It is not the final product that I want to create but the feeling of the moment while creating.  I very much would like that feeling to return.  Oh well...time to move on.  Ha!   So what is stirring in the studio today? A commissioned ring! I said,  "I would NEVER do commissions" but what am I doing?  I am making a ring that I have been COMMISSIONED to make!  There is a reason why I was warned never to say never. The mission was to make, in her own words, "an obnoxious ring!" .  Hmm...define obnoxious: very annoying or objectionable .  Sure...I can manage that...I think. And this is what I came up with... The lines were made with my...

Wow! Has it been a week?  Time is just passing me by at light speed.  And what have I done?   I haven't been making ANY art at all but I've been thinking about it.  One thing I've been doing is getting a tutorial together for my leather wrap workshop.  It's not an easy thing to do but I'm almost done.  The hardest part is the layout (pictures with text).   But my latest adventure was at Thomas Mann's I/O Gallery.  I wasn't able to make it on Art for Arts Sake.  :(  But I managed to go and take a looksy last Wednesday. Rockstar Dieting Spoon Bonnie Miller Delicious Sperm Karen Christians Free Range organic Cornfed Chicken Catherine Butler Artichoke Neckpiece Thomas Mann Bon Appetit Neckpiece Dawn Nakanishi The Peach Danielle Smith Great work by great artists!   Happy Friday everyone! Namaste Kalaya

I'm so excited!!!  I received this great Totem from Becky Burt last Sunday.  I have worn it everyday since then!    The piece is a great example of cold connections.   Materials are textured silver and copper, patinated copper, turquoise, and magnesite.   Magnesite's mystical properties is its ability to awaken the mind to communicate with the heart.   To see more of Becky's work click here .  Her pieces are so much fun with a touch of whimsy.  She is a local artist and friend AND will be making her debut at Jazz Fest this year!  Way to go Becky!   So if your in town stop by her booth and say, "Bonjour".   Merci Beaucoup, Becky!  I'm such a lucky girl. Namaste Kalaya