Here to N.E.wear - It's Official!

Welcome to the official Grand Opening of "Here to N.E.wear".  While I do like to journal, the main purpose of my page is to keep you current with N.E.wear designs.  Here you'll find examples of custom pieces in the Commissions and Sold Gallery, and all my work that is available directly from me, from The 120 Artists CoOp and from Westwood Studio, both located in Wooster.  The options are almost limitless as to the colour combinations, shapes, designs and findings materials.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner (for those who live south of the border), the Christmas season is almost upon us.  Maybe this year you'll want to give one-of-a-kind gifts.  Check out the photo galleries and see if anything strikes your fancy. 

As for my recent road trip, I made it home safely after a week-long trip across western Canada.  I’m in grandchild withdrawal already.

Road Trips

The beautiful thing about a road trip is...  actually, there are many things; you get to know your trip mates REALLY well - you get to try regional foods - your surroundings can be inspiring - you gain a new appreciation for what you love about being at home - you get to drive, and drive...  and drive.  I think after we're finished, Amy & I will have driven over 3300 Canadian km. or about 2100 miles (for my friends at home).  For the most part, the roads have been clear, the skies have been kind and the deer and moose have kept to themselves.  Today, we had lunch in the Cornerstone Bar & Grill in Kenora, Ontario.  It used to be an historic bank building.  We have been eating the usual as-healthy-as-you-can-eat road food, but today we felt like having a treat.  We ordered a yummy chicken, avacado, tomato, greens, roasted red pepper sandwich on toasted sourdough with the REALLY YUMMY house salad of spring greens, candied pecans, red onions, goat cheese and balsamic vinegrette.  We thought we'd been to heaven.  Why can't I get inspired to make that for lunch at home?  Oh - Did I mention my two grandboys are with us?  They had pizza.  Did I also mention they've been champs the entire time??  We've been on the road since Friday night.  I have been inspired by a couple of things this trip:  the strength of my daughter as she has wrangled the details of this move, and the turbines at the Red Lily Wind Farm near Moosomin, Saskatchewan.  My fascintation has to do with the steady, graceful motion to get the job done - both with Amy and the turbines.  I believe N.E.wear will benefit from this inspiration!!

My favourite season.

Fall has always been my favourite season.  Always!  And I really like the idea that the word "fall" has Old Norse derivatives - from the land of Vikings, and all.  Maybe that’s why I have such an affinity with rocks. 

So much has happened since N.E.wear’s inception.  And "N.E.wear" wasn’t the first alphabetic configuration.  Let’s go back over a year ago, to last August.  My daughter, Amy, was here visiting with our two grand boys, Ethan and Christian.  I thought it might be fun to make some jewelry with Ethan, who was about 4½ at the time.  We chose colours of polymer modeling clay and E. thought he would be good at turning the handle on the pasta roller.   After a few passes, the exact thickness was achieved.  We cut some shapes from different colours, placed them on the base, rolled again and merged them together.  Amy started cutting out shapes and by the time we were finished, we had 2 sets of earrings and pendants.  This is really when I had my first vision of making jewelry.  And of course, never mind having enough pieces to sell, or where to sell them or any sort of business plan – I needed a name.  And I wanted to use our initials:  N, A and E.  “NEA”.  “ANE”.  “EAN”.  Nothing worked.  Then, suddenly – there it was.  AnE.wear.  After some testing, however, it became evident this was going to require some phonetic symbols to ensure correct pronunciation.  Argh – too complicated! 

Finally, after simplifying my medium from polymer clay to acrylic paint came the simpler spelling of N.E.wear.  It wasn't a TRUE epiphany, but it was certainly a great ah-ha!