An Artist in Dreamland ...

Hi, I’m Barbara Lewis and a member of this great group of artists at Love My Art Jewelry. I have a question for you. How does one go from being an Apparel Design college major to earning a degree in Ceramics to being a torch-fired enamel artist with a jewelry book on the way? Who the heck knows … but it’s been one heck of a ride.

Today I’m writing to you from the Hyatt Hotel in Cincinnati, OH, which will be my home base for the next week or so while I go through my photo shoot at North Light Books. Last December I got the crazy idea, with the encouragement of friends, like Mary Jane Dodd, to submit a book concept to North Light on torch-fired enamel jewelry. Lo and behold, on March 5, I got the good news from Tonia Davenport, Acquisitions Editor, that it was accepted! Now what?!!!

Next came several months of fumbling around in the studio, trying to get momentum, writing how-to’s as I made things. How-to’s were sent, projects were sent … and here I am … at a time and place I thought would never arrive. Below are some small close-ups of some of the projects for the book. I hope you see something you like. Please stay tuned to LMAJ for the continuing adventures of an artist in dreamland. I'd also like to invite you to visit my blog: http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.blogspot.com/ or my website: http://www.paintingwithfireartwear.com/. And, you can also join me, and over five hundred of my closest friends, at www.paintingwithfire.ning.com if you want to learn more about torch-fired enamel.