Hello all...
I know I have been a bit away from posting here at the moment and that is because I have been away from my workbench back home.
In August of 2010 I went to Burning Man and shortly after that got hitched to a nice German scientist. We have been travelling the world around SE Asia together since Dec. 2010 and now have begun to settle down in our new home: Munich.
I am currently in the process of figuring out where I will fit in the world again and how will I begin to make art or metalwork again and re-create a whole new studio space for this in a country where I am just learning to speak.
I will be in Seattle from April 11- July 4th to do some personal work as well as collaborations.
For now please check out this other blog of mine:
http://melllingtonarchives.blogspot.com/
for readings on our travels around Asia and me currently going through cultureshock in Bavaria.
Thanks for reading!
Xoxox
-Mellington
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Time to get Sexy! ...and crafty too!
It's been a busy week here in Seattle... whew! What with SEAF opening tomorrow night with the artist reception. here is a list of all the things I am doing in the next 4 days:
Staging and planning seaf tonight
Artist reception tomorrow where I help unveil some awesome art by Jeff Hengst
SEAF Friday night Lounge Salon from 10-2am where I have been doing assistant set design, possible assistanct Direction.
A small short performance piece with Misty Montainge on beds earlier in the evening.
SEAF Sat. night passionfruit performance
A night long afterpart that should go until noon on Sun. followed by a nice relaxing evening of rop bondage with my darling Mad Scientist and I if we are not too exhausted by all the sexiness from this past week. whew!
NEXT WEEK?
i am equally swamped with getting my new line ready for first thursdays artswalk, and possibly Fremont Sunday market a week after that!
Alright, back to making steam punk costumes and cuffs for tomorrow night.
Kiss kiss!
-Mellington
Staging and planning seaf tonight
Artist reception tomorrow where I help unveil some awesome art by Jeff Hengst
SEAF Friday night Lounge Salon from 10-2am where I have been doing assistant set design, possible assistanct Direction.
A small short performance piece with Misty Montainge on beds earlier in the evening.
SEAF Sat. night passionfruit performance
A night long afterpart that should go until noon on Sun. followed by a nice relaxing evening of rop bondage with my darling Mad Scientist and I if we are not too exhausted by all the sexiness from this past week. whew!
NEXT WEEK?
i am equally swamped with getting my new line ready for first thursdays artswalk, and possibly Fremont Sunday market a week after that!
Alright, back to making steam punk costumes and cuffs for tomorrow night.
Kiss kiss!
-Mellington
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Windows of Opportunity Open...
Very recently after my sad unemployment stint I a couple of people interested in custom work have come out of the wood work! yipee! I also have gotten the opportunity to work on being Assistant Set Designer for the Friday night lounge of the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival! Yipee!!! www.seattleerotic.org
Also, after firmly deciding that I was not going to go to Burning Man this year (it's been 3 years in a row now), but I have just been approached by a group of Engineers who would like me to possibly be the lead artist in constructing a 500 ft. combustible monorail art installation in the desert. They have been funded by a grant from the Black Rock Arts Foundation and YES, now I have a budget of someone else's fund to make art with! Horray!!!! (wait... is my dream really coming true?) www.nowhere2nowhere.com
The creative gods have now gifted me with more amazing projects than I could of dreamed of! .....the only problem... finding a watch that stops time for 3 weeks... eeekkk!
-Mellington
Also, after firmly deciding that I was not going to go to Burning Man this year (it's been 3 years in a row now), but I have just been approached by a group of Engineers who would like me to possibly be the lead artist in constructing a 500 ft. combustible monorail art installation in the desert. They have been funded by a grant from the Black Rock Arts Foundation and YES, now I have a budget of someone else's fund to make art with! Horray!!!! (wait... is my dream really coming true?) www.nowhere2nowhere.com
The creative gods have now gifted me with more amazing projects than I could of dreamed of! .....the only problem... finding a watch that stops time for 3 weeks... eeekkk!
-Mellington
Unemployment: I guess it's Nothing Personal It's just... Business? (really?)
March 2010, a week after my birthday i was laid off from my job at Green Lake for reasons unknown. I was sad and perplexed, and still do not know why they let me go. In the end they told me the company wasn't growing fast enough, and that I wasn't a good fit for the time being. So I left with sadness, only to find out that they had told the department of unemployment they had fired me for general mistakes. hmm... this is really funny since I have a gmail from Jim the owner stating that "Yes, laid off is a fair term." I guess business owners who have a good strong business try and cut corners like under-paying staff (many have taken a pay cut to work there I heard) and my attempting to get out of pay unemployment.
I guess it's nothing personal, it's just business? They never told me I was fired, never had me sign anything, still haven't paid me my last pay check... hmmm... not to be unprofessional, but so I smell a lying rat or a business owner? It's ok I sent all my email and proof of documentation that I was in fact Laid off to the dept of unemployment and I am battling it right now. To end this hurtful rant, I just want to say that if you want a high quality one of a kind piece of platinum or gold jewelry I cannot argue that their work and there products are amazing and there artists are fabulous. I would tell you to go to them.
Also though, if you would love to support a company that has underpaid artists working for them, no training procedure, and an owner that likes to not fully disclose reasons of discharge and tries to make it difficult for workers to get unemployment I highly recommend Green Lake Jewelry works for all these reasons as well. I would especially recommend working for them if you like working for someone who promises a 90 day review and training programs during your job offer that are actually Non-existent. (Can we spell bait and switch?) I know my rant is far from professional, but I guess they weren't either.... nothing personal, just business...
So now I am hoping for unemployment, and in the midst of feeling jaded about getting re-employed in this industry for at least a while, I have decided to take a look at my own dusty bench and try and make my own business happen again. I have begun to work a min. or 30 hrs a week on my own production line and another 20 hrs. a week on marketing, social media and craft fair research... wish me luck! With this economy I will kinda need it!
When one door closes a couple windows open... or something...
-Mellington
I guess it's nothing personal, it's just business? They never told me I was fired, never had me sign anything, still haven't paid me my last pay check... hmmm... not to be unprofessional, but so I smell a lying rat or a business owner? It's ok I sent all my email and proof of documentation that I was in fact Laid off to the dept of unemployment and I am battling it right now. To end this hurtful rant, I just want to say that if you want a high quality one of a kind piece of platinum or gold jewelry I cannot argue that their work and there products are amazing and there artists are fabulous. I would tell you to go to them.
Also though, if you would love to support a company that has underpaid artists working for them, no training procedure, and an owner that likes to not fully disclose reasons of discharge and tries to make it difficult for workers to get unemployment I highly recommend Green Lake Jewelry works for all these reasons as well. I would especially recommend working for them if you like working for someone who promises a 90 day review and training programs during your job offer that are actually Non-existent. (Can we spell bait and switch?) I know my rant is far from professional, but I guess they weren't either.... nothing personal, just business...
So now I am hoping for unemployment, and in the midst of feeling jaded about getting re-employed in this industry for at least a while, I have decided to take a look at my own dusty bench and try and make my own business happen again. I have begun to work a min. or 30 hrs a week on my own production line and another 20 hrs. a week on marketing, social media and craft fair research... wish me luck! With this economy I will kinda need it!
When one door closes a couple windows open... or something...
-Mellington
A Long-Awaited Blog Post!
Alright, it has been a very long time since I have posted, and many things have happened over the course of this year and a half so let me try and cum things up in a nutshell.
about a year ago I moved up to Seattle and, after a brief stint of moving to Kirkland I am now located centrally in The Emerald City. I move my studio into an awesome space full of artists and blacksmiths call Equinox Studios in south Seattle. http://www.equinoxstudios.org/
Last May, right as I got a job as a jewelry sales rep. I also got the opportunity to work on a large art installation for Burning Man, a giant interactive art festival in the Nevada Desert that experiments in communal living and concepts of radical free expression. The project: a 35ft tall interactive rubiks cube which required three people at three control panels to solve it collectively... a real experiment in collaborating on a large scale project, that's goal was to itself stimulate collaboration among stranger. www.groovik.com
After a long summer or basically 20hr of work a week on this giant cube (I helped with Welding, soldering electronics, and sewing mainly.) I got a not so surprising lay-off (recession, blah) conveniently a month before Burning Man. We went, we installed, we had amazing success!
Post Burn I immediately landed a full-time job in high end custom jewelry design with Green Lake Jewelry Works and after a summer of hard work on art I began to have a normal and routine life, and due to the fact that I was designing jewelry 40 hrs a week my studio time, and attention to my personal work decreased, and my focus and attention to my gemological studies picked up.
Nov. and Dec. of 2009 were filled with busy holiday season happenings. Equinox had a winter opening on Dec. 12th and I basically worked 40hrs at my job and 20 hrs a week or myself with my goal of trying to create a small but stylistically solid production line for the holiday art opening. In the end I created 30 pieces in 4 week and sold 1/3 of my inventory the first night and another 1/3 over the next month... ok so it was a hit! I was a bit surprised! but it made me confident that I could potentially sell my work and that low and behold people really liked it!
Jan. 2010 took me to Thailand where I studied at GIA, the Gemological Institute of America and took several final exams and completing 85% of my Graduate Gemologist Degree. By the time I am certified I will be able to identify, and confidently purchase my own gemstones for my jewelry/metalwork, not to mention I am able to discuss gem knowledge in choosing appropriate gemstones for custom design work for customers and friends.... aka a good skill to have. (not to mention a good thing on my resume if ever wanting a job in my field.)
...whew... ! that was a lot... still not done with updating, more to come!
Wheee!!!!
-mellington
about a year ago I moved up to Seattle and, after a brief stint of moving to Kirkland I am now located centrally in The Emerald City. I move my studio into an awesome space full of artists and blacksmiths call Equinox Studios in south Seattle. http://www.equinoxstudios.org/
Last May, right as I got a job as a jewelry sales rep. I also got the opportunity to work on a large art installation for Burning Man, a giant interactive art festival in the Nevada Desert that experiments in communal living and concepts of radical free expression. The project: a 35ft tall interactive rubiks cube which required three people at three control panels to solve it collectively... a real experiment in collaborating on a large scale project, that's goal was to itself stimulate collaboration among stranger. www.groovik.com
After a long summer or basically 20hr of work a week on this giant cube (I helped with Welding, soldering electronics, and sewing mainly.) I got a not so surprising lay-off (recession, blah) conveniently a month before Burning Man. We went, we installed, we had amazing success!
Post Burn I immediately landed a full-time job in high end custom jewelry design with Green Lake Jewelry Works and after a summer of hard work on art I began to have a normal and routine life, and due to the fact that I was designing jewelry 40 hrs a week my studio time, and attention to my personal work decreased, and my focus and attention to my gemological studies picked up.
Nov. and Dec. of 2009 were filled with busy holiday season happenings. Equinox had a winter opening on Dec. 12th and I basically worked 40hrs at my job and 20 hrs a week or myself with my goal of trying to create a small but stylistically solid production line for the holiday art opening. In the end I created 30 pieces in 4 week and sold 1/3 of my inventory the first night and another 1/3 over the next month... ok so it was a hit! I was a bit surprised! but it made me confident that I could potentially sell my work and that low and behold people really liked it!
Jan. 2010 took me to Thailand where I studied at GIA, the Gemological Institute of America and took several final exams and completing 85% of my Graduate Gemologist Degree. By the time I am certified I will be able to identify, and confidently purchase my own gemstones for my jewelry/metalwork, not to mention I am able to discuss gem knowledge in choosing appropriate gemstones for custom design work for customers and friends.... aka a good skill to have. (not to mention a good thing on my resume if ever wanting a job in my field.)
...whew... ! that was a lot... still not done with updating, more to come!
Wheee!!!!
-mellington
Thursday, January 22, 2009
And I'm leaving on a Jet Plane...
...Yet AGAIN!!!
It always seems like I am leaving on a jet plane these days. Hopefully that will stop soon... and at the same time hopefully it will never stop.
So, after sneaking into the NWA VIP lounge and ordering 3 Bloody Mary's I have begun to leech WiFi in a quick attempt to write some random, sleep-deprived words before boarding the plane.
This trip is a business trip and a family trip. I'm heading over to do a number of things such as colored stone grading classes, Chinese New Year with the family units, eating dinner with friends and looking to make contacts with Gem dealers.
In terms of my tiny tiny business of being an "Official" artist life has been good. Everytime I complete an order I get another person walking into my life who is interested in me making something for them... It keeps me busy, but not too busy so I am never super burnt out with custom orders and yet still have time to make my own work in series and passion to help people manifest things they are interested in.
The past couple weeks have been super busy what with preparing for Thailand, applying to last min call for artists as well as trying to get all my promo material in order for the fall ArtsWalk in the spring that I will be showing in...
...that is just the tip of the iceberg in my life.... will go into more detail once I have more sleep, and less bloody marys ... hehe *hic-up*
More pictures of recent work to come as well!!!!
Stay tuned!
-Mellington Cartwright III
It always seems like I am leaving on a jet plane these days. Hopefully that will stop soon... and at the same time hopefully it will never stop.
So, after sneaking into the NWA VIP lounge and ordering 3 Bloody Mary's I have begun to leech WiFi in a quick attempt to write some random, sleep-deprived words before boarding the plane.
This trip is a business trip and a family trip. I'm heading over to do a number of things such as colored stone grading classes, Chinese New Year with the family units, eating dinner with friends and looking to make contacts with Gem dealers.
In terms of my tiny tiny business of being an "Official" artist life has been good. Everytime I complete an order I get another person walking into my life who is interested in me making something for them... It keeps me busy, but not too busy so I am never super burnt out with custom orders and yet still have time to make my own work in series and passion to help people manifest things they are interested in.
The past couple weeks have been super busy what with preparing for Thailand, applying to last min call for artists as well as trying to get all my promo material in order for the fall ArtsWalk in the spring that I will be showing in...
...that is just the tip of the iceberg in my life.... will go into more detail once I have more sleep, and less bloody marys ... hehe *hic-up*
More pictures of recent work to come as well!!!!
Stay tuned!
-Mellington Cartwright III
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Blizards, Brownies, and Cardboard.
Seasons Greetings everyone!
Joy is in the air as well as mass amounts of snow and Mellington with Cabin Fever. I have been stuck inside for 5 days straight due to an unusual amount of snowfall in the Pacific Northwest area as well as all over the northern top half of the USA.
Lots of ice and crazy car accidents are happening in my area since nobody around here are use to snow and the max amount of snow we get in a year is about a foot. In the past week Olympia, WA has about a foot and a half of snow! EEEKKK! Luckily the never-ending rain will come and answer out prayers with more overcast skies, steady damp downpour and what seems to be a long and dark winter..... which I personally love!
So you may think me masochistic for this thought? Well... not so much since every rainy day I have I view as yet another attempt to be productive indoors and not distracted or made sleepy my the happiness of sunshine.
I love sunshine, don't get me wrong! However I notice that whenever it comes out I have this strong urge to stop whatever I am doing (working, making art, cleaning, driving a car, being responsible, putting out fires, etc.) and run out into the sunshine, lie on the grass and do NOTHING! ....which is fine for a day or two... but weeks of sunshine not only get me sleepy (from lack of sun at all during Northwest winters) but the also put me into super lazy auto pilot.
With that said... snow, pretty and bitchy, rain dark and damp but productive. wheee!
Recently I have given myself a couple days off and a self-inflicted lobotomy by downloading old TV show series that I missed while living overseas. Yep... I sat in bed and lost 3 days of my life while eating brownies, cookie dough ice cream and glasses of rum eggnog. I think I am on a campaign to get fat since it's winter and my body is way too rock hard from exercise... :P
When not excercising the "inner" tummy muscles I have begun a new series of cardboard houses. Once upon a time in Thailand my little niece looked at my tattoo of cities and roads and buildings and asked "what is in the houses" I said... GOOD QUESTION!.. I think there's lots of storage boxes full of junk and presents." And ever since then I have been talking to myself about what is exactly inside those little buildings I have been making.
....and for some reason the insides really want to be made of cardboard! So I have been working with my jewelers saw and cutting our cardboard doors and windows and and tiny shapes and patterns. When my mother saw my work she screamed "not more bird houses!" and I had to calm her nerves with a cup of tea....
Hope everyone is doing well and you are all safe and sounds and with friends and family, or alone escaping it all... Happy Holidays!
-Mellington Cartwright
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