It's that time of year...

Yes, the show season is beginning for The Artful Dragon Studio.  This year's new collection is all metal.  Mixed metals, Sterling Silver and whatever else I find in my travels.  It's been fun learning a whole new set of skills required to work with metal and lots of new tools to play with.  






















"Best Friends" is the piece on the left and "Deer in the Wood" on the right.  Both pieces include Copper, Brass and Aluminium - hence the collection name of Cobraal.

Here is a list of the shows I will be participating in during 2017:

July 1 and 2, 2017 - Rotary Arts and Crafts Fair, City Hall Park in Gananoque

August 5, 6, 7, 2017 - Merrickville Canalfest Fine Craft Show and Sale, 

in the grounds close to the lock in Merrickville

August 26, 2017 - Mallorytown Village Fair next to Mallorytown Coach House

September 16, 2017 at Lambs Pond, 6436 New Dublin Rd, outside Brockville

October 19, 2017 - Christmas in October at Brockville General Hospital 

October 27, 28, 29, 2017 - Before the Rush at The Ivy Restaurant, at The Ivy Lea Club, 61 Shipman's Lane, Lansdowne, Ontario K0E 1L0

November 19, 2017 - Fulford Place Victorian Christmas, Brockville, 10 am to 4 pm.

November 24 & 25, 2017 - Friends of the Brockville Library Show and Sale, Brockville, 10 am to 4 pm

Friday December 8, 2017 - Brockville General Volunteer Association Christmas Luncheon and Vendor Corridor, from 10 am to 3 pm at Brockville General Hospital.

To see more of my work, please go to - Lea Hamblett's Flickr page

Have a great 2017 and if you visit any of the above shows, please come and say hello.

Catch Up Time...

February 8, 2017.  A couple of years since my last post!! Amazing!  

Yes, things have changed here and first I would like to focus on my harps.  They have been going and coming since I last posted and now I have just four.  I still have and love my pedal harp, Anya and my lever harp, Fiona.  I did have a 33 string lever wire harp, but sadly was never able to play it because the strings just kept on breaking.  Then after re-stringing it can take a few weeks for them to hold pitch.  The last time I was tuning the harp, I witnessed a cascade failure - 15 strings broke, one after the other.  I could do nothing but stand and watch.  it was decision time - whether to sell or even more drastic, re-string with nylon and hope (lots of work).  We chose the latter option and are absolutely delighted with the result.  The harp has a deep resonance and beautiful tone, so it's going to be a keeper.  

But I was now without a wire strung harp and really wanted to learn to play one.  My husband found one online and we decided to go ahead and order The Venerable Cherry, as it's maker had named it.  The maker is James Skeen of Folcharp.com in the Tennessee mountains.  Here is a link to a demo on my actual harp, with James playing.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ti8XRG7eYE





















James shipped it to us from Tennessee and so we had to wait for a week.  The funniest part was opening the box and seeing how he had packed it.  Very inventive!!  Our dog thought it was great fun.

The harp (a traditional Scottish Clarsach) has 26 strings and can sit in my lap to be played.  The strings are brass wire.  Now I will have to do a lot of practising, as it is a very different technique to my other harps.


Phil and I have just started putting together the musical pieces for our second CD and, again, a lot of practice required.  Nearly all the pieces will be new to us and so it will be harder than the first CD (Parallel Passage), which contained pieces we currently played.  We have been delighted with the response to Parallel Passage and people have been asking when the next one will be out.  I would guess the end of March.  Fingers tightly crossed.

The Artful Dragon Studio

For 2016 I had decided to try mixing resin and wood - The DragonWood Collection.  It was icky, sticky and very messy, but I liked the results.  I have also been working with polymer clay in different ways and it has certainly be a learning curve, but lots of fun.  Check out KaleidoScapes and some of the other collections at this link.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/leahamblett/collections/72157669736176661/

2017 will hopefully be another year of discovery.  Presently, I am trying to decide exactly what my new collections will consist of and so "watch this space".

Harp On!!

Harping On!

Hi everyone.

Since my last harp post, my inventory of harps has changed a bit.  After really thinking about the number of harps I have accumulated and how much time there was left in the day to play, I decided it was time to send a couple of them on a new adventure with new owners.



We said goodbye to my Avalon Lap Harp from Triplett Harps.












Also, it was time for the Kortier Acoustic Electric to move on.








This was good, as I still had my Triplett Signature, Selina Pedal Harp and the Triplett Wire harp.  But then we found a harp for sale that I just couldn't resist and so we are back up to four harps.  It is a Troubadour lever harp from Lyon and Healey and is the same harp that set me on the road to wanting to learn the harp years ago.  (Will post photo soon).   It was played on the CD by Loreena McKennitt that we bought back on a visit to Lake Placid.  We were also lucky enough to see Loreena in concert last Fall and the show was just amazing.

I love the shape of the Troubadour and that the strings are spaced the same as the pedal harp and so it is easier to switch between the two.

Harpeggia has played a couple of gigs for charity this year and will be playing another one in September for our local Palliative Care Golf Tournament.  Always a fun gig.

I am now trying not to look at harps for sale and I know I have plenty to choose from in my own home.  Wish me luck with my progress.

Harp On!

Lea

The Artful Dragon Changes Direction!

Christmas 2014 brought a new challenge for The Artful Dragon.  I was looking to create a new Collection for my Studio and after a lot of research, decided on adding some fused, dichroic glass jewelry.  Never worked with glass before, but I already had a kiln for my fine silver work and so the outlay would be in the glass required.

So, I sourced out some glass locally and set about trying my hand at fusing glass.  The new process I had to learn was involved, but fun and I liked the fact that I really wasn’t sure how things were going to turn out until I opened the kiln door after the last firing.

Have to admit to many cuts on my hands, a few were quite deep, but I think that is a given with glass.  A large supply of band aids required!!!

The dichroic pieces I began to make were coming out quite well and so I forged ahead with some new ideas.  These pieces make up the Collection – “Artful Glass”.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I also managed to catch the flu, have a sinus infection, as well as bronchitus and then an infected tooth.  This meant lots of time indoors resting.  Well, resting could also be working in my studio, I thought!  

When March came around I was beginning to feel better and began some new glass processes, which I really enjoy.  I have called this Collection “GlassScapes”, as they are more scenary than just colours.  They combine layers of fusible glass and dichroic glass, cut and put together in layers.  The layers are fired each time one layer is complete, with a final firing time of approximately 45-50 hours for each piece, as well as grinding and polishing.  These are definitely my favourite to work on, as you really have no idea what they will look like until the final firing is complete.  It’s Christmas every time you open the kiln door.  Each firing also takes a long time to cool down and, did I mention, I’m not a patient person!

My head is buzzing with more ideas, so I had better sign off and get to work.

Please check them out on my Flickr page here.

Keep on creating!

Lea

Harping On!

Harping On!

I guess because I play the harp, it always seems strange when people come up to us at gigs and say that this is the first time they have seen a harp in real life. 

I’m always happy to talk about the harp and often will let them sit down and try it.  There are usually a number of questions they ask and I’m also happy to answer them.  However, I thought it might be good to have a short description of the harps I have, with some answers to the usual questions.  I promise there will be no technical stuff!  Well, not much.

I think I will start with my smallest harp – a Triplett Avalon Lap Harp with 25 nylon strings.   My lap harp has a full set of sharping levers, which are small mechanisms mounted near the top of each string, and are designed to shorten the string length the exact amount necessary to raise the pitch a half step when the handle is lifted. Sharping levers enable easy key changes and playing of accidentals.  Not all harps are fitted with a full set, some only have sharping levers on the 'C' and 'F' strings, but I also use them on the 'A', 'E' and 'B' strings to allow me to quickly tune to flats.  I promised no technical stuff, so I will stop there and just say they are very useful.

  

The strings on my lap harp are nylon and all the red strings indicate the ‘C’ note and all the blue strings indicate the ‘F' note.  This helps me to know where I am, as there a number of octaves to deal with.  Here is a photo of four of my harps, The lap harp is in the front.

After a number of different celtic lever harps I finally have a beautiful Triplett Signature 36 string harp (Fiona).  Now the larger celtic harps have a mixture of strings.  The low strings can be metal wound on metal, as they go higher they can go through nylon wound on metal, nylon wound on nylon and the rest can be plain nylon.  Again, Fiona has a full set of sharping levers and a beautiful sound.  Not all harps are equal in the sound department and that is the most important consideration when choosing a harp.  I have tried some that were very dull and thumpy (that's techie jargon!).  If someone is looking to buy a harp, I always tell them to try it, don't buy unseen.  Fiona is the first on the left in the above photo, as you can see she has a beautiful carved swan's head with amber eyes. 

Last year, we purchased a Kortier Electro Acoustic 36 string Celtic Lever Harp (named Mac, for my mother who was Scottish).  Again, the same attributes as Fiona but there is a pick-up under each string and so we can plug her in to an amplifier and make her quite loud!!   Handy when you play at a dinner for 500 happy, chatting diners.

Then came my Selena Concert Pedal Harp manufactured in Russia (Anya).  I couldn't believe it when we found this and were able to buy it.  I always wondered what it would be like to play a pedal harp and now I know and I just love it.  Anya is the big one on the right of the photo.  This is the harp I receive most questions about, so I have gathered a little info from the web for you.  I'm sorry to say some of it is a little technical but someone may be interested.  Here is a little taste.

A pedal harp typically has six and a half octaves (46 or 47 strings), weighs about 80 lb (36 kg), is approximately 6 ft (1.8 m) high, has a depth of 4 ft (1.2 m), and is 21.5 in (55 cm) wide at the bass end of the soundboard. The notes range from three octaves below middle C (or the D above that) to three and a half octaves above, usually ending on G. The tension of the strings on the sound board is roughly equal to a ton. The lowest strings are made of copper or steel-wound nylon, the middle-lower strings of gut, and the middle to highest of nylon, or more or all gut.

Pedals of a harp

The pedal harp uses the mechanical action of pedals to change the pitches of the strings. Pedals were first used in 1697.  On the modern harp there are seven pedals. The pedals (in order from left to right) on the left side of the harp are D C B, and E F G A are on the right. Each pedal is attached to a rod or cable within the column of the harp, which then links to a series of moving rods within the neck. When a pedal is moved with the foot, the column rod is moved, which then moves the linkages and turns either or both of two small discs at the top of 
strings. The discs are studded with two pins that press against the string as they turn, shortening the vibrating length of the string. The pedal has three positions. In the top position no pins are in contact with the string and all notes are flat. In the middle position the top disc presses its pins against the string, resulting in a natural. In the bottom position the second, lower disc is turned, shortening the string again to create a sharp.  In each position the pedal can be secured in a notch so that the foot does not have to keep holding it in the correct position, unlike piano pedals.  There is a lot more information on the Pedal Harp on Wikipedia on the internet.

I thoroughly enjoy playing all of my harps and fairly recently became interested in the Clarsach, wire strung harp.  Celtic harp is a general term referring to a triangular harp traditional to Brittany, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  It is known as a telenn in Breton, cláirseach in Irish, clàrsach in Scottish Gaelic and telyn in Welsh.  In Ireland and Scotland it was a wire-strung instrument requiring great skill and long practice to play, and was associated with the Gaelic ruling class.   

Phil was able to find me a Triplett 33 string Excelle II Wire Harp (Nessa) and so I have another learning curve to undertake.  Harps with wire strings should be played with your fingernails to ensure the beautiful bell like sound.  We really enjoy Patrick Ball playing his wire strung harp, check out the sound.  Normally, non-wire strung harps are played with the pad of the finger and require short nails.  It seems to be a very different technique and I have to have short nails, so that I can still play my other harps effectively.  The wire strings are phosphor bronze and are a gold colour.  They are also quite a challenge to tune, especially in the upper register.  The slightest turn of the tuning lever and you can zoom past the perfect pitch for that note and have to start all over again!

So that's all the harps I have currently, but there could always be another one needing a good home!

The other question is about my sheet music "book".  I have taken to using my ipad to store all my sheet music with a great app that allows me to build setlists and annotate on scores.  It is so much easier that carrying around a huge book of music.  Then I found out about a great bluetooth gadget that allows me to turn the pages on my ipad with two foot pedals - right to go forward and left to go back.  I'm still struggling a bit with this, as my brain finds it hard to concentrate on my hands and also turn pages with my feet.  This becomes even more difficult when I'm playing the pedal harp as I already have seven pedals, with the page turner that makes nine.  Feels like I'm tap dancing some days!

I'm sure I have missed something, so if there is anything else you would like to know, please just let me know.

Thanks

Harper

My Artful Dragon Studio

Hi everyone.  

I have finally decided to begin a blog about my Artful Dragon Studio!!  I know, it's about time! This will allow me to share all the new ideas I have for my art and craft work and hopefully some of you will share yours with me.  

When I first came to Canada I began trying my hand at art, in particular Pointillism and although I enjoyed it, having to work got in the way and the only time I really had was weekends.  I completed a number of pieces of wildlife, the Brockville Museum and Fulford Place and had prints made from them.  Although I don't actively draw at present we still enjoy the originals on our wall.

I now have a jewelry studio called The Artful Dragon - the name came from the first jewelry I made - polymer clay dragons on gemstones.  I have always loved stories about dragons so, to me, it seemed logical.  Of course, I began trying other types of jewelry and it just keeps on expanding.

There is just so much out there that I would like to try and now that I'm retired I can do lots of that.

My Collections (so far):

Wired by Lea

An art form all it’s own – Sterling Silver Wire is coiled, wound and bent in flowing, free form designs to complement the beautiful gemstones, pearls and crystals used in each piece.

The only thing I have found when using wire is that no piece ever comes out the same way as before, each piece is unique.

SilverGreen

Art Clay is manufactured in Japan by two companies, who recycle and reclaim metals, including the precious metals gold and silver.

These companies are "green" companies. They collect metals, which have already been used, such as those in computer printed circuit boards, silver from photographic supplies and X- Ray film. A portion of this harvest becomes Art Clay Silver and Art Clay Gold.

The metal clay combines these reclaimed metals with non-toxic, organic binders. When the piece of jewelry is fired in a kiln, the binders burn away, leaving objects made of 0.999 pure silver - aka fine silver.

Every effort has been made to ensure the safety of artists using Art Clay and the result is a product, which can be handled safely. Even the production processes used to create art clay are designed to have minimal effects on the environment.

Art Clay is an environmentally friendly material that does not lose its beauty in the process. 

Mythical Moments Collection

This collection features wearable art inspired by the world of dragons.

Each dragon in this collection is hand sculpted from polymer clay and decorated with gemstones.  No two are ever the same. 

Each piece comes with it’s own name and story, together with a description of the folklore, legend and healing properties of the gemstones used.

The piece on the right is Rylar -The Music Man.  Zoom in to read his story!

To see more of my work please go to Flickr Lea Hamblett

Then, this winter I dragged out my Parchment Craft/Pergamano box that I had stored away back in 2001.  I felt like a change and so began re-learning how to do this.  I really enjoy small detail work and this is really small!  Here is a parchment wine glass shade on a wineglass.  In the wineglass is a battery tea light to illuminate the design.

It's been fun finding new patterns and turning them into cards.  I also made some wine glass parchment shades and baby bootees.  However, I really have to get back to practising my harp playing, which I have been ignoring in favour of crafting.  Hopefully, I will be able to do both.

Keep on creating!!

Lea