Talmadge Art Show this Sunday

I will have lots of new work at the Talmadge Art Show, this Sunday, November 20th.

If you are in the San Diego area, we hope to see you there. We do this show three times a year and feel it is the very best art and fine craft show in town!

You will also be treated to a unique selection of new leather purses from Burt.

His unique color combinations, wide soft shoulder straps,

and signature closures finish each piece beautifully.

Little Nuno Clutch Bags

I really enjoy experimenting with all sorts of materials when I make my nuno felt. Doing small pieces gives me the opportunity to play with lots of different materials, yarns and fabrics of all kinds. I have even used pieces of those soft plastic mesh bags that onions and potatoes come in! You never know if a fabric or other element will work in nuno felting until you try. That's what I tell my students, and that's how I was taught.

I got into making these clutch bags in preparation for a workshop I am teaching with Jeannette Cook next January. It is her annual San Diego Beach House Bead Retreat. I will teach the nuno felt clutch the first day of the retreat, and over the next several days participants will do free form beading on their purses under Jeannette's expert tutelage. All this while staying at a beautiful beach house on Mission Bay, steps away from the surf! I think there are still spaces left. Just go to this San Diego Beach House Bead Retreat link for more information.

I dipped into my husbands leather stash for the front of this bag.

All it needs now is a felted rope strap,

and it's ready to go!

The felted rope makes a strong and handsome purse strap.

Off to the studio now

to make a felted rope strap for this one too.

Spring Talmadge Show

My husband and I have been doing the Talmadge Art Show, twice a year, for the past five years. This time instead of individual displays we decided to mix it up. With our felt and leather pieces complimenting one another, we created our own little wearable art boutique!

You can click on the picture below, for a closer look.

This was the debut show for my new gauze shawls. It was wonderful to see people wearing and draping them in so many creative ways.

I think Susan looks smashing in this shawl with the big medallions.

A Burt Watson Original

My husband Burt makes the most beautiful  beaded leather handbags.  We went to an art show and he found these faux bakelite handles.  I couldn't wait to see what he was going to create with them.  The handles are so outstanding that he decided he didn't want to compete with them by adding beads, instead he put his creative efforts into the stitching.   

You can see more of this unique work in Burt's Etsy Shop.