Featured Artist Friday - Audie / Anne Bair
Artist name: Audie/Anne Bair
Location: Marietta, GA
Website:
http://community.webshots.com/user/audieanne
Do you have a dedicated studio/artistic space?
Yes, It s my 7'x10' sun room with sliding glass doors to the living room, facing the studio is a full glass door to the patio on the left wall with a window beside it, full windows on the front side a closet door on the right side with a small bit of shelf space on either side. My small work bench is in front of one side of the sliding glass doors that have vertical blinds to hide the bench (see living room photo). There is a lot of light but short on shelf space
Where is it located?
In my sun room but basically the whole apartment has small areas dedicated to artistic work.
Is it a large or small space?
Very small, 7'x10'. I use the rock club's workshop (of which I am a general foreman) for the rolling mill and large saws.
My lapidary equipment is in my kitchen (Genie & Pixie) and my slant lap is beside my futon chair in front of the TV with a glass gallon bottle for used water collection. It is very quiet and has little spray. There is another cabbing machine in the sun room that I have modified into a one wheel Genie with a faceting water drip. It also doubles as a polishing wheel and can be used as a saw. I made some wooden laps impregnated with diamond bort for sensitive stones for my dremel and the slant lap. My cabbing and opal carving will generally be done in the kitchen or even out on the patio so the water sprayer can be controlled. I use both a Dremel with a flex shaft and rheostat and a watchmakers lathe for carving. The small trim saw is used on the patio.
What medium(s) do you work in?
Metals (fold forming, some soldering, cold connections), Lapidary (teaching newbies at my local rock club-Cobb County Gem & Mineral Society), cutting & carving opals, free form faceting and general free form & calibrated cabbing), Wire wrapping.
Have worked in leather (portrait carving), oils (abstract, landscape, human and animal portraits), water color, drying flowers and sewing (designing many of my own clothes in the 90's).
Do you have a separate area for each?
Well, here is were it gets a little strange. I work on the floor most of the time although I have a couple of tables in the sun room and a portable jeweler's bench in a closet with bi-fold, louvered doors off the kitchen. That closet houses plastic bin towers for beads, plastic bags, ect.
How did you get started working in this art medium?
I needed something to occupy my mind & hands, that wasn't too exhausting, while going thru chemotherapy. So, I started working on the floor to build my leg muscles after a many weeks in the hospital. The muscle building came from having to get up and down from the floor many times a day. It worked and the habit stuck.
What one word would you use to describe your studio?
Compact
What do you think is the best feature of your studio?
Versatility.
What would you change if you could?
Move to a larger place.
- Audie is in a 900 Sq Ft Garden Apartment. WOW!
Can you share an organizational tip?
If you can't go wide, go up.
Describe the usual state of your work table?
Various projects in various states of completion...I work on several things at a time to give me time to think and have the project evolve naturally. I like to sleep on a design.
Does your work table face out into the room or toward the wall?
One is in the open, one is against a sliding glass door that enters to the living room and the other faces a wall in a wide double door closet.
What's one drawback of your studio/artistic space?
Not enough room to spread out.
Do you have any studio mascots (pets, mannequin whatever)?
I used to have a dress form but that is now in the bedroom. I guess my mascot would be a round disc hanging from the ceiling with a galloping horse when it moves.
Do you have an idea wall or inspiration board?
My mirrored wall full of beautiful slabs of rare rocks. They beg me to cut them but some are just too beautiful.
Do you listen to music in your studio? What kind?
No, the TV may be on the science channel but generally I am content with my own thoughts.
Do you display your own work in your studio? Other artists' work?
Very little, I mostly photograph my work and view on the computer but am behind in photographing for the webshots site.
What's one quirk or unusual feature of your studio?
It has individual stations spread thru the apartment.
I keep items in decorative cedar chests and the tower of trunks you see are filled with artist paraphernalia. Again, if you can't go wide, go high. Closets are filled with new canvasses and there are many paintings on the walls. Basically, the whole apartment is my studio.
My surrogate family is the rock club where I am Corresponding Secretary, Club photographer, General Workshop Co-Foreman, Cabochon instructor and am coming close to 250 lessons given at 3 1/2 hours each.
Location: Marietta, GA
Website:
http://community.webshots.com/user/audieanne
Do you have a dedicated studio/artistic space?
Yes, It s my 7'x10' sun room with sliding glass doors to the living room, facing the studio is a full glass door to the patio on the left wall with a window beside it, full windows on the front side a closet door on the right side with a small bit of shelf space on either side. My small work bench is in front of one side of the sliding glass doors that have vertical blinds to hide the bench (see living room photo). There is a lot of light but short on shelf space
Where is it located?
In my sun room but basically the whole apartment has small areas dedicated to artistic work.
Is it a large or small space?
Very small, 7'x10'. I use the rock club's workshop (of which I am a general foreman) for the rolling mill and large saws.
My lapidary equipment is in my kitchen (Genie & Pixie) and my slant lap is beside my futon chair in front of the TV with a glass gallon bottle for used water collection. It is very quiet and has little spray. There is another cabbing machine in the sun room that I have modified into a one wheel Genie with a faceting water drip. It also doubles as a polishing wheel and can be used as a saw. I made some wooden laps impregnated with diamond bort for sensitive stones for my dremel and the slant lap. My cabbing and opal carving will generally be done in the kitchen or even out on the patio so the water sprayer can be controlled. I use both a Dremel with a flex shaft and rheostat and a watchmakers lathe for carving. The small trim saw is used on the patio.
What medium(s) do you work in?
Metals (fold forming, some soldering, cold connections), Lapidary (teaching newbies at my local rock club-Cobb County Gem & Mineral Society), cutting & carving opals, free form faceting and general free form & calibrated cabbing), Wire wrapping.
Have worked in leather (portrait carving), oils (abstract, landscape, human and animal portraits), water color, drying flowers and sewing (designing many of my own clothes in the 90's).
(Audie, I think this should find a new home on my wrist! Just sayin')
Do you have a separate area for each?
Well, here is were it gets a little strange. I work on the floor most of the time although I have a couple of tables in the sun room and a portable jeweler's bench in a closet with bi-fold, louvered doors off the kitchen. That closet houses plastic bin towers for beads, plastic bags, ect.
How did you get started working in this art medium?
I needed something to occupy my mind & hands, that wasn't too exhausting, while going thru chemotherapy. So, I started working on the floor to build my leg muscles after a many weeks in the hospital. The muscle building came from having to get up and down from the floor many times a day. It worked and the habit stuck.
What one word would you use to describe your studio?
Compact
What do you think is the best feature of your studio?
Versatility.
Move to a larger place.
- Audie is in a 900 Sq Ft Garden Apartment. WOW!
Can you share an organizational tip?
If you can't go wide, go up.
Describe the usual state of your work table?
Various projects in various states of completion...I work on several things at a time to give me time to think and have the project evolve naturally. I like to sleep on a design.
Does your work table face out into the room or toward the wall?
One is in the open, one is against a sliding glass door that enters to the living room and the other faces a wall in a wide double door closet.
Not enough room to spread out.
Do you have any studio mascots (pets, mannequin whatever)?
I used to have a dress form but that is now in the bedroom. I guess my mascot would be a round disc hanging from the ceiling with a galloping horse when it moves.
Do you have an idea wall or inspiration board?
My mirrored wall full of beautiful slabs of rare rocks. They beg me to cut them but some are just too beautiful.
Do you listen to music in your studio? What kind?
No, the TV may be on the science channel but generally I am content with my own thoughts.
Do you display your own work in your studio? Other artists' work?
Very little, I mostly photograph my work and view on the computer but am behind in photographing for the webshots site.
What's one quirk or unusual feature of your studio?
It has individual stations spread thru the apartment.
I keep items in decorative cedar chests and the tower of trunks you see are filled with artist paraphernalia. Again, if you can't go wide, go high. Closets are filled with new canvasses and there are many paintings on the walls. Basically, the whole apartment is my studio.
My surrogate family is the rock club where I am Corresponding Secretary, Club photographer, General Workshop Co-Foreman, Cabochon instructor and am coming close to 250 lessons given at 3 1/2 hours each.
*************************
Thank you for participating Audie/Anne!
If you would like to be a featured artist, just shoot me an email at : Melissa@kcjewelbox.com and I will send you the questions and information.
Thank you for participating Audie/Anne!
If you would like to be a featured artist, just shoot me an email at : Melissa@kcjewelbox.com and I will send you the questions and information.
Posted by Melissa Muir at August 26, 2011 8:29 AM 
Categories: Featured Artist Friday
Tags: Featured Artist Audie Bair Anne Bair Lapidary Studio Tour
Categories: Featured Artist Friday
Tags: Featured Artist Audie Bair Anne Bair Lapidary Studio Tour
Audie, you sound like such an interesting person! As a fellow rock lover, I have to say you're taking your love of rocks to the nth degree. Kudos to you for being a survivor.
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Very good presentation of product and work area. You GO, Audie.
Dave
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Audie, This is fantastic. We went to school together in Kalamazoo...please contact me as I have a snapshot album of yours. Love you gal!
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