December is a Big Month. 2021 was a Year I won't forget.
I am looking forward to this year coming to a close, and what a year it’s been. I am ever grateful for all the highs and lows of the year, I survived and just blessed to have another day on the the planet. My garden is my sanctuary, my workshop, and a fun place to hang out with the family. I feel like most people, life is precarious and precious. You can always chose to enjoy, share, make a difference, love well. Resilience and patience will get us through.
I will be out of commission for the first few weeks of the year, knee replacement, halleluyah! Don’t know what will take place, but I can only hope I am back to my busy pain free self in a few weeks post surgery. If you are looking for special work, kinetic design, it may be a month longer. You can order what is available online, I will be building a few things when possible. Lucky to have a fabulous family who supports my life and who takes good care of me beautifully.
I want to thank my wonderful customers, best pals and the markets and shows that let me create a load of fun jewelry and a new style of kinetic art sculptures.
What a way to end this year, another collection designed for The Kennedy Center and this musical is Ain’t Too Proud, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS. This is my third project with the Kennedy, I am proud to design another art jewelry collection for this show. Five stars and so much more. The show opens December 28 and runs through January 16, 2022. I loved the challenge and the fun results. My inspiration was the music, those songs are imbedded in my brain chemistry from childhood. My jewelry reflects this in their clean lines and smooth designs.
“JUST MY IMAGINATION” in dark gray, “MY GIRL” in violet, “AIN’T TO PROUD” in platinum, and “YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING” in lapis. Many more in the collection including Berry Gordy and The Supremes.
This year was monumental, I connected with artists, social justice consortiums, and village of good people doing real work: fundraisers for arts programs, talks about garden and environmental education, PETALUMA BLACKS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, and those lovely folks from all over the country at the farmers markets in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. You folks rock.
WardWorksArt was also added to Issa Rae’s new show through a wonderful designer from Los Angeles.
I connected with Renegade Craft, the foremost craft collective/shows in the US and London. I have been part of their catalog with a 24 piece collection of my kinetic sculptures, a series called, 'MY DREAMS OF SPAIN’. The San Francisco show was so superb, well attended and lead to a few commission projects for this year and next.
You can find my kinetic designs for this collection here:
https://www.renegadecraft.com/shop/barcelona-series/
https://www.renegadecraft.com/shop/madrid-series/
https://www.renegadecraft.com/shop/rondo-series/
https://www.renegadecraft.com/shop/portlligat-series/
https://www.renegadecraft.com/shop/bilbao-series/ https://www.renegadecraft.com/shop/granada-series/
https://www.renegadecraft.com/shop/seville-series/
MY DREAMS OF SPAIN: EIGHT CITIES
Denise Ward, 2021
1) Bilbao #3. 2) Ronda #2. 3) Seville #2. 4) Barcelona #2. 5) Madrid #1. 6) Port Lligat #1. 7) Seville#1. 8) Granada #2. The entire Cadiz series is sold out!
I wish for you the rest you need, a place to relax, some love and some fun. I hope we can find ways to become better humans to each other and the planet. Support the young, they are not just our future, they are our only hope. Best wishes for a better tomorrow and next year. Love, Denise