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Tabitha Ott: Blog

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Welcome to my blog.......

This blog was started in 2011 to document a Ring-A-Day project.

Monday, February 28, 2011

RING No. 59

Today felt like it was 40 hours long, but also I got a lot done, so it was over before I knew it....if that makes any sense. I started passing out my flyers today for my show, and realized (thanks to Brian) that I spelled JEWELRY wrong. I now have 400 new flyers that say the correct thing :).  Plan on passing out the rest tomorrow. I am slowly checking off my list of things to do before my show!.. Next up, building and composing displays for my work. I sure hope my mini silver screws/bolts come tomorrow! I have two bracelets in progress and they will pretty much be done once I get those parts in.

Tonight's ring was created with a plastic piece I dug out of my archives. It was made while I was in undergrad and I was experimenting with plastics and repurposing materials for the first time. I made a series of rings. You can view some of the rings in the collection by clicking the below link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25060536@N08/2358913913/

Anyways, the plastic piece was a sample for the rings and it was never realized into anything. It is composed of used Best Buy gift cards merged together with cyanoacrylate.

The brass ink spoon was given to me by Billy Ritter. Thanks Billy! It was a tiny little spoon that was used to dip hand ground ink out of the tray and into a little bowl. Super cute!

The pieces are attached using a brass screw.

Materials: used gift cards, cyanoacrylate, brass ink spoon, brass screw
Dimensions: 1 x 1.25 x .5 inches




Sunday, February 27, 2011

Upcoming show Flyer

RING No. 58

What a productive day! Woke up and finished the flyer for my upcoming show, then plowed through a bunch of work at the studio and then rewarded myself by going for smoothies with my friend Dave. Now its time to do some homework for Art History. In our class, the grads have to lead a one discussion each during the semester. Tomorrow is my day to lead the discussion! AHHHH! I am always nervous about getting up in front of people and talking, but I am just going to get a full night of rest and have my favorite beverage (iced caramel macchiato) for breakfast! Tomorrow is going to be a good day!

Thanks to my housemate Liz for throwing out an awesome cookie box! Tonight's ring was made from a cardboard box that formerly contained cute italian cookies. I thought the design was perfect to make a ring out of, so I cut it out and made slits for it to fit together. I think it looks interesting frontwards or backwards. Thanks for reading! Have a great night!

Materials: cardboard
Dimensions: 1 .125 x 1.625 x 1.25 inches



RING No. 57

I woke up and went to the gym this morning. I am so glad I did! It helped me get through the day. I ended up staying at the studio all day from the time I got done working out. I progressed significantly on one of the bracelets for my show. Hopefully tomorrow can be just as good as today! :)

And now, On to the ring....The plastic baby was from a baby shower for Mary McQuaig (Will Rudder's sister). I think it was on a piece of cake or a cupcake or something. I saved it for such a thing as this! The black rubber piece is a cap that comes on our Acetylene tanks when they are delivered to the studio. It indicates that the tank is full. The pink you see is a snippet of rabbit fur that I got from the thrift store a while back (it was a collar). I cut a small triangle and sewed it up. The clear plastic you see is a gaudy button that I found last year. It makes me think of a disco ball. I fabricated the ring and setting out of sterling silver.

I present to you, the Fuzzy Disco Baby... Ring.

Materials: Plastic, Rubber, Sterling Silver, Fur, and Silk Thread
Dimensions: 3 x 1.75 x 1.25 inches



Friday, February 25, 2011

RING No. 56

It was a nice long day in the studio. Classes were cancelled because of the snow, so it was rather deserted around campus. I got alot of work done. I made this ring in the last few minutes I was at the studio. I am looking forward to tomorrow because it will be another long day that I can accomplish a great deal!

Materials: Antique plastic die, leather, brass tubing
Dimensions: 1.25 x .5625 x 1 inches



Thursday, February 24, 2011

RING No. 55

Today was a busy but pleasant day. Started out with a meeting with Don to get my website up and running. Thanks Don! I am aiming to have it fully functioning by the date of my show. Stay tuned people! The new websited is going to be NEW AND GREATLY IMPROVED!

Went into the studio and worked for a few hours then to the gym with Alli and pushed it to the limit!

After that I went back to the studio to work for a few more hours. Took a break to have coffee with April. We had such a great chat! I left Bucks excited and pumped!.... Then I stopped by Billy's house to see some of his amazing work. I saw an awesome portrait there and two paintings I need. He gave me a gluten free brownie (made by his wife Ashley) with ice cream on top! I was delighted! After that, went to studio for more work and then made my ring. Whewww! what a day! Tomorrow I am going to plow through the last of my work for the upcoming show and get ready to start on displays. Have a great night everyone!

Tonight's ring is the Green ring. It is made from found and repurposed consumer materials.

Materials: plastic starbucks straw, Plastic from alo bottle, plastic trimline scrap
Dimensions: 1.25 x 2.75 x .75 inches



Wednesday, February 23, 2011

RING No. 54

What a long day today.... and another long one ahead for tomorrow. I need a massage. I am so stressed and tense....I treasure my sauna time at the gym for this very purpose, and tomorrow is my workout day! Hooray!

I present to you, The Bird's nest ring.

Materials: Wood, Brass, Beach Stones, Acorn cap, glue, coconut debris
Dimensions: 2.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches





Tuesday, February 22, 2011

RING No. 53

Again, thank you to Billy Ritter. This time for supplying plastic (that came from a 6-pack of cans).
Today's ring is a simple construction of plastic and a pearl, riveted together with sterling silver.

Materials: Plastic, Pearl, Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 1 x 2.5 x .625 inches




Monday, February 21, 2011

RING No. 52

The weather has been super yucky today... Snow, snow and more snow. Driving home from the studio just now, all I could think about was this vision of me wearing shorts and shoes with no socks while riding my bike with the sun in my eyes. What I wouldn't give for it to be summer... or spring. Oh Ohio... why do you give me the cold shoulder?...

On a happier note, I love Coconuts! anything that has coconut in it... sunscreen, coconut gelato, coconut cake, coconut lip balm, coconut flakes, chips, and oil... Well, when I first got to Kent, I bought a coconut and cracked it open in the studio with a hammer. I ate the delicious insides and saved the shell. I have been saving it for just such a day! What better fruit (is it really a fruit?) to remind me of sunny days than this one!

I cut a piece of the shell, filed and sanded it, and then carved in a design with three coconuts in it. After that, I waxed it. I hope it reminds you of summer too!

Materials: Coconut shell
Dimensions: 1.625 x 1.125 x 1.125 inches



Sunday, February 20, 2011

RING No. 51

Thank you to Billy Ritter for providing the black plastic piece labeled M. The wire/plastic piece I acquired at Winthrop in the Sculpture studio when someone brought in a box full of electronic and machine parts. I am not sure what it was used for previously. The yellow plastic piece is a portion of a gelato spoon that I cut and filed to be the shape I needed.

Materials: found wire, found plastic objects
Dimensions:  1.75 x 1.5 x .5 inches



Saturday, February 19, 2011

RING No. 50

Today is the 50th ring! 315 more to go!

I have a busy day at the studio ahead, which calls for a quick ring and an early post. For this ring, I cut, twisted, and snapped a portion of a ziploc bag. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Material: ziploc bag
Dimensions: 5.25 x 2.25 x .5 inches



Friday, February 18, 2011

RING No. 49

I have held onto a bag of Vermiculite that came as packing material with something we ordered for the studio. I cannot quite remember what was packed in it. Upon further investigation, I learned that Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that expands when heat is applied. Vermiculite is not only used for packaging, but also as insulation, conditioner for soil, incubation substrate for various types of eggs, growing medium for hydroponics, and as an ingredient in commercial hand warmers. The silk thread I used to thread this with belonged to my great grandmother. She was a seamstress all her life and a while back, I got a box of her old thread, some of which were 100% silk! I love the luxurious texture and sheen that silk has. It was perfect to string the delicate vermiculite on.

Materials: Vermiculite, silk thread
Dimensions: 1.5 x 1.5 x .5 inches



Thursday, February 17, 2011

RING No. 48

Today, when I came into the studio, there was a mysterious piece of perforated red plastic laying on my desk. I love it, and knew it would be today's ring. I created a bow-like structure and sewed it together with red thread. Then I took some aluminum from a red bull can and cut it out. Next I found a piece of red plastic that was formerly a peel off top for wine (ZORK). I cut, drilled, and sewed it into a circular form. I attached all three pieces so the R.R.R. was born.... (Recycled Red Ring)

Materials: Found Plastic, Repurposed Aluminum
Dimensions: 3 x 1.25 x 1 inches



Wednesday, February 16, 2011

RING No. 47

Today was a long and interesting day. It all started with me waking up at 4:00am to study for a test and finish typing a summary that was also due. I got three hours of sleep! The test went well, I think, and the summary was finished in time. Then it was time to submit to the Student Annual Juried Exhibition. I think we hear back tomorrow....I am anxious to find out. After that, I took an hour and a half nap on my desk. I woke up with a crick in my neck.... Anywho, then it was time to teach class. After class, we had seminar meeting and went to the textiles studio. It was awesome! I don't get over there enough. I enjoyed looking at Joanna and Lauren's work. I fell in love with the work of a student that was hanging on the wall... Lauren said it was the work of a senior guest named John I think. I am going to go back tomorrow and chat with him. I MUST have one of his pieces... maybe he will be interested in trading!

Anywho, that brings me to today's ring..... This ring is dedicated to Dave! (one of my friends here in Ohio). He really likes dinosaurs, and so this ring is for him. I have always wanted to make a puzzle type ring, and this is my first attempt. I am not really good at woodworking, so I did the best I could. I cut all the pieces out with my jewelers saw. The exotic wood plank scraps were given to me by Mike Levine at Winthrop University about 5 years ago. I have kept them ever since! I am not totally sure of the names of all of them, but I believe that the side planks are Wenge, the Main horizontal planks are Purple Heart, The dinosaur is Bloodwood? or Redwood? or Rosewood?... who knows. After I cut them out, I filed and sanded until they all fit together. Then I waxed them all with some paste wax.


Materials: Exotic wood
Dimensions: 2.25 x 2 x 1.25 inches




Tuesday, February 15, 2011

RING No. 46

I had a slo-mo start to my day, and I was pretty sure I was getting sick, but I picked up the pace and it turned out to be a wonderfully fulfilling one. I went to House of Plastics to find display materials for my show and after, I had the chance to go hear Nick Cave speak at CIA in Cleveland. It was amazing! He has been one of my favorite artists for some time now. I draw alot of inspiration from his work. After the lecture, I got to meet him and talk with him for a few minutes. He was friendly and super cool. As I drove home, I was designing a ring in my head that would be inspired by him and his work. I thought back to when I went to New York and I got to see his work as well as ancient African dance costumes that serve as inspiration for his work. I remembered a shell costume that was completely covered. So, I plundered through all my sea findings and plucked as many interesting shells as I could find. I drilled holes in them and then strung them on a silk thread. I had initially thought to make a round ring but it proved to be too difficult and time consuming (I have to study for a test that takes place first thing tomorrow morning). Instead, I have created a ring that rests between two fingers. Like Nick Cave's soundsuits, my sound-ring makes a unique clatter. I am thrilled!

Materials: Shells, Silk thread
Dimensions: 3.25 x 2 x 2 inches




Monday, February 14, 2011

RING No. 45

Happy Valentines Day to you all! For today's ring, I cut an old guitar pick into a heart, fabricated a ring and setting out of fine silver and put the two together.



Materials: Guitar pick, fine silver
Dimensions: 2.375 x 1.25 x .75 inches