A slideshow of Ouareau Girls using goldsmithing tools, operating the kiln and showing off their beautiful creations!

A little musical inspiration. I haven't cracked out this tune since January. Seems appropriate, considering my natural setting while at camp. I only have four days left, and feeling sad about it already....two weeks was not long enough at camp! What an incredible bunch of women working at Ouareau. From the kitchen staff to Leadership Team. Jacqui (director) and Gabrielle Raill (assistant director) have made this a wonderful experience! I will be back for sure!

Now time to try and snap a photo of the baby chipmunks living in my studio...they have been a welcome distraction to my very productive days!

Take a look at the set up we made at camp for my two week jewellery teaching extravaganza at Camp Ouareau! I transported all hand tools, enamels, foredom drill and enamel kiln from Toronto to Montreal by train, then an hour and a half drive from Montreal up to beautiful St. Donat. It all packs up small, but it certainly wasn't light-weight!

Here's a few snap shots of the Jewellery Shop set up in a vacant staff cabin (for those of you camp alumni, campers and staff, it's UBG, or Upper Birch Grove) which we have newly nick-named "UBGolden" (nick-naming everything is customary at camp). I've been teaching girls 14-15 (in the senior section of camp) how to pierce, saw, sand, emboss and enamel copper! So much fun! They are pretty good at it....quick learners!

On Sunday, my vacation officially begins when I arrive at Camp Ouareau, in the beautiful Laurentien mountains north of Montreal. I am very excited for this vacation turned teaching opportunity to do enamel projects with teenage campers aged 14-15. I went to Ouareau as a second generation camper (my mother was a long time camper there as a little girl) age 11-14, CIT at age 15 and was on staff until 2006 when I moved to Nova Scotia to complete my BFA in Jewellery at NSCAD University. It's been about 5 years since my last visit and I can't wait to sing taps at night, paddle on the lake and watch many stunning sunsets again...the camp experience, when you love it, is something you never really forget.

Here in in this extreme Toronto heat wave, it is just about too hot to do any jewellery work in my studio without air conditioner. Needless to say, I forfeit using the electric kiln when it is this warm.....so I've been doing much wax carving under a fan, and will continue while in St. Donat at a makeshift bench, in preparation for the Queen West Art Crawl and Jewellery Feature in November at the Ontario Crafts Council, and holiday orders (yes, it's already time to start thinking about winter....!)

This summer has been very productive, and I was lucky enough to have a jewellery student from Poland approach me to turn her summer trip to Canada into a learning opportunity by doing various internships in different types of jewellery studios/businesses, including learning enameling with me. Nicole was a big help, down to the nitty gritty jobs (cutting strips of copper for rings is not a glamorous job, when I do it or someone else does) and helping organize inventory for the Toronto Outdoor Show. I was grateful for her volunteered efforts, and was able to complete a lot of new work with her extra pair of hands to keep busy while I fussed with finishing details. When we had a little downtime in our last week together, I had her work on a personal project using die forming and enameling, and inspired by my designs. Here is the beautiful creation she came up with! It was a great experience and pleasure to have her come work with me and if and when I can get to Europe soon, I'll be stopping to visit her for sure!

This will be my last blog post until mid-August, when I return from summer camp. I can't wait to report how things went, how my kiln survived it's first train ride to Montreal, and show all the creative things that campers come up with when they learn the beautiful and fun art of enameling!

I'll have a swim for you all while I'm gone.... :)

-Emily

It's no surprise that our capitol city received the red show with open arms. Now visiting it's fourth venue since it's conception in August, 2010, this group exhibition by former and present members of Jewel Envy has been receiving a colourful response.
Here is our latest publicity about the show!
-Emily

(Article taken from the Argentine website. Artengine is a non-profit, artist-run centre that fosters democratic and innovative approaches to electronic art and its evolving relationship with society)

"Jewel Envy Studio's RED exhibition at Wall Space Gallery Jewel Envy Studio’s RED exhibition reveals nine jewellers’ distinctive perceptions

Show explores personal interpretation through work inspired by the colour red.

RED ALERT: Wall Space Gallery is proud to welcome RED, a travelling group exhibition by the members of Jewel Envy Studio. RED explores nine personal interpretations of the colour red through jewellery. This show will be an exciting start to WESTFEST weekend.

Upon hearing the word RED, what does the mind jump to? This is the question nine Toronto jewellers answered through the process of creating work for an exhibition that illustrates the countless possibilities suggested by a single idea. Rooted in fantasy and reality – read more

The ladies at Freedom Clothing Collective have featured me in their blog.

Thanks! :)

http://freedomclothingcollective.blogspot.com/2011/07/designer-spotlight-emily-gill.html

Before I head on my trip to Quebec to teach, I made sure to stop into Freedom Clothing Collective to give them a flurry of new work.

They have a wide selection of earrings, brooches, and rings ranging from $30 - $145 including the popular Chunky Enamel rings, now in gold and with hand-painted details for that artsy flair we all enjoy, and in charcoal gray palladium finish with etching, a great neutral for all outfits.This season I'm all about vintage inspired colours, oranges and rich mint greens accented with hints of gold china paints. <3 It's been a hot summer baking these glass enamel rings but look at the results! Beautiful!

Each piece is made one at a time, by hand, my hands! I treat each one like a little piece of artwork: go pick up a little piece of artyou can wear around town! Oh, and you know, it's always nice to pop into Freedom CC, it's hard to resist all the cute things they have, from clocks and furniture, to yummy soaps and scents. Really happy to see a beautiful range of quality jewellery in a local shop, right in my neighbourhood!
Freedom Clothing Collective, 973 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario
www.freedomclothingcollective.com

Click on any photo below to see an enlarged view.

This past weekend was incredibly fun. Thank you to all visitors who came to Nathan Phillips Square on this swelteringly hot weekend: the show was fantastic. I snapped a few photos of the booth. If you are in Toronto come September, drop by and say hi at the Queen West Art Crawl which happens in Trinity Bellwoods Park. Please visit my events section for all upcoming shows and events.

I am very excited to start a few custom orders and deliver some rings this week in special sizes, get my online boutique back up and running to make people some more colourful jewellery! See you very soon!

Ok, I think I'm finally ready after hundreds of hours of work this month! I am so excited to show new work at this years Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition at Nathan Phillips Square. It is the 50th anniversary of this wonderful juried outdoor show. Every year I walk around (when I can!) and gawk at all the beautiful artwork and design. This year looks like it won't be a miss. So many great artists.....so much competition! (Yes, there are prizes, and I always keep all my fingers and toes crossed!)

My newest series of work is appropriately titled "Grin and Bare It" and it was simultaneously inspired by the expression itself, teeth of all sorts (including the teeth of my sawblades, my files, the teeth that bite my nails as I anxiously work away...etc etc) but also a little family heirloom given to me by my father early this spring. I have set up my new studio space and since May 1st have been working pretty much on my own, which took about a week to get used to, now I'm going full force! It was a change of pace, but ultimately sparked so much creativity I didn't know I had in me anymore! My dad, knowing I like to collect gold frames and curious antiques (small ones, of course, my apartment is getting awfully full!) gave me a bridge of false teeth that belonged to my GREAT grandmother. Yellow gold and false teeth. To some it might be weird, or gross, I think it's beautiful, and although it's mine to use for gold if I need to, I keep it as an amulet for good luck. I think about it, and a lot of challenges that have to be surpassed in this business, and just remember to smile everyday when I'm making my jewellery. I do LOVE making jewellery, and love playing with metal, enamel, all materials. I plan on doing so for a long time!

So enough with the chatter, here is a little sneak peak at my new work.....!

Enjoy, and I hope to see you at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition this Friday, Saturday or Sunday Booth 47 YELLOW!

Goodnight!

Below: "Toofer". Series: Grin and Bare It, 2011 by Emily Gill