black crow flying...

I used to be a little afraid of crows and ravens. Those pitch black fathers and sharp pointed beaks always made me feel slightly nervous. But since I started working next to the Rural Centre there are whole swathes of them who hop around all day. Every time I go outside there they are at least 15 -20 of them sitting on the grass and fences.

As a result I feel totally different to them and in fact I've been thinking I would rather like a crow necklace or bangle. Top of my list has to be the wonderful coper work created by Kent Olinger  for his etsy shop...

Kent started metalsmithing as a hobby approximately 20 years ago. In 2006, he relocated to Chemainus on Vancouver Island, BC and continues to produce his jewelry from his home-based studio/workshop as well as participating in local artist events.

After taking a couple of start-up classes at the Edmonton Cultural Centre, I continued to learn and refine my craft over the years by reading how-to books and articles and watching how-to videos, but mostly learning by trial and error so I consider myself to be self taught. I work with various metals but primarily focus on creating copper jewelry. I used to work primarily in sterling silver, but it simply got too expensive. I will still make a piece in silver if specifically requested; however, working in copper allows me to keep my work priced affordably for my customers. Many of my handcrafted jewelry designs are inspired by the nature of West Coast living as showcased in my heron and crow pieces of which I am most proud.

Of course there was no way I could finish without listening to Black Crow by Joni Mitchell.  I used to listen to this album for hours on end.  Sometimes this digital age makes me feel sad for Princess Jenny and Laura, they will never really appreciate the joy of a new album, looking at the artwork and poring over the lyrics on the gatefold sleeve...

Queen Marie