HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IVAAN

Today, I felt a surge of brilliance coming on, and I just know it's a memo from Ivaan.  He has a way of letting me know when he wants me to get to work and produce something spectacular.  He even manages to let me know from which decade he'd like the brilliance to materialize.  Today, when I walked into the store, I had an urge to look at large, flat gemstones.  What caught my eye was a large, luminous oval Madagascar Labradorite:

And then I started reminiscing about the beautiful work Ivaan did in the 1990s.  Looking through the waxes, I found a beautiful ring he made in 1993 - exactly 20 years ago.  Something about the cool simplicity of the stone seemed to call out to the intricate gorgeousness of the ring. Here's what the stone looks like, nestled into the ring like a toe in a slipper:

Pantoufle Ring, 1993 (c) Estate of Ivaan Kotulsky

My mission, should I choose to accept it, will be to decide what metal to cast the ring in - although I do love it in blue wax.  I remember 1993 so well.  It was the year Ivaan suffered his first heart attack, on January 6th, in church.  So when he made this ring, he was in the throes of an incredibly creative surge which always followed a period of forced inactivity.  When I finish the ring and set the stone, I will post photos of it.

Ivaan, today is your birthday.  It's the last year of the decade you were in when you left the planet.  I miss you beyond all measure.  I know you are shining down on me; otherwise, where would I be getting surges of brilliance from?   After I finish up here in the Atelier Ivaan Slave Shop, I'll come to visit you, with some birthday cake for the birds and squirrels.

Я люблю тебе, мій коханий чоловік.

A BASKET OF APPLES

A GIFT OF APPLES, FROM VINNY AND JENNY

One of the things I love best about the location of Atelier Ivaan is the fact that we are next door to Vinny's.  Vinny and his wonderful mother, Mena, are the proprietors of Vinny's Panini, perhaps the most noteworthy Italian sandwich shop in Toronto. Ivaan loved Vinny's hot meatball sandwiches, though as his illness progressed he could no longer feed himself, nor could he eat sandwiches.  If he wanted a Vinny's meatball sandwich, it had to be deconstructed:  the meatball over here, the sauce in a little dish, and the bun over there.  He ate them in teaspoon size mouthfuls, one bite at a time. Feeding Ivaan half a Vinny's sandwich took forever, but it was worth it to see him enjoy his meal.

When I first bought this building, I went over to re-introduce myself to Vinny, and he remembered his former customer who preferred the deconstructed hot meatball panini.

I love being next door to Vinny.  He's the best neighbour.  When I need to describe to someone where I'm located, I can just say I'm "next door to Vinny's Panini".   Everybody knows Vinny's.   If I'm expecting a shipment, Vinny will watch out for the delivery truck.   When I have contractors working here, Vinny feeds them.  If I'm in the store late at night, Vinny keeps an eye on me. The customers at Vinny's are from the widest spectrum of society, all united by the love of a good Italian sandwich. Sometimes they'll stop in for a chat while they're waiting for their sandwich, and everyone has a good word to say about Vinny. Sometimes people even stop by accidentally: so eager are they to reach Vinny's door, they come in here by mistake,  blurt out "I'll have a steak sandwich to go, with rapini on the side" and they will suddenly look around, realize they're not in Vinny's, and start to laugh.

A few days ago, some broken glass at Vinny's gave me a chance to help out by doing what I love to do best:  sweeping.   And yesterday morning, Vinny arrived with a thank you gift, put together very artistically by his wife Jenny, following their apple-picking Sunday drive in the country.

Ivaan's favourite short story is entitled A Basket of Apples, by Shirley Faessler. It's a  beautifully written story about family, hardships and love, but most of all it's about neighbourhood.  Vinny's gift of apples reminded me immediately of this story. And once again, as I very often am, I was reminded how glad I am to be Vinny's neighbour.

TREASURES FROM THE DEEP

Seashore Bangle (c) Estate of Ivaan Kotulsky

It's probably a natural instinct among people who own retail operations, the ability to predict an emerging trend.  I do not have that natural instinct.    So it was a complete surprise to me to realize that there were almost no bracelets left in the showcases.   Little by little, all the bracelets had been sold, while I remained seemingly oblivious.

The wax injector was set up in the store, so I brought up some rubber bracelet moulds from the basement and started making waxes, just to see what I came up with.  Wax injecting requires a strong, steady pair of hands and an even temperament, because even if you inject a perfect wax, you might break it getting it out of the rubber mould.

The stars were aligned last week, because Angus and Sara spent a few days here.  You remember the story about Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence and convincing his friend Huckleberry Finn how much fun it was?  Well, something like that occurred around here and Angus, watching me  inject waxes, asked, "Would it be okay if I tried one?" And before you know it, Angus and Sara were having fun injecting waxes and I was making myself look busy with other things.

Angus and Sara seemed to have a natural ability to inject waxes, and quite soon I had quite a few perfect waxes of bracelets.  So it has been a busy week casting and finishing new bracelets.  I've never even seen the Seashore Bangle, above, but it's absolutely beautiful.  Then, there's the double calla lily bracelet - in bronze, it's Sara's favourite - which is a happy coincidence, as it fits her perfectly.

Double Calla Lily Bangle (c) 1999 Estate of Ivaan Kotulsky

I definitely won't be posting a photo of my hands any time soon.  They are a sorry sight from all the grinding and polishing that has occurred this week. But here's the tips of my fingers holding one final bracelet, a sterling silver cuff bracelet with two bead-set amethysts, the original of which Ivaan made as a commission for the Art Gallery of Ontario back in 1980.

Sterling Cuff With Amethysts (c) 1980 Estate of Ivaan Kotulsky

Angus and Sara:  if you're reading this, merci mille fois!  You totally made my week.  Come back for a visit as soon as you're back in town.  I'll put the kettle - and the wax injector - on.

"LA VEDETTE"

"A STAR IS BORN", thanks to endless-films.com

A couple of months ago, Atelier Ivaan was selected as one of the subjects for a Globe and Mail feature called "How I Started".  The series reveals the "back story" of interesting small businesses, with the owner being filmed explaining the idea behind the business, how they launched it, what obstacles they faced, and finally, offering advice to other prospective entrepreneurs, based on their experience.

It was exciting to be chosen, and when I learned that I'd be the subject of a short video, I decided that I'd better call in the big guns.  At times like these, I consider myself extra lucky to know some big guns in the film production industry, and naturally I went straight to the top.

Endless Films is a small but very busy film company based in Toronto.  It's owned by three close friends of Ivaan's and mine, and their work is extraordinarily good.  I was ecstatic when they said two of them, Iain and Alex,  had a few free hours the following week.  I figured, if these guys couldn't make me look attractive and articulate, no one could.

They arrived on schedule, set up their equipment, wired me for sound, and we got to work.  I had wondered if it was going to be a nervewracking experience, but it wasn't in the least.  Although I normally see them in a personal context - they're longtime best friends, wonderful young husbands, and devoted new dads - it seemed perfectly natural to see them in their professional capacity.  It's incredible how they work together, speaking in a kind of quiet shorthand, instinctively trusting each other, with great confidence and skill.

Exactly one hour later, it was "a wrap".  They let me see "the rushes" and immediately I knew this was going to be a success.  The next day, Alex sent me the film, already edited, already perfect.  I have no idea what filters they used on the camera, but they made me look amazing. I should buy ten of them.  (I asked Alex, actually, and he said "No filters; that's just the way you look". What a smooth operator - no wonder he swept Erin off her feet!)

I've just learned that we're likely going to be in the Globe and Mail this coming Tuesday. Don't miss it!  Full credit for this superb little production goes to Endless Films.  Thanks, guys.  Ivaan would be thrilled.  You made me a star!

endless-films.com

WHAT WE DO

Now and again, somebody will come into ATELIER IVAAN and ask "So...what do you do here exactly?"  And though I like to think of the atelier as an understated and elegant home for some breathtakingly beautiful metal art, perhaps we're more understated than I realize.  Sometimes the antique typewriter in the window, which displays our Hours of Operation, confuses people.  Perhaps they are also misled by the paintings and photography on the walls, as I'm occasionally asked if I'd be willing to paint someone's portrait. And my baby grand piano gives some people the impression that I teach music.

I've often thought I should make better use of my space, but usually my daydreams don't go much further than thinking about opening up a massage studio in my office next door, so I can have a massage whenever I want.

But early this morning, I was in the store, chatting on the phone with my brother.  I heard someone trying to open the door of the store.  I turned and saw an elderly Asian man, with what appeared to be a pile of laundry in his arms, pulling at the door handle, then knocking when he realized the door was locked.

I went to the door, unlocked it and asked if I could help him.  He tried to hand me his armload of clothing and said, "I need my pants fixed."  I replied, "Well, we're a jewellery store.  We don't fix pants."  He got a crabby expression on his face, pointed at our sign and asked, "So why does it say ALTERATIONS IVAAN?"

I promptly emailed my friend Lesia the story, knowing she'd get a kick out of it, and she just as promptly replied (and this is why I think she's actually "one of the tribe", living undercover as a member of Toronto's Ukrainian community):

"So would it have killed you to hem his pants?"

It's at moments like this that I can feel Ivaan in here, tears of laughter just streaming down his face.

MORE OR LESS: You Be The Judge

Sometimes, it's a tough call, deciding whether to enhance a ring with gemstones.  Ivaan's art is in the metal, but just occasionally, a gemstone
adds a little kick that makes the piece attention grabbing from half a block away.  I had a couple of really sparkly diamonds here.  I decided to make a white gold ring to set them in.  Ivaan had made a couple of engagement rings in this vein - one with a very substantial diamond, one a more delicate ring. Both brides love them, and who wouldn't?

Today, I was making a ring in this style for the inventory, and I was looking rather wistfully at the unadorned ring, beside the ring I'd set with diamonds, wondering which I like better.  Here they are:

Normally, it's not a democracy here at Atelier Ivaan, but today, you get to vote.

WE ONLY MAKE TWO SIZES

FLOWER RING (c) ESTATE OF IVAAN KOTULSKY

Ivaan and his partner, Tamas, had a couple of funny lines they'd use whenever a customer came into their store and tried on a ring that was the wrong size.  For some reason, the laws of probability do not exist in the minds of jewellery buyers.  I mean, what are the chances of a complete stranger walking in off the street, trying on one single ring out of all the rings on display, and finding that it fits them?  Not very good. On the other hand, what are the chances that said customer will proceed to stare at their hand in confused bewilderment and say, "But it doesn't fit!"?  I'd say this happens every single time.
 So Tamas would growl, "We didn't know you were coming". And Ivaan would add, "We only make two sizes:  Too Big, and Too Small". If the customer burst out laughing, they knew they'd made a new friend. 


Recently, a group of old friends came by the store for a dinner party.  In case you find yourself invited to a dinner party at the store, don't miss the opportunity, because sometimes it can get pretty funny.  Perhaps my next blog post will be about one of the memorable dinner parties that have taken place in the store. On this occasion, though, it was a group of friends with whom I had worked a couple of decades previously. As it happened, one of the guests was about to be married that weekend.  After dinner, they were all amusing themselves trying on jewellery, and the bride-to-be tried on a one-of-a-kind ring just like the ring in this photo.  It's a gorgeous ring, and the only reason it's still around is because it's - you guessed it - too big.  But she loved it, and wanted to order it in her size.
 I definitely didn't want to cut this one down to size.  What to do, what to do?  So I decided to make a mould of it, make a couple of new waxes from the mould, and reduce the size in the wax.  I started with two waxes and they both came out beautifully.  So, taking this as a Sign From Above, I cast them both, and finished them.  I sent one to the bride-to-be as a wedding gift from Ivaan and me.  
And what about the other one?  You can come in and try it on, if you want.  

But I can guarantee, it'll either be Too Big or Too Small.