JAPAN

I came back this week  from another amazing 12 day trip from Japan. I taught 100 talented artists in 3 cities: Tokyo, Osaka and Fufuoka.
My wonderful hosts and distributor (Athena), plus the JMEA (Japan Metal Embossing Association) team, the translators and the enthusiastic group of students made me feel at home (just like they made me and my mom feel in 2009).

This won the "Mercart" prize
at the 3rd Annual Competition.
Chiko the author is amazing!

During one of the classes in Tokyo

Not all was work. They also took me to Mount Fuji and to Nara, where Japan's capital once was located. I enjoyed the food and delicious pastries and became a big fan of the Udon soup and tempura shrimps.
I'm so looking forward to the next time in Japan!

With the JMEA directors, Hisa my host
and Miki the great translator
It all started with Keiko (with the hat) who took several classes with me in Dallas in 2003/04.
She is now JMEA's president and has hundreds of students.

This is the big pewter clock they did

This was the "dessert"
Done in color aluminum with
Dreamweaver stencil and embossing plates

NYC and Canada

My mother (founder of Mercart in 1970) and Sofia @ Cantral Park

Sorry for not posting anything for a while. This has been a hectic time. After the opening in Mexico City of our new MercArt store (last post), I went to New York City with my family. We went to celebrate Sofia's (my daughter) 16th birtday. She loved Broadway ("Wicked" was so funny), MOMA, Central Park and of course...Times Square at night. As every teen, I guess, she now wants to move to the Big Apple.
One week later I went to Montreal to teach. I had a very talented and nice group of Canadian ladies. Among the 7 projects that I taught, here is one using Pewter,  Laminated shell and the "Dry Point" tool that cuts metal.

Laminated shell looks great in any of the 10+ colors we have

 

Typical stairs in Montreal.  Bonnie my host took me sightseeing beautiful Montreal.