2020-06-15 10:57
What a Gold Star Day! Our laser-cut wooden pendants were featured on Page 6 of Interweave Press's August/September 2020 issue of Beadwork Magazine! See our pieces along with several others i… Read More
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The art and writing of Andrew Thornton.
2020-06-15 10:25
It’s an uncertain time right now... ... BUT ... One thing is certain, LOVE IS LOVE!Today William asked me to marry him. And I said, YES!!! Of course I did!!! We’ve built a beauti… Read More
2020-06-15 10:16
Can it really be June? It seems like I blinked and MerMay was over. I don't know if it'll end for me just yet though. I think I have a few more paintings on this subject left in me. (Plus lo… Read More
2020-06-15 10:10
Here is another new one for MerMay. I call it, "Scrying". Scrying is an old divination practice by gazing into reflective surfaces like a crystal ball or a mirror. But a dish of water can be… Read More
2020-06-15 10:06
I didn’t get to make as many pieces as I would have liked this month, but I got more done than I would have if I didn’t. I might have to assign themes for myself to help keep the… Read More
2020-06-15 10:06
Here’s another creation for MerMay! I had these vintage wooden crescent moon shapes floating around the studio for a few years. I drilled out the holes and added rivets. I think the gl… Read More
2020-06-15 09:58
Here's another one for MerMay. In Celtic mythology, there's a creature called an Alp-luachra. It's also called a "Joint-eater" or "Just-halver". It's a fairy that lives near the water and si… Read More
2020-06-15 09:54
It has been super busy around here. So I haven't really had time to work on anything "extra" for awhile. At least not in any great blocks of time. I have managed to carve out little bits her… Read More
2020-06-15 09:48
Here’s my latest MerMay creation! I grew up in Florida and while the beach was a short distance away, trips were infrequent. We were mostly concerned with the everyday tasks of surviva… Read More
2020-06-15 09:42
Mermaids are one of those folkloric creatures that spring up pretty much in every coastal region. There's a fascination with the mysteries of the deep and mermaids are a bridge between our w… Read More
2020-06-15 09:36
When I first started making jewelry, I was obsessed with chokers. And while I can still appreciate them, my heart flutters for a long necklace. I don’t know. I think there’s just… Read More
2020-06-15 09:32
When I was a little boy, my mom pulled me aside and dug around a red wicker box. From a jewelry box tucked inside, she produced a large pearl. It wasn’t what you’d think of immed… Read More
2020-06-15 09:28
I’ve been making jewelry for almost 20 years and over the years, I’ve amassed quite the collection of interesting components. Sometimes something speaks to you and you know exact… Read More
2020-06-15 09:24
I’ve been having such a wonderful time dreaming up creations that I think mermaids would wear! I imagine floating markets where the merfolk can barter and trade for landlocked material… Read More
2020-06-15 09:19
One of my favorite activities is combing the beach for treasure. I could spend hours looking for worn pieces of sea glass, interesting shells, and intriguing bits of flotsam and jetsam. (I e… Read More
2020-06-15 09:14
I’ve had these vintage wooden crescents for awhile now. I wasn’t sure exactly what I’d do with them, but decided to drill the points out and add metal eyelet rivets to the… Read More
2020-06-15 09:09
There are all these wonderful stories of mermaids and other mer-creatures hiding their souls in objects like shells. I imagine that if you could swim to the deepest depths of the ocean, you… Read More
2020-06-15 09:03
Whenever I embark on a series, I go into research mode. I start investigating from different angles. As with the winter series, I started to look at mermaids from around the world. In Chines… Read More
2020-06-15 08:53
It’s no surprise that the past month or so has been a struggle for me. It has been a challenge for a lot of people. The first week was the hardest and then it was a roller coaster of u… Read More
2020-06-15 08:48
I grew up in Florida and have fond memories of the beach. We used to get up super early and go fishing at Sebastian Inlet. When we got tired of fishing (which happened pretty quickly), my si… Read More
2019-12-23 12:19
"Beira" by Andrew ThorntonIn my research on winter holidays and folklore, I found some interesting stories about Beira, also known as Cailleach Bheur. She's a Scottish goddess that personifi… Read More
2019-12-23 12:13
"Mr. Tumnus" by Andrew ThorntonI've always loved satyrs and fauns. I am drawn to in-between things. There's something about the liminal spaces and the creatures that inhabit them. It's in th… Read More
2019-12-04 10:57
The folklore of La Befana, also known as the Christmas Witch, hails from parts of Italy. Flying through the air, La Befana delivers presents and candy to the good children and lumps of coal… Read More
2019-12-04 10:48
We moved the shop back in April and have been making improvements as time and budget allows. There's still so much that we'd like to do. Really, will we ever be done? It seems like there's a… Read More
2019-11-25 05:32
I started this painting a few months ago, but really, it has origins that stretch back much further. When I created this piece, I first built up layers of my old collages. Some of them were… Read More
2019-11-25 05:28
I generally make things in "seasons". I can't always do this depending on my existing commitments, but this is the way that I work best and I have learned over the years to just hitch my wag… Read More
2019-11-22 05:57
What's this?!?! More holiday themed artwork? Yep! This time I delved into the world of the Nutcracker. I decided to create my version of the Sugar Plum Fairy and added new products to my Soc… Read More
2019-11-18 02:00
Who remembers the stop motion animation, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"? It was a holiday classic when I was growing up. One of my favorite characters was the Abominable Snowman, Bumble. W… Read More
2019-11-15 23:05
I didn't grow up hearing stories about Krampus, who originates from Central European folklore, but when I found out about him, I became smitten. What can I say? I love anthropomorphic creatu… Read More
2019-11-14 12:42
Not long after Paulo's dental surgery, we had to take him back in for blood in his urine. He had to undergo lots of tests and received intravenous fluids. Apparently his bladder was still in… Read More
2019-11-14 12:31
I've always loved cats. For much of my life, I've always shared my home with a cat. One of my earliest and fondest memories is of repeatedly bumping heads with a grizzled old stray that we c… Read More
2019-09-17 11:24
One of the projects that we're working on is buying out a gem and mineral shop. Generally speaking, the bead business can be very feast or famine. The idea behind the buyout is that we want… Read More
2019-08-14 07:04
I started these paintings back in April while we were in the middle of the move. I worked on them in different batches. Each series contained thirteen paintings except for this one, which ha… Read More
2019-06-13 08:15
It's June and that means it's Pride Month! There are a lot of ways to observe this celebration. For me, I am drawn to how I can help. I asked myself, "what can I do to benefit the LGBTQIA+ c… Read More
2019-06-07 09:50
We have a book club at Allegory Gallery and it’s a lot of fun. It’s called, “Inspired by Reading”. In a lot of ways, it’s like most book clubs; we read a book a… Read More
2019-06-06 11:54
"A Bird Builds a Nest" by Andrew Thornton, 2019We’ve been in the new space for about a month now. While we were moving and building things, we realized that our funds would run out. So… Read More
2019-05-16 20:18
We’re still saving up for improvements to the new space. While we were moving the store, we blew through the budget quickly as there were several unexpected challenges that popped up… Read More
2019-05-12 10:16
It's been awhile since I last posted. I thought that I would share a look at some of what I’ve been working on. We recently moved the shop down the street to a bigger location. While w… Read More
2019-04-04 06:55
This has been perhaps the longest that I've gone without blogging. It's funny, because it's also a time that I feel that I'm more connected than ever. I feel like in the past, before we had… Read More
2018-12-06 17:21
Earlier today, I posted about the NEW Pantone Color of the Year! CLICK HERE to see the blog post. It sparked some interesting discussions in some of the forums I belong to.  &hell…Read More
2018-12-06 14:21
And the 2019 winner is....Living Coral! Earlier this year, we launched a kit that featured this shade as the main color. It's surprising how this color is both energetic, but als… Read More
2018-11-28 12:51
San Francisco Sugar Skulls by Andrew ThorntonI started these pieces on my way to San Francisco. It was Dia de los Muertos and I kept drawing sugar skulls and making little color field studie… Read More
2018-09-21 08:45
For the Inspired by Reading Book Club at Allegory Gallery we read “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch. We all really enjoyed it and agreed that it was a fast-paced adventure that… Read More
2018-09-19 12:24
I just adore Christi Friesen! Not only does she have a good heart and a wonderful sense of humor, but Christi is a talented artist who is always playing, experimenting, and trying new… Read More
2018-09-14 08:56
I remember a conversation that I had when I first moved to New York. I was talking to a friend about a mutual acquaintance who had just received their first solo show. I'm ashame… Read More
2018-09-12 11:39
Swarovski is a huge player in the jewelry industry and as such, they expend considerable resources to develop trend studies each year. These are used to create new products, offer sugg… Read More
2018-09-12 06:49
I was going back through some old blog posts and I realized just how important this place that really isn't a place used to be to me. When I was struggling to find my voice, dealing wi… Read More
2018-09-10 18:54
My birthday is just around the corner and it seems like it's always a catalyst for deeper reflection. I get more pensive this time of year. With the shifting of the weather and t… Read More
2018-09-07 03:51
It's here! That's right! Pantone has just announced their latest NY Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 Trend forecast. You'll be seeing these colors a lot in the upcoming year… Read More
2018-08-23 10:47
Czech Glass Sugar Skull Pendants by Andrew ThorntonThese Czech glass sugar skull beads have been hanging around the studio for a few years now. They were in a little ceramic dish next… Read More
2018-08-23 09:47
Mixed Metal Skull Pendant by Andrew ThorntonI know that skulls aren't for everyone! There are a lot of people who look at skulls and think they are scary or conjure up images of unruly… Read More
2018-08-23 09:28
Even though I've been making jewelry for many years now, my jeweler's saw has been sorely neglected. That is until recently. I've been having fun cutting things out and soldering… Read More
2018-08-23 09:05
I've talked a little bit about symbolism before and even mentioned some gem lore, but I haven't dived too deep into the topic. Mainly because it's such a vast field. Gem lore str… Read More
2018-08-23 08:33
One of the things that I find infinitely fascinating is what things represent. It seems like everything has a hidden story and a secret meaning. One of my metaphysical friends on… Read More
2018-08-23 07:41
Rune Pendants by Andrew ThorntonWhen I was a kid, we used to go to the flea market "fairly frequently" and by "fairly frequently", I mean, almost every single weekend. When you don't h… Read More
2018-08-16 10:58
Since Allegory Gallery's recent SCORE American Small Business Championship win, a lot of focus has been put towards our experiences as small business owners. It seems like I get questi… Read More
2018-08-10 12:32
Even when I was little, I was fascinated by owls. The house that I grew up in had an old red barn. One of my earliest memories is of me running in the backyard, racing to the bar… Read More
2018-08-05 10:11
Healing Arrow Point Pendant by Andrew Thornton and Cynthia ThorntonLet's face it, modern day living can wear one down mentally and physically. It can be abrasive and make even the most cheri… Read More
2018-08-04 22:51
We just got back a few days ago from a quick trip down South to see my family in Asheville. It's an annual trip we make to shop the gem shows in Franklin, but it's more than that. &nbs&hell…Read More
2018-07-26 09:27
Can you believe that Allegory Gallery's Inspired by Reading Book Club is still going on after five and a half years? It seems like several lifetimes ago that we started. And mayb… Read More
2018-07-24 22:25
It has been a busy week for the Bead and Craft Bloggers! There's a wonderful array of different projects, experiments, experiences, kits, challenges, tutorials, and all kinds of creati… Read More
2018-07-23 17:55
There are so many social media platforms, aren't there? I find myself gravitating towards Instagram more and more these days. It's such a visual platform and while I enjoy stayin… Read More
2018-07-20 13:16
Over the years, I've amassed quite the collection of art beads and jewelry components. I thought it might be fun to start up a series of blog posts that take a peek into my private col… Read More
2018-07-13 05:46
And just like that, we're done. The characters were counted. The form was filled out. The button was pushed. And now there's no more that can be added or changed. This part of the American S… Read More
2018-07-11 14:52
I try to start each day off with pulling a card. Sometimes I'll pull two if I need further clarification. Sometimes I'll do a full spread if I'm really perplexed. I find th… Read More
2018-07-10 14:42
I'm lucky to live in a place with low light pollution. On clear nights, when I stand out in the dark and look up, the sky glitters with thousands of stars. You can see swathes of… Read More
2018-07-01 12:48
When we would visit Pennsylvania for trade shows, I noticed the brightly colored decorations on the barns. I love folk art and was intrigued by the iconography. When we moved her… Read More
2018-06-01 01:15
Me (in the apron) with some of the PPCG at the Swissvale Fire Department.A day after I got back from San Francisco, I headed over to the Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild to teach a two-day work… Read More
2018-05-23 10:48
I recently had the good fortune to travel out to the Bay Area with my sister, Cynthia. We stayed mostly with our friend Jess and had all kinds of adventures. Truthfully, I've bee… Read More
2018-04-22 18:24
Could this be a good omen for our trip out to Reno for SCORE's Small Business Championship? We're heading out west soon to meet up with and network with the other finalists in the comp… Read More
2018-04-22 14:14
Like a lot of people, winter isn't my season. While the first few days can be charming and the holidays have their own special sentimentality, the cold and snow just aren't for me. &nb&hell…Read More
2018-04-18 13:18
I remember a time when if I didn't update the blog at least once a day, I'd get a queasy feeling of panic in my stomach. But that was before Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest.  &hell…Read More
2018-03-24 13:50
Before the popularity of shopping for beads on the internet became mainstream, if you wanted beads, you either had to order from a print catalogue, go to a local bead store, or attend a trad… Read More
2018-03-24 10:33
Last year, we had an art exhibition at Allegory Gallery called, "The Art of the Bead". The aim of the show was to showcase the diverse approach to bead-making and feature the pieces as… Read More
2018-03-07 18:30
Finished Memento Mori Pendant by Andrew ThorntonI've long been fascinated with reliquaries. There's something about the veneration that happens when something... whether a little finge… Read More
2018-03-05 20:21
A few years ago, I had a realization. I realized that I couldn't keep the pace up that I was going at. All-nighters and forgetting to eat from being distracted by my work and con… Read More
2018-03-03 19:50
Chain bracelet by Andrew Thornton.I don't know about you, but I have a little container filled with all kinds of bits and pieces of chain that I've collected over the years. I ha… Read More
2018-03-02 20:16
Earrings by Andrew Thornton.One of the things that I always look forward to this time of year is National Craft Month! To celebrate, Fusion Beads holds an annual Bead Challenge. … Read More
2018-02-26 00:06
Cynthia's Ancient Roman Glass VesselWhile Cynthia and I were in Tucson, we saw some really lovely ancient Roman Glass vessels. Unfortunately we couldn't work out a deal on them. … Read More
2018-02-18 16:50
We saw these seed pods on a tree while we were parked in a parking lot. After doing a little research, we discovered that they are from a "Bottle Tree" or Brachychiton tree. It's… Read More
2018-02-17 12:12
I recently returned from a stay out in Tucson. It was a little bit of an unexpected trip. With everything going on and finally closing on the house, I didn't really think that it… Read More
2018-02-16 13:25
About a week ago, Pantone announced their Fall/Winter 2018 Fashion Color Trend Report for New York. The report included their top ten picks and a Classic Color Palette featuring five n… Read More
2018-02-16 09:10
The public voting round of the SCORE American Small Business Championship is now over. William and I are blown away by the support Allegory Gallery received over the course of the voti… Read More
2018-02-10 15:13
Have you seen Pantone's Fashion Color Report for Fall/Winter 2018 yet? It's an interesting mix that has a line-up that I normally wouldn't peg for autumn. With the exception of R… Read More
2018-01-14 14:35
What a wonderful surprise to wake up to! Thank you, Cynthia Tinapple for spotlighting my coin pendants and for all that you do for the polymer clay community! I appreciate the mention… Read More
2018-01-11 19:41
On Sunday evening, the Golden Globes award ceremony aired. A highlight of the festivities included Oprah Winfrey receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award and giving a poignant and timely a… Read More
2018-01-11 15:30
1/10: Temperance, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Bat The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
2018-01-09 19:52
1/9: Three of Swords, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Bear, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
2018-01-09 13:15
Yesterday, over on Facebook, I teased that I had some good news! I had all kinds of guesses about what the news actually was. Lots of really interesting thoughts! The actua… Read More
2018-01-09 12:58
1/8: Five of Pentacles, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Buffalo, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
2018-01-09 12:57
1/7: Seven of Cups, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Horse, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
2018-01-09 12:55
1/6: Five of Wands, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Oyster, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
2018-01-06 11:33
1/5: Seven of Pentacles, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Rabbit, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
2018-01-05 08:49
The basics of physical survival rely on a need for shelter, food, drink, sleep, and air. When any of these needs aren't being met, our very own mortality comes into question. We… Read More
2018-01-05 07:15
1/4: Ace of Swords, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Oyster, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
2018-01-05 06:58
A few months ago, my friend Lennis of Windbent sent me a link to an article. The post was called, "Becoming Sovereign" and was created by the fine folks of One Willow Apothecaries. &nb&hell…Read More
2018-01-05 06:20
1/3: The Lovers, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Lamb, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
2018-01-03 07:38
I adore Christi Friesen! She's so witty and creates such whimsical creations. Plus, she's just "good people". I've known her for several years and she's always been someone… Read More
2018-01-03 05:24
I've been on a bracelet kick lately! This is unusual for me, because I usually tend towards making necklaces and earrings. This latest bracelet is made up of a sterling silver ch… Read More
2018-01-03 05:02
1/2: Ace of Pentacles, The Wild Unknown Tarot. Frog, The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck Read More
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