I have had some offline queries as to why I called the gentleman a
London Jew.
Wish I was still in London, a stone merchant from the same culture
sold me the best stones ever. I cannot seem to find the same quality
again and don’t have his email. He certainly called himself a Jew and
if I’d called him English I get the feeling he wouldn’t have been
happy about it, in the same way Irish people don’t when you call them
‘English’ 
Race can be a sensitive topic, but it fascinates me. I think the
rule is so long as you are talking culture, rather than race, it is
acceptable to differentiate these days. And the lines blur. Grey Owl
for instance. A caucasian if I recall, but became Native American by
choice, and a very good one at that, then there is the guy in “Lock,
Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels”
[age]
I got into making jewelry at age 49 and thought I was old. But
perhaps not.
My friend’s grandmother started up a little enterprise in her
nineties at the retirement home she was in back in 1970. I would tell
you what sort of enterprise - but it wasn’t very respectable. Half
the family were horrified and the rest were quite impressed! I’m of
the Impressed school of thought, myself, seeing as it is generally a
career for someone in their twenties…
I’m guessing it is the time available to actually make jewelry in
that is worrying you?
None of us come with any guarantees. I had an MRI two weeks ago that
looks like I’m going to keel over any minute, and I have idiots for
doctors. I’m treating myself with herbs till I get to see someone who
knows what s/he is doing. I must admit making jewelry took a back
seat.
But I do want to make something great. I want to see the Northern
Lights and I want to make a great piece of jewelry. And I want to
outlive the idiot doctors.
I also took up singing two days ago. I am well-known for being
terrible at that, but it is amazing what can be achieved with an iPad
app that visualizes your pitch for you. Give me a month, I’ll be
singing opera.
Adequately.
Vermeer only left us 30 or so paintings and his reputation is doing
alright, so perhaps there is time to make an impact. Also, I have
noticed the older I get - the faster I pick up new skills as I
already have a lot of other skills that transfer well to other
mediums, so being in your eighties, you perhaps have some advantages
over all of us young upstarts.
You get to the stage where you can do something for the first time
and be professional level in six months.
Actually as my favorite Vermeer, the lady with the red hat, is
probably a fake, my favorite painter, whoever they really were,
perhaps only left us the one, but it is amazing.
Sasha
