By Nanette wiser
BEADS & BAUBLES Dr. Dori Kazdin debuted her Dr. Dori Jewelry collection at WADA Nov. 13th at ArtWalk. The Chicago transplant lives in Tierra Verde full-time after years of snowbirding during infrequent vacays from her busy medical practice. This witty woman has an artist soul. Both she and husband/realtor/actor Ron Goldstein are arts enthusiasts, attending jazz and theater shows as well as gallery openings.
“Back in the 80s I discovered some beautiful Czech glass beads when I lived in San Diego. I used to love going to the bead district and started doing it as a hobby when I was doing my fellowship in immunology. Just for fun I started to go to bead shows, what woman doesn’t love gemstones? I was in New York visiting my parents and found out there was a bead district near the garment district. I would call my husband and say, “oops honey, just spent this month’s mortgage cash,” says Dr. Dori.
Her love of beading grew. “I made primarily necklaces for myself, my mother, some friends. I would laugh and show my mom that this is my ‘fall collection’ when I did a few more necklaces for her. Mom has difficulty with clasps, so I started making a lot of opera length necklaces, those that fit easily over your head.”
In her collection you’ll find amethyst, blue topaz, green amethyst, lots of turquoise and lapis. She just started using cloisonné beads for a colorful accent. She uses mostly semi-precious stones, Vermeil pieces (gold over silver) and gold-filled wire and chain when designing the necklaces and earrings.
Dori’s world travels and Florida style inspire her stunning collection. “I find that women love to fill their neckline with beautiful items, mine are mostly of the chunkier variety. When I moved to Florida, I realized that some of the days are really hot, and your neck gets a little sticky with sunscreen. I started making some earrings for a little more flash as an alternative.”
CHARLIE PARKER POTTERY
Owning a bowl from this celebrated artist is like winning a Wonka golden ticket. At his Sixth Ave. DTSP studio, you can take classes and buy pottery from Parker and other ceramic artists. Charlie Parker’s ceramic career began in 1967 at the age of 14 when he joined Minnesota Clay Company as a part-time clay mixer. From 1971 to 1975 Charlie studied with Warren Westerberg at Westerberg Pottery in Minneapolis. During his apprenticeship with Westerberg, he focused on form and expression. While working with Westerberg, Charlie’s interest in glaze application and firing technique were refined.
In 1996, Charlie partnered with Russ Gustafson-Hilton and Stan Cowen to establish St. Petersburg Clay Company. St. Pete Clay began as a small clay studio with 12 members, a ceramic supply store and gallery. In 2002, St. Pete Clay moved to a new 33,000 square foot location in the historic Seaboard Coastline Train Depot and in 2010, Charlie started his studio. The award-winning artist’s accolades include a 2018 Muse award for Artist of the Year.
BOOK NOOK
Want a fantastic holiday read? Check out Lady in Red, by local author and painter Jackie Hemingway. This longtime Florida resident enjoys offshore swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and walking St. Pete beaches. She is also the founder of The Outlaw Girls of St. Pete Beach. Jackie has been very open about her lifetime journey dealing with gender dysphoria and what it is like growing up and living in the wrong body. She is an avid supporter and member of the Human Rights Campaign, hrc.org, the LGBT+ community and works to promote equality and human rights for every person around the world.
