IN THE BELLY OF MY STUDIO + WINTER ART FAIRE 2025
- Jan Michaels
- Dec 10, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 16, 2025
'Tis the season for gratitude, friends and sharing -- A perfect moment for an update and brief reflection of life in 2025.
Also, a reminder that I'm stepping out of retirement for 2 days to participate in a special holiday event, the Winter Art Faire held by the Art Guild of Pacifica on Dec 13 and 14.
Taking a much needed breather from the intense travel schedule of 2024, I've been in a relaxed frame of mind this year, focusing on my two creative loves - Jewelry and Art. So, in addition to the classics, I'll be sharing many new one-of-a-kind styles!
THE TOY CABINET and a 50-year old COLLECTION THAT TRANSFORMED INTO ASSEMBLAGE ART
I've always been a collector of oddities and things that piqued my interest in some way. Then one day, Life brought me the perfect vessel to fill and keep filling: My Giant Old Oak Curiosities Cabinet. It had once been a lingerie display cabinet from the City of Paris Dry Goods, a department store in San Francisco that shuttered in the early 70's.
The Cabinet was a gift from Joe Dubois, who owned an antique clothing store that I had fallen in love with in 1973 called Matinee. At the time, I was obsessed with antique clothing, and on many occasions would go out to lunch and come back to work wearing an entirely new outfit from his store!
Joe and I became good friends and we, along with his partner Dave, would often go on major buying trips through central California up into Utah and Montana. I would hunt for antique jewelry and collectibles while they bought clothes for Matinee. I would then resell the antique jewelry and treasures at the Sausalito and Alameda flea markets. This was more than just a past time. It was my lifestyle after I had quit my 9-5 job!
I was always thrilled to find old costume jewelry, and would fix broken pieces, or reconfigure parts together to create something new and then resell it. Little did I know that in just a few years' time I'd be making jewelry full time! But I digress...
People gave me stuff and it would almost always land in the Cabinet. I would make little shrines in each of the sections. Sometimes it was a theme like "outer space"and any toy or lava rock that looked like the moon would be in that section. The Cabinet always moved with me, except when it didn't fit into my current studio at the Sanchez Art Center. Unfortunately, I had to part ways with my beautiful Cabinet.
But I kept most of the contents of my 50-year collection of toys and stuff!
Over recent years, from these hundreds of quirky toys, I've taken to creating my own fantasy-style Assemblage. This past year, I made a series of toy collage panels on various themes and displayed my Art in exhibits sponsored by the Art Guild of Pacifica.
deeper exploration of SPIRITUAL ART
This has been an exciting year as I develop my style and explore creating contemporary Thangkas, which is my version of Hindu and Buddhist sacred art, a kind of West meets East vision based on a combination of my travels in Asia, observations and captivating visuals and memories that have long stayed with me from books and visits to museums, temples, and shrines.
This summer, I had the honor of presenting two pieces in a show called Lotus and Lion at the Shoshoni Yoga Retreat in Rollinsville, Colorado: Radiating Hope Mandala and Transformation Thangka.
My vision is to bring new artistic energy that combines scenes from my travels (like my love of temples with ornamented decor and spiritual complexes), with the ancient artform of Thangkas and meditative mandalas. Traditionally, a Thangka is a Tibetan painting representing the universe and higher principles, intricately depicting deities and the natural world, along with mandalas, which in Sanskrit means circle and symbolizes wholeness, unity and divine order.
Though I'm developing a new painting and collage style with Thangkas, in many ways they feel like a natural progression. They meld spiritual aspects of life and art that continue to fascinate me, as well as build on recent themes and projects like Prayer Boxes for the Earth and Kaleido-scopics,, both of which featured intricate mandalas on a 6x6 inch square panel.
I've also recently completed a new Thangka: White Tara.
This vivid piece moves from verdant heavens to a mandala of brass filigree encircling the compassionate Mother of All Buddhas, the White Tara. She has all-seeing eyes on her hands and forehead, poised to restore harmony to the Universe.
At center is an altar of offerings that stands ready to relieve our earth’s pain and suffering. A row of pressed glass Buddhas sit on their lotus pads in a lake of tranquillity. Below is a fern garden with a compassionate apostle standing on a draped altar. He is nestled between four powerful Dharma Wheels with spokes designed with textured brass.
Dharma wheels are fascinating! They are ancient symbols of the cycle of rebirth and represent the Buddha’s teachings on the path to enlightenment. As shown here, they are historically depicted with eight spokes representing the eight-fold path, which includes: Wise View, Intention, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration.
GIVING HANDS-ON GUIDANCE TO A NEW GENERATION OF DESIGNERS
I've cherished working and creating in the Studio this year. I found peace in an especially noisy world in 2025.
It has been quite the dance: I'd intently and painstakingly work on the details of a Thangka painting for hours, and then switch modes to creating a piece of jewelry, inspired by a rare gemstone or vintage metal piece. The two processes are innately different but related, and each offered a certain respite from each other. Both, though, continue to nurture and push me in fresh directions.
It's in this spirit that I've held an ongoing Jewelry Workshop this year. I provide hands-on guidance to a small group of students. Unlike a one-off jewelry class, the Workshop provides an intimate forum to generate ideas, learn new skills and apply them to make a finished piece.
It's been both fun and rewarding to use my 40 years of experience to inspire and gently support and direct their creative visions while offering pragmatic solutions for materials and construction.
WINTER ART FAIRE 2025 - weekend of dec 13 & 14
I'm excited to participate in the annual Winter Art Faire this weekend located at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, CA.
Even with my many collections over the years with Jan Michaels Jewelry, there were still many beautiful and rare gemstones and components that I never got a chance to transform into a special piece. This year I had the opportunity to do so. And I can't wait to share them with you. All of my new designs are one-of-a-kind, so once it's gone, it's gone for good!
The Winter Faire features many talented local artisans offering fine handmade crafts, art and foods from pottery to soaps to textiles to jams -- So do look forward to some unique and fun Xmas shopping.
Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for preview of new designs and details about Giveaways:)
If you're in town it would be great to see you!
WINTER ART FAIRE 2025
Saturday, Dec 13
Sunday, Dec 14
11 AM - 5 PM
1220 Linda Mar Blvd
Pacifica, CA 94044
Free parking is available. Send me a note at jan@janmichaels.com if you have any questions!
Comments