My choice to use the form of flower petals relates back to memories I have of being in the garden, a place of joy for me. The petal I use as a metaphor to life’s experiences; just as one or two petals seem purposeless on their own, when composed together they are something extraordinary and beautiful. In life, small meaningless experiences when seen later in a bigger picture, can become a very special and integral part of who we are. It is these small, maybe simple but special moments that I chose to capture as petals of my life flower.

The chips of ceramic were from broken tea cups- also relating back to memories of my Grandmothers.

They’ve written a lovely article to go along with it so have a look…

http://www.houseandleisure.co.za/item-of-the-day-christy-anne-bestwick-copper-jewellery/

If you live in Durban, pop in to Artisan Contemporary Gallery from 8 June and check out the jewellery on exhibition.

The theme is “Shades of green” for which we were encouraged to take a ‘going green’ approach to our jewellery that we made for the exhibition. Initially I thought this would be quite difficult, but soon realised that it’s the small things that make a difference too. I used some ceramic pieces from broken vases in a sense of recycling, and designed in a way that would use minimal soldering which in turn uses less gasses and chemical acids. I also made a concerted effort throughout my working process to use as little water and electricity as possible. These are all new habits I am hoping to keep from now on…

For something that started out rather tentatively, I have to say I enjoyed this new approach and the nudge to think outside my box was like a breath of fresh air…I recomend you try it!

At the moment I am finding my eye often drawn to textile texture. I am not so sure why, or whether it will end up translating in my jewellery, but for now the softness and gracefull fall of material seems appealing in contrast to metal.

Durbanites, keep an eye out for the free magazine in shopping malls…you’ll find a little insight into Christy-Anne jewellery on page 25.

Showcasing my work

Fashion show by Bianca Kim Clothing

Many thanks to Samantha Legg Photography for capturing the event.

…It seems I’m not the only one with lace and ribbon on my mind.

…What do you think?

The concept behind this bangle is one I played with a while back with a ribbon ring I made and it’s always been in the back of my mind to fine-tune…I think I’m getting somewhere with this bangle.

I had a moment of slight epiphany the other day when I realised that a lot of the things are held onto because I felt I could use them to make something ‘special’ or they had a quality I wanted to use or capture…and so the decision was made to do just that!

Here are some playful pieces that were the result of a morning of rummaging through all my little collections and boxes and just creating with no plan really:

Click on this link to have a look: http://www.christyannejewellery.com

Many thanks to OnClick Media Solutions for their hard work.

Here is beautifully textured work by Noriko Ambe that excites the senses of sight and touch quite effectively. The use of layering to  create depth is explored dramatically with stacks of white paper made in Japan called Yupo.

“I found that I am concerned less about the end, and more about the ‘doing’. The process of creating is equally as important as the finished work”.

Noriko Ambe (Daily Art Muse article)

… Now doesn’t that sound familiar?

I often have an idea that I want to explore and end up making a couple of prototypes or test pieces. These are made with no intention of becoming a final piece of jewellery, but rather for the satisfaction of turning an idea into something workable and making something with an unknown outcome, and seeing where it leads.

More often than not, the unfinished pieces get placed somewhere on my bench or wall as I start working with another idea. What I have come to realise however, is that the threads of the ideas behind all these little test pieces feed other ideas and designs later down the line, linking up in a network of interwoven threads, slowly weaving a pattern.

For example; my idea of wanting to incorporate colour with ribbon earlier this year lead to a bunch of test pieces for interchangeable jewellery, then I carried on working with my metal lace concept for a while. After a few months, I found a test piece that seemed to link up with some sketches I had done and I ended up making ‘lace’ rings with coloured ribbon.

I guess what I am trying to illustrate here, is that for me the making of jewellery is an indulgence where I can explore the thoughts in my mind and tangibly work with and make sense of many of the influences and ideas in my mind. It is this making process that gives the pieces of jewellery I make value to me. Many of my little test pieces of metal I cannot bring myself to get rid of, yet somehow it is easy to sell a piece of jewellery. Where is the sense in that? Surely a piece of jewellery is more valuable…or is it?

Here are some shots of my piece on the night…