Here’s some result from my efforts at enamelling; a few pairs of earrings. At a showday I had recently it was these earrings that received the most attention of all my jewellery but interestingly, every person that ordered them wanted them in silver…I’m not too sure what to think of that?
I have just finished these earrings and am quite happy with the way they turned out. They were inspired by the curves of a womam’s body and I wanted to create something with a strong simple line and form, and add a soft edge and detailed surface to contrast.
When wearing the earrings I noticed that the sun shines through the pierced pattern, creating a silhouette effect.
I have been working on a bangle that sprouted from a wax impression casting I did not so long ago. It came out with a very lacey affect which set in my mind a clear concept for this bangle.
” By wearing, owning and interacting with jewellery, we breathe new life into it. We activate it and set it on a life-long journey to collect and absorb its surroundings…’New’ jewellery has yet to find its vocation; yet to acquire the associations and values of a person’s life to shape its identity.”
Lin Cheung, New Directions in Jewellery II, Black Dog Publishing, 2006
The inter-changeable jewellery that I am working on at the moment only really becomes a piece of jewellery and comes to life when compiled and put together by the wearer to be worn. In this way I feel the wearer will be interacting with it and giving it a unique identity relating to their own.
Here are the beginnings of my range…
Here are the results of some of my experimentation with patinating etched copper. Looking back, I learnt a lot about how to work with the media, and had fun experimenting without knowing what the result would be.
I like this little range of jewellery because I think it is a good example of how I take inspiration from feminine influence in the past and use it to produce female jewellery that is contemporary of today. In this case, the influence was floral wallpaper from the likes of William Morris.
Here are some photos of my Platinum bangle finished. I really liked the way the sewing could hardly be seen from some view points and in others it was very prominent. I also enjoy the way the two metals have merged with each other and it is not definite what is platinum and what is silver…
Inspired by a patterned clay pot I bought earlier this year (see older posts) I designed a pattern and pierced it out to use as an impression. When it came out on the pieces I cast it was so beautiful! Some areas had been pushed out of the pattern while others held and it had such and old worldly, Victorian feel. As soon as I saw the piece I knew it had to be a bangle! so, voila!!!
This locket ring with garnet follows the same concept as the locket I made previously; Precious beauty kept on the inside, away from harm, much like how people protect themselves from being hurt by creating a facade. I have pierced a pattern in the top lid, so that a slight hint of what is inside can be seen.
This sterling silver locket is a portrayal of how people are often miss-judged, and how there is so much beauty and character to be discovered hidden inside someone. What they seem on the outside is only the tip on the iceberg.
I have created an open section on the front of the locket as a ‘peep hole’ to what’s inside. Once the locket is opened, a pierced, oxidized door seperates the two sides, allowing something precious to be enclosed.
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