Inspired by Yellow!

Earlier this year I was inspired by a bunch of lemons that Lauren sent as a garnish on a parcel of materials to make a great big wacky neckpiece! I guess this is where my work started getting bigger...

Lemon Fantasy Neckpiece, 2011; Fake Lemons, Freshwater Pearls, Jade, Glass

This neckpiece was originally shown at the JamFactory in the exhibition unnatural, Naturally with Lauren Simeoni (you can see it here) and is now winging its way around Hong Kong, Sydney, Taipei and Bangkok as part a series called Yellow Substitutions that I have in the group exhibition Woohooh! Contemporary Jewellersy vs Art vs Design curated by Tricia Tang.

sneak peek...

I have been a busy, busy lady this year making, making, making (and not blogging...) My work has undergone a bit of an evolution over the past twelve or so months and I will try to catch it all up on here so that where it was and where it is now make some sort of visual sense. Anyway, here are some recent pieces. My work is getting bigger, bolder and more gestural and I am enjoying exploring colour (as usual) alongside texture, weight, movement and form. I have been doing lots of visual research into traditional jewellery from the Pacific and South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa as well as the plant life I encounter on my daily walks. 

This neckpiece is part of my new body of work for Unnatural Tendencies, the latest instalment in my collaborative jewellery adventure with Lauren Simeoni which opens at Fingers in Auckland on October 3. You can read more about what we have been up to this year on our unnatural, naturally blog... I have been a little better at keeping that updated (sort of...)

Kirsch Neckpiece, 2011; Garnets, Artificial Plant Foliage, Wood

Length: 3 metres

Bushy Neckpieces, 2011; Artificial Plant Foliage, Wood

Deflowered Lei, 2011; Artificial Plant Foliage (Indian Wedding Garland), Plastic, Wood

Deflowered Garland, 2011; Artificial Plant Foliage (Indian Wedding Garland), Wood

Length: 5 metres

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor

The exhibition Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor - 100 Women 100 Brooches 100 Stories curated by Kirsten Fitzpatrick opens at Artisan on September 29. I was invited to make a brooch for the sailor Kay Cottee. This was an exciting challenge and a lovely pairing, as I grew up on Pittwater where Kay was based and was a keen sailor as a teenager around the time of Kay's solo circumnavigation of the globe...

There's a peek at my brooch on the invitation image below!