Once more for Once More with Love...

You could call this piece productive procrastination. You know, the jewellery you make when you should probably be making a different piece of jewellery... However, I just could not resist making this third and final piece for the Once More with Love exhibition. It uses materials from three of the necklaces in the bag of materials I was sent. 

It was an exercise in randomness - I roughly worked out the footprint of the beads and then free-cut a shape from some scrap acrylic, counted the beads and drilled 72 random holes in the acrylic (one for each bead). I selected the beads randomly and stitched them around the shape. So much fun and a direct contrast to the first piece I made for this exhibition Grid, which drove me crazy and took me weeks to make. 

Scatter, Lapis Lazuli, Blue Agate, 925 Silver, Acrylic, Silk Thread

Scatter, Lapis Lazuli, Blue Agate, 925 Silver, Acrylic, Silk Thread

Beauty in the mundane

Inspired by my lovely and talented friend Michele of TinyTrappings (whose amazing and beautiful solo show is now on at Breathing Colours Gallery). Today was about noticing the unnoticed. The things I see every day but don't always see because of that. It was about finding the beauty of the ten metres outside my front door.

Cloud and Grid

The sun is finally shining so I photographed my Once More with Love work today.

Here's a reminder of the bits I received - all wrapped up in juicy red bubble wrap!

Here's the finished work:

Cloud & Grid Neckpieces

Cloud Neckpiece, Paper, Glass, Stone, Acrylic Mirror, Silk Thread

Cloud Neckpiece, Paper, Glass, Stone, Acrylic Mirror, Silk Thread

Cloud Neckpiece, Paper, Glass, Stone, Acrylic Mirror, Silk Thread

Grid Neckpiece, 925 Silver, Turquoise, Howlite, Acrylic Mirror, Epoxy, Silk Thread

Grid Neckpiece, 925 Silver, Turquoise, Howlite, Acrylic Mirror, Epoxy, Silk Thread

Grid Neckpiece, 925 Silver, Turquoise, Howlite, Acrylic Mirror, Epoxy, Silk Thread

I had some help with the photography.

New Shadowlands Neckpieces...

I have been working steadily away on this new series of work, Shadowlands, alongside the new exhibition pieces. It's been taking longer than I had hoped, but slowly, slowly the pieces are coming off the bench. These pieces have just been sent to Fingers in Auckland... 

Double Skeleton Leaf Neckpiece, Oxidised 925 Silver, Lava, Labradorite, Stone, Tourmaline, Glass, Artificial Plant Foliage

 

Double Spine Neckpiece, Oxidised 925 Silver, Freshwater Pearl, Labradorite, Stone, Glass, Artificial Plant Foliage

Shadow Leaf Neckpiece, Oxidised 925 Silver, Lava, Labradorite, Stone, Tourmaline, Glass, Artificial Plant Foliage 

Fleur Pendant, Oxidised 925 Silver, Jade, Enamel Paint

Skeleton Leaf Pendant, Oxidised 925 Silver, Aventurine, Antique Glass

Spine Pendant, Oxidised 925 Silver, Aventurine

Step by Step

A step by step journey through my second piece for the Once more with love exhibition - Cloud Neckpiece.
It has been made using the cut up paper beads (see previous post) and the beads from four other necklaces in my bag (including the scary beads I swore I wouldn't use...) The base is cut from an acrylic mirror off cut and has been given a matte surface using coarse emery paper. I have used some of this acrylic mirror on both my pieces for the exhibition - it works conceptually for me in that it provides a blurred reference/reflection back to what the pieces once were.

 

 

        

You will have to wait to see the completed front! I am waiting for a sunny day to photograph the work properly (not just on my phone!)

Simple pleasures

The random juxtaposition of pattern and colour.

The year was 2006

I am delighted to be a part of the illustrious line up of makers participating in this forthcoming exhibition at Studio 20/17... 

The exhibition features 100 jewellers from around the world. It is on from 19 - 30 June 2012 with celebration drinks from 4 - 6pm on Saturday 23 June. 

Here are the details from the Studio 20/17 invitation:
2006. It was a common year that started on a Sunday. John Howard was PM and Pluto was no longer classified as a planet. It is often bandied about that art is a reflection of our society; intrigued, we set out to find what 2006 might have looked like in terms of contemporary jewellery. 100 jewellers from across the globe have been invited to present one piece of jewellery they made 6 years ago. Presented as a salon hang, this exhibition will showcase an incredibly diverse array of jewellery and will give an overall snapshot of what these jewellers were thinking, making and the materials they were using all those years ago in 2006.

Alice Potter, Alice Whish, Alida Cappelletta, Amy Renshaw, Andrew Welch, Barbara Cotter, Bernadette Trainor, Beatriz Ruiz, Birgit Laken, Claire McArdle, Coconut Lu, Bridget Kennedy, Danielle Butters, Danielle Sweeney, Deborah Rudolph, Diane Beevers, Elfrun Lach, Elfi Spiewack, Emma Fielden, Erin Timony, Francine Haywood, Heidemarie Herb, Helen Mok, Ilse-Marie Erl, InSync Design, Jacomien Labuschagne, Jandy Pannell, Jane Millard, Jane Pollard, Jane Reynolds, Jasmine Matus, Jennifer Gehbauer, Jessica McMullen, Jessica Morrison, Jessica Page, Judy McCaig, Julie Usel, Julie Kiefel, Justine Austine, Karen Thompson, Karin Jakobsson, Karina Hunnerup, Karola Torkos, Kate Barton, Kath Inglis, Katrina Freene, Kelly McCallum, Kim Ebbeck, Linda Blair, Linda Van Niekerk, Lisa Furno, Luke-John Matthew Arnold, Madeleine Clark, Manuela Gandini, Mark Vaarwerk, Melanie Ihnen, Melinda Young, Melissa Cameron, Mervi Kurvinen, Michelle Kelly, Michelle Taylor, Minnette Michael, Mirca Maffi, Miriam Andraus Pappalardo, Nadine Smith, Naomi Schwartz, Paula Rodrigues, Phoebe Porter, Rachel Bell, Radka Passianova, Renee Damiani, Robi Szalay, Rudee Tancharoen, Sandy Marker, Shan Shan Mok, Sharon Fitness, Sharon Massey, Shauna Mayben, Shimara Carlow, Sian Edwards, Simon Cottrell, Sonya Scott, Stefanie Koelbel, Stephen Gallagher, Susan Frisch, Susanna Dwyer, Suzanne Esser, Szilvia Gyorgy, Tatjana Panyoczki, Teresa Faris, Vernon Bowden, Vicki Mason, Ximena Natanya Briceño, Zoe Brand

Wow! What a roll call... 

MAJOR thanks to Zoe Brand, Melanie Ihnen and Bridget Kennedy at Studio 20/17 for their ongoing support to all of us in the jewelling community and for undertaking such a massive exhibition - this is going to be quite the show!

So what was I up to in 2006??? I had just started teaching at Enmore Design Centre, I moved my studio from sharing in the city with the marvellous Diane Appleby to a more low-tech and modest set up in my attic and I fiddled around with lots of funny little oddments of narrative jewellery, mostly brooches. Here is the piece I have submitted for the exhibition:

The bear who wanted to be a squirrel, 2006, Oxidised 925 Silver, German Costume Jewellery component, Vintage Robyka Russian Vodka Drink Stick

More once more with love...

These are my favourite things from the bag of materials I was sent for the Once More With Love exhibition. Beads made from rolled, glued paper strips, like the ones you make as a kid, although these appear to be fair trade beads - I'm not sure where from but I would love to know.
In my fantasy, the beads are made from a map of the world. I unrolled one to check. They are print off cuts. I'm sticking to the fantasy...
I am cutting the ends off and sanding them smooth. They are quite lovely.

More to come about this piece soon...