Anniversary Commission

 I love seeing the process of other artists and jewelers and I don't post much about my process because I tend to get so engrossed with what I'm doing that I don't stop to take pictures.  I did this time because it was a commission for a friend so I thought I'd share!  This was a special anniversary gift and he requested a set of either a necklace and earrings or a necklace and ring.  I was given some basic parameters, nantucket, the beach, baskets, a daisy and blue and green colors (along with a few others) to work with.  When I think color I go straight for stones and since the beach was on the list and I had these lovely paua shell stones in blue and green I went straight for those.  I did A LOT of sketching.  I only included a couple of the ones that led to the final design here because this post would be ridiculously long if I included every sketch.  I like making notes about my designs in my sketchbook as you can see.  So I experimented a bit with the idea of basket weave, waves, daisy petal shapes and I got a little crazy with wire designs. (photos not included)

At this point I was given some feedback to go with the daisy design, try to include the entire flower and get away from the blues and greens so, round 2 of sketches looked like this......

He decided to go with the necklace design in the bottom photo, bottom right as well as the single petal ring AND dangle earrings because he liked the designs of all of them and couldn't decide.  So, I got off to work......

 creating granulated daisy centers for the earrings and necklace. 

A stamped back with the words "HE LOVES ME!" and their anniversary date.  Ultimately this had a heart shape cut out in it as well.  The hole was functional but I always like to try to incorporate it into the design if I can.

I always try rings on while I'm working on them, even if they don't fit me well, just to check how they wear and look on.  I really like the concept behind this design, the single daisy petals acting as the symbol for the "he loves me, he loves me not" game.  Perfect for an anniversary.

And the final products...... A single petal ring with a few silver beads to tie it into the granulated detail of the earrings and necklace.

New Circle Series items

I'm working on a few new items to add to my circle series made from repuroosed copper pipe and sterling silver including pendants and cuff bracelets. Here's a sneak peek at some of the new designs. 

More recycled copper tubing jewelry!

 Another successful Photo Friday!!  I added a few new listings to my etsy shop, these are the two new pieces I finished just this week.... More recycled copper tubing and sterling silver designs.

The possibilities are endless with this earring design, I'm playing with more asymmetrical ring arrangements so stay tuned for more of those.....  The rings are hand cut from the recycled copper tubing and I hand made jump rings in different sizes to work with the copper tubing.  The are extremely light weight and comfortable to wear.  

The necklace is put together with 20 hand cut and shaped pieces of the tubing and at the back of the necklace there's about 7" of handmade sterling silver chain.  Extremely labor intensive but well worth the effort I think.  I really like the way this necklace sits on the collar bone, it has a really nice weight to it and like the other jewelry pieces made from the tubing, the pieces are assembled on beaded wires so the move and spin.

As always, check out my etsy shop for these and even more of my jewelry and sculptures.

Photo Friday!!!!

So yesterday was Photo Friday and I shot a bunch of my new jewelry pieces and uploaded them to etsy.  Check my etsy shop for all the new listings.  Here are a few of them....

I've been playing around with this recycled copper tubing, cutting into sections and creating jewelry components from them.  I love the geometry! So different from my organic pieces I know, but I love the warmth of copper and this tubing is speaking to me right now.  I'm combining it with sterling silver, hanging the cut tubing pieces on beaded wire so there's movement to them.  (Here's where the organic part comes in...)  These necklaces change as they move, the pieces spin and it looks completely different.  I'm also playing with asymmetry as you can see above, sometimes symmetry is too expected and I think it really makes this necklace into a statement piece.

And then of course, my usual organic pieces, the fiddlehead and seed pod forms I've been playing with for a while in mini pendant versions and post earrings......

I have plenty more copper tubing so expect to see more of that in the next jewelry pieces......

I already have a pretty good pile going that are just screaming "Make jewelry out of me!"

Seed Pod Madness......with Mannequins?!

I started a new jewelry series of pieces based on seed pods.  The form is a simple round cup form, I'm using my new dapping block to dome the circles.  I've been using hand made silver beads for a few years now, melting them down from the scrap silver pieces left from making other things so nothing goes to waste.  In this first set of dangle earrings I gathered the silver beads in the center of the cup but I never work on just one piece at a time, so..... I have several more pieces going that all have that same cup form with silver beads and/or beaded wire to add a little more depth.  I'm working on making charms for bracelets with this design, post earrings, complete bracelets and rings that are a little more dramatic.  The sculptor in me can't help but to make something that is just on the edge of still being wearable but I know there's someone out there that will be able to pull it off.  If you like the dangle earrings, they're for sale on my Etsy shop and there will be more coming VERY soon so stay tuned!!
Fun Fact..... I have a new jewelry model!!!  I've been struggling with getting a live model to pose for me recently and she's just been lying around the studio for years now just waiting for a purpose until my brilliant husband made the suggestion I use her as a model.  She even has her ears pierced!!!!  Who knew!?  Expect to see lots more of her because she's life sized, does whatever I want and she's available 24/7.

New earrings.

I've been working on a pair of silver and hammered copper earrings.  The design again inspired by the fiddlehead that appears so much in my work.  Here they are on the work bench in my studio.  They need some finishing touches but look for them soon on my etsy shop!

Addams Family Gathering Preview

Here's a little sneak peak of the piece I've been working on for the Addams Family Gathering show opening Oct. 2nd at the Mac 650 Gallery in Middletown. As you can see, my work table is kind of a mess but the new studio is working fabulously. This is another mixed media piece. It will end up being an installation of Morticia's Garden. It's still in pieces but it's coming along nicely. Come check out the opening, it should be a blast. Nine artists are showing, including myself and our styles are very different so it should be an eclectic show even though everything will be tied into the Addams Family in some way. This is a Joe Dinunzio & Joe Gallucio production so as always there will be fun stuff happening along with the free food and wine. Here is the flyer for the opening. Joey Marsocci designed the poster and will have a few pieces in the show also. If you can't make it, the show is up for the month of October and gallery hours are on the weekends. Also, check back here for photos of my finished piece and some of the other work in the exhibit.

Wandering Uterus in Progress!!

I know it's been a while since I've posted. But I've been VERY busy making artwork for my show coming up in January, the Wandering Uterus!!! So, I figured it was about time to let you have a look at what I've been up to....
So, I've been doing some glass work, which requires molds for shaping the glass. I'm making a few masks related to the fern series I've been doing.
I had a co-worker cover my face in plaster gauze so I could make these plaster casts. Don't they look like me!!! Later they'll be covered in glass and you won't even recognize them.
I also made a mold of my hands. I pushed them into a block of clay one at a time, formed the clay around them and poured plaster in after I pulled them out. Creepy huh? I'm skeptical about this experiment but if it works, this will be part of another glass and mixed media sculpture.
I've also been working on a large scale sculpture. Again, mixed media. I've bribed a couple of my students into helping me. Here I am directing them where to heat as I bend the form in the welding shop at my school. The steel rods have been welded together at the center and bent by heating with an oxy-acetylene torch.
I just started creating the texture today. The photo at the bottom left is of the first section I did as an experiment. It's being done with a plasma cutter on a low setting. I'm making an organic seed pod form out of clay and glass that will sit on top of the steel form. I'll post more pictures as it develops. There's lots more but I think that's enough for now. :)