MAKING BEADS

I've been making a few beads for the holiday season. Each sterling silver bead is photo etched and reverses to a different pattern. Just wanted to share.

THE ROSE GRANT

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Long ago I meant to write a post about The Rose Grant and somehow time slipped past me.....but today seems like the perfect moment. Back in 2012 I was asked by Anne Gendreau, a friend and registrar of Bainbridge Arts and Crafts, to design and create some sterling silver lapel pins in a stylized shape of a rose. Anne explained to me that her daughter, Lucie Rose, had recently passed away and that in her memory a grant was being created through Bainbridge High School to acknowledge and encourage Bainbridge teens to pursue a passion. The Rose Grant provides awards that fund classes, lessons, or tuition. The intent of the grantors is to emphasize the award aspect of the grant given to teens who, for whatever reasons, could use an extra show of support.

The challenge was to create a design of a rose that would work for male or female....and not be too overly feminine. Recipients of the Rose Grant would also receive one of these pins which are photo etched in sterling silver ...about the size of a nickel ... and have a tie tac type pin back.

I am so pleased to be a small part of this endeavor and like the rain, that forms tributaries that become rivers and streams and eventually flow into the ocean, the trickle down effect of this grant has the potential to be powerful.

JESSICA'S BRACELET

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My niece, Jessica, is graduating from high school....actually, I think graduation is tonight. My sister, Mary, asked me to make a special bracelet for Jessica as a graduation gift. So here it is....a cool new and bold pattern, photo etched on a 1" sterling silver cuff bracelet. I chose this pattern because it is so alive and bold and has a flair....like Jessica. There is nothing timid about her....I mean that in the best possible way. Jessica is not afraid of new adventures or exploring new territory....and believe me, the girls got style. As I was shaping the bracelet around the mandrel, I tried, with every stroke of my hammer, to imbue the metal with some qualities that I know will come in handy for Jessica as she enters this new chapter of her life. Qualities like: perseverance when all seems lost...patience when everyone around you is losing theirs... confidence that the answer lies deep within and that with some solitude and quietness it will usually rise to the surface....loyalty...the ability to laugh at one's self ...compassion...and a sense of the awe and wonder at how the universe supports us on our journey. What a grand and wonderful adventure lies ahead! Good luck, Jessica....we are all waving our pom-poms for you.

ALL THAT REMAINS

Just recently I learned a new jewelry technique called FOLD FORMING. This method of working with metal was invented by Charles Lewton-Brain in the late 1980's and is recognized the world over as the only new original innovation in metal working in a millennia. By using fingers...hammers...mallets...anvil...vice and /or rolling mill one can achieve wonderful organic shapes from a single piece of metal with no soldering. Usually when working with metal one insists their will upon it making the metal 'behave' to achieve an expected result. In form folding the beauty comes from allowing the metal to follow natural laws without exerting a will over it. I think that is the reason that the end result looks so organic.

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I call this neckpiece ALL THAT REMAINS. It so reminds me of a sea creature who has left it's exoskeleton behind or of a spent seed pod....not unlike a milkweed pod. The truth is, as a jeweler/metal worker, I hardly ever wear any of my own jewelry... except for the occasional gallery opening. Since making this piece I find that I wear it most all of the time and constantly get comments about it. ALL THAT REMAINS is made of 26 gauge sterling silver and though it looks delicate, it is quite tough.

This small sterling silver boat, which I call WHAT THE TIDE BROUGHT IN, is less than 3" long and is made using the same technique and the same size and gauge metal. If I had continued to hammer and thin the bottom edge, the bow and stern ends would have continued to curl towards each other making another piece more like the ALL THAT REMAINS neckpiece.

I look forward to exploring the new territory that fold forming provides me....stay tuned...I think I see a rolling mill in my future.

"GIVE ME FIVE" FIBULA

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I've recently become interested in fibulas.....and I'm not talking about bones....although I'm interested in bones, too. The kind of fibula I'm talking about is a brooch or pin, usually made of beaten wire, where the pin part is an integral part of the design. The early Romans used fibulas to hold their tunics and robes closed. A safety pin is a type of fibula.

Here in the Pacific NW Ramona Solberg was quite known for her bead fibulas. She collected incredibly beautiful beads from Africa ....India ....and all over the world. Many of these treasures found there way into her jewelry. The fibula below is an example of her work.


Alexander Calder is another artist who loved working with wire and made this fibula for Georgia O'Keeffe. It is in the shape of an OK....her initials. In truth this may be a pin instead of a fibula but either way it is an incredible example of some of Calder's jewelry. Georgia loved this pin and rarely took it off. In the second photo you can catch a glimpse of it again.



Using these two inspiring artists as inspiration, I took a small leap into the world of fibulas. For my first try I wanted to use only wire and not depend upon beads or other elements for the interest. With the silver market being so high, I decided to practice using 16 gauge copper wire....much more affordable. When my confidence improved I tackled making the hand fibula (shown at the top of the post)... for my friend, Kristi, for Christmas. She is a massage therapist and her hands are her best tools. She is always drawn to art and jewelry that feature hands so I knew this would be the perfect gift....if I could pull it off. I may have been a little over confident....it's tricky. After making this piece I have decided to go back to the basics and make some very simple fibulas for a while. The trick is getting a nice flowing design that has a simplicity and an elegance about it. I do like it that the hand is slightly abstract but once you 'see' it, the design jumps out at you. My hand fibula is made of 16 gauge sterling silver wire and is 3 inches long.


This is how I packaged Kristi's gift. I printed her image on almost transparent gampi paper and adhered the image to kraft paper. I tied the package up with a copper chain and embellished with a small metal beetle. I liked the vintage look of the wrapping and thought Kristi would, too.

I will continue to work at my fibula making and will probably eventually add some charms or small found objects for interest and color. So stay tuned.