Can't Tie Me Down - Eleanor Bolton Jewelry

Eleanor Bolton has developed

specific signature techniques

to coil, twist and hand-stitch cotton rope

into large-scale yet lightweight jewelry.

  

The unexpected use of rope as

material for jewelry is bound to 

make a bold statement.

Using simple colors allows

texture to take center stage.

Designs range from simple and streamlined

 to complex and convoluted.

All are beautiful and intense.

 

Each piece holds a subtle surprise -

usually a tiny bit of contrast color

hidden within the coils.



 

Visit Eleanor Bolton's Facebook page for more

information and photos of her work.

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Exhibition - Huesos: Kiff Slemmons

I've often wondered how it would feel

to immerse oneself in a project that is

all encompassing and completely focused.

Kiff Slemmons seems to live life this way.

Her work revolves around intense projects

that eventually surface as major exhibits.

For instance, the last jewelry exhibit of hers

that caught my attention was held in

San Francisco in 2009.  It was a

collaborative effort between Slemmons and

noted fiber artist, Kay Sekimachi, that

featured their beach combing finds along the

shoreline in Hawaii. 

Now she is having a new exhibition of her recent work.

Over the years she has spent time

 collaborating with the artisans of atelier

Arte Papel in Oaxaca, Mexico making

paper jewelry. Working with traditional

beadmaking techniques and indigenous plants

they have created intricate pieces that are

eye catching and highly sculptural.

The exhibit is called,

"Huesos: Kiff Slemmons."

It's currently running at Gallery Loupe

until March 6, 2012.

 

Once again she has captured my

imagination and created pieces

that are cutting edge.

For more information and images

visit the website for Gallery Loupe.

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Not Your Every Day Knots - Jewelry by Barbara Natoli Witt

Jewelry created by

Barbara Natoli Witt features

color, texture, micromacramé

and lace-making techniques. 

Working methodically she

creatively combines textural elements into

elaborate designs.  An extraordinarily

time-consuming process produces work

that is imaginative and evokes

a sense of lush richness.

Working in her signature style, this artist

mixes gemstones with found objects and beads.

With an eye for intricate designs and soothing

color combinations she creates pieces that

mix traditional knotting concepts with

modern flair.

The final result is colorful and unique.

Her inspiration is derived from a life-long study

of symbolism, history, and diverse cultures.

 These exquisite pieces of jewelry

 begin with simple concepts yet

evolve into highly patterned tapestries.

As the subject of a new book,

"Adornment, the Art of Barbara Natoli Witt"

by Lois Sherr Dubin, this artist will be

participating in a lecture and signing of the book

featuring her tapestry necklaces.  It will be held

Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 4:00 PM

at Museo ItaloAmericano, in San Francisco.

She will elaborate on some of the stories included in

the book and plans to show some of her latest

pieces as well as some vintage necklaces.

 You can see more of her work on her website. 

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Rosanna Raljević Ceglar Jewelry

We are always enchanted by artists
who take an idea to new heights.
One jewelry artist we have recently
become aware of is

Rosanna Raljevič Ceglar

who is noted for using a mundane material

and transforming it with
contemporary fiber art techniques.
 She creates exquisite work using
colored copper wire.

The creative shapes and rich textures are
are just the beginning.
What appears at first to be symmetrical,
constrained and precise design
becomes, upon further inspection,
a dense canvas overflowing with
 a bewildering jumble of
crisscrossed and entwined wires.
When combined with luscious colors
all that energy brings a sense of exuberance.

It's especially noteworthy that she
describes her work as "tidy chaos."
Truly, it is chaos captured in pieces
of graceful beauty.

There are so many pieces in her collections
that we adore. Here are some
of our favorites.

And this cuff is awesome.

The inclusion of materials such as recycled rubber
produces creations that are evocative
of otherworldly plants and things found in nature.
This piece features silver wire and gives a
superb view of the work involved in her creations.

Her work ranges from strong and powerful
to delicate and sweet.



Gotta love earrings that are vivacious and bright.

Veins of wrapped wire provide a strong visual
framework for this piece. 

This artist designs wonderful statement pieces
by using a non-precious material in
an innovative way.

Her random-looking knitting process
is actually a systematic method
of interlacing, wrapping, and plaiting wire.
The results produce pieces that are vibrant
and filled with texture.

We'd love to own one of everything!

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Randi Chervitz Jewelry

We admire jewelry that explores fiber

techniques in metal.

Jewelry created by Randi Chervitz

features fine-gauge sterling silver and

gold wire crocheted into the design,

transforming metal into a sense of fabric.
The linear fabricated framework of each piece

blends flawlessly with the

curvaceous, lacy needlework of the wire.

We appreciate her fine metalsmithing skills,
 delicate manipulation of fine metal wires, and
very selective choice of gemstones.


The repetitive, intricate, complex designs are stunning.
This cuff is a wonderful example of her work.
It's called "18K Wide Bamboo Cuff with 12 Diamonds,"
and features hand-crocheted yellow gold wire
with hand-set diamonds.

We also love this ring called
18K Wide Bamboo Ring with 5 Diamonds."
It has movement and intrigue.

These sweet little numbers feel delicate yet structured.
They're called,
"Skinny Rectangle Earrings."

And this solid, chunky square platform
makes a beautiful frame for a crocheted
nesting of pearls.

This one is named, "Square Top Ring," and

features a delightful assortment of freshwater pearls.

 

Here's another example of the underlying structure
that is a hallmark of this artist's work.
Called, "Grid Pin/Pendant," the hand-crocheted
silver wire clearly provides a lacy softness to contrast
with the rigid grid structure.
 

Mixing techniques from multiple disciplines

allows an artist's imagination to expand.

This artist's work delights us for her ingenuity
and original designs.
The effects are fabulous.

Enjoy!

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Heather Goldberg Jewelry

We adore all the fascinating art-to-wear

jewelry created by Heather Goldberg.

Each piece is composed of all natural fibers

such as cotton, silk, cashmere, mohair,

bamboo and merino wool, and each one is

embellished with Swarovski crystals. Draped

over one's body the necklaces exude

a magical life of their own.

Heather calls her work Shadow Play and it is

an apt name for these works of art.

The interplay of light and dark colors, ethereal

and solid fibers, and layers upon layers

of textures are tantalizingly lush.

Soft pastels intermingle with shades of black,

gray, beige, and white - these muted colors

allow the intricacies of the materials

and the techniques to take center stage.

Many fiber art techniques are used in each

composition including loose weaving,

knotting, wrapping, twisting, draping,

 and knitting. All this fuzzy, sleek, floating

softness gets interspersed with crystals –

a bit like finding visual treats tucked

here and there. No doubt each majestic

piece easily stands out in any crowd.

One of our very favorites

is called "Sonnet"

We love the color choices in this

necklace called "Ash"

This study in black and white is

called "Infinity"

And this one is called "Division 2"

 
 

This multicolored gem is

called "Sail the Ocean"

We find so much inspiration in this work.

The eye roams over and over each

piece seeking and finding more

and more visual delights.

Each necklace is more exquisite

than the last - truly no two pieces

could ever be alike.

Each has a personality of its own

with impressions ranging from the

ethereal to the robust, the sassy to

the refined. The enchanting way the

materials flow effortlessly into

each other continuously draws

our attention around and around.

And around.

It's difficult to stop.

 

Enjoy!

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