Bangles are Just the Beginning - Liz Hamman Jewelry

Liz Hamman's bangles

are truly one of the most unique

types of paper jewelry I've had

the pleasure to see.

Fused into a dense mass of paper pulp

every bangle is made from an entire story book

she has salvaged from second-hand stores

and recycled into paper art.

It's especially fun to see the main character
of the story prominently displayed along
the interior of each bangle while
the exterior is equally distinctive

with layers of swirling color that seem

similar to a wood-grain mokumé gane effect.

It interests me that books are treasured and yet

neglected objects, the materials they are made from

are humble and transient whilst the content

and experience of them remains with us

and enriches our lives.

I am interested in exploring these qualities of

value/non-value and transience/longevity

 to produce work that is wearable and unique.

But bangles are just the beginning of the range

 of work Liz Hamman creates using maps,

documents and even Monopoly money.

Explore more of Liz Hamman's work here.



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Vibrant Paper Flowers - Begoña Rentero Jewelry

Springtime flowers can help
revive a dreary autumn day -
especially when those flowers are handmade
 with silk and paper.
 

 Fiber artist Begoña Rentero creates
lush, layered, textural jewelry
in eye-popping colors.

 

 

  

  

   

Speaking of bright, cheerful fiber art jewelry,
if you’d like to revisit some of the

contemporary work previously featured

on this blog, there’s quite a lot to see.

 Click on each name to see designs

created by Ana Hagopian, Carol Windsor,

Francesca Vitali, Lydia Hirte,

Sabrina Meyns and Tia Kramer.

 

Each utilizes an innovative

approach to working in this medium,

most are self taught, and each of their creations

counters the preconception about jewelry

 having to be made with precious
metals and expensive gems.

And to see more of Begoña Rentero's work,
visit her delightfully cheery website.

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Paper Held by Tension - Lydia HIrte Jewelry

Sometimes it's the surprise factor
that makes the biggest impression.
 Jewelry created by Lydia Hirte
is made with card stock.
While jewelry made with a paper product
is unique enough on its own, that's not
what makes this work so surprising.
The artist assembles and fastens each piece
not by gluing or folding; nor is it
held together with standard materials
such as rivets or clamps.
Instead, it's all held together (surprisingly) by tension.

She describes her work in this way:

My point of departure is a bundle of flat stripes. Once having started to move the bundle and to force different stripes on a single plane I am feeling the resistance of the cardboard against being manipulated by my hands. This resistance releases the impulse to shape even further and the material responds to my hand and unfurls its curvature and shape – the concentrated process of artistic form finding is launched
. . . On account of applying my different methods and techniques I am able to generate strong tension within the cardboard. These I use to create self supporting structures. The resulting objects are
 stable and resilient.  

Unique, beautiful, surprising.

See more at Lydia Hirte's website.

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