Catalina Brenes Jewelry

Resin in a plastic bag may not sound

like an appropriate combination for jewelry

yet Catalina Brenes creates pieces

that are really eye catching and intriguing.

She has three distinct collections, but it's those

resin-filled plastics that consistently
catch my eye.

Experimenting with materials such as silver,
gemstones, natural pigments, found objects,
pearls and 24 KT gold foil, this artist explains how she
creates with an eye towards whimsy and play,

... I need materials that let me make mistakes . . . Something that allows me to play, to enjoy the creating process. Feel the material to unleash the inner child. . .  and when I’m ready it becomes a game. . . I need my small toys, resin and pigments to preserve that second. That’s when the plastic bag becomes my canvas.

 

 You can all of her collections on
 her website and at Not Just A Label. 

 

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Exploring Vulnerability - Laura Bennett Jewelry

Living in tune with nature

and following the ebb and flow

of life, Laura Bennett

creates jewelry using found

objects from the botanical world.

 

In a manner of speaking, by crossing

 plants with metal she's created a whole
new world of hybrids - jewelry that lives

as flora. Interestingly, she captures the

best characteristics of both elements and

manages to transform it all

into beautiful jewelry.

 

Her Dome Collection is simply beautiful,

and her Nature of Fragility Collection

includes sprigs of plants preserved with resin

captured just before they decay to

"offer the wearer an experience, challenging them

to confront their vulnerabilities . . . "

 

 

 

 

 

 By capturing their essence without
ruining their beauty and fragility
 this artist brings new appreciation to
the concepts of vulnerability and weakness.

There is alot more to see at
her website.



 

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Pencil Me In - Andrea Melissa Arias Jewelry

Andrea Melissa Arias takes a playful approach

 to creating jewelry with pencils. 

Whether it’s the colorful patterning of colored pencils laid

 side by side or the texture of creamy resins seemingly

melted over the tops of pencil stubs, she takes

these ordinary elements and transforms them

 into intriguing jewelry.

I especially like how she describes her process

and motivation,

 

“Jewelry is for me a way to discover new sensations and get in touch with another part of myself . . . It is a way to experiment, think, breathe, and create. . . Colouring pencils were my favourite toy as a child, giving me feelings of pleasure and excitement. My working process began by deconstructing the pencils in order to reconstruct them in totally different shapes and structures. . . The resulting new forms show clearly the marks of the present working process and reveal the memories of my childhood. This work represents my desire to preserve the spontaneous way children act.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowing irregular shapes and imperfections to nestle

together this is jewelry that embraces playful textures,

bold colors, and a sense of spontaneity.

 

Be sure to see more at her website.

 

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Exhibition - Kate Cusack, Margaux Lange, Sissi Westerberg Jewelry

There's a new exhibition at Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery

called "ABeCeDarian."  It runs from May 18

through June 4 and is described as a "contemporary

jewelry art exhibition and ABC book

featuring the work of twenty-six artists,

each producing a piece that

corresponds with a letter of the alphabet."

OK, sounds interesting.

The participant list is comprised of: Julia Barello,

Ken Bova, Jana Brevick, Kathy Buszkiewicz,

 Melissa Calohan, Nancy Mēgan Corwin, Kate Cusack,

 Donna D'Aquino,  Laurie Hall, Tom Hill, Trudee Hill,

 Melissa Huff,  Margaux Lange, Kristin Lora,

Bruce Metcalf, Marcia Meyers, Ted Noten,

Kait Rhoads, ROY, Cindy Sumner,

Anthony Tammaro, Carolyn Tillie, Cynthia Toops,

Kiwon Wang, Sarah Wauzynski, and Sissi Westerberg.

Let's take a look at just a few of the 

delightful one-of-a-kind

jewelry included in this exhibition.

Here we have Sissi Westerberg's piece using the

letter 'D' for Drip.  This imaginative item is called

"Something Inside" and is made of acrylic. Some

ideas are so simple yet so elegant.

We love the eye-popping color;

it may be monochromatic but it certainly

 makes a statement.

Then we have Margaux Lange illustrating the

letter 'K' for Knees.

Many art jewelry followers are familiar

with work by this artist.

Whimsical and nostalgic her designs incorporate

salvaged Barbie doll parts, and the jewelry she has

provided for this exhibition

is no exception. Her piece is 

called "Cross-legged Brooch."

Lastly, let's look at a piece offered by Kate Cusack 

using the letter 'Z' for Zippers.  This spectacular

necklace is called "Elizabeth."

With roots in costume design and

a flair for the theatrical,

it's easy to classify every one of her pieces

as a production - an amazing

visual spectacle. Every time we see her

work it's always lavish and luxurious.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

There are so many other

beautiful pieces of jewelry

on display.
Plus, the opportunity to get the
ABC book that accompanies
this exhibit.

Enjoy!

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Melanie Bilenker Jewelry

Quiet, meditative, serene. 

This is the mood created by

jewelry made by Melanie Bilenker.

Inspired by the Victorian tradition

of jewelry made from the hair of

loved ones, Melanie uses strands of her

own hair set into epoxy resin

to create miniature portraits that

capture ordinary, everyday moments.  

We find her work to be
satisfying on so many levels.

It's the meticulous details

in her line drawings, each made

 with human hair, that we find

astounding.

It's the subject matter
she portrays that we find
enchanting.

And, it's the unusual material
she uses that we find
inspiring.

For example, in this brooch called "Bouquet"
one can almost smell the sweetness
emanating from the flower buds.

Here is a brooch called "Chocolate"

that is detailed and downright delectable.

Here is her adorable brooch called

 "Hemming Pants"

And there are details galore apparent

in a brooch called

"Drawing a Bath"

Yes, we feel a sense of
quietness, meditation, and serenity
when we see her work; we can
only wonder what the process
must be like for the artist
while she is creating each piece.

We are truly inspired by this work. 

What do you think?

Are you inspired by these pieces?

We'd love to know your thoughts.

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Betty Heald Jewelry

We recently became aware of a jewelry exhibition

currently on view at Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery.

Entitled: "Transmutations: Material Reborn"

this show runs from

April 28, 2010 - May 17, 2010.

"Transmutations: Material Reborn" is a

contemporary jewelry art show

featuring twenty-seven international

jewelry artists who transform plastics

(materials that include resin, latex, rubber, vinyl,

and thermoplastics) into wearable art.

As described by the gallery,

"There are pieces meant for everyday adornment,

and pieces meant to make a statement."

Some of the Jewelry Artists in this exhibition include:

Mary Donald, Suzanne Golden, Rebecca Hannon,

Betty Heald, Karin Kato, Susanne Klemm,

Jocelyn Kolb, Monika Krol, Gail MacMillan Leavitt,

Vicki Mason, Emiko Oye, Natalya Pinchuk,

Leslie Shershow, Rebecca Strzelec, and Sandra Zilker.

Let's take a look at some examples of the one-of-a-kind

jewelry included in this exhibition.

                            

Here is an eye-popping brooch made

by Betty Heald, called "Light Chamber III."

Each of the pieces Betty provided for this exhibition
is made with epoxy resin, sterling silver,
gold leaf, and stainless steel.
                                              

This brooch is another example of Betty's work called "Green Beam." 

                              
 

Here is one more attention-grabbing example of Betty's work
in resin called "Light Chamber I."

There is a sense of lusciousness inherent in these

pieces that captures our imagination. 

We are curious about what seems to be a

soft, pliable texture 

combined with extraordinary detail and luminosity.

The effect is that of a transparent photographic image.

                                         

If you're in the area, pop in to see the exhibition.

We'd love to know your impressions. 

                                   

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Ronna Sarvas Weltman Jewelry

We like to have fun and wear jewelry
that suits the occasion. 

 Jewelry from Ronna Sarvas Weltman studio
always brings fun and excitement to our day.

Ronna uses various materials in her work
such as sterling and fine silver,
semi-precious stones,

polymer, glass beads, bone, leather,
resins and all sorts of found objects

to craft her one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Of all of her incredible pieces, it's

her rings that we find enchanting.

Here's a wonderful example of

Ronna's one-of-a-kind rings

and here's another spectacular

one-of-a-kind ring

here is another one-of-a-kind

ring that we can't resist

 

Lovely designs, pleasing color palettes,

and excellent craftsmanship.

We are enchanted and inspired.

What do you think?

 

 

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Lulu Smith Jewelry- Vibrant Color and Elegance in Resin and Silver

We enjoy jewelry that is both fun and elegant at the same time. Fun and elegant is how we describe the hand-pigmented resin and sterling silver jewelry made by LuLu Smith.

This humorous piece is called Ripple Bracelet

Bold color combinations matched with simple designs makes for jewelry that could easily be worn during the day at work and for a special occasion.

This rather orderly pendant is called Big Space






Our love for colorful things is sparked by Lulu's use of vibrant color and bold shapes.




These delightlful earrings are called Coneflower

We also enjoy reading her blog......especially when she describes her workflow as taking a significant amount of time from idea to product......her words describe it best:

"several months…from pencil…to paper…to computer…to model…to caster…to mold…to silver….and then back to me for assembly… soldering… cleaning… pouring… grinding.. edging… clear coating."

Yes, we can certainly see the amount of work that goes into each piece.

This entertaining piece is called Junction Bracelet

Starting with simple shapes, many organic in style, the colors create the energy within each piece. Simple pieces become more layered and create more vibrant energy.



This wonderful piece is called Cubist Pendant

Colorful, fun, energetic . . . it's all hand-pigmented and hand-poured. The sterling silver outlines provide structure -- the resin provides intense color. A great combination.

What are your thoughts about energetic color?

Are you inspired by active, vibrant, energetic designs?

What are your thoughts?

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