The Compendium Finale of Contemporary Jewellers 2008

It's Huge!!!!!!!!!! Well done Andy Lim (the man behind this awesome publication) this was a mammoth job and it works beautifully!!!! The Compendium Finale of Contemporary Jewellers 2008, is as you can see a two volume look at contemporary jewellers (1044) and their jewels from all over the world... and its spectacular. In fact i haven't made my way through it yet! I keep getting lost in thought, picking it up (which you have to limber up to do as it weighs 13.5 kilograms) and putting it down....it has so much to look at. I happily suffer from gold and silversmithing over load. So many clever individuals in the world!
(this is my page one....wooooooohooooooo!)

How this came about.........the short story. Andy wanted to make a book about jewellery. See i told you it was going to be concise, and contacted all the jewellers he knew and invited them to be involved in this book. He then asked them to nominate three other jewellers to be involved, then their nominations were to nominate two more jeweller each and then... they were to nominate one lucky last jeweller (short yes, but i feel have made it sound complicated). The jewellers that chose to accept this mission had to design two pages of whatever their hearts desired and then send it back to Andy to put together..............and then a year later this is what we received in the post!
A snippet of why we were nominated. The lovely Kathryn Wardill nominated me and I nominated the talented and spunky Coconut Lu. Sorry it is so small...(and fuzzy).

treasure

'Treasure' here are three pieces from my production range exploring strands of beads. I am fascinated with how many cultures have their own verisons and uses for beads.

In this work I am bringing two very basic elements together. Put a hole in an object, thread it and it becomes a bead, decorative, portable, beautiful no matter the material, and cuttlefish casting. The simplest of casting, one of the most immediate and organic mediums a jeweller could use.

Beast

'Teeth', 2008. Fine Silver, 22ct Gold Leaf and Glass Enamel.
'Peacock' box, 2008. Fine Silver, 22ct Gold Leaf and Glass Enamel.
'Tiger' box, 2008. Fine Silver, 22ct Gold Leaf, Brass and Glass Enamel.

If you scroll further through this blog you will find two excellent essays written by Anna Davern and Pene Durston. They responded to 'Beast', the exhibition i had earlier this year. I have only included these images and this event again as i have just done a Jessica Morrison history purge. And it just would not have been complete without re-sighting the beasts as they were the last major event. Since having this blog i have been meaning to record my journey and well today it is done (only 7 months late).

'...very Emily Dickinson'

'...very Emily Dickinson' 2006, Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, 24ct Gold and Glass Enamel.

'...very Emily Dickinson' (detail) 2006, Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, 24ct Gold and Glass Enamel.

'...very Emily Dickinson' is the piece i made for the 2006 Cicely & Collin RIGG Contemporary Design Award. Sally Marsland won that year and it was well deserved with her beautiful body of work 'Jewellery made with holes'.

(my artist statment for '...very Emily Dickinson')
In the past the Field Trip series has been about the exploration of vitality and energy in nature. Field Trip ‘…very Emily Dickinson…’ follows this emotional response, but it is now the beginning of decay and the impermanence of nature that is depicted. By contrasting the perishable delicacy of the subject and the rigidity and strength of silver in which it is captured, the piece attempts to ‘snapshot’ a moment in time; the ephemeral becomes permanent, glazed in a brittle layer of enamel.

Field Trip 'Rock Pools'

Field Trip 'Rock Pool' Pink, orange and blue, 2005. Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, 24ct Gold and Glass Enamel.
Field Trip 'Rock Pool' Yellow, blue and white, 2005. Fine Silver and Glass Enamel.
I am not entirely convinced about these pieces but i thought i should document them for me to refer back to. I must admit i do look at them and think look at all that metal in there i can reuse. Ah, i had to try it next time bigger and better.

Field Trip

'Field Trip' two bangles and a ring, 2005. Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, 24ct Gold and Glass Enamel.
'Field Trip' detail of two bracelets, 2005. Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, 24ct Gold and Glass Enamel.

(my artist statement for this body of work)

My work is initially inspired by an instinctive emotional response to my natural surroundings. This delight is tempered by a closer observation of both the structure and randomness in its form and colour.
By working with easily malleable materials, such as wax and plasticine, I can quickly and intuitively create objects inspired by, but not mimicking, natural forms. Once cast, silver becomes a neutral canvas for the play of colour and surface via the use of enamel. The fluidity, fragility and unpredictability of enamel creates a controlled randomness in the finished object. This makes the piece snapshot-like in its capturing of an organic construct.


... and yes i did grow up next to the beach.

Ralph and Clyde

'Ralph and Clyde' (The original beasts), sugar bowl and milk jug, 2005.
Fine Sliver and Glass Enamel.
I didn't know it at the time but these guys were the beginning of many adventures to come!