While I was on retreat I spent most days alone reading, writing, walking, planning…however I did make time to explore surrounding towns, going for long drives, stopping to window shop and chat.
[nonmember]This archived post is for Members Only. Click here to become a member or to get a one day pass. If you are a member, please login to view the post. [/nonmember][private_archives]When I stepped into Dina Varano’s shop in Chester, CT I felt at home among the carefully selected items on shelves and tables, including the beautiful rusted wire birdcage and interactive paper sculptures that shared space with Varano’s silver and gold jewelry (I will show the paper sculptures in another post).
Birch Bark Ring with the birch bark that inspired the jewelry
I spotted a silver ring laying on a flattened cylinder of paper thin birch bark inside one of the lovely wrought iron and glass display cases. When I told Dina that I had just collected more than 100 pieces of birch bark from the beach – many that looked like the one in her display – she took the ring out of the case to show me, explaining how the bark inspired this piece and several others.
Birch Bark Cuff
The Infinity necklaces below, inspired by thicker coils of bark, boast springy, shadowy silver coils that swirl and dance, solid and substantial with great variations in the color of the metal. Dina explained, “Each piece is made from wire, heated to a ball on one end and rolled flat, then coiled into a spiral in sterling, leaving the natural finish.”
Infinity Coil, sterling silver
Infinity Necklace, sterling silver
The coil of bark that inspired the work, the sketch and the final piece
Varano, who holds a degree from RISD, is inspired by the bits and pieces she collects from woods or nearby beaches – pine needles, shells, bark, leaves – and she keeps a box of nature’s remnants nearby in her studio as she works. Her website shows jewelry from several collections including Dots, Drama, Spine and Leaves. See more at Smashing Darling and if you find yourself in the sweet town of Chester, CT, do stop by to see the collection – there are many new pieces in the shop that are not yet on her website.
Cage Basket
Songbird
Crowd
daMuse’s Collection
When I was collecting bark cylinders and coils on the beach I never saw jewelry. I saw vessels and book scrolls and texture backgrounds for digital art. So refreshing to see the same inspiration through someone else’s eyes and to see how their vision manifests.
I found dozens of paper thin cylinders of bark in a range of colors, some metallic looking like the ones above
Flatter, white and tan colored bark was not quite as thin but equally glorious!
Thick, tighter coils of bark hold secrets and stories, of this I am sure[/private_archives]
