All Entries in the "Metal" Category

anna atterling’s pralines and bonbons

Who knew pralines and bon bons could look this delicious in metal?  Anna Atterling did. I didn’t find much on the web in English about the Swedish artist except that she makes jewelry and loves it.  That’s enough for me. The images of her silver sheet pralines are wonderful (click each to see a larger view) and a fine example of how good photography can enhance an artist’s work. Atterling’s portfolio is here.

salima thakkar: exploration as inspiration

Some artists put their ideas down on paper in a sketch or words as a way to capture the idea for possible use at a later date. When Salima Thakkar has an idea she skips that step entirely, choosing instead get to work immediately by exploring, experimenting and exploiting materials. The Belgian jewelry artist finds inspiration in the process of trial and error.

Modular Bracelet, patinated silver tubing, 18kt yellow gold

Bracelets and necklaces in Thakkar’s Modular collection are meant to suggest animal scales. When worn on the body the small, angular chunks of silver tubing that connect in repeating patterns wrap around a wrist or neck like a second skin.

Ring, black rodium plated silver, diamonds

Ring, patinated silver with inlay of 18kt yellow gold, green tourmaline

I’m also intrigued by the distinctive style of  the rings in her Grid collection and the way she sets the precious stones. Thakkar, who holds degrees from both The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp and The Royal College of Art, London, has a portfolio that includes ten different collections - take a look here.

Modular Bracelet, patinated silver tubing, 18kt yellow gold

Ring, ebony wood, 18kt yellow gold, from the Sweets & Treats collection

karen searle: inspired by the feminine impulse to nurture

Fiber artist and author Karen Searle’s wire sculptures create lines, movements and shadows that “suggest the energy of a human presence.” Searle knits and crochets a variety of materials including wire, flax paper and linen, addressing the concept of women’s work.

How My Mother Dressed Me, detail, copper wire, hand knitting, dresses 6″ high

Flax Vessel, knitted and crocheted Japanese flax paper, linen; 36″x16″

Body Bag III, tote bag, knit linen, flax fiber and rope, 18″ high

She has even knitted together pieces of birch bark as a metaphor for women’s work and women’s lives - all of which the artist suggests involve mending and piecing together, scavenging and adorning.

Essence: Long Dress, life-sized wire sculpture and shadow

Bark Quilt, birch bark, rayon thread, glass beads  36″ x 60″

“My imagery is inspired by womens’ lives and womens’ bodies, and by the feminine impulse to nurture.” Karen Searle

Searle, who has an MFA from Minneapolis College of Art & Design, teaches and exhibits across the country and abroad and is the author of Knitting Art: 150 Innovative Works from 18 Contemporary Artists.

pflipsen olivova studio: sculpture meets jewelry

Husband and wife team Katia Olivova and Steve Pflipsen have only been collaborating in art and life for a few years, but their work is already strong and boldly executed. Olivova, born and raised in the Czech Republic, comes from a family of successful glass artists.  After studying at the secondary school of glass making in Kamenicky Senov, she apprenticed for both her mother, jewelry artist Marie Olivova and her father, renowned Czech glass artist Ladislav Oliva.

Red Coral Necklace, metal, coral

Olivova’s technique of using solder to fill the negative spaces between the wires on hand-wrought wire frames allows her to create her pieces directly on glass, stone, bone and a variety of other materials. I particularly like the sculptural quality of the necklaces in the collection - and the droplet sculptures are stunning (see picture below - for more sculpture images go to the sculpture section of their website). Be sure to check out their Etsy shop.

River Drop, wall sculpture, glass, metal

Opal Glass Bloom

Marble and Pearl Neckalce

Pflipsen, who grew up in Minnesota, holds a BFA in glass from the University of Wisconsin. In 2003 he met his future wife when he spent six months in the Czech Republic studying Bohemian glass techniques. Today he blows the glass for their sculptures and jewelry.

Garnet Front Hook Necklace

Moonstone Spiral Necklace

Pearl Rosette Pin

Pflipsen and Olivova have an Etsy shop

inni pärnänen: the possibility of materials

For jewelry designer Inni Pärnänen, the thrill lies in the possibility of a material or a technique.  The Finnish artist explores parchment paper, cow horn, wax, fine silver, copper and paint, allowing the materials to define the work with surprising results.

Brooches, parchment, silver

More! brooch, copper, paint

Polymorphous, necklace, etched silver, steel wire

The soft shapes, crisp geometric lines, quiet shades of neutral, bold splashes of rippling color, subtle textures, shadows and light Pårnänen achieves with these materials are beautiful and beg to be touched. I wonder what will capture her curiosity next?

Necklace, cow’s horn, silver, steel wire

Ordinary Beauty, ring, burned/dyed paper, cotton thread, wax

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lisa and scott cylinder: accidental beauty

Lisa and Scott Cylinder, partners in life and art, see beauty in unexpected places. The artists share a love of and a commitment to confident exploration with materials: found, manufactured or hand made.  Each Timeflyer bird brooch below starts with a face made from the reverse side of a vintage enameled pocket watch face - turn the piece over and the back of the brooch reveals the watch face.

{click on the images to see them large}

“Our jewelry occupies an odd space somewhere between logic and intuition. Sometimes an idea dictates which path we follow and, at other times, materials lead us.” Lisa and Scott Cylinder on Velvet Da Vinci

Wood Stork Brooch

The couple crafts their Musical Instruments collection by choosing a part from a carefully deconstructed instrument and then reconfiguring the part by adding metal, resins and wood to give it a new life as jewelry. They call the results to their approach ‘accidental beauty.’

Bing Clarinet Key Brooch

See more at Velvet Da Vinci and read their entire artist statement here (scroll down to the bottom of the page)

sara fox: playful and elegant

Growing up around a passel of boys Sara Fox was more comfortable holding a hammer than a hairbrush. The softer, playful side of this tomboy-turned-metalsmith emerged when she discovered felting, offering a way to incorporate a need for color and texture into her work. The simple shapes and bursts of color sprouting from Fox’s jewelry keep it fresh, surprising, joyful.

My metalwork is the architecture for my felted shapes. I begin with flat sheets and wire of sterling silver and then build the 2-dimensional pieces into 3-dimensional forms. When I felt I get back to the basics - the wool fibers themselves. Using wet and dry felting techniques I start with loose wool and sculpt my shapes, which I then combine with their silver complements.  In the end, each piece is a reminder that we can be elegant and playful at the same time. Sara Fox

Fox talks about her work in a short video on the press page of her website.

More images at Covet Gallery.

myung urso: curator to curated

An MFA in fiber arts and an MA in museum and gallery management helped Myung Urso build a successful career as a curator, art director and gallery owner. Curating fine craft sparked an intense interest in contemporary jewelry and in 2006, after moving to Rochester, NY, Urso realized her dream of becoming a jewelry artist.

Pearl Garden, brooch
loofah, freshwater pearl, oriental ink, acrylic paint, sterling silver, thread, lacquer

Sky and Mountain, cotton, oriental ink, sterling silver

Tempo, silk, oriental ink, acrylic paint, sterling silver, thread, lacquer

The South Korea native stitches together the best of her history, education and life experience, carefully pairing materials like cotton and sterling silver or loofah and pearls. Urso’s jewelry has been exhibited in prestigious shows around the country, including the Philadelphia Museum Craft Show and SOFA NY.

Trace, silk, oriental ink, acrylic paint, sterling silver, thread, lacquer

Tide, cotton, oriental ink, acrylic paint, sterling silver, thread, lacquer

Sprout, paper, oriental ink, sterling silver, thread, lacquer

Calligraphy and sewing serve as my fundamental techniques, which I have practiced throughout my lifetime.  I also found that my elderly mother’s traditional way for the preparation of food, such as the shaping of rice cake and arranging vegetables for winter storage, combined with my previous work experience as a reporter and curator for art and craft have shaped my own interpretation of contemporary jewelry.  Myung Urso

joan dulla: recreating myself and ‘making’ money

I’m slowly getting back to my daily rituals and routines after months of upheaval (all good).  It’s great to be back in the studio after such a long time away from art-making and I’m realizing that the time away has helped me look at my art-making differently; has shifted my focus; has given me several ‘aha’ moments to ponder.  Joan Dulla’s crocheted wire sculpture “Recreating Myself” is perfect for how I feel today.

Recreating Myself

Changing My Mind

Glory Necklace

Best known for her crocheted niobium wire jewelry and sculpture, Dulla’s most recent work includes woven, crocheted money.  Money.  I need a Money Urn. That’s up next for me.

Money Urn

Money Collar

Money Bracelet

Previous post about Dulla here

francesca vitali: when paper meets metal

Francesca Vitali spent several years living abroad working on her PhD before settling in the United States to follow her dream.  A biochemist with an eye for design, Frucci found her way to Penland School of Crafts and the Revere Academy to study jewelry, eventually relocating to Rochester, New York where she splits her time between careers in science and art. We took a quick look at Frucci’s work on Daily Art Muse back in 2007. In her most recent collection, Frucci uses rivets to connect the folded and woven recycled paper with metals.

Sheller Bracelets, copper, paper

Click on the image of the Rosario necklace detail (above) to see several images of this piece, including an image of multiple Rosario necklaces worn at the same time.  Nice.

Bacello Pendant, copper, paper, pearl

Annabella Ring, paper, copper

“Paper crosses our everyday life continuously and in multiple forms: magazines, maps, shopping bags… I enjoy the idea that fragments of our lives will remain trapped in my paper jewelry.” Francesca Vitali

Find more photos like this on crafthaus

Frucci Design on Etsy.

Frucci was a Featured Seller on Etsy.  Read her interview here.

More Frucci jewelry on her Flickr site.

Roadside Scholar’s 2008 interview with Frucci.

margaux lange re-members barbie

As a child Margaux Lange was obsessed with Barbie, using the doll as a tool for “acting out and exploring the human relationships in my own life, as well as the fantasy lives I imagined.” Now 30 years old, Lange is still obsessed with Barbie and it has served her well. The Brooklyn artist, who has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art, uses Barbie doll parts in her widely collected jewelry line, “Plastic Body Series.”

SMACK! Brooch, doll parts, pigmented resin, sterling silver

The Kiss, doll parts, sterling silver

“Whether revered or despised, there are few who feel neutral about the plastic princess. I am fascinated with who she is as a cultural icon and the vast impact she has had on our society.” Margaux Lange

Goosebumps Hand Brooch, doll parts, sterling silver

Lange takes Barbie’s best bits and combines them with resin and sterling silver, creating whimsical, nostalgic, humorous configurations that offer collectors a unique way to remember their childhoods.

Quote Bubble Brooches, doll parts, pigmented resin, sterling silver

She began using Barbie in her art in high school, but it wasn’t until 2001 that she started to deconstruct (or re-member as she likes to call it) the iconic doll and use the parts in her jewelry.

If The Shoe Fits Bracelet, doll shoes

Senses Bracelet, doll parts, pigmented resin, sterling silver

Fun. Fashionable. And a trip down memory lane.  Do go and take a look at her whole portfolio and be sure to visit her blog where you can get a good sense of the work that goes into this jewelry.

Winged Neckpiece, doll arms, sterling silver

Margaux Lange and friends

I also enjoy the funny juxtaposition of wearing the body, on the body. Barbie has become the accessory instead of being accessorized. I take pleasure in the contrast and contradiction of mass-produced materials transformed and revealed as handmade, wearable works of Art.” Margaux Lange

When I was researching Lange I was surprised to see that many people find the jewelry creepy and ‘out of a horror movie’. Really? Lange has a great eye, appealing sense of humor and all of her skills blend beautifully. What’s creepy is how long women have held on to the idea that Barbie had the perfect body. THAT’S creepy. Lange’s jewelry? Smashing and fashionable!

Lange’s Etsy shop here.

Lange’s blog Midge’s Mind where you can see many of her pieces in progress - the resin, the metalsmith details, the bins and bins of Barbie bits and pieces.  Wow…

Read an interview with the artist here. Another interview here.

Couldn’t resist including Lange’s Barbie coat hanger ornament.  Click on the thumbnail below to see more ornaments.

lisa m. wilson: 2009 niche award finalist

Last week we took a look at 2009 Niche Award Finalist Vincent Pontillo’s hand cut filigree work.  Today’s feature artist is another Niche Finalist in the Student category. I couldn’t find much about Lisa M. Wilson, but be sure to bookmark this young award winning artist - I think we will be seeing a lot of her in the future (link below).

Diffusion Study 2

Spines

With dual Bachelor degrees from Indiana University (Fine Arts, metalsmithing and jewelry design and Arts, Theater and Drama, Wilson is scheduled to receive her Master of Fine Arts degree in 2010 from Miami University (located in Oxford Ohio). Her metal work is full of movement…alive…lively…bursting forth…yes?

Particle Wave 2

The piece above, shown open and closed, is a collaboration with artist Geoff Riggle.  Love pieces that unfold…

Skin Bubble Ring

Wilson on Etsy

vincent pontillo gets it: zen and the art of the jeweler’s saw

Vincent Pontillo, makes it seem like he was born with a jeweler’s saw in his hands. The 21 year old student is a metals jewelry design major (SUNY Buffalo) already winning awards for his pierced metal work. The designs are all cut by hand. Beautiful.  Can’t wait to see what’s next for this rising star.

Pomegranate Seed, copper, 23 karat gold leaf

Dis/Located Brooch, copper, enamel, steel, 3″x3″x.25″

Dis/Located Brooch, detail

Matryoshka, copper, 10″ x 8.5″ x 7.5″

Vincent Pontillo at work with the saw

Zen and the art of the Jeweler’s Saw

Pontillo has a comfort level with the jeweler’s saw that is admirable.  I haven’t mastered anything about this tool except breaking the blades.  Not a pretty sight - I’m new to metal and I have a lot to learn.

Acclaimed goldsmith Michael David Sturlin will teach Zen and the art of the Jeweler’s Saw - a LIVE ONLINE Craftcast MasterClass - Wednesday December 9, 8pm EST. Sturlin promises to provide expert instruction about how to use this tool with ease and how to maximize your results.  I’ll be in the front row.  Vincent Pontillo already understands Zen and the art of the Jeweler’s Saw, but I have a long way to go. There is still time to sign up - will I see you there?

This slideshow is from Pontillo’s Crafthaus page.  Love Crafthaus.

Find more photos like this on crafthaus

Pontillo is a 2009 NICHE Award Finalist

lucker and wood’s mechanical pictures

In 1987, armed with degrees in sculpture and printmaking from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Ann Wood and Dean Lucker began creating mechanical sculptures that require the viewer’s participation to bring the art to life. Lucker and Wood’s Mechanical Pictures and Dexterity Games are a sheer delight for the perpetually curious. Art that moves - that engages me in the process - is infinitely appealing.

You Are Amazing, 7.5″ x 6″ x 1″,
archival paper and ink, wooden back, plexiglass front and printed paper sides

[When the lever is pressed down, the young lady places a card on top of the stack of cards and the message "You Are Amazing" is revealed]

Catching The Moon

[This piece is about a tender acknowledgment of the larger cycles we all live in. When the lever is lifted up, the moon drops down as the woman's arm lifts to greet the moon]

In addition to their collaborative work, the website showcases their individual art, which is equally impressive. Wood works with the unlikely combination of dyed eggshells and seed beads to create her paintings, and Lucker carves his figures from wood and resin, adding electrical motors to the mix to create blooming flowers, spinning fortune wheels and automated figures.

Leaking Moon, 40″ x 12″ x 10″

Swan and Balloon, 34″ x 34″ x 2″, egg shells, seed beads

During the past five years, I have created dense surfaces made of dyed, cracked egg shells and seed beads hand set with surgical tweezers.  It is my intention to make beautiful, personal images which describe a powerful spirit in a mysterious manner.  By jumping through time and choosing figures of differing ages, I hope to make a physiological imprint of my life’s story. Ann Wood

This short clip shows one of Lucker’s sculptures in action. I turned the sound off when I watched it - the mechanics were noisy - the only shortcoming to this interesting body of work.

connie ulrich: road kill!!!

Yesterday’s post featured Jane South’s interpretation of what she sees riding her bike through the streets of New York.  Today we look at Connie Lurich, another artist inspired by long bike rides.  As the jewelry artist rides through the back roads of Alabama and Tennessee, she collects pieces of rusted steel that she finds on the side of the road. Lurich has been having a good time incorporating this ‘road kill’ into her designs.

“The notion of balance has characterized my view of the world and how I choose to live and create in it. In my work, I blend the materials and shapes of the natural world with my fascination for architectural form.” Connie Ulrich

Ulrich’s other collections of more traditional hand forged jewelry can be found here and here.