Wearable Art Blog

FERROUS at Velvet da Vinci

Check out these very accomplished jewelry artists whose works are now at Velvet da Vinci as part of the FERROUS show. FERROUS, a chemical term meaning "relating to iron," includes works of over 60 artists who've created jewelry made out of steel, iron and steel alloys.

I've chosen a few works for you that photographed especially well and that cross a variety of styles. These are among the more striking works in the show. Admittedly, I favor those with obvious curb appeal over pure artistic expression.

Iker Ortiz (Mexico): Ring (silver, stainless steel and citrine). Ortiz, who is a third generation jeweler, began his studio in 2004. I love the simplicity of the geometric shapes and the contrast of the yellow citrine with the metals. 

Sondra Sherman (United States): Study Valeriana Brooch. Associate Professor in Art Jewelry at San Diego State University. Her work is held in many museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This brooch looks like a complex carving that's sprouting flowers.

 

Kat Cole (United States): Summit Catalog of Belongings Neckpiece. Cole uses found materials collected in places where she's lived to reflect the unique aspects of each. This neckpiece has a nice playful quality -- simple, light, fun.

 

David Choi (United Sates): Bracelet (steel) from his graduate portfolio (2011) (State University of New York). The gorgeous color and rugged shape make this an eye-catching piece.

Tore Svensson (Sweden): Tube Ring (etched and painted steel). Svensson's work, or what he refers to as his "sculptures," reflect his love of geometry, working with steel or iron and painting. I love the color contrast here.

Did you ever think that iron and steel jewelry could be so pretty? I'm not sure that I would have made that association before viewing the pieces in this show.

You can see more at Velvet Da Vinci.

 

 

 

 

Repoussé Jewelry by Linda Kindler Priest

Here's some beautiful artistic jewelry made with ancient techniques. Linda Kindler Priest has mastered the technique of repoussé, which traces its roots to the Bronze Age (3500 to 1200 BC).

The first three examples below are from Kindler Priest's latest series, Brooches in 2 parts. Each pairing includes two pieces that are made to complement each other but can be worn alone.

 

'Twilight Run' cheetah brooch in two parts. Top: gold repoussé with blue sapphires. Bottom: Blue sapphires, lapis, oxidized silver.

The artist explains: "The imagery is done by sculpting into metal, in relief form, using an ancient process called repoussé. I have made or reshaped over 100 tools to do this...."

Kindler Priest actually pushes the precious metal (usually gold) out from behind to create the sculpture.

 

'Sea Wanderer' fish in two parts. Top: gold repoussé with Biwa pearl. Bottom: Ocean jasper with gold and diamond foam or seaweed. 

Each piece is about an environment with living things, reflecting her love of animals, birds and fish.

'Afghan Hound' two-part pin/sculpture. Top: gold repoussé. Bottom: Oxidized sterling silver filigree with sapphires and blue topaz crystal slab.

Kindler Priest graduated with honors from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and is the recipient of multiple awards for her jewelry and silversmithing.

One of the things I like about her work is that even though she's using precious materials, Kindler Priest's designs are informal, asymmetrical, and even tinged with a bit of humor. They're imperfect, while being engaging. Not what you would expect for objects made with gold and precious stones.  

Winged Lion brooch in a brooch. Gold repoussé lion with diamonds inside silver frame with amethyst, topaz, and pearls.

Right now, Kindler Priest's work is showing at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts as part of Adornments and Delights: Five Jewelers Courting Nature show.

You can see more at Linda Kindler Priest or Aaron Faber Gallery.

 

 

Earrings by Kimberly McDonald

How cool is Michelle Obama?  Did you know that she wore a pair of handmade diamond jeweled earrings and bracelets at the inaugural ball?  Feast your eyes on those earrings, designed by Kimberly McDonald.

Irregular geode-outline earrings with natural yellow rose-cut diamonds.

The irregular shapes in the earrings are meant to be geodes. Geodes are formations that build up over time in spaces between rocks. They often contain a quartz shell lined with minerals that eventually form crystals. So, when you look at the irregular shapes of these earrings, you see a reminder of a natural phenomenom.

The photo below, taken from McDonald's Facebook page, shows the inside layers of hundreds of geodes. You can imagine how a whole geode fills the cavity between two rocks.

Here are several more pairs of beautiful earrings made by Kimberly McDonald.

 

McDonald, who lives and works in New York City, combines natural materials such as agates and geodes with untreated stones such as diamonds, raw emeralds, and baroque pearls. What a 'brilliant' approach! These earrings are electric.

This kind of beauty doesn't come cheap. McDonald's jewelry ranges from $1,800 to over $100,000.

 

 


McDonald's bio says she's committed to using an eco-friendly aproached by using reclaimed gold and wood as well as recycled diamonds and other precious stones. As she explains, “I like to think of each creation is an extension of what nature has given us."

I love the irregularity of these earrings, which gives them a bit of funk -- each pair doesn't match perfectly, but that's what makes them so interesting.

I'm glad that Michelle Obama has such sophisticated taste. Just as she has done in the past wearing the work of 'emerging' fashion designers like Jason Wu and making him famous, she has made the world aware of another young designer's work, this time Kimberly McDonald.

See more at Kimberly McDonald.

Katie Poterala Jewelry

Katie Poterala's work is now on display at Velvet da Vinci's "Monochrome Noir" show that I featured last week. Here are a few of her inventive pieces that may not be in the show.

Gold-Dipped Earrings with "Gigantic" Cubic Zirconia Stones.

Poterala, who currently lives and works in Greenville, South Carolina, did her graduate work at Arizona State University. Her MFA thesis exhibit, "Decadence + Decay", from which many of these pieces are taken, addresses the question: "Which is flawed, this rusty necklace, or your idea of what a necklace should be?"

Brooch of Copper, Powdercoat, and Green Quartz.

Poterala places jewels in unexpected settings, which gives her work a nice edge. I like her more "pretty" pieces, like the earrings and brooch that you see here.

Gold Tone Post Earrings with Coral Glass Beads.

 

Earrings of Copper, Patina, Cement, Synthetic Rubies.




These pieces look "rich" but are actually very affordable. You can see more at Poterala's Etsy site.

Monochrome Noir at Velvet Da Vinci

"Monochrome Noir" recently opened at Velvet Da Vinci and looks like a great show. It's conceptual work built on the color black plus one other color. Besides, the name of the show implies intrigue, kind of like a noirish movie. Here are a few of my favorite pieces.

 

"Berry Alive Cluster" ring by Michael Dale Bernard (Los Angeles, California)

Bernard is a teacher and designer who likes to work with steel, silver, copper, wood and enamel. He uses a polymer paint process called powder coating to create the brilliant colors that you see in this stunning ring. He creates his own 'jewels' without using 'genuine' stones. Bernard is one of the two artists who curated this show.

 

"Claim Brooch" by Sarah Brown

Brown likes to work with materials like metal, bone and found objects that are inspired by nature. To me, this brooch seemed like it could be a stylized fish or insect or maybe even something like a pine cone you'd find on a forest floor.

 

"Black and Blue Dangles" earrings by Kat Cole (Greenville, North Carolina)

Cole's work is in the permanent collection at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City and will be on view in February 2013 as part of a show featuring recent contemporary jewelry acquisitions. The contrast between the bright blue and black works especially well here. 

 

Squiggle Brooch by Leia Zumbro (Greenville, North Carolina)

This brooch is from a collection based on growth patterns found in nature, using hollow forms with repeated patterns. I pinned a gorgeous ring of Zumbro's on my Pinterest page, which was quickly repinned by several people.

 

Ring by Katie Poterala (Greenville, South Carolina)

Poterala often works with textured gold surfaces that she achieves through oxidation to reflect the process of natural decay. I love how the gold blends seamlessly into the black textured surfaces of this funky ring.

 

"Heartbreaking" Neckpiece by Tanel Veenre (Tallinn, Estonia)

Veenre is a favorite of mine, whom I've featured on the Wearable Art Blog. He likes to put together different combinations of materials to great effect. The "Heartbreaking" neckpiece, below, is from his latest collection, United Heart Series. The unusual inverted heart shape and the combination of ribbon, wood, garnets, tourmaline and metal caught my eye.  

There are many wonderful pieces to see from this show. You should check them out for yourself at Velvet Da Vinci.

Also, I'll be showing works by a few of the artists from this show in coming weeks. Stay tuned!