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.



 

So Many Rings, So Little Time - Nora Rochel Jewelry

Sometimes it's all about

combining a love of vibrant texture with a

passion for botanical design.

Jewelry created by Nora Rochel

overflows with textural elements.

And it celebrates her vision of hidden gardens

 and botanical domains. 

Her exploration of these themes leads to

jewelry that, as the artist says,

"turns one‘s hands into small landscapes and gardens."

These are like country gardens where the

vegetation is allowed to grow with

wild abandon in secret corners.

Secret corners of those unkempt gardens

tend to shelter the most exquisite

specimens. Discovering those hidden gems is where

curiosity meets delight. That sense of

discovery exists in her jewelry.

 

 

The golden warmth in this ring

is almost luminous.

She uses different metals and several types

of patination to achieve

different effects.

The key to

 expressing one's inner vision

is to experiment and play.

And throw caution to the wind.

This artist definitely succeeds.

This work has a sense of playfulness

and discovery and enchantment

that's not easy to resist.

Each piece holds a tiny treasure within

its recesses

that begs to be explored.

It's jewelry that's off

the beaten path - where

being an adventurous tourist can be

rewarding.

You can explore more of Nora's

work at her website.

Exhibition - Wendy McAllister Jewelry

There's something about the enamel jewelry

  created by Wendy McAllister that

makes me smile every time I see it.

She has the ability to translate her ideas into

delightfully delicate and intricate compositions.

But there's more to her work than that.

Her enamel work expresses an optimistic

 point of view - there's so much

color and motion in her jewelry -

 it positively dances with joyful exuberance!

These pieces are so reminiscent of the pinwheels

we played with as children.

Her sculptural enamel brooches and pendants

showcase her avid interest in the colors and formations

of the natural world around us.  She explains

on her website,

"My jewelry refers to the botanical world with its riotous clash of cobalt, chartreuse, and crimson. I am drawn to the lush blossoms . . . All that sumptuous, unabashed beauty is purposeful, and it sweeps me away . . . ."

Many of her pieces are geometrical in design

yet exude an organic feeling and
her botanical inspiration can

 be seen in each piece.

And at times her bright enamels create a

kaleidoscopic effect.

This artist's work will be included in an exhibit at the

Mobilia Gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts

from September 13 until November 12.

This exhibit is called,

"Objects of Status, Power and Adornment:

 The Studio Jewelry Movement 1950 - 2011"

and features the work of 100 international

 artists working in diverse materials

and techniques, and explores the history of 

studio jewelry over

the course of more than 60 years.

Some of the artists represented at this

exhibit include:

Marianne Anderson, Donna Barry, Donna Brennan, Sharon Church, Lisa Cinelli, Petra Class, Margot di Cono, Betty Cooke, Marilyn Cooperman, Valerie Jo Coulson, Susan Cross, Jenny Deans, Cristina Dias, Cindy Eid, Arline Fisch, Christine S. Forni, Emily Garfield, Lydia Gerbig-Fast, Joanna Gollberg, Elizabeth Goluch, Anna Gordon, Laurie Hall, Mary Lee Hu, Reiko Ishiyama, Janis Kerman, Daphne Krinos, Rena Koopman, Linda MacNeil, Wendy Wallin Malinow, Elizabeth McDevitt, Leah Meleski, Nancy Michel, Joan Parcher, Jeanie Pratt, Suzan Rezac, Kamilla Ruberg, Mary Ann Scherr, Joyce Scott, Helen Shirk, Marilyn da Silva, Christina Smith, Brooke M. Swanson, Beverly Tadeu, Manya Tessler, Rachelle Thiewes, Linda Threadgill, Cynthia Toops, Jennifer Trask, Donna Veverka, Mallory Weston, Heather White, Karin Worden

You can find more information about this exhibition

at the Mobilia Gallery website.