Fluidity in Paper - Lisa Catterson Jewelry

Lisa Catterson’s original collection of contemporary jewelry

 

is recognizable by repetitive layers of textural handmade paper. 

 

Each piece has a personality of its own with characteristics

ranging from the simple to the intricate,

and the playful to the dignified.

The characteristic that stands out the

most is a sense of fluidity.

 

Using monochromatic color allows texture, volume,

structure and contour to take center stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, paper can seem mundane, ordinary and commonplace

yet in the hands of the right artist

bits of mundane paper can become works of art to wear.

You can see more of this work at Lisa Catterson's website.

 

Micro-Macramé - Ifat Nesher Jewelry

Micro-macramé jewelry created
by Ifat Nesher is made with 
pure linen or waxed cotton threads,

combined with all sorts of wonderful things like
Murano glass from Venice,
terra-cotta, coral,
 seashells and driftwood.

She uses macramé techniques and multicolored threads
 to create intricate, freeform woven pieces with 
striking patterns and beautiful textures.

Some designs are light, delicate and feathery.
Others are rugged and suggestive of shipwrecked netting.
 Each is handmade and
no two pieces are exactly alike. 

 Sometimes photographs aren't enough to
showcase the work and in my opinion her
imaginative designs seem to come to life,  
and are best appreciated, when worn.

 

 

 

To see more of Ifat Nesher's work
visit her website and Facebook page.

Can't Tie Me Down - Eleanor Bolton Jewelry

Eleanor Bolton has developed

specific signature techniques

to coil, twist and hand-stitch cotton rope

into large-scale yet lightweight jewelry.

  

The unexpected use of rope as

material for jewelry is bound to 

make a bold statement.

Using simple colors allows

texture to take center stage.

Designs range from simple and streamlined

 to complex and convoluted.

All are beautiful and intense.

 

Each piece holds a subtle surprise -

usually a tiny bit of contrast color

hidden within the coils.



 

Visit Eleanor Bolton's Facebook page for more

information and photos of her work.

Micro-Macramé Symmetry - Joan Babcock Jewelry

Colorful, detailed micro-macramé jewelry
by Joan Babcock is

 truly one-of-a-kind work.

Using Cavandoli techniques she is able to
precisely form her signature
geometric patterns and
maintain symmetry when working the
left and right halves of a balanced piece.

 

 

 

 

 

She incorporates stones, beads, shells,
metal and wood in elaborate designs
created with painstaking attention to detail.

 You can see more of her work
by visiting Joan Babcock's website.
 

Vibrant Paper Flowers - Begoña Rentero Jewelry

Springtime flowers can help
revive a dreary autumn day -
especially when those flowers are handmade
 with silk and paper.
 

 Fiber artist Begoña Rentero creates
lush, layered, textural jewelry
in eye-popping colors.

 

 

  

  

   

Speaking of bright, cheerful fiber art jewelry,
if you’d like to revisit some of the

contemporary work previously featured

on this blog, there’s quite a lot to see.

 Click on each name to see designs

created by Ana Hagopian, Carol Windsor,

Francesca Vitali, Lydia Hirte,

Sabrina Meyns and Tia Kramer.

 

Each utilizes an innovative

approach to working in this medium,

most are self taught, and each of their creations

counters the preconception about jewelry

 having to be made with precious
metals and expensive gems.

And to see more of Begoña Rentero's work,
visit her delightfully cheery website.

Exhibition - Huesos: Kiff Slemmons

I've often wondered how it would feel

to immerse oneself in a project that is

all encompassing and completely focused.

Kiff Slemmons seems to live life this way.

Her work revolves around intense projects

that eventually surface as major exhibits.

For instance, the last jewelry exhibit of hers

that caught my attention was held in

San Francisco in 2009.  It was a

collaborative effort between Slemmons and

noted fiber artist, Kay Sekimachi, that

featured their beach combing finds along the

shoreline in Hawaii. 

Now she is having a new exhibition of her recent work.

Over the years she has spent time

 collaborating with the artisans of atelier

Arte Papel in Oaxaca, Mexico making

paper jewelry. Working with traditional

beadmaking techniques and indigenous plants

they have created intricate pieces that are

eye catching and highly sculptural.

The exhibit is called,

"Huesos: Kiff Slemmons."

It's currently running at Gallery Loupe

until March 6, 2012.

 

Once again she has captured my

imagination and created pieces

that are cutting edge.

For more information and images

visit the website for Gallery Loupe.

Exhibition - This is How I Remember It - Amy Tavern Jewelry

I have to admit that

when I took a look, it caught my eye.

Then I read the description and it

captured my imagination.

There is an exhibition on view
this month at

Velvet da Vinci Gallery

of jewelry created by Amy Tavern called,

"This is How I Remember It."

 

 

This exhibit is comprised of two separate

yet related bodies of work.

 

 

The first series is called,

"Fabricated Memory: Jewelry Box, 1980."

It's inspired by the jewelry box that the

artist played with as a child.

It belonged to her grandmother.

This imagery conjures up a strong sense of

familial memory and connection.

These are the pieces that

grab hold of my imagination.

 

 

The second series is called,

"Collected Memories: 1974-Present"

and is based on her own collection of jewelry.

 

 

Separate yet interrelated, these series both

relate to the artist’s journey to

connect with the jewelry of her past

and to recreate it as she relates to it today.

As the artist explains,

The jewelry that has come in and out of my life over the years has had a profound effect on me, fueling and sustaining my desire to be a jeweler. These special pieces changed my perspective on jewelry and form part of my personal history.

 

 

Here are a few pieces from the

"Fabricated Memory: Jewelry Box, 1980"

portion of the installation.

One can see she is looking at
repetitve patterns and
dismantling components
into simple elements.

 

 

As with so many personal memories

it's the simple pieces with simple shapes

that we remember most.

 

 

Her process includes a seemingly random yet deliberate

layering, arranging and shaping of design.

It’s interesting to study the modular components

of her pieces and realize that

she is tapping into a personal space

through her work.

 

 

Now, let's take a look at a couple of

pieces from the

"Collected Memories: 1974-Present"

portion of the exhibit.

 

 

The artist explains these pieces as

"materials I have collected and are assembled

in such a way as to emphasize the

impermanence and incompleteness of memory."

Each piece is sculptural and textural.

I admire artists who are willing to

think beyond traditional jewelry design

to create work that is both

personally significant and artistically edgy.

 

 

This artist's work seems ideally balanced for

an exhibition that is one part artistic process

and one part biographical experience.

 

 

I see this work as a celebration of family.

Of connection. Of authenticity.

 

 

This artist is willing to explore

a personal connection to her

work and embraces the depth

of its significance in her life.

Through artist's like her, we all

learn a bit more about ourselves.

It's inspiring.

To see more photos of her work
you can visit her website.

The exhibition runs until
November 30.