Exhibition - Rock On

If you've been following this blog's Facebook Page

 then you probably know I've been eagerly waiting 

for the current exhibit called 'Rock On' 

at Facere Art Jewelry Gallery.

Set to run from July 10 until July 31, 2013 

it presents a contemporary

jewelry art exhibition "of the precious things in life. 

Fourteen artists explore an abundance of 

rocks and gemstones sure to rock your world."

The artist list includes:

 

Alison B. Antelman, Angela Bubash, John S. Chickadel, 

Joshua Craig, Maggie Davidson, Peg Fetter,

 Joanna Gollberg, Russell Jones, Janis Kerman, 

Eve Llyndorah & Ray Lipovsky, Armande Potel-Martin,

 Todd Pownell, Wolfgang Vaatz, and Andrea Williams.

  Every time there's an exhibit at this exciting gallery
 I plan a trip to Seattle to visit but it hasn't happened yet.  

Maybe this time.

See all their artists at 

Facere Art Jewelry Gallery

See more photos of this exhibit at

Rock On

 

Exhibition - Put A Ring On It

I’ve been carrying a romantic torch

for rings for quite a while.

Big or small, ornate or simple,

as long as it's made with

thoughtful craftsmanship and amazing design

I'm interested.

 

Taboo Studio in San Diego, California

has a cure for me –

an exhibition called Put A Ring On It.

They're describing this show as,

“ . . . extraordinary and unique rings by

23 accomplished artists.

Designs will include silver rings with

bezel set cabochons, animal rings,

gold and diamond stacking rings,

architectural rings, flower rings,

bee rings, and Damascus steel rings 

. . . a virtual ring extravaganza!”

 

Artists include: Brooke Battles • Steven Brixner •

Jim Cotter • Christine Simpson Forni • Diana Hall •

Barbara Heinrich • April Higashi • Deanna Jacobsen •

Dahlia Kanner • Ananda Khalsa • Janis Kerman •

Christy Klug • Kristin Lora • Sydney Lynch •

Victoria Moore • Rebecca Myers • Brigid O'Hanrahan •

Christina Y. Smith • Julia V. Turner • Myung Urso •

Donna Veverka • Jeff and Susan Wise

  

 

These are just a few of the incredible rings 

currently on display at Taboo Studio.
 

Luckily for us

Put A Ring On It will continue until March 22, 2013.

Unconventional - Lola Brooks Jewelry

Lola Brooks takes an unconventional look

at the conventional subjects of Love and Romance.

 

 Her work is certainly not conventional in size -

in fact it’s much larger than one would expect.

 

It’s not conventional in choice of materials -

she takes humble steel then mixes it with gold,

 diamonds and various other gemstones.

 

It’s not conventional in attitude -

her work makes droll tongue-in-cheek references

to clichés about love and sentimentality.

 

In fact, everywhere one looks one can see

 roses attached to hearts, and bows attached to hearts,

and hearts attached to hearts.

 

Why this ardent interest in all things related to romance?

 

There is a good deal of thought behind this work and

 it’s interesting to get the 'why' of the work

while also enjoying the beauty of it.

x

 

For instance, here’s an excerpt from an

Art Jewelry Forum interview,

 

. . . The past few bodies of work have all spawned

from my fascination with cliché

and my general weariness of irony

and the perpetual abstraction of everything.

I suppose I am a traditionalist in many ways,

seeing no reason to invent something brand new

when there is all of this incredible depth and richness

to be rediscovered in all of these tired old tropes

of love, loss, beauty, perfection, femininity, sentimentality

or in the‘jewel’ or a certain type of technical virtuosity

for that matter. And this is certainly not to say that I am

merely interested in re-presenting these things as they

have always been understood, either. I sincerely believe there

are profound things to be investigated and reconfigured in

these exact territories. And so bows, hearts, knots and roses

among other things are all fair game . . . .



 

 

There's a great opportunity to see
all this unconventional jewelry;

Lola Brook’s work is currently on view at

The Metal Museum until February 17, 2013.

 

 

Aleksandra Vali Jewelry

Aleksandra Vali describes her work

perfectly as "feelings carved into metal."

Her highly-textured work revolves
around experiments with silver

combined with various materials

like gold, shells, diamonds, gemstones, pearls,

corals, textiles, lava rocks, and plastics.

A variety of techniques allows her to
make the most out of these materials
through carving, casting, riveting,
oxidizing, etching and metalsmithing.

 

I especially like how

the rough texture of the metal

is contrasted by

smooth pearls and other gemstones.

 

Take a look at Aleksandra Vali's website

to see more of her wonderful work.

 

Maya Kotelnitskaya Jewelry

Captivating design is a hallmark of

the jewelry created by

 Maya Kotelnitskaya.

Her diverse jewelry

is a combination of casting and hand

fabricating techniques that result in structured

yet contemporary designs.

I especially like her eclectic rings and cuffs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold, silver and gemstones become
beautiful pieces of creativity.

There is a lot more to see

at her website.

 

Carolyn Morris Bach Jewelry

Sometimes jewelry is
thought provoking.
That's how I feel about
the work created by
Carolyn Morris Bach.

Over the years I’ve come across her jewelry

again and again, and I feel drawn to her

instantly recognizable work

which is dominated by a strong

mysterious earth-goddess motif.

This feminine figure is frequently accompanied

 by symbolic creatures from the animal kingdom

including owls, rabbits, deer, bears and foxes.

 

Using all natural materials such as

wood, bone, metal and stone

this artist builds each of her pieces

one at a time, and each

 piece tells its own magical story.

yes, the owls are my favorite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carolyn Morris Bach's creative jewelry

may not actually

bestow magic upon the wearer.

But then again maybe it will.

 

See more of her work at her website.

 

Raw and Rugged - Elisenda De Haro Jewelry

Asymmetrical shapes and variegated colors
dominate jewelry by Elisenda De Haro.

The textures tend to be
 the first thing one notices.
She has created several collections but it's
her 'Arrecifes de Rubi' (Ruby Reefs) Collection that
easily captures my attention.

Made with oxidized silver, gold, and various
gemstones this jewelry is reminiscent of the
coarse, unrestrained formations of
 rocks, canyons and sea cliffs.

This jewelry evokes a spirit of
spontaneous, raw impulse.
And by oxidizing the metal, an unexpected
colorful patina helps to soften the surfaces.

Here are examples of her work that emphasize

 rich colors and unusual textures.

 

     This work is created thoughtfully and meticulously
yet the results appear spontaneous and raw.

I admire her innovations and experimentation

to push the boundaries of 

what jewelry should look like.

More can be seen at

Elisenda De Haro's website.

Dramatic Designs in PMC - Lynn Cobb Jewelry

Jewelry created by Lynn Cobb ranges across
a broad spectrum of design.
From gorgeous florals inspired by
Georgia O'Keeffe and Judy Chicago,
to pieces reminiscent of nature, sea life and
architectural elements, each piece is a visual delight.

I find her Flower Series pendants 
 utterly dazzling and dramatic.

Working with fine-silver Precious Metal Clay,
and embellishing her work with elements
such as 22K gold granulation,
enamels and gemstones,
each three-dimensional design is simply stunning.

Here are a few examples of her
meticulous work.

 

To see more of her sophisticated

Precious Metal Clay creations

visit Lynn Cobb's shop.