FashionJewellery.JewelleryFashion

A very favourite class of mine - Jewellery for Fashion. We recently finished our first pieces of the semester. Our Brief: to create cover pieces inspired by a particular designer, to be shot and produced on magazine mock ups. Here's what we're made of:

Josh wears Alexander McQueen inspired neck piece by Jimmy Le, balsa wood and brass

Joel wears Romance Was Born inspired piece by Genesis M, hand-dyed stockings, polystyrene foam, copper.

Andy wears head piece by Ayesha Nicholson-Black, Muslin, silver

Andy wears kite tail piece by Andrea Santoso, organza and tiger tail.
Dress by Basque

Andy wears Sass & Bide inspired arm piece by Alanna Crossman, Copper, Natural fibres

Photography Jimmy Le

Styling and Directing Genesis M

Models
Josh
Andy
Joel

Location COFA Photomedia Studios, Paddington

Kennedy kills it

I have come across a contemporary jewellery artist whose diverse range of work has struck a cord with me. Sheridan Kennedy's inspiration stems from a world of journeys, maps, creatures of the deep, insects, archeology, anthropology, imagination. The capturing of objects in unexpected contexts. The organic and the mechanic. The kinetic. She continues to explore new tales within jewellery, blending the artistic with the wearable, with just the right dosage of each to create stunning and utilitarian pieces.

Some of Sheridan's work:

Aqualia Collection.

Specious Voyages



Specious Curios



www.sheridankennedy.com

'Good judgment, is the result of experience and experience, is the result of bad judgement' - anon.

And so, the idea of a sample can save you much grief and bad judgment - but at the same time a lot of experience. This is quite handy in the making of jewellery. I recently conducted a series of samples on copper sheet squares to assist in achieving desired textures and markings for an up and coming project. Check 'em out!

Codral blister pack, roll milled




Planishing hammer - note varying sizes and hammer blows achieve a broad range of results!



Paper stencil, roll milled

Paper clips wrapped in Wrigley's gum cardboard, roll milled

Sandpaper cut-out stencil, roll milled

Binding wire, wrapped in paper, roll milled (Note! always wrap steel objects in paper before roll milling - steel should never touch steel in the making of jewellery!)



Nail Enamel! This one was fun - different colours swirled together. The consistency of nail enamel allows colours to 'swirl' instead of blend. Also, higher quality nail enamel tends to achieve better results.

I've just completed the piece for which these samples were intended. Photos coming soon!

Dissonance

My first exhibition! Both my works previously posted, Wilberforce (2009) and Warm-blooded (2009) were both accepted in COFA's annual Dissonance exhibition at Kudos Gallery. The exhibition, put on by the College of Fine Arts Women’s Collective provides an alternative platform for feminist discourse and aims to represent the diverse influences that characterises feminism in art. It was a rush to feel my work had been considered exhibition standard, to be seen by the general public. Thanks to all the girls who put the show together.

...I used an Oak branch with notches to display Wilberforce





..Warm-blooded on its heat bag

Hold me

This is a work produced last semester also. Playing with the idea of scale and miniatures and an object's intimacy with the body, I created a giant kidney bean. Consisting of two hydraulic press halves with a sheet of metal soldered in between, a hollow form was created, silver-plated and a tuft of red silk pokes out of its orifice. I wanted the viewer, (or the holder more so) to experience this object as through touch and heat. I used a heat bag to warm the metal before placing the object on different parts of the body. Cupped in two hands, in the small of the back and under the neck. The object created responses of comfort and warmth. A positive energy. I thought back to what inspired this work and figured it most probably stems from my work with Dementia patients and their need for enhanced sensory stimulation through Diversional Therapy activities.

Warm-blooded, silver-plated copper, silk. 2009.