Old Times

Been sifting through the old photos and came across these window display pics back when I studied Visual Merchandising. We were put in pairs and had to design the layout of a shop front window. It's funny to look back at these and to remember my mindset and what I was like as a person and wonder what kind of shop front I would have designed today, had I done the same project now.

I made this lamp-shade by hand, its framework made out of armature wire. Green chiffon was gathered in pleats and hand-sewn onto the wire framework. A black tassel fringe and chandelier beads were sewn round the base to finish the 1920s vintage feel. I love working with armature wire. It's so soft, I could easily sculpt the lamp-shade into a kooky shape by hand.

Leather Love

 

sigh, if only

http://shoesandyourmom.blogspot.com/2009/08/vintage-heart-cowboy-boots-39.html

Birthday Banquet

Of late, my younger brother turned 21. In collaboration with Jimwah from upcoming label Giraffe Banquet, I created this one-off piece to compliment his boyish good looks and cool kid styles -

The necklace consists of a brass, geometrical, hand forged ring and a bronze cast nintendo 'crucifix' arrow control button (courtesy of Jimwah) . I intended it to be a memento of  playing N64 games  as kids.

 

 

The brass ring was originally a technical exercise where I took four brass rod rings and deconstructed & reconstructed them to create different forms.

Alas, my brother already has lost this necklace, while riding a banana boat in Fiji. I guess with the coming of age, wisdom does not always follow. Happy Birthday Marky-Moo. x

Disney Couture

I love her clogs & her dove lackies x

Feast or Famine

Wilberforce series, leaf brooch, copper,  2009/2010

One can never guess when the quiet lull of the last quarter of summer break will strike a gold rush . But all of a sudden I have a lot of commission work - and I'm definitely not complaining! I'm glad I've been able to keep my jewellery muscles in enough shape this break and it's a great feeling to have people appreciate your work enough to want to own a piece. Things are looking up and I'll admit I've had the Mario Kart 64 Rolling Credits theme song  in my head all day ( hey, it's uplifting).  Thanks for all the support guys! x

Paper Cuts

Paper art has come a long way since I was a kid, mucking around with my dainty quilling strips and mache. Here's a tribute to the serious guys who know when to scrunch or fold -

Papier Shroom

French artist Vincent Floderer takes sheets of paper and by a means of wet folding and crumpling, makes organic forms of mushrooms and coral.

Geometrical Tumbleweed

Richard Sweeney

Modular paper sculpture.

Diameter approx. 50cm

Blade to the page: Peter Callesen

Not As Fast As His Shadow II, 2008

37 x 47,5 x 7 cm.

Acid Free A4 115 gsm paper, glue, acrylic paint and oak frame

Love the strong relationship between positive and negative space and how everything is used in telling the story. I'm a big fan of the narrative in an artwork.

Detail

Hinaaoyama

Paper Couture. Always great to see art and fashion in a mash-up Robert Ryan is just too good.

grenades en papier

http://www.paper-wars.com

I guess I really appreciate the delicacies and strength in these paper artist's works. My goal is to emulate the same lightness that paper holds into the harder metals of jewellery. Something to think about for my final year of art school.

Tell me a tale

Described as a storyteller, Rebecca Hannon is quite the writer - she just does it through jewellery rather than text. And that suits me just fine. Why, I would rather read about her pilgrimage to Santiago in Spain through a piece created by flowers from the very same place, flattened, outlined on paper and transitioned into rubber, than in words. I am drawn to works that hold a narrative. And once I learn the story of a piece, be it a painting, drawing or jewellery object, the sentiment is drawn out from it and is added to my own connotations of memories and objects.

Currently teaching at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design,leading a very busy schedule, Rebecca still manages to find time to give insightful feedback on a youngster's work. Just can't wait till she loads up her website with some more awesome pieces!

http://www.paperscissorsstone.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/rh3.jpg

paper doilies.thumbtacks. sigh.

seesaw designs

Hatched

Stephanie Simek





resin covered quail egg, 23k gold leaf inlay. love it.


http://www.oyemodern.com/necklaces/gold-lined-quail-egg-by-stephanie-simek/prod_389.html

Old as New

Over the summer break, I've re-visited some old pieces and given them a new look in terms of surface and use. A few subtle changes can shed an object into a whole new light.




Twig Ring, from Wilberforce series, originally taken through a dipping process to deepen and highlight parts of the silver...


...now heat-treated white, said to look more like bones than twigs. It has been converted to a pendant, simply hung on knotted cotton thread to not detract focus from the central piece and to keep an organic feel.




Other pieces I've made over recently are my ready-to-wear kite tail inspired bow ring and bangle, transitioned from the cover piece made last semester:

Original cover piece, inspired by Roksanda Ilincic and kite tails..




Transitioned into Ready To Wear :hand forged, heat-treated white silver bangle and ring with organza kite-tail bows









I scored these flash pics while collaborating with other fashion and photog students for an end of year shoot. Lucky I brought some of my own pieces along to snap.







Photography - Adrian Mansueto

Threads - Erin Boubli

Location - Raffles Design College studio, North Sydney


Makeover: I replaced the frayed edge for a more tailored take on the over-sized bow. Shame I haven't got these remakes photographed so nicely. Good shots make all the difference.

Blessed & Wed

I recently had the pleasure of being in the presence of true love this past 29th of December and the honour of making the groom's ring and the bride's big black bow. My dear friend Kesh and her husband Tim held their reception at Oxford Street's low key, classy pizza joint, Love Supreme, Sydney. I can easily say it was the most laid-back enjoyable wedding, with great food, including a massive stack of Rocky Road as their wedding cake. Congrats guys! X




Tim wanted a more rustic wedding band and so it felt strange to let solder marks be solder marks and lines be lines. I sanded it up only using the coarsest grade of sandpaper and groom was happy.







Kesh wanted an over-sized black bow as a headpiece that matched black zipper heels. I used a fine black velveteen fabric and simple clip. The wedding shoot is also featured on OnceWed , a site that even makes the 'never planned my dream wedding at the age of 12' kind of girl sit up and take notice.





Dress – Lorraine Bryce

Kesh’s shoes: Juicy Couture

Kesh’s Bow and Tim’s ring: Andrea Santoso

Tim’s suit – We Rob Banks

Tim’s shoes: St&ard

Reception venue - Love Supreme

Photographer: Jonas Peterson (SERIOUSLY INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHER! Full shoot on this link)

Shoot Location: Centennial Park and Love Supreme, Sydney

Shakespeare of paper

Or at least Shakespeare I can understand. I first came across Rob Ryan's amazing work in my beloved Frankie magazine, the poster now hangs on my studio wall. Now everytime I see a new piece of his, I gush at the whimsy that is so intricately hand-cut out of each paper piece. Ryan has had great success, transitioning original paper cut pieces to fashion, laser-cut editions and now has worked with Urban Outfitters to produce his own edition of a Lomo camera.
Ryan's pieces seem to inspire my own pieces in that I wish to create that same warm surrealism in my own work that seems to resonate from his. I've also always appreciated fine and delicate work, that takes patience that is hard to come by in our fast-paced world. Makes me want to go saw-pierce a paper doily out of metal...I'm workin' on it.
One day I plan to own a Ryan piece. The only problem is choosing which one I guess.







http://rob-ryan.blogspot.com/