Jewelry on site

I am finding that restriction is often a component, in some way, to my creativity.  I'm a complicated human being though so you might catch me at the right (or wrong) moment also whining about restrictions, inevitably in regard to money as it is the vehicle for making so many other things happen.

This piece started out with all brick but then I found several stones, including the focal one, that were just right so I changed gears. 

I relied upon my "stash" collected throughout the week and built this necklace on the ledge that holds the cottage.

The in situ pieces in this series of work act as an exercise in making peace with this concept - restriction in materials, time, even daylight in some cases. When working on these at the beach, high tide becomes my focus as each one brings with it a new set of "supplies".

I make most of my pieces life size - this would have been lovely to wear if it had been real...and not quite so stinky. 

The beach that comes along with the cottage is a dream and most mornings I was down there before anyone was up.

Found jewelry

I enjoy assembling found jewelry pieces so much that I've started to arrange travel plans around locations that might prove to have engaging"ingredients". And I'm married to a person who fully goes along with this though so we're good.

See over there

A created splendour

Made by one individual

From things residual

- Patrick Kavanagh

Although I use anything available and sometimes, in all honesty, trash can be disturbingly compelling, I was relieved to have found very little trash in Maine a few weeks ago. What was there was mostly fishing/lobstering related (not surprising).

I dispose of the trash (recycling when possible) but often leave the natural pieces in place. (Yes, I bring home a few treasures sometimes but after 50 years of picking up stones and shells I've become rather discerning.)

I watched this particular piece get washed away by the rising tide. Will plan ahead and film this part of the process the next time.

In Saint Helena last year I arranged a necklace of fish scales that blew away in the wind before I could even get a decent photo, "temporariness" certainly being part of this process. It can be both melancholy and freeing at the same time.

I hope you have a great week! I'm taking a couple days away from the studio to savor the dwindling summer before my husband goes back to work next week.

Gathered in the cleft of the rock.

Nature Jewelry

I'm making my way through the last of my nature jewelry/found jewelry photos from Saint Helena. I'm so thankful for all the positive response I've gotten about these! I've talked to a couple people about next steps I should possible take to show the images (book, exhibit...) but this would all be unchartered territory for me so I'd appreciate all the help I can get.

Any ideas on what I could do next with this work? Would you be interested to see them in book form?

Several pieces of the moss in this necklace were "in place" and I just built around them. The other pieces had already been dislodged. 

Eucalyptus leaves. 

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Found Jewelry

If I could make a living out of making these found jewelry pieces, I would do it. For me this is total fun. I'm not sure how that would be possible of course. Gallery shows? Coffee table book?

This was one of the fastest ones I've done (made and photographed in under 5 mins.) when we came upon the remains of a campfire while on a walk.

My son Samuel is the ultimate encourager and is perfectly patient with my stops for jewelry making. I think he's actually much more interested in these pieces than he is other "adornments" as he calls them.

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Jewelry Found in Nature

Saint Helena is inspiration at every turn for me and I'd love to have more time for jewelry in situ, as I call it.

Rocks and lichen on the way back from a rocky coastal walk.

I can't plan it, I can only “expect”. In some situations it has to happen quickly (like today when I was making the banana leaf necklace it had started to rain). For some ridiculous reason I enjoy that sense of urgency. The immediacy feels more like play to me - no fumbling with clasps or worrying about weight - just design in the moment.

Banana leaf trimmings from our garden.

Woodland finds from High Hill

Tumbled rocks from Sandy Bay Beach