Connection

21 05 2012

I’ve always loved many aspects of science, and almost all aspects of art … and it’s usually of surprise to others that these interests can co-exist in a relatively sane(?!) individual. And so the below image from one of my favourite facebook pages made me beam!

from facebook; click on image for original source

I was thinking of this very thing just yesterday, though the word I had used instead of ‘wonder’ was ‘mystery’.

And who doesn’t appreciate a good venn diagram, I ask you?





RMIT Year 2, Semester 2, Jewellery

18 05 2012

I have written a number of times before about my gold brooches, the main project for Semester 2 in second year.
5th October 2009 / My gold brooches
27th July 2009 / The 100th post!

So instead of going back over the details, just a simple post with some more photographs I think will suffice.

gold brooch; image not to be reproduced without permission

Read the rest of this entry »





On the radio

17 05 2012

In connection with the NGV ‘Unexpected Pleasures’ exhibition (which I’m hoping I can actually get to next week!), yesterday ABC Radio National showcased a conversation on contemporary jewellery: “The Panel looks at the craft of jewellery making and its role in contemporary life”.

screen shot of ABC Radio site; taken 17thMay2012

There are some lovely images on their site page too – worth visiting just for that!

Conversation contributors were Susan Cohn, Julia Deville and Christopher Menz.

No, I haven’t listened to it yet – I will soon and perhaps write some thoughts about it.
I’d like to hear your thoughts too – if you want to share that is….





Earrings

16 05 2012

I only have three words ….

Fabulously. Awesome. Earrings.

Beth Ditto of band Gossip; press image; click on this image for original source

That is all.





Calendar: June 2012 sneak peek

15 05 2012

update for May 2012:

18th May: last day for applications to Northern Exposure 2012 [link]; thanks to the NorthCity4 blog for the headsup on this one!; “We are now calling for Expressions of Interest for both High Views – Art in Windows and Small Works Small Spaces, as part of the 2012 Northern Exposure Visual Arts Festival… [these are] installation based projects of site specific artworks that engage with the High Street precinct and aim to provoke, surprise and delight the viewer.

event media

22nd May – 23rd June: Pieces of Eight, Krista McRea ‘Many Facets‘ [link]

exhibition media

25th May – 2nd June: Christopher Earl Milbourne Trinity Timeline‘, Middle of the Air [link];Christopher Earl Milbourne is a dynamic Melbourne-based artist specialising in hollowware based objects. His exhibition has a unique visual method and will showcase a small selection of highly refined/ semi-destroyed hollow-ware objects in a linear timeline installation.

26th May: Part B Melbourne jewellers gathering, meeting at 2pm at Gallery Funaki

now to June 2012

all month

  • Melbourne Museum ‘Top Designs 2012‘ [link]; until 15th July
  • NGV ‘Top Arts 2012‘ [link]; until 15th July
  • NGV ‘Unexpected Pleasures – The Art and Design of Contemporary Jewellery‘ [link]; until 26th August 2012
  • Melbourne Museum ‘The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia‘ [link]; until 7th October 2012
  • Powerhouse Museum, ‘Love Lace‘ [link]; until April 2013

1st June 2012: last day for application to New Traditional Jewellery 2012 award [link]

2nd June: last day for Studio 20/17 (Sydney), annual Winter showcase ‘Very Simple Proofs, The Trivial Ring‘ [link]

5th June: Gillian Hillman ‘Exploding Images‘ at Alliance Francaise Melbourne [link]; until 15th June

exhibition media

16th June: Northcity4 workshop, Penny Jagiello ‘Message in a Bottle‘ [link]

workshop media

16th June: Craft Victoria, Craft Hatch Market [link]

17th June: Northcity4 workshop, Nicky Hepburn’Keepsake‘ [link]

workshop media

22nd June 2012: last day for application to National Contemporary Jewellery Award 2012 [link]

please tell me of other exhibitions or events …

plan ahead for [see also]:

25th July 2012: last day for application to 2012 ITAMI International Craft Exhibition, the theme this year is ‘Shuki-Shuhaidai’ (sake ware) [link]

3rd August 2012: Craft Victoria ‘Craft Cubed‘ [link]

… last calendar post: Calendar: May 2012





For Sydney jewellers

14 05 2012

Most of you will of course know about Square Peg Studios … just a quick look at their classes page indicates it must be a super-busy creative space.

I’ve been requested to put this on my blog … and even though I usually only do this for Melbourne thingys (oh I know, call me parochial all you want! though if I did this for every city, I’d go a little crazy), today I do it as my good-thing-for-today.

Short term sublet at SquarePeg Studios

Jewellers Studio Space to sublet from the 18th of August until the 22nd of December 2012.

3 x 2.5 metre space – $432 pcm including GST

The space comes with a jeweller’s bench, individual micro-motor and individual rolling mill as well as access to a fully equipped shared studio space.

SquarePeg is a space for emerging and established jewellers to work together in a creative and supportive environment, the studio provides a range of activities for the Sydney jewellery community and general public, including jewellery classes, master classes, residencies, mentorships, artist talks and studio sales.

For more information please email mail@squarepegstudios.com.au

Get jewellerying Sydney!





Opal group

11 05 2012

It’s probably pretty clear that the pendants I’ve made for ‘Oh Opal!’ are responding to the wild colouring of the individual opals.

Opal07, Opal03, Opal04; image not to be reproduced without permission

In my initial thinking:
The opal does seem to be the ‘uncool kid’ -­‐ wearing way too many colours all at once and not playing well with others.
In researching opals I found that like many gemstones, they have also been subject to laboratory creation.
Synthetic opals are ugly, though seem strangely pixellated and immediately reminded me of my woven paper and silver.
The woven panels respond to the natural opal -­‐ splitting out the colours and pixellating them with fine silver.

The choice of a pendant is intended to reflect the Art Nouveau era, when the opals were at their height of popularity. Also, as the pieces are made from paper and doublets, then they wouldn’t wear well if handled too often, so a ring or bracelet was out of the question and even a brooch was marginal.

A couple of images of synthetic opals may be helpful for comparison:

 

Not very nice are they? Well, I’m not a big fan of them.
But I do thank them for the inspiration!

Actually, my very first thought was to ‘replicate’ an opal with just the paper weave … but then wasn’t sure if it would be suitable for a piece in an opal exhibition not to actually have opal. Though on further thought that’s what artistic interpretation is all about yes?

I’ll write more about their construction shortly.