Art Jewelry magazine Editors' Blog : jewelry

On the road in Montana — jewelry at the Museum of the Plains Indians

Hazel Wheaton — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:39:00 GMT

I just got back to the Art Jewelry offices after spending a week in Western Montana — a place that I'm convinced is the most beautiful landscape on Earth. (I'm sure there are other regions that might also plausibly lay claim to the title, and all I can say is, I'd really enjoy doing the footwork to determine the winner!)

One of the places we stopped on our road trip was the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning. The building is modest and unprepossessing, but contains a fascinating collection of artifacts and artwork extending back two centuries from the Blackfeet, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Sioux, Assiniboine, Arapaho, Shoshone, Nez Perce, Flathead, Chippewa, and Cree peoples. The samples of different types of beadwork were simply stunning. Among the jewelry, however, the necklace made of a complete set of grizzly bear claws made the greatest impression on me. Imagining the animal who once possessed those daggers... it was no wonder that the necklace would be a trophy to be worn proudly, a visual reminder of a hunter's skill and courage.

On our way out, we stopped in the museum store, which offers current work by contemporary Native American artisans. I bought a piece of jewelry, of course — a lovely pair of brightly colored hoop earrings. The maker had split and dyed porcupine quills, then wrapped them around a wooden armature; a modern variation on the traditional porcupine-quill jewelry and adorned clothing seen in the museum displays. The result is an eye-catching splash of color with practically no weight at all.

Polymer clay artist Melanie West teaches you how to make stunning bracelets

Jill Erickson — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:38:00 GMT

The May 2009 issue of AJ features a project by polymer clay artist, Melanie West, whose work is a tour de force of form and color. Her project teaches readers how to "Craft a Seamless Polymer Cuff." The secret? An aluminum cuff blank (which she sells on her Web site). Subscribers, you can click here to learn how to make your own cuff blank; or if you like gizmos, read our review of "Cindy's Bender," a product that easily shapes a strip of metal into a cuff shape.

In addition to West's line of cuff styles, she creates incredible nudibranch-inspired (think sea slug) "Bio Bangles" like the one pictured to the left! Her experiments along this theme are inspiring.

Speaking of inspiring, I want to let you know about the upcoming International Polymer Clay Association (IPCA, formerly the National Polymer Clay Guild) Retreat this summer near Chicago. The IPCA Web site has details. I'll be attending the Retreat and look forward to connecting with old friends and making new ones. I'm sure I'll see lots of great work. Be sure to look for me if you're planning on being there! Of course, you can always chat and share images of your work with other polymer clay enthusiasts on our forum.

Cheers, :) Jill

Art Jewelry magazine now offers free desktop wallpaper downloads!

Addie Kidd — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:35:00 GMT

Hello everyone!

I don't know about you, but I could look at jewelry morning, noon, and night. No, seriously – I'm surrounded by it every day, and oftentimes jewelry even ends up in my dreams. (If you dream about jewelry too, I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below. It'd be nice to know I'm not the only one!)

There's inspiration to be found in other artist's jewelry work. Plus, well...it's just plain beautiful stuff. And I'm not alone in this art appreciation. Judging by the response we get to both our in-print Gallery and our online Gallery, you guys looooo-oooove looking at innovative and stunning jewelry.

I guess it's no coincidence that the Show Us Your Work section of our Online Reader Forums has more views than any other section!

So that got us thinking here at Art Jewelry. We've got all this beautiful imagery of equally beautiful jewelry. Hmm, what could we do with it? What...to...do?

Simple: Wallpaper!!!!

There's something for every jewelry maker in this first batch of 6 images:

Metals: silver, gold, copper, and brass
Polymer clay (metal clay to come shortly)
Gemstones
Tools and equipment
Techniques: soldering, fusing, cold-connections, hammered finish, keum-boo, chain-making, patination, and bezel- and prong-set components

These images are from articles featured in Art Jewelry magazine, and you can learn how to make each and every one of them!
(Okay, so we can't teach you how to draw a cute ilustration like in the Kiln Love image, but we can teach you all about how to operate and care for your kiln!)

Visit our wallpapers page for more details about the projects and the artists.

Top row: John Sartin, Patricia Tschetter, Jill L. Erickson
Bottom Row: Melissa Muir, article by Pam East, Kim Stephenson.

To get your own free wallpaper, head on up to the Resources tab at the top of our Web site, and click on Wallpapers link. You can download your favorite image instantly! You can also bookmark www.artjewelrymag.com/wallpapers. Then again if you're looking for ultra-convenience, sign up for our newsletter. It's free, and we'll send you link every month with the latest free wallpaper.

And if you've got a minute, head to our Web site's home page to take our new Reader Poll — we'd love to hear your opinion on our new wallpapers.

Take care everyone and have a happy Friday!!

~Addie~

P.S. If you have any favorite images from the pages of Art Jewelry, or a specific technique you'd like to see featured as wallpaper leave a comment below.

Think about visiting Tucson for the gem and mineral (and jewelry, tools, metals, wire...) shows! The Art Jewelry editors are.

Kristin Sutter — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:55:00 GMT

It's November, and here in the Art Jewelry offices, our thoughts are turning to the Southwest — not because our Wisconsin locale means we've already got snow in the forecast, but because in February, the city of Tucson, Ariz., is inundated with countless vendors from every facet of the jewelry world. Every year, we make the trip to scout for new products, new discoveries, new contacts, and new friends. If you've never heard of the phenomenon that is Tucson, check out "How to Tackle Tucson." The article, written by editor and veteran Tucson-goer Hazel L. Wheaton, is a practical guide to what "Tucson" is, why you should go, and how to enjoy the experience.

For dates of the 2009 Tucson shows, go to www.visittucson.org. If you can't make it to Tucson, you can look for shows near you in our Events Calendar. You can also discuss shows, including Tucson, in Going to a Show? on our forum.

Enjoy!

—Kristin

New Free Project: Image-Transfer Technique for Metal

Katie Streeter — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:49:00 GMT

Are you looking for a new jewelry technique to try out this weekend? We just posted a new project by Sherri Haab on how to use image-transfer solution to add photocopies to metal jewelry. The project is free to registered users, so check it out! Download the free project here.

Have a great weekend!

—Katie

Downloadable templates of DIY ring patterns from Sarah Kate Burgess

Jill Erickson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:59:00 GMT

I was checking out Sarah Kate Burgess's Web site and came across her patterns for making rings from paper, fabric, staples, etc. Her paper templates could, I suppose, be extrapolated to metal, but she has chosen the ephemeral qualities of these "temporary" materials to convey her thoughts about preciousness and permanence. Her "Momentary" series questions what it means to wear something.

I also like her clever repurposing of everyday stuff, including her refashioning of melamine cups into jewelry.

When you are designing or making a piece, do you find yourself asking why we wear jewelry, or what it means to wear jewelry? Why do you chose the materials you do to make your work? (It's just one of those Mondays when questions seem to be swirling around in my head!) Cheers, Jill

Video gives sneak peek inside Ford Forlano studios and how they make polymer clay art jewelry

Kristin Sutter — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:26:00 GMT

If you like polymer clay jewelry, chances are you've seen work by Ford Forlano; that is Steve Ford and David Forlano, with Maryanne Petrus-Gilbert doing metalwork. We first featured Ford Forlano's work in "A Rarefied Medium," an article by Ronna Weltman (September 2006) about A-list polymer clay jewelry. If you've never seen their work, prepare for a treat. For me, Ford Forlano pieces never disappoint. The texture, the shape, the color — the pieces are always exciting and elegant. When I'm feeling creative, I tend to work better on my own. So it was really interesting to learn more about the team's collaboration in this video.

It shares not only great images of their studios and finished pieces, but also a bit about their history and how they continue to work together. Check it out!

—Kristin

Famous jewelry! Check out a watch once owned by Albert Einstein.

Addie Kidd — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:21:00 GMT

You could own a watch once worn by Albert Einstein in the 1930s (shown at left, click for larger view). It will be auctioned off, along with a slew of other fancy-schmancy watches, by Antiquorum Auctioneers on October 16th in New York.

How much could you expect to pay for Einstein's watch?
Well at an auction, that's all relative.

Get it??
(Tell me you saw that joke coming a mile off.)

Okay, okay... really Einstein's watch is valued at around $25,000–30,000 USD. And you can check out the auction's complete listing of watches here.

The show-stopper watch, a Patek Philippe, doesn't even have its value listed. And that says plenty when a number of other less-noteworthy watches in the auction are openly valued at about $300,000 USD.

So check out these cool, old (and not-so-old) watches. And if you have a spare couple-hundred-thousand dollars laying around, I'd love to see the watch you purchase.

~Addie~

[photo from www.antiquorum.com]

Video interview with Robert Dancik: jeweler, sculptor, and originator of Faux Bone

Kristin Sutter — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:54:00 GMT

At the 2008 Bead&Button Show in June, Senior Editor/Online Linda Augsburg was able to catch a few minutes with Robert Dancik to talk to him about how he got started making jewelry, where he's taking the craft, and how he uses Faux Bone. To watch the video, click here. If you're interested in learning how you can incorporate Faux Bone into your work, check out Robert's article, "Chart Your Own Mixed-Media Odyssey," page 28, in the September 2008 issue of Art Jewelry. The article will teach you how to make this bangle:

If this project inspires you to make a piece of jewelry, we'd love to see what you've come up with! Just post it in the Show Us Your Work thread in the Art Jewelry forum.

Pop-Out Jewelry by Melissa Borrell Design: prefab jewelry that gets the wearer involved

Kristin Sutter — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:57:00 GMT

I generally avoid buying anything that needs to be assembled — not because I doubt my ability to assemble things, but because I associate "needs assembly" with "made cheaply in a faraway land." Of course, that's not always the case. But since I already have a propensity for antique/vintage/timeless/handcrafted things, I rarely buy big box.

But, I think, mass-produced items can have a soul, too. I'm intrigued by well-designed, well-made items that are successful on a large scale because they were so well thought out that a large number of people find them both useful and beautiful. In that way, there seems to be a connection between designer and consumer that we don't generally associate with mass production.

Melissa Borrell's Pop Out Jewelry is an example of a designer consciously trying to connect with the consumer. As her Web site describes, "the shapes come still attached to the metal from which they are cut. Just pop the shape out and hang it on the enclosed chain or ear hooks to make it into a piece of wearable art." So, while a piece arrives looking mass produced, it requires a personal touch from the wearer in order to be useful. It's an interesting way to try to share in the creation of an art object. But is it that different from buying and having to assemble, say, a coffee table? Does it all rest on the designer's intention?

Do you intend for your work to connect with the people who wear it? How do you achieve that connection?

—Kristin

For your sun-worshipping pleasure: a look at some traditional Hawaiian jewelry by Philip Rickard

Kristin Sutter — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:46:00 GMT

I just came across an article about Hawaiian jeweler Philip Rickard, who wrote the book Hawaiian Heirloom: A Lasting Remembrance after researching the topic for six years. Rickard was recently commissioned to make traditional jewelry pieces for a historical feature movie about Hawaii's Princess Ka'iulani, who reportedly was fond of bracelets. Rickard's research led him to the discovery that one royal bracelet in particular held a message in its traditional Victorian symbols; Rickard calls the message "Queen Lili’uokalani's prayer." Click here to read more about the movie Rickard is involved with and to see news clips of an interview with him, where he shows his replica jewelry pieces.

Does jewelry from other cultures intrigue you? If so, what cultures? Do you buy cultural jewelry? Or do you make your own versions of it? I'd love to hear your stories and see pictures of your work!

—Kristin

You have one month left to see Either Side of the Skin — Penland School of Craft's human-body-inspired exhibit

Kristin Sutter — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:15:00 GMT

First of all, hurray for the first day of summer!!! And the longest day of the year! That should give us all extra time to get stuff done right? Riiight.

For those of you who plan to enjoy the season by going on vacation near the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, you may want to check out Penland School of Craft's current exhibit, Either Side of the Skin: Work inspired by or responding to the human body. Based on the way painter and writer Connie Bostic describes the exhibit in her review for Mountain Xpress, the exhibit sounds beautiful and thought-provoking. It's a multimedia exhibit, and Bostic points out a couple of notable jewelers: Yuyen Chang and Mary Ann Scherr. The exhibit will close Sunday, July 20, 2008, so make your travel plans now!

Even if you can't make it to the show, it's still interesting to consider what jewelry you would've made to fit the theme of the exhibit. Any ideas? Please share!!

And enjoy the beautiful weather!

—Kristin

How to care for your jewelry this summer (hint: watch out for saltwater and chlorine)

Kristin Sutter — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:34:00 GMT

For some of you in warmer climes, it may already feel like summer. But here in Wisconsin, it's unseasonably cold. We've had a depressing lack of 60–70-degree days in the last three months. So when I came across a blog post from Spectrum Art & Jewelry, a gallery located in Wilmington, N.C., about caring for jewelry in summertime, I was happily caught off guard. Not just because the thought of feeling warm without donning a sweater is still a distant daydream, but because the information in their post was news to me. Being one of the resident editorial people on staff (rather than a resident jewelry maker), I didn't know that saltwater and chlorine can affect certain metals. To learn more, click here to read Spectrum Art & Jewelry's blog post. They also provide some practical tips on how to vacation (or not) with your jewelry. I, for one, will be more careful with my jewelry when I finally FINALLY get to take a dip in a pool.

Have any of you ever had a bad experience with common summer chemicals reacting with jewelry? Saltwater, chlorine, sunscreen, etc.? I'd love to know if there's something else I should be keeping in mind!

—Kristin

Green Jewelry: if you're into pieces made from recycled, repurposed materials, check out jewelry by Mana Bernardes and the Touch NY show

Kristin Sutter — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:35:00 GMT

Personally, I get excited about anything green — I mean both the color (my favorite) and the concept. I learned about Touch, a group of eco-minded designers, a few months ago when I came across jewelry by Mana Bernardes, whose jewelry is showcased on the Touch Web site. For anyone in the New York area today and tomorrow (May 19th and 20th), you can check out the Touch NY show from noon to 7 p.m. at 148 11th Ave. According to the Touch Web site, they'll have products and installations made from recycled materials. Judging from the pictures on their flyer, the show looks like a great place to find fresh ideas and inspiration.

Have you ever made jewelry with the intention of making it green? I'd love to hear about it — and see pictures!!

—Kristin

This election year, I’m looking at the jewelry.

Hazel Wheaton — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:16:00 GMT

One of my very few rules for this blog is that it remain a politics-free zone. I’m firmly of the opinion that politics (and religion, and death&taxes) are off-topic and if they come up, it’ll all end in tears.

So, this is a completely non-political post. It should not be read as any kind of statement of preference of political party or individual candidate when I say that there’s something this year that’s proving fascinating to me for reasons other than the individual candidates, the issues, or their standing in the polls.

And that’s Hillary Clinton’s jewelry.

I realized this just the other night — I was reading an article, and kept getting distracted by the picture, zeroing in on her ears. Cool earrings! That doesn't quite look like topaz... is that apatite? Really? She has a habit of turning up at debates in big, chunky cuff bracelets, and appearing in front of crowds with bright, busy turquoise beads around her neck. Nothing shy or retiring, nothing subdued. She doesn’t necessarily go for ritzy or ultra-high-end, seeming to prefer multiple strands of colorful stone beads. Completely aside from what any of the individual candidates from either party are saying, it’s always fun to see what she’s wearing, to see if I can identify the stones by sight, and to see if I think she got it “right.” Completely separate from any statements that she might be making about the economy or foreign policy or whatever the scandal du jour may be, it’s great to see that she’s making a statement that jewelry doesn’t have to be cookie-cutter or predictable.

Certainly this has never been an issue for previous presidential hopefuls!