Sunday 22 September 2013

Bring Back the Dead.

"34 makers, 7 countries. These works will be brought back from the dead and given a new life!"

This was the tagline given to the innovative exhibition "Bring back the Dead" which showcased work by 34 jewellers. Each piece was meant to be an unsold work...maybe a piece which had been hanging about for a while in your studio, unloved, unworn and forgotten about. The works are being shown in an exhibition in Edinburgh (ending today) and at the end of the show each work will be returned to a different maker. A Saturday morning Swap Shop for modern times!

Images from the opening night. Check out the coffin shapes frames!

I submitted one of my "Key to the garden" neckpieces, which formed part of a series I made back in 2010. We were also invited to submit an Obituary for the work, here is mine....

Key to the garden, of Hawkhurst, died August 2013.

He was born in the winter of 2010, in a small garden studio in the wilds of Kent. Living happily with its maker Joanne Haywood, until its untimely demise in August 2013. The Key is survived by eight siblings all wrapped in threads of hand dyed yarns, some indigo, some madder or Tansy. Many of these sibling keys have relocated to galleries and new owners around the globe, but this key little never strayed far from home. A viewing will be held at 6pm. Friday 20th September, at Whitespace, Gayfield Square, Edinburgh.

Each day leading up to the exhibition two new pieces were revealed via a Facebook gallery. Here are some of my favourites...

Laura Bradshaw - Heap Farrah Al Dujaili Heather Woof Cristina Zani Laura Munteanu Masako Hamaguchi Jaimie MacDonald

Read more about in on Dauvit Alexander's blog and Jo Garner's blog. Jo Garner is the jeweller responsible for the exhibition and founder of Anomaly. Thanks Jo for organising such a great show!

Images from the Opening night are by Julie Huggan and the jewellery photos are from the artists.

Sunday 15 September 2013

Sissinghurst: September

I took these last weekend in Sissinghurst. Although it's a bit sad seeing most of the colour beginning to disappear from our gardens, it's also the best time of year for one of my favourites. The dahlia. I love dahlia's in all their forms, pompom, anemone, fimbriated, star and all the others, there are so many types with their own character. I get a bit addicted to them. Here are some I saw at Sissinghurst, plus a few other beauties.

Paula Lindblom: Now Roots

Now Roots, was a workshop, run by Ruudt peter in Ravenstein, The Netherlands this summer from 12-18 August.

My good friend and jeweller Paula Lindblom was one of the 14 participants.

"The cultural identity of the maker and the place where the work has been made are strong influences on art. NOW ROOTS is a workshop where we will discover and explore the identity of the maker. We will tune you on your personal roots. Guide you on the way to get deeper into your own language."

"Drained", by Paula Lindblom

Participating Artists: Marta Herradura – Madrid, Spain Jen Townsend – Pittsford, NY (a suburb of Rochester.) USA Patricai Centurio – Sao Paulo, Brasil Lulu Jokinen – Finland Yolanda Sucre - Venesuela Sam Hamilton – Ireland Thais Costa - Sao Paulo, Brasil Asli Kuris- Istanbul, Turkey Alexandra Perez-Demma – Mexico/USA Anna Bario – Philadelphia, USA Koen Jacobs – The Netherlands Cappy Coundrad - Pennsylvania, USA Nina Baker – Australia Paula Lindblom - Gothenburg, Sweden

Images of Paula and her work...

Grattis Paula ... ser fram emot att se vad som händer härnäst och hur "Moln" kommer att visas i ditt arbete. Kramkram x

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Pearl and Queenie: Professional Jeweller HOT 100

It was great to see Pearl and Queenie win a place on this years Professional Jeweller HOT 100. They were crowned NexGems, which means they are one of the hottest jewellery brands in the UK, & ones to watch.

I love the fact that they are a British brand and they design and make everything in the UK. It's increasingly hard to do in this day and age where the majority of companies are drawn into making overseas. So I always admire designers that stick to their guns and try and keep a brand really special...and it's always nice to see a fellow CSM alumni doing well!

Here are some of my favourites pieces...

Follow them on Facebook and Twitter

"The creative force & duo behind the award winning brand are best friends Becca Hulbert (Central Saint Martins Graduate) & Kathy Dyton (Professional Jeweller Hot 100) Owners of an Award Winning boutique in Hastings, plus workshops in Kent & London."

"Their spirit, friendship & past touches everything they design - inspired by the unusual yet beautiful, from Iconic British Heritage, the romance of yesteryear & the modern emotive power jewellery has to inspire, surprise & captivate."

Memory: Mari Ishikawa

A new exhibition for Mari Ishikawa. Presenting four series of works based around "Landscape", "Memory", "The tag" and "Once upon a time"

"Nothing that has appeared in this world can escape its ultimate destiny: to disappear. Even memory, though anchoring for the time the afterimages of all these in the endless flow of the ages, is no exception. Thus it is hardly surprising that memory and disappearance had fascinated. I try to resist this vanishing and keep the memories. Mari Ishikawa"

"MEMORY" Brooch 2013

"LANDSCAPE" Necklace 2013

"THE TAG" Necklace 2013

"ONCE UPON A TIME" Pendants 2013

13-Sep-2013 – 26-Okt-2013 During Open Art: 13-Sep 18h-21h Sa-So 14-Sep – 15-Sep 11h-18h Regular Exhibition: Tuesday-Friday 13h-19h, Saturday 11h-14h Galerie Spektrum – Theresienstraße 46 – D-80333 Munich – Germany Phone: +49 (0)89 – 28 45 90 www.galerie-spektrum.de

Monday 9 September 2013

Beijing International Jewelry Art Biennial

I have been invited to take part in the Beijing International Jewelry Art Biennial, being held this September/October at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.

My work has safely arrived. It's my first show in China, so I am pretty excited! More news on this soon...

Sunday 8 September 2013

Bring Back the Dead – An International Showcase

I am exhibiting one of my "Key to the garden" necklaces in an innovative exhibition this month, in Edinburgh. "Bring Back the Dead" is showing work from 34 participants from 7 different countries. Each artist submits a work and at the end of the exhibition your work goes to one of the participating artists and you receive a piece from someone else.

The exhibition is organised by Joanne Garner at Anomaly. You can see more about it on Facebook and Twitter, where each day two new makers work is revealed.

Heirloom Verona. 70 days.

The second new piece to preview in Verona this autumn is "Heirloom Verona. 70 days" A three dimensional botanical illustration of an imagined heirloom Verona tomato. To be worn as a brooch. This work will be shown in "Brooching Verona"

"In concurrence with the annual Art-Verona fair, more than twenty brooches by Italian and foreign artists made of unconventional and unusual materials in addition to metals, will be displayed in shop windows in the old town center of Verona from October 8, 2013 to October 20, 2013."

"These artifacts can be considered art works thanks to their significant emotional and intellectual contents. Focus of the event will be the concurrent exhibition "Enchanted Dialogues: Brooches in Tribute of Verona", held at the deconsecrated church of San Pietro in Archivolto, next to the Cathedral of Verona. Overall "Brooching Verona" is a rare opportunity for citizens and tourists to approach the world, little-known yet deserving more attention, of " contemporary jewels." In addition to that, it contributes to create a lively and vibrant atmosphere in the historical streets of Verona. It is organized by associazione Nurò in collaboration with Verona' s Cathedral under both Verona Town Council’s and Province’s Patronage. It is possible to find a map of the stores displaying the brooches at associazione Nurò’s web site.

LUIS ACOSTA (NL/AR), ALICIA JANE BOSWELL (USA), LILIA BREYTER (AR), PAULA BRUNO (AR), ISABELLE BUSNEL (UK), ANA HELENA CHIFFLET GUIPONI (UY), CINZIA COSTANTINI-STEFANIA GERBO (IT), NUNZIA DE FEO (IT), CLARA DEL PAPA (IT), MARIA AIDA FERNANDEZ RUBIO (UY), ALESSANDRA GATES (USA/IT), JOANNE HAYWOOD (UK), SUSANA HERNANDEZ MORIN (UY), ZOE ROBERTSON (UK), KAORU ROGERS (AUS), VICKY SARAGOUDA (UK), JULIE USEL (UK), ELENA VARELA (UZ), ORNELLA ZACCARIA (IT), MELANIA ZUCCHI (IT)

Silvia’s Brooch: Enchanted Dialogues: Brooches in Tribute of Verona

I am showing two new pieces of work in Verona this October. The first is for "Enchanted Dialogues". The works will be displayed around the city and were made in response to Verona.

Silvia’s Brooch

"As rich in having such a jewel, As twenty seas, if all their sands were pearl."

A brooch made for Silvia, a character from Shakespeare’s “Two gentlemen of Verona”. The brooch is influenced by Victorian painter’s representations of Shakespeare’s Verona plays.

"The exhibition "Enchanted Dialogues: Brooches in Tribute of Verona" will be held in the deconsecrated church of San Pietro in Archivolto next to Verona’s Cathedral, from October 8, 2013 to October 20, 2013."

"Curated by Nunzia De Feo and organized by associazione Nurò under the patronage of Verona’s Town Council and Verona’s Province with Cantina Castelnuovo del Garda’s contribution, it has been set-up thanks to the foresight and generosity of Verona’s Cathedral. Given the pressing economic stagnation, Monsignor Antonio Finardi, Verona’s Cathedral Parish Priest, aware that having a job is inseparable from a human being’s dignity, asserts: "It is important to encourage and be close to those who are actively involved in experimenting and exploring new possibilities and solutions".

Artists participating...

LUIS ACOSTA (AR/NL), VICKY AMBERY-SMITH (UK), LUIGI BARATO (IT), LEAH BECKER (USA), ALICA JANE BOSWELL (USA), LILIA BREYTER (AR), PAULA BREYTER (AR), PAULA BRUNO (AR), ISABELLE BUSNELL (UK), MARIANO CONTIN (IT), CINZIA COSTANTINI/STEFANIA GERBO (IT), PATRICIA CRUZ (IT), NUNZIA DE FEO (IT), CORRADO DE MEO (IT), PIERALBA DE ROSA (IT), LUISA DE SANTI (IT), CLARA DEL PAPA (IT), SUZANNE ESSER (NL), ANNA GALTAROSSA (IT), LUCIA GIGENA (UY), SUZANNE GOLDEN (USA), MARIANNA HADASS (UK), JOANNE HAYWOOD (UK), ROBERTA HIBBERD (UK), AGNIESZKA KIERSZTAN (IT), RITA MARTINES (IT), MIKIKO MINEWAKI (JP), MARIA ROSA MONGELLI (AR), VIKTORIA MUNZKER (AT), MARTHA PACHON (IT), MABEL PENA (AR), PAOLA PEREZ (BO), PATRIZIA POLESE (IT), ZOE ROBERTSON (UK), NIKI STYLIANOU (GR), DAVINIA TORIJA (ES), JULIE USEL (UK), STELLA VALENCIA (CR), DAVIDE ZAMBON (IT), MELANIA ZUCCHI (IT).