Final Exam Display

For my final display I continued with my use of jars to show my pieces. I found that the distortion created by the water and glass was particularly prominent in the dark. The way that the lights highlighted my pieces in the dark reminded me of how deep sea creatures look while being filmed when they are illuminated by the camera lights.



I noticed my pieces being further distorted when I held the camera at a low angle. This angle showed the piece reflected in the surface of the water.



To create this deep sea feeling, and further enhance the distortion and context of my pieces, I should in the future display my jewellery illuminated in the dark.

Warwick Freeman

Freeman uses materials such as Paua shell, Mother of Pearl, Baler shell and Scallop shells. His pieces don’t necessarily relate to the ocean in their concept, even though they are made up of oceanic materials. He uses the connotations that the materials have to aid his narrative jewellery. Each of his pieces tells a different story. The connotations of selected materials relate to the story behind the piece, such as his choice of shiny pearl shell for the shape of the star, this way his piece actually shines.

Freeman, W. 1992. Flowerstar. Baler Shell, Jasper, Gold

Freeman, W. 1993. Watercross. Baler Shell, Oxidised Silver

Freeman, W. 1991. Soft Star. Pearl Shell

Freeman, W. 1989. Star Heart. Pearl Shell, Scoria, Paint, Gold

Cheryl Eve Acosta

When looking at Acosta’s work, I find it so obvious that her inspiration and references come from the ocean. Acosta grew up along the coast of Puerto Rico. In her book, ‘Hidden in Nature’ (2009), she discusses how growing up by the sea has influenced her design direction from an early age. She looks at sea life from a scientific point of view, using aquatic processes to fuel her work. She feels that this gives her work the appearance of being from the ocean, without being directly from it. She uses a variety of materials for her jewellery, some of these being: silver, copper, gold, enamels and fabric.

Acosta, C. 2009. Synaptic Coral: Gap. Gold Plated

Acosta, C. 2009. Healing. Copper, Organza

Acosta, C. 2009. Brooch. Enamel, Gold Plated

Acosta, C. 2009. Birth. Copper, Enamel, Organza

Exhibition at Colombo

When reflecting on this exhibition and deciding what worked and what could have been improved, I thought about this...

Each person could see a collection of jewellery or any kind of art subjectively. So displaying my work in context helps the viewer understand the background and enhance the actual collection. The sand and water further hinted that my jewellery was 'from the ocean'. For my final exhibition I should explore this display idea further by creating a similar display that allows my pieces to be picked up and explored (not in bottles).
Feedback that I recieved about my display was that the jars forced the viewer to engage with my work. Because people had to bend down and look into the jars it demanded more attention. Another comment that was made was about the water and how it distorts the shape and colours of the piece once submerged.


Photo: Jenni McKenzie
Photo: Matthew Stroud
Photo: Jenni McKenzie
Photo: Jenni McKenzie
Photo: Matthew Stroud
Photo: Jenni McKenzie

Completed Necklace

Sea 'Feeling' necklace

Ocean/Jelly Ring

Moving on from my 'Jelly fish' brooches, I decided to continue with the concept of an ocean 'feeling'. I did this by taking certain aspects from previous pieces such as enamelling, hidden detail and traces of the manufacturing process. The idea was to create a piece that wasn't directly linked back to any sea animal or creature, but rather has the feeling of something that could be found either on the ocean floor or living along a reef.

Abstract Jelly Brooch....

Stumbling onto this way of threading the nylon, and then discarding my original idea, is how i enjoy manufacturing jewellery. Like the inspiration behind my pieces, I allow the actual process of manufacturing to be organic and natural. By starting with a basic idea and then 'going with the flow', I feel like my pieces are almost grown. This 'growing' feeling is reinforced by leaving traces of the manufacturing process on the finished piece.

These photos show the finished brooch...

abstract jelly

Although this piece does not look like a jelly fish at first glance, I believe that its development from an original jelly fish shape can be seen through my exploratory drawings.

colourful nylon!

experimenting with nylon

While playing with nylon and a piece of enamelled copper I created another abstract jelly shape...


The punched holes in the jelly fish 'body' were originally supposed to have cotton falling from them. But while sitting at my bench i started to play with the nylon lying around. when the nylon is threaded between two of the holes, it keeps it stiff and bouncy. It also gives it some sort of alien like sea creature look...

jelly-ish things

This weird little jelly is similar to the drawings I did when exploring the shapes of jelly fish...

This Jelly-ish shape will eventually become a brooch. I want the piece to be reminiscent of a Jelly fish without having to be too literal in its shape and colours. The Nylon monofilament (more commonly known as fishing line) is being used as the tentacles in this piece. Although my work has little to do with fishing in particular, the association that the nylon has with the ocean is obvious. Perhaps people will interpret the piece in their own way? seeing the nylon either as a convenient material for tentacles or as some conceptual link to fishing and the sea as a source of food?


The picture above shows the flypressed element after enamelling. The nylon has been looped through the holes and bunched up, I thought that this looked quite interesting, even tho its not exactly a tentacle

Fly press moulds...

In order to get the Jelly fish shape and feel, I used fly pressing. I cut different shapes and sizes out of stacked masonite for the moulds. Once these moulds were made I experimented with melting and drilling the metal before and after pressing. The photo below shows some of these pieces...

Woah, Jelly mould...

I came into the workshop this morning and sitting on the bench next to mine was this blue mould. I immediately thought, lil' blue jellyfish thing!



... so sweet

Jelly Test pieces

In order to try capture the 'jelly-ish' and translucent qualities of jellyfish, I experimented with nylon monofilament to create tentacles. I threaded the nylon through holes punched into a patinated copper dome to create an abstract jellyfish...

Jelly Paintings

I thought I would play around with my paints and graphic jellyfish shapes. I used cotton thread as the tenticles. The reason for this was to capture the movement as well as emphasise the uncontrolled way in which the threads fall. The threads are uncontrolled as are most things in the natural world. I let them fall as they please, which is much like the way I manufacture my jewellery, I let the process guide my design...

Soooshi

I have been craving sushi ALL DAY.
So when I came across this ring it made me very happy...but then very sad, because I still need to eat some soosh.



This tasty treat is made by Carolyn Tillie, she uses plastic gumball machine toys in her jewellery.

Jelly Drawings

For this project I want to play with my references in ways other than manufacturing jewellery pieces. I plan to do some ink drawings and paintings, the reason for this is so that I can explore the references I am working with and at the same time create little works of art with colour. Because colour is such a big part of why the ocean appeals to me as a source of inspiration, I feel like I need to use it in my drawings while designing as well as in my actual pieces.

The pictures below show my versions of little jellies...


... Although these drawings do not look anything like real jellyfish, they are the abstract product of my previous sketches which were more jellyfish like. They are my idea and interpretation of what I want my jellyfish inspired brooches to look like.

Jellyfish sketches

After watching a documentary about Giant Jellyfish I was amazed at how gracefully they glide and float around the ocean, as well as how intimidating a huge group of these placid jellies can be.

I want to try and capture that movement and whimsical appearance that the jellyfish have in my next pieces of jewellery. The photos below show my thinking drawings of possible jellyfish inspired brooches...

Finished Earrings

Enamelling Platinum...