Jewellery Design

This portfolio of flamboyant yet delicate jewellery pieces was inspired by the marine-life, coastal landscapes and fishing heritage of the islands of Orkney. The pieces were made from found and scrap materials as inspired by flotsam and jetsam washed up on the beach. Vibrant, artificial plastics contrast with soft, natural papers and fabrics to create beautiful, narrative works of craft.

I think that that this piece successfully conveys the three dimensional structure of the creels and yet it also has a subtle hint of the form of the hull of a boat. The juxtaposition of natural to artificial materials gives the piece the feeling that it is jetsam that has just been picked up off a beach. I continued the pattern of using bright flashes of orange in my pieces, but this time I created the effect using cloth with fish skin printed onto it. I wrapped grey wire around each frame to unify the overall piece and also to exaggerate the individual forms by using a dark colour to contrast the generally lighter materials. The wire that holds the piece around the neck does not add anything to the piece and I think that, if I'd replaced this with many more smaller links, the piece could have * but it would also have been a lot more delicate. I think that the overall composition of the piece works very well because of the way it lies flat on the chest, but also because the wider links contrast very well with the very narrow links to create a very complex, yet still aesthetically pleasing form.

I feel that the clear plastic worked very well as a material because it means that the strands of the piece bounce and sway as the wearer moves; not unlink the sea itself. Choosing to use a very dark band around the neck was a risk but I think that, although it creates quite a stark contrast, it helps emphasize the colour of the tracing paper and brings out the shadows in the patterns created by the sewing machine.

The natural, wavy edges within this piece create a pattern of movement, drawing the eye across the piece and also contrasting with the very straight sides of the panels. By using several different textures throughout the piece, I created interest, but the piece does not appear too busy because of the muted colour scheme. The hard, wavy edges also contrast with the soft, natural shapes created by the ink on the cloth and I feel that this mirrors the different ways that different kinds of stone erode. I painted the wire form at the top of the piece black so that it adds a subtle hint of detail into the piece without overpowering the strong edges of the panels. To improve the piece, I would add in some white highlights to contrast with all the dark, muted colours. DSC_0126

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Jewellery 13

Jewellery 11

Jewellery 10 Close

Jewellery 10

Jewellery 3

Jewellery 6 Close

 

Next, I developed textures for the water using bleach and ink [3] – which gave a very still, peaceful effect - and then acrylic and oil paint for a lively and vibrant texture, full of movement. I was inspired by an etching by Frances Walker to create a strong contrast between the bright colours of the buoys and the dull grey of the surroundings natural. I also explored composition, trying to encompass a rowing boat with the piers of the town. Sylvia Wishart did many paintings looking through her window, so I chose to do a study on tracing paper out of the window of the wheelhouse of a boat, laying this over a pen and ink sketch.

#craft#form#inspiration#making#textures

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