Sunday, April 24, 2011

New Earrings for May 2011





The "Seafoam" pendent has been very popular with the people that visit our display at the "Port Townsend" Market. We have made it many times with a variety of different beach rocks that we have collected from various venues across the Olympic Peninsula. We have had many requests for more pieces in the "Seafoam Series".
The "Seafoam Series" is a celebration of how plain seawater can get churned up into a froth much like egg whites can be beaten into peaks. This froth can then be blown about and gather into remarkable large roundish forms embellishing itself with bits of driftwood, sand and shells as it tumbles along above the tide line. Pat and I first saw this phenomenon at Shi Shi Beach awhile back. The outside of these foamy objects can start to dry out and become quasi solids making a leap from the liquid state over to a quite dry and solid state. They can even begin to pile up on the windward side of the logs and heavier debris.

These dangle earrings are the new additions to the series...they are shown here done in sterling silver and Aventurine.
Aventurine is a dreamy semi translucent light green material that has little flecks of a type of mica called fuchsite. These little flecks reflect light back to the viewer giving the stone a shimmering quality. Although it can be found in other colors (orange, yellow, brown and even blue) we have chosen the green because of the beautiful hue of the sea on that totally fabulous day
we first noticed the foam at Shi Shi Beach. We certainly are looking forward to finding other materials (maybe an Aquamarine) that would look good in this earring.

the beach rocks

the beach rocks
Although I have been lucky enough to receive many accolades and awards during my professional career as a jewelry designer, I was nearly always fulfilling a commission and therefore the aesthetical concerns of my client. Now that I have relocated to the great NorthWest I am pursuing my own images for the first time since graduate school…and loving my craft with a renewed spirit.

deep currents

deep currents
This was inspired by the way the river's currents swirl around the rocks that sit on the bed of the river.

in the kelp bed

in the kelp bed
At times I let my mind wander to what is happening below...in the depths of the kelp beds. I image how the cold waters waft and drift along. I like to think about the serenity of life in the kelp beds.

two six rings

two six rings
We called these rings "six ring" because when you see then from the side...in profile...they reminded us of the number six.