So after taking a short summer break its back to the bench to prepare for Fall / Holiday collections! In my classic approach to design, I'm creating a line of earrings based on the reinterpretation of the circle. There is something so classic about round disc shapes and when married with new textures, cut outs, and ornamentation, they can take on new life.  Although the line is still in development, the bamboo earrings have already been picked up by an OpenSky as environmentally friendly jewelry. 

 

In 2005 my father (age 55 at the time) was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. A PhD and academic his whole life, the diagnosis was crushing. Over the next few years I often remembered the things he taught me. (How to change the oil in my car, how to ride a motorcycle, etc.) There was one phrase that we would repeat from time to time, “Illigitimus non carborundum”. I would ask what it meant and he would say, “look it up!”. Well, it took me 30 years, but eventually I did look it up. The phrase translates to “don’t let the bastards grind you down.” Now as he fights a cruel disease everyday I find the phrase particularly meaningful. I wanted to carry this reminder with me at all times, and as a result, the Latin Lovers collection was born. I have had many people request phrases of personal inspiration or special meaning. I am hopeful that these bracelets might serve a greater purpose by reminding us of what is really important in our lives. Peace.

While sitting at my bench one day I looked around the studio at all the materials left from previous collections. Pounds and pounds of sterling chain in varying shapes and sizes, thousands of gemstones in every shape and color, earring forms, custom links, and castings abound. Every time I order new supplies I have feelings of guilt about the buckets of materials already available in my studio. My mom's voice rings in my ear, "finish what is on your plate before you take seconds".  Shouldn't I use up what I have before buying more?

That day I was feeling dramatic. I grabbed every chain i could find and started assembling a massive draping necklace. A cascade of sterling silver that drips down the neck and dances with movement. I threw in charms. I threw in stones. I threw in earrings. Everything but the kitchen sink! The resulting piece is a one-of-a-kind statement necklace made entirely of re-cycled and re-purposed materials. I was thrilled to see that JCK included the necklace in their "Spotlight On" segment in the February 2010 issue.

The Chaos necklace ignited a journey into developing an entire collection based on the same principle. The more I worked, the more the styles developed. I decided to name the collection Couture Collier which translates to "hand-made necklace". Each one uses re-purposed materials from the studio. The line is a joy for me to create because it never gets boring and relieves my guilt about 'leaving food on my plate".

As each design develops the materials dictate the aesthetic of the final piece. For example, Midtown originated with the faceted clear crystal teardrop beads you see. They were clustered together to make a flower. That "flower" sat on my bench for 2 weeks. What do I do with this??? Eventually I made my way to the pearl drawer and pulled various shapes and sizes. The femininity of the pearls is toned down by the remnants of sterling chain strewn in between. Wanting to take the piece in an ever more rugged direction, I added irregular pyrite (also know as fools gold) beads on only one side to counteract the pearls in both color and texture. A sort of ying and yang if you will.  All of the pieces in the Couture Collier collection endured a similar process. Some were made in a day, some were made over the course of a month. The components and resources dictate the design direction in this particular collection. Now that my plate is clear (well, almost) I'm beginning to feel a bit better.

Peace,
JJ

It's funny, I never considered myself a heart person, yet I could see the appeal of this emotional symbol. One of my most requested designs has always been the guardian angel necklace. Based on the angels success, a friend suggested I design an entire collection of hearts.  After much discussion and thought I determined that there were two reasons people felt a connection to these pieces. First, the angel is symbolic of guardianship and is a talisman or amulet to many. Second, the guardian angel is customizable. Inscribing your children's names or anniversary date seems to intensify the emotional connection to any talisman.

If I was going to design anything else with a heart it had to be more than just the traditional shape, but what? I began by reflecting on my logo and the use of serpents to represent the J's of my name. I chose to use a serpent because they are one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols representing potent guardians of temples and other sacred spaces. As a result, they are natural guardians of treasures, or better yet, one's heart? The "Love, Serpent" became the second of what would be 5 designs in the Love Links collection.

After completing the "Love, Serpent" I began researching other iconic symbols and experimenting with fusing them into the shape of a heart. Shortly thereafter came the peace, cross, and letter designs. 

 

To keep each heart customizable I added a logo "tag" in the shape of an oval and placed it in the front so it would show when being worn. The back of the logo tag can be inscribed and customized.  Now, what do I call these 5 heart designs? I chose Love Links because I believe that Love is what links us together as a human race. Like a laugh, love is viral. When you are loved you tend to love more. Sometimes knowing someone loves you makes all the difference between giving up and pushing through. 

The design of these hearts was culminating in the spring of 2009, when many were suffering the effects of this recession. When a friend's problems are impossible for you to solve, sometimes the most helpful thing you can do it to simply....love. Let them know you care and that you are there to support them in any way you can. 

To launch the Love Links collection we decided to give away 10 guardian angel necklaces to special women who needed to know they had the love and support of their friends. In May we began accepting recommendations for recipients. The letters poured it. The stories made me cry. Choosing just 10 became impossible. In the hopes that those who receive these guardian angels would, in turn, "forward their love" to another creating a string of events that would build support and affection, we decided to make angels for each and every nominee. 

In the end, it was I that felt blessed by the experience. Hearing from those who received the angels, how much they meant and that they were received in their darkest hour, made it all worth while. In the end, I suppose I'm rethinking my stance on hearts. I still don't think I'm the type to wear hearts on my sleeve, but if the hearts are made of serpents, maybe I could let that slide.

peace,

JJ

Our introductory jewelry class will begin the third week in January through the Great Falls School of Art. Made in Metal I is an introduction to metal clay. In this class you will learn about this amazing material through the completion of several projects including earrings, pendants, cufflinks, and a ring. Registration forms available now! http://www.greatfallsfoundationforarts.org/uploads/Registration_Form.pdf The complete Great Falls School of Art Winter class schedule is avaiable now. http://www.greatfallsfoundationforarts.org/uploads/GFFFTA_WinBulletin2010final.pdf Space is limited so contact Terri Parent at terrikate@aol.comif you are interested in signing up. Here are some photos of student projects from our Fall semester. Enjoy!