Adding colour....

Deciding and experimenting with ways to add colour. Adding colour isn't a necessity in enabling my aloes to be recognized, but I am drawn to bright colours, it also makes it more interesting and funky.. I love the orange of their flowers and the way the thorned edges of the green leaves are outlined in an orangey tone.

outline colour along the edges, and on the thorns.

 

I still need to take some close up photos of the flowers, the long tubular shape of the petals.

Looking at ways i can use glass seed beads...... i can melt, then squash them to be a similar shape to the flowers (second one from left in the first pic.

Wearable plants.

Pot Plant Ring. 2009. 925, soil, rock rose.

 I made this piece at the end of  3rd yr. The concept - a conscious piece of jewellery. To successfully wear this ring you would have to remain aware(hand flat,palm facing down) at all times. If you forgot and moved  your hand (the way we do in everyday life)-the soil and plant would fall out. A practice in conscious awareness.

I came across a British jeweller and full time lecturer-  Jo Pond. This piece below "Windmill neckpiece" is part of her narrative collection. I haven't been able to find any writing on what this piece is about, but I love the concept of a hanging flower basket. It gave me the idea of turning a pot plant into a neck-piece. If i had to explain the feeling of this piece in one word id use "delicate" , but that is not my aim at all when i manufacture. I relate to this piece only as an idea. The jewellery i make is often quite chunky. 

Jo Pond, "windmill neckpiece".

My flower pot necklace in progress.Experimenting with a simple way to impressionize the flower, possibly through the use of colour.

Working backwards...

The aloe excitement is still up..... I'm designing around the silhouette aloe earrings- I started with the simplest interpretation of the plant, and then realized i should have started by trying to reproduce the real deal first, and then simplify/stylize. So I've put these earrings (temporarily) on hold .

I've started by making a couple of miniature fine silver aloes, They've got a fun feel i think. Because they're sharp and spiky- they're not so well suited for jewellery, but they're a perfect fit for the pot plant concept. Since i made my first "pot plant ring" , I've wanted to make a series to go with it. So now finally, thanks to our "flourish" exhibition in 2 weeks time... my next one is in the making.

a quick sketch before i had decided go go with aloes.

my aloe in the making....

One of my flower boxes at home.

 My own flower box, work in progress.