Mapmaking

by Barbara Bechtel

Recently, as I reorganize and think more critically about my work, I went back and looked at my jewelry that I've made over the years in order to codify the various pieces and parts of my work and try to draw some parallels.

Symbols have always been a huge part of my work. Beginning in college when I began to build a body of work, I took a jewelry class as an elective. Little did I know that this would form the basis for how I'm working today....

work made while in my jewelry electives circa 2002

 Fast forward seven years to when I began making jewelry again, I had only a few basic materials, no torches or hammers, I began bringing home broken jewelry from estate sales and found several long unused blocks of polymer clay purchased on clearance from the craft store.

some of my very first jewelry when I returned to jewelry made with polymer clay and vintage beads collected at estate and garage sales.

 One of my personal goals going into the new year is to continue to source materials from things I already own and things that can be recycled, either by buying second hand or making my own tools, as others have done throughout history and time. I continue to source a large part of my materials and tools from these places and by intentionally recognizing that fact, it has been a great source of inspiration.

vintage lace and copper stampings found at an estate sale early in 2011

Now, as I begin to form the basis for new ideas in a new year, I am again returning to what I have found and collected as part of my journeys throughout the years. I was so inspired by Jeannie's post yesterday. Over the last weeks, as I've been doing a bit of reorganizing my home and studio, I've been reexamining what I've found and collected and wondering how I can use use these collected things, to make the most of what I have around me to add personal meaning into adornment.

I've also been thinking about the jewelry I wear on a daily basis and how my own jewelry fits in with the meaning I place on the things I choose to wear everyday.


What do you think? 

Is the jewelry you make a reflection of the jewelry you wear and find personal meaning in? 

What parallels have you drawn in past work you've created to the work you're creating now?

Growing through the tough places.

"One cannot create an art that speaks to men when one has nothing to say."
Andre Malraux


a tiny pot of herb seedlings in a pretty recycled tomato tin.

Hello, fellow Art Jewelry fans! I'm proud to be the newest member of Love My Art Jewelry! I look forward to sharing lots of information with you all and contributing to building a thriving art jewelry community! I look forward to hearing from you all! I will also be helping man Love My Art Jewelry's Twitter, so be sure to follow our tweets! You never know what will pop up there!

For the better part of the last two months, I've been going through a artistic rut. At first, I blamed it on what I like to refer to as "Craft Show Hangover"...wherein you prepare really hard for a large show and then once it's over, you just sort of don't know what to do with yourself. I felt burnt out and was experiencing the joy that I had previously experience with my beads and jewelry.

a bit of a work in progress journal page inspired by my seedlings...

As a mixed-media artist, I began to feel the pull to return to some of the types of work I have done in the past, namely painting, sketching, and book binding, as well as do a bit of gardening. It felt strange to return to things that have not been a staple of my creativity for some time, but I decided, after some thoughtful soul searching to go with my gut and see where this road would lead.

After several weeks of sifting through the flotsam and jetsam of my mind, I have begun to see creeping rhythms of patterns creeping back in.

new charm pendants in progress inspired by my herb garden...

The best part is that switching up my routine has informed new work, refreshed my spirit, and led to new discoveries!

How do you recharge your batteries when you're in a rut?

How do you work through difficult spots in your work and creativity?