mary jane dodd
small offering bowl - mjd 2014
first of all, i would like to wish that you all be safe. there are parts of the country where changes in weather threaten your safety and we are thinking of you.
a friend and i were speaking the other day about things that really impacted us as we were trying to find and define our voices as makers of adornment.
three books came out in 2008 - and they blew our minds. i remember falling asleep with one of them or another on my stomach. semiprecious salvage by stephanie lee, a charming exchange by ruth rae and kelly snelling and making connections by susan lenart kazmer.
grungy and tattered? yes, please. providing fascinating, interesting ways of designing and solid techniques, these women inspired so many of us.
it takes years to pick and choose techniques and materials, to find what works for you. i had many 'awkward' designs - where my inspirations didn't quite come together as harmoniously as i wished. but i learned.
i think one of the reasons i thought back to this was staci's post on chain. these books taught us how to make chain in addition to so many other things. i think they are definitely worth a revisit.
the gift of time and experience is that you build up an arsenal that you cannot even necessarily catalog. over the past 6 months or so, i have had a project in mind. i want to make pieces that can help a person create small sacred spaces in their home (or work or wherever). places to stop, take a breath, get centered. a place to do whatever makes you whole.
one of the items is a small offering bowl - because i understand copper i was able to move to a slightly larger scale in my shaping. and i ended up forming a base with copper pipe and plumber's solder. something i learned years ago from these books but hadn't used in a very long time.
are there any books or teachers that created such fireworks in your mind that you were overcome with ideas and couldn't even work because you didn't know where to start?
let us know!
4 comments:
The Missing Link is a book that has helped me move my jewelry to another level. I am slowly working my way though it.
The offering bowls are absolutely precious. they have such a soft and giving feel to them. I love pulling from old techniques when I have a new idea. thank you for sharing these!
Sacred Salvage, Making Connections (Susan Lenart Kazmer) and anything by Richard Salley. These folks changed my perspective creatively, and shaped my creative process... and define "Art Jewelry" to me.
Your three treasured books were also very beloved by me! What a fun little step back to 2008. Thank you gentle girl. How sweet was the revisit.
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