cold worked – Page 2 – dianne karg baron

YOJ09-24 Shiva’s Pomander

Posted on June 10, 2009April 20, 2017 by dianne

Shiva’s Pomander (2009)
Fine silver, sterling silver
Pendant: L 6.1 cm x W 3.2 cm
Chain: 88 cm
Constructed, coiled, cold joined, flameworked

A little over a year ago, Perri Jackson sent me Strange Attractor, a stunning wire bead she’d made as a thank you gift for helping her with a tutorial. Looking at it, I wondered how the structural coiling technique she used could be adapted to something other than a bead. Something like a locket maybe… It got me puzzling…

An opportunity to experiment came in the form of a call for entry from Rails End Gallery. Every year the gallery hosts a show featuring work by the faculty of the Haliburton School of the Arts. This year, the theme is “Vessel”.

Originally, I had wanted to make the vessel to house this heart, but screwed up – err… made a Design Choice that ended up creating a much larger container than intended. The original design would have hung horizontally, with the chain running through the centre. With this one, the design lends itself better to a vertical orientation.

This week when I was talking to Perri, I mentioned that I was working on a locket-type piece for the show. She asked what it looked like. “Sort of like a Shivalingam,” I said.

So… the piece is heading out the door today to get sent up to Haliburton. There is, of course, the obligatory Artist Statement that goes with it:

In Hinduism, the lingam is a symbol of Shiva. Worn in a similar fashion as a Christian cross, the intent is to draw the blessings of the Higher Power to the wearer. Using structural coiling and weaving techniques developed by Perri Jackson, I decided to interpret this symbol as a pomander worn over the solar plexus. It allows the wearer to carry a prayer or fresh flowers within: a reminder to always recognize the Source of all life’s gifts.

VESSEL: HSTA Faculty Exhibition
Rails End Gallery & Arts Centre
23 York Street
Haliburton, Ontario, K0M 1S0
June 30 – July 30, 2009
www. railsendgallery.com

More photos:

YOJ09-23 Standard Form Ring (Again)

Posted on June 7, 2009April 20, 2017 by dianne

Standard Form Ring
Sterling silver, jasper
Constructed, cold connected
Size 10

Yes I’m posting the same project as in Week 2. At that point I had written the instructions for the tutorial, and the carnelian ring posted was the product of the writing process. This time the ring is the product of the photography process. I have now completed two of the six tutorials I need to write for my class. Number three is written and transcribed to computer; photography for that project will happen tomorrow. With any luck, number three will be done by Wednesday.

I’m now into the most challenging part of my schedule for the year. With five weeks to go until my class, I’m multitasked up to wazoo. I’ve been taking advantage of the convenience my netbook is offering me: I can sit out on the front porch and work in the warmth of a sunny day while my children play in the yard. If they are working on an educational CD doing “homework” on the clunker laptop in the kitchen, I can also sit at the table and do “my” homework.

Life is humming along…

Next week’s project will be much more spectacular, I promise. It’s in the finishing stages now, and will be on its way to the Rails End Gallery this week for the HSTA Faculty Exhibition, “Vessel”, which opens on June 30.

YOJ09-22 Viking Knit Bracelet

Posted on May 31, 2009 by dianne

Viking Knit Bracelet (2009)
Fine silver, sterling silver
Nalbinding, cold connected
L 20.5 cm x W 0.4 cm

I’m hard at work on the tutorials for my class, so this week’s project is the product of that work. I’ve been doing a lot of photography, and editing and layout. I’ve been pretty much eating, sleeping and breathing the project. The first tutorial is finished, and the second is well in hand. Four to go… and six weeks until the classes start.

More photos:

YOJ09-20 Viking Knit Ring

Posted on May 17, 2009 by dianne

Viking Knit Ring (2009)
Fine silver, malachite, howlite
Nalbinding, single knit, constructed, cold joined

I finally got back to writing this week! I have six tutorials to write in preparation for my class in Haliburton in July. So far I have completed writing the draft on one of them. Photos and actually putting the tutorials together are still outstanding. I’m keenly aware of how quickly the time is going, so a few weeks ago I decided to put Tigger into daycare two days as week. That is giving me several hours of uninterrupted work time, since it co-incides with the days that Thumper is in school. What Heaven!

Usually I make the project, writing the steps as I go. Then I put the text aside for a week or so, come back to it and reconstruct it following my instructions. If I stumble on any part of it, that means a rewrite is in order. Refining continues as I take the photos and do the layout. Lots of work… which means I gotta start makin’ like a bread truck and haul buns…

This week, I was working on instructions for viking knitting. I experimented with incorporating 2 and 4 mm beads, which led to a screw up – err… “Design Choice” – when I went to draw the chain. I ended up having to take the chain apart, but salvaged enough to make this ring. It’s been an interesting experiment in timing myself as well – construction of enough chain to make a bracelet is taking a little over 2 hours. Adding the beads was just for my amusement, and won’t be part of the final instructions.

More photos:

The Retro Show

Posted on April 25, 2009March 16, 2016 by dianne

I attended the opening of Zilberschmuck Art Jewellery’s National Juried Exhibition “Connection” on Thursday evening. Running concurrently with that exhibition (see the outstanding work here) is “The Retro Show”, a retrospective of past shows organized by Zilberschmuck.

It was standing room only at Shao Design, which was hosting the event. Cheryl Fraser, owner of Zilberschmuck, gave an emotion filled speech welcoming everyone, and thanking Shao Pin Chu for opening his studio for the show. It was great to see lots of familiar faces and to meet a few new friends.

Two of my pieces from the Karen Kelly Fashion Show (2004) are included in The Retro Show, and I was able to snap this photo of the case:

The exhibitions continue until May 30, 2009. Directions here.

YOJ09-16 Beaded Channel Ring

Posted on April 19, 2009April 19, 2009 by dianne

Beaded Channel Ring (2009)
Sterling silver, constructed, cold worked
Size 5 1/2

My lack of energy is starting to concern me. If this keeps up I’m going to haul my carcass off to the doctor and find out what’s going on.

For now, another simple offering this week – a beaded channel ring. The tutorial for this ring was published in “Contemporary Bead & Wire Jewelry” by Nathalie Mornu and Suzanne Tourtillot, one of two projects I contributed to the book.

YOJ09-15 Beaded Puff Heart Pendant

Posted on April 12, 2009 by dianne

Beaded Puff Heart Pendant (2009)
Sterling silver & gold-filled beads, fishline
L 2.8 cm x W 2.5 cm x D 1.0 cm
Beaded, right angle weave

This week’s project is part one of a larger piece I’m working on for an HSTA faculty exhibition to be held at the Rails End Gallery in July.

This is the first time I’ve ever tried my hand at straight beading, and I have to say that I’ve developed a very healthy respect for the people who do this type of work. This heart was created using a pattern by “Laura” published on the 3DBeading.com site. I initially had the foolish idea to try it using wire, but gave up after about 5 steps. Fishline is definitely the way to go. I would love to repeat this pattern using rubies, but there’s no way to thread the fishline into the itty-bitty holes the multiple times the pattern requires.

It turned out a little bigger than I originally wanted, but the impact on the overall design will be minimal, and may actually make the final piece more interesting.

More photos:

YOJ09-14 Lame-O Earrings

Posted on April 5, 2009 by dianne

Lame-O Earrings (2009)
Sterling silver, Preciosa crystal

I’m feeling completely tired and shagged out. And I haven’t even squawked!

I’m working on meeting a print deadline this week, so my focus is not on jewellery. I do have an idea for my next major undertaking, and did work a bit on that over the past few days, but it’s still in the prep phase, not the construction phase.

So now it’s Sunday, and I don’t want to be late two weeks in a row. So I’m posting a pair of lame-ass earrings, constructed in about 1 minute. Don’t have the energy for anything more this week.

YOJ09-13 Kaleidoscope Pendant

Posted on March 30, 2009March 16, 2016 by dianne

Kaleidoscope Pendant (2009)
Fine Silver, sterling silver, Swarovski crystal
L 5.5 cm x W 4.7 cm x H 1.0 cm
Cold-connected, formed

For the first time this session, my entry is one day late. It proved to be much more challenging to construct, as I kept changing my mind about what I wanted it to look like.

This piece also doubles as my entry for the Etsy Wire Artisan Guild‘s April theme “Kaleidoscope”. The technique is drawn from a tutorial written by Perri Jackson, a friend and very talented wire artist who makes very intricate pieces from very thin gauge wire. Ever since Perri asked me to test the tutorial for her, I’ve been mulling over an idea in my head for a piece that adapts the technique. I’m not ready for that project yet, but “Kaleidoscope” is an intermediate step.

Perri’s blog features more of her spectacular work, and is well worth the visit.

More photos:

Zilberschmuck Retrospective April 19-May 30, 2009, at Shao Design, Toronto

Posted on March 20, 2009 by dianne

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