constructed – Page 4 – dianne karg baron

YOJ09-28 Prong Set Ring

Posted on July 11, 2009January 30, 2011 by dianne

Prong Set Ring (2009)
Sterling silver, cubic zirconium
Size 7
Constructed, cold joined

Life is crazy busy right now as I finish preparations for Haliburton. So this week’s entry is a variation on Jorgen Greftegreff’s Prong Ring (published originally in the April 2001 issue of The Wire Artist Jeweller).

The good news is that my wire arrived finally, and I didn’t need to reorder anything! *Whew*

My computer access is going to be limited for the next two weeks, so while I’ll try to post YOJ pieces on time, more than likely it will wait until I get back.

YOJ09-27 Art Nouveau Cab Bangle

Posted on July 4, 2009 by dianne

Art Nouveau Cab Bangle (2009)
Sterling silver, bloodstone
L 21.5 cm x W 2.5 cm
Constructed, cold joined

Although it’s supposed to be a calming stone, I’ve always found bloodstone to have a kind of overpowering “in-your-face” energy that’s difficult to deal with. For the last few weeks, though, I’ve been wearing it while working on my tutorials, and it’s been helpful for keeping my energy levels up and focused. I love the red spotting on this cab, and the slight yellow cloud overlaying the green. This was part of a group of cabs I bought when The Nautilus closed 10 years ago. The Nautilus was *the* place in Toronto to buy rockhounding and lapidary supplies. Located in the far, far east of the city, I remember it taking an obscenely long time to get there on city transit from where I lived in Little India. But what a treasure trove! The owner, Roy MacLeod, was a passionate rockhound and filled his store with all the bits and bobs needed to work with and admire rocks. Sadly, Roy didn’t live to see the millennium, and the closing of his store left a void that still hasn’t been filled.

In designing the Level II course for Haliburton, I was thinking about what skills would be most useful for the students to learn. In Level I, they learn the basics: working with single wires, developing dexterity with tools, etc. There are very few multi-wire projects. In Level II all but two of the projects are multi-wire pieces, and the students have to deal with doing steps early on that don’t actually come into full use until much later in the construction. Wire control becomes very important.

One of the things Level II focuses on is settings: half of the projects deal with some form of stone setting.

I think this is by far the most complex of the projects I’ll be teaching. Hopefully by the time we get to this point in the course, the students will have enough confidence to tackle it. If not, it’s easily adapted to something simpler. I’ll let them decide how energetic they want to be.

This tutorial will be available for purchase and download off my website after I get back from Haliburton. I’ll post the link when it’s up, along with more photos.

YOJ09-26 Prong Set Pendant

Posted on July 4, 2009September 21, 2009 by dianne

Prong Set Pendant (2009)
Sterling silver, labradorite
Constructed, cold joined
Private Collection

I found this labradorite in my stash again recently while working on the prong set pendant tutorial.

I’m rediscovering my love of stones, and am fantasizing about going to Bancroft to *shop*! Having put myself on a buying moratorium for the last few years, I normally go to the gemboree just to have a look around.

When I floated the idea of going this year, my DH surprised me by suggesting I go by myself! It’s a long drive to take the boys on, and since they don’t show much interest in rocks (other than the ones they can throw into water), the show is wasted on them.

Hmmm…. the possibilities…

More photos:

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.

YOJ09-20 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:

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.

YOJ09-12 Viking Knit Chain (and “Merry Meet”)

Posted on March 20, 2009March 30, 2009 by dianne

Viking Knit Chain (2009)
Fine silver, sterling silver
Chain L 68.6 cm x W 0.35 cm
Pendant L 5.8 cm x W 2.5 cm
Nalbinding, constructed, cold-connected, flameworked, cast

Several years ago, my husband and I collaborated on making a Thor’s Hammer. Malcolm is fascinated by all things Norse, to the point where I’ve joked many times about him being a born-again Viking. He carved the cross for this pendant, but struggled to model the head properly. I came up with the idea of forming the head out of stick tack (aka white tack, blue tack etc etc), and then we cold molded the whole piece for casting. That original was finished, and then remolded and four more pieces were cast.

Malcolm made himself a lovely chain to go with the original. Unfortunately, our studio gremlins made off with it some time during our move, so all he has now are the copies. Wanting to wear his Thor’s Hammer, he recently asked me to make a chain for him.

So this week, on the heels of finishing my competition entry, I decided to whip it off. My hands are not quite recovered from the massive project, so by the time I was half way through working on this chain, I was having to put a bandaid on my pinky. I was developing a blister from all the pulling.

My beloved husband is very happy with his new chain, and thrilled to be wearing his pendant.

Some more photos:

Also, as promised, I’m posting the photo of my competition entry to “Connection”, the National Juried Exhibition being held by Zilberschmuck Art Jewellery and hosted at Shao Design. The call for entry asked: “What is your interpretation of the word “CONNECTION”? Is there a connection part, link or bond? Is there an association or relationship between two or more things? Do associates, relations, acquaintances or friends influence the outcome of the piece? Is it a single connection or one of many types and kinds of connections that make up the piece? How can these ideas be formalized into a three-dimensional piece?” My entry focused on the connection we make with each other, through a handshake. Clasping hands in greeting, in parting, in confirming business arrangements, in offering congratulations, is often the only physical connection we make with each other.

Merry Meet (2009)
Fine silver, sterling silver, glass
L 102 cm x W 7.0 cm
Nalbinding, constructed, cold-joined, liver of sulphur patination

My husband’s comment about this piece: “It’s odd.”

Yes, but that’s “art” jewellery for you… LOL

The hands clasp together just over the solar plexus. If I thought anyone would wear it that way, I would have liked to turn it into a stomacher – I think it would be well suited for that – but it works as a necklace as well.

From start to finish, it took two months of solid work to construct, and is (pardon the pun) hands down, one of the most ambitious pieces I’ve ever attempted. It’s not exactly what I envisioned – that would have taken another three months of work to complete.

As I mentioned last week, it didn’t make the final cut for the exhibition, but I’m not disappointed about that. I am satisfied that I got it done in time for judging.

Here are more detail photos, along with shots taken during construction:

YOJ09-11 Snowflake Obsidian Bangle

Posted on March 15, 2009 by dianne

This has been such a physically brutal week for me, it’s a wonder I have any energy at all to post anything. I finally finished and submitted the viking knit piece I’ve been working on for the past two months. I haven’t been so stressed out about getting a piece done in ages. I developed a pinch in my shoulder, which made it difficult to turn my head. Then the pain spread across my upper back.

As I was staring down the finish, wondering whether or not all the stress was worth the effort, I developed an earworm – a song that plays over and over in your head and won’t stop. I kept hearing a Peter Gabriel lyric: “Don’t Give Up, Please don’t give up…” My spirit cheerleaders were encouraging me to keep me going, pushing me to work through the pain and the feelings of exhaustion and futility. I’m very proud of myself for pulling through. When I dropped the piece off, I commented to the organizer that getting it done was my reward: if it actually made it into the exhibition, I would consider it a bonus. (I found out tonight that the piece wasn’t accepted for exhibition, but did make it to the final round in the selection process.)

I’m paying for all the pressure now though: for days I’ve been alternating between exhaustion, nausea, heartburn, loss of appetite, and gastrointestinal distress. Throw in a runny nose and lots of sneezing, and we have a recipe for Not Wanting To Do Anything.

Snowflake Obsidian Bangle (2009)
Sterling silver, snowflake obsidian
Constructed, cold joined
20.32 cm dia.

Luckily, I had made the setting for this obsidian a few weeks ago while doing prep for my class in July. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it, so I left it sitting on the bench. Tonight, I whipped off a simple bangle to go with it. It’s about all I can manage.

I’ll post photos of the competition piece next week when I get it back.

YOJ09-07 Double-sided Citrine Pendant

Posted on February 16, 2009February 22, 2009 by dianne

Double-Sided Citrine Pendant (2009)
Sterling silver, fine silver, citrine
L 3.0 cm x W 1.3 cm
Constructed, woven

I bought this wonderful citrine at the Toronto Gem & Mineral Show many years ago. I think I bought it when Thumper was still a baby. Part of the reason I’ve never used it is that despite how beautifully cut it is – double sided cushion cut – I didn’t really know how I wanted to set it.

This week, while giving myself a break from the never ending viking knit project, I decided to go digging in my stash and found this beauty again. I decided to try setting it to show off both sides of the stone. I’ve discovered that I’ve developed a serious dislike of wrapping with half round wire. At least, I dislike the 21 ga half round I have. It’s just too thick for what I want to do. So, to make a thinner setting, I use 28 ga fine silver. It’s fiddly to work with, but it allows the stone to take centre stage instead of being overwhelmed by the wire. Both sides are worked almost identical. The bezel is basically two pieces of square wire woven with 28 ga wire. The channel created in the centre of the weaving holds the girdle of the stone. The 2 mm beads act like prongs to hold the stone in the setting. It’s visually similar to the pendant I made in Week 4. I like the way it turned out.

I’m making progress on the viking knit piece – it’s now 3 1/2″ long, but I’m starting to doubt that I will have it finished in time for entry to the competition. *sigh* I’ll keep plugging away at it, because it’s really starting to take shape. At the same time though I need to work on production pieces, hence the citrine pendant.

More photos:

Tag Archives: constructed

YOJ09-28 Prong Set Ring

YOJ09-27 Art Nouveau Cab Bangle

YOJ09-26 Prong Set Pendant

YOJ09-24 Shiva’s Pomander

YOJ09-23 Standard Form Ring (Again)

YOJ09-20 Viking Knit Ring

YOJ09-16 Beaded Channel Ring

YOJ09-15 Beaded Puff Heart Pendant

YOJ09-14 Lame-O Earrings

YOJ09-12 Viking Knit Chain (and “Merry Meet”)

YOJ09-11 Snowflake Obsidian Bangle

YOJ09-07 Double-sided Citrine Pendant

Other Musings

Blasts from the Past

Photo of the Day

diannekargbaron