Archives

Back to making jewelry

Aug11

After a very long absence due to injury and illness I found myself making jewelry this past weekend!

I finally found time (made time?) (took time?) (used some time?) – ok, slight detour here- because this is part of the whole point of this website – to examine how I (we?) view time. So maybe the most accurate description is that I took time to be in the studio (although where did I take it?) *scratching head* I certainly can’t MAKE time, time already exists. . . . I didn’t really find it – it’s right here, I’m immersed in it continuously – I guess right now ‘used’ time seems most accurate. I used some of the time that I have/had to be in the studio making jewelry.

YAY!

Things went surprisingly well. I seriously had not touched my tools for at least 3 months and was a little fearful that I might just wreck everything wasting materials. Only happened a little bit. I really had no idea what I was going to make, I just knew that I needed to get started again. After initially milling some wire WAY too thin to be useful, I turned my attention to a large size low dome wire figuring a simple bangle would get me soldering and then I’d add something, details, texture, stones, something.

After soldering I decided on texture using horizontal lines to section off areas before adding a geometric textured pattern. Patina and voila’ – success!

Making Jewelry - Handcrafted sterling silver bangle - by artisit Janice Fowler of Doxallo Studio

And it looked pretty good — but I really wanted to add some sparkle and wanted to set some stones so I went back the following day and added a faceted stone to each non patterned section – 5 total.

A little added visual interest and a tiny sparkle.

I think I like it. 🙂

art jewelry, handcrafted jewelry, artisan jewelry, amethyst jewelry, sterling silver bangle

I am hoping to be back in the studio making jewelry on a regular basis. I’m not sure what that will look like, how often, or what days, but I have some ideas based on some older work of mine and I’m excited to get at it!

Bringing Metal and Zentangles together

Jun16

I sometimes doodle.

I am sure you do too.

Who doesn’t – right??

When I was a teen I starting doodling on HUGE poster size pieces of paper – using a black fine tip marker and repetition. Building an entire page full of tiny parts into something kinda cool.

Some years ago ‘zentangles’ became the rage and I just looked at is and smiled – I recognized it. It’s what I had been doing all those years ago!

It rekindled the doodle desire in me.

I began fiddling with it in my small sketchbook

 

It is really just repetition of lines and simple shapes.

P1140727

 

Sometimes the shapes are recognizable or combined turn into something recognizable

P1140723

 

and sometimes I will start with a ‘thing’ and then work out from there.

P1140453-1
and sometimes they turn into something very weird…..

doddle
don’t ask — I have no idea.

here you can see that it’s nothing fancy – it’s just repetition and filling the space ‘tightly’

P1140455-2

Some time ago someone mentioned that it would be great to transfer to metal.

I agree.

It’s been in the back of my mind ever since.

Should I stamp, etch, engrave..? And I just never did decide.

 

Well, yesterday I decided to play a little.  I decided to stamp….freehand. I don’t have many stamps – it’s not something I do a lot, so I was limited in what I could do. If I continue to explore this I will make some custom stamps for myself (or etch a design)

IMG_20140615_214229

If you want to learn more about zentangles – There are books and classes and more.

I have to say that I haven’t read any of them so I can’t really comment but it would be interesting to SEE the drawings and to hear their connection with doodling as a meditative exercise. I know it calms my mind. And I don’t think you have to know how to draw, or that you have to do it like I do, or like anyone else does – just DO it!

So. give it to me straight – do you doodle? Will you try?