Best Happy Holidays

Hellow to everyone who loggs on and reads my occasional posts.

I wish you all a great holiday and a wonderful new year when it arrives.

I'm already looking forward to a great new year filled with creativeity, travel and beautiful objects.

Best wishses, and I'll blogg to you all again next year.

Till next time, over and out.

Waste Jewellery Disposal Unit

I created this brush brooch and jewellery box in reaction to all the thoughtless, mass-produced jewellery in the world.

Any such unwanted jewellery can be placed into the Waste Jewellery receptacle in preparation for its revivification or recycling.

The brush brooch can be used to sweep any fragments of broken jewellery into the receptacle, ensuring maximised sustainability and outcome of the process.

a Waste Jewellery Disposal Unit is a must have for all environmentally conscious lovers of jewellery everywhere.

Spin the Set

These vessels and related trays are directly inspired by spinning tops in both form and function.
The traditional spinning top design of the Dredel was the starting point for this project. This top is used to play gambling games at Hanukkah, this aspect of play led me to make a set of pieces which could be used to enjoyably prolong a coffee meeting between friends after the conversation has dried up, simply by those gathered playing with the table ware.

All pieces are Chrome plated copper.

New Work Coming Soon

Here is Aa sneak preview of some new work which is hot off the press which I will be telling you about over the coming weeks.

For a friend

A very good Friend of mine has taken the Huge step of marring her man.

He had given her a pair of silver and topaz earrings during their courtship which she had decided to wear on the big day. She decided she needed something to relate with them and very kindly asked me to make her a pendant using the same materials to complete a set.

Thank you Ann, for asking me to make a piece of jewellery for such a landmark day in your life, it was an honour and I hope it is a pleasant reminder of the joy you shared with all you friends and family that remarkable day.

From Sacred Sustenance

One of my most recent pieces, is this brooch which has its origins in the pomegranate fruit.

Whilst doing a project on survival I decided that both physical and spiritual sustenance were needed for survival. I chose the pomegranate for its links with Buddha. The legend has it that whilst fasting and meditating during his quest for enlightenment Buddha would eat only one seed from the pomegranate tree under which he sat.

This brooch is a charm of sorts. A physical reminder for the wearer that one's survival is dependant a balanced diet of physical food and spiritual and mental good health.

Gold in a Pan

This is a picture of my FIRST gold purchase. It was a special and exciting moment for me, as now I feel like I really can say that I am a Gold and Silversmith.

Weighing in at 2 grams of 24 carat gold there isn't quite enough form me to make a ring from it yet (which my aunt has placed an order for). I feel this project would be a fitting tribute to these special yellow grains of metal because it would require that I use so many of my Goldsmithing skills.

Up for Auction

Here it is Ladies and gentlemen, my latest work. This sterling silver ring - topped with a stylishly crown set cubic zirconia - is my donation to the RMIT Gold and Silversmithing Fund-raiser Auction.

To see this piece and many more besides, head to Trades Hall at 5:30pm on the 11th of August to view the complete range which will be up for Auction.

Gold and Silversmithing Fund Raiser Auction

Its Auction time again! Well, not quite...but the RMIT Gold and Silversmithing Auction 2011 is coming up on the 11th of August at the Bella Union Bar - Trades Hall. Viewing of the fantastic jewellery donated by students and professional Melbourne contemporary jewellers starts at 5:30pm. Or if you can't wait till then follow the link below to get sneak peak of the jewels which will be up for sale.

http://rmit-g-and-s-auction2011.blogspot.com/

This is a great opportunity to start or continue your jewellery collection.

Wholeness

This Jewellery piece is an exploration into symbiotic relationships. The relationship between the parts of the piece to each other and the relationship of the brooch to the wearer and the wholeness which springs into being when all the interdependent parts come together.

Without the metal appendages which slide into the housing of the shell structure of the brooch back, the piece is incomplete. Likewise, without the brooch back the patinated metal components (these could be called the brooches perhaps?) are unwearable. The coming together of the pieces brings the Object/s into a state of wholeness which is both physical and visual.

If we follow this line of thinking, the brooch isn't a brooch until it is worn. Before a person pins it to their coat, it is just an object with potential. When worn, this potential is realised, the object becomes jewellery; a Brooch.

Transforming Trees

These images are from Pakistan and were taken after the recent wide-spread flooding (but not by me). What your looking at are trees which millions spiders climbed into in their bid for survival. Because the flood waters have taken so long to recede the spiders have cocooned the trees in their webs.

Public Displays of Attention

An exhibition of contemporary jewellery by Claire McArdle

10-21 May, Opening 10th May 5.30-7.30pm
First Site Gallery, 360 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Shoe no longer walking

The power of abandoned objects.

This image immediately had me asking questions. Who owned the shoe? Why would they leave just one shoe behind? What is such a dainty slipper doing in a grungy part of town?

After speaking with the artist - a good friend of mine - it turns out that this shoe has had a bit of a Cinderella experience. The photo was taken on new years day, in Milan. Evidently some time during the previous nights celebrations it was lost to the Italian streets.

This information raises new questions even as it offers up possible answers.

Photo by Inari Kiuru

http://www.inarikiuru.blogspot.com/

Baby Elephant Hike

Pendant - Sterling Silver, neoprene; oxidised.

Brooch - Sterling silver, stainless steel; engraved, oxidised.

Casting Caverns

Check out a stage by stage review of the making of this piece at: powertoolplaytime.blogspot.com

sterling silver, leather, cast, fabricated, painted, varnished oxidised.

Before its put together a piece always looks so wonderful. Neat, accurate, delicate and ephemeral.

The components which make up a jewel are often more interesting than the finished piece. the relationship of each part to the next and to the idea of the whole, finished piece as it will be in the future are intriguing. The components - all neatly laid out - make visible the intentionality in the thought process which will define the end product.

More thoughts on this latter perhaps.

Lend Me your Ears! Official Announcement

You are welcome to view a new two part exhibition at MAILBOX 141

lend me your ears is curated by Dianne Beevers

& features new work by 38 contemporary jewellers

opening Thursday 3 March 5.30pm

open for viewing from Tuesday 1 March

MAILBOX 141

Entrance, 141 - 143 Flinders Lane Melbourne

between Russell Street and Oliver Lane

Mon/Fri 8am-6pm Sat 10-5pm

contact
martinacopley@bigpond.com 0408 110 109
shanleymcburney@hotmail.com 0408 345 491
MAIL 362 Richardson Street Middle Park 3206

blogspot www.mailbox-141.artabase.net

Lend Me your Ears!

Above: detail of earring by Stephen Robb

Lend Me Your Ears is an exhibition of earrings at Mail Box 141 on Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD, by the Melbourne based research jewellery group Part-B. The show is in conjunction with the L'oréal Fashion Week.

Look for more details in the L'oréal Fashion week's program and on the Part-B website:

http://part-b.crimsoncactus.net/part%20b.html

Carving Wax like you've never seen before

Check this out for some amazing wax carving action!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=k7OjRYQAm64

Friendship Tree

I have just found out about this studio store and I think its great. Its so good to see that there are still people out there making soft toys for kids by hand.

The Friendship Tree studio store is in Northcote, Victoria.

Just copy the URL below to your browser and head to their website for more information on where to find them and to check out pictures of the great range of children's toys, dolls houses and felt art and more.

http://www.thefriendshiptree.com.au/pages/catalogue/wee-folk-amp-dolls.php

Hanging out with you

Earrings, sterling silver.