3D Artists....It's time to flex those 2D muscles... and Vice Versa

I have noticed a pattern over the last 25 years of creating....yes I started at age 9 and then it was all about drawing disney characters as accurately as possible. It wasn't until I had many jewelry making years under my belt and I returned to drawing on the side that I noticed this pattern . I now try to make it a point to practice it regularly. What am I referring to?

Improving your skill set through practicing another.

After my art school days, I had been sculpting metal regularly. One day I felt inspired to sit down and randomly bust out a drawing. Low and behold, I was better at drawing than I ever had been before, Much better. Strange...I mean, I hadn't drawn in years. How could I have improved? What I found as I drew, was that my line no longer stopped at the visual edge of the object I was drawing. In my mind's eye, it traveled around the object. I could see the hidden areas. Working three dimensionally had taught me to better understand Contour and shape and most importantly dimension. I then found this working in reverse. After a drawing spree, I return to the metal and find the dimension of my piece has an added depth and my line work has more purpose. Sculpting jewelry after all is drawing through space.

It is easy to become trapped in a rut so to speak of one avenue of arts.

When you find your self married to your artistic comfort zone...

I would like to inspire you to shake it up. Break the pattern, Create something outside of that box and see what it brings back to your Norm.You will be surprised. Flex a new area of your create brain than normal and you will find your work grows dimensionally in ways you didn't expect.

Have an inspired day!

Kathryn Holton Stewart

Silver Bonsai Gallery

http://www.silverbonsai.com/

Pictured above: my most recent 2D artistic challenge,

color pencil on toned sanded pastel paper,

Title: "If you let me out, I promise not to do again"

Bridging the gap : Concept & Technique

As I was exploring my facebook friends status reports this morning, I came across one that really got my brain ticking on a subject that has been in the background of our world since the start of my career.
Why is there a Grand Divide between the Conceptual and the Fine jewelry worlds? Fortunately, there are leaders within our industry working steadily to build a bridge. This conversation was inspired by Cindy Edelstein,Jewelers Resource Bureau, and her upcoming talk on Fine Jewelry in an Arts & Crafts Gallery. Interestingly, the first comment on her status in which Cindy mentioned her talk was a woman claiming it’s just not possible or at least not worth it to show Fine jewelry in such an environment.
The question this raised in my head is…just when did Fine Jewelry stop being “Art”.
Historically, if we look to the early 1900s, we can see jewelry of such extreme artistry how could it be referred to as anything but and yet the creations of that time had every quality that defines “Fine jewelry” today. The makers balanced creative vision with an extreme mastery of techniques. Artists such as Rene' Lalique and Georges Fouquet incorporated many techniques such as hand engraving , fabricating, stone setting, and enameling together to create illustratively and sculptural stunning works of art. Each creation pushed the envelope of design and displayed thorough attention toward wear ability and technique.
It is in our artistic nature to push the envelope. Just as Duchamp signed the toilet, Warhol painted the soup can, and Pollack splattered paint, contemporary jewelry was born. Concepts were pushed in new directions and techniques were broken down in new ways. Statements were being made and of course still are today. The challenge with the push toward concept and away from technique is that the envelope can be pushed only so far before it tears. As contemporary jewelers or instructors within this world, it needs to become our focus to keep technique to the foreground of our work. We should try to make a point of not just asking why, and look closer at how. We should hone our skills and remember that the objects we create, artistic statements aside, are meant to be worn.
I believe, Fine Jewelry does belong in the Art Gallery arena; for it is there that the consumer may better recognize the artistry which lies behind its creation. Through this, jewelry may enter a space in which it is not overlooked and overshadowed by the production world, but rather can be revered simultaneously for its technique and artistry.

Finding your Design Inspiration

As I have been searching for what to create for the Vision Awards,(Yes I know last minute) , it got me thinking about design inspiration....

In order to train eyes and hands to the paper, we must first train our eye to the world around us, where everyday objects can inspire extraordinary things. I often find myself looking for underlying shapes & observing the textures and colors within them. I learn to appreciate the movement of line.... in, around, and through space. Becoming a visual data collector, this sense of observation harnesses creative inspiration and develops design skills.
Our environment can serve as a constant source of creative and visual inspiration. From the organic line work of a flower to the architectural detailing of a building , we are surrounded by an inspiring array of shape, texture, & color.


In jewelry design, we must also look to the human figure for inspiration. Jewelry by definition is meant to interact with the body. It is a wearable art. The figure is the backdrop on which our designs come to life.
Training our skills in drawing the contours of the body, teaches what lines our jewelry designs must follow. Utilizing the natural flow of line to enhance jewelry’s interaction with the wearer is always an underlying goal.
Finally, look to create balance through the visual play of what is and is not there. A balanced composition is of key importance in design. Keep in mind, balance is not to be confused with symmetry. Some of the most successful designs incorporate what I like to refer to as "Balanced Asymmetry". Just as a scale can balance through the use of different objects, a design can become balanced through the offsetting of elements, as seen in the pendant to the left.

So next time you find your self designing, hopefully these words will become a part of your inspirational bucket. In return, whatever your medium of choice, I would love to hear a favorite place, time, or otherwise you find your greatest inspiration.

Enjoy & Be Inspired!

Jewelry and illustrations by Kathryn Holton Stewart

Contact:

http://www.silverbonsai.com/

http://www.modernheirloom.com/

kat@silverbonsai.com

Artful Scrolls & Engraver Jason Marchiafava

Scrolls of imaginative and ornamental patterns can be found throughout the hand engraving world. As the process of cutting a scroll unfolds, it is as if you are watching leaves uncurl and vines intertwine. When I began engraving, I was introduced to the concepts behind designing a layout by a very talented engraver, Jason Marchiafava. Therefore it made perfect sense to introduce you all to him now. Thanks again, Jason for supplying this evenings imagery.

Inspired by nature, the curling of an Oak leaf, and the blooming of a flower.... the key to a well engraved scroll begins with layout.
As we draw and paint the scroll,we train our minds to the patterns of line and the cuts in the metal become second nature.
Technique breaks the lusciousness of the scroll into a well defined series of repetitious cuts.

I had the fortune of first observing these techniques through Jason's skillful hands. This is evident through the Scrolls pictured here inlaid with 24K Gold & featuring exhibition grade Banknote engraving.

The shaded depth is created through the reflection and absorption of light. The true beauty of a hand engraved scroll lies in it's ability to dance light through each cut...giving us the impression of motion.

When I began to observe and create ornamental scroll work, it became apparent just how full the world is of these entrancing works of art. From the pattern on a wall to the chair I am sitting in now, these illustratively stunning details seem to creep into my visual world every other minute.

My final thought to leave you with this evening is a suggestion ...

As you wander through your world for the next few days , make a point to observe the scrolls hiding within you surroundings and allow your eyes a moment to enjoy!

Written by Kathryn Holton Stewart

Images & Engraving Samples by Jason Marchiafava

21st Century Jewelry Design, Balancing Modern Technology with Traditional Technique

Looking to the Masters of the early 1900's and beyond, we are inspired, humbled, and awestruck by the complexity of design, intricacy of detail, and masterful craftsmanship.
We now have the privilege of ushering in this new era of advanced technology with tools such as computer aided design and milling, and laser welding at our fingertips.
We are challenged to balance this technology with traditional hands on techniques in order to better not only ourselves, but our creations.

The Creative process, from concept to completion, strikes a balance within our daily lives.
As studio artists, we strive to continue to explore new ideas, master new techniques, practice old ones, and attack the daily challenges of custom design. Throughout it all, our goal remains to stay true to our artistic vision.
Metalsmithing is a process. One which requires time, patience, and effort. Throughout this process, the creative mind is alive and inspiration can be found. Pulling inspiration from the jewelry master’s of our past, we explore our ideas through virtual design.
When hands must rest, theories can fly. Designs can be realized which before would have remained buried indefinitely with in the Mind’s Eye. We combine this technology of today with age old techniques such as hand engraving to create these modern heirlooms.
Becoming empowered by the freedom of theory, we explore forms and designs from all angles. There is a rhythm which we strike in a metalsmithing studio,
forging, filing, polishing and engraving.
The physicality reigns.
That same rhythm exists in the virtual studio, through which a balance is struck. We stretch our ideas, for they are as fluid as the metal which lies before us daily. We challenge our vision , push our technique, & open our mind’s to new
possibilities.