Pearl Stories, No. 7

I received my tiniest contribution just after moving to California in June. It was from Natalia Araya in Valencia, Spain and inside the mailer addressed in sweeping handwriting was a small, oval-shaped trinket box. The box, with its embossed leaf-pattern texture, had a mosaic of pink, yellow, and blue flowers on its hinged lid. I carefully opened the box to find a folded parcel, sealed with gold tape. I carefully opened this little bundle, too, and discovered five loops of thread-like black wire, each strung with seed pearls. I immediately wondered what the story was and how old they were.

I sent an email to Natalia to say thank you and let her know the pearls had arrived, as I always do with my contributors. I also asked her if the the pearls were old and, later that day, she replied with a detailed story about how she acquired them. She told me when she first moved to Spain, she bought some tools from a 78-year-old jeweler named Don Juan, "a retired man who lived in the middle of nowhere yet specialized in Victorian jewelry repair." She said they became friends and had many great conversations. One day he gave her a box full of old gems and pearls, including the ones she had sent to me. She asked him about the pearls and he explained they had been a part of something he had repaired once and the wire they were on was original. Natalia went on to say, "I treasure them, they are just so little and such a special gift, I am glad to give them to go to a big project, they have been around [and] I feel it's a good way to finish their story..." In another email, she sent me some photos of her with Don Juan, one from the day she bought the tools and another from after they had become friends. In this picture, the two are out for a walk one weekend during a visit with his family at their country house.

I like to think about the events that lead up to these emails and that will also, eventually, lead to me adding the pearls to the Pearl Piece. What an interesting series and wonderful connection between the three of us and then to all the other people who sent pearls as well. I like that these tiny pearls were once a part of something and are now finding purpose again, much like the pearl I described a few weeks ago. And, once again, I find myself in awe of the possibilities of human connection.

Read the other stories:

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

No. 4

No. 5

No. 6

Thanks for reading.

Pearl Stories, No. 5

Claire MacDonald from Toronto, Canada sent me a teardrop-shaped pearl in the most beautiful pinky-peach color. It had a delicate gold bail attached, too, evidence that it was once part of something. The letter inside the package detailed how it had been an earring and half of a pair given to her by an aunt a few years ago on her birthday. She described how the earrings had quickly become favorites. She also mentioned how as a jeweler she doesn't wear much jewelry but when she does, she chooses pieces that have "sentimental value, or nostalgic meaning," points I can relate to. These earrings, worn almost daily, were special. She continued that one of the jump rings would come loose and she would temporarily loose one of the pearls from time to time. However, somehow, she would always find it, repair the earring, and wear the set once again. Unfortunately, the last time this happened, just a few weeks before I announced my Pearl Piece, she lost one of the pearls for good. When she read my post about collecting pearls from people everywhere, she "couldn't think of anything better than to send the lone remaining pearl to [me]." Now this single pearl is once again a part of something.

Read the other stories:

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

No. 4

Thanks for reading.

Pearl Stories, No. 4

Siri Kvalfoss from Tyssedal, Norway sent pearls to me in late April, mentioning in her hand-written note she had learned I was looking for pearls on April 27; the letter was dated April 28 and I appreciated her quick response. Her 15 faux pearls were hand-sewn to a piece of white linen alongside a wonderful geometric embroidery also in white. In addition to the individual teal stitches holding each pearl in place, she had also stitched a delicate 1/2" x 1" section, creating a free-form, yet thoughtful composition. I learned later that she had also done the white embroidery, Hardanger-embroidery, a traditional part of the national costume of her district, Hardanger, and taught to her by her grandmother. The words that accompanied this small artwork stated the pearls were "totally fake, but nice anyway," which made me smile. Siri also mentioned she felt compelled to sew them to the linen. The excitement of her text, punctuated with exclamation points, and the lovely presentation of her contribution seemed so heartfelt to me... and here is this person in Norway whom I have never met, connected to me by a common interest in metalsmithing, and she had taken the time to not only send me pearls but to go even further and send them sewn in this manner. I was thrilled to receive her contribution and even more excited to be connected to her more through the Pearl Piece.

Read the other Pearl Stories here, here and here.

Thanks for reading. 

Recent Customs

wedding necklace of spray painted pearls for Adrienne

Some of the last things I made before I moved were custom pieces: an 18K gold wedding ring, a 14K gold bracelet, a spray-painted pearl necklace. Custom pieces are always fun, often a challenge, and a great way to connect with clients. I think my favorite requests are those in which I get to use gold, alter a production design, or play with spray paint. I made a few other customs last fall and winter and thought I would share them with you now as well. You can view the collection of custom pieces I've made in the last few years on Facebook.

18K 8mm wedding band with dot detail for Brad and Katey

14K hammered gold chain bracelet for Elizabeth

Small Arc earrings with 14K gold ear wires with catch, Bouquet Necklace on a 14K gold chain, Tokens Necklace with two roses and hot pink teardrop on a 14K gold chain for Olga

"Mother and Child" ring with garnet and tourmaline for Christy

Thanks for reading.

Bright Light

I have long admired the work of Ólafur Elíasson and became acutely interested when I lived in Iceland in the spring. I got to see his work in person for the first time--Ólafur Elíasson: Tiltrú at i8 Gallery--and liked the exhibition so much, I went twice. As I said in a recent interview on Art Jewelry Forum, "Seeing work about Iceland in Iceland by a favorite artist (who also happens to be Icelandic!) was fascinating and wonderful." I also spent several mornings wandering in Harpa, the concert hall in Reykjavík that he designed the facade of.

In both i8 Gallery and in Harpa, I was able to interact with his work. One piece at i8, a series of four mirrors each frosted in different areas and positioned at just the right height, made me feel as if I was walking in fog as I moved from mirror to mirror. The experience was reminiscent of some of my long walks in Iceland as it transformed the gallery into something else. While in Harpa, as I walked around inside and up and down stairs, the play of light, shadow, and prismatic color allowed me to interact with the building and heightened my awareness of the space and of myself in it.

inside Harpa on my first morning in Reykjavík and in Iceland

I have also been curious about light and shadow for awhile now, too, collecting images and videos as I walk. I think seeing Elíasson's work in person and upon further reading about it, I find myself diving deeper into this inspiration. Finally, something I keep going over in my mind is the fact that I believe my purpose or intention as an artist is to communicate and connect with others.

So...just the other day I read a Tweet from Studio Ólafur Elíasson that grabbed my attention. It began with "Celebrate the connectivity of art..." and then mentioned a new project with The Guardian called, "Share Your Sun." As soon as I read the Tweet, I dropped what I was doing and visited the website. The first few words drew me in and when I investigated the project I immediately wanted to join in. Anyone can participate by contributing photos or videos of the sun. The photo I submitted is the image at the top which I was excited to find among many others on both Share Your Sun and The Guardian over the weekend. This project gave me an opportunity to connect, communicate, and share with a broader audience and in the work of a favorite artist as it allowed me to go a little further with my own interest in light, shadow, and photography.

screen shot from Share Your Sun

my photo is on the left in the middle

Thanks for reading.