From the Blog Archives, November 14th 2008, Piles of Poetry

I just found this pile of poetry clipped up on my cork board...it's a interesting mix of Rilke, Kate Richey and others. Below are engraving practice pieces, before engravers can start to work on real pieces in silver and gold.

Fennel Four Ways

Jewelry Solstice Inspiration

Everything is Transformed

This piece was inspired by a giant antler I took a picture of at the SF flower mart at a little place hidden in the back that carries all sorts of unusual odds and ends.  Any chance to carve something from wax, to make a representation of something that can be worn, this is my love, my meditation.  The 18k plate at the end of the antler carries the words of 18th century chemist, Antione Laurent Lavoisier from the book, Elements of Chemistry; 

Nothing is lost, nothing created: everything is transformed. 

Sometimes it comes together perfectly for the words and form.   It is tricky when managing a family, a business and a creative life, tricky to be present enough to even allow for the right words to appear. I found this in a book of poetry by one of my favorite poets and translators, Jane Hirshfield.

I have been stretching myself lately--- trying my hand at a few things I am not exactly naturally talented at.  For example, I just started taking my own pictures of my collection for the website.  You may notice a difference in how things look going forward. It may look funny for a while until I get better. With all due respect to our photographer, I just felt the shots were looking just a bit too enhanced-- so I thought I would try it myself using natural light.  Admittedly I am a total novice at this point.  My friend Sven Wiederholt came to the studio and gave me a crash course on photography and now I owe him a Black Dogwood necklace as a thank you.  Sven is infinitely patient, generous and talented.  I took the ones above and I really appreciate that the piece really does look like that, without enhancements, the writing is exactly that clear and the silver is darkened to that degree.

The Stag necklace along with other new styles, and a selection of fun new versions of classics are coming to our site soon, hopefully by the end of this week if we can get it together.  There is a lot going on here at the studio...pictures of our new showroom will be coming shortly!

The Eye

I am obsessed with images of eyes right now and trying to figure out how to incorporate them into my January collection so I have been doing studies from Rodin's sculptures s well as getting people in the studio to sit still. Here is a drawing of Megan's eye.

And Here You Have The Santiago

Love is the poetry of the senses. --Honore de Balzac

Love is the beauty of the soul. --St. Augustine

When my wax came back from the castor upstairs--our R and D caster we call him--my face was red hot with anger. I worked on that little heart for days and was concerned that it might not come out. And I was assured it would be just fine.

It wasn't fine. It was the one piece that did not come back perfect...it looked like it a little hole burst through the already hollow piece.

A few weeks later, after musing on my broken heart, the disaster revealed itself to be a blessiing in disguise and here you have the Santiago, one of my favorite new pieces.

Coming Along In The Studio....

I paint a design directly onto the wax first before carving.

I am working on pieces for Mother's Day and have been playing around with the highly impractical idea of photo rings. The trick will be making these extra waterproof--my lifelong challenge.

"God is in the details." -Mies Van Der Rohe

This is me putting the finishing touches on the gold ball inlay that I have incorporated into many of the new pieces for August. The red pitch is heated until soft and the pieces are melted into it. Once it cools the pitch is hard creating a supportive background for working the metal.