Inspiration

I'm interested in how those of you that have a clearly defined 'style' or signature style came to it? What inspired you to that signature style?

This has always been a difficult question for me to answer. I do think that I have a theme, or style running through my work. If not intentionally, then just as my personal aesthetic and taste working their way into my jewelry. There are several things that are very important to my design process and philosophy, color, contrast and clean, simple, modern lines.

Color
I have always loved color. I took watercolor painting lessons in high school and I think that playing with color through painting really had a big influence on me. My mom said she was surprised when I chose jewelry because of this fact. However, my jewelry professor, Harlan Butt, is an enamelist, and the facilities for enameling at UNT are great. I loved working with enamels in school, and though I haven't used them since I bring color into my work via several materials. I use gemstones, pebbles, and more recently polymer clay to add color to my work. In my pebble and collage series I really enjoy the color combinations that I create by mixing my materials. My design process often includes playing around with stone combinations until I find groupings that please me.


Contrast
I adore bringing contrast into my work. The contrast of the dull pebbles and shiny, luminescent gemstones. The contrast between pillowy and colorful polymer clay and hard edged oxidized silver. Or simply colorful and multi colored groupings of gemstones surrounded by flat and darkened silver. All of these contrasts are important to me.



Clean, Simple, Modern
I am definitely attracted to clean, simple and modern lines. Whether in Architecture, Furniture, Fashion, Landscaping, or Art. My preference for simplicity definitely comes through in my jewelry designs. Generally my work is not representational, rather it is about the materials and process. My metalwork is a simple frame work that supports and accentuates whatever materials I have chosen to incorporate. I enjoy coming up with new connections, and creating a work of art that is out of the ordinary.





To read more stories of inspiration, read these blogs, whose authors are posting on the topic for 6/5/09:
http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com/
http://andescruz.ganoksin.com/blogs
http://andescruz.wordpress.com
http://daniellemillerjewelry.blogspot.com/
http://sarawestermark.blogspot.com/
http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com
http://etsymetal.blogspot.com/
http://tangerinetreehouse.blogspot.com
http://ninagibsondesigns.blogspot.com/