10 girls 10 colours: orange

So it's all systems go for another tenmoregirls exhibition, 10 girls 10 colours. This year we each drew one of 10 colours, looking at our personal response to our colour. What does it represent? How does it make people feel? My colour is orange.

Orange runs a close second to red, as a favourite colour in our house. My first thoughts ran to the kitchen, home to 1970s orange handled utensils, vintage Pyrex and linen. Then they turned to cooking.

A warm colour, orange stimulates the appetite. I thought of spice markets, towering pyramids of ground spices, with heady, exotic fragrances. My searches returned images of spices, but in amongst them, pictures of food. There were thick curry sauces, tagines, spicy soups; I found myself not so much inspired to make jewellery, as inspired to start cooking.

I've always been a defeatist in the kitchen, daunted by recipes with too many ingredients, or what I thought to be tricky cooking methods. I could talk myself out of trying new things pretty easily. Recently though, I've been breaking down my self imposed barriers, finding that just following a recipe can bring surprisingly delicious results, and a little confidence can inspire creativity.

And so for 10 girls 10 colours, I'm going to spend some time in the kitchen. I'm planning a series of wearable pieces, inspired by the things I'm learning to cook. Stay tuned, first thing on the menu is a family favourite.

floral troubles

This story starts at two separate times.
One beginning was when I was in my third and final year of study. I had an idea for a series about the Mexican Days of the Dead, and I made rings, brooches and a neckpiece from small aluminium flowers with silver skulls at their centres. I was never really happy with the resolution (the rings were popular, but it wasn’t a big year for brooches), and always wanted to revisit the concept.

The story’s other beginning was when I had one of those rare moments of extremely good fortune, and met Lisa Furno. Lisa and I worked together for a year, and not only is she very creative, and a lovely person, but she has connections. Lisa put me in touch with the JamFactory in Adelaide, and I’m going to be in an exhibition of emerging Sydney Jewellers, in the gallery’s Atrium space. It runs from May 22nd to June 20th.

I assume you’ve guessed the ending of the story. I've buckled down, desperately trying to saw pierce many aluminium flowers to create something for the exhibition. Keep your fingers crossed, and come back soon. I'll post a finished product soon.

pieces available at the Gaffa retail store

woodshed
925 silver, tiger eye, cord
necklace, 2010



remains
925 silver, stainless steel
brooch, 2010



lamb
925 silver, quartz, cord
necklace, 2010


woodshed & lamb
925 silver, stainless steel
brooch, 2010


I decided to return to the farmhouse when making work available at the Gaffa retail store. The Midwest Farmhouse series was inspired by photographs from the Great Depression and the music of Tom Waits. I was struck by the bleakness shown in the images and the sinister darkness of the characters and situations Waits creates.
The pieces are made from cast sterling silver, snapshots of things commonly seen around farmhouses. The pieces are small and innocent when seen individually, but suggest a grim narrative when seen together, a macabre twist in the tale.

new work - coming soon

Thanks to the lovely Zoe Brand at the new Gaffa retail store, I had a grand motivation to get back to my bench. I'll post some photos of what I made soon, but in the meantime, you should really go to Fidelity, opening Thursday 11th, February, 6-8pm.

Gaffa Gallery

281 Clarence St.

Sydney CBD

N.S.W. 2000