Thursday, April 7, 2011

Sacred Adornments .....About some of my jewelry.......

After sharing my new blog "Living On Cream Street" on facebook and twitter which included some new pictures of my jewelry .... many of my facebook friends left comments on facebook and or like buttoned my jewelry....  being that my jewelry is the main art form /art medium I am currently focusing on at this time  I decided I would talk a little bit about it .
Crescent Moon Wire Sculpure  By Dena Sewell
Bearded Lady choker necklace
Victorian Filligree wire sculpture Labradorite and chalcedony By Dena Sewell
I am interested in the anthropological aspects I like to refer to my jewelry or jewelry/accessories in general as " Sacred Adornments " because I like to think that what each person adorns their body with reflects each individuals spirit, how each one of us  relate to the world ....how we want to be perceived, what culture we are from even what religion we practice .Of course society and cultural imprinting play a huge role .  In modern culture today fashion trends seem to be what the mainstream society at large looks to but fundamentally at the core it is the same throughout history .what one chooses to wear implicates which group or style one associates with ,there class system ,religion ,sexual ,religious and even racial background. Designer brands are a perfect example of this .I would be lying if I said that I wasn't inspired by pop culture and fashion . As an artist or designer I think I am inspired by the distant ancient  past as a way of sort of transcending todays consumer driven fashion trends which on the surface are meaningless and reflect all that is currently wrong with the world .Fine jewelry made from gold and precious gems symbolize wealth for centuries and seems to have propelled imperialism even today .I don't think I even have to get into the countless indigenous civilizations that have be exploited and or destroyed in our quest for gold ,silver and gems .I do use real gemstones but the gems i use for the most part are fair trade from small mom and pop mining operations .I like to use naturals  gemstones as they are when they come out of ground ..they are simply faceted and drilled .Another reason that I like to use natural gemstones is that certain gems contain certain energies ..(.I know I sound like a hippie kook but just here me out ).....we know from technology and the use of certain crystals in our cell phones and our computers hold or amplify signals at different frequencies.Ancient man seemed to understand this we know because all over the world they built huge monolithic structures arranged with perfect mathematical precision ,made from specific types of stone like quartz Chrystal and lime stone   that had to be imported from in some cases hundreds even thousands of miles away with an exorbitant cost of man power and resources . Stone henge ,The statues of Easter Island  ,Palenque Mayan Ruins and of course the Great Pyramids(You should watch a documentary series called The Pyramid Code it documents new data about what the pyramids were used for ..the author shows evidence that maybe mainstream  Egyptology got it wrong  ... it is current available to watch online on netflix)modern science is just now catching up and understanding what ancient and indigenous people knew about .I use wire for some of the same reasons we know the conductive power of certain metals like copper which is one of my favorite wires to use ...it is very beautiful as it ages the patina has so many colors at different stages of oxidation....also silver and brass.I like to experiment with oxidation because the patina represents time passing which loops back to my being inspired by the past .Oxdation also tends to help bring out the details in my wire work and also gives the jewelry piece a more organic asthedic ..this crescent moon wire sculpture  pendant is a perfect example of how much oxidation really enhances the piece .My Pagan /Wiccan Sistas seem to really love this one hence the crescent is a symbol for the goddess generally but Artemis /Diana goddess of the moon ,I like that this piece seems to also have a sort of abstract or modern feel but still remains organic .
Quan Yin Necklace By Dena Sewell
I like to incorporate clay and textiles as well this next piece My Quan Yin pedant necklace .It is dripping with gemstones .I admit i over do it sometimes but i just can't help it I love me some bling .The use of so many gemstones tends to prop the price of my jewelry up but at the same time I challenge that I think the pieces are unique one of a kind couture quality artisan ship . I challenge anyone to buy fine jewelry with the same kt.weight  at my price points of 50.00 to 150.00.This Quan Yin Necklace converts to a brooch.I used sapphires, tourmaline ,emeralds and moonstone  .the Quan Yin itself was made from polymer clay painted aged with copper leaf the photo doesn't do it justice .I will post more of my jewelry I do other styles of jewelry with vintage textiles . stuff I like and or don't like .please leave me your comments all of yalls opinions are important to me good or bad ...I feel like as it is the most painful constructive criticism has truly helped me evolve as an artist .Smooches and Thanks for all yalls support !Ciao for now !


4 comments:

  1. I love looking at your jewelry collection, the story of each made them more interesting. The Quan Yin Necklace is what I find the most mysterious.

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  2. Thank you so much for your kind words .I havent posted on my blog for so long as I am very busy working on several projects .I am still making jewelry and currently working with textiles as well...I will post more soon.
    Ciao,Dena

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