'Arm Candy'- Botanical Jewelry at The Philadelphia Flower Show

Jewelry class, 'Arm Candy'. Philadelphia Flower Show 2015. Mimi Favre.

Creating authentic looking jewelry from dried plant material requires a unique skill set. Aside from the practical knowledge of jewelry design, horticulture and various crafting supplies, the real challenge for me is interpreting the class title and the ensuing design process. This piece is my Philadelphia Flower Show Entry for 2015 in the artistic Jewelery class "Arm Candy"- a bracelet.

  I like to start with a concept sketch first. Arm Candy suggests a big, bold and colorful statement cuff.

Botanical bracelet design. Mimi Favre.

Next begins the process of trial and error of matching botanical forms and applying color. Ideally, the botanical material's physical characteristics should not be altered too much. And, rules state that no mechanics may show. No matter how hard I try to keep to the design, the finished piece morphs a bit as it evolves into a three dimensional piece, which is OK. And, it ALWAYS takes way longer to make than I think it will take. Glue and paint need time to dry. 

Magnolia grandiflora. Mimi Favre

 

Early making stage- putting it together. Mimi Favre

I wrapped a large Magnolia leaf around a soup can with multiple rubber bands and left it to dry for a month or so. After experimenting with different paints and nail polish, I created a warm silver metallic. I abandoned the two spherical elements (sycamore) in favor of more 'pearls' and other subtle shapes (beech twig
and bud). The dragonfly is in process.

Botanical Jewelry. Magonolia, leucodendrum, beech, birch, holly berry, styrax, fern, maple seed, beauty berry. Mimi Favre

Botanical jewelry ingredients! Mimi Favre

 Next I created my design elements. This step takes the most time since one is constantly balancing proportion, scale and color by sampling to see what works. The deadline is approaching and I start to question the intent of my design or I get too hyper-focused on a particular element. My mind drifts and I hear Tim Gunn of Project Runway, "make it work!" Funny, my amazing high school art teacher used to say this too!

Eventually, its time to start building out the piece and stop my mind from second guessing. I continually evaluate the overall design as the natural elements are added. Crafting technique and skill plus minor engineering are necessary to achieve a clean and detailed piece. The material by nature can be brittle so a light touch is an advantage. 
 

Arm Candy, Philadelphia Flower Show 2015. Blue Ribbon. Mimi Favre

Botanical Bracelet. Mimi Favre

Design parameters and a deadline call for quick edits along the way, which is good practice. Gazing at my finished bracelet I am reminded once again that entering a competition provides the framework to hone one's own creative process. I am often making one off pieces in my jewelry work, so making a botanical jewelry piece is not so different.

The Philadelphia Flower Show is open to all. Anyone can enter this class no matter the experience. First timers do win. Collecting botanical specimens is an ongoing activity-- I have an archive (boxes) of pods, leaves, seeds and flower petals. Arboretums and nature preserves are good places to find unusual specimens.

Philadelphia Horticulture Society publishes an exhibitor guide in late September every year. 2015 Guide. Learn more:Gem of a Class

 

Hard work and a little luck.

AGTA Spectrum 2015- Platinum Honors.© Mimi Favre

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I have won an award! Having entered the AGTA Spectrum Award Competition seven times, my entry for 2015 was awarded Platinum Honors in the Classical category, a distinction from the Platinum Guild of America. I admit…. it feels good! 

The AGTA Spectrum Awards competition was created to promote colored gemstones in fine jewelry. Designers and manufacturers of all levels enter. Many have more resources including access to the newest technology like laser welding and CAD or amazing (expensive) gemstones. It's not hard to feel a bit defeated before starting. Last year I skipped this competition, and I nearly talked myself out of it this time, too. And, like any competition, the process of choosing winners is by nature subjective. 

Nonetheless, I enter for several reasons. Obviously, winners do garner publicity, and recognition is always welcome, but competitions have parameters and deadlines that create a framework, and freedom for the artist to create something of their choice, without the constraints that usually exist when the piece must meet the needs of a customer. So, for me, it’s about the spirit of competition and the personal fulfillment of completing a challenge.

Like many artists, I work alone. I design and make the prototypes in my jewelry. Aside from using some skilled services such as casting, I also do all of the construction and finishing on my work. I bought this group of tourmaline one year ago. I am drawn to green stones and especially the shades found in tourmaline that are found in many colors. I thought the green would show best against white metal. Platinum is the whitest of precious metals and great to work in.

Once I had settled on a long dangle with the two thin marquis stones, I re-arranged the stones over and over.  

 

©Mimi Favre

©Mimi Favre

©Mimi Favre

©Mimi Favre

The olive green stones are pretty, but I decided not to use them. The faceted prasolite did not belong.

Next I fabricated silver setting prototypes. 10mm, 9mm, 8mm  and a marquis setting. These were cast in platinum.

M. Favre

AGTA Spectrum 2015- Platinum Honors. ©Mimi Favre

 

Late Summer on The Outer Banks

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC. ©Favre

I love this place.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a stretch of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. It's a premier East coast surfing location which is why our family has been visiting since the mid 70's. It is also a destination for windsurfing, kitesurfing, birding and deep sea fishing. It's a place where you can spend every waking hour of the day in the water or on the sand.  The light changes by the minute and sometimes so does the weather. At night the sky is lighted by stars. 

A lot has changed since my first visit here. There are many more houses and visitors during peak summer months, but the growth could have been a lot worse. The fact that most of the beach is National Park and that the weather can be quite threatening and damaging, challenges even the strongest willed visitors and residents. Hurricane tides and wash over have cut the islands in pieces more than a few times. And the ocean around the point, is known as The Graveyard of the Atlantic. The residents of Cape Hatteras are proud of their maritime way of life.

Weathered tree roots. Cape Hatteras National Seashore. ©Favre 

So, while the surfers are scoping out the best beach for waves, I check for low tide and best shelling opportunities. Over the years I have collected all sorts of shells. Most of them are worn and smooth or I find skeletons and fragments. I have created jewelry from some. It's quite relaxing to sift through the piles--I could do this for hours, and I do! 

Shells, Cape Hatteras, NC. ©Favre

Shells, Cape Hatteras, NC. ©Favre

Driving on the beach is permitted and necessary for fishing at the point. The beaches also face closure for endangered bird nesting sites and sea turtle nests. Or, in this case erosion and high tides. You are on your own here, which is another reason it's a special place. There are only a couple of beaches with life guards. 

Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC.©Favre

The famous lighthouse painted with swirls of black and white is here too. It was moved back from the water's edge in 1999. Visitors can climb to the top. I did this when the kids were young in the old location and again on this trip.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. ©Favre

Interior stairway, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. ©Favre

Cape Hatteras point view. ©Favre

Late afternoon the chartered sport fishing boats arrive back in Hatteras village with the day's catch. We took a seat at the picnic table to have fresh steamed shrimp and a beverage!

Oden's dock, Cape Hatteras, NC. ©Favre

It is becoming more rare to find old houses on the island. Either they are damaged by storms or left to neglect. 

Old house in Buxton, NC. Favre©

Pamlico sound. Buxton, NC. ©Favre

This visit we stayed at the Inn on Pamlico sound. Every night brought a beautiful sunset. The sound is wide and shallow. The coastline hasn't been disturbed with bulkheads which makes it perfect for kayaking. Favorable no-wind made for a very peaceful setting on this particular evening.Taken from the deck at the Inn, looking south west to Hatteras Village.

This parting shot sums up everyday on a surf vacation: the car, surfboards, snacks, etc. Everything for a day on the beach.

Heirloom Rose Ring

Some years ago I planted a single pink antique rose in a newly landscaped area of my yard. It is most likely a species and unfortunately I have lost the tag. My interest as a gardener is in heirloom varieties which are often species and usually not as flashy as hybrids. This old rose variety has five single petals and dark green tooth edged leaves and is fragrant.

I was inspired by this lovely flower to carve a new ring for my Etsy shop. Through the ages flowers have communicated romantic and emotional messages and the Rose is no exception. Roses mean love.

Heirloom Rose. M.Favre©

I used this photo as a guide while I carved the wax.

M.Favre © 2012

M.Favre © 2012

Once cast in Sterling Silver I added an oxidized finish before the final polish.

Mimi Favre© 2012

Mimi Favre© 2012

A Lanai Hair Ornament-

Again,  I have created a botanical jewelry entry for The Philadelphia International Flower Show- March 4-11, 2012. This year's theme is Hawaii- Islands of Aloha. My entry is in the Artistic Jewelry Class titled  'Lanai Gathering- A Hair Ornament'. The entry must be made from plant material only such as seed pods, leaves, flower petals and nuts. Although the piece can actually be quite fragile, it must appear to be functional in scale and design. 

Concept Sketch. Favre

The first thing I do is research photos and the topic. Lanai is one of eight Hawaiian islands where tropical flowers and lush green foliage grow in abundance.  Hawaii is orchids, plumeria and exotic blooms. I decided my Hair Ornament would be a comb with fresh flowers. The next step is to find dry plant materials of various shapes and texture.

Boxwood leaves as Plumeria. Favre.

Dried Rhododendron pods- painted as flowers. Favre.

Chestnut and Onion skin Orchid. Favre.

A Chestnut with red onion skin and pieris leaves makes a perfect paphiopedilum orchid! Boxwood leaves become a plumeria flower. Dried Rhododendron pods split open to become an exotic bloom. The piece is slowly coming together.

Adding the gourd 'comb'.

A dried gourd has the perfect contour and material strength to be the comb. After cutting the rough outline I drew a pattern to be cut away. I also modified the comb design from my original sketch. In the background is a photo of an orchid that I used for reference.

Worktable. Pods, paint, nailpolish, etc.

Almost finished but lacking in fullness. Using my iPad app, Brushes, I drew over a photo of the piece in effort to visualize what I could add to make the piece stronger. More lavender flowers, more white Plumeria, and more 'green'. Also, need to bring more orange or yellow into the design. I used spray shellac on the gourd comb--I think it suggest tortoise shell which has a native Hawaiian look.

The Ingredients

 I am always on the look out for dried material to collect. Often these little treasures inspire jewelry designs. The Mesquite pod came from the grounds of the Tucson Convention Center during the AGTA Gemfair 2011!

Hair Ornament- Mimi Favre© 2012

The finished Hair Ornament for a Lanai Gathering.

I found Barbaraanne's Hair Comb Blog which is a very useful resource if you want to go deeper into the subject of Hair Ornaments.

South Sea Pearl & Sapphire Platinum Earrings

Recently, I completed a pair of sapphire and South Sea pearl earrings. What began as 'show and tell' of recent additions to my inventory became a new jewelry project for my friend!

14mm x 16mm baroque South Sea Pearls.

I met this client over a decade ago in a botanical painting class. Our friendship began when we discovered that we had gone to the same art school (different years) and that we had both had a wonderful design teacher there whom we had learned a lot from even though she was a stickler for detail and a tough grader. She had taught both of us design and color theory.

Usually I paint the design when I make a custom piece but in this case my artistic friend knew exactly what she wanted. I had shown the pearls to her after a Tucson buying trip and a few months later she showed me a design with blue stones and yellow gold. She likes dangle earrings and wanted to use sapphires. We met once more after I had procured the sapphires to go over the fine points of the design. It was decided that all white metal, in this case platinum, would compliment the silvery white baroque pearls and cornflower blue sapphires.

For this pair of earrings I made setting models with six prongs to be cast in platinum. The center wire is round platinum stock that I drilled at each end. The earring is flexible  in two places to allow swinging movement . The pearls move side to side.

Mimi Favre Studio

South Sea pearls and sapphires- Platinum. ©Mimi Favre 2011

South Sea pearls and sapphires- Platinum. ©Mimi Favre 2011

Steeplechase

A week of rainy weather gave way to a picture perfect day. The Steeplechase event now in it's eighty first year in this lovely corner of Chester County, PA, has more recently become a fundraiser to benefit The Brandywine Conservancy. There are several horse races during the day over a hilly open course of mowed fields and jumps. 

Jockeys form a line just before the starter signals the start of the race.

Race has started. 

The race is on.

To hear the rumble of galloping horses approach then see a flash of color as the jockeys ride by wearing the color of the stables they ride for is like being in a Degas painting- a spectacle that has not changed in a hundred years.

This could be a painting by Edgar Degas.

The race course lined with picnic tents.

Enjoying the race at The Bellevue Tent. 

Cheese and fruit table.

The Bellevue served a Moroccan dinner to their guests. Flower arrangements by Beautiful Blooms were incredible.