Ever feel like you're taking a cop-out easy route with one of your designs? But you really don't care because the end result turns out so perfectly that you wouldn't change a thing? I had some of that guilt when I made this pair a couple weeks ago featuring some more of Kimberly Rogers' deliciously mismatched lampwork glass headpins. The glass itself is a very soothing, neutral, streaky birch color---I've been gravitating more and more toward neutrals and earth tones over the past year. I wanted to highlight the fact that Kim deliberately made one headpin twirled like a horn and left the other drippy. What better way to do that than to make one of my soldered caps twirled and the other smooth? And the "I feel so clever" moment: I switched up the swirls. Oooooo, gettin' tricky!
Ok, so it's not a complex design. I could have hung these headpins beneath stacks of grungy precious bits, like I'm wont to do. I could have hung them from gnarly hoops or used them as focals in a chandelier-style pair. But lately I've been craving stated simplicity.
To be honest, it's almost more difficult to reign yourself in when designing. At least for me, anyways. Plus, I always try to be sensitive to the wearability of pieces. It's one thing to create a masterpiece for a gallery or a competition, but it's another thing to make pieces that people are able to wear and love every day of their lives. That's the miraculous thing about creating art---every artist has unique goals for their work. There's never a wrong or a right answer. It just is. And that's a beautiful thing. Happy Wednesday!
Nikki
LoveRoot on Etsy
Dang, these are just simply the best!
ReplyDeleteThe cleverness of the mismatched swirled-cap-swirled headpin is more than enough detail! Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteSuch clever design, love it ~ they look amazing!! <3
ReplyDeleteI have to comment not only on your earrings but your post. I sometimes feel like I'm building a mountain, and I can't stop! And then they weigh a half an ounce, which may not sound like a lot but it's way too much for an ear. I'm focused on that, and it makes creating outstanding pieces more difficult for me, and I weigh everything and am getting a good idea of what the comfort zone is. My earrings Tuesday are "full", but are not heavy. That made me very happy. As for the art of Kim's headpins. . . her headpins could be hung on ear wires and be complete. How do you make something better that is already complete? Well, I can't make it better, but I somehow have to take her/his art and make art of my own. With the talent we have surrounding us in those that create components, it's not easy, at least for me. I am grateful to hear you share some of the truth that goes on in your mind. It makes me feel not so lonely in what I sometimes think are my wacky thoughts. Everything you make, Nikki, is a work of art, no matter how much or how little you do. What you did here is perfect. It was what you felt, and they are loved. Thank you, really, for a thoughtful post.
ReplyDeleteI look back on some of my earlier earrings and think "whoaaaa, those were WAY too loaded, what was I thinking?". The art of restraint is something I'm really working on. You are so honest and kind and creative, Norbel, I just love you! :)
DeleteYes, you are very clever! And very talented! These earrings are bang on!
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