VISIT THE HEART OF ART! The Santa Fe Studio Tour Gallery Reception is on October 7th at the Santa Fe Woman's Club from 5 - 8 PM. Come view the wonderful art, meet the artists and plan your unique tour for the following days! This year, during this free city-wide event, 85 participating artists will open their 72 studios to the public October 8,9 and 15,16 from 10 AM until 5 PM.

My design contribution to the Santa Fe Studio Arts Collective themed Pop-Up Show UKRAINE STRONG  - Blue + Yellow at the NOCTURNE818 Gallery July 8  - 17th. For more information CLICK HERE.

Tradition + Protest: Reimaging Adornment as Symbols of Ukrainian Resistance

My design installation is a tribute to the courage, strength, resilience and beauty of the Ukrainian Women.

My interpretation of a traditional wedding ensemlble. This small installation is inspired by current symbols of protest (sunflowers) and the popular wearing of traditional wedding flower crown (The VINOK), ancient adornment (The Kolty) Earrings/Pendants with Venetian glass necklace (The Pazyorky)  - the most desirable glass accessories because hand-made beads were transported from Venice. 

As a jewelry artist, how does one go about creating a special project for a themed show! Inspiration . . . Sketching . . . Thinking out of the Box .  . . Perseverance . . . Patience . . . More Perseverance . . .  and a Lot of Luck!

Here is a pictorial journal of my design process from beginning to end.

FIRST OFF  - Being Inspired. What the heck am I going to do?

 

SECOND  - SKETCHING   IDEAS

 

THIRD STEP  - How to make it?  Picking materials. Making patterns. Soldering parts.

 

 

 

FINISHED AT LAST  .  .  . 

 

 

Here's a bird's eye view of my process making my batch of Handmedals. These will be textured with a hammer and then they go into the tumbler!

Here in the Southwest we are all familiar with this hand Milagro. It is a symbol of healing, compassion and protection in so many cultures - from the Middle East to Spain and eventually to the Americas. I keep this close above my workbench.

 

bhwydesigns . . . featured in wedding connection magazine

After having heard so much about Germany’s “Golden City”, I decided during a recent trip to Europe to visit the much acclaimed Pforzheim Jewelry Museum (Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim im Reuchlinhaus.) My visit did not disappoint! The displays reveal the immense diversity of jewelry design and metal-smithing over five thousand years! This well-curated collection is a definite must see for all jewelry–lovers, be they historians, designers, manufacturers, collectors, or just plain consumers. . .