It is not a wonder to me that over the past 16 years my way of thinking has changed. It also is easy to understand that I have been massively influenced by my travels and exposure to a multicultural environment. However, I did get a bit surprised to notice that my aesthetics have altered more than what I expected. The Discovery series of rings and necklaces is an image of a reverse of what I would be attracted to several years ago. Organic shape, mat finish and pearls were just not me. Yet, it appeals so attractively to me in this present moment. The Series is an exploration of casting technique (that I very rarely use) and a playful and accidental approach to the investigation of the form rather than carefully planned execution of developed sketches. Gumtree bark is representing the Australian nature on the land and pearls are representing the ocean that I got so much addicted to. The pearls used were donated to me by my good friend.

This is how the process went.

1 – inspiration. It was in the Blue Mountains at Blackheath when my partner was paragliding. I was enjoying the local lookout when I “tripped” over a gumtree bark on the forest floor. I loved its forms and dynamics instantly!

2 – formation of the bark into wearables. I picked random pieces of the bark and formed it into rings and pendants.

3 – sprueing of the model. Once bark was shaped into the form I sprued it to the base of the flask. As these models were so organic and irregular I did use bit more sprues and placed them instinctively into a position.

4 – when the model was sprued and placed in its base into the flask, the flask was filled with an investment, debubbled and after required resting time burned.

5 – when the time was right and burning cycle was over, I vacuum cast the work on this awesome machine.

6 – results exceeded my expectations! Casting turned out really well. Texture and form worked well. I also have got a few unplanned air bubbles cast in pendants that actually work perfectly.

7 – cleaning and refining the form after casting took some time. I guess, when you do it yourself you need to count with the time lost on this.

8 – decision making on the final look. Now, that I had the ring and a pendant shapes in front of me, I needed to decide how am I going to finish them. I knew I wanted to include pearls in some of them. I also needed to decide on the suspension of the pendants…….interestingly enough, here I revisited industrial looking aesthetics that I used to such a big fond of in past.

9 – construction of cups for pearls. As each pearl is a uniquely shaped so was each cup.

10 – chain for pendant suspension was simple but as usual time-consuming.

11 –  finish of the work. Liver of sulphur gel was used to blacken some of the pieces and rest was depletion plated.

12 –  so what do you think?

This series is definitely the most personal work I have ever made. Basically, all my emotions (LOVE, disbelieve, sadness, longings, brokenness, helplessness, jealousy, anger, forgiveness, acceptance and adaptation) are stored in those pieces. Last year we have lost our baby Leo at 20 weeks pregnancy due to a severe abnormality in his brain. We have experienced what we thought, happens only to the other people.  Our world collapsed. No matter how one is practical and logical about it, one gets destroyed.

All design decisions made for this mourning series were driven by my feelings. These lockets are containers to contain one’s feelings or any artefacts saved from the deceased person they are grieving. It could be a photograph, poem, personal note, hair or ashes. The 100% silk cord that lockets are suspended from has been hand dyed in colour red and blue colour, expressing umbilical cord. Etching on the exterior of the lockets are passages from my diary that I have written after we lost Leo. It is about my feelings and thoughts about the finding of the bad news, the birth-giving and grieving. The text is written in a secret language that I have developed to be understood just by me and Leo.

The processes to make these lockets were straightforward. I used a hydraulic press to achieve the form. Nitric acid was used to etch the text and liver of sulphur gel to patinate. My friend Jo Piper has kindly done etching for me as I was pregnant at the time with my second baby Nalu and couldn’t risk exposure to such strong chemicals.  Materials used were sterling silver, copper and 100% hand dyed silk.

Process of making

It is an exciting time in our lives as our family of two will now expand to three. Our baby boy’s expected due date is on 26/02/18 and his name is Nalu, meaning ocean wave in Hawaiian. In this time we can’t help but plan our near and far future and our sense of sustainability and efforts to save this planet are stronger than ever before. Perhaps it was due to this that made me also think of our past travels and a heartbreaking sight of the ocean filled with one use plastic items.  I thought to myself, that my first handmade gift and lesson to my son must be in an effort to teach him about preserving our nature. So I made him silver straw with an interlocking spoon to enjoy drinking and eating a young coconut when travelling. I also made one for his dad (my partner Tie) just because he is awesome and I made one for myself. My straw will be going with me to a hospital to assist me with hydrating during the labour.

The process of making these straws/spoons went as follows.

1 – design. Decide on a shape of the spoon to fit well in small child’s mouth yet to scrap enough young coconut flesh from
the coconut shell.

2 – mark the spoon shape on to acrylic and cut out the matrix die to be used in the hydraulic press. Document all the progress thoroughly for future while pressing the shapes.

3 – Cut out spoon shapes and solder the chenier component that will become the catch locking with the straw component.

4 – solder two mirrored spoons with a spacer wall in between together to form mate straw.

5 – when all the cheniers are soldered in position mark where the cut out needs to be and CUT!

Then the fitting game starts……keep checking and removing bit by bit slowly and patiently until both parts (spoon and straw) nicely twist into each other and firmly stay.

6 – to reinforce the spoon catch (as the wall thickness is very thin) I soldered another chenier on the inside
(fitted very well, of course). Then I have refitted both components together again.

7- electro-etch name and hallmark plates. Electroetching is my favourite way of marking a metal without using nasty chemicals.

This is very important in my practice, especially now, when I am pregnant.

8 – straw components – solder name and hallmark plate on.

9 – emery and finish all components to required finish.

10 – finished and ready to be tested!!!!