New necklaces under construction

I used to teach history of architecture and design and even though I haven’t done so for quite a few years I still regularly photograph buildings or parts of them. For some time I have been doodling and sketching out ideas for a series of new pieces of work based on architectural forms. Since my good friend Lesley Messam came to stay a few weeks ago and taught her ‘Overgrown Garden Vessels’ class I have been inspired to carry this idea forward.

Here is my little vessel that I started in her class and it is now on a long handmade sterling silver chain. You can see that it has taken the form of a little building with a door and windows. I haven’t pierced the body of the building as it does have a screw threaded lid so could potentially be used to contain something. I will probably oxidise this and then re polish it to bring out the detail of the textures.

Continuing on this theme I have begun to construct a little vessel based upon the Tempietto in Rome. It is a beautiful little temple hidden away in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio church in Rome and built by Donato Bramante, dating to around 1502-1508. It has very purposeful geometric proportions. The dome is a half sphere and the height of the central core of the building is twice the diameter of the dome. I think the diameter of the bottom of the building is probably the same as the height. It has been a fantastic challenge for me to try and create this in silver clay, especially as it has 16 columns around the drum. Initially I had the height of the central core wrong as, in spite of my careful measurements and sketches I had made it full height without allowing for the dome – getting the proportions all wrong!

Here you see it before I re-measured it this morning, scribed a line around it and then had to saw off the top section.

This is it’s present state. There is still quite a lot of work to do but on the whole I am happy with my progress here. The left hand side construction is not based on a particular building but more a memory of elements (and one that I can’t find a photo of). I am always happy to teach jewellery making here in my well equipped studio based on the beautiful North York Moors. As we approach late autumn and winter I tend to concentrate on new work but still teach regularly on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday afternoons an on a one-to-one basis by arrangement. Just comment here and include your email address if you would like to join one of my classes (I won’t publish your comment).