Which Story to Tell? Which Color to Wear?


Bronze metal Clay Pendant  Bronze Metal Clay Pendant
My last post told how a mixed media wall piece combined wood, metal clay, feathers and ribbons to produce a story.   I introduced the 'Gastornis' - an extinct flightless primitive bird. 

This week I'm sharing the 2 pendants I made at the same time I made the 'Gastornis' wall decor.  
This post is about telling a story with jewelry and shows how color can add to the message.

The pendant on the left above combines warm brass beads, meaningful red prayer beads and a handmade bronze wire clasp.  Does it made you feel excited?  The pendant on the right combines Hubei turquoise with silver and bronze.  The greenish color along with the silver cools the bronze.  Maybe this pendant makes you feel calmer?  

Each of us bring our own color experiences with us.  I find it helpful to understand what we like and why.  That makes selections more meaningful and enjoyable.  

Let's look at the pendant on the left and I'm going to call it 'The Warm Bird'.  This story is about a bird filled with hope, warmth and caring- maybe looking for a little fun! The bird in the bronze metal clay pendant almost looks like he is on skies instead of sticks on the ground.  The leaf settles behind him telling us a little about his attitude!  

Below are pictures of the details of this story.  The hand made bronze clasp is made of hammered wire and it is a little primitive looking too.  The beads remind one of cages and are handmade in India.  The lower picture is a close up of the 'Warm Bird'!  The technique used to make this is described in the previous post.  

Handmade bronze clasp

Bronze -metal clay- pendant

The Pendant in the photo on the upper right  or the 'Cool Bird' combines Hubei turquoise with silver and bronze.  The bird looks relaxed sitting on his leaves next to the impression of a flower.  The bird and leaves are raised from the background - maybe he is wishing he could fly!   

Turquoise, silver and bronze metal clay pendant

The back of a pendant is also important.  It tells some of the story that the designer is sharing.  In this case, it shows the attention to detail and the texture adds to the primitive feeling of the bird.  Remember this is an extinct old bird! 

Back of Bronze metal clay bird pendant

Any piece of jewelry can tell a story - a true story or a flight of fancy.  Shape, texture, materials and color all give us information that enhances it.   Enjoy!

These pieces can be seen this summer in the 'Hot Hot Hot' Show at Mountain Artists Guild  in Prescott AZ
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Location: Prescott, AZ, USA

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