Sometimes the Mourning Brooches looked like.... 4 examples

or this
or this or this

                                 

 but not so blurry

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Merry Christmas to you

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas

 

 

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And then there were these Jewellery for the wall? or for the soul Soul brooches for the eye, the window to the soul

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We all have our own crosses to discover

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My cross comes from my identity and manifested itself in these brooches made from fired glazed ceramic clay and paper does anyone want to know how they were made?

see below for further details.


Firstly learn to slice white clay as thin as you can rolling it out makes it curl.

While base between 2 &4mm thick is still damp dip your materials in a mixture of a quarter recycled white paper shredded and mixed with 3 quarters white clay

Like this BELOW
Dry for several days
Bisque at 1100 degrees
glaze with clear ceramic glaze
Dries in an hour or two
Refire 15 hours at 1200 degrees
 transformation !




Not finished yet
Smoth base on diamond stone grinder. It's very hard even though brittle

I used sandblasting to grind out even indents to adhere the little silver fittings I cut and soldered for brooch pins







two part epoxy glue took 3 days to set but not one out 10 pulled out when I put in brooch pin backs even double ones and that's a great test.

Remember studying Again

 Remember studying again ? well
This Friday after one years study , a gap of two years and then back (when circumstances allowed) for another two years I step up there to be capped  gaining  Bachelor of Visual Arts tertiary degree courtesy of the Dunedin School of Art. Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand.
It has taken me a long time to get to doing my degree, it has been a wonderful experience.
 I never thought I would ever do this. I didn't even know I wanted to, til I reached out there and started extending myself  learning new things.  Maybe we're here to make the best use that we can of this life so  Don't put off your Dreams aim for the stars even if you only hit the Moon, it's a terrific ride to take.

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Mustn't forget these stages of process

 The Kilns

After 15 hours

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Jewellery for the Dead - Paper and Clay ceramics Process

                                                
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Would You ever guess that this

was made from this? Although I did wait until flowering and seeding had finished before using the

dried head. Dipped in a mixture of paper and clay, gazed and fired for 15 hours at 1200 degrees. Part of my final work for Bachelor of Visual Arts Dunedin School of Art (NZ)      
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'the days of man" SITE Exhibition Dunedin School of Art 2013

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 Some of my  2012 artwork Digital print shot in the etching sworkshop 2012
                                   Lipstick 2 or  How to etch your Lips

 

 

 

Nature's own jewellery

Found on a New Zealand Beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stone Portraits

For a long time I puzzled I  over this very plain stone I had prong set - it didn't look right then

 I found I could paint on metal and stone. This Christmas

Spirit portrait just peeped out of the stone.

I use low fire enamels but all sorts of mediums work .

Look for painting on stone in your local public Library!

It is Fun and effective.

P.S.. For really fine brushes try a porcelain (china) painting supplier.

 

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The Dragon Days of 2012

 

 

 

 

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Dragon Dance

Wedding Ring

 

 

From My Wedding Dinner Set of Twenty-one years came the

                                                  Wedding Ring slightly

                              battered and scratched but still going strong!http://artjewellerybymarianb.blogspot.com/

I am still doing some image work

Windswept Trees Image magic

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Moving on- And I am learning to cut stone at the Dunedin School of Art

This is just so much fun - apart from opening up a whole new range of jewellery making possibilities.

Once you have been taught the basics - its easy and yes they do show/tell you ways that you can do it at home . The cutting does need some big equipment but hole drilling (under water)  does not and you can achieve some wonderful results.

Studying again

Back studying Jewellery and MetalSmithing towards a long delayed Diploma and hopefully degree.
It is fabulous - all those considering taking up or renewing study esp in New Zealand hesitate no longer - it is great

Tui Iconic Brooch

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Some of my casting work

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Thanks to a friend

                                                    

 

And some polymer Clay





And then a reverse polymer Clay check

My vision is nearly complete.

Other Lives Earrings- Ancient Egypt



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 casting in ArtClay Copper!!
 I find easier and safer to carry out when casting alone.-
These pure copper portraits have been outlined using low fire China Enamel and reflect my renewed interest in Ancient Egypt sparked by a friends visit to the Melbourne King Tutankhmun Exhibition and the wonderful books that I was gifted as a result

Bush Maiden Brooch - if at first you don't succeed try again - Establishing Your Art Concepts can be difficult




Bush Maiden Brooch
Created as a tribute to the early Romantic painters of the 1800's (some of whom never visited NZ) who visualised New Zealand as a lush tropical paradise populated by beautiful maidens, ( and visualised/painted  men in Roman type toga's and young Maori women in bonnets with European features) But who also had early Christian ideas (and maybe fantasies) about converting the whole of New Zealand to European Christianity.
It was also a tribute to my Father's stories of The Bush Maidens who lonely Miners and Hunters might imagine populated the New Zealand Bush in the early European pioneering days.
I understand there are even earlier Maori legends of a pale skinned Fairy people who (as in European legends)sometimes lived with mortal spouses for a period of time and this may be a very interesting aspect to research.


The Bush Maiden Brooch is a combination of acid - etched Brass/ painted/fired with low fIreChina painting enamel "paint" and riveted onto a handmade (and pressed) copper brooch back.
Bush Maiden was rejected for Exhibition when first offered to its first Exhibition - but I took some advice and represented it in a different format and when presented to a  second Exhibition it was awarded a third prize


So all of you out there struggling to have your work recognised - don't give up! especially if you are really pleased with something - it may be necessary to look at your work from a different perspective (or get someone else too) occassionally but keep trying!!

An angel at my side Brooch

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A 'mixed Media riveted jewellery piece
Recycled copper, Recycled Stainless Steel, Sterling silver - "found" Object - Conceived, designed and handmade by Marian Brandish

Tui Iconic Earrings Beauty from recycled unwanted materials

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"In a New Zealand Garden" pendant Sterling silver, Image magic, copper, Adventurine

Designed and created by Marian Brandish

In a New Zealand Garden there are many birds and plants from many other lands - a reflection of the richness of New Zealand culture and heritage gained over the years from the many different peoples who have made NZ their home.

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                                                            A Closer view of the pendant