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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The Anti-Trend

There are some designs and motifs in jewelry making (and art, in general) that keep coming around time and time again. We may be tempted to roll our eyes and groan if we see YET ANOTHER person doing YET ANOTHER version of XYZ. 

Now, sure, there are definitely trends out there -- always have been and always will be. But I think some designs transcend the trendy. Some designs are so elemental and so universal that they we'll always identify with them. Some designs can be dressed and polished and sparkled up just as easily as they can be beaten and dirtied and rusted down. I'm going to venture that the humble leaf is one of those eternal designs. 
 
Everyone has their own version of the leaf -- they're like fingerprints. Some artists celebrate the unbridled budding potential of the new spring leaf. Others rejoice in the resplendently lush summer leaf. There are those of us who prefer the mysterious crash-and-burn of the autumn leaf. And some are drawn to the dormancy and negative space of the winter leaf. 


So at the risk of being that chick who's posting YET ANOTHER pair of leaf earrings, here I go...

I was in Tucson at the huge gem and mineral show a couple weeks ago with my dear friend Kimberly of NuminosityBeads (mwahh!). We came, we saw, we bought, we gorged, we emerged exhausted yet triumphant -- beads and stones in-hand. When I got back home to Ohio, I couldn't wait to get back into the studio and do some creating. And wouldn't you know it, one of the first designs I created didn't use any of my new haul. 

 
Instead, I created a simple pair of fold formed copper leaves. Distressed, punched, fire-scaled, beaten, oxidized, licked with verdigris, and sealed. Simple. Timeless. And so ME.

What motifs do you keep coming back to in your designs and in your life? And what does that say about you? Food for thought :) 

Happy Wednesday!

Nikki

LoveRoot on Etsy

6 comments:

  1. I love the rustic leaf charms you've created. Definitely unique and I don't see them as trendy - but very much from the heart and soul. And full of earthy spirit. The folded lines and the circles are captivating.

    For me- I come back to dots a lot. I love dots in my own work. I also add leaves or anything nature related to my work whenever possible. Our favorite "family" activity is hiking/camping so we are out in the woods a lot throughout the year. And I think that translates to my work - at least I hope it does.

    Love the earrings Nikki!

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  2. I love these leaves - they look so organic. I am a leaf person as well. They seem to wriggle their way into every collection of mine

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  3. Totally gorgeous. I love that your own style comes out. These are classic. I think that your leaves look so perfectly imperfect, just the way they would be in the wild. Enjoy the day! Erin

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  4. So beautiful.... I love leaves of all seasons, and your fold-formed leaves are absolutely exquisite.

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  5. Love the color, shape and the uniquness of your leaf earrings!

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