Jewelry Artist
Doer's Profile
|
|
DONE
My work has been published in several
Lark jewelry books, and this year
(2010), one of my pieces has been
selected as a finalist in the Saul Bell
Awards. Being accepted in some of the
top craft shows in the U.S. is always an
accomplishment, since competition
for these shows is so keen.
DOING
I am actively working on pieces for my
many shows that I have lined up for
the first half of the year. I adore teaching
and am teaching workshops at
some wonderful venues.
FIRST PIECE
A cloisonné enamel pendant. I set the
enamel in a silver bezel with a few granules
around the outside. I keep it in my safe and
take it out often just to see where I started
and how far I have come with my work.
JEWELRY HEROES
Not really sure if I could say that I have
any jewelry heroes but there are many
jewelers whose work I admire. I love
the work of John Paul Miller, both his
granulation and enameling. I am originally
from Cleveland, Ohio, which is
where John Paul Miller is from, and
every time I go back for a visit, I am
tempted to get in touch with him. I
would love to just be able to have a conversation
with him about his work, his
techniques, and of course, his inspirations.
I also love the work of Daniel
Brush, a granulator extraordinaire!
Every piece is a masterwork of art.
DESIGN SOURCES
Almost anything can inspire me. A
piece of ancient jewelry in a museum,
an iron grate on a building, a pattern
on a piece of fabric or even dirt being
blown by the wind. There are just so
many sights that stick in the back of my
mind and that somehow reveal themselves
in one of my pieces of jewelry.
FAVORITE PART OF DOING
There is no question that my favorite
part of jewelry making is the fabrication
of the piece, be it the alloying
of the gold, the milling of the sheet,
the pulling of the wire or the actual
piecing together and granulating
of the parts. It is so satisfying to
watch a flat piece of metal turn into
an object of beauty. And as I always
say, if the piece comes out beautiful
it is just the icing on the cake!.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
A necklace I made that I truly loved. I
sold it knowing I should have kept it.
Now I know that we, as jewelers, make
our pieces to sell but once in a while
there is that special piece that reaches
down into our souls — I sold that very
special piece to a wonderful customer in
Atlanta. From the minute she said, “I’ll
take it,” I felt this great loss.
ON BENCH NOW
Since I am gearing up for the start of
the “selling season” I have a lot of new
things I have been working on. One of
the most interesting pieces is a strand
of hematite slabs that I am calling
Starry, Starry Night. It has 22K gold
granulation and white sapphires. I just
went to the gem show in Tucson and
picked up a ring that is made from black
river rock which has a section of pyrite
in it. I have been working on adding
granulation and some champagne diamonds
to it for a very different kind of
look. Necklaces that are a combination
of 22K gold and oxidized sterling silver
with unusual stones as the focal point
have been lots of fun to make. Something
a little different for me.
see more work @ www.jillhurant.com
Get the Hottest
Books, eBooks, & DVDs
on Jewelry-Making!
|
________________________________________________________________ Cool
Tools | Feature
Stories & Artist Profiles | Projects
& Workshops | Technique
Articles | Business
Articles | News,
Conferences, & Deadlines
Articles & Workshops | Bead Fest | Jewelry Classes | Jewelry Show Guide Show Calendar | Search for Products & Suppliers | Classified Ad Deals | Advertising Rates & Information | Store - Books & Back Issues | Contact Us | Links | Site Map
About Us | Subscribe to Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist | Contact Subscription Customer Service Contact
us |
