Michelle Pujol Contemporary jewellery

Back to work, a good start to 2012

2012-01-04T03:15:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!
After taking a week of to spend with my Husband and Son, and having Mitchels First birthday its good to get back to my blog, my bench and my designs, ........only a short break.

So this week, its back to making stock for my next Young Designers market this Sunday (8/1/2012), finishing orders and refresh stock in my shops. First shop on the list is Handmade Highstreet, who had a bumper first month open. Well done!
Its so exiting to see people loving my work.

work in progress 2012
in full production!

There some exiting events coming up this year and a few new shops to look out for stocking my jewellery, but i will unveil the events as they happen so keep posted.

For now its back to making.

Have a daisytastic Christmas!

2011-12-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

The last of my express orders for Christmas go out today.....but that does not mean a chance to rest. Just catching my breath as just like Santa's little helpers i will be making till the last minute to get orders finished and a bit of a head start on my new stock for January. Next year i will be hitting the ground running with fantastic new designs, more stock in my Etsy shop, an New website and a list of market and retail venues to dish out....... as well as some new exhibition to attend.

I will leave you with these Daisy ring images and wish you all a merry Christmas!

Daisy ring
silver, 24ct gold

Daisy ring
Silver, 24ct gold

Daisy ring on the hand
Silver, 24ct gold

Fading chrysanthemums

2011-12-20T03:30:00.000-08:00

Well for my birthday that just past I got mitchel to smooch paint a card for me. I masked a card to his high chair and placed paint in a tray in front of him; with some on the card...... he took great delight in smearing the paint all over, and eating a little (its non toxic!). After the fun of smeared colour i took it away to dry, and then it’s my turn to interpret his painting. It’s like doing a puzzle.

So here are my “fading chrysanthemums”. They are quite poetic and I love them!

Fading Chrysanthemums
acrilic paint
Smooch painted by mitchel, interprited by me

Trailing flat grass ring

2011-12-05T04:20:00.001-08:00

Its the last of my grass rings.....for now.
Simple but bold! This ring is the most practical of all the flowering grass ring range. I definatly want to make more of these!

Trailing flat grass ring
silver, patina

Trailing flat grass ring on hand
silver, patina

Sculptural Grass

2011-12-01T19:55:00.001-08:00

The other side of the spectrum in sculptural grass would be these works byMathilde Roussel - Geraudy: "life of grass works", as shown below. I love the sense of time from sown seed to growing wheat grass its an ever changing sculpture, each day a new dimension is added to the work. Although the artist in this case is talking about the cycle of food. There is still a sence of time. This sense of time in nature, reminds me of one of my favourite artist Andy Goldsworthy.

I found these works through a Google search: Grass Sculpture and found it in , blog.gessato.com

Flowering grass rings: trailing weeds

2011-11-24T03:49:00.001-08:00

This is my trailing weed ring.

Small flowers are set close to the stem with tourmaline beads in shades of green, brown and golden yellow inside each one. Large flower like leaves trail of to the side.

The weeds in my garden often have large leaves that take over and trail along my stepping stones. It does not take much time before they flower or set new roots in a new spot. Their flowers are tiny, little glimmers of colour in the vastness of green, but up close are complex and beautiful.

I hope this ring captures that.

Trailing weed ring
silver, patina and tourmaline beads

Trailing weed ring
on hand
silver, patina and tourmaline beads

Flowering grass rings: interlocking set

2011-11-24T03:24:00.001-08:00

This set of 3 rings begins to feel a lot like my illustration. I feel these pieces are slightly whimsical, fragile, but yet still bold and robust.

This "sketching in silver", as I like to call it is what adds richness to my work. By creating the fantastical that explodes onto my sketch book page I feed my creative mind. As metal form has a very different feel to the black and white graphic. It becomes tangible and interactive, small details get worked out, the bend of a branch, the tilt of a flower, the length of a curve. I love to take part in exhibitions because it gives me an excuse to push myself further.

From this start I can refine, tone down and commercialise this range of jewellery and it will have a depth behind it. Well for me any way.

Flowering grass rings, interlocking set
silver, tourmaline beads

Flowering grass rings, interlocking set
on hand
silver, tourmaline beads

Flowering grass rings
datail

Flowering grass rings, interlocking set
on hand
silver, tourmaline bead

Flowering grass ring

2011-11-23T20:59:00.001-08:00

This is my favourite of my new "Grass rings" and I could not Wait to show it of. I know its not practical but its fun and the exploding tourmaline beads have been forged into place so that the ring has a bursting seeded grass feel.

This ring is now off to make its début at Craft + Design = Art exhibition in miles as i am one of 30 artists chosen to exhibit.
I can't wait to find out what they think.

Flowering grass sculptural ring
on hand
Silver, 24ct gold, tourmaline beads

Flowering grass sculptural ring
close up
Silver, 24ct gold, tourmaline beads

Flowering grass sculptural ring
Silver, 24ct gold, tourmaline beads

I'm still editing photo's of the rest of the new pieces that i have created for this exhibition. They will be following in blog post soon.

flowering grasses, illustration.

2011-11-17T16:51:00.001-08:00

I recently started doing some water colour illustrations to help me design for my new”flowering grasses” range. I intended to expand on an old theme of grass rings but found as I started to look around I was distracted and drawn to the weeds, lawn flowers and wild grasses. Their variety of leaves and flowers seem to create a patch work in my lawn .I noticed the variety on my walks and found myself actively searching for more. So it was time to document my findings, through photographs and drawings, focusing on individual grasses. The more I began to notice the more I saw but to help my visual design mind to sort out what in all this richness to create I needed to paint.

Mixed grass
watercolour and pen
2011

Mixed grass (close up)
watercolour and pen
2011

Now instead of limiting myself to one type of grass I’m using their differences to explore a range called “flowering grasses” It Sure to keep me busy.

The next blog will be the works in progress which you will start to see the connection with this illustration. I loved doing this painting so I’m sure there will be more.

Daisy flower Christmas special

2011-11-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

Daisy Christmas special flier
2011

This is the special i am running at the moment.
I hope to have it in my Etsy shop soon.

Jingle bells!

2011-11-09T03:04:00.000-08:00

Just thought i would give you a little sneak peak at my new bell flower rings. These are some of my pieces in progress .......they still need to be sanded, polished and have there moving stamens put in.

I loved the jingle that my bell flower earrings and necklace gave, so i wanted to add a little of that fun to a more accessible range of rings. They are still sculptural but manageable. They make me want to play!

These are off to Sydney at the end of the week.

Sketch of bell flower rings

Bell flower rings
Sketch of ideas

Open Bell flower ring

Open Bell flower ring
Work in progress
Silver

Open Bell flower ring on the hand
Work in progress
Silver

Jingle bell flower ring

Jingle Bell flower ring
Work in progress
Silver

Jingle Bell flower ring on the hand
Work in progress
Silver

Note:

Please be sure to look at my pages.
" My jewellery" now has market dates and venues, upcoming exhibition dates and venues and retail shops. I'll be updating more often to keep you in the loop.
I'm also in the process of adding in more images of my work in the other pages.
Email me for details and orders.

New Angelica pendants

2011-10-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

The first 3 of my new Angelica pendants are finished. I decided to start the range of quite refined and simplified so i can get proportion right. But there will definitely be more embellished "Angelicas" on the way with stones and refined details. Now I'm waiting for chain and they will be ready for sale on my "Etsy" shop this weekend and at the Young Designers Market, South Bank this Sunday 6th November.

Here is a preview:

Angelica pendants 2011
silver

Angelica pendants 2011
Silver

Angelica pendant
large style (a)
Silver

Angelica pendant
large, style (b)
silver

Angelica pendant
Medium, style (a)
silver

Unusual yellow flowers

2011-10-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

I found these unusual yellow flowers today on my morning walk, i just could not resist to take a few photo's and now the images seem to accentuate their unique charm. The bright colour also had a magpie effect on me!

Angelica

2011-10-20T04:26:00.000-07:00

Angelica pendants in progress:
Drawings, cast silver elements, new pierced silver prototype elements.

As with all my work these days I am: revising, re designing, improving, and transforming my work to the next level of development. My Angelica range is one of them more out of necessity, and not having casting facilities more than any thing else. But considering the original mold was made over 6 years ago, its about time a refined and improved this design. Now is as good a time as any.

I cant wait to show you the next faze and i hope to have some pendants available for the Young Designers Market, South Bank on the 6th November.

I'll keep you posted.

Orchid flowers now on etsy

2011-10-15T03:41:00.000-07:00

My Orchid flower range is now available in my online Etsy shop.

Star dragonfly orchid flower ring
Silver, blackening patina

3 Orchid brooch pins
Silver, blackening patina

Hydrangea ring

2011-10-03T05:20:00.000-07:00

Whilst I’ve been busy making stock for markets and shops I’ve not neglected my design that fuels the everyday work. Even if it’s not as hastily work through as it may have been before.

I’ve been looking at a few themes one of which is adaptation.
Through collections of images, sketches “in the field” (mainly the neighbourhood on my walks) and prototypes I’ve begun to look at the change of leaves into flowers. That is plants that seem to have adapted leaves into petals by way of change of colour or slight change in form. This helps to draw the eye into the smaller more fragile central flowers, that may have been over looked or seem insignificant without this pageantry of volume. I'm sure this is to attract birds and insects in the same way.

I'm using this notion to create central areas of focus in my work, whilst still creating large sculptural pieces.

The first of which is this hydrangea ring.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor

2011-09-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Scanned image of the invite.

Last night I attended the most exiting exhibition of jewellery i have been to in a long time. "Tinker Tailor,Soldier, Sailor", was held at Artisan Gallery in the valley, Brisbane.

It was fantastic to be out, hobnobbing with my piers, drinking wine and taking it all in. To celebrate a 100 years of International Woman's day, a 100 brooches where created by 100 Australian female jewellery artist to represent 100 significant women in history.

I felt like i had walk into a Judy Chicago exhibition (like the Dinner Party 1974-1979), in its significance and thought to the stories behind the work.

The work was outstanding and i found myself going from box to box looking at the variety, then back to the wall to read each story then back again to look some more. I was almost dizzy, so i bought a book to paw over in my own time.

It was definitely worth going and i recommend getting the book as well.

Moth holes......whole hearts!

2011-09-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

Moth holes ....Whole hearts!

In lunar mist
It flutters fast
Its flutters slow
To my heart its flutters go.

Ive just added a new treasury to my Etsy shop. What i love the most is the poetry that I'm beginning to write more frequently again.

"Trailing flowers", a mark of readiness

2011-09-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last year I donated a gift voucher to a charity auction event. I was a few months pregnant and at the time I thought I would be able to fit the order in, being full of “he-man” hormones....I could do anything. The client redeemed her voucher for a beautiful handmade trailing flower pendant and necklace, but quite a few months later in my third trimester when those previously mentioned hormones had worn off. But I still felt I could do it. I gather the metal and began, but heat and child slowed me down so I was put off. My client, a fantastic lady, understood and was happy to wait when I was ready to make again. I had Mitchel on the 1/1/2011 and for a while I was in a cloud of disbelief and unrealistic views of what I was able to do. Time went by and all my own goals of being able to create went past 6 week, 3 months, 6 months....... At some point I let go and stopped beating myself up about time and began to make... a link at a time, a flower at a time. I worked around it, and it began to work around me. Slowly as it began to take shape I felt a sense of relief, a sense of creative normality.

Now it’s finished and it feels like I’m planting a flag at the top of a mountain ....I’m here, I’ve arrived!

I’m a different person from when I started this piece and I’m sure that’s something that jewellery artist don’t share as much with their artistic cousins: sculptures or painters. Projects take hours or days for us usually, not months or a year and then there is a sense of gratification. We move on or melt it down to start again. But this reminded me of my fine arts days. I've grown attached. Now this piece represents moments in my life.... a patch of time in my life quilt.

It has become my mark of readiness!

watercolour star flower ring

2011-09-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

So after playing with Mitchel and paint I was left me inspired to play with backgrounds for my own jewellery. To add a little more to my photos, create a mood and add some excitement or interest. It’s probably because I've been perusing through the Etsy shopping world and connecting with other designers. Also in part that and I've been itching to put together my own gloss magazine style catalogue for my work. Filled with fashion shoots, dramatic story shots and close ups......well that's the dream any way. It’s a bit tricky with jewellery because you need the customer to engage with the piece and understand it enough to want to wear it and be confidant with the purchase without viewing it up close.....my work looks so much better up close. The other thing is that no two pieces come out the same so I’m always making new ranges or versions of ranges. That’s what makes my work unique and also what dates a catalogue very quickly.

For now I’ll just enjoy the art shot.

I’ll need a team to put together the dream catalogue and that would go a lot faster sorting out most of the time issues. I will also have to release them seasonally but that means working ahead. So back to the bench to do work....... and one day I’ll get there!

First paintings

2011-09-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Whilst everyday is filled with both my new role as a mum and my old as an artist and jeweller I find myself constantly trying to balance and maintain my creativity. To not see being a mum as being separate but to use my artistic abilities and lateral thinking to make my days far more exiting.
I think I did this best this past weekend when we had our first painting session....what fun! It reminded me of my own childhood and finger painting. I can still remember the little figures I created.

The result is 2 paintings, one for his father on father’s day and one for his grannies birthday. They are beautiful and I created a new terminology for the art world. "Smooch paintings" I call them, he smooched the paint around and I interpreted the blobs. A collaboration with my 8 month old. I’m sure this would be the first of many!

"Garden, river, sun"
September 2011
By Mitchel Cormac (son) and Michelle Pujol (mum)

Etsy treasury

2011-09-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Ive just started putting together an Etsy treasury as i found myself loving and "favouring" similar things.

I called it: A touch whimsical and wrote a poem.

love the poem......

A touch whimsical
Misty light
Faded dreams
A soft touch of water streams
A passing flutter
A scribble of pen
When dreams come to life
We’ll meet again

By Michelle Pujol
1/9/2011

Spring ring

2011-09-01T05:21:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and I'm in full swing.

I'm making stock for my markets, new jewellery for exhibitions and playing around with a few ideas. I jump at my time at the bench or even my time with my sketch book and i think that's because i have a clear idea of what little time i get. I also have a clearer understanding of how long it takes me to make up a piece, what i need and what I'm capable of and that has only come with experience and reflection. Mitchel has taught me to slow down and take each day as it comes and I'm grateful for that. It allows me to make today and enjoy the experience of doing so, whilst still keeping an eye on deadlines and quantities of jewellery pieces needed to make up stock for the busy seasons ahead. What a huge light bulb moment for me.

I’ve also taken a fresh look at old work using that to spring board me into a different direction or expand on a past idea. I always get to crossroads in my work where i could make a piece up at least 5 different ways that would seem very different but need to choose only one. From my study days i have always made a point of noting those moments down in a sketch, photograph or note in my visual journal. Now i get to revisit some of those ideas with fresh insight and i can't wait to show you my finished pieces.

Just as spring bring new shoots of growth so i feel that growth from within.

Happy spring day!

Note: Perhaps i should put together an exhibition proposal for branching ideas and the jewellery process......or at least mine any way? hmmmm!

Bell flower earrings.

2011-08-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

I recently got commissioned to make my bell flower earrings with 18ct gold petals, I love, love, love silver and gold together it always brings my work to life.

Quilt: the story of me!

2011-07-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

On my resent visit to South Africa my mother handed me the most beautiful quilt. She made it herself and it is the story of me! Each square is hand embroidered with a floral pattern and i can see were i get my love for floral motifs, textile patterns and all things organic. Then the borders of the square are filled with symbols of my childhood......from my heritage flowers (English rose, French Fleur De Lis and Scottish thistle), to plants and insects i grew up with, as well as past drawings that i had drawn for my mom in school and designs i did for my first business i had with her. There were symbols of pets i had, doodles i had done and symbols of an esoteric upbringing. Each one meant something, each one was a part of me and it was reading my autobiography. I can't begin to tell you how moved i was to see all this. My life in a quilt made by mom. I was on tears, after not seeing her for so long and now seeing this beautiful creation.

These photo's don't do justice and so as i get time i will post her beautiful work for the world to see. I'm so proud of her!

I can see why i have become the artist i am and why i always find myself drawn to certain things!

Thanks Mom