Materials: copper, brass
Dimensions: 4.5" x 5.5"
folded copper shallow bowl. Red Patina
Photo credit: Bruce Hartman
Bruce J Hartman
Creek Reflections Jewelry
Carlisle, PA. USA
All Creek Reflections’ jewelry is handmade by Bruce and Darlene Hartman in their private studio which is nestled on the Yellow Breeches Creek outside Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Married in 1973, the couple has studied jewelry and design around the globe and has been working with stones and fine metals for more than 30 years.
In 1977, Bruce and Darlene got their first taste of the trade through classes with an established jeweler on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, and they were hooked. They later moved to Southwest Germany, near the capital of Germany’s gemstone industry, where they continued to sharpen their jewelry making and stone cutting skills.
After raising their two children, Bruce and Darlene started Creek Reflections and are making their passion for jewelry a full time career. They are heavily influenced by the organic beauty of nature, as well as their vast exposure to European design. Bruce and Darlene produce exquisite jewelry working with silver and gold and hand-cut stones that they have collected from their extensive travels.
These containers and vessels definitely hold their place in the world of stunning art objects as well as in the world of metalsmithing.
Since the dawn of time humans have created containers to hold things that were important to them, from large vessels to hold food and harvests to intimate containers for small precious things. They might hold memories, ashes, medicine, beverage, fruit or food - but all spring from the imagination and skill of the maker. Some have specific religious functions, some are meant for everyday use. When one thinks of a vessel or container the inclination is to think of something with solid walls - yet many of these works involve the exploration of positive and negative space, and the use of negative space to help create the illusion of the wall of the vessel.
As the world’s largest jewelry related internet site, Ganoksin strives to develop exhibitions showcasing work from around the world. This exhibition was open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner. Participants are from The Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Australia, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Colombia, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia and Denmark. While most of the pieces are by an individual metalsmith, some are collaborations, one of three artists spanning 50 years.
In total 319 artists contributed 729 show pieces for the permanent online exhibition.
Objects in the exhibition include boxes, lockets, urns, ash containers, bowls, wine cups, reliquaries, match holders, vases, teapots, pitchers, sugar bowls, baskets, nests, pillboxes, clutches and a range of sculptural forms. A variety of techniques are showcased covering a wide range of metalsmithing techniques. Materials used include everything from gold and silver to less expensive metals. Ornamentation includes the addition of enamel, chasing and repousse’, gemstones and found objects.
The exhibition was curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world’s largest internet jewelry site.
