Materials: Fine Silver
Dimensions: H: 4 1/2"; Diam. at widest point: 5 3/8"
Hollow Form Vessel in Two Parts. I made this piece as a memorial vessel for my mother, my best friend and motivator. The sealed top half holds some of her ashes. It lifts off and sits on its recessed base, while the bottom “rooted” half becomes a holder for lighting a candle in rememberance.
Photo credit: Marsha Thomas
Marcia Colquhoun
Skyeheart Art
El Segundo, CA. USA
I like to make things and I like to make them beautiful. I don’t have a philosophy or a manifest that I’m following. But there is something important to me about making things that are beautiful, and I think it has something to do with looking for a slice of the sublime.
I spent a long time as a painter, most of my life, and never gave a thought to doing anything else. It was quite by accident that I stumbled into making jewelry and I feel like I’ve found my “real” medium in metal clay and the array of other mediums that can be combined with it. I joined guilds, took classes, got certifications and continue to expand my repetoire.
Inspiration comes from colors; from the amazing diversity of “nature” in all it’s forms, be they animal, vegetable, mineral or marine; from pattern and visual “collections” of images; and from the desire to capture a mood or experience.
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.