My focus is to transform my impressions of the architecture of Florence, Italy into a visual documentation
and a response to the natural wood markings. Each brooch is a process and is composed of mark-making and various materials. Each creates only a sketch, translated into jewelry. Initially, these works were inspired by pen & ink drawings and were redrawn with burnt lines and wires on scrap wood. I then continued creating lines and embellishments by adding different elements. After I consider each sketch finished, I put it aside and move on to the next exploration to maintain a spontaneity important to the series. These pieces represent the merging of drawn, fabricated, and implied lines creating a three-dimensional
drawing. The pieces also explore the ornamentation and inherent qualities of wood. Burning
lines, drilling holes, and adding elements are ways I change the wood. My additions are reactions to what the wood or the initial burnt drawing presents to me in shape, pattern, line, or texture.
Overall, I seek to use the drawing materials and all sides of the wood “canvas” to create my impression of Florence’s windows through the materiality of the wood. Architectural elements of my subject matter are also referenced in the hard angles of the wood and in the pin backs. Continuing the brooch format is important to create an equal format for each piece to begin and expand from. This format also functions hanging on the body in same way a drawing hangs from a wall. My use of gold leaf references traditional Italian wood frames and the process of adorning them. In this series, I am embellishing wood and creating
jewelry based on my experiences of Italy and of the exploration process itself.
