When thorns consume roses
look closer
things are not
as you've been led
to believe....
Close relationships are built on trust. Trust that your wellbeing matters. Trust that your vulnerabilities will be protected, rather than used as weapons against you. Trust that the stories you are being told are in fact true. When trust disintegrates, the relationship crumbles along with it. This collection tells the story of losing trust, of discovering that something you believed to be a safe-haven is actually what harms you the most.
Uncovering the truth is a gradual process. It is the equivalent to following a trail in the woods that progressively feels more sinister and unsettling. You start to see subtle signs that something is wrong; withered flowers outnumber the blooming, funguses that rely on darkness and decay are abundant, and the ruins of structures long abandoned litter the land. Finally, you come to the wall of thorns that overtakes the terrain, now obvious without a guise of roses to hide beneath. This collection plays with the idea of shifting perception by using forms that are at first glance elegant and delicate, but upon closer inspection feel threatening and corrupted.
Photos
Pending
spore
cast sterling silver
fall 2019
What first comes to mind when you see a cluster of mushrooms? Is it still-damp ground after heavy rain? A patch of earth that seldom feels the sun? Dead matter being broken down? Nature gives us clues to what is happening beneath the surface, if we know where to look. So do relationships.
The band was hand carved then adorned with wax wire mushrooms. The wax model was then casted, patina-ed, and polished.
What lies beneath
cast sterling silver
fire agate
fall 2019
We often are too enamored with the beauty of the rose to see the thorns that lie beneath the blooms. We become so taken by the rose that even when we are stabbed by its barbs, we don't fault the flower for drawing blood, but ourselves for too clumsy hands.
This ring was hand carved in wax, then casted,
patina-ed, and finished with a brass brush.
fall 2019
cast sterling silver
ruins
The remains of what once was. You can still see traces of the original grandeur, imagine how the space used to feel when it was filled with life. You can also tell it's been a long time since then.
This brooch was digitally modeled to be 3D printed in castable resin. The model was then textured by hand, casted, and patina-ed.
wither
cast sterling silver
fall 2019
The dried, insect-wrecked evidence of a garden that used to be.
The leaves and flowers of this brooch were hand-sculpted in wax, casted, then assembled with sterling silver wire and finished with a patina.
fall 2019
cast sterling silver
revelation
The thorns no longer hide behind a cloak of foliage. They've taken over the landscape, threatening to entwine their barbs into your skin.
This ring was hand carved in wax, casted, then
patina-ed and polished.
cast sterling silver
Decay
fall 2019
No living thing is left in this landscape. Only the detritus-fueled funguses prosper. The old will be broken down until nothing remains. Until something new can grow in its place.
The bracelet links were individually molded in wax, cast, then cut open and linked together. The bracelet was then finished with a patina and selectively polished.
