"Shattered"

This is a hollow form winged-heart bead with spikes and armour that I created a while ago.  I exhibited this bead with a pewter chain at the Bellingen Nexus Gallery and received fantastic praises.  I must say that it wasn't there for very long - in fact sold at the opening in only about 20 miuntes to a lovely couple that enjoy sharing their jewellery.

Lara Le Reveur, a fabulous artist and instructor said this about it- "I like the spikes and armour, and the wings create a positive aspect and I would like to think that the gap is so we can all see there is a way in past the defences!"

I acually wrote a poem in describing the meaning behind this art bead and it goes like this.

The wings of change now carry me through the tender chambers of my heart,

and they're telling me the time has come to finally leave the past behind.

Thank you thorns and thank you shield for your shelter, for now the healing has begun.

Found Objects Sacred Heart

I am loving, at the moment, making things with the sacred heart theme.  I acquired this old spoon from an Antique Shop in Macksville, last week.  I removed the spoon handle with a jeweller's saw.  Formed a sheet of copper to represent flames beneath the heart.  All metal layers cold connection rivetted with copper tubing. The Mexican Folk Art Antiqued Copper Heart Milagro is from etsy shop "Alamo 2003". The pieces are very versatile since you can use them for anything or everything! They are ready and perfect for jewelry projects like charm bracelets, necklaces or even earrings, also they look awesome on any stationary piece.

Milagros are a small part of Mexican culture that gives you, your project, and your house a peculiar sense of being unique. Milagros, also known as an ex-voto or dijes, are religious folk charms that are traditionally used for healing purposes and as votive offerings in Mexico and other areas of United States. In Spanish, the word milagro literally means miracle. Meaning of the Flaming Heart Milagro : a healthy heart, bringing passion to your life, love you have for another.

Milagros derive their meanings in several ways. They all have a traditional and a literal meaning. Milagros also gain meaning through the wearer’s intentions. Your thoughts, your hopes and desires attach themselves to the milagro, making it a tool for your intention to be carried in.

Happy Valentine's Day

This is my good friend, Gabriel, modelling one of the found objects jewellery pieces that I made in Keith Lo Bue's classes over the weekend.  This is made from a bit of concrete that I found which contains some small pebbles.  I wrapped the focal bead with rebar-wire and whipped up a necklace (leather cording) for which to hang it from. 

Can you tell that I'm on a sacred heart roll at the moment?  Also see posting below dated Friday, January 22, 2010, titled "Primitive Sacred Heart".

Photo taken at Maggie's at Potts Point this evening where I met up with a few good mates celebrating Valentine's Day.

Guido Mocafico: Serpens (Hardcover)

Whilst in Melbourne, recently for the Australian Open, I visited the National Gallery of Victoria for a looksy at Ron Mueck's sculpture exhibition. His sculptures made of silicon or fiberglass and acrylic casting from clay models are incredibly realistic. He alters the scale of the sculptures to raise the emotional and psychological impact. It makes you take notice in a way that you wouldn't do with something that's just normal. 

Before leaving the gallery I popped into the bookshop since I love collecting books on anything that sparks my creativity and curiosity.

When I opened this book, it was like magic! Every page captures the beauty of this animal. I'm amazed at all the fabulous range of colours and textures. I've already creatived beads and jewellery with these canes, in my head... and so excited about making them a reality.

Who says a Zebra can't Change it's Stripes?

Today I made this Translucent Skinner Blend Stripe Cane‏ with a bit of yellow that I mixed up and a bit of green.  Seems like I'm always picking those two colours for some reason.  Don't know why, guess I just like 'em.

I love this technique that I learned from a Donna Kato tutorial.  She's one of my favourite polymer clay artists.  She's always making fabulous things with bold designs and colours.

Below is an image of the pillow beads that I made using this skinner blend plug. I find that it's better to use a sheet of white clay, rolled on the #3 setting, as the base. Unless you'd like to bring forward another colour. So in this case, I shaved thin slices from the cane and applied them randomly over the top of the white sheet of clay.



This fresh summer bracelet includes coral beads and shell pearls. The shell pearl beads are spiral encased in 20 gauge non-tarnish artisan wire.

Made this for a flyer promoting a caning class that I'll be teaching at Studio Amara in the Southern Highlands later in the year.

A limited number of unique and original loose beads created with this cane will be available for purchase on my website soon!

Primitive Sacred Heart

This piece is an influence from my Latin American culture.  I can recall images of the sacred heart during my childhood and while attending church services with my grandmother.   The Sacred Heart (also known as the Sacred Heart of Jesus) is one of the most famous religous devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love of Humanity.

I built this with PMC and Faux Bone.  The two pieces are fastened with copper tube rivets; so essentially the heart is floating on top of the Faux Bone which I painted with acrylic paints to give it the look of time worn timber. I roughed up the faux bone with a checkering file prior to applying the acrylic paints.

A fabulous invention by Robert Dancik:  "Faux Bone" is a new, user friendly, inexpensive and extremely versatile material. Faux Bone™ can be cut, and carved, sawn and sanded. It can be filed, hammered, polished, drilled, stamped, riveted, inlayed, dyed, and painted. It can look like ivory, have the patina of aged ceramic, be polished to a pure white, or, of course, look like bone".

Thank you for visiting my blog

Please come back again soon as new posts are undated regularly with class information and my latest creations.

Click here to return to top of page.

Most items displayed are for sale and payment can be arranged through Paypal or direct deposit (for Austrailan bank accounts only).

Please use the email form provided if you would like any further information about my classes and/or on my art and jewellery.