6 years ago
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
new entangled jewelry
I participated in the Artisans Fair at the Columbia Museum of Art mid month and garnered encouraging interest in my jewelry and sales. Every entangled piece is one-of-a-kind and most upcycle elements. I'm working with buttons of every description, stacking and combining them in ever more inventive ways. And I'm also fashioning intriguing constructions with buttons, metal pieces, jewelry elements, and hardware whatnots. Take a look!
Click on an image to enlarge.
First, new directions that recycled, reuse, repurpose, upcycle buttons.
Sophistication in sage:
necklace of braided silk cord with beads and vintage shell button woven in; matching earrings
upcycled vintage button, serpentine pendant, green garnet beads, natural brass findings
Rich to subtle dusty tones:
necklace of braided silk cord with upcycled button stack; matching earrings
upcycled buttons, fire agate, natural brass findings
Fun with color and polka dots:
necklace of braided silk cord with button stack pendant; matching earrings
upcycled buttons, various beads, natural brass findings
Circles upon circles:
Mixed metal fare:
choker with repurposed hardware
necklace with button stack pendant below amazing ridged button; matching earrings
upcycled buttons and beads, natural brass chain and findings
New entangled constructions: inventive, clean combinations that recycled, reuse, repurpose, upcycle all manner of treasures.
Sacred Heart glory:
necklace construction with antique rosary connector, upcycled vintage buttons, buttons, jewelry elements, and even a zipper pull
upcycled buttons, rosary, and jewelry elements, natural brass rollo chain and findings
Mixed metal fare:
necklace with upcycled metal pieces and thin chain and other chain; matching earrings
upcycled buckle, bolt shaft, chain; natural brass chain and earwires
choker with repurposed hardware
repurposed hardware, pyrite ring, tiger eye beads, natural brass rollo chain
Saturday, October 22, 2011
existence pondered
Is existence not what one believes it to be? Is it weighted or winged? Grounded or harnessed for flight? Solid or insubstantial, responding to mere whimsy? I haven't answers, just more questions.
click on image to enlarge
existence, mixed media
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
new shadow box series
dawn in 4 acts is a 4-box series born in 2 of my passions: running and birds. It's an odd combination. I'm a birder in motion; a birder before daybreak. So I know the distinctive chirps and flutterings of the early birds. My pace and hour of birding aren't conducive to learning the distinctive crown stripe that distinguishes one warbler from another. Still I marvel at how little light is needed to recognize many birds. In each shadow box, my drawings, constructions, and found elements evoke the spirit and ways, place and hour of a bird I know well.
click on an image to enlarge
dawn: act 1
cardinal: flitting, paired and private
dawn: act 2
dawn: act 2
mourning dove: subtle, soft, sorrowful pairs
dawn: act 3
dawn: act 4
dawn: act 3
American crow: harsh, raw, committed to clan
dawn: act 4
American robin: brisk, purposeful flocks
dawn: act 4, detail
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Michigan waters
We recently vacationed with family in Oscoda, Michigan, on the shore of Lake Huron, north of the AuSable River. We gratefully traded the of midlands South Carolina for Michigan's west shore, our 100 degree highs for its 50-something degree lows, our sandhills for it sand banks. A welcome respite.
click on photos to enlarge
Monday, June 27, 2011
Season opening toss
Today marked the opening of a quirky summer sport of mine. It's sport within a sport that lightens my heart and step as I run on these heavy, humid mornings. The sport is quite unknown, requires no skill, and is an act of kindness, so it could catch on. It does require handling insects and being outside before dawn, so it probably won't. The sport? Cicada tossing! Seems that the lumbering insects can't always launch from pavement. So this morning when I heard one buzzing underfoot as it skittered over the pavement, I scrambled to catch it, gave it a gentle toss, and laughed as it buzzed away. The season's first pitch.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Entangled jewelry
I am stuck on buttons. Vintage button, big buttons, colorful buttons, and especially mother of pearl buttons continue to inspire my asymmetrical necklaces. The mother of pearl buttons are so luscious, both warm and cool, hard and soft. The challenge in my asymmetrical pieces is to physically balance the necklace, countering the heft of the large shell buttons. I've posted one revised piece; I had to center weight the necklace for it to hang well. Of course a test wearing of each piece is a responsibility (and joy) for this artist. As you can see the ideas and variations tease me from one necklace to the next. I have a quintet of button stack pendants underway as well as short length button braids pieces that work in delicate carved shell buttons. I'll post those soon.
If you have any incredible buttons, colorful buttons, or meaningful buttons that you want transformed into jewelry, please post a message. You know, that jar of buttons that your mom passed on, honor her resourcefulness, her memory, and the beauty in the everyday object.
button braid necklace with 2 mother of pearl buttons and ladder of buttons
button braid with button stack, blue greens
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Entangle, jewelry by Pat Callahn
Entangled. Thus I've named my jewelry work. And here are two new necklaces: silk cord braided with vintage buttons, brass findings, and cultured pearls.
click the image to enlarge
Monday, January 10, 2011
north star shadow boxes
These 2 boxes honor my father, an utterly practical man, a mechanical engineer, who outlined in pencil the proper place for each hand tool in his tool cabinet. Yet he wove into our lives whimsy, play, and inventiveness and unleashed our imaginations and potential. He embodies patience and constancy. He is my north star.
click image to enlarge
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