Archive for October, 2009
“If you’re not a work of art, then wear one.”
-Oscar Wilde
Wearable art combines function, design, and a message or theme. Like a painting, drawing, or sculpture, wearable art is almost always “one of a kind.”
Each Susan Green necklace features her signature fiber-wrapping technique, which combines hand-dyed silk and rayon cords with antique and metallic threads and ribbons to create a smooth and subtly colored surface, which feels wonderful against the skin. Many of her necklaces use her unique, handcrafted silver and bronze closures, which harmonize with the colors of the piece through original surface treatments. The necklaces are beaded with the highest attention to detail.
Ed and Kate, ceramic artists, each started working with clay at the age of fifteen, taking ceramic classes at the Indianapolis Art Center. They realized then that it was something they would always do. They received their Fine Arts Degrees from Ball State University.
We like working within the parameters of a series, keeping each piece unique and one-of-a-kind. This process allows our art to continuously grow and move in dynamic ways. We hope that the excitement we feel when making a piece is evident and transferred to the owners of our work.
Visit the Gallery Five collection of Ed and Kate’s ceramic vases, bowls and clocks.
As a jewelry designer whose strength is minimal architectural classic lines, Barbara SilverStein’s response to the purity of the intristic beauty of braided stainless steel was immediate and total. Each piece and its findings are formed by hand. Silverstein’s standard for excellence includes achieving total comfort while maintaining exquisite craftsmanship. The finished result is both timeless and maintenance free.
Award winning designer and artist, Barbara SilverStein will share with you the process of knitting and braiding stainless steel and gold. Her creations are combined with fresh water pearls, washed jade and semiprecious stones. There is a stark, minimalist elegance.
Enjoy browsing Gallery Five’s collection of Barbara SilverStein’s art to wear jewelry: necklaces, chokers, bracelets, earrings, brooches and pins.
Hays-Cash creates stylish functional metal art such as wine bottle holders, clocks, mirrors, wine racks, and more.
Hays-Cash Designs are handmade works of art, not stamped out, mass produced, or imported. Doug Hays and Penny Cash are among the very few artists employing traditional blacksmithing techniques to create distinctive works of decorative art. Inspired designs and uncompromising dedication to quality sets them apart from the norm. Great gift idea.
Metallic blue and green Mermaid Wine Bottle Holder: A mermaid and a bottle of wine – what more could one want. Eye popping translucent color lets the shine and appeal of the metal shine through. Definitely a conversation piece!
Simply slide the bottle into the hands of the mermaid and she will hold them faithfully until your are ready to decant.
Some people think opals are bad luck … however, I deem otherwise. And given to me as a gift makes it even more special. New Suzanne St. Claire opal rings with brilliant Australian opals at Gallery Five.
The Early Years – the “Good Luck” Opal
In fact, in Roman times, the gem was carried as a good luck charm of talisman, as it was believed that the gem, like the rainbow, brought its owner good fortune. To the Romans, it was considered to be a token of hope and purity. It was also referred to as the “Cupid Stone” because it suggested the clear complexion of the god of love. The early Greeks believed the opal bestowed powers of foresight and prophecy upon its owner, while in Arabian folklore, it is said that the stone fell from heaven in flashes of lightning. The Oriental traditions referred to them as “the anchor of hope.”
Special Powers
Early races credited opal with magical qualities and traditionally, opal was said to aid its wearer in seeing limitless possibilities. It was believed to clarify by amplifying and mirroring feelings, buried emotions and desires. It was also thought to lessen inhibitions and promote spontaneity.
In the 7th Century it was believed that opals possessed magical properties, and centuries later Shakespeare was attributed with the description of opal as “that miracle and queen of gems.” Eastern peoples also dealt very heavily in this precious stone, which was believed to bring luck and to enhance psychic abilities.
Spiritual and Healing Properties of Opals
There are many different color variations of opals. Clear, white or water opals have been used as gazing tools as a way to look inward, a spiritual mirror. Opals are also helpful for enhancing dreamwork or assisting spiritual journeys. Blue opals can help open up the third eye, sooth the throat chakra, and encourage telepathic communications.
Fire opals (ranging from orange to red) can be used to stimulate change, manifest your ideas. They have also been associated with improving circulation. Green opals help give an energy boost. Pink opals address emotional issues, offering nourishment and support to the heart chakra.
Artists have different modes of expressing their works. Some stamp their artistic signature on wearable art in the form of clothes and accessories that appeal to the sight of anyone who appreciates creative artworks.
Graphite Drawing Hand by Agelio Batle
These graphite sculptures offer an amazing piece of artwork as well as a functional drawing utensil. Writes like a pencil but won’t rub off on your hands. Functional art cast in graphite that will last for years.
Drawing Hand is typical of Agelio Batle’s work. In his offerings we find an inventor extracting the extraordinary from the ordinary. Pencil lead, dictionaries, globes, maps, old photographs – everyday artifacts such as these give us no expectation of inspiration. To find epiphany in mundane materials, poetry in the pedestrian, is the core of his work.
The investigative nature of Agelio’s work may stem from his background in the sciences. He received a BA in Biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Not wishing to pursue a career in science, he returned to his lifelong interest in art and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from California College of Arts and Crafts, graduating with High Distinction honors. Agelio’s artwork includes stage design, art installation, performance art and drawing as well as sculpture. His work has been seen in museums and galleries across the United States. To find epiphany in mundane materials, poetry in the pedestrian, is the core of his work.
Here is an example of some graphite sculptures featured at Gallery Five:
Dragonfly: Among the earth’s oldest creatures, the dragonfly has captivated imaginations across cultures since antiquity. Dragonflies were the winged shamans of Zuni myth and legend, carrying supernatural powers and the possibility of spiritual transformation in their whirlwind of flight. Revered for centuries in Japan, the dragonfly was thought to swiftly carry the spirits of ancestors to their beloveds. These shimmering, iridescent bodies also drift into Western folkloric traditions in which dragonflies were known as the needle-shaped gatekeepers of truth, sewing with threads the voice of the deceitful.
Spindle Shell: In the histories of many cultures, the shell was celebrated as currency, curative, adornment and art. Once containing the whole of a life form, shells shield cycles of birth and rebirth. Shells are nature’s created spaces, holding moments of life, growth and introspection.
Quill: Weightlessly, the quill brings words soaring on the spirit of prayer and protection. In Islam, the quill is thought to have been created from light one thousand years before God created anything else. Also a symbol of predestination, the quill writes words imbued with a spiritual and ancient guidance.
Browse GalleryFive.com to see eco-friendly art by prominent and promising artisans.
Type “eco-friendly” in the search field.
