FEATURED WORK

The jewelry featured on this site evolved from my series The Water Collection. Designs are derived from flora and fauna, and natural water forms, sometimes revealing man's influence on nature.
Pieces are made using traditional jewelry fabrication techniques and materials as well as the newest media in the industry, kiln sintered precious metal clay (PMC). See the description of PMC in the following article.


Changing Expressions
by Nancy Karpel
1996
One of the most important dimensions of my life has been the ability to fully express myself through art. My lifelong interest in art crystallized when I began metalworking and subsequently fabricated jewelry of my own design.
Throughout the last 27 years as a jewelry artist, my work has metamorphosed and evolved. I explored construction possibilities with silver and gold sheet and wire, informed by architectural styles, folded paper, and electrical circuitry. Later the work became softer, using fine silver, forming and bending and wrapping pieces that had been embossed with patterns from antique lace. Styles merged and separated and merged again as life-changes occurred.
During a severe illness in 1993, I began drawing intuitively what was later to become The Water Collection. The collection of shell forms was so prominent in my drawings that the exploration of the reason they flowed from me at that time led to my eventual healing (as well as a national design award). The series of brooches, neckpieces, bracelets and earrings were combinations of textured gold of various colors laminated to pure silver sheet which has been hammered out from the back (repousse). This gives the pieces a shimmery yet weathered look. Accents of pale colored faceted gemstones and natural pearls add sparkle and luster. The total effect evokes feeling of underwater treasure, and is reminiscent of colorful shells on the water's edge, shining beneath the sun-lit shallow water.
Subsequent to The Water Collection, a new media has inspired my creativity. Precious Metal Clay (PMC) is a patented technology developed by Mitsubishi Corporation in Japan in the early 1990's. It is composed of tiny particles of gold or silver, mixed with an organic plant-based binder and water, that can be worked with the hands as modeling clay. When heated in a kiln to high temperatures, the binder and water dissipate, leaving only the 100% pure silver or gold form.
Objects made of PMC have a unique aesthetic. For example, I recently worked on a series of pieces from drawings I did of Mayan temples and communities on the Yucatan Peninsula. I wanted to construct a series of brooches and pendants that would communicate the feel of the land and the spirituality of the people. Traditional refined (milled) silver sheet and wire felt too sterile for this purpose, therefore I put the drawings aside for several years.
When I began experimenting with PMC, I found it a perfect medium in which to transform the Mayan ruin drawings into 3-dimensional form, and completed a series of five pins. The soft white color of the metal when it is taken out of the kiln is reminiscent of the stone used in Mayan temples and residences, especially when combined with subtle texture and color. I carved rubber stamping tools to texture the clay, and incorporated enamel colors to echo the feeling of the time-worn mural walls of the buildings.
PMC is exciting for me because it facilitates forms and processes (such as making hollow forms) that are laborious or difficult by traditional jewelry-making methods. Working the metal clay directly with my hands has a distinct advantage over using the traditional saws, hammers, and pliers needed to manipulate sheet and wire. It is less cumbersome, and less stressful on my hands, and the material is more forgiving. There is less waste because you can re-form the metal clay as long as it is kept wet. Scrap pieces are returned to the main batch of clay or diluted with water to be used as "slip", a thin paste that can be used to reinforce joints or create texture.
Most traditional clay forming and throwing techniques can be utilized. These take some getting used to by metalworkers as the clay has a floppy character when rolled to thicknesses that are practical for this expensive medium. PMC has its limitations as well. Its organic character and "look" cannot replicate the refined look of traditional jewelry, and its slightly porous nature is not practical for some intense weight bearing or tension bearing usage.
In my mind, one of the most beneficial aspects of working with metal in clay form is the spontaneity that is possible for the creative process. Also, there is something spiritually satisfying about working with a medium that combines, in balance and harmony, the elements of earth, fire and water. For me, this sense of harmony is a needed respite from the divine unrest of my creativity.

ORDERING FEATURED WORK
To order jewelry from this website, please call or fax us at 203-782-9108 or e-mail us at karpelstudio@att.net (see Contact page for e-mail link). We will answer your inquiry in a timely manner.
Prices listed are retail and are subject to change with the metals and stone markets. A shipping charge is added to all orders sent out. We ship via UPS 2nd Day Air, or USPS insured mail. We accept VISA, MC,and DISCOVER.
Wholesale inquiries are also welcome from galleries, boutiques, and jewelry stores. Wholesale requests should be faxed on company letterhead. Please inquire about minimums and terms.
Thank you.