New Photos..some new work

These are a few photos taken by my new friend Anneka for a shows I would like to enter in the next few months. There will be more to follow but we just stlyed a few shots to see how they would look on an old mannequinn I borrowed from Tasty Vintage! http://www.tastyvintage.com/index.php

All are working progresses and need some sparkling touches but finally it feels like I am pulling a collection together! I am really pleased with the way they have come out....

Siver cast bones, hand formed.


Test tube, found insects, cork, silver.


Photo-etched silver scizzers, antique velvet, silver chain.


Photo-etched lace on silver, silk ribbon, quartz, silver chain.


Photo-etched map on silver, hand formed, recycled 9ct gold chain.

All photos by Anneka James
http://www.annekajames.co.uk/

An article about moi...

http://thelinc.co.uk/2010/04/a-lincoln-graduates-sucess-emily-margaret-hills-jewellery-exhibition/

Graduate showcases Victorian jewellery collection

By Jessica Brown | Published On April 19, 2010 | In Fashion

From April 12th until today, there has been an exhibition of drawing, jewellery, and print held in a little gallery located in St Martin’s square in Lincoln, seeing over 60 visitors in its first night. Emily Margaret Hill is just one of the creative minds behind the gallery this past week. Fascinated by the Victorian era, she uses this as inspiration for her jewellery.

In a cosy, yet creatively decorated, space above the gallery, Emily works away at her jewellery in a unique way: “No one else uses the exact technique that I use, that I know of,” she said. See her work in the gallery below:

By demonstrating initiative in a competitive market, Emily (23) is already distinct from her fellow graduates: “No one else from my course at university has taken the leap like I have, they’ve all taken on full time jobs, which I think is a bit crazy. I need to get my work further afield so I’m applying to big show across the country. And I’ve stopped selling my jewellery for now so I can build up my collection.”

Emily initially developed ideas for her jewellery from going to museums and private collections. However, now she is more inspired by Victorian domestic life. She described one of her main inspirations as ‘mourning jewellery’. “That sounds a bit morbid”, she said, “but in the Victorian times it was used to celebrate life and death.”

In September 2009, Emily graduated from the University of Lincoln, after studying a joint course of contemporary decorative craft and fine art. She now works above the gallery three to four days a week, and can spend up to two full days working on one piece of jewellery.

“I did my dissertation on how Victorians reacted to death through jewellery. I wanted to have that same effect, jewellery standing for emotion and feelings. I had one guy who came to me wanting his wedding vows and the place when he and his wife met etched onto a necklace.”

Emily admires the way the Victorians interpretted their lives through jewellery, and studied it for her dissertation. “Jewellery was such a big part of their lives,” she said. The Victorians were more sentimental with their jewellery, but Emily sees that this sentimentality has declined these days, and that is what she is trying to revive through her work.

She etches maps and marriage vows onto silver, she uses Victorian coins, and she makes her work individual: “my jewellery is easily changeable, you can personalise it, for example, by re- tying a ribbon, or turning a coin around.” With several shows this year, Emily hopes to enter them after building up a collection.

Kirsten Spuijbroek

This work is by Kirsten Spuijbroek who is based in The Netherlands. Her work is inspired by mourning jewellery (just one of the reasons I love it so). Her techniques involve dipping real flowers into porclelain and letting them burn away as it is fired. Thus leaving the imprint in the necklace. This links to allowing time to grieve and letting memories be kept and cherished.





http://www.kirstenspuijbroek.nl/

Hannah Hedman

This is work by Hannah Hedman. Almost all is from her "Enough tears for two" series. Each piece is so carfeully constructed yet is almost seems like a collection of old used found objects glued together. I love the dark patina of the metal and the aggressive edges. Her work to me seems like a dreamscape, beautifully formed in another world..




She states, "Human weaknesses and underlying defense mechanisms are often themes that recur in my work. I try to keep an open attitude to methods and materials as I find my way to new techniques, combinations and approaches, but simultaneously always strongly rooted to the past".



Materials used are oxidised silver, powder coated copper, paint, synthetic fibre and a technique of electroforming.

Seb's Nana's beautiful mourning jewellery collection..

Right, so I have to admit how jealous of my boyfriends Nana I am for one simple reason..she owns THESE.......


Opal, 18k gold, enamel.



This beautiful gold brooch reads "Stanley" on the back and is part of a pair. These could have been made to commemmorate the lives of two brothers, not nessessarily because they died, the Victorians also commissioned jewellery for the birth of family and friends aswell as to mourn.




This is a very sweet brooch containing plaited hair and a little picture of the lady it belonged too. No engraving on the brooch but it immaculate condition and I love how happy the lady looks.



This ring is beautiful and really typical of a mourning piece. The gold band is engraved with a Greek keywork pattern that would have been popular in earlier Victorian work. From the late Georgians through to the Victorians designers were heavily influenced by the romanticism of the ancient Greek architecture such as collumns and stone engravings. There is also fine hairwork woven through the band, amazingly constructed.


This is a brooch that is made from the material that opitomised the Victorians fascination with Mourning. Jet was found in Whitby and was very easily carved due to it's fossilised-wood state. It was produced in mass to portray Victorians people's loss and could be found in mourning warehouses across London. This means is wasn't often personalised but meant that lower classes could express their grief through adornment.

Highgate Cemetry

I initially visited Highgate cemetry for two reasons, firstly as I was focusing my dissertation on Mourning jewellery and I thought visiting a few Victorian cemetries would give me a further understanding of their expression of death. Secondly because one of my ancestors is buried there and I was keen to see the family plot. It turned out to be such an amazing experience and has inspired so many parts of my work since.


This is the Hill family tomb, it is really beautiful and commemmorates my (i think 5 times) Grandad and his family..Sir Rowland Hill, he created the postage stamp don't you know!


Highgate was created in 1839 by the General Cemetry Company and insantly became a popular and fashionable place to be buried amoungst the wealthy and upper classes.
It has the most incredible Dickensian Atmosphere that takes you right back to time when you would have seen black carriages and horses drawing up into the main court and forlorn visitors slowly waltzing around huddled together in blakc crepe.
John Betjeman referred to Highgate as the Victorian cemetary "par excellence, the Victorian Valhalla". It really is so lavish and dramatic, featuring an Egyptian archway with tudor turrets leading in large avenue of vaults..


It the centre is this huge Ceder tree standing tall on a mound of earth. This is called the Circle of Lebanon, built in the same style. This circle was created by earth being excavated around an ancient Cedar of Lebanon, a legacy of the Ashurst Estate and used to great effect by the cemetery’s designers.


This is one of the doors to a vault holding a family mausoleum. They are such eery spaces, you can see inside as you are walking around and they seem so unusually large for holding a few coffins. They remind me of big old empty houses with wind blowing through them, untouched for years but holding secrets that have been buried with the owners.

Anne ten Donkelaar

Ok so I can't actually read her website but she makes very pretty things that contain insects and can be worn on the body...

http://www.anneten.nl/anne/portfolio/