Inspiring artist- OreAlive metalwork

A moment to make your heart beat faster, from metalwork artist Shira Loa.

up up the ziggurat

Shops are closed. Studio's packed. Walls are looking very bare.

 

I'm spending too much time with my head stuck in the internet, trawling for things to inspire my new work, which I hope to begin construction on next weekend after the last days of cleaning and packing are behind me and the joy on unpacking- and decorating- lays ahead.

All these pieces in this post are old works I've done over the stretch of years who in either form, style or sensibility represent the new path I'm going down. Solid form, strong shape, deep texture. Ancient past and star-flecked futures. 

As usual all will be constructed using salvaged material- there is a reckless part of my mind that whispers for a PMC set-up, and though I know I could do such wonderous things with it, my heart struggles; it is not 'salvaging' enough for me- though I'm sure all the metal in it has been recycled 1000 times. Did you know metals like gold can be melted down and re-used infinite number of times? Theories suggest the amount of gold we have drawn from the earth is not very much- so often is it recycled that there are grounds to suppose a gold tooth or wedding ring you currently have in possession could be made in part from the jewelry of an Etruscan princess.

 

Anyway- metal-melting aside, my intense need to use what already exists comes from a deeper place than the ubiquitous tree-hugger principles necessary in ethically responsible jewelry; rather it is about using the resources at your disposal; challenging the mind to find solutions to a need without providing a new material. 

This borderline psychotic insistence on salvage is my undoing and my strength; while I 'miss out' on developing my ideas with cast metal, powder coated or electroplated forms, I often come up with new ideas simply through looking for alternatives. Cast metal ideas are turned by my mind into forms of leather and canvas; ideas about crystals or diamonds are planned in materials like thrifted wine glass stems, or cut up CDs. 

 

I especially get excited by using these materials not expected to turn up in jewelry - it is much more fun and rewarding as well as delivering a more complex article at the end; more art than artisan craft. (Oh how the lines blur!) Self-reliance has become a sort of game to me- and each time I play I set the bar higher. 

Meanwhile in the day to day... I better go pack something.Or eat dinner!

on second thoughts

For a long voyage

I've delayed the shop closing an extra week, you now have till next Friday, the 27th. There are some serious bargains to be had in the clearance section- get them now because once next Friday hits, anything in that clearance pile will cease to become available. It's all stuff I don't relate to any more and I want a fresh start on a long voyage.

accustomed

I've also added some paper collages from my old art shop into Sparrow Salvage. I want it to be my only shop for art, jewelry, photography etc. All the products of my creativity in one place. When I'm ready to set up shop again, I will be updating fairly irregularly- it's been my developed habit to make as much as I can as often as I can to keep up with that vending machine mentality that seems to run unchecked on Etsy. But we are artists- we work at a different pace, we are not automatons- not even Fanci who never sleeps! I intend my new home and new life to nuture a more thoughtful artist who works when she does and updates when something is finished.

There will be more paper collage, extraordinary pieces of jewelry, textile wall hangings... and eventually (should my ideas plan out) ceramics and....dolls! Yes dolls. Big ones, at least 3 foot tall. How does one ship that? Carefully, I would think.



Prophecy

One more thing- there's a 50% off sale happening in my old photography shop...trot along and get yourself a bargain while it's there- I'm closing that shop for good once I've moved, so all these prints will no longer be available once next Friday hits! Ever!

junk dump

Big bunch a stuff!

>>> Totemic <<<

>>> red dust <<<

>>> skyfather <<<

I had a manic/organisational moment and updated with all the stuff littering my computer desk.

>>> motivator <<<

>>> Binary <<<

I mean...the stars have aligned tonight so that I may bring you treasures...yeah.

>>> Europa <<<

I'm going to be closing both shops on FRIDAY you guys. And will keep 'em closed for about 2 weeks while I get about moving house and settling in and stuff like that there. So if'n you want somethin', better get in there now!

Spacewalk

I've started updating the shop again- there was a serious and manic period in the last 24 hours wherein I made a crapton (approximate weight) of jewelry!

Asterion

I'm high on my tribal sci-fi mode again! Some of you might remember the last time I did this- coincidentally (or not?) it was the same time last year but it's been off and on in my work since 2009. I was at the tail end of my Victorian tribal and getting bored with it -still loving the tribal, but waning on the Victorian. Looking for something to breathe new life in it, I bought up an old trick taught to me by an art professor- he said 'if something's not working, think of it's opposite.'

All systems go

The opposite of Victorian and tribal to me was futurism- pale colours, minimal pattern and geometric shapes. Feeling it was worth a try, I started exploring with the supplies I had- most of which were Edwardian, art deco and 1960s. That night when my housemates and I were discussing our dinnertime viewing intentions said 'I want to watch something set in the future' My friends (being the faithful trekkies they are) handed me Star Trek:TNG. I'd seen in often before but it seemed time to delve in properly, so I did my usual 'watch all the seasons in one day!' routine and within a week my mind was flooded with alien landscapes, crystal-powered machines, emerging galactic cultures and a serious amount of shiny fabric.

older pieces showing sci-fi influence

1. crystalis astronomica , 2. ray of light , 3. moonsister , 4. ancient astronauts, 5. cold planet , 6. follow behind me with breadcrumbs of stars, 7. Early birds are singing , 8. hoth summer nights, 9. Interstellar pyramids

I started to muse on the sci-fi genre and wondered how I could make it work with the tribal style. And boom- tribal sci-fi was born. That was May 2009; in 2010 I'd come back to it though leaning heavily on the science-fantasy part (though some sci-fi sneaked through) utilising fiction I'd written way back in High School that had stuck with me. (No you can't see it.) In 2011 I went back to it with a dark rustic vibe, and now here we are in 2012 where once again I'm high on the vision of tribal sci-fi again.

Enceladus

This time there's a more heavy lean toward the ancient civilization part. As I look at what I have spread on the work desk right now there's a solid conjunction between the past and the future.

Maybe not a lot of people would look at that collection up there and think 'wow, how sci-fi!' but to me it's very evocative of a futuristic race. Maybe I just watch too much Ancient Aliens. Aside from the stuff up there I've also go a lot of of silver and gold, geometric shapes, luminous stones and facets to make sparklies so the sci-fi is emphasised to others. I'm trying to add as much natural/organic element as possible so there's also carved wood, raw crystals, rusty metals and general reclaimed grungy bits. Where would we be without grungy bits?