Lately the jewelry world has gone mad for design competitions based on unusual materials.  I don’t know what exactly makes them so compelling … but I’m crazy about them too.  Is it the success of shows such as Project Runway?  Maybe.  All I know is I love reading about them and seeing the different interpretations.

When I found out that the school where I teach (the Denver School of Metal Arts) was having such a design competition I was thrilled.  I got to sneak in at the last minute as an alternate.  We were each given a bag of materials, to which we could add only two items. For me, the most exciting object was a small piece of blue aluminum, so I added a piece of red and another piece of green and got busy. DSMA upped the usual ante, most of the time artists get the materials and have all the time in the world to do the work in the comfort of their own  studios but we had to do all the work at the school and in the course of one Saturday.  To be honest, I wasn’t sure anyone would finish but we all did.

My Entry: Mardi Gras Sparrows

This was what I came up with.  It’s currently on display at The Naja, the tool supplier next to the school.  I heartily recommend that everyone stops by, the results are fantastic!

Can you believe these all started from the same bag of odds and ends?

Here’s a sneak peak. Pretty great, huh?