We're All Ears :: October Reveal

This month's inspiration is fashion, specifically the Fall 2015 collection by designer Monique Lhuillier. The challenge was to select one of these looks and create a pair of earrings to accessorize it. 

I don't really follow fashion. Though I enjoy watching Project Runway, I rarely am blown away by the clothes that walk the runway. The unconventional challenges intrigue me because of the challenges they present and the creative process involved. The bottom line is that fashion doesn't really interest me that much, especially now that I am retired and living in practical clothes (jeans, fleece, and hoodies). 

This challenge involves choosing one dress to accessorize. Something about this particular dress drew me in. I don't particularly like it; I guess it just so desperately begged for some earrings, that I had to oblige. 

Black, purple, and pink. Interesting colors. To counteract the whole high-fashion thing, I wanted to create something long and dramatic but also funky with a vintage vibe. I cut some discs from recycled tin and embossed them using a floral pattern to echo the pattern on the skirt of the dress. After covering the entire area with black Vintaj patina and meticulously painting the raised areas of the floral pattern in amethyst, opalite, and agate, it just looked too neat and tidy. Wanting more of a grungy flavor, I scruffed them up with some sandpaper. Better. More vintagy. Punch a hole. Good to go.

That dress needed hoops, so I made some out of 19 gague steel wire, forged them, and sealed them with Rennaisance wax. To finish, I added the painted discs and some crazy-lace, steel-wrapped gunmetal earwires. (Note to self: wrapping 26 gague steel wire around those earwires was a nightmare. Steel is a bugger to manipulate in tiny spaces for fine, detailed work.)

They look slightly different on another background.

I wish I knew a way to Photoshop my earrings into the photo with the dress. This is the best way I can think to accomplish that. 

Making these earrings jolted me out of a pretty serious creative slump. Usually, I make several pairs of earrings for these challenges; this time I was fortunate to accomplish one pair.  I've spent a lot of time lately sitting in my studio, staring at walls at a loss for ideas. Thank, Erin, for the jumpstart. 

To see earrings created by other talented artists for this challenge, CLICK HERE.