Thursday, September 13, 2012

A common influence... maybe: Rene Lalique


I have been receiving a lot of good comments about this little series as of late and had a few of my readers asking what genres I was going to cover. Actually my goal is to take a pick at as many genres as possible within the arts. It's going to take forever but it'll keep me busy. This time around I decided to take a look jewelry, which in itself has it's own mini genres. It took me a bit to finally choose who I wanted to focus on, who happens to be Rene Lalique. I wasn't too sure if any of them would know Mr. Lalique due to the fact that many jewelry designers during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco time periods were rarely recorded.

Grape broach by Rene Lalique
Rene Lalique (1860-1945) was actually a glass designer known for his ornate perfume bottles and such more then his jewelery creations. He originally started off as a freelance artist who would design jewelry for other jewelers before he finally started his own business to create his own pieces. Incorporating nature into each piece with amazing detail, the ornate creations helped give him recognition as one of France's best known jewelry designers.

It was too bad that I couldn't find out that much information about Mr. Lalique but with each little tidbits of information I could locate, they spoke highly of his skills. Now for my turn. Preparing my line up of artisans, I sent out my question:

"With the delicate work that you do, I was curious if the French jewelry artist Rene Lalique was an inspiration to your pieces."


"Bracelet with Pearls" by skaldsznurowadel 
A young woman located in Poland, Agnieszka Hopkowicz works mostly in silver and gives each of her pieces an organic feel but has them elegant enough for her female viewers. Each piece or set she creates seems to have personalities of their own, every one speaking to the viewer differently.
Agnieszka actually has an Etsy shop along with a Polish online shop for those who may be interested in purchasing her pieces but the best way to ask her about anything custom would be contacting her through her deviantART account. 
I had actually come across her gallery about 2 years ago while looking for a pattern to inspire me for a painting I was working on at the time and have frequently visited her account ever since just to look to see what beautiful pieces she had been able to post. Her response to my question was delightful in that she knew who I was talking.

“Definitely Art Deco is close to my heart, but my beloved artist and inspiration is Edgar Brantd. I made a pendant inspired by his works http://skladsznurowadel.deviantart.com/art/silver-oasis-138929238. Cheers” ~Agnieszka


"Handmade Silver Cross5" by MirielDesign
Formally known as JosephineDeath on deviantART, Norwegian artist Josephine Ryan does a little bit of everything from watercolors and graphite pieces to digital art but her gallery has become more known for her silver jewelry. Her delicate pieces shows how her style has evolved since when she first started to the fragile ornate pieces she has become known for. She does have an online jewelry shop (similar to Etsy) where you can order some of her beautiful pieces, but like most foreign websites you will need to translate  it into the language you use the most. 

I had actually stumbled into her gallery purely from chance when I was looking for artisans to ask for this particular article and thought it would have been foolish not to share her work. It took me a bit to actually study her pieces before I finally decided to ask her. 

“Hi! I have never heard of him before, no. I googled the name now, and I do like his style, thank you for bringing it to my attention. I am usually just inspired by nature, and often my dreams.” ~Josephine Ryan

"VIOLA SILVESTRIS - Necklace" by GaleriaAURUS
Another young lady from Poland, Jadwiga Betley creates beautiful pieces from what is actually known as Silver Clay which is a type of easy to use clay which consists of powdered silver which can be molded, baked then polished to a high shine. She also uses soutache for some pieces to create colorful patterns. For those not familiar with soutache, it's a type of cord which is actually used for the intricate patterns on clothing but has recently had a revival among jewelry designers where they make them into earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Her answer to my question was a pleasant surprise since she ended up sharing with me something she thought would give me some inspiration for some future paintings. 

"Hi! Rene Lalique a genius artist. You're right, it works absolutely wonderful in terms of form and color are an inspiration for me. Your watercolors are beautiful, Art Nouveau. I love watercolors, look at this:

As it seems to be a frequent pattern when I do these little segments, 2 of my artist line up have yet to respond to my question. Probably due to busy schedules, personal things or language barriers but sometime in the future I hope to include their comments to the line up. But, as we wait, I shall present to you a look at their works. 

"Sindarin - Ethuil" by darkonaria 

With beautiful details in both silver and brass harmonized with semi-precious stones, Anna seems to be incorporate a sense of nature into her works. Tiny details, curves and natural themes in each piece she does, the viewer can't help but spend time with each picture she has posted to check out her skills. She does have an Etsy shop for those who may be interested in purchasing her pieces. 




"Blossoms Headband Tiara" by ElnaraNiall

ElnaraNiall.deviantart.com (United States) 
Primarily working in sterling silver and gemstones, this anonymous artisan from the United States specializes in circlets and tiaras for clients. Unfortunately it may be a while before I receive an answer since she has been so busy, her last post on her deviantART account was in 2010. However she does have a website http://www.medievalbridalfashions.com/ where she sells her pieces online. 


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