Photographs for Kendra Roberts Studio Jewellery

Recently, I have taken new photographs for a stunning Collection of Jewelry made by Designer Kendra Roberts.  Her Etsy Shop can be found here Kendra Studio Jewellery, KSJ and she is working to get her new Website up and running.  You can find out how she came to create her unique silver and and semi-precious gemstone jewelry at her Etsy Shop.  She is basically self-taught and worked for many years creating her unique style.  She then went to the Art Institute of Glasgow for further study.  The results are one of a kind and truly stunning!  I also thought for this post, it would be fun to include a few of notes from behind the scenes as far as my clothing finds-bah ha and hehe!

Self-Portrait from the "Royal Earth" Series
(bodice-purple velvet Ralph Lauren piece found at TJ Maxx-gift from a friend; aqua top-thrift find from Antique store in Woodstock, VT; royal blue silk scarf-my Mom's which she let me borrow to dress up as a Gypsy in Kindergarten for Halloween-I, um, never gave it back and she is still looking for it-no one tell her I still have it-I need it!; greens and aqua wool felted cuff-from an artist friend in Norway)

Another from the "Royal Earth Series
(teal silk gown with beaded vintage east Indian trim-amazing Birthday Gift from a friend; vintage aqua glass goblet with gold leaf- part of a set and gift from a dear friend; red velvet in blackground-vintage silk velvet sari from exotic import store in Glastonbury, England; Gold Candle Pillar in corner-gift from dear nurses when I was very sick in a hospital; Lady and the Unicorn-ish fabric-left over from curtains, pillows and chair covers I made for my first Apartment in western MA)
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In the late Winter of this year, she contacted me from NYC, NY and wanted me to do self-portrait photographs as well as photographs of herself wearing her Jewelry for her new Website.  She had found my photographs online and wanted something different. I was so flattered and nervous!  She flew out to visit me in the Midwest States and and we talked about the vision she wanted to create and made plans when she would fly out to take the photographs.  I was overwhelmed as she has been photographed by the best photographers in NYC and she is a model there as well(Yikers! Pressure!). 

Kendra photographed for the "Forest Fae" Series-Lots of Greens and Blues, Feathers  plus WHIMSY! 

Fancy, Stripey, Smiley Forest Fae!

(top-shredded dress on super sale at Urban Outfiters for $5.00, skirt-thrift shop find here in my Village of Broad Ripple; stripey stockings-gift from a friend who knows I can't live without them; feathered headpiece-trade from a friend in TX; fabric-tulle, tulle and more tulle-I have it all over my house-who doesn't?)

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But, she was up for something very different which is my Do more with less and Just me and my Camera Style.  This means I am a One Girl kind of show.  I am the photographer, I direct the photographs, set up the scene with my own props(antique furniture, textiles, 'doo-dahs' I have found here, there and all over), I do the hair and makeup, I dress and style my folks from my collection of clothing, accessories, shoes, boots, costumes, and more which I have been building since I was a young teenager, and I use only natural light with some smoke and mirrors-literally. Sometimes, the smoke gets out of control though-many things do. I was really excited that she accepted my way of thinking and taking photographs.

My! What Green Eyes she has! Kendra photographed for the "Desert West Series". I very much wanted to distingish this series as the mountains, sands and wide open, gorgeous sky of New Mexico rather than a "Cowboy West" kind of feel. Kendra also studied jewelry making at Ghost Ranch-a place where Georgia O'Keeffe created her art.

(vintage black men's tux vest-found in Covent Garden, London, vintage white lace cotton nightgown-thrift store Pittsfield, MA, Georgia O'Keeffe style flower-silk flower section of Micheals Craft Store-a completely mad place to go).

Another from Desert West photograph which is full of pieces made of Turquoise Stone.

Photograph of Kendra that I wanted to have a Botticelli "Primavera, Venus" vibe. These pieces are part of the "Water Series" which included Jewelry using Mother of Pearl Stone.

Another of Kendra from the '"Water Series"

(ivory and turquoise silk gown-found on super sale rack from Anthropologie for $60.00- not bad as it was $275-because it had a broken zipper, was the last one, and had a tear on the hem and I got more off because I had a gift card-I have fixed all of the damaged parts; gorgeous ivory fine knit bolero-gift from a dear friend in Izmir, Turkey-part of a trade; hair and makeup-built upon and learned from growing up doing musicals and dance recitals and as neccesity when I had to learn how to look better during an illness-sometimes you just want to go out an not have folks ask you, 'oh my! what is wrong! you look horrible!' even though they mean well.)

Self-Portrait from the "Dark Forest Red Heart" Series which is about a Dark Queen stealing hearts-kind of a take on "Snow White".  Kendra made the red heart and red tear drop pendants just for this new series.  Very cool!  No need to describe what I am wearing and all that.  This is just what I look like everyday and my casual clothes-no big whoo.

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Kendra has already made plans to come

back at the end of Summer to take more photographs and we have more ideas floating around so watch this space!

Photos of Magical Creatures in My Shop

I have two new self-portrait photographs in my Etsy Shop depicting magical creatures from much loved Folk and Fairy Tales.  I can always see the character I want to portray in my head.  The hard part for any self-portrait photo is making it all come through the lens.   This is harder for some photographs than others. 

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After thinking about it for some time, I finally took a chance and made myself into a "Selkie"-a Creature of Irish and Scottish Myth who is Seal while in the Sea and Woman on land.  This final version is in my Etsy Shop now.

"The Selkie"

We shall never speak of how I took this self-portrait photograph after this post.  It involved me building a "beach" and my own little sea in my house, hours of  crying(me), figuring out lighting(natural), getting all my costumes right, tons of vegtable oil, big storage bins of water, about 4 fans, 10 vintage mirrors and 4 little cats who decided they wanted to be in the photograph which made the 10 sec. timer run a wreck. 

"The Faerie's Treasure Trove"

Whew!  This one was a whole lot easier.  This is just what I look like and where I live so no Big Whoo.  Waving "Hi!" at all of you folks in Blogland from my little Treasure Trove home.

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Hope all is well with all of You!

With Loving, Kindness,

merle