Showing posts with label Artists I love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Artists I love. Show all posts

Thursday, September 22, 2011

A Collaboration With Ivy Long of Edera Jewelry

Bohemian Gypsy Bride
Edera Jewelry Monarch necklace
Self Portrait photograph, Merle Pace
Wardrobe and Styling, Merle Pace
Monarch Necklace~Private Collection
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Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to take some self-portrait photographs as well as photograph my friend and model, Lorissa Byely, wearing Ivy Long's of Edera Jewelry sublime pieces.  She mailed me several pieces and I created several different looks for each one keeping in mind that Ivy's jewelry has a big focus on Bridal.  Each of the pieces included colour which I incorporated into each Bridal Story.  I am happy that Ivy liked the results!  I hope the photographs illustrate how colour can be incorporated into a wedding through your jewelry and other details to make the day truly unique.  
Edera Jewelry Demerter Necklace, For Sale in Edera Etsy Store
Photograph,Merle Pace
Model, Lorissa Byely
Wardrobe, Merle Pace
Styling,  Merle Pace
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 Each piece of Ivy's jewelry(ranging from headpieces, brooches, necklaces, earrings) is one of a kind and meticulously made from traditions of the past including lace making and embroidery of her own designs.  To these designs, she adds gorgeous semi precious gemstones, vintage beads and fine real gold and silver threads.  As fine heirloom jewelry, all the detail and patience she puts into each piece is overwhelming.  Here is the Link to her Blog Post where she has written about our Collaboration how she used my photographs with her pieces.

One Version of Ivy's Violaine Necklace-A more "Medieval" Style Photograph
Description Below
Photograph, Wardrobe, Styling-Merle Pace
Model, Lorissa Byley 
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This is the link to Edera Jewelry's Etsy Shop which includes some of my photographs with her new Fall and Winter 2011 "Neoclassical" Collection.  Please check out more of the "drool-worthy" pieces here.  I have added 3 examples of my photographs below.
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{1}
Long Black Onyx Earrings, Garnet Post Studs, Handmade Gold Lace. Dramatic Grecian/Neoclassical Design. Fall/Winter 2011-From Edera Jewelry



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{2}
Gold Lace Necklace~Medieval. Purple Amethysts, Freshwater Pearls, Gold-filled Chain

From Edera Jewelry


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{3}
Autumn Beaded Necklace~ Pumpkin Orange Teardrop Textile Pendant~ Gold Lace, Quartz Crystal, Citrine~From Edera Jewerly
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 I look froward to photographing more Edera Jewelry and creating more little "environments" and "stories" for each piece.  I am really enjoying doing this for other Jewelry Artists as well.  Ivy is on the East Coast and I am in the Midwest, so Ivy FedX'd me her pieces, I photographed them in a few days and sent them back.  I have done this for other artists from as far away as Finland.  They trust me to create a unique look that is specific with their vision and their creations.  If you are interested in having me photograph your Jewelry or other pieces, please contact me here or at merle@merleart.com
Wishing you all the best!
Edera Jewelry Hylas Necklace 

Self Portrait Photograph, Merle Pace
Wardrobe, Merle Pace
Styling, Merle Pace
Hylas Necklace, Private Collection
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All Jewelry and Photographs property of Edera Jewelry and Merle Pace/Rowan DeVoe Arts
Copy Write Edera Jewelry and Merle Pace/Rowan Devoe Arts
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More Info about Ivy and her techniques:
Ivy Long is a jewelry designer and and self-taught lace maker based in beautiful Vermont. The daughter of a milliner, Ivy began honing her interest in fiber arts and jewelry at an early age. By high school she had apprenticed with several jewelry designers. In her early twenties she discovered an affinity for crochet and lace making and by combining her love of jewelry with her love of lace, Edera Jewelry was born.


Edera Jewelry (named after the Italian word for ivy) is a collection of designs that feature Ivy's distinctive handcrafted lace. Creating her own patterns, she meticulously crafts each piece of jewelry from scratch, forming intricate lace designs with just a spool of thread and a tiny crochet hook. Her designs feature rare real metal threads imported from Europe that are nearly identical to those used in the opulent embroideries of the Renaissance. Interwoven with colorful silk threads, vintage beads, and luscious semi-precious stones, the jewelry celebrates the eternal feminine with designs that are beautiful, complex, delicate yet strong, and distinctive.



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Friday, June 10, 2011

A Sneak Peak-Photographs of The Divine Jewelry of Edera Jewelry


It sure has been a long time since I have posted in my poor little blog.  Finally, I have a few recent Self Portrait Photographs.  I have had the recent opportunity to shoot photographs wearing the sublime Fine Jewelry by Ivy Long of Edera Jewelry. Ivy creates her all her jewelry by hand and from real gold and silver lace that she makes herself.  I am amazed by anyone who keeps the old world arts alive such as making lace.  Each piece she makes is one of a kind with a theme and special name that reflects this theme.  Her pieces also feature semi precious gemstones. 
You will be amazed and taken back to another era when women chose to wear beautiful jewelry that would last a lifetime and then be passed on to the next generations.   Buy a heirloom piece for your wedding or a special piece that you will treasure.  You will be will be investing in a tradition of past times.  Thank you for bringing these traditions back Ivy!  Here are a few photographs I took of myself wearing her "Sidonia"earrings.  I have to admit that wearing them made me feel like a I was royalty.  I stood up a little straighter and held my head a little higher.  Please visit her blog and her Etsy shop through the link above.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A New Series of Photographs-FORTUNY!

I have taken a few self-portrait photographs wearing an amazing find of vintage dress from Etsy.  To me, it looks like a gown that the amazing multi-media Venitian Artist, Mariano Fortuny, would have made(or something close to it, I can dream!).  I wish I could have taken photographs in Venice, but I am stuck her in the U.S.A.  There are gorgeous canals near where I live and you can take little rides down them.  I usually decide to take my photographs in the middle of the night(when I finally can't take the nagging from my art to 'do it now!' anymore).  "Cross of Saint Cecelia" necklace by Parrish Relics

"Fortuny on the Stage"






Wednesday, November 17, 2010

My Own Lizzie Siddal

It has been forever since I have posted to my blog!  I have been distracted from my routine and trying to get other projects done and then overwhelmed at how to begin with my blog.  So, I decided to do a short post about someone I love and who has been inspiring me for about 20 years!  This dear sister-friend of mine is my very own "Lizzie Siddal". 


I used to live in NE and she was a fabulous model for my photography, paintings and monotypes.  She is also a photographer, painter and printmaker so we both took turns being each others model.  We also just had a wonderful time being together.  

 There were fun trips to vintage clothing stores all over to find costumes for our photographs and unique(and cheap!) pieces of furniture to make our little ancient apartments into jewel box castles. 
( Look at what she did to my apartment when I was away for a weekend!  She made the outside of it as well as the stairs up to it(all 3 whirling and twirling teeny previously servant quarters stairs of an very old mansion)into an overgrown, enchanted Castle right out of Sleeping Beauty!  This is after I got into her apartment and covered everything with "pixie dust" and posted blown up photographs of her from one Pre-Raphaelite shoot all over our wee village!  Ha!  It was really sad, I kept these up until I moved.  It was extremely hard to take them down.)
 There were also many trips to hear concerts from artists like Loreena McKennitt and the Medieval Baebes.  We climbled lots of mountains and picked blueberries from low growing bushes which we made jams and pies.  We swam in fabulous secret swimming holes where there were beautiful waterfalls . 
 
 We were always cooking, making art, dressing up, taking fun little trips, going to our favourite restaurants and poetry readings, getting ready for art shows, weaving on our bead looms together to get through the long winters and we just really liked to be in each others company.

 Hay Jumps in Western MA!
 Photographs in Enchanted Forests~

 
 The Gorgeous Skies of Fall in NE
 
There are always hilarious sides to these "very serious" photographs!  Love this one! Moving around in this gown when it was wet was crazy, but she wouldn't get out until we had the perfect photo!
( An amazing "Garden" of old trucks circa 1940-gorgeous with Victorian finery!)
  I am not sure what I would be doing now or if I would be doing art now if this sister hadn't kept pushing me and telling me to keep going!  So, I have to thank her a million times over and am always sending her my love still though I am back in the midwest.  

 We still send each other our art, letters, and keep in touch with phone calls.  She will always be my favourite model and muse!  I miss her and all the fun we had together! 
 Grow, Braid, Cut, Repeat...I still have this set of braids-there are quite a few!
  Miss You!  Love you! Ooh, I always loved that coat and I still have that cobalt blue scarf that I wove!


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Congrats Firuzan!



I was so excited to see my dear friend Firuzan Goker's dolls in the Feb/Mar/Apr. 2009 issue of "Art Doll Quarterly" Magazine. Firuzan's Dolls are made of paper mache and she also makes amazing paper mache jewelry. Firuzan lives in Istanbul, Turkey and we became friends through Flickr and sharing photographs of our art and then letters and packages and it has grown from there. I am honoured to call her "Sister". She also has two lovely and amazing daughters.
Her art is just beyond words as is her jewelry. I love her Frida doll and her Doll "Honeycomb"(named after her daughter Petek which means Honeycomb in Turkish). I also love the little doll with red hair and blue eyes-she seems familiar-huh...
Someday I hope to visit Firuzan and her daughters in her magical Angel Garden by the sea where her studio is-sounds like magic! Just like Firuzan!
Firuzan now has an Etsy shop for her jewelry at http://www.firuzangoker.etsy.com