Enshrined - the Evolution and Reveal.

SHRINE

1. 1a: a case, box, or receptacle; especially: one in which sacred relics (as the bones of a saint) are deposited.  
   b: a place in which devotion is paid to a saint or deity: sanctuary  
   c: a niche containing a religious image.
2. 2a place or object hallowed by its associations

A sampling of sculptural shrines I have made over the years. All smaller than 8 x10".

I love the concept of the shrine. A place where things are set aside, reserved, made 'more'... a place where attention and importance are focused on an item. I have been making sculptural ceramic shrines for over 10 years. Small in scale they are intimate, personal - icons of a sort. I fill them with items from nature, found objects, symbolic objects that reference myth, archetypes, and the natural world.

I have been musing on shrines in a miniature format for a while now. How to create a niche? Hanging mechanisms? And most importantly - scale! What is small enough to wear and large enough to enshrine a small treasure? Working with ceramic clay, I work when the slabs are "leather hard" (imagine a firm slice of cheese...). They can support their weight, and be joined in mired corners, carved, embellished. How to translate this to polymer?!

1. First two large hollow shrines. 2. Detail of bail and textured sides 3. 2nd batch - very deep. 4. Making progress! Thinner more wearable scale pieces. 

Polymer as I know it has only two stages - raw/soft and cured/firm. My first attempts were made of elements cured then assembled. I made the niche, the back, the front - cured the pieces. Then I assembled them with liquid clay and added the textured sides/surround. These are my first creations - the two at the top are rather large, in my opinion at app 2.5"tall. While it worked - it was very fiddly, not something that lent itself to small scale production. The fact that they were hollow was great - but polymer is so light. Do they need to be hollow? Back to the drawing board.

Solid construction. Playing with beaded bails. 

Solid construction is the answer! No sagging uncured clay. No sticky assemblage with liquid clay. and solid forms are easier to texture. The shrines above have beaded bails, and an antique enameled element.

Finding things small enough. That is a challenge. There is a sense of whimsy in using these small toys. I am ok with that... but they aren't enough. So I made my own polymer miniatures, made mold, and started creating. ( I need to redo that acorn.)

Small rubber? Plastic? Toys fit in nicely. But I was happiest with my own iconic polymer minis, which will be painted.  

This is where I wanted to be! I am really pleased with these! And they will be making their debut at Bead Fest this month. I am finally ready to share them with you all here, and the world. 

This is where I wanted to be! Stamped copper adds a layer of meaning! Holes run through point of top of arch.

So how is it done? Here is a peak at the steps in the process:

Stages of construction. And playing with pan pastels. 

Comparison: toy hare and polymer mini hare ( still needs painting) 

I really see these as a series  - I have so many ideas for colors, patterns... and inclusions. I'm pretty excited with the results and pleased with the continuity it achieves across my body of work. I would really like to hear your comments! 

And if you are at Bead Fest - stop by and see them in person. I will be at #463 in Artisan's Alley! 

Folklore Friday - milagros

 Folklore Friday - milagros

I have been thinking a lot lately about what inspires me to make a piece, to create a pendant, to wear a certain piece of jewelry. Yes - partially this is inspired by preparing work for Beadfest in Philadelphia this upcoming August. But I have been chatting lately with fellow bead makers and discussing inspiration, ideas, motivation. It seems to make me a bit introspective. I am motivated to create a piece with meaning, with intention, with a history and a symbolism that speaks to the wearer. I want a person to be drawn to my piece ( be it pendant for their own use, or a finished piece I have created).  I hope it resonates with them; that it is a meaningful piece they can carry with them, an amulet, a talisman. So I plan to do a series here, if you will join me - on ancient and multicultural amulets - their meanings, and how they inspire me. 

Milagros - trans. from the Spanish -  "Little miracles" 

Photo credit: nomads and zingari blog

Milagros are votive charms, a sort of folk medicine and prayer combined. They are used in many Hispanic regions and countries, from the US through Latin America, even the Iberian Peninsula. Made of gold, silver, wood, wax... but most frequently found in tin and pewter, milagros vary greatly in size and depth. (Most are relatively flat, and smaller than a quarter.) Whether found at a saint's shrine, in a church, left as an offering or hanging on a simple ribbon in a home - they are unified by their symbolic meanings, and their intention.

"As part of a religious ritual or an act of devotion, milagros can be offered to a symbol of a saint as a reminder of a petitioner's particular need, or in gratitude for a prayer answered. They are used to assist in focusing attention towards a specific ailment, based on the type of charm used. Milagro symbolism is not universal; a milagro of a body part, such as a leg, might be used as part of a prayer or vow for the improvement of a leg; or it might refer to a concept such as travel. Similarly, a heart might represent ideas as diverse as a heart condition, a romance, or any number of other interpretations. Milagros are also carried for protection and good luck." (Wiki)

Ceramic milagros fresh from my kiln this morning. 

My favorite: the eyes milagro. These are currently available in my Etsy shop. 

I find the eyes a very powerful symbol of the self and the soul. I like this icon paired with inspiration words - perhaps things we need to "see" in ourselves or our lives. 

Two very different necklaces that I have made - and wear often.


What milagro symbol would you wear for protection and luck?
What do you need to "see" more clearly, or manifest in your life? 

Thanks for stopping by - I would love to hear your thoughts... 

Jenny

www.jdaviesreazor.com

References and shopping: 

Zanzibar trading 

Sacred Art Images

Happy Mango Beads

Direct from Mexico

An assortment from Etsy: 

Milagros on Etsy: LindaQueally, SHIWASHIWA, reDonewhat, LaMariposaGallery, HINT, suenosimports, TheRealJackChow, suenosimports.