After about a year I eventually started to refocus my energy on my painting again, assuming that the jewelry had served itsinspirational purpose. Though almost every day thought about new jewelry designs and how I could evolve those first pieces.I hadn't realized that the art of jewelry making had no intention of taking a backseat in my life. In between painting I began working on taking those initial pieces to the next level. True art is never stagnant and i knew it was time to recreate them. I loved the look of the ceramics but really wanted to make the pieces more wearable. Since I live a t the the beach I started to concentrate on figuring out a way to make the jewelry waterproof and stable but still hold onto the organtic earthy look of the ceramics. I wanted them be versatile enough to spend the day at the beach with you and then come along for your dinner date. That's also the really great added bonus to stringing them on leather, they can go casual or elegant. I researched and experimented for about 8 months and finally came up with the formula I'm using now. I have been so thrilled with the results! They are definitely everything I envisioned.
The creation process is an ever winding journey that I am lucky enough to call my way of life. I am so influenced by the natural elements around us, the sometimes inconspicuous pebbles and flowers that we can easily walk past unnoticed, but when we stop and take.a moment to look deeply we find that the beauty we see is truly a reflection of our self.
Bonnie E DiGiacomo resides with her husband Paul, 9 year old twins Lily & Trooper and oldest daughter Free in the the beautiful community of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. All of Bonnie's jewelry designs are handcrafted by her in her home studio. They are hand molded, painted sanded and strung on quality leather. Each gemstone is handpicked and custom drilled by the artist.
All of her designs are also offered in handcrafted fine silver.
Question's & Answers:
Q: when did you start creating art?
A: Art has always been a part of my life, art was like a seed that was planted inside of me and was compelled to grow without my putting any real thought into it, especially as a child. It was my personal way of communication and always a reaction to my life situations that was really nurtured by my parents and teaches as a very natural way of being.
Q: How has your painting influenced your jewelry creations?
A: I think I chose to paint in watercolors because of the unexpected nature of the medium. You cannot control watercolor completely. You have to step back and see the natural beauty that it gives you. I love the happy accidents that it creates when you really let go and paint without hesitation like a child. I paint and distress almost all my jewelry with watercolors, it really gives the pieces an organic fluid appearance, unfixed and unsettled. My favorite painting have always been landscapes, i love bringing a mystery to them, its a forest but whats behind the forest, in this way I think nature has also played a big role in my jewelry. The blossoms to me represent all the beautiful hidden flowers we sometimes find when we immerse ourselves in nature. Alot of the imprint on my pendants and bracelets are done with found object like feathers, grasses, shells that I pick up while I'm at the beach with my family. Throughout my painting carer I always had to remain conscious of my tendency towards perfection, but in art if you pick at something to much it takes away from the " authenticity" of the painting, a forest , a flower, a person is never our idea of perfect. I found that In order for a painting to have real life you have to give it a life of its own and let it do what it wants to. Sometimes flowers are crooked, petals fall off and land where they want too. Those subtle nuances is what makes life and art beautiful to me. With my jewelry i am using the same philosophy. Don't over work it, I put it down before you think it perfect. It takes alot of restraint on my part to do that but , This when you can find the character in a piece of art, and that character resonates with others.
Q: Do what do you feel are the benefits to being a self taught artist?
A: Exploration, investigation. Wondering what I can do and how to do it has always excited me. I love to experiment, and without the prior knowledge i learn alot from those experiments. I think it in enables me to try things that i may not try if i had a formal education in art. So I just try it, sometimes it work some time s it doesn't but either way it always leads me to more questions and more research. This is what has always worked for me, i love the challenges of self study.
Q: What is the process of your jewelry creations, and what materials do you enjoy using?
A: I can usually be found at 5 am hovering over my work from the night before. I start early in the morning right after the kids go to school. This is mainly out of necessity, It can take up to 15 hours of work a day to keep up with all of the hands on aspects,but my true nature is to work at night when everyone else is sleeping it feels like im in my own quiet world.
I love to listen to music while I work, I listen to alot of cat power and counting crows. Except for the day that i realized i had been listening to the sponge bob marathon for 8 hours.
When I first started I was making my pieces in ceramics, but now I use finely crushed precious and semi precious stones with a solidifier added. After the main components like the blossoms have been made I hand sculpt parts of them with rotary tools and drill the holes for the leather. They are then painted in watercolor, dried, and sealed. The blossoms are very tough> the material is two times harder than concrete, seamless and waterproof. I then choose the stones i want to embellish them with and make any alterations to the blossoms so that everything fits nicely. I use a drill press to drill my stones, most stones come with tiny holes and i need larger holes to string leather through them. After I've decided on the design i then hand string the blossoms and the stones onto the leather. Its a tight fit so it takes a little elbow grease but I'm so happy with how stable the flowers and stone are on the leather. I then add another layer of sealer after they are strung.
I have also stared creating my signature pieces in fine silver. I use Fine silver ( .999 ) because of the versatility and also it doesn't tarnish as easily, it hypoallergenic because it doesn't have as many added alloys like sterling does. I also love have fine silver has a very bright white sheen. I purposely patina some of my silver pieces to bring out imprints or interesting colors.silver is a fun medium is, just the excuse to use the interesting tools was enough to to get me started in metal work. I hope soon to also incorporate bronze and 24 karat gold.
I stick to neutral colors for The precious and semi precious stones i use they really lend to the natural rustic look, but occasionally i get a wild hair and go for bright corals or pastels. I also enjoy incorporating rough raw gemstones. I just love the idea of wearing nature, and a rough stone makes me feel closer to the earth, basic and unpolished.
I also really love making organic sculptural shapes with the silver, it makes me feel like I found it in some cave somewhere.
The leather is a very important aspect, i have tried tons of different leather and am very happy with the leather Ive chosen. Not only is it very strong but i love the antiqued natural dyes that the colors come from.
Q: What are some of your current project designs?
A: I am starting to infuse the two materials, the distressed sepia waterproof material and the fine silver. I am also working on some very bohemian charm necklaces and bracelets. An official men's and children's line Will also be coming soon, that is something I'm working on now. My kids and Husband want jewelry too!
Q: Where is your studio located?
A: Have you ever heard that childhood song Mary Mary quiet contrary how does your garden grow? Well mine grows in my living room right now. I have everything spread out all over the place. Literaly hundreds of handmade flowers, drying,molding you name it. Some time they end up as unfortunate snacks for my dog. I work pretty obsessively when i get started so usually my area and most of my clothes are a big mess. so there's pros and cons, my house is a mess but I'm home with my kids and i think that's great for them. They love to help and work on there own creations. I think its so important to encourage your children to express themselves in an artistic environment. Really encouraging them as individuals and praising them, they need to continue creating in non-judgment as the art world can be one of the hardest places to not be critical of yourself.
Q: If your jewelry could talk what would it say?
A: Put me down and go to the beach! At least that's what it would say to me! I hope they stand as reminders to take time to look at the world in all of its forms, young old rough and smooth. And most of all i hope that you have fun experimenting with how you wear them, like nature the pieces will evolve and take on a life of there own. Around your neck the flower blossoms will fall where they want to fall and i think that is one of the most beautiful things about life, letting something just be.
