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Alix Bluh Handmade Jewelry Artisan Her Modern Relics are inspired by nature and antiques Biography | Portfolio
I studied many mediums in college and finished with a bachelor degree in painting. After college I began to explore mixed media, with a special interest in assemblage and shadow boxes. Those journeys lead me to be interested in working on a smaller scale. My first forms of "jewelry" were produced in the early 1980's; they were miniature assemblage pieces to be worn. My work was unique, one of-a-kind and sold only in art galleries and museum shops. There are only slight traces of my earlier concepts in the work I make now. I have returned to my love of nature, and my passion for antiques and time worn objects is very apparent. My first exploration into metal work was rather typical in the sense that I tried to master the material through fabrication. I am self- taught, so it was years later that I discovered wax carving. That is where I turned a corner and discovered my true calling. I realized I could actually make my designs come to life. I carved rings in the shape of branches, created lockets to house tiny relics, carved unique shapes to link into chains, etc. Wax opened a world of possibilities that I had been previously excluded from. The next process was a return to the painted and printed image. I found a source for antique Austrian crystal and set my botanical images beneath it. I carved pendants that could accommodate the specific crystal‚s shape. The images are homage to the Victorian love of the natural sciences. I hand paint each image, flowers, pods and butterflies are portrayed much like scientific specimens. Modern Relics is a marriage of Contemporary craftsmanship with Antique sentiment." - Alix Bluh |
