Arabesque Design

Work samples

Stepping Stone Necklace

All those square beads, they're like paving stones surrounded by gravel, on a diagonal path around the neck, with occasional forays to the side to highlight a Swarovski crystal.
Stitched-Disc Necklace

This challenge also arose from a pair of earrings; in this case, the challenge was how to link the discs together to create a harmonious whole, a necklace that looked more like it grew that way than like it was assembled. The linking pieces, made of shaped and hammered copper wire, serve that purpose, and the clasp, designed specifically for this necklace, adds another organic touch.
Meteor Shower Pendant on Cloud Chain

The Challenge theme was Celestial Elements. As part of my process, I researched various terms and ideas including a meteor shower; I learned that a meteor shower appears to originate from a single spot in the sky, and I saw a time-lapse photo of one. That image stealthily burrowed into my brain, until I found myself a month or so later helplessly wondering, how DO I depict a meteor shower as a piece of jewelry?

The answer is not simple, but it is interesting; the meteors sway on stalks of beading wire above an enameled night sky, and the clouds of silver wire hold it on the body.
Rockabye Pendant

For some reason this pendant, one of my favorite pieces, always makes me think of a rocking cradle. It must be the dendritic agate cabochon nestled oh-so-carefully into its square wire cradle, held in by copper prongs, and surrounded by a nimbus of light in the copper background.
Stepping Stone Necklace

All those square beads, they're like paving stones surrounded by gravel, on a diagonal path around the neck, with occasional forays to the side to highlight a Swarovski crystal.
Stitched-Disc Necklace

This challenge also arose from a pair of earrings; in this case, the challenge was how to link the discs together to create a harmonious whole, a necklace that looked more like it grew that way than like it was assembled. The linking pieces, made of shaped and hammered copper wire, serve that purpose, and the clasp, designed specifically for this necklace, adds another organic touch.

About Gay

Jewelry artist Gay Durland considers herself to be a mid-century modern woman, using traditional materials such as sterling silver, pearls and gemstones in contemporary ways.

As a child, Gay didn’t know that she could be an artist. She loved math and languages, and grew up to become an analyst for the government. Years later, however, art - in the form of jewelry design with wire and beads - found her, and hasn’t let her go since.

She has studied many types of jewelry making… more

Challenges

I run the twice-a-year Bead Challenge for the Baltimore Bead Society, setting a theme and the rules for each Challenge. Sometimes the theme is a technique or a material, sometimes it's a specific way to use color, and sometimes it's an idea. It is always intended to challenge - encourage - the members to stretch themselves, their skills and their vision, in new directions. I rarely enter the Challenge myself, but when I do, it's usually because the idea behind that Challenge has grabbed hold of my brain and won't let go.

Copper and Silver Plaid Pendant

Several years ago, I set a Challenge theme of Plaids or Stripes, thinking that it could be fairly easy to accomplish with seed beads or other small-size beads. But then my metalsmithing brain took over, and wanted to make a plaid in metal! This pendant is the result. Once I figured out what to use for the stripes of the plaid, it wasn't really difficult - although I was longing for 4 or 5 hands when I was weaving the plaid.
Meteor Shower Pendant on Cloud Chain

The Challenge theme was Celestial Elements. As part of my process, I researched various terms and ideas including a meteor shower; I learned that a meteor shower appears to originate from a single spot in the sky, and I saw a time-lapse photo of one. That image stealthily burrowed into my brain, until I found myself a month or so later helplessly wondering, how DO I depict a meteor shower as a piece of jewelry?

The answer is not simple, but it is interesting; the meteors sway on stalks of beading wire above an enameled night sky, and the clouds of silver wire hold it on the body.
Railway Bracelet

Some challenges are set by circumstances. In this case, I was in a week-long class, and was planning to take the silver for the links for a hot-riveted bracelet to my room to hammer them out in the evening - but discovered that it was still in the locked classroom. I had copper wire with me, but not as heavy, so I decided to adjust the design and put two links side-by-side - and then had to figure out how to keep them that way.

I got my links hammered out that night and made the bracelet the next day; I never went back and made the original version, I liked this much better!
Serpentine Bracelet

And some challenges are self-imposed. I had made a pair of earrings with one loop each of this design, and felt that flipping the loops back and forth would make an interesting bracelet, if I could figure out how to make it work. Eventually it did work, and does in fact make an intriguing bracelet; the stitch itself is what causes the loops to curve, though I added a bit of fine silver wire to each loop to help it stay curved on the wrist.
Stitched-Disc Necklace

This challenge also arose from a pair of earrings; in this case, the challenge was how to link the discs together to create a harmonious whole, a necklace that looked more like it grew that way than like it was assembled. The linking pieces, made of shaped and hammered copper wire, serve that purpose, and the clasp, designed specifically for this necklace, adds another organic touch.

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