Jewelry designers are creative types so you would imagine that even if they are not creating jewelry during quarantine, they are using their hands to create nonetheless.
Take a look at how these designers are coping with working from home.
Angelica Cammarota has been most productive during her time at home. Her projects are inspiring and you might want to start painting your own murals at home by the time you are done reading this.
Angelica Cammarota – Quarantine Life
"Being that I am a small business and have a storefront that is not deemed essential, I am closed. Not knowing what to do with all this free time being with my family 24/7 I decided that we should do a family project that involves a message saying “thank you". I felt that it was only appropriate because being able to shelter in place was a privilege when so many are out there on the front lines putting their lives at risk. I happened to have a great abundance of brass metal sitting around in my studio. We decided to make a sign that I could hang in my store window. Everyone was responsible for making a letter (which was fun for me to see because the different personalities of my kids came out in their creations). It is quite large in scale and was not easy to say the least but turned out amazing!
As far as jewelry making, I have been getting re-acquainted with my goldsmithing techniques. I’ts been a long time since I’ve been at the bench working in metal! When I discovered wax and its endless capabilities that’s when things sort of took a turn for me in the way I design and work. Wax enabled me to become a lot more free and sculptural in my process. I became so involved in learning a whole new technique of jewelry making that I abandoned my metal bench for a wax bench! Already having adequate skills in goldsmithing it simply enhances my knowledge when learning a new skill! I was a little stumped when this pandemic started, being that the casters were close and many things were unavailable, I had no choice but to work with what I have available to me already in my studio. I decided now was a good time to revisit old techniques! I started with simple granulation work, making small double sided charms, which was good practice. At that time, I had no choice but to fuse 22KG because I did not have any high karat solder. I then moved on to more complicated projects 2 rings that I made, both were very arduous and slow going trying to remember all the steps involved. I am actually enjoying working in metal again. It has a very different look and feel then working in wax. You have to have a different mindset when planning out your projects. Goldsmithing, especially in 22 karat gold has an undeniably rich, imperfect, primitive and timeless beauty to it. I am not someone who starts small and simple, I always look for something challenging and complicated. For me, problem solving is the only way I advance and learn.
In-between it all I had other projects in mind that involve my house that I have never had the time to do. I LOVE color, I am not a person that sits comfortably with white walls! Color evokes emotion and feeling. That being said, I do not have one white wall in my entire house. Wow imagine that! I’m sure in stating that people most likely will imagine crazy garish colors (which they are not) actually (even crazier) every room has three colors! I am a colorist, every room has to blend into the next room from afar without noticing the color change. I would say that the colors in my house feel something like several cashmere scarves wrapped around your body: calm cozy and warm. Anyway, I have a couple of large blank walls that needed some attention and texture. I started with a large chocolate brown wall that I chose a Moroccan pattern to stencil in (my favorite color) GOLD! It certainly did the trick! Its eye catching when you get a glimpse of it from another room. Then I have this small powder room that I felt need a little “zhuzh”. This one I went a little crazy…I decided to paint a wall of colorful eyes! After all it is a bathroom (just a little joke)! It is certainly a conversation, now when sitting there you are a captive audience and you actually start to stare back at the eyes, gravitating to the ones that draw you in the most.
As you can see for me through all of my pandemic projects I am truly grateful to be an artist and a creative person especially during this time! I can only hope this ends sooner than later before I start invading my kids rooms with paint brushes in hand! Yikes!"