Design: Jewellery inspired by Batik work

These aren’t my favorite pieces in the world but it’s nice to see that I am not the only "jeweller" in the world who finds Batik inspiring:

Design: Batik Art

I love colour and texture. One art form that captures bold colour with soft textures is Batik art because it is done on silk. Sometimes when you run your fingers over the silk you can even feel how some colour dies (inks) made the fabric harder than other colours - in other words you can actually feel the colour!

 I love Marcia Baldwin's Batik work. Here are some images of her work:

The Arts and Craft Movement promoted quality design and drew inspiration from times when hand skills were highly developed and honoured. Why are hand made objects more desirable and valuable?

A hand-made piece has a quirk and personality that a machine made piece cannot possibly have, because a machine does not have a soul, it cannot think, it cannot make a “mistake” and then turn that mistake into the best part of the piece by working on that flaw.

Every piece that comes out of a machine is exactly the same, with a hand-made piece even if you do two of the same thing; both are going to be unique. Time and effort and love go into a hand-made piece, and you can feel it, see it, touch it…

Spot the difference: wich one is hand made?

Design Diary - designs I like

These are just two designs that caught my eye. Don’t know why I like them, I just do

Design Diary - Jewellery I LOVE

This is a Husband and wife team's work - Peter and Alexa Smarsh. I follow them religiously. They have been in industry together for over 20 years. He does the metal work, and she does the enameling.

You can see the freedom of their love for each other and how they just blend into each other so naturally in their work.

The work emits feeling, fantasy, passion, flowing lines, colour...

I just love it.

What makes good design?

This is a hard question, seeing as there is a wide world of tastes out there, so if esthetics is going to get in the way because not everyone has the same taste, then that can't be the only thing that makes a good design? So what is it then that makes good design?

I feel design is a form of communication, it is a way for the designer to relay a message to whomever wants to listen to (or look at, or use, or wear) the final product. With that said - what makes good design? Well I would suppose that a design that communicates its purpose, says what it was made to say, is on its way to being a good design.

"Good design conveys information and communicates ideas. Poor design impairs this communication by getting in the way." - Author unknown

"Good design makes good sense" - Author Unknown

Here are a few key words that I found whilst searching for what makes good design: "Balance, proportion, contrast, economy, direction, emphasis, and space."

I do believe all of these are all vital to bringing your message in your design across, making your design as honest as possible, because the only design that can bring its message across is an honest design.

Breathing you into your design is also vital. You cannot design something honest if it is not authentic to you, sure outside influences and inspiration is important, but you cannot just take that, through it together and call it your own design, your personality is the glue that is going to hold all of it together.

So once again – What makes good design?

My answer: A design that is honestly and authentically you, communicates "you" and its message clearly, and is practical for its purpose should be a great design!