Tide pool and forest inspired jewelry for the CoCA marathon

I thought they might be a little bit insane the first time I went to the CoCA (Center on Contemporary Art) marathon and saw the 20 or so artists working for 24 hours straight, including a party that involved being on show for the public while they made their art. So I was a bit hesitant when CoCA invited me to participate this year.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no stranger to pulling all-nighters, especially many in a row when up against a show deadline. I’m a night owl by nature and can make art for a long time when immersed in an adrenaline charge. But working all night in the privacy of my own studio on pieces that are already far into the process, is a very different experience.

Knowing you only have 24 hours to come up with at least 3 auction worthy works of art, with only the tools you were able to bring and set up on a folding table, is a far more stressful experience, especially for a tool heavy method like jewelry.

It was INTENSE!

But my drive and excitement at seeing the new pieces I had envisioned for this come to life (plus dark chocolate and coffee) got me through.

I was so focused on getting my work done I didn’t get a chance to take pictures of the overall excitement. But here’s a little survey of the pieces I made and the inspiration behind them.

After spending long hours admiring and studying the flora and fauna of the pacific northwest during summer backpacking trips, I was excited to put my newfound inspiration into jewelry terms. I had a couple different directions in mind - one capturing the subtle shimmer and exotic lifeforms of tide pools and the other the explosive nature of blooming plant life. The resulting pieces were a combination of these aspects of nature

In the end I was thrilled with how these necklaces turned out. The 4 women who bought them were all fantastic humans I enjoyed meeting and talking to during the auction that followed the marathon a day later.

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