Kaleid 3

This last brooch was made with the challenge of having the movement of stone along with stability. I decided to make the cylindrical piece as an actual kaleidoscope and set the stone inside of a tubing. I wired the tubing on the inside to the outside tubing producing a form to realistically be able to view an actual kaleidoscope. When you view the back of my piece you can see geometric forms and multi colors as you move the tube around. The interesting part of this brooch is the cap I made along with it which pins into your sweater and clicks around after being pushed inside the tubing for a steady fit.

I wish I could execute my idea originally the way I had planned, although I enjoy the way I unintentionally found a solution to remake this item differently but similarly successfully.

Kaleid 2

For my second brooch, I wanted to still implement movement with abstract forms of edgy kaleidoscopic art. I used a method of riveting on the dome pieces so you can play with the visual aspects of hiding the stone which is intended to be the inside of a kaleidoscope and the rivet used to swing around to give the effect as if looking inside or through the kaleidoscope.

I curved and folded all of my edges, burnished the edges for hints of interest, and set my stone. 

Kaleid 1

My first brooch was so fun and hectic individually and collectively. So many changes throughout the designing of this piece, where its original design was altered more than five times. I used a technique of riveting to give my piece more of a kinetic feel, because kaleidoscopes have such intricate movement. I wanted to make an edgy simple piece with definition of eye movement and a surprise of color. The base is simple and the form on top is lightly interesting. I used a low resolution option of patina because I fell in love with it shiny and cleaned, but needed to strip away from the usual and work on building great statement pieces with the success and exploration of color on metal designs. My patina was used with vinegar and salt which soaked in coffee for 24 hours and I brushed away the grains of coffee removing most of the color, leaving the piece with oxidized finishes and a light patina color of greens. I have a shiny colorful heavy transparency foil grazed on in the inside of a ring. The surprise of a glimpse of certain colors on the inside of a kaleidoscope.

Finished with crystallized kaleidoscope effect made with resin. 

Petina 3

I used a Jax darkener just for a smudge on two pieces of brass metal. I didn't necessarily love the effect, although I can be open to playing with samples more and trying new techniques with this specific chemical. I want to work with Jax on top of textured metal.

Patina 2

This patina was used with ammonia and salt. The baby triangle I soaked in ammonia and salt wrapped inside of a paper towel. The second larger piece I soaked in ammonia and salt in a dried flowers containers. The branches were the main component they were soaked in for about 36 hours and the color came out defined.

Patina 1

Learning the techniques and demos in class were cool, but actually starting it became cooler. I had a hard time executing my patinas to come out just a little at first to trying to make them bright as ever. The process takes up to ten to 24 hours, sometimes longer. I used several types of oxidation, fumes, and chemicals to make my patinas successful. I am still working on other techniques just to explore the methods and calculate timing with procedures.


This sample was executed with Vinegar and Salt

I placed this in a container and covered it with ground coffee. The smell mostly drew me to only sticking with using ground coffee, although I'd like to explore with another layering of covering to determine different effects with another element like flowers, or another texture.

Drawing 2

I didn't start my designs based off my drawings because I altered my ideas so I didn't focus solely on it knowing I would deter.

I need to possibly draw some more, but my ideas ran out and I was so stuck on starting my samples and making the brooches.

Drawings 1

My drawings are abstract pieces from the designs I found amongst each of these photos. I used a filter on my photos, which I now noticed altered how apparent or clear it might've been.

Kaleidoscope Idea Inspirations

all of the kaleidoscopic arts I found discussed in the previous post were taken in Spain, Italy, the museum of feelings, and here in New York. The designs are found in clothing, the backdrop wall of a jumping slits activity I participated in, my hair, my graduation dress on a display mannequin, and the walls of the museum.

Kaleidoscopic/Mandala Theme

My inspiration stemmed from a kaleidoscopic/mandala theme, be it being some of my favorite patterns and designs which allow me to daze and dream in my imagination. The art in kaleidoscopic/mandala art I first thought of was from when I worked at Desigual, an international based clothing store which represents clothing of romantic, adventurous, and casual aesthetics. I also gained interest from my study abroad program and experience in Italy. I love exploring new worlds, and kaleidoscopes give me a world my imagination already produces.

I was also graced by a great dear queen of mine who featured me in her book "Elements of Agapao" as being a kaleidoscope. As much as I love them, I appreciate being a muse for someone else to write about, and it dawned on me to create a series based off my own personal inspiration along with hers.

I’m taking some architectural inspiration from this, and making the highlight design stem from mind-blowing art. Some of these photos were taken abroad, some from a museum, some from findings of my own, and others from the brand I occupied myself at; Desigual which means ‘not the same’.

Kaleidoscopes originated from a Scottish scientist by the name of Sir David Brewster in 1816, who studied the physical sciences of polarization optics and light. Brewster named his invention after the Greek words 'kalos' or beautiful, eidos or form, and scopos or watcher.Kaleidoscope means beautiful form watcher. He made the original kaleidoscope with a tube containing loose pieces of colored glass, pretty objects, and reflected them in angles.

I found fascination in the special designs in Indian and Spanish made mandalas.The mandala for Indians in the language of Sanksrit is translated to circle, but represents the meaning of wholeness, and can be seen as a model of organization.

I will be constructing abstract type brooches following a family of three. They will all be different but similar in a story of growth and several faces of colored objects, a lot of eye catching movement, and surprises of designs like how you find in kaleidoscopes. I am playing with patinas and un-organized structures and generating a free design aesthetic for this project.