Inspirations January 2014

Like many artists, I garner inspiration from nature and what I see around me as well as things that stir my soul, such as the refreshing sea, culture and Irish heritage. Though I very much do my own thing, I am almost obliged to be inspired by current trends. Not least of these are the season's hues influenced by Pantone Colour Report.

Spring 2014 is sweeping in with a refreshing display of gentle pastels teamed with bold bursts of dazzling blue, freesia yellow, celosia orange and radiant orchid purple. I'm particularly loving the combination of deep blue with intense yellow in geometric and floral patterns already hitting the shops.

Many of these uplifting colours are making it into my Etsy store, Handmade by Amo'r.  It usually takes a combination of factors to move me to create something beautiful. Here are some of the influences behind my latest jewellery.

            

Irish sea pottery pendant on dazzling blue cotton chain

I found this naturally weathered shard of sea pottery on a Dublin beach last summer and wire wrapped it in silver plate. I wasn't quite happy with the ribbon necklace I originally made for it. I was looking for something that evoked the sea itself in some way. Then I spied the gorgeous cotton crochet chain in dazzling blue by HuggleKnits and knew It was a match made in heaven. The bright marine blue instantly lifted the white and blue porcelain for a look that is on the mark for Spring and Summer 2014.

 

  

I posted earlier this month that I'd been overdosing on old episodes of Downton Abbey. I'm currently obsessed with early 20th century styles and trends from the Edwardian era through to the 20s.  Though the mourning jewellery of the first series of the British drama steered me to the colour black, Lady Edith's fiery necklace above is on the mark for this season's Pantone celosia orange. It may not be, but it looks suspiciously like carnelian to me.

I'm pretty sure I have some amethyst teardrops in the radient orchid lurking in my purple stash box....