Jewelry inspired by purple & green, Irish landscapes

Lough Dan, County Wicklow

It is no secret that the rich and varied landscapes of Ireland are an endless source of inspiration for artists, poets and artisans. The pull to create much of my own jewelry comes from my stomps in the countryside. Having walked extensively across the bogs and around stately gardens of the midland counties and explored hills, parks and clifftops in Dublin and Wicklow this summer, this season's collection evokes the peaty browns, ever-present rich greens and the purple heathers and wildflowers of these counties. Here are my purple offerings. All photos here are my own.

 

                                    Blessington, County Wicklow,                        Upper cliff, Howth, Nth Dublin             

Connemara marble and amethyst earrings

 artichoke and wild flowers seen at the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin city

'Wild Flower' amethyst earrings

     

                       Magical violet sunset in County Offaly,                   Sculpture, Belvedere House, Meath.

 

 Irish fairy necklace (amethyst)

Click here for More blogposts about inspiration from nature

Inspirations from the Irish Boglands in Autumn

Like many an artist or craftsperson, I gather much of my inspiration from nature. This summer, I spent much time out and about in the countryside  both while on holidays in Jersey (UK) and also here in Ireland.

bog oak sculpture, Boora Parklands, own photo

Early September, I spent a few relaxing days visiting family in county Offaly in the heart of Ireland, where my mother grew up. We visited Lough Boora Parklands, a most unusual area of natural beauty, deep in the Irish bog. I must warn you, it is not well sign posted. We were not the only ones driving up and down the same country roads in frustration as we tried to find this mysterious site.

And mysterious it is indeed. The sculptures created out of ancient bog oak and industrial relics from the turf cutting industry seemed abandoned and ghostly in this eerie place . The early Autumn haze lent an ethereal atmosphere to the marshy landscapes and the stillness was so deep even the birds dared not break the silence.  I doubt any artistic soul could leave this moody park without taking inspiration with them.

old bog train art installation, Boora parklands, own photo

yellow serpentine pendant on brown cotton crochet chain

This yellow serpentine stone pendant on a brown cotton chain (chain by Huggle Knits) was inspired entirely by the old bog train! The colour combination may not be to everyone's taste, but will appeal to someone who adores Autumnal tones. It will go beautifully with a chocolate, beige or cream outfit but would really come into its own with petrol blue or navy.

More from the Botanic Gardens

Just sharing more photos from the National Botanic Gardens as I look for inspiration...

 

Like this? How about: Greenhouse Structures, A Royal Riot of Colour or the series 'Caught My Eye'?

Jewellery Inspired by Irish Bog Landscapes

Lough Tae (aka 'The Guinness Lake') Wicklow Own photo

Much of my jewellery is inspired by Irish landscapes.  Though we are famed for the lush green of our countryside, for such a small country, we do have a wide range of scenery to lift the soul. Much of the midlands and East of the island are covered in bog made of peaty soil. Peat is mostly rain water mixed with solid material: ancient bark and plants that decomposed over thousands of years. The result is a reddish, cocoa brown earth, often dotted with colourful plants including white bog cotton, purple ling heather and moor grass, green and brown mosses and a variety of hardy yellow flowers.

Here are a few typical examples of my jewellery together with the places that fueled the passion to make them.

Ticknock, Dublin. Own photo

Ticknock on the outskirts of Dublin was the inspiration for this scenic jasper and copper necklace:

'Dublin Hills' scenic jasper and copper necklace

The smooth jasper evokes the rich hues of the countryside. The stones display a stunning array of shades in cocoa bean, russet, coppery reds and chocolate. There is even a touch of sand and grass in the mix. 

bog water river, Bohernabreena, Dublin, own photo

'Nature' jasper gemstone necklace

'Nature' necklace was also inspired by the peaty soil of the Dublin and Wicklow hills where I go hiking, and especially by the chestnut brown water of the bog streams and lakes.

The sterling silver wire work represents the flow of a river. This was done freehand with a simple round-nosed pliers, not with a jig. Then I hammered the silver to make it rigid.

Lough Dan in Co Wicklow, own photo

peat-stained water of Lough Dan

The water in many of our lakes is as brown as a pint of good ale, or even as dark as a Guinness. The water is clean, just stained by the peat in the soil.

'Chocolate drop' earrings were also made with the bog in mind. The rich cocoa of the mahogany obsidian stone is very peaty. When I was making them I remembered the big bags of peat moss my dad used to buy as a soil conditioner for his vegetable patch. 

Let's not forget though, that Ireland is the Emerald Isle and you will usually find a lot of green, Connemara marble in my collection too.

Powercourt waterfall

'Landscape' Connemara marble and silver pendant

The green wilderness co Wicklow, just south of Dublin, inspired 'Landscape' pendant in a soft sage specimen of Connemara marble. The wire work emulates the flow of  the waterfalls found in this 'Garden of Ireland' county.

Read more about nature-inspired pieces by clicking HERE

Irish Earrings Inspired by Lighthouse

Last month I posted photographs of beautiful lighthouses, mostly located in Dublin Bay. The Baily lighthouse in Howth is one of my favourites as it is near the cliff path that is just perfect for a decent walk.

The Bailey Lighthouse, Howth, view from lower Cliff path

After a recent walk from Howth village up the cliff path to the lighthouse, I was inspired to make a pair of green, Connemara marble earrings featuring emerald Swarovski crystals. They sold almost immediately and as a once-off design, I won't be making them exactly the same again.

Lighthouse earrings (sold)

 So I just had to go and make another pair based on the Lighthouse. Naturally, I used the same Irish stone and the deep emerald crystals, albeit in a completely different design, one that I have used once before, but also inspired by the view.

Connemara marble teardrop earrings, Emerald Lighthouses 

'Emerald Lighthouses' feature teardrop stones in mossy Connemara marble matched with emerald Swarovski crystal, accented with Bali silver spacers. The hooks are, as always, solid Sterling silver. I hope I have captured the essence of the Baily lighthouse and the surrounding landscape for whoever eventually wears these elegant, Irish earrings.

Eyeglass Chain Inspired by Irish landscapes

One of my favourite, Irish American ladies asked me to make an eyeglass chain inspired by the Irish landscape. Now, I was not going to get away with anything so simple as our famous greens, but the hopes and wishes were to incorporate 'the colour of dirt'. We just call it earth, clay or soil over here on the old sod.  'Dirt' in Ireland only refers to something unclean or icky. But as always, I knew exactly what she meant and did my best to get it right. It turned out to be a really fun challenge that has opened my eyes to further possibilities in design.

Ireland is a hyper-hued country with a rich and varied scenery. A quick search through my own photos taken on my hikes turned up plenty of visual fodder for the imagination. Above is Lough Dan in Wicklow and the peaty brown hills of Tick Nock, Dublin. Below are shots of the Upper Cliff path and the Rhododendron forest, both in Howth. 

The trouble is, tones that work so well in nature, don't always harmonise in jewellery. The real challenge was picking beads to reflect our colourful landscape that didn't clash in miniature. 

I eventually narrowed it down to a combination of colder greens, earthy browns and a vibrant, pinky purple. A few dots of black would help unite the colours neutrally.

Please forgive the quality of the photos, taken on an overcast day a bit too late in the afternoon. The dark green tubes with patchy white veining are tree agate. This cold shade of forest green contrasts very well with the purple-lined, glass beads. The small brown stones are jasper and I used tiny black glass to soften the contrast between earth with heather.

At the ends of the beaded strings I introduced just a hint of mustard tigerseye that would have overpowered the design had I used any more. Next to these sandy stones I chose moss agate cubes to complete the scheme.

I opted for oxidised silver chain and dark metal to tie the look together. Anything shinier would simply have jarred. This choice has lent a vintage look to the finished piece that just feels right to me.

Inspirations from Nature, Wicklow

My walks through the Irish countryside, up hills, and over cliffs have inspired much of my jewellery. 

Modern Connemara marble pendant, 'Landscape'

The beauty of Wicklow was the inspiration behind recently listed 'Landscape' pendant. I wrapped this gorgeous slab of Connemara marble in silver wire keeping in mind the waterfalls and hills of the county known as the Garden of Ireland. 

Lough Dan, Co Wicklow. Own photo

Though it's been several months since my last hike South of Dublin, I've been following the Irish-Canadian produced TV show, Vikings, which was shot partly in Norway but mostly deep in the wilderness of Wicklow. The scenery is breathtaking. The show's not too shabby either if you like history and adventure (or just ruggedly handsome men!)

Powerscourt Waterfall, Wicklow. Own photo

The Sugar Loaf in the distance, own photo

Similar pendants:

  

Connemara marble with copper and Connemara marble with Claddagh charm. And Coming soon:

rustic Connemara marble pendant or ornament