Monday, March 23, 2015

My jewelry roots

When I was 12 years old my grandmother taught me how to sew, she said "a girl with golden hands will never be left without bread on the table",
My grandmother survive financially during world war 2 in Turkey by going up and down stairs with her sawing machine, she bought her own house in Israel from a client that she was making clothing for, promised her to make her clothing for free during the next year after the purchase.

want to know more? come join me at my personal blog at http://www.inbarshahak.com/my-jewelry-roots/








Saturday, February 7, 2015

Artist's Hands-Lea Livne

For every artist there's the clean shiny PR text that you can easily reach on Google, curriculum vitae, or should I say Ridiculum vitae… that show everyone our lists of goals achieved, list of exhibition and prizes. But what it doesn't show is the dirty hands that can't stop working, the bustling brain that can't take a rest. A busy messy studio that you can hardly find your hands and legs inside but it's impossible to throw anything away as it might be the only missing thing for our next project.

Let me introduce you to an artist I admire, I meet her in the street of my Kibbutz, look up to her thinking someday I want to be just like her, hiking Chinese mountains with sport sandals at the age of 80, and searching the beach sand every morning for a new and inspiring textures for my next art.

Lea Livne born 1935 in Israel. Member of Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael. Took art courses in Haifa, oil and water colors with Haim Naor. Completed studies at Avni Institute, with emphasis on etching under Touvia Beeri.
Art training in Paris with painter Jean Clarte of Heiter art.
Through the years, Lea developed innovative printing techniques and different ways to express them.she combines modern technology and more conventional printing methods cartons.
Recently, Lea has been using a specific etching technique; drawing on paper, combined with printing ink on different types of rollers.
With the introduction of internet sites in the art world, Lea has become associated with art centers, museums and artists associations, not only in Israel, but around the world.
Lea exhibits her work primarily in international group shows.













Monday, September 15, 2014

Fashion Illustration

As I was working toward my upcoming exhibition for Joya Barcelona jewelry design week, a dear friend of mine said " Hey, I can get you any model around the globe to model for your postcard"
it did sound like nice fiction, but then she just made it happened...
Yael Hertzog, B.O.D graduate of fashion design at "Shenkar" prestige fashion collage (2003), started her designing career from "Wizo France" high school at the department of fashion design.

During her studies at Shenkar, she chose to specialize in costume design for all Performing Arts. Since completing her studies, she designed costumes and set for some of the leading best artists and theaters all over the country.

Illustrating was a talent she began to develop on the early age of 4.
Since then through her career, illustration was always a great part of her work.
Since 2012, she leveraged her talent by taking advanced graphic courses and even developed a unique illustration technique on Photoshop
today she specializes in fashion illustration for designers, boutiques, and fashion houses all over the world. For clothing, accessories, shoes and jewelry, her services include: sketches and technical illustrations to a complete illustrated catalog or a magazine ad.

you are more then welcome to visit Yael at her own web site for more information.
enjoy her creations at her Etsy shop
or simply like her at her FB for more updates 

I am happy to share some more of her works with you here:

Inbar Shahak catalog for Bijoux exhibition at Norton art museum 
Children clothing catalog for Nukile 
Watercolor print from Yael Hertzog Etsy shop
Watercolor print from Yael Hertzog Etsy shop






Thursday, May 15, 2014

Fields of Denim


Field of Jeans, Catalytic Clothing at Chelsea College of Art. Image credit: Jon Daughtry

What would you say if I tell you that your pair of jeans can purify the air?

That we can walk around and purify the air that we breathe just with the help of our very own clothing… sounds like science fiction, right?

Well not any more…

Artist and designer professor Helen Storey and scientist professor Tony Ryan have been collaborating on this amazing project that explores how clothing and textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air.
The scientific key is adding Titanium dioxide to the fabric (best used on denim), that, when exposed to lite and air – it reacts and naturalizes harmful pollutants around it.

The idea is that virtually anyone will be able to use this formula on the clothes they wear, by using a laundry additive that is now in development in our own laundry machine, that way we will soon be cleaning the air around us as we walk…

Helen Storey and Trish Belford making 'Herself'. Image credit: Aoife Ludlow


 you are more then welcome to read more at Helen Storey Foundation web site  http://www.helenstoreyfoundation.org

I think it is so interesting that in some places around the globe, artists and designers are collaborating with science to improve their abilities and collections, in an effort of bettering the environment and the atmosphere around us.
So I guess I was right about textile being the key to saving the world after all… 

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Patina Handmade Jewelry

As a textile designer by profession, I am always looking for ways to apply textile patterns and techniques on metal.

For example when I was working in collaboration with fashion designer Adva bruner for duende for the TLV fashion week runway show, we looked for a way to make tie -dye textile colors over metal jewelry parts. That's how I discover the patina, an antique Greek handmade coloring technique that actually resembles the tie- dye technique in textile design, Adva was looking for ways to create waves in knitting and I was searching for the look and feel of treasures drawn from the ocean. 

This lead to the patina collection, in Sparkling blue and natural green colors like treasures lurking at the dark.



The role of color in sculpture and decorative arts was significant from the very beginning.

In ancient times, metals that were most resistant to the changes resulting from heat and the surrounding atmosphere, were actually considered nobler, and were used for the more important artifacts, 

however, the inheritors of those traditions had a revived interest in the artifacts of earlier periods that had the natural patination, produced mostly from long burial. These objects were collected and studied.

The growing interest in classicism such as in renaissance Italy and the Chin dynasty in china, resulted in the desire to imitate the natural patination that was associated with a prized artifact, this led to artificial patination being a finishing process in its own right used on contemporary work.

Most of the basic processes of metal work involve the use of heat, which results in changing the metal surface into oxides. With just the touch of heat, air, oxygen or any other chemical materials, even from our own kitchen supplies can be used into making a beautiful color to wear. 

For instance, putting metal next to vinegar fumes in a closed box for 24 hours will result in a green patina layer,or bury them in a plastic bag next to a rotten egg.

Color might be considered less important in the making of sculpture or craft, as it is a separate process applied to the object after its making, but in many cases it's actually a key factor in the visual coherence of the object, and there for it is of great importance.

It is also  interesting to think of color not as an added layer, but as a surface and a material on its own, with growing life and emerging colors that keep evolving and changing and growing on the surface.


Me wearing my Woodland leaf necklace
you can find it here:

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Kiff Slemmons & Arte Papel Oaxaca

I've met Kiff Slemmons at the Norton Art Museum in West Palm Beach Florida last month,
And I am the proud owner of her book: "Kiff Slemmons & Arte Papel Oaxaca" 
That I would love to share with you.

The book, just as meeting Kiff in real life doesn’t begin to explain how great an Artist she is… Kiff herself is the most generous, quiet and modest artist that I've ever had the honor of meeting.

From the book:

Kiff Slemmons Joined the "arte papel oaxaea" a project founded by the artist Francisco Toledo.
It is a facility for making paper, located in the mountain village of Vista Hermosa in Mexico.
The idea of this project was to revive past technologies and provide work for the local people.
The project was based on a dependable local resource of water which were crucial to the process and renewable fiber of local plants grown in the area.
Artist invited by Toledo, worked with the artisans to create both traditional and innovative uses for the handmade paper.

Kiff Slemmons was invited to contribute her knowledge of jewelry.
She took on the challenge of designing in paper rather than metal, and came to work with the local artisans to create paper jewelry that they can reproduce. Focusing on solid production that could provide income for 
the artisans.

After having a small local exhibition in the institute of graphic arts in Oaxaca,introducing the activity of the workshop to the community, Kiff kept returning for 2-3 weeks a year, creating a strong working relationship with the woman, built on trust, mutual respect and the true pleasure and pride in the making of beautiful and unusual jewelry .
Their combined efforts and skills enabled such innovation in unusual circumstances and limited resources
.
I was more than proud standing next to artists like Kiff in the "BIJOUX" exhibition at Norton art museum, as a textile designer I am fascinated with the fact that we can use our design skills to help to improve other 
people life.  

And here are some photos of her Wonderful book:

 







Thursday, January 16, 2014

Music and Fashion

I would like to introduce you the a wonderful artist singer that I had the pleasure of working together to create my new Journey collection video,
Noa Bentor ,thank you for amazing song that made my video touchable and emotional, just the way I pictured my emotional journey while making this collection line.  
Seriously I could talk forever, but I rather just let you listen to her wonderful songs



 Noa Bentor :Singer- songwriter

Indie-rock with influences of folk music. Her music is considered heartfelt
and edgy, mature and poetic.
After spending most of her youth between Melbourne, Australia and Israel
she moved to New York at the age of 21, where she earned her degree in Music and Poetry and performed around the city.
With a graceful voice, Noa has managed to gather a constant following.
Her music is well respected in Israel and she performs regularly at the
most prominent venues around the country. Noa’s songs also play on a variety of Israeli Radio stations.
In 2005 she released her debut album “Waiting
on a shelf” with producer Assaf Spector and musician Gilber Gilmore
During the summer of 2009 Noa was the opening act for Suzanne Vega on her Israel tour.
Her second album “Modern Grace” came out summer 2011 to rave reviews and a lot of radio airtime in Israel.
Noa was invited to SXSW and the Toronto music festival in 2012 and toured as the opening act for Asaf Avidan.



you can download her beautiful CD here