Etsymetal Project Runway Challenge, Season 9, Week 6

Last week's Project Runway challenge for the designers was to create an avant garde piece based on a collaborative painting done with a local art student. For the etsymetal challenge, I chose to create a pair of earrings to go with Victor's design, which again this week, was my favorite, and to try and incorporate a little bit of the feel of the student, Skyy's, painting.

Victor's dress

the painting

While I certainly wouldn't call my earrings avant garde... I did have a pair of Nevada boulder turquoise that seemed to match the patches of blue in the dress so I went with that. I set them in sterling and added some 14kt gold elements to warm them up a bit. Their total length is 2 1/2" and they articulate at two points creating a lot of movement, just like the dress. On the back I've used repousee to create a simple spiral. Victor's dress had a lot of texture and I've added texture to the metal as well before bringing up it's fine silver layer through a heating and quenching process which creates a soft, satiny finish.

Even though I'm quite happy with the final product, I wasn't sure I'd get something completed for this week's challenge as I was constantly changing my mind. As it happened they were finished just in time to catch the last of the late afternoon's light in which to shoot them...

NEXT WEEK

The Project Runway Challenge:
The designers were divided into two groups of five. They were given the opportunity to create their own unique textiles and asked to create a cohesive collection.

For Our Etsy Metal Translation:
Since this challenge was about pattern and texture, our challenge is to incorporate those into a piece. Do it however you like, etching, roller printing, drawing, or just fabricate a piece that forms a pattern or texture. Make it work!

I'm liking this one!