Do you love the art of Man Ray, Brancusi, Tamara Lempika, Emily Young or Barbara Hepworth?  Yes?  In that case, check out the work of award-winning jeweller Elsa Tierney, one of our guest designers at JeDeCo.

Elsa had been working in metal for nearly a decade before she turned her hand to wax-carving, to try and achieve the 3 dimensional effects that she just couldn’t create when using sheet metal or wire. After several attempts at sculpting with wax, she finally had a breakthrough while working on a commission, when she realised that previously she’d been using the wrong tools. Once she had established a working practice in the material, nothing could hold her back and she could expand her work to incorporate her passion for art deco styles, cast sculptures and the work of her favourite artists.

All the pieces she submitted to Goldsmiths Craft and Design Council Awards are inspired by her love of her favourite artists and her skill and commitment to the practice recently won her Bronze in the category for 3D Modellers.  Through teaching the craft she has discovered that some people like to build up their work and others like to carve and take away.  Elsa is a carver, who prefers to carve a piece from one single block of wax. Starting with line drawings or photos, these 2D representations evolve into something completely different as she carves her inspiration into a 3D work that can be cast and become an original piece of jewellery art in the style of Elsa Tierney.