I have been working with the etching technique used in the Foliage collection for a very long time - 5 or 6 years maybe. I learnt how to do it and then started teaching others how to do it - in an eco friendly etching class - it’s one of my most favorite to teach. It involves a battery and salt water and a lot of science and I just love the results! I have always used the technique with copper but recently I decided to experiment in brass and was even more blown away by the gorgeous effect the technique created.

Here you can see brass that is freshly etched and unfished…I usually start with a piece about 3x2 inches in size, etch it in salt water, and then use that sheet metal in the jewelry as I would regular sheet metal.

I thought the etched brass would be a great addition to some styles I created many moons ago and when I tried them out I was so pleased with the results I couldn’t wait to share them with you.

Originally the Klatch, Allos, Corosco and Turrim earrings were designed with a turquoise patina (like in the Lagoon collection) and then I added a mixed metal variant since not everyone likes turquoise (you can see the options if you click the links…)

These styles have been very popular and I wanted to reinvent them with a dynamic new twist. I experimented with different patterns and tried a lot of geometric styles but ended up choosing an art deco style jungle scene as the leaves just popped when I added the patina and I love how thin the lines are after etching. Once I had reinvented the look of the original designs I decided the names needed to change too and that’s when everything just started to come together. The plant patterning and the new names just seemed to grow on their own: Bungalow, Hammock, Flora, Foliage and Tropical - all essential pieces of the Foliage Collection.

One of the reasons I wanted to play with more plant patterns and naming conventions is because of my love of plants. I am a bit of a plant lady and when I lived in an apartment I had more plants in my home than one should ever legally have. Now that I live in house and have a garden I have happily migrated my plant habit to the outside and confess my garden is keeping me sane - especially at the start of lock down in early March and since. It continues to do so even though the seasons are changing and if you follow me on Instagram you know that I share lots of snippets of my garden and plants in my stories.

I recently added a window to my studio and it was within literal seconds that the space was filled with plant life…below you can see some of my plant friends in the studio and I guess you could say it’s a bit of jungle around here :)

I hope enjoyed this latest blog and will come back for more next week. XOXO

The Origin of the Foliage Collection