the imperfect balance

Whenever I can, I make molds of twigs and bark pieces, of leaves and other gifts from nature to use on my fine silver pieces. I love recreating nature in its element (snags and all) when handcrafting jewelry. Nothing in this world is perfect and in this imperfection lies a simple beauty. Although symmetry has been known to exhibit qualities such as good health and beauty (in faces, gemstones, etc.), there also lies hidden allure in asymmetry.

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Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience, of asymmetry, simplicity, and intimacy. It centers around three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. Story of my life! ;)

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I find it fascinating that asymmetry has also been used in aesthetic design techniques throughout the centuries to balance proportions in a more inconspicuous way. People use it in floral arrangements, Feng Shui, etc...

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If you've ever heard of the Fibonacci Sequence (building upon the sum of the preceding two units) or the Golden Ratio, using asymmetrical proportions sometimes just feel "right" to the eye. Its proportions can be found everywhere, in flowers, trees, galaxies, shells, tornados, even our inner ear. I love this concept--it played a major role in shaping my artistic philosophy, but I'll have to save that discussion for another entry...
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I've been fortunate to come across some amazing stamp art to incorporate into my fine silver pieces. These stamps reflect the beauty and asymmetry of nature and I'm so excited to integrate them into the design of a piece! I ultimately want to start creating stamps with my own sketches, but until then I will graciously incorporate these lovely reflections of nature's imperfect, but brilliant art. Here's one of the stamp designs. Love. It.
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