Bright Fabric Finish

After a dreary, cold weekend here in Colorado, I thought a bright bit of color would be just the thing. These beautifully finished necklaces are by Noelia Contreras of Barcelona, Spain. The simple combination of tinted against saturated colors with contrasting ‘buttons’ make the pieces lively, but I think it’s the precise execution of the shapes, lines, and the surface finish that makes them so appealing.

It can be a bit tricky to make a flat surface look uniformly finished. The use of applied texture can accomplish this with relative ease. There is a little trick to that as well, however … the texture should not draw away from the other elements if it’s not to be a focal point of the piece. Subtlety is key here. Noelia favors what looks to be small weave fabric as her texture–a perfect solution that adds subdued textural interest while giving the work a clean looking and even finish.

With the myriad of fabrics available, there is also a myriad of possible texture to be derived from them. Lint-less fabric such as silk, acetate, nylon and many polyesters can create wonderful textures. Imprint lint laden fabrics into a sheet of polymer, baking then removing lint with a good washing, to create a lint-free texture plate.

Noelia has many other quite colorful and inspiring pieces on her blog and Flickr page, including some artful miniatures which, even with the obvious skill she applies to her jewelry, seems to be her first love when it comes to polymer creations.