Outside Inspiration: Values in Silver

We are really rather lucky to be working in polymer, especially those of us who are so in love with color. There are many other craft mediums that offer primarily monochrome palettes and others have a limited range, especially compared to what we have available. But, this just means that they focus on other elements, which is what this week of gray contemplation is really all about.

In metal work for instance, you have the colors of metal as the main or starting color. Silver work is nothing but grays unless you patina the silver or add other materials to it. So, silversmiths use value, form and texture as the primary methods of expressing their ideas, accenting with other materials when desired.

This composition you see here is actually a set of rings created by an artist that goes by nothing more than Spiralstone. There are minimal layers here, but the form and the texture allow for light to play across the surface and reflect back varying degrees of gray. The colorful cabochon stones look especially brilliant in the landscape of each ring due to the lack of competition with other colors.

I also thought these rings would be great inspiration for polymer rings. The shapes and layering would be a great approach for polymer in grays or in color.

If you like these rings, you should really look at her other work made from 100% recycled metals. Check out the other amazing rings sets and various other jewelry on her Flickr photostream and through the links on her website.

 If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.